Embrace the Highland Warrior
by Anita Clenney
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publish Date November 1, 2011
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Connor Clan book 2
Source: Print ARC copy provided for review
My Rating:
Blurb from Goodreads:
Cody McBain’s family spent two decades protecting the identity of a powerful female warrior who was targeted by an ancient demon, keeping the secret even from her. When she discovered her entire life had been a lie, furious at the betrayal, she abandoned Cody, who’d fallen in love with her, and the rest of the clan. Now, vampires and demons have discovered she’s alive and are in a race to find her and the clan’s sacred Book of Battles. Cody will have to break all the rules to save the woman who shattered his heart.When the powerful demon who left Shay for dead discovers her empty grave, he comes seeking retribution, believing she possesses an ancient book he has sought for centuries. But the vampires also want the book, and they want Shay. Knowing she can’t fight this evil alone, Shay returns to her clan and the Scottish Warrior who betrayed her…the only man she’s ever loved, where she discovers that betrayal isn’t always what it seems. Sometimes it’s far worse.
My Review:
I was very excited to read Embrace the Highland Warrior, the cover is hot, the title sounds romantic, and I always love warriors. Historical romance readers, do not be confused, this book is contemporary paranormal romance, not historical. With that said, I really liked Embrace the Highland Warrior, I have found a new series and author to follow. The Connor Clan is a clan of warriors who are tasked with fighting and killing demons. Our heroine is Shay. After a scary break-in Shay travels from her home in Scotland to visit the home she left as a teenager after finding out her family was not really her family. Shay is reunited with her childhood sweetheart and lover, Cody. Shay left on bad terms and it takes Cody and Shay most of the story to work through problems and uncover truths. As it becomes clear that Shay is being targeted by supernatural beings, Cody and his clan step in to protect Shay. Shay has to confront her past and the truth of her identity, she has to sort through lies and half-truths, and she has to learn quickly to keep herself and Cody safe.
The recurring theme of Embrace the Highland Warrior is secrets. Everyone has secrets, Cody has secrets, Shay has secrets, Shay’s aunt has secrets, even the demons have secrets. The result is chaos and arguing and an increasingly complex and fascinating story. This is no simple world in Embrace the Highland Warrior, it is a world filled with supernatural creatures such as demons, vampires, and the warriors with super-human abilities. There’s even a touch of time travel. Even though the story is complex, and I did not read the first book of the series, I was able to understand the world pretty quickly. One thing is sure, I was never bored. I actually read through the book pretty quick, I was very curious to uncover all the secrets and to read the characters reactions once secrets were revealed.
Shay is a good heroine, she never knew exactly why her friends and family lied to her, but she felt very betrayed by those she loved. When the truth started to come out, she handled everything pretty well. Sometimes when heroines are introduced to the paranormal world, they flip out and get mean or catty, but Shay kept a pretty level head. There’s not much to not like about Cody either. He did hold onto his secrets pretty tightly, but he was typically male and clueless as to why Shay would hold back from him. There is not instant love here, Cody and Shay’s relationship develops in a realistic manner, and I understood both characters.
Embrace the Highland Warrior will take readers on a thrilling adventure with plenty of action, jealousy, demons, and warriors. Anita Clenney has blended paranormal, romance, and highlanders into an exciting, and hopefully long-running series. In Embrace the Highland Warrior, future story lines are put in place as characters appear more throughout the book, and I am very much looking forward to reading the next installment in the series.
You can learn more about author Anita Clenney and the Connor Clan series at her website: http://www.anitaclenney.com/
October 12, 2011 at 1:51 pm
sounds great
October 13, 2011 at 12:59 am
I can’t wait to read this title! I loved Anita’s ‘Awaken the Highland Warrior,’ the first in the Connor Clan series. I especially enjoyed the paranormal element she adds to this genre.
Great review!
Jayne
November 16, 2011 at 12:01 am
[...] Embrace the Highland Warrior by Anita Clenney—In Stores November 2011 (my 4 star review) [...]