Surrender

Iain MacKinnon is falsely accused of murder by a British officer, and he and his two brothers are forced into the British army to form a Rangers unit. This is loosely based on the real Rogers' Rangers who fought in upper-state New York during the French and Indian wars. Meanwhile, Scottish Lady Annie Campbell is sold into an indenture in the Colonies by her evil uncle, the Marquis of Bute. Iain rescues her from Indians and, after a harrowing journey, brings her to Fort William Henry.
The author has done an excellent job of weaving history into the narrative and bringing it to life with accurate details of daily life in that era. It's my favorite kind of historical romance, where I spend considerable time looking up historical notes I show more didn't know before. Iain and Annie are a wonderful couple, forced together by circumstance but hereditary enemies (Iain is a highlander from the Isle of Skye, and Annie's family fought with the British at Prestonpans and Culloden).
Ms. Clare writes in a style reminiscent of Diana Gabaldon and this book especially has the flavor of the first Outlander books. There are some steamy scenes, but the story itself is enthralling and well-written with strong pacing. It's a historical period I don't know much about, but I very much enjoyed reading about it. I've grabbed the rest of the series and I highly recommend it to lovers of historical romance. show less

Surrender by Pamela Clare
Surrender had everything I love, especially strong, independent characters, that make it easy to fall into their story and their world – that seem real enough to touch. Ian and Annie are wary and unsure of each other, and rightfully so considering the circumstances and their historical perspective, but their character similarities and some good old-fashioned chemistry make them aware of each other. That awareness and the deft, sparse pen of Miss Clare leads to some significantly hot scenes. Sometimes when I’m reading the build-up to a sex scene, the kisses get boring or routine or I just find myself thinking, “Do it, so we can move on with the story!” Not so with Surrender. Every kiss was read-worthy. show more Every bit of tension translated to a next step in their passion for each other.

But none of that over shadowed a great action and adventure story filled with heroes and villains. There were courageous acts and horrific scenes and some gallows humor I imagine would be true when your every day was spent in surviving against enemies and a beautiful, but deadly, terrain. I found William Wentworth to be the most interesting character of the story other than Annie and Ian. Ruthless, and perhaps born that way, but complicated and human enough to have great flaws and still possess some measure of right and wrong. I hated him and pitied him and wondered if he was redeemable. I’ll be thinking of him as much as I will Ian’s brothers while looking forward to Miss Clare’s next story. show less

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Introduction
Surrender is the first book in the "MacKinnon Ranger"s series. This is a series that I have had on my TBR for the longest of time. And I was convinced to read this when I saw some great reviews and a good friend of mine rave about it. I absolutely had a fun time with this one, and absolutely loved the setting of it dealing with the French War in Canada and Northern Colonies. I really enjoyed the way in which the author developed the romance and honestly I just trust Pamela Clare at this point. Just about every book that I read from her is brilliant. I really was intrigued by the set up of this one, and I was so easily drawn into this one. Even though show more I had the ebook, I did find the audiobook through Hoopla and decided to listen to this one and I am glad I did, the narrator did such a tremendous job on it.

My Outlook
Surrender was a brilliantly written romance and I really had a blast with it. While it didn't quite make it to 5 stars, it was still such a well done read. I absolutely adored the depth and development of the romance itself. It did have some angst but it was minimal and not overly drawn out or anything. I really enjoyed the whole Highlanders fighting in North America, it was so fascinating especially with them having Native American roots as well. I just found the world building so fascinating. You could tell that the author really did their research on it and it was well done as you can see it within the details. And despite when it was written, I do think readers today could easily read this.

I did find the romance intriging. There was a sense of forbidden in it, and the way that it plays out was so interesting. It definitely will have the reader in their feels and emotions and I enjoyed the manner in which it was developed. There is more conflict outside of the relationship, which is what I really enjoyed. It had such a refreshing feel to it. The sense of brotherhood and family between the brothers was so well done. I just can't wait for their books! If you like adventure feeling romances, then you definitely need to pick these up.

Overall View
I found Surrender to be a superb read that had me so in tune with the story from the beginning and I couldn't put it down! A thrilling historical to captivate instantly!

Rating Evaluation:
Plot: 5
World Building:5
Cover:5
Hero: 4
Heroine: 4
Steam: 4
Heart & Feels:4
Ending:5
Overall View: 4.25 show less

The MacKinnons are a group of brothers whose family fled Scotland after the bitter loss at Culloden. They begin anew in the American colonies, dreaming of a prosperous life tilling the earth and reaping its bounties. Partly raised by the native Muheconneok Indians, they become great hunters and learn the way of the land. But the brothers are framed for a murder they did not commit and are forced to fight for the British in the French and Indian War. They despise the British regime and hold fast to their Scottish roots and Highland beliefs even as Iain, the oldest of the three, enlists a band of Rangers, which include his native adopted brothers. Annie Burns Campbell, once a noble lady, has been betrayed by her ruthlessly vile uncle. He show more sells Annie into indentureship and sends her far from her beloved Scotland, over the ocean to the Americas. When Iain defies orders and saves her from a band of Abenaki Indians, her life begins anew and she becomes a brave frontier woman fighting for survival. Thus begins a historical romance that will be scorched upon your memory.

Our hero, Iain MacKinnon, is a powerful warrior who possesses a body filled with brute force, muscles flexing, protecting all that is his. Yet, he is also a beautiful man filled with a tenderness that makes you weep when he caresses his lover, every bit of emotion filled within his eyes and pouring forth upon her. What woman could possibly resist this combination of strength and tenderness, savagery and gentleness? I surely could not, and neither can our heroine, Anne Campbell.

"She loved his strength, his courage. She loved his fairness, the protective way in which he led his men - a true son of Highland lairds. She loved his gentleness, the way his big hands, so fierce with rifle and blade, moved tenderly over her skin. She loved the deep blue of his eyes, the velvet of his voice, the exotic markings on his sun-browned skin. She loved his manly smell, the hardness of his body, the way his kisses set her aflame."

I absolutely loved this book. Pamela Clare has managed to build a heart-gripping love story set upon the backdrop of the American frontier, in a time filled with the ravages of war. Who would think that a Highlander in upstate New York during the 1700's would be the basis for a tale filled with turmoil, adventure and unrelenting passion. One cannot help but see the resemblances between this book and the great movie "The Last of the Mohicans". I was also reminded of other historical tales, including Sara Donati's Into the Wilderness series and my all-time favourite, Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, of which the later books involve the hero and heroine arriving in the colonies of America. The history in Surrender is intriguing and the battles are vividly described, making me feel the bitter loss of lives on the battle field. There were many times in the book when I felt so deeply touched and deeply aroused. The intimate scenes between Iain and Annie involved both tender lovemaking and hot, erotic sex. The surprise ending made my heart swell and my tears fall, for it was here that Iain learned just how revered he was by his men. Underlying this whole tale is that sense of hope....hope for a new life in a new land with a new family with new-found happiness. I love these words uttered by Iain to his new wife. They reveal, for me, what love and committment are all about....sadness and joy...the price we must pay for true love:

Annie turned to her husband, lifted her gaze to his. "Since I met you, Iain MacKinnon, I seem always to be feelin' both sadness and great joy at once." "Aye, lass, 'tis much the same for me." He kissed the top of her head, wiped the tears from her cheeks, his blue eyes filled with tenderness. "But my Muhheconneok grannies would say you cannae open your heart to one wi'out riskin' the other, and I would rather chance the deepest sorrows of hell, Annie, than surrender the joy you and little Iain bring me each day." show less

I loved this! I've had a sample downloaded to my Kindle for so long but put off reading it because of the awful cover. It honestly looks like something out of one of my elementary school US history textbooks. But anyway, this was great. The characterizations were wonderful, and I liked them all (aside from the uncle and the dumb generals lol), even Wentworth. Iain was brilliant, and I enjoyed seeing Annie become stronger as the book went on. I'm not as knowledgeable on Native American cultures as I could be, but I think Clare did a good job with that, as well. Both Morgan and Connor were great, too, and I look forward to their books. The French and Indian War isn't covered in fiction as often as other American wars, so I appreciated the show more refresher. And the camaraderie and loyalty between the men is so sweet.

And...that's hot:

Iain stood in the middle of the road twenty paces before the carriage. Like a Highlander of old, he wore the MacKinnon plaid, his right shoulder bare, his claymore clasped powerfully in his right hand. The long hair at his temples was done in thick warrior’s braids, the rest hanging dark down his back. But the top half of his face was painted not in Gaelic blue but Indian vermilion, and Indian markings decorated his arms instead of armbands. (319) show less

Bought from Amazon

What I loved: This was pure historic romance at the top of the game. I laughed, cried, wanted to flip to the back to make sure everything worked out ok, and fell in love with all of the Rangers! It wasn't just the love story between Iain and Annie that stole my heart but the love and acceptance that the Rangers displayed of their love. The camaraderie between all the men and the protectiveness they had for Annie was just heartwarming to read!

What I Liked: I have to say I liked Wentworth as a "villain". He wasn't the big bad but he was the perfect thorn in the side to the Rangers. I also appreciated how the story unfolded. It wasn't everything all at once but slowly and deliberately. Those were rough times but the pride show more of all the characters showed through their actions. Much like I imagine it truly was!

Complaints: Not enough Killy--that boy cracked me up! Dang Irishman in a Scottish Troop :)

Why I gave it a 4: This was very close to a 5 book for me (talking 4 3/4 Wine Glasses)--it was a fantastic story with great characters. I loved the period that it was written in and didn't feel it was lacking at all!

Who I would recommend it too: Historical Romance Readers

Authors Website: http://www.pamelaclare.com/

Books in this series:
Surrender
Untamed
(book 3 soon please) show less

It seems to be that the go-to way to show the hero as capable, and give him opportunities to rescue the damsel, is to have the heroine repeatedly bumble into danger. And that is the least interesting way in my opinion. So we have some of that here, which is a bit tiring, but the heroine does improve some as well, so it's not as bad as it could be. A couple cliches. But overall I was quite entertained, and didn't even think about DNFing it. I'm hoping that the following heroines won't be as 'fish out of water' to start, but I don't think my happiness with the books will entirely depend on it.