Review: Seduced by Her Highland Warrior

I wasn't sure how I would feel about a romance featuring a married couple. But for the most part, I enjoyed it. Of course, this isn't a story about the first blush of love or the first stirrings of passion. Laren and Alex have been married for about five years. They were wonderfully in love when they exchanged their vows, but the crushing loss of a baby three years ago drove a wedge between them that they have not been able to overcome.

The book opens with the MacKinloch clan under attack. Their homes are burned to the ground and Laren is injured. Despite her wounds, she doesn't turn to her husband. And it's his fear of her death coupled with the realization of her distance that wakes Alex up to the serious chasm between them. He vows to fix things, but watching the two of them try to reconcile is frustrating and sad. Alex is the chief of the tribe and he expects Laren to be the lady of his people. But she is terribly shy and her childhood as a poor outcast makes her feel unable and unworthy to be what her husband wants her to be. Instead, she finds her solace in glassmaking. It's a skill she learned from an old priest after her son's death. She finds beauty and purpose in her art and she has done it for years in secret.

Laren's glass can generate the money the clan needs to rebuild. But Alex feels betrayed that she has kept this secret all these years. The two of them clearly love each other. However, it's difficult to watch them blunder through their relationship. Alex lords over Laren the same way he rules the clan. He tries to bend her to his will. Though admittedly, his intentions are good, he does real damage to her spirit and makes her feel that he doesn't value her for who she is. At the same time, Laren is guilty of being a martyr. She hides her feelings and keeps her secrets by telling herself Alex doesn't need to be burdened by them. I wanted to just shake them both, especially during the first half of the book.

Things do get better, though, as our couple begins to understand and accept each other. And watching them finally come together is quite lovely. There is deep loss and sadness in their relationship, but there is real love there, which makes their journey worth watching... especially once they begin to communicate.

An external threat does hover over Laren and Alex, in the form of the clan's enemy... who is trying to crush the MacKinlochs once and for all. Also, we've got some strong secondary characters (like Alex's brothers) which give the book more depth. I'm really interested to read poor Callum's story --and I hope it comes next. 

Overall, I found that I did enjoy this, especially once our couple started actually talking to each other. 4 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

Seduced by Her Highland Warrior

by Michelle Willingham

Release Date: July 19, 2011

Publisher: Harlequin