McCabe Series: In Bed with a Highlander

In Bed with a Highlander is the first book in the McCabe series. Now, I just want to discuss the title real quick. I'd read the reviews for this book and they were pretty good. But I'd bought this book awhile ago and  I'd sort of forgotten. When I saw the title and the cover, I thought that it was going to be one of those books with a flimsy story line to disguise the fact that all the main characters do is roll around in bed together. I was so glad that this wasn't the case with this story.

The story is set in the highlands of Scotland. Our leading lady is Mairin Stuart. She is the king of Scotland's bastard daughter. Despite the fact that bastard children normally get diddly squat from their fathers, Mairin has one huge ass dowry. This makes her a much sought after commodity, which is why we find her hiding out in an abbey until she can choose a suitable husband.

Unfortunately for Mairin, before she can actually get around to choosing a husband she gets kidnapped by the horrible Duncan Cameron's men. You know how sometimes historical romances have a villain who is so cliche-ridden you just have to roll your eyes? So not the case with this guy. He was a proper bad guy who you just wish somebody would stab with a sword. 

Luckily, we have a hero who is more than willing to make Cameron a bad memory. Ewan McCabe is the laird of his keep, and has an ax to grind with Cameron. So when Mairin arrives on Ewan's land after escaping Cameron's attempt to force her into marriage, Ewan decides to marry her instead. Lesser of two evils and all that. 

I know it sounds like Mairin is one of those weakling heroines whose job it is to be all beautiful and helpless. Nope. Despite having little in the way of control over her circumstances, Mairin doesn't take what's happening to her quietly. She refuses to give in to Cameron's bullying tactics and lets Ewan have it when she thinks he's being a jerk. 

I loved the characters in this story. I often find that in historical romances, it's hard to find a heroine who's got a backbone and isn't afraid to speak her mind. But with In Bed with a Highlander, that's exactly what we got. For me Mairin outshone Ewan, which doesn't normally happen. I also really liked Ewan's brothers, Alaric and Caelen, who were pretty funny. And Mairin's poor bodyguards. Man, she gave those poor guys a hard time.

Just an example of Mairin's tendency not to mince her words:

Right after Ewan and Mairin's wedding, the keep was attacked by Cameron's army and so the consummation of their wedding was more of a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am kinda deal. Naturally, Mairin isn't thrilled at the idea of doing it again. Here she decimates Ewan's ego.

" 'Tis a well-known fact that a man is either skilled in matters of loving or matters of war. 'Tis obvious that fighting is your skill."

Ouch!