The Warrior by Margaret Mallory
My rating: 3 of 5 flames
I’ve been following this series since the first book and I’ve just loved it. I don’t think you can go wrong with a Margaret Mallory book.
In this one, Tearlag (the witch) is sending Duncan to check on Moira, Connor’s sister. We see Duncan angry about being sent to Ireland to check on the woman he once loved. Moira and he had a fast and furious fling about 7 years ago, but her father found out and sent Duncan away, marrying Moira off to someone else.
This was the worst thing to ever happen, not just because she loved Duncan, but Moira’s husband beat her constantly. This horrid man made their son get rid of his dog, and beat Moira in front of him. Their 7 year old son. Suffice it to say, that the only reason she let her son go foster with a neighboring clan was she knew it would keep him out of Sean’s reach.
But shortly after their son is sent away, Hugh (the bad guy) is back in the picture, and he wants Moira’s son.
Meanwhile, Duncan is furious he has to go see Moira being happy go lucky lady of the manor. Little does he know, he’s going to prove Tearlag’s vision correct-he finds Moira in a pool of blood. This sort of rekindles their relationship, but really Moira just wants to get her son back. Especially because of something that happened with her husband (can’t tell, it’s a spoiler!).
I think the beginning started off strong, but I started to not like Moira right about here. I mean, I liked her, but wanted to see her grow up a bit.
I think the author wanted to show the younger version of Moira as being spoiled and headstrong, and not thinking things through. This may have worked a little too well with me. Like the hero, too often I felt she was still behaving rashly and impulsively. With everything that she had been through, I would have thought she’d have grown up a bit more.
It wasn’t until the last third of the book I really saw Moira’s growth. I think it was supposed to have been there all along, but I didn’t see it. Duncan and Moira have a lot of hurdles in their path, but they deal with them, and they both learn a lot about who the other is now. They are no longer young teens, but adults with a lot of hurt, anger and betrayal between them. Yet they are able to overcome their obstacles and re-fall in love.
That being said, I did enjoy the book, and I really have loved this series. I absolutely recommend this one to any Historical fan, any Scottish Romance fan, and really, anyone who just wants good romance.
***ARC courtesy of netgalley and Forever Romance
I do enjoy a good Highland romance, as long as there are kilts involved. I need to try this author, even if it wasn’t a complete home run read.
Lexi, I will say that every other Mallory book I’ve read has been a 5 🙂 The series itself is awesome. I just didn’t connect with the heroine in this one.