Review: Laird of the Mist by Paula Quinn

Title: Laird of the Mist

Author: Paula Quinn

Genre: Historical, Highland Romance
Series: MacGregors, #1
Publisher: Forever 

~*~Book Blurb~*~

PROTECTING HER WAS HIS PASSION 

High-born though she is, Kate Campbell isn't afraid to draw her sword. When raiders strike, she rushes into the fray...and is lucky when a mysterious Highlander shields her from a deadly blow. Swept onto his stallion, she soon discovers that her rescuer is her clan's most hated enemy; Callum MacGregor, the man they call The Devil. Yet she cannot ignore his achingly tender touch or the way his fiery gaze leaves her breathless.
 

POSSESSING HER WOULD BE HIS PLEASURE 

Callum MacGregor has taken many Campbell lives, but he's never saved one ;until now. Mesmerized by this spirited lass, he wants her by his side, even if it means holding her for ransom. As his fingers graze her sumptuous curves and tangle in her unruly tresses, Callum realizes Kate Campbell is his most dangerous foe of all. For he can't make love to her without betraying his kinsmen and his honor...and surrendering his heart forever.

As my first introduction to Paula Quinn, I have to say that I enjoyed Laird of the Mist, and the writing style and voice of this new-to-me author. Ms. Quinn did a great job at weaving history with romantic fiction. This story IS based off of the true history of the  proscription and persecution of the MacGregor clan starting in the mid-seventeenth century until the late eighteenth century.

While some reviewers have already hit on the fact that this first book of the MacGregor series is reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet, I found it to also remind me of Beauty and the Beast. This is a kidnap and fall in love story in which the clans of the hero and heroine have deep seated hatred toward one another, and have personal and obligatory obstacles to overcome before finally achieving their HEA.

Callum MacGregor is definitely a scarred, tortured (literally), broken, alpha hero. Known as The Devil, Callum is hell-bent on seeking revenge for his denounced, shunned, and condemned clan MacGregor. For even having the last name MacGregor is a reason to swiftly end the life of the highlander -- whether woman, child, or man. His life has been easily molded into upholding the need for revenge while keeping all forms of compassion, love, and other feelings not surrounded by a cold need for justice, aside. His childhood was hell, and his adult life even worse. But to his own vexation, he finds himself traveling with a most tempting and spirited woman that slowly chips away at his hardened interior.

Heroine Kate Campbell has been raised to hate the MacGregor's -- even having never personally met one. It was the Campbell's of generations past that implemented the attack on and claiming of the MacGregor lands. So it only seems right that Callum take the fiery lass as a hostage to gain leverage with the new Campbell laird.

Along the way, not only do both the hero and heroine fall for one another, but both learn a great deal about each other, the backgrounds, and the misconceptions.

The plot seemed plausible, and the writing style, setting, and characters were definitely enjoyable. The sexual tension starts off pretty quickly, but the actual giving into the act takes place about two-thirds into the story, which is cause for great character growth on both their parts, but primarily on the part of the hero -- he has the greatest prejudice and personal and obligatory obstacles to overcome. Both the lead characters are head-strong, independent, and stubborn, but not so much to cause the reader to get bored and irritated.

The secondary characters are fantastic!! Humor and character uniqueness abounds in this story which left me wanting more of the clan of Skye. The only major qualms I had with the Laird of the Mist were 1) It did take a few chapters for me to get into the story and 'like' the characters. It starts of with the heroine wielding a sword, her kidnapped by the cold-hearted Devil, patched up from an arrow wound, him stabbed in the leg, and a few ups and downs within a short amount of time. I honestly didn't know what was *really* going on for a chapter or two, but after a few chapters, I was into the book, and 2) Some of the dialogue and descriptions during the sexual scenes were heavy on the cheesy side.

With that being said, I actually did enjoy this Highlander story and it left me wanting to read more from this author as well as continue with the MacGregor clan.