Highland Brides Series (#1) by Hannah Howell, reprinted by Zebra Books, 2012.
** BEWARE: Because of the sex scenes and a bit of gruesome violence, I recommend HIS BONNIE BRIDE for readers aged 18 years and above.**
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I've been in a Highlander romance kick recently and stumbled on HIS BONNIE BRIDE (republished by Zebra Books, 2012) during an ebook sale over Thanksgiving. I was just looking for something light to read while I traveled in the car for 11 hours, and this ebook looked like the perfect escape.
Previously published in 1988 under the title AMBER FLAME, HIS BONNIE BRIDE is the first book in Hannah Howell's HIGHLAND BRIDES SERIES and for me a solid 4 star read. Set in the 14th century, it tells the story of Storm Eldon, a feisty, independent and witty English border woman, and Tavis MacLagan, the confident, good-looking heir of the Scottish castle Caraidland. Their families are enemies and have been stealing cattle, horses and other property from each other for generations. It's at the end of one of these border thefts that Tavis and his brothers save Storm from being raped by one of her stepmother's lovers. The men strip the attacker, strap him to his horse, and send him back to the Eldon stronghold in shame. Once they determine that Storm's father, brothers and male cousins aren't around to protect her from further harm by the man, Tavis decides to put her on his horse and head back to Caraidland. He wants to seduce Storm but waits until his clan has heard whether or not her ransom will be paid. All of Storm's adult male relatives are in another country fighting, leaving her stepmother in charge of the Eldon stronghold. She is a spoiled woman, who kills whenever she wants and spends as much money as the Eldon clan can raise. Storm's future with Tavis is set when her stepmother refuses to pay the ransom, and Tavis begins his seduction of Storm in earnest.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book with all its parallel storylines and interesting characters, particularly since there's something for every taste. A murder plot; a kinky, lusty, evil stepmother; rugged, handsome highlanders; a strong heroine; sensual romance; battles and altercations; secret goings-on; and, some laugh-out-loud humor. I read the whole book in sort of one sitting (not too difficult on an 11-hour car ride) and was glad I discovered this story. It turned out to be just the thing I needed to turn a long trip into a fairly pleasant ride.
* The second book in the series is HIGHLAND WEDDING, also reprinted in 2012.
If You Like This Book, You May Like -- Other Highlander series by Hannah Howell, Highland Adventure Series by Vonda Sinclair, Stolen Bride Series by Eliza Knight, Hot Highlanders Books by Mary Wine, Bad Boys of the Highlands Series by Victoria Roberts.