The ViperHighland Guard (4)
Monica McCarty
Ballantine Books
Paperback
Published October 2011
Acquired: Library
381 Pages
Scottish Highlands Historical Romance
ISBN: 978-0-345-52839-1
Authors Website
Synopsis
The war for Scotland’s sovereignty rages on as Robert the Bruce is crowned king and the Highland Guard, his elite fighting force of legendary warriors, battle for land . . . and love.
Prized for his snakelike stealth and deadly strikes, Lachlan “Viper” MacRuairi is a warrior to enlist but not to trust. His only loyalty is to his purse, his indifference sealed by bitter betrayal. All that changes when Lachlan is tasked to protect and deliver Bella MacDuff to the king’s coronation and the proud, lushly sensual countess unwittingly challenges him to his greatest battle yet: to love again.
Passionate and devoted, Bella has defied Britain’s king and her own husband to place the crown on Bruce’s head, and for this she pays a terrible price: Losing her daughter and her freedom to her husband’s vengeance. Imprisoned with barbaric cruelty, she vows to reclaim her child, even if it means selling her soul and her body to a dark, lethal warrior whose eyes glint like steel, but who makes her skin tingle and her breath race. Together they embark on a rogue mission with sinister twists and turns that threatens not only Bella’s gamble to save her daughter but also her heart.
My Review
Bella MacDuff makes a decision to betray her husband and the Britain’s king, to crown Robert the Bruce as Scotland’s king, but her escort the “Viper” is just hoping to get this assignment out of the way as soon as possible. Lachlan is a part of the highland elite guard, and one of the most powerful of warriors, and has no weakness…until he meets the spirited Bella. Bella has lived under her husbands thumb since she was fifteen years old, where he has treated her no better than a slave. She has a fourteen year old daughter, and Bella makes a difficult choice, a choice that will separate her from her daughter. As she strives to get her daughter back, Lachlan is her companion and protector, but soon they will need to trust one another in order to survive the army that is hunting them down, but will the love they have for each other be powerful to survive the tide of war and uncertainty?
The Viper is the fourth book in the Highland Guard series. The Viper is one amazing story that is intense and will keep you at the edge of your seat from beginning to end. There is so much that happens in the book, and recently I have really gained a greater respect and understanding of this time period, and the sacrifices made….and Monica McCarty does a superb job in her storytelling of this time of strife and passion. For those who haven’t read this series yet, this series “The Highland Guard” is about a elite group of warriors who fight for Robert the Bruce, who fight for their king, freedom, and love!! Ever since I read the first book “The Chief” I have fallen in love with this author, and I just feel like each book is better than the previous one.
The Viper is the 4th installment, and in the previous three books we have seen the involvement of The Viper, and I have really liked Lachlan…he seems so bad boy and only wanting money for his missions…but you see in this book, how there is so much more to him than meets the eye. By the end, you see a honorable and fierce hero that wins your heart over. Bella is one hell of heroine that was so endearing, you can’t help but like her tenacity. Bella is a fighter, and even though she knows the consequences she realizes the importance of her duty and promise to Robert, so she defies her husband and the English king, and leaves her daughter behind, so that she can do the right thing. I loved see Bella grow in this book, she has such a tender spirit, and I couldn’t contain my excitement when she did something that just makes the reader want to cheer her on. She definitely has a warrior’s heart, and she has such zest for life against all odds.
Overall a winner of a historical romance. A story packed with characters full of passion, adventure, scenes to make you sigh and cry, and one love story that packs a punch….BEYOND EXCEPTIONAL!!
My Grade
5 Blossoms
Heat Rating
Steamy
Other Books In Series
The Chief
The Hawk
The Ranger
The Saint
The Recruit
The Hunter
The Knight
The Raider
The Arrow
Addicted To Romance 