One of my not-so-secret secrets is that I enjoy historical romance novels. I think I read my first one when I was eight or nine — clearly too young to have such a good understanding of the mechanics of and interesting descriptions and euphemisms for sex, but oh well. My thing for romance novels was kind of like how Pringles advertises their chips — once you start you can’t stop (or is it “you can’t stop at one”? I always get them mixed up.). For several years I read nothing but romance novels. I’ve taken a bit of a break over the past two or three years, and have instead gotten into other books and certain authors, but when I was recently offered the opportunity to review Ravished by a Highlander, the newest book from Paula Quinn, I excitedly said yes, and started watching my mailbox anxiously.
Ravished by a Highlander, as you can surely surmise from the title, is about a Scotsman — a Highlander, as well as an English woman, Davina Montgomery, who has spent her entire life in an abbey. The story opens up with her abbey coming under attack, and the Highlander, a man named Robert MacGregor, coming to her rescue after the captain and men who are there to protect her are overpowered. The story continues to reveal just who Davina really is, while she and Robert fall in love, fight their attraction for one another, and wind up intertwining with one another in more ways than one!
Full description:
Davina Montgomery is no ordinary English lady. For her own protection, she’s been locked away from society, her true identity the Crown’s most closely guarded secret. Until a shocking betrayal–and a bold rescue–land her in the arms of a fierce Highlander, a powerful warrior whose searing gaze and tantalizing touch awaken her body and soul.
As the firstborn son of a powerful Scottish laird, Robert MacGregor has no loyalty to the English throne, but he’s not the kind of man to leave a woman in distress, even if she is English. He vows to deliver Davina to safety, unharmed and untouched. Yet one stolen kiss leaves them both smoldering with desire…and desperate for more. With Davina’s secret threatening to destroy his clan, Rob must choose between everything he holds dear and the one woman he can’t live without.
It took me a while to get through the book, due to being so busy with work and family things, but I blew through several chapters at a time. And once I finished the book, I re-read it. It was a really good story. I will be the first to admit that there are some historical romances that live up to the term “trashy romance novels”, but Paula Quinn’s Ravished by a Highlander is definitely not one of the books. The plot, the characters, the story development — everything was fantastic! If you like historical romances, I would definitely recommend this book.
Rating: 
