Hannah Howell

This is the first Murray book I have read in a while and I loved it, as it reminded me of why I like these books so much. There is a lot that happens throughout the book. It opens with our hero fighting for survival, as he was beaten and tossed in the water to die. He's too stubborn to go out that way and manages to get to shore before collapsing in pain from his injuries, including a broken leg. He is found by Bethoc, who is out walking with her little sister. She manages to get him to her show more safe place, a cave where he can hide while recovering. She promises to come as often as she can to care for him.

Bethoc is the oldest child of her household, followed by five brothers and her baby sister. Their father is an abusive man, who beats them often. She would like to escape, but can't leave her siblings unprotected, so she endures. When her father brings home yet another "brother" to help with the farm, she finally begins to question where the boys have come from. The mystery gets deeper when she discovers that the new lad is the same boy that Callum had been protecting.

There is a connection between Bethoc and Callum from the very beginning. In spite of the abuse she has received, she instinctively trusts Callum. Both of them have dark pasts that have affected their lives. Callum was one of the boys rescued in an earlier book (Highland Angel) who had suffered from terrible abuse. Since his rescue he has become a staunch defender of women and children, frequently taking in orphans and finding them new homes. His temper can get the best of him when he sees abuses happening, which reinforces his belief that he has a dark soul. Bethoc's own abuses have taught her to be cautious. Her mother's deathbed confession that Kerr is not Bethoc's father has made her wonder about the man who is, but she has no way to find out. Bethoc has become very protective of her "brothers" and her little sister.

Over the weeks that it takes Callum's leg to mend, Bethoc visits as often as she dares. Callum learns a lot about Bethoc's life and is unhappy that he is in no condition to rescue her. He is shocked to discover that he knows her true father, a member of the Murray clan, and tries to convince Bethoc that she must meet him. Callum's friends find him part way through the healing process, and agree that he is probably safer where he is while they try to find the men who attacked him.

The attraction between Callum and Bethoc continues to grow. He can't stop himself from kissing her, and it isn't long before things progress even further. Bethoc believes that this is something that will only last until he is well enough to leave. Callum knows that he should leave her alone, but can't seem to help himself. He also keeps trying to figure out ways to keep her with him, even though he doesn't know why he wants to. Just when it looks like he's able to take Bethoc and her brothers and sister to his home with him, the men who attacked him make a reappearance.

This time they have tortured and killed her stepfather, and framed her for the murder. The things that she endures as she is held and "questioned" by the local sheriff are horrifying. She has no idea if Callum will be able to find and rescue her before it is too late. This section of the book is intense, with the danger to her increasing by the minute. I loved Callum's determination to save her. It was quite satisfying to see how he pulled it off, with the aid of his friends. In the midst of the tension, there are a few lighter moments that relieve the intensity. There are a couple of twists that cause a resurgence of the danger, with rescue this time coming from an unexpected source.

A quick visit to meet her father is followed by Callum taking her and some of her brothers to his home. They continue as lovers, with Callum happy to have her with him, but feeling like there is something missing. Various family members question his intentions, but he doesn't know what to tell them. I was a little frustrated with Callum by this point because he is so oblivious to what is going on inside him. He knows he wants to keep her with him, but can't figure out what it means. Even talking to his friends, he is stubbornly blind to what they try to tell him. Meanwhile, Bethoc has realized that she loves Callum, but wants more than what he seems willing to give her. She doesn't want to lose him, but she can't go on like this forever. I loved his friends' last ditch effort to get him to see the truth. His big moment at the end was sweet and a bit awkward as he finally realized his fear and faced it. A great epilogue brought it all together.

I loved the secondary characters. Callum's friends, who are as protective and honorable as he is, provide support and some of the lighter moments of the book. I loved seeing each of them try to make Callum see the truth about his feelings for Bethoc. I loved their protectiveness toward Bethoc and the others. Robbie was especially nice to watch as he found his own future. Bethoc's "brothers" were terrific. I enjoyed seeing how they watched out for and protected each other. Their protectiveness reached new heights as their "father's" abuse grew worse. The most engaging was wee Margaret, with her stubbornness, sweetness and loving nature. She has several scene-stealing moments that had me grinning in delight. After the discovery that he was Bethoc's father, I expected a little more involvement from Brett Murray. I found his hands off attitude a little puzzling, and expected at least a little pressure put on Callum to "do the right thing". I liked seeing some of the other Murray couples again, especially the ladies' acceptance and support of Bethoc and her "gift". show less

I read this book when it first came out in 2008 and loved it, so I was very happy to win a review copy from NetGalley so that I could reread it. This is the story of James Drummond, the adopted son of Eric and Bethia Murray (Highland Promise), all grown up and with troubles of his own. He was the laird of Dunncraig Keep until he was betrayed by his wife's cousin. Accused of murdering his wife and declared an outlaw, James fled for his life, hiding out for three years. Now he's had enough and show more is determined to clear his name and regain his home, his lands, and his daughter. He disguises himself as a one-eyed woodcarver to gain access to the keep, where he meets Annora.

Annora MacKay is the poor-relation cousin of Donnell MacKay, the man who stole Dunncraig Keep. She was brought to Dunncraig to care for Meggie, the little girl that Donnell says is his daughter. Her cousin is ruthless and vicious, and Annora does what she can to protect Meggie from him, frequently suffering abuse because of it. The longer she is there, the more suspicious she becomes of just how Donnell acquired the property. These suspicions are reinforced by her ability to sense the feelings of others, and she feels the evil that surrounds Donnell. She soon senses a new emotion in the keep - rage - and it is centered on the woodcarver who has taken up residence there.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between James and Annora. There was no denying the sparks that flew between them from the moment they met, though both tried to ignore them at first. James doesn't want the distraction from his goal of finding proof of his innocence, plus pursuing the attraction could make him vulnerable to discovery. Annora is closely watched by her cousin and his second-in-command, Egan. Egan wants Annora for his own and would kill any man who touched what he considered his "property." But James and Annora can't stay away from each other, especially after James saves her from Egan's advances. James grows to trust Annora, and when she stumbles onto him out of his disguise, he takes her into his confidence. The more time they spend together, the deeper their feelings for each other become, but there are big obstacles to their being together. The biggest, of course, is James's being an outlaw. Another is Annora's conviction that she is not good enough for James, with him being a laird and her being a landless, bastard-born orphan. I loved how James's Murray upbringing made it easy for him to recognize that Annora is his other half, the mate that was destined to be his. They are also responsible for his easy acceptance of her "gift," something that she did not expect at all. I did get a little frustrated at Annora's refusal to believe that James would want her for more than a brief fling.

The storyline of James's search for proof of his innocence was well done, with plenty of tension, twists and turns, and action. Donnell was a villain who was very easy to hate, with his cruelty, selfishness, and deceit. I liked how James and Annora teamed up, with Annora's "gift" and knowledge of both Donnell and James's late wife, Mary, providing new and startling insight into what had gone on. I loved the arrival of Sir Simon Innes and James's brother Tormand, and their intent to assist James. Sir Simon's presence is especially significant. When the danger to Annora becomes too high, James attempts to get her and Meggie to safety, but their escape is thwarted. I was on the edge of my seat from there to the end, as both their lives were in extreme danger. I ached for Annora and everything she went through. I was incredibly impressed with her determination and strength of will in spite of her pain and loved what she was able to do. James's situation was even more dire, and I was glued to the pages during that final confrontation. The resolution was extremely satisfying and brilliantly executed.

The only thing left was for James to win his fair lady. Annora was determined to avoid him and leave as soon as she could. She couldn't bear to see him marry another, and was certain he would marry for wealth and position. James's frustration was obvious, and his brother's teasing made me laugh out loud. James's big moment at the end was sweet and romantic, and definitely worthy of being a Murray. The epilogue was great, with Tormand once again providing both support and torment in James's hour of need.

The secondary characters were terrific, with the best ones being Big Marta and little Meggie. As the longtime cook at Dunncraig, it wasn't surprising that she quickly saw through James's disguise. I loved her support of both James and Annora. Meggie was quite the little piece of work. She was very observant for a five-year-old, but the life she'd lived for the past three years had made her so. I loved her instant connection with James, even without connecting him to her vague memories of her real father. I loved her relationship with Annora, and the obvious love they had for each other. I liked that she wasn't perfect - there were a few instances of more typical childish behavior, but she was never mean or purposely naughty. show less

...delightful plunder!

Jennet Graeme is a delightful character, spunky and abrasive, not at all subdued by her violent history. When Sir Hacon Gillard drags her from a convent and claims her as plunder during the sack of Berwick she rises to the challenge and Havon finds himself with a delightful armful of spitting kitten that continues to give him more grief than he had even conceived.
Trapped in the Scottish wars, Jennet is just one more causality in the battle of kings and conquests in the show more Scotland of1318.
This re-release of Howell's novel is a treat for those of us who never met her early novels.
I enjoyed Jennet's feistiness, Hacon's inherent understanding and goodness, the battles between the two of them, and the loyalty of the various secondary characters, including Jennet's father.
Of course there's a decided dastardly foe. One whom Jennet has good cause to remember, and one who Hacon knows is a treacherous enemy.
A story told through Jennet's eyes and from the woman's perspective, this is a very human telling of the Scottish wars and it's effect not so much on the higher nobility but on the lesser clans and the ordinary people, with a glimpse into the internal politics of the Scottish court.

A NetGalley ARC show less

Another fantastic entry into the saga of the Murray family. Triona is barely holding on to her land two years after the death of her husband. A neighboring laird is determined to take her lands by fair means or foul and she is running out of options. When her cousin Arianna arrives on her doorstep, escorted by several knights, she may be looking at salvation, but at what cost to her heart.

I love Hannah Howell's heroines. There isn't a wimp among them, and Triona is no exception. Her late show more husband had been a cold man, uninterested in anything having to do with the land itself, leaving her to do what was needed. Triona has no intention of tying herself to a man even worse than the one she'd had. Her cousin's arrival with five knights gives her the opportunity to get the help she so badly needs. She isn't sure how much of her trouble she should confess, as she doesn't know what their attitudes are toward women in her position. It doesn't help that she's attracted to Sir Brett, a distraction that she can't afford.

Sir Brett and the other knights can see that there is something very wrong going on at Banuilt. There is a definite lack of the men needed for a proper defense, and they are determined to find out why. As they pitch in to help Triona, the trouble that she's in only gets worse as her neighbor steps up his attempts to get the land and Triona herself. Brett finds himself attracted to her in a way he hasn't been attracted to a woman in years, ever since the death of the woman he loved and the child she carried.

Both Triona and Brett had issues that made them determined they would never marry. Triona had been married off to one man who only wanted her for the dowry she brought with her, and was being pursued by another who wanted her land. She wishes to remain independent. Brett has refused to consider the idea of marriage because of the guilt that he feels over the death of the woman he had loved. He blames himself because she was murdered on the way to meet him to elope. While he has no intention of marrying, he has no problem with the idea of seducing her into his bed.

Triona is intelligent and strong and has earned the loyalty of the people she leads. She has never experienced the passion that can happen between a man and a woman and at first is reluctant to risk losing the respect of her people for a brief affair. I loved seeing her embrace the idea of doing something for herself, even though she knew there was no chance of a future between herself and Brett. He had made it clear he would be leaving when her troubles were resolved.

Brett is an honorable man who will not allow himself to give false hope to Triona. He has given up the idea of happiness for himself, feeling that he doesn't deserve it. But the more time he spends with her, the more often he finds himself thinking of the possibility. Her strength and independence are attractive to him, and he develops great respect for her ability to care for her people. I loved the friendship that developed between them first, before they took the attraction that also grew and gave in to it.

As they got closer, Triona found that her heart was getting involved, even though she knew that Brett would be leaving. When it was all done, she wanted him to stay, but couldn't bring herself to ask, or tell him how she felt. She was heartbroken when he left as he said he would, because she had wanted to believe that he had feelings for her and would stay. Brett felt that he had nothing to offer her, and didn't want to be another man who would gain by marrying her. Instead of telling her of his plans, he walked away leaving her to think he didn't care. I loved that he was sensitive to the issue, but he sure messed up by not talking to her. He had some real work to do when he came back in order to get her to even listen to him. He still managed to leave out some important information, but finally managed to get it all right in the end.

I liked the fact that Brett and the other men didn't simply take over when they arrived and found out that there were problems. Triona was always completely involved, listened to, and her opinion and desires consulted. I think it helped that Brett and the others were accustomed to strong women, so listening to her was not something that felt odd to them. Of course, there are times when her independence creates problems, and the final confrontation comes about when she tackles a problem her own way. She knew that she was going against everything Brett had told her to do, but she had her reasons. She also had the intelligence and presence of mind to find a way to help with her own rescue.

I loved seeing the way that they all worked together to end the threat to Triona and her clan. The neighboring laird was definitely a piece of work and certainly deserved everything that happened to him. Some of the things he did were beyond terrible.

The dialog between Brett and Triona was great. The respect was there from the beginning, and the friendship grew quickly. But it was when they grew closer that the conversations turned really fun, with some great heat under the words. I loved the way that Brett was so clear with her about how much he wanted her, and how much he liked her as a person.

There were also plenty of fun parts involving other people. The conflict between Brian and Arianna was heated, but you could easily see the love they had for each other. I loved seeing Triona point out to each of them where they'd gone wrong. It was also fun to see the two of them as they worked their way back to each other. Triona's conversations/confrontations with various priests were hysterical, especially the one during the final confrontation.

One of my favorite characters was Triona's little girl, Ella. She can be very sweet and I loved seeing her wrap Brett around her tiny fingers. But she is also intelligent, curious and full of mischief. I loved her "research" into why pigs roll in mud. She also plays a big part in her mother's rescue at the end. I really hope that she eventually gets her own story, because I can see her leading some man on a wild adventure. show less