Maya Banks, the New York Times bestselling author of romance and romantic suspense has captivated readers with her steamy Scottish historical novels, perfect for fans of Julie Garwood. In Never Love a Highlander, the youngest McCabe brother uses sword and seduction to save his clan—and seal his heart.
Caelen McCabe’s young, reckless heart nearly destroyed his clan. Now, putting family loyalty above all else, he steps up to marry his older brother’s jilted bride and salvage the uneasy alliance between two clans. While beautiful Rionna McDonald is a fit wife for any man, Caelen trusts no woman, especially not this sweet temptress who torments him with white-hot longing.
As the sacrificial lamb in her father’s power game, Rionna will do her duty but vows to protect her heart and her pride from humiliation. Despite everything, though, the heat in Caelen’s touch melts her defenses, and she craves the sensual delights of a husband who guards his emotions as fiercely as his clan. But when the ultimate battle for the McCabe legacy is upon them, Rionna’s true warrior spirit emerges. She will risk the wrath of her father, the fury of her enemies, and her life to prove to Caelen that his wife’s love is too precious to lose.
After finishing Seduction of a Highland Lass, I was really looking forward to the conclusion of this series and the HEA for the last McCabe brother, Caelen. Throughout the series, we've learned about Caelen and why he's so "cold" and hardened (and not in the good way) against women. Rionna is the perfect match for Caelen in that regard: strong in her spirit and fiercely loyal to those who hold her regard. (As an aside, I like how Maya Banks dealt with Rionna being left at the alter by Alaric, her original betrothed. Rionna's genuine happiness for Keely--and therefore Alaric--allowed the story to focus on Rionna and Caelen's story, without additional messiness.)
Maya Banks puts her characters through hell, but I've said it before and I'll say it again: Maya Banks writes damn good escape books. I read Never Love a Highlander in an evening, easily swept up in Rionna and Caelen's story and ALL THE EMOTIONS. I like all the emotions. Romance novels seems to speak to an innate desire to be as loved and cherished as our two main characters are. Who doesn't want to be loved, cherished, and craved. Nothing makes me swoon quite like the alpha man brought to his knees by the love of a worthy woman. EVERY. TIME.
Being the last book in the series, all the threads are tied together here, and we get to see the bad guy fall and the good guys succeed. Because who doesn't want that? The previous couples make appearances in this book, though it is really Caelen, Rionna, and the McDonald clan's story. And they do not disappoint. How Rionna proves her love to Caelen is fitting (perhaps predictably so, but it's a book you read to escape, so no one cares) and it was gratifying to see. I wanted HEAs for all the McCabe brothers. (Though I want Gannon to have a HEA, too. He was such a loyal, integral part of multiple stories in this series.)
The McCabe trilogy was my first introduction to Maya Banks's Highlanders, and I was not disappointed. I've got the first book in her The Montgomerys and Armstrongs series, and you can bet that is high on my to be read list. Is there such a thing as too many Highlanders? I think not.
