Eoin was a jerk. I never changed my mind. He was attracted to Margaret because she was wild, confident, cocky and said and did outrageous things. She warned him and so did his friend that maybe someone more ladylike would suit him better but he married her anyway and then tried to change her.


The book starts off with her marrying someone else years later so we know immediately that things didn't work out between them.


Eoin is getting ready to attack the wedding, not to get her back but to kill her father who is an enemy to his king and cousin, Robert Bruce.


Margaret is getting ready for the wedding. She is under the impression that Eoin is dead and all because she betrayed him. She has a five year old son who is Eoin's.


My heart ached for Margaret throughout this book. Over and over again, Eoin treated her like she came second to his secret membership of an elite force called the Highland Guard. He couldn't tell her about it but he went about not telling her about it like a jerk. He would leave her and then think he made everything up to her by having sex with her. Over and over again, he accused her of things and didn't trust her. I was ready to shank him many times throughout the book.


This story really got to me. Men think they can take a beautiful, wild creature and tame them, not realizing they are crushing their spirit. I was so hopping mad that I had to calm myself down and remind myself it's just a book.


It's a sign of an excellent writer when they can pull me in so deeply. I had forgotten how great Monica McCarty is at stirring up my emotions. And how well she mixes history with fiction.


I'm excited to start the next book in the series.

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This was an awesome book to read, the background and history within the book was great, I will be going back and reading the rest. Thank you fora great book. ( )

This Scottish historical romance series has been one of the best romance ones I've ever read. The novel is book #10, and each one gets better and better. The writing flows easily, the characters are developed well, and the historical Scottish setting is researched nicely. I love the strong and independent female leads (again I think this was my favorite) and who doesn't love the rugged and manly Scottish warriors. For historical romance fans. Read this series!

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I absolutely LOVE Monica McCarty's Highland Guard Series. The Striker, Book 10, is just as fabulous as the rest. She writes her books in a way that pulls you into the story and makes you want to come back for more. I'm going to cry when book twelve comes out.... I'll miss all of those guys in the Highland Guard... Reading about their friendships in the books is like seeing something magical occur....something that only happens once in a lifetime. ( )

...deceit and betrayal!

Eoin MacLean's decision to become one of Robert the Bruce's strike force team, The Highland Guards, plays havoc with his personal life. But then Eoin wasn't expecting to be captivated by a wild, red headed, bewitching young woman, Margaret MacDowell, whose father's enmity is legend.
Happiness is replaced by anger. Eoin's promise to not reveal the secret of the Highland Guards is ripe ground for mistrust between himself and Margaret to erode to the point of no return. Margaret is all that is admirable in the way she seeks to support and understand him, but perceived rejection and frequent snubs worms away at her self confidence.
Convinced he has been betrayed by Margaret, Eoin turns his back on their marriage and takes up the mantle of his reported death. Some years later, when he learns that Margaret is about to remarry, Eoin has second thoughts, particularly as his Lazarus reappearance behind the English lines, will cause consternation for Bruce's enemies.
What his return causes for Margaret, and the surprises Eoin will face, are very different from the outcome he anticipated, leaving them both shaken and reeling in shock.
Filled with surprises, treachery, misunderstandings and heart throb moments, this addition to the Highland Guards series is just as addictive as it's running mates. Once again the midnight candle burned brightly. I couldn't put Eoin and Margaret's story down until I'd reached the very end.

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