In celebration of the impending release of Iced by Karen Marie Moning, I want to post a series of reviews. My reviews will obviously focus on her previously released works. I am going to start with her Highland Series then move on to the Fever Series. And away we go…
From the Publisher…
He would sell his warrior soul to possess her. . . .
An alluring laird…
He
was known throughout the kingdom as Hawk, legendary predator of the
battlefield and the boudoir. No woman could refuse his touch, but no
woman ever stirred his heart–until a vengeful fairy tumbled Adrienne de
Simone out of modern-day Seattle and into medieval Scotland. Captive in
a century not her own, entirely too bold, too outspoken, she was an
irresistible challenge to the sixteenth-century rogue. Coerced into a
marriage with Hawk, Adrienne vowed to keep him at arm’s length–but his
sweet seduction played havoc with her resolve.
A prisoner in time…
She
had a perfect “no” on her perfect lips for the notorious laird, but
Hawk swore she would whisper his name with desire, begging for the
passion he longed to ignite within her. Not even the barriers of time
and space would keep him from winning her love. Despite her uncertainty
about following the promptings of her own passionate heart, Adrienne’s
reservations were no match for Hawk’s determination to keep her by his
side. . .
From Me…
This was not the first KMM book that I read. I actually read the fever series first, but being a chronological person, I find it easier to start my series with a review of her first major work. Honestly, I only read the Highland Series because I fell in love with Phil Gigante, the narrator of both series and the voice of Jericho Barrons. He did such an amazing job, putting the most sensual voice behind one of my favorite alpha males, that I knew I would listen to this book no matter the plot. Even if I didn’t enjoy the story, I could still relish his enchanting voice. Luckily for me, I did enjoy this series.
Having a degree in Women’s Studies, it pains me to say how much I secretly delight in the Alpha Male. In this book, Hawk defies my normal sensibilities, and makes me want to revel in a time where men tower over women. Beyond the Highland Mist starts with an arranged marriage where Hawk does not even appear, but marries his betrothed through a proxy. Adrienne is forced, literally forced by physical coercion, to wed a man she has never met, from a time that she does not know. I know it sounds far fetched, but KMM makes the story as plausible as a Paranormal Fantasy novel can be. The heat between the Hawk (with his dominating masculinity) and Adrienne is irresistible, even when it is frustrating.
This book would have received 5 Eiffel Towers, but I couldn’t get past my one major complaint. I hate criticizing female characters, mostly because I believe that we as readers tend to be overly critical of female heroines while being generous and forgiving of male ones. But my problem with this story lies in its redundancy regarding the female heroine, Adrienne. I understand the need to establish and develop the character’s aversion to men. She was hurt in the past and is now wary of beautiful men believing them all to be fatally flawed. The problem isn’t in the principle, but in the execution. There isn’t a woman alive that can honestly say she hasn’t felt trust issues. For those who have been betrayed by the people they love, those issues can result in deep scars and fears; however, this in and of itself does not warrant repeated acts of irrationality.
Adrienne finds herself thrown back in time, forced to marry a man and live in a castle. She can digest all of this without much trouble. Yet, she cannot fathom that one beautiful man and another beautiful man can behave completely differently. Even this does not bother me so much until the 5th time she rejects her husband based solely on the logic that her ex-fiance was beautiful and deplorable, Hawk is beautiful and thus, must be deplorable. In the beginning this makes sense, but after repeated rejections, seems only redundant. Early in the book Adrienne is a sympathetic character dealing with issues that many of us have faced. Over time, the connection between her and the reader is lost due to her actions. That is the most disappointing part of the experience.
Other than my issues noted above, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. So much so that I read the rest of the series. It becomes apparent in later novels that KMM grows tremendously as a story teller. Especially in some of the later books of this series. Check back soon for more on that…
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