Review: Highlander Most Wanted by Maya Banks

Highlander Most Wanted
(The Montgomerys and Armstrongs #2)
By: Maya Banks
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Release Date: March 19, 2013
Genre: Historical Romance
Rating:

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In Highlander Most Wanted, a reclusive woman content to live in the shadows shows a Highland warrior the true meaning of love.

Genevieve McInnes is locked behind the fortified walls of McHugh Keep, captive of a cruel laird who takes great pleasure in ruining her for any other man. Yet when Bowen Montgomery storms the gates on a mission of clan warfare, Genevieve finds that her spirit is bent but not broken. Still, her path toward freedom remains uncertain. Unable to bear the shame of returning to a family that believes her dead or to abandon others at the keep to an imposing new laird, Genevieve opts for the peaceful life of an abbess. But Bowen’s rugged sensuality stirs something deep inside her that longs to be awakened by his patient, gentle caress—something warm, wicked, and tempting.

Bowen seizes his enemy’s keep, unprepared for the brooding and reclusive woman who captures his heart. He’s enchanted by her fierce determination, her unusual beauty, and her quiet, unfailing strength. But wooing her will take more than a seasoned seducer’s skill. For loving Genevieve, he discovers, means giving her back the freedom that was stolen from her—even if it means losing her forever.

In the last book we met Graime and Eveline but in Highlander Most Wanted we meet Graime’s younger brother Bowen. Even though this book involves two different main characters, I recommend reading the books in succession. There is a lot that takes place in the last book that rolls over into this one. It had been a while since I read the first book and it took me a few minutes to get my bearings before I remembered what had happened previously.

Even though I didn’t like the heroine as much as the last, I still found Genevieve to be interesting and complex. She was abducted on the way to her betrothal and was raped and forced to be a whore by her captor. She’s looked down upon and abused by pretty much everyone in the clan. She’s learned to don a blank mask and shut herself out to those around her but when Bowen comes riding in to take over the clan’s land, she finds herself slowly softening towards him.

Bowen was a great hero in my opinion. He comes into the keep, guns blazing ready for a fight, only to find the Laird of the clan has deserted his people. Not only that but he stumbles across a woman who’s been sorely abused by both the Laird’s son and the people of the clan. He immediately takes her safety upon himself and sees to make sure that she doesn’t come to further harm from the other clan members. However, there is more to her story than originally thought and he finds himself battling family, loyalty and his heart.

Neither of these characters were simple, nor was the story. There is a lot that takes place in this story and I liked that Graime and Eveline make an appearance. However, I felt like some of the drama that takes place was unnecessary. At one point Bowen believes that Genevieve was a willing whore and is quick to judge her. Of course the truth comes out and he feels horrible for his assumptions but he seemed to have done that a lot. He would think poorly on certain things when it came to Genevieve when he didn’t have all of the facts. Needless to say, there were a few times where I just wanted to yell at him.

I loved seeing the characters from the last book and it seems like we will continue to see them throughout the series. I can’t wait to find out who stars in the next book.

“The most unlikely of champions, and the most unlikely woman to inspire a man to champion her cause. She was naught but a scarred whore, and he was so handsome that he turned heads wherever he went.”