Untamed (MacKinnon's Rangers #2) by Pamela Clare

Blurb...
Charged with a crime they didn't commit, the MacKinnon brothers faced a death sentence until they agreed to serve the British Crown in the colonies and take up arms against the French. Allied with the Indian tribes who lived beside them in the wilderness, the Scottish Highland warriors forged a new breed of soldier...

MacKinnon's Rangers

Though forced to fight for the hated English, Morgan MacKinnon would no more betray the men he leads than slit his own throat—not even when captured by the French and threatened with an agonizing death by fire at the hands of their Abenaki allies. Only the look of innocent longing in the eyes of Amalie, a convent-bred French lass, could make him question his vow to escape and return to the Rangers. And soon the sweet passion he awakens in Amalie has him cursing the war that forced him to choose between upholding his honor and pledging himself to the woman he loves.

Keeping this short:

This is the 2nd installment of the MacKinnon's Rangers series and was every bit as good as the 1st, if not better! In this story loyalties are tested and we learn that not everything is as it seems.

In a way very few authors can do, Pamela Clare has given us characters who are so much more than fictional. Morgan and Amalie are living, breathing people I care about, and the story-line is, once again, unique to the "Highlander" genre.

Without a doubt, start to finish, Untamed is a fast paced, funny and sexy read! I've said it before and I'll say it again... Pamela Clare writes some of the best stories out there and if you haven't yet given her a try, you're missing out on great times!

Click here to purchase Untamed at Amazon

Surrender (MacKinnon's Rangers #1) by Pamela Clare

Blurb...

A hand-picked cadre of warriors, they had the fierce courage of their Scots forefathers, combined with the stealth and cunning of the Indians who lived beside them in the wilderness. Battling the French in a no-holds-barred combat, they forged a new brand of honor, became a new breed of men...MacKinnon's Rangers

Iain MacKinnon had been forced to serve the British crown, but compassion urged him to save the lovely lass facing certain death at the hands of the Abenaki. He'd defied his orders, endangered his brothers, his men and his mission, all for a woman. But when he held Annie's sweet body in his arms, he could feel no regret. Though he sensed she was hiding something from him, it was too late to hold back his heart. In love and war, there are times when the only course of action is...Surrender.

Back in 2010 I had the extremely good fortune to discover Pamela Clare, an author whose gift for storytelling is amazing. In fact, in my opinion, she's unsurpassed in the historical romance genre. Surrender was my first Pamela Clare read, and I liked so much that before I was even finished I ordered the next in the series, Untamed. There are many thing to love about the MacKinnon's Rangers series, most especially the refreshingly unique setting for a historical romance. These “Highlanders” are living in the American Colonies, fighting for Britain against the French and the Native Americans. They belong to an elite military group called The Rangers, with Iain MacKinnon as their leader. He’s honorable, strong, independent, rebellious and not someone you can easily manipulate. He is an alpha male in every sense of the word and when he wants something, he always finds a way to get it, as Annie found out when he set his sights on her.

Annie is a spunky woman who demands propriety in all things – when it suits her. The last few years have been difficult for her. After her father and brothers’ deaths in battle she and her mother, out of necessity, go live with her uncle. He is an intense man who demands obedience in all things – especially the bedroom – where his sexual appetites run to the darker extremes. When Annie witnesses her mother’s death at the hands of her uncle, Annie runs away, only to be found, imprisoned and shipped to the colonies where she becomes an indentured servant. Circumstances arise that cause Annie’s and Iain’s paths to cross, quite literally. This is when the story really takes off.

In addition to Iain, we have Conner and Morgan MacKinnon, Iain’s brothers by blood, and Joseph, Iain’s Native American brother by choice. All of the males in this story are alpha and very worthy of their own stories.

While I truly did enjoy both Annie and Iain, what surprised me was how intriguing I found Lord William Wentworth, this story’s antagonist. He has blackmailed Iain and his brothers into serving the British crown in this war by threatening to have them hanged on false charges of murder. His actions, his motivations and his demeanor remind of another favorite “bad good-guy,” Jonas Wyatt from Lora Leigh’s Breeds series. As in Jonas’ case, I’m dying to read Lord William’s story! Some of the interactions between him and the brothers are laugh out loud funny and among my favorite moments from this book.

If you haven't yet read Pamela Clare's brilliant style of telling a story, you're missing out on some the best stories out there!

Click here to purchase Surrender at Amazon

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

Many years ago I took my now adult kids out of public school to home-school them. This book was one of the first I bought to add to their reading library when I was looking for entertaining ways to teach history, and I loved it. I've thought about it often through the years and now... I think it's time for a re-read. It's thought provoking in a way younger readers can understand, and older readers can appreciate.

Blurb...

It's late summer 1793, and the streets of Philadelphia are abuzz with mosquitoes and rumors of fever. Down near the docks, many have taken ill, and the fatalities are mounting. Now they include Polly, the serving girl at the Cook Coffeehouse. But fourteen-year-old Mattie Cook doesn't get a moment to mourn the passing of her childhood playmate. New customers have overrun her family's coffee shop, located far from the mosquito-infested river, and Mattie's concerns of fever are all but overshadowed by dreams of growing her family's small business into a thriving enterprise. But when the fever begins to strike closer to home, Mattie's struggle to build a new life must give way to a new fight-the fight to stay alive.

I HIGHLY recommended this book!