TBR book for October

It's that time again - time for Keishons monthy TBR challenge. This is my book for October

Highlander Untamed by Monica McCarty
Publisher: Ballantine
Date Published: July 2007

Chapters Blurb:

Rory MacLeod is a bold and powerful Highland Chief with only one allegiance–to his clan. He vows revenge against the rival MacDonald clan, though duty demands a handfast marriage to Isabel MacDonald–a bride he does not want and has no intention of keeping. But Rory couldn’t have anticipated the captivating woman who challenges his steely control, and unleashes the untamed passion simmering beneath his fierce exterior.

Blessed with incomparable beauty, Isabel MacDonald is prepared to use every means possible–including seduction–to uncover her husband’s most guarded secrets. Instead Rory awakens Isabel’s deepest desires and her sweetest fantasies. Now Isabel has found the happiness she’s always dreamed of with the very man she must betray, and discovers that passion can be far more dangerous than revenge.

I'm still having problems getting 'over' - well you know to what book I'm referring to, so I'm not sure whether I've suddenly gotten tougher or anything else is still paling in comparison. I had a tough time choosing a book this month. At first I was going to read either The Lover or Gabriel's Lady by Robin Schone because for this challenge I like to dig deep. But I started The Lover and knew it wouldn't be fair to the book. So instead I picked a more recent book - Highlander Untamed because part of what makes the whole book buying thing insane is I have the whole series and haven't read any of them yet. I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone with this choice.

This one is pretty standard romance fair. It has some good points. Although it's a Scottish Highlander book, we don't have the faux brogue to try and wade through. I give it a plus for that.
On the other hand - Rory is unbelievably handsome, strong, honorable, loyal - in other words - perfect. Isabel is unbelievably beautiful, strong, honorable - except for the fact that she plans to betray Rory for her wicked uncle in order to save her own clan with her father and brothers who never showed her love growing up. But once she falls in love with Rory, she give up this plan and is loyal to his clan, loyal - in other words - perfect.
So with two perfect people, the conflict is more external. Rory doesn't trust Isabel. Her clan - the MacDonalds are enemies of his clan the MacLeods (and I kept wanting to say 'of the Clan MacLeod) because her evil uncle broke a handfast to Rory's sister and humiliated her.
Isabel is torn because she has a severe case of the hots for unbelievably handsome Rory and Rory has a severe case of the hots for unbelievably beautiful, but he doesn't want to act on them because he is only handfasted to her because King James ordered it and he plans on renouncing her at the end of the year.
But as these two perfect people gradually fall in love with each other - I mean how can they not - they are perfect - they each seek to find a way out of their dilemma. And after Rory finds out about Isabel's early plan to betray his clan, he kicks her to the curb and both these two perfect people suffer until they are finally united in love and they live happily ever after.

I know this seems a bit facetious and I suppose it is - and I'm not really being fair. That's going to take awhile I fear. But overall it's a pretty good book. I'm glad I have the next 2 waiting to be read. And while I thought they each took longer than they should have to come up with a plan to be with each other - I did enjoy it. And the love scenes were very hot. It gets credit for that!
I'd say if you enjoy this kind of book, you will enjoy this one.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5