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Erotic Literature. Fiction. Romance. Historical Fiction. He is magnificently strong-and dangerously seductive. One of the fiercest of his clan, Lucan MacLeod is a legend among warriors, inspiring fear in man and woman alike. For three hundred years, he has locked himself away from the world, hiding the vengeful god imprisoned in his soul. But then, a young lass caught in a raging storm awakens his deepest impulses . . . and darkest desires.Cara doesn't believe the rumors about MacLeod show more castle-until the majestic Highland warrior appears like a fiery vision in the storm, pulling her into his powerful arms, and into his world of magic and Druids. An epic war between good and evil is brewing. And Lucan must battle his all-consuming attraction for Cara-or surrender to the flames of a reckless, impossible love that threatens to destroy them both. show lessTags
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Chandra-of-Red He's a proud man. She's a fiery red Highlander amidst trying times. He's undercover but true to his Highlander blood. She's a proud Highlander sometimes playing his games.
Member Reviews
This was my first book by Donna Grant, and I can't believe it took me this long to discover her amazing series. I love the paranormal aspect mixed in with scorching hot Highlanders. The background story of the MacLeod brothers sucked me right in. Not since Jacquelyn Frank's Nightwalkers series have I feared a female villain this much. This first book promises a great ride into the world of Scotland steeped in mysticism, its Highlanders and a lot of magic.
Since witnessing the death of her parents as a child, Cara has been raised by nuns among another clan. Rumors of ghosts and monsters haunting MacLeod castle nearby have kept people away for centuries – until Cara came along. Her life is about to be changed forever. There is more to show more her than she knows, and along with some fierce Highland warriors, she'll find herself in the middle of a battle between good and evil, as well as a battle of the heart.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Long ago, the fiercest Highland warriors were bonded with evil Gods powerful enough to aid in driving back the advance of the Roman Empire encroaching on their lands. The MacLeod clan, once a family of legendary warriors, was among the chosen ones. Centuries later, the evil Druid, Deirdre slaughtered the clan save for three brothers. They weren't strong enough to defeat her. Believing themselves to be monsters, they went into hiding and locked themselves away in their castle and shrouded it in a cloaking spell to ward off nosy trespassers. Eventually rumors surfaced, and the deep-rooted beliefs of the people took hold.
When Cara ventures too close to the cliffs around MacLeod castle, she nearly falls to her death before she's saved by Lucan MacLeod. Saving her ends the self-imposed isolation and brings with it the reemergence of an old and very powerful enemy. It is time to do battle once again, but more than their lives are at stake this time.
Lucan is the classic, tortured hero. Feeling guilty for acts he committed under the influence of his God has led to an intense self-hatred and a three century long isolation from the world at large. When Cara literally falls into his arms, he feels an inexplicable change in his emotions. Cara is tougher than she looks, and when she doesn't run screaming from him and narrowly escapes a kidnapping attempt by Deirdre's minions, his feelings solidify into protectiveness and a deep longing he hasn't felt before.
I loved Cara as the heroine for Lucan. She had the right amount of weariness when confronted with Lucan, Fallon and Quinn, but she didn't fight the blooming attraction to Lucan, despite her inexperience with men. I thought their chemistry was sweet and loving, as well as hot and passionate. She just filled him up and out in all the right areas. In return he gave her confidence in herself and her abilities. I loved that they included her in their combat training, making her a kick-butt female and nearly their equal. Fallon and Quinn were also well fleshed out characters in this introductory story. Armed with the information on their individual struggles, you can't help but fall in love with them. Don't expect Cara's development to peak by the end of this story. It seems her role goes a lot deeper and will evolve gradually over the course of the series. I'm more than ready to jump in head first.
Note: Her other series, Dark Warriors is a spinoff of this series. I've read the first book, and it can be read as a stand alone, but since the characters from this series show up in DW, it is spoilerish, and there are additional characters mentioned that make their first appearances in this series. Just letting you know.
I borrowed this book from a local friend who already had the paperback. I'm going to go out and grab the entire series for myself as soon as I can. show less
A wonderfully absorbing tale. Filled with manly men, magic and mayhem. I love these stories in which you lose yourself in the book and dream of being there -- well with better hygiene and less chauvinistic men of course.
The characters are interesting, the dialogue sometimes a little silly, but not enough that you take much notice. I was entranced with the world the author has created and the predicament the brothers are in. I find I really enjoy stories that pair historical romance with paranormal situations. And this one is definitely not a disappointment. I very much look forward to the rest of the series. Perfect for anyone who likes either historical romance or paranormal. Also just as an FYI, not for the prudish. Tons of erotically show more charged descriptions show less
The characters are interesting, the dialogue sometimes a little silly, but not enough that you take much notice. I was entranced with the world the author has created and the predicament the brothers are in. I find I really enjoy stories that pair historical romance with paranormal situations. And this one is definitely not a disappointment. I very much look forward to the rest of the series. Perfect for anyone who likes either historical romance or paranormal. Also just as an FYI, not for the prudish. Tons of erotically show more charged descriptions show less
I recently finished Dangerous Highlander by Donna Grant, the first novel in her Dark Sword series. The book was published in paperback by St. Martin's Press in 2010.
I don't usually give five stars to romance novels (though I am a big fan of them), but this one earned my respect early on. By chapter three I was completely hooked on this series. The three MacLeod brothers--eldest Fallon, middle brother Lucan, and youngest Quinn--are simply irresistible.
It's not just that they're gorgeous Scottish Highlanders, either. Thanks to the workings of ancient Druid magic, originally used to fend off the Romans, the three brothers share an ancient god trapped inside them. A madwoman seeks to capture them because of this, and because of their show more secret, their clan was slaughtered. For three hundred years, the immortal brothers lived alone in the ruins of their castle with only their vengeful god for company. When an innocent young nun-in-training, Cara, ventures near their forbidden hold, she senses there's something magical about the place, but she never expects to fall in love with one of the brothers. This book was the perfect blend of romance and sword and sorcery, with moments of action but also a great heart, great chemistry, and an unforgettable band of brothers.
I took Donna Grant's Dark Sword quiz on FaceBook, and the quiz suggested "my" brother is Fallon. Okay, so Fallon does slightly resemble my husband, but so far I think I like Quinn a little better. I won't really know until I get my hands on the next book in the series, Forbidden Highlander. I plan to do that on my next trip to the bookstore. show less
I don't usually give five stars to romance novels (though I am a big fan of them), but this one earned my respect early on. By chapter three I was completely hooked on this series. The three MacLeod brothers--eldest Fallon, middle brother Lucan, and youngest Quinn--are simply irresistible.
It's not just that they're gorgeous Scottish Highlanders, either. Thanks to the workings of ancient Druid magic, originally used to fend off the Romans, the three brothers share an ancient god trapped inside them. A madwoman seeks to capture them because of this, and because of their show more secret, their clan was slaughtered. For three hundred years, the immortal brothers lived alone in the ruins of their castle with only their vengeful god for company. When an innocent young nun-in-training, Cara, ventures near their forbidden hold, she senses there's something magical about the place, but she never expects to fall in love with one of the brothers. This book was the perfect blend of romance and sword and sorcery, with moments of action but also a great heart, great chemistry, and an unforgettable band of brothers.
I took Donna Grant's Dark Sword quiz on FaceBook, and the quiz suggested "my" brother is Fallon. Okay, so Fallon does slightly resemble my husband, but so far I think I like Quinn a little better. I won't really know until I get my hands on the next book in the series, Forbidden Highlander. I plan to do that on my next trip to the bookstore. show less
Listened for Fun (Audible)
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.00
Character Rating: 4.50
Audio Rating: 3.50 (not part of the overall rating)
First Thoughts When Finished: Dangerous Highlander is a great beginning to what might end up being another in my must read "KILT" series.
Story Thoughts: Dangerous Highlander(s) indeed! In fact, I think I may go searching for castles that are rumored to have 300ish year old highlanders living in them. Especially if they are bad ass and clearly on the side of good. If they happen to have a few special powers, I won't argue. This was a really entertaining read and a great start to a series. I had read Donna Grant's druid series and had expected a lot from Dangerous Highlander. I was not show more disappointed.
Character Thoughts: Lucan was just exactly what I want in my kilted warriors: hot, strong, conflicted, loyal, and agile. Cara was exactly what strong kilted warriors need in their women: someone not afraid to tell them exactly what is going on. She was very much deserving of Lucan and I loved her spunk. Lucan and Cara together were hot! I also enjoyed Lucan's brothers and the other characters that came in towards the end. I do believe this is going to be a fun series to read because of the characters.
Audio Thoughts:
Narrated By Antony Ferguson / Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
Antony is actually a narrator that I totally enjoy and towards the end of Dangerous Highlander the narration finally clicked for me. However, in the beginning I just couldn't get my head around his voice for Cara. However, his pacing, emotions, and accents were brilliantly done! I will be continuing this series on audio though because I think the male voices were amazing. As always, please listen to a snippet before buying an audiobook as narrators appeal differently to each listener.
Final Thoughts: I have the rest of these on my Christmas list! show less
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.00
Character Rating: 4.50
Audio Rating: 3.50 (not part of the overall rating)
First Thoughts When Finished: Dangerous Highlander is a great beginning to what might end up being another in my must read "KILT" series.
Story Thoughts: Dangerous Highlander(s) indeed! In fact, I think I may go searching for castles that are rumored to have 300ish year old highlanders living in them. Especially if they are bad ass and clearly on the side of good. If they happen to have a few special powers, I won't argue. This was a really entertaining read and a great start to a series. I had read Donna Grant's druid series and had expected a lot from Dangerous Highlander. I was not show more disappointed.
Character Thoughts: Lucan was just exactly what I want in my kilted warriors: hot, strong, conflicted, loyal, and agile. Cara was exactly what strong kilted warriors need in their women: someone not afraid to tell them exactly what is going on. She was very much deserving of Lucan and I loved her spunk. Lucan and Cara together were hot! I also enjoyed Lucan's brothers and the other characters that came in towards the end. I do believe this is going to be a fun series to read because of the characters.
Audio Thoughts:
Narrated By Antony Ferguson / Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
Antony is actually a narrator that I totally enjoy and towards the end of Dangerous Highlander the narration finally clicked for me. However, in the beginning I just couldn't get my head around his voice for Cara. However, his pacing, emotions, and accents were brilliantly done! I will be continuing this series on audio though because I think the male voices were amazing. As always, please listen to a snippet before buying an audiobook as narrators appeal differently to each listener.
Final Thoughts: I have the rest of these on my Christmas list! show less
Listened for Fun (Audible)
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.00
Character Rating: 4.50
Audio Rating: 3.50 (not part of the overall rating)
First Thoughts When Finished: Dangerous Highlander is a great beginning to what might end up being another in my must read "KILT" series.
Story Thoughts: Dangerous Highlander(s) indeed! In fact, I think I may go searching for castles that are rumored to have 300ish year old highlanders living in them. Especially if they are bad ass and clearly on the side of good. If they happen to have a few special powers, I won't argue. This was a really entertaining read and a great start to a series. I had read Donna Grant's druid series and had expected a lot from Dangerous Highlander. I was not show more disappointed.
Character Thoughts: Lucan was just exactly what I want in my kilted warriors: hot, strong, conflicted, loyal, and agile. Cara was exactly what strong kilted warriors need in their women: someone not afraid to tell them exactly what is going on. She was very much deserving of Lucan and I loved her spunk. Lucan and Cara together were hot! I also enjoyed Lucan's brothers and the other characters that came in towards the end. I do believe this is going to be a fun series to read because of the characters.
Audio Thoughts:
Narrated By Antony Ferguson / Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
Antony is actually a narrator that I totally enjoy and towards the end of Dangerous Highlander the narration finally clicked for me. However, in the beginning I just couldn't get my head around his voice for Cara. However, his pacing, emotions, and accents were brilliantly done! I will be continuing this series on audio though because I think the male voices were amazing. As always, please listen to a snippet before buying an audiobook as narrators appeal differently to each listener.
Final Thoughts: I have the rest of these on my Christmas list! show less
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.00
Character Rating: 4.50
Audio Rating: 3.50 (not part of the overall rating)
First Thoughts When Finished: Dangerous Highlander is a great beginning to what might end up being another in my must read "KILT" series.
Story Thoughts: Dangerous Highlander(s) indeed! In fact, I think I may go searching for castles that are rumored to have 300ish year old highlanders living in them. Especially if they are bad ass and clearly on the side of good. If they happen to have a few special powers, I won't argue. This was a really entertaining read and a great start to a series. I had read Donna Grant's druid series and had expected a lot from Dangerous Highlander. I was not show more disappointed.
Character Thoughts: Lucan was just exactly what I want in my kilted warriors: hot, strong, conflicted, loyal, and agile. Cara was exactly what strong kilted warriors need in their women: someone not afraid to tell them exactly what is going on. She was very much deserving of Lucan and I loved her spunk. Lucan and Cara together were hot! I also enjoyed Lucan's brothers and the other characters that came in towards the end. I do believe this is going to be a fun series to read because of the characters.
Audio Thoughts:
Narrated By Antony Ferguson / Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
Antony is actually a narrator that I totally enjoy and towards the end of Dangerous Highlander the narration finally clicked for me. However, in the beginning I just couldn't get my head around his voice for Cara. However, his pacing, emotions, and accents were brilliantly done! I will be continuing this series on audio though because I think the male voices were amazing. As always, please listen to a snippet before buying an audiobook as narrators appeal differently to each listener.
Final Thoughts: I have the rest of these on my Christmas list! show less
Dangerous Highlander
3 Stars
Lucan MacLeod and his brothers are one of a number of immortal Highland warriors cursed by Druids to house evil ancient Gods. The MacLeod brothers struggle against the demons inside them and have shut themselves away in the ruins of their family keep. When Cara, a young woman from the nearby village, stumbles across their refuge, she sets off a chain of events that ignites a fierce war between good and evil in which the MacLeods will have to conquer their fears in order to survive.
A compelling premise with likable characters. Unfortunately, the romance fails to live up to its potential.
While there is nothing wrong with either Lucan or Cara per se, there is simply nothing about them that evokes any real show more interest or caring in their relationship. As the middle brother, Lucan spends a great deal of time fretting over his brothers (Fallon who copes by consuming large amounts of alcohol and Quinn who is losing the battle with his demon) both of whom are far more intriguing than their anxious sibling.
Although Cara is a sweet heroine, she is also overly trusting and naive, and exhibits quite a few TSTL traits. Moreover, the details of her mysterious background and abilities are underdeveloped and underutilized.
Lucan and Cara also lack the chemistry that would turn their otherwise lackluster romance into a scorching page turner.
The world building is much more appealing. The dichotomy between the warriors and their demons is reminiscent of Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series. However, the internal struggle is barely touched upon and the extent of the demon’s influence on the warrior is never fully realized.
All in all, an OK historical romance with a paranormal twist. The overall storyline and secondary characters are interesting enough to continue with the series. show less
3 Stars
Lucan MacLeod and his brothers are one of a number of immortal Highland warriors cursed by Druids to house evil ancient Gods. The MacLeod brothers struggle against the demons inside them and have shut themselves away in the ruins of their family keep. When Cara, a young woman from the nearby village, stumbles across their refuge, she sets off a chain of events that ignites a fierce war between good and evil in which the MacLeods will have to conquer their fears in order to survive.
A compelling premise with likable characters. Unfortunately, the romance fails to live up to its potential.
While there is nothing wrong with either Lucan or Cara per se, there is simply nothing about them that evokes any real show more interest or caring in their relationship. As the middle brother, Lucan spends a great deal of time fretting over his brothers (Fallon who copes by consuming large amounts of alcohol and Quinn who is losing the battle with his demon) both of whom are far more intriguing than their anxious sibling.
Although Cara is a sweet heroine, she is also overly trusting and naive, and exhibits quite a few TSTL traits. Moreover, the details of her mysterious background and abilities are underdeveloped and underutilized.
Lucan and Cara also lack the chemistry that would turn their otherwise lackluster romance into a scorching page turner.
The world building is much more appealing. The dichotomy between the warriors and their demons is reminiscent of Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series. However, the internal struggle is barely touched upon and the extent of the demon’s influence on the warrior is never fully realized.
All in all, an OK historical romance with a paranormal twist. The overall storyline and secondary characters are interesting enough to continue with the series. show less
[b:Dangerous Highlander|6498925|Dangerous Highlander (Dark Sword, #1)|Donna Grant|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1425583722s/6498925.jpg|6690432] by [a:Donna Grant|1141209|Donna Grant|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1508850984p2/1141209.jpg]
Genres: Adult, Historical, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance.
2.8 stars
I usually round down anything that is a .5. Above that I round up. I had problems rating how I feel about this one. While I feel it deserves more than 2 stars, or even 2.5, it is not a full 3 stars either. This is due to all the negatives I found in the story. It is the positives I found that finally had me clicking 3 stars.
It started out interesting. Slowly it became a quagmire of problems.
The repetition became excessive. show more
I read 'He wanted', 'She wanted' and 'Hunger' so many times I was ready to commit Bookicide!
The repetitive rambling of how Lucan ached for his brothers & Cara. Rambling between his various thoughts of protecting his brothers, his physical attraction & emotions about Cara. The list goes on.
By the time Lucan & Cara were finally intimate I just didn't care anymore.
The Scottish brogue used sporadically throughout the story was horrendous. It was so infrequently used and so inaccurately composed it became meaningless in the story. In truth, it was annoying and became distracting.
Then there was a paragraph that literally contradicted itself.
"....but she understood that these Warriors had accepted the god inside them and knew just how powerful they were. For over three hundred years the MacLeod brothers had denied what was inside them. Denied it and refused to learn what their limits were. That had to change if they were going to beat Deirdre."
At this point none of the brothers had accepted the god inside them.
While I had a couple of other problems with the story, I am going to jump to the positives.
I didn't run into many editing/typo errors other than the way the Scottish brogue is written.
The basis of the story is well done. The beginning is truly intriguing and is what kept me reading.
At 72% it started to get interesting again, but I still had to skim through repetition. I find myself curious as to whether or not the author improves or removes the Scottish brogue in the rest of the series. I would like to see more of this world. The world build, while it could have been much better, was interesting.
I find that I can't make up my mind about following the series. I want to know how it continues to develop. I'm just not sure about investing my time into a series that the first book of had me considering putting it into my rejects shelf. show less
Genres: Adult, Historical, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance.
2.8 stars
I usually round down anything that is a .5. Above that I round up. I had problems rating how I feel about this one. While I feel it deserves more than 2 stars, or even 2.5, it is not a full 3 stars either. This is due to all the negatives I found in the story. It is the positives I found that finally had me clicking 3 stars.
It started out interesting. Slowly it became a quagmire of problems.
The repetition became excessive. show more
I read 'He wanted', 'She wanted' and 'Hunger' so many times I was ready to commit Bookicide!
The repetitive rambling of how Lucan ached for his brothers & Cara. Rambling between his various thoughts of protecting his brothers, his physical attraction & emotions about Cara. The list goes on.
By the time Lucan & Cara were finally intimate I just didn't care anymore.
The Scottish brogue used sporadically throughout the story was horrendous. It was so infrequently used and so inaccurately composed it became meaningless in the story. In truth, it was annoying and became distracting.
Then there was a paragraph that literally contradicted itself.
"....but she understood that these Warriors had accepted the god inside them and knew just how powerful they were. For over three hundred years the MacLeod brothers had denied what was inside them. Denied it and refused to learn what their limits were. That had to change if they were going to beat Deirdre."
At this point none of the brothers had accepted the god inside them.
While I had a couple of other problems with the story, I am going to jump to the positives.
I didn't run into many editing/typo errors other than the way the Scottish brogue is written.
The basis of the story is well done. The beginning is truly intriguing and is what kept me reading.
At 72% it started to get interesting again, but I still had to skim through repetition. I find myself curious as to whether or not the author improves or removes the Scottish brogue in the rest of the series. I would like to see more of this world. The world build, while it could have been much better, was interesting.
I find that I can't make up my mind about following the series. I want to know how it continues to develop. I'm just not sure about investing my time into a series that the first book of had me considering putting it into my rejects shelf. show less
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229+ Works 5,710 Members
Donna Grant is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.
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Series
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Common Knowledge
- Original title
- Dangerous Highlander
- People/Characters
- Cara; Angus; Lucan MacLeod; Fallon MacLeod; Quinn MacLeod; Deirdre (show all 11); Galen Shaw; Hayden Campbell; Logan Hamilton; Ramsey MacDonald; Sonya
- Important places
- MacLeod castle; MacClures village
- Important events
- Greetings into the MacLeod castle; Discovery of the Demon's Kiss ; Deirdre's first and second attack; Sonya introduces herself
- Related movies
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkIv1T...
- First words
- "Ye've gone daft, ye have."
Cara adjusted the basket on her arm. The brisk wind from the sea pulled tendrils from her baid to fly haphazardly into her eyes. She tucked them behind her ear and smiled at Angus. He had only one tooth left in his mouth, ... (show all)and what little hair he had stood on end, waving about in the vicious sea wind.
"I'll be fine, Angus. The best mushrooms in all of Scotland are within walking distance." - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Quinn forgot the pain as he looked around him. His claws dug into his palms as he heard the wails of people being beaten below. He had heard the same screams before.
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)When Deirdre had held the brothers prisoner
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