Laird of the Mist

I haven't read Paula Quinn before, but I will definitely read her again! I loved the character's Kate was strong and firey and Callum was the perfect match to her. I enjoyed how she wrote in their accent... for me it just pulls you into their world just that much farther. I hope to find the next in the series and will keep my eyes peeled for more of her books!

This is my first from Paula Quinn, and I'm already looking forward to reading the next. This was engaging and enjoyable. A couple small complaints, the heroine was daft sometimes, not TSTL, and she had enough redeeming qualities that I still ended up liking her, but there were definitely some facepalm moments. And several times a character's martial prowess fluctuated wildly. A great fighter with quick reflexes will suddenly be caught off guard by a punch from an opponent that just threatened to punch them, lol. Or someone without great skill somehow takes out a half dozen soldiers as if they all just stood there waiting to be cut down in turn. ? A small detail thrown in can help it seem more reasonable, like the good fighter dodging show more the punch but having their foot get caught on a rock or something. The end result is the same, but the execution is a little more buyable and consistent. Still, I had fun reading it, and look forward to more. show less

This novel was like a cup of hot chocolate on a snowy night. Despite the book's being relatively short, Quinn was able to bring the characters together very well. I think that is the reason the conflict (read: noble idiocy on Callum's part) was shorter than it might have been in a longer book. I enjoyed all of the supporting characters, and, even though the mystery (if you can call it that) was pretty easy to solve, the plot remained engaging throughout the story.

It always angers and saddens me when I read about what happened to the MacGregors in Scotland. In 1603, James VI proclaimed that the name MacGregor was abolished which meant anyone with that name had to change it or die. Alasdair MacGregor and sixteen of his chieftains were executed. MacGregors and anyone who sympathized or aided them were hunted down and killed. Women's faces were branded too. Charles II repealed the laws against the MacGregors in 1661 but William of Orange reinstated them in 1693. They weren't repealed again until 1774.

In this fictional story, Paula Quinn brings some of the horrors of being a MacGregor to life but gives them a champion named Callum MacGregor who puts fear into the hearts of those who persecuted his show more kin, namely the Campbells and the Earl of Argyll, Duncan Campbell.

Katherine Campbell was raised away from her uncle, the Earl of Argyll, in Glen Orchy because he never wanted much to do with she and her brother until she grew into a great beauty. Then her uncle had perverted interests towards her.

Her father was long dead at the hands of the Devil MacGregor according to her uncle and her mother had died giving birth to her yet Katherine lived a happy life. The two elderly warriors who had raised she and her brother had taught her to fight using a sword and other weapons and her brother had told her tales of gallant knights in King Arthur tales.

She liked her life in Glen Orchy until raiders came and almost killed her but she was saved by Callum MacGregor just to be abducted by him so that she could be traded for the life of her uncle. But she highly doubted her uncle would give his life for hers.

It was an eye opener for Katherine, who had been told horror stories about the heathen MacGregors, to see how the MacGregors were persecuted and hunted as she traveled through Scotland to the Highlands.

Luckily, this story wasn't all gloom and doom. There were a lot of lighthearted moments amongst the cast of characters. show less

Paula Quinn is a gifted writer with the ability to bring the Scottish Highlands of the 1600's to life. I fell in love with her characters, the mighty warrior Callum (AKA The Devil) and Kate, the fearless lass who knows how to use a sword. They belong to rival clans with a deep hatred. Can they overcome their clan war to be together?
I LOVED, loved loved this book. The characters were strong, funny, and yet heartbreaking at the same time. I am anxious to read the rest of this series.

Callum MacGregor is the Laird of the persecuted Clan MacGregor. Revenge is his only purpose in life. Revenge for the years of torture he endured under the hands of the Campbells. Revenge for the loss of his clan name and his lands. So much hatred inside of one man; so much hatred and so much pain.

Kate Campbell cannot believe it! Her knight in shining armour has come to save her from the raiding McColls. He is breathtakingly strong, wielding his sword with purpose and power. But soon, Kate discovers that her knight is really her enemy, her worst enemy, the dreaded Devil himself...Callum MacGregor.

These two soon come to realize that each has misconceptions of the other. As they journey to Callum's home on the Isle of Skye, their hearts show more are journeying on a path towards love, a path neither expected or is prepared for. Can love conquer anything, even hatred and revenge?

What I loved about this story was that the heroine believed in her hero. She didn't fight the fact that she was in love with the leader of her rival clan. She gloried in the fact that he made her feel what no other man could....safe, protected, wanted and ravished. She knew the true man behind the mask...the mask of The Devil. How could The Devil touch her so gently, so lovingly? How could The Devil smile at her with adoration filling his eyes? How could The Devil make her feel like nothing else mattered but his passionate kisses? Kate knew Callum MacGregor was no Devil. She could see it in his eyes and feel it in her soul. And she would not rest until he knew it too.

I believe Paula Quinn does a wonderful job of bringing the MacGregor saga to life. She weaves a tale filled with passion, intrigue and history, feuding clans and star-crossed lovers. I enjoyed the relationships between all of the characters, and I would love to read more about Maggie, Callum's sister, and Graham Grant, the handsome captain of Callum's men. For those of you in love with the Scottish Highlands and their men in kilts, this is a quick read you are sure to enjoy. show less

This book had some great parts and some groan-out-loud parts. I loved the Scottishness of it, and thought the relationship between Callum and his sister was particularly well-done. Her description of the Highlands was beautiful but the sex scenes were just awful (scalding bounty of his seed?? really?).

Still, a light and fun read that I mostly enjoyed.