Dangerous Highlander

From Amazon.com:

"First in a breathtaking new series, the bold and passionate Lucan MacLeod—one of three brothers cursed by dark magic for eternity—is driven by desire for the one woman he dare not let himself possess…

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 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…"


"Dangerous Highlander" was a book I was very excited to read, given the premise. It is very difficult to find good paranormal romances, at least for me, because as a regular science fiction and fantasy reader, often I find the paranormal romance world-building to be lacking in depth. And given the fact that this concept--that ancient "gods" are held captive in certain Highland warriors, and that an evil Druid wants to find a way to harness their power for her own purposes--was refreshing, because it didn't involve vampires or  werewolves. (Not that I don't love vampires and werewolves, but still.)

The story has some very good points. The concept is indeed fresh, and Ms. Grant has created some interesting characters. Having said that, I did find her world-building to be a bit iffy, as characters often had to throw in extra explanations over such pivotal plot points as "Dierdre is a drough, not a druid, and Cara is a druid, not a drough." As 300 year-old warriors who had long fought Dierdre and had been held in her castle for years on end, I expected that most of these men would have had a very firm grasp of who Dierdre was, as well as the lore of the druids. If they didn't know before they became warriors, they would certainly have the time and abilities to find out. And they would most assuredly have had a motivation to do so.

Also, the love story part of this book did not work for me...I never felt the connection. I suspect this was because this book was really more of a mix of romance and epic fantasy. The epic qualities meant that Ms. Grant had to focus on a grand theme, and move many characters around in her story to give them their time on the stage, and because of this, it seemed that the focus on the relationship between Cara and Lucan suffered. (Others will think differently, I'm sure.)

This is a series I will not continue to read, unfortunately. I must say, however, that I simply adore the cover!

Rating: 3 stars