A classic tale of love at first sight, this book is an exciting and fast paced read.

Author Donna Fletcher has added another great story to her Warrior King series. I was very happy to see the story jump right into the thick of the plot right from the opening pages, setting a swift pace for the entire book. However, that being said, there is little explanation of the main idea of the four part book series and I think I would have been a bit lost had I not read the first book, Bound to a Warrior, first. I strongly recommend that you do pick up that story as it is a good read but will also set the tone and explain the history behind this current book.

Tara, our strong and determined heroine, has been cursed as a death bride - any man who she loves or vows to be with shall die. Unfortunately for her, it has happened several times. All she wants is a quiet life on her own but that is not to be for this uniquely beautiful woman.  When she is betrothed by her father to yet another man, she flees, straight into the arms of Reeve MacAlpin, a brave highland warrior on a secret mission.

Reeve has duties to his clan and Scotland. Along with his brothers he must pave the way for the true king of Scotland to take the throne. But meeting Tara throws a big hurdle in his way. He must protect her from her father, the king, and his growing love for her. Curse or no, fate has determined that Tara and Reeve must fight together no matter how badly Tara wishes to be free of Reeve.  So their love grows along with the danger of their match with a handful of kings men licking at their heels…

The plot is exciting and the story fast paced but I found the love story itself to be just a little too fast. Donna plays up on the classic theme of love at first sight, giving her readers a romance filled with instant chemistry and a bond that neither lead character can explain. There is no build up as you get to know each character and become tied into their love. I tend to like books more when the leads finally declare their love for one another against all odds but with this story there is little relationship development and I did not feel any anticipation.

I think this hinders the character development on the whole. I didn’t feel connected to the characters nor did I feel like I knew them well enough to care about their fate. However, the story itself was still a good one and kept me interested throughout the book. Overall, I would have liked to see a stronger love story and more time spent on expanding the characters but I would still recommend this book to historical genre fans, especially those who love anything Scottish… like me!

~ Danielle