To Conquer a Highlander by Mary Wine

It's Historical Romance Week here at Royal Review and to kick it off we will be giving away 2 copies of To Conquer a Highlander by Mary Wine. Don't forget to check out Mary Wine's guest post.



Title- To Conquer a Highlander
Author- Mary Wine
Publisher- Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre- Historical Romance
Publication Date- July 6th, 2010
Rating- 5 Crowns ( I know that 3 reviews have to give it a high marks before it becomes a Royal Read, but I am going out on a limb and stating that more than 3 reviewers will fall in love with this book)


A FIERCE HIGHLAND LAIRD READY TO KILL FOR KING AND COUNTRY……….

Torin McLeren is outraged when he learns of his neighbor’s plot against the king. To foil the McBoyd’s scheme, he takes his enemy’s daughter hostage. But kidnapping Shannon McBoyd stirs up far more trouble than the rugged Highlander could ever have imagined…..

A STOLEN BRIDE WHO’S AS MUCH TROUBLE AS SHE IS TEMPTATION……………

Shannon fights tooth and nail, only to be captivated by the Highlander who treats her like a lady, rather than with the scorn and derision that she expects.

She can’t resist his high ideals and her fiery spirit enflames him, but consorting with the enemy could be a fatal mistake…………….


My review:

Shannon McBoyd was no use to her father, being born a girl deemed her worthless in the eyes of her father, Laird McBoyd. Pushed aside most of her life, she now finds that she is to marry a man who may become Scotland’s next king. Unable to do anything but comply with the wishes of her sire, Shannon is packed-up and shipped off to her husband-to-be. Although the Highlander Laird Torin McLeren is determined not to let that happen. Kidnapping the daughter of his enemy, Torin begins to foil McBoyds plans.

Once he has captured Shannon, he is surprised to find that he is drawn to her. Torin begins break through the defensive wall that Shannon has built around her. Will Shannon be Torins downfall or will she be his saving grace?

My thoughts:

I have read numerous Scottish themed romances, but none compare to this amazing book. I found that I was unable to put it down and the 300 plus pages flew by in one sitting. To Conquer a Highlander will have you sitting on the edge of your set with its intensity. I found that the characters were well formed, and historically true to the period from which they came. The one thing that peaked my interest about To Conquer a Highlander was the way that Mary Wine created the character of Shannon. Normally in romance book we see the woman portrayed as weak, pathetic, and helpless, with Shannon she was a strong willed character that could do for herself, which was a refreshing change.

To Conquer a Highlander is a definite page-turner, with a plot that never slows. It should be at the top of everyone’s to be read list. Although please note that this book does contain some steamy romance scenes.

This was my first encounter with a book from Mary Wine and I do have to say that it will not be my last. She has become one of my favorite romance authors.

To Conquer a Highlander is the first book in the Scottish Highland Trilogy please look for my review of Highland Hellcat coming in October.




What interested me about Medieval Scotland?

Wow… I could write a book on that question. Wait… I did write three books set in the time period…lol. Writing To Conquer a Highlander was actually a necessity after a week of historical reading. I enjoy history, actually find it fascinating. I make clothing from many time periods and I wear it too. When I say wear the clothing, I mean that I have spent an entire wee camping in “period” clothing. The things I have learned from these outings are invaluable. It is suddenly very clear why women dressed the way they did. For instance, those bodices that hold all your…..um…..fruit in so tightly…well… when one is leaning over a fire, you want those apples to stay in place!

Scotland fascinated me with its rich history that is entwined with England so tightly, it’s almost impossible to separate them. People were at the mercy of the elements and bacteria. Superstition and myth has as much power as the king or the church and in many cases they were all twisted together. Many holidays remained on the same dates but changed names as religions spread.

But it was the people of Scotland that drew my interest to placing a story there. The Romans failed to conquer them. They also endured “Hells Army” attacking them and many of those Vikings actually settled down there. By the time of To Conquer a Highlander these people were bold and tough…something I admire. This facet of their personality often caused a lot of trouble when it came to unifying under one king. I set To Conquer a Highlander during a time when clans were fighting for power but there were other clans that could see the value of remaining loyal to one king, even a boy because it would keep England from invading while the clans were brawling. When I consider the fact that there was no postal system and no way to gain information from outside your area without great effort…the fact that some men looked toward building a stronger society amazed me. I wanted to place a couple in the middle of it and see how they over came the politics of the day in order to find love. Because that’s the other thing about Scotland that enthralls me…..the romance!

Mary Wine
MaryWine.com


About The Author

Acclaimed author Mary Wine has written nearly twenty works of erotic fantasy, romantic suspense, and historical romance. An avid history-buff and historical costumer, she and her family enjoy participating in historical reenactments. Mary lives with her husband and two sons in Yorba Linda, California. For more information please visit the authors website.

On behalf of Royal Reviews I would like to thank Mary Wine for her charming guest post.


My thanks to Danielle at Sourcebooks for the arc of To Conquer a Highlander. As well as the two giveaway copies.

I will be giving away 2 copies on July 30th. Open to US Residents only. To enter please leave your name and a valid email address.




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