Smitten by Books

Before I post Barbara’s review for Highland Obsession, which she originally posted on her blog, Happily Forever After on August 7, 2009, I thought that today we readers and authors needed a treat.

I first stumbled upon this cover on Katibabs’ Blog and was immediately struck dumb, or perhaps it would be honest to say I sat for several moments in awe. I’ve been talking covers for the last several weeks and this particular cover definitely caught my attention and would definitely make me pick up the book to read the back cover blurb if I could tear my eyes from front long enough to do so. Don’t ask me what the book is about yet, I haven’t gotten that far but I have to say this is VERY NICE eye candy for a Monday morning. 🙂

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I must say that we’re treated to a similar treat on the cover of Dawn Halliday’s Highland Obsession. For readers who love a gripping love triangle, this is the book for you.

Highland Obsession
Author: Dawn Halliday
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Pub. Date: August 2009
ISBN-13: 9780451227010
320 pages

In the Scottish Highlands, two warriors are about to clash over a woman of passion…

They were the unlikeliest of friends debauching their way through London: The Earl of Camdonn, a nobleman of vast wealth and power, and Scottish laird Alan MacDonald, a respected Jacobite with ambitions of his own.

But their friendship is destroyed when Alan marries the beautiful Sorcha Stewart—only to witness Cam kidnap her from their bedroom. Then Alan learns the truth: his bride was not an innocent. She took a lover before him—his friend—who taught her the ways of pleasure.

Now, Alan will do anything to get his wife back. Cam fights to redeem his honor, even as he refuses to give up his desire. Torn between love and duty, Sorcha must watch as the two men she desires go to war over her. And when the battle lines are drawn, all three lovers are lured into a triangle of forbidden passions…

Gorgeous Cover–check. I mean seriously, look at that dude. Rawr.

Love Triangle–check. I don’t know about you, but two totally gorgeous alpha heroes tossed together, fighting to win the love of a woman? Totally hot. Plus it makes for great angst. I love me some angst.

Yup, Highland Obsession was a book that sounded like it was for me alright.

After having lived the majority of his life in England, Alan MacDonald has returned to Scotland in order to begin his life anew. Claiming his lands, Alan takes his place as Laird. His wish to find a suitable bride and start a family brings him to the lovely, Sorcha.

Sorcha Stewart is everything Alan could have wished for in a bride. Beautiful, sweet and innocent, she is nothing like the women he knew in England, and it isn’t long before Alan becomes completely enamored with his bride-to-be.

Soon the couple is married. The honeymoon is short lived, however, because her love isn’t the only thing Alan’s blushing bride has brought into their marriage. The woman he has chosen to wed is carrying with her a secret, and one that could very well tear them apart forever.

A woman of honor, when Sorcha stood before the minister and promised herself body and soul to Alan, she meant every word. With Alan, life seems filled with so much promise. He’s caring and honorable, gentle and yet strong. Sorcha wants nothing more than to build a happy life with her new husband.

With a tender touch and loving words, on their wedding night, Alan speaks to her of honesty and trust. Barely married a few hours and already Sorcha finds herself wracked with the guilt, the guilt of knowing she has already betrayed that very trust Alan speaks of. Her only hope is that he never ever finds out her secret.

The truth will set you free? Hmm…I don’t know about that…

The Earl of Camdonn is a man obsessed. Seriously. Obsessed. Once upon a time Sorcha had been his mistress. They shared a brief, yet, very passionate affair. At the time, Cam had believed it to be nothing more than a physical attraction. Sorcha was beautiful and, well, extremely willing. Yes, he knew her feelings for him ran deeper than his did, but that really meant nothing seeing as he was an Earl and she was a common maiden. Besides, he didn’t love her. Or did he?

Ah, but you don’t know whatcha got until it’s gone my friend….

But now Sorcha is married, and suddenly Cam finds himself unable to accept it. He’s gone completely mad with the idea of her belonging to another. She’s his dammit. She loves him. He absolutely has to have her back. Period.

So, what does Cam do? He busts into her house and whisks her away into the night. Sounds romantic, huh? Yeah, well, only problem is, Sorcha’s new husband also happens to be Cam’s very best friend.

Uh-oh…

As if that isn’t bad enough, it turns out Sorcha isn’t the only one with secrets to hide. Alan and Cam apparently share quite a past of their own.

Lies, deceit, lust, love, anger, jealousy, rage and obsession….

And so begins the battle between two men, willing to sacrifice a life long friendship and their very lives for the love of just one woman. And of course, one woman who must ultimately decide which man is truly the only one for her.

Alrighty, let me see…First I’d like to say that I think Dawn Halliday (aka Jennifer Haymore) is a spectacular writer. She really draws the reader into the tale and makes it easy for you to connect with her characters.

The heroine, Sorcha, I completely got her. I understood how she felt, her fears, her desires and her willingness to go along with some of the…er…situations in this tale.

The heroes:

Alan. I got him. Sort of. Well, at least I did get him up to a certain point and then I was like, “Dude, what are you doing?” I think if I was able to smack some sense in to him a few times throughout the tale, I would have enjoyed his character a lot more.

Cam. I got. It was a simple case of you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. Yeah, I got Cam and really liked his character.

*Spoiler Alert in the following paragraph*

There is one scene near the end of this tale that I could have done without. It’s a ménage scene between these three characters and honestly, eh. Here you have a hero who was so completely obsessed and jealous of the fact that his wife had made love to this other man, and yet, he’d be willing to share her after everything? I don’t know. Listen, I have absolutely no issues with “double stuff” scenes. Two hot guys…*clears throat and wipes brow* however, this particular scene just didn’t seem to fit the hero’s personality. Other than that, I liked this tale.

I will say that I did have an idea who would inevitably win the heroine’s heart, and I was very happy to see it come to light in the end. Highland Obsession, for me, was an extremely well written tale and I’m looking forward to diving in to another love triangle in “A Hint of Wicked” by Dawn’s alter ego, Jennifer Haymore.

My rating: 4 1/2 stars

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On a sad note, I’d like to bid a fond farewell to Barbara’s Happily Forever After as she has decided to step back from her blog (*sob* I just discovered her this year!!!). But hopefully she won’t be gone forever, and I’m sure she’ll be popping up with a review when there’s a book she MUST tell us about. I’m hoping I can convince her to guest blog here on The Season every now and again. 😉