The Chief: A Highland Guard Novel Mass Market Paperback – March 23, 2010

4.5 StarsI was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. I was intrigued by the description but concerned that it would be more politics & war centered than romance centered. I'm not squeamish in the least but I don't particularly enjoy reading about battles or training warriors. So I was hesitant.The first chapter of this book didn’t really grab me. It goes into a lot of back story and I found it difficult to follow with all the similar Scottish Clan namesakes. I kept picking it up and putting it down and thought I was probably going to live up to those initial concerns. But once I got in about 30 pages the book became one I could not put down!The quest to free Scotland from English rule is a backdrop to a beautiful love story and the parts that were focused on that plotline were interesting to read. It wasn't a chore to read through those parts, which surprised me. The romance was the main focus and Monica McCarty does a truly excellent job developing their relationship.I'm not typically a fan of "arranged marriage" plot lines. I usually feel there is a no risk they won't end up together and the sexual tension in the book often dies a sad death right after they consummate their marriage. But that is not true of this story. The fear that, even if they did end up together, that the hero might never truly love the heroine, is palpable. Here is a man who actually has a reason to hold people at a distance. His hesitation and resistance to it make complete sense. Yet throughout the book his emotions are so strong and raw that you just can't help but melt for him.I read a lot of other reviews about this book before buying it. A lot of people described Tor as cold. Even the book describes him as cold. His behavior in many parts certainly is. To Christina, he most definitely would seem that way. But as a reader, we have an inside look at his thoughts. And I would not describe Tor as cold at all. No.He is stoic.There is a major difference in my opinion. In his deepest heart he is warm and tender and truly cares about people. The fact that he does not express it doesn’t change the fact that he is indeed full of warmth. He is truly a complex character and discovering his many hidden layers, the reasons he is the way he is, is part of what makes this book so great.In fact, his emotions and reaction to being intimate with Christina made the love scenes in this book incredibly intense and passionate. So much feeling. Heart pounding. Breathless. Now here is an author who understands how to write a LOVE scene, as opposed to a sex scene. Much was explicitly written, which will appeal to those of us who like an extra racy read. But the characters emotions are interweaved into each scene in such a way that you can't help but be moved. Oh, just divine.I can't say that Christina's character was developed quite as well as Tor's. She is a great character and you do still get a good understanding of her feelings. You ache right along with her when she aches. But her actual activities in the book are dull compared to what Tor is doing when they are not together. The parts of the book where he is off training his men are interesting and compelling. While Christina is relegated to household duties. Long descriptions of food and decorations and her millings about the castle were a snooze fest for me. And there is a bit of a reliance on cliché romance novel tropes like the hero finding the heroine caught in an unflattering situation…meant to endear her to him of course.Christina's desire to have Tor confide in here was a huge part of the storyline. I would have preferred to read about her finding ways to develop his trust that went beyond making his castle feel more homey or using her uncommon reading and arithmetic skills. But honestly, this is a small gripe. If her part had been written a little better it would place this book at a solid 5 stars.My only other criticism of this book is that I knew who the villain was instantly. So, don’t expect any mystery there. It doesn’t take too much away from the book, but I think the author could have been a bit more clever.Oh, and I have to add that the breaking point in this book, where you know that every thing has change or their romance is forever gone, is so damn heartbreaking. You can just feel them shattering into a million pieces. And Tor's god-I'm-an-idiot moment is so poignant I wanted to read it ten times over.All in all though, this is a great book. It is completely worth the read.

The Chief is the first story of 12 Highland Guards. After the brutal torture and death of William Wallace the Highlanders start a new uprising the year 1305 with Robert the Bruce, Earl of Carrick and Lord of Annandale as the leader of the new uprising. . Bruce wants to approach the new war in a different manner. He will picks out12 Highland Warriors who are experts in the different areas of battle an war. The men would be trained under one leader and that is Tormod MacLead/Tor whose specialty is training men and use of the sword is legendary. Tor excepts the invitation by Angus MacDonald The most powerful Chief in the Highlands to attend a war counsel meeting. When Tor declines to become apart of the 12 Highland Guard, he is set up by one of the council members Andrew Fraser. Fraser has brought his two daughters Beatrix and Christina with him to the meeting. He makes his younger daughter Christina get in bed with Tor while he is sleeping. Fraser and others discover her there in a most compromising position with Tor.. This is a very erotic story. All the sex scenes which are aren't many but are very well written and tasteful. After negotiations with MacDonald and the promise of peace for his clan and great wealth and lands he agree to train the other 11 men for 3 months. Christina and her sister are very rich heiress. Beatrix wants to take the Veil and live her life dedicated to God. The story centers around Christina marrying Thor. She tries everything she knows to make him love her. But every time she tries to help him it results in her making bad choices and causing more problems. There is a traitor who is passing on information to Tors enemies and enemies of The Bruce. The person is easy enough to figure out. This story is very accurate for the period. Rich in its developed multi layered characters. The story is fast paced and exciting and very sensual and romantic. I like all the characters and I look forward to reading the other 11 Highland Guards stories. I Highly Recommend The Chief.

Stuck at home with nothing to do because of the quarantine I decided I needed a good romance novel to take my mind off the stress of constant bad news reports. Based on the campaign of Robert the Bruce to free Scotland from English rule, "The Chief" is the first in the Highland Guard series and sets the stage for the rest of the books. I had a hard time putting it down and found myself waking up in the middle of the night to read. I purchased the second book in the series, "The Hawk" at the same time with the thought that if I didn't like them I could just stop there and walk away from the Highland Guard with less than a $20.00 investment. However, as soon as I started reading The Chief I went on Amazon and bought the rest of the books in the series. After I devoured The Chief, I read The Hawk immediately. I'm about to start the last book in the series, "The Ghost" and I admit I'm sad that I've reached the end. I have to say that I liked some of the books better than others (to be expected) but if I HAD to choose I would probably say I liked "The Hawk" best of all. However, every one of the books in the series were wonderful and just what I needed to relieve my boredom and stop me from baking brownies, cookies and homemade pizza and helped put the brakes on the Covid 19 (19=pounds, similar to the freshman 15 but without the fun). One of the great things about the series is that the characters show up again and again in different books and the author has created clever plots in all of the books to keep you wanting to turn the page. In other words, as hot as these books are, they all have a great plot as well. So if you are in the market for a very explicit, steamy romance series with a lot of adventure, murder and mayhem based on real events this series is for you. As a bonus, the author shares her research at the end of each book and explains what is fiction and what is non-fiction and why she chose the characters she did. I highly recommend the entire Highland Guard series!