Friday, May 29, 2009

REVIEW: "Highland Obsession"

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Author: Dawn Halliday (also known as Jennifer Haymore)


Release Date: August 4, 2009


Summary (B&N):


In the Scottish Highlands, two warriors are about to clash over a woman of passion...




They were the unlikeliest of friends debauching their way through London: The Earl of Camdonn, a nobleman of vast wealth and power, and Scottish laird Alan MacDonald, a respected Jacobite with ambitions of his own.




But their friendship is destroyed when Alan marries the beautiful Sorcha Stewart—only to witness Cam kidnap her from their bedroom. Then Alan learns the truth: his bride was not an innocent. She took a lover before him—his friend—who taught her the ways of pleasure.




Now, Alan will do anything to get his wife back. Cam fights to redeem his honor, even as he refuses to give up his desire. Torn between love and duty, Sorcha must watch as the two men she desires go to war over her. And when the battle lines are drawn, all three lovers are lured into a triangle of forbidden passions...







My Thoughts:

There are not enough words in the English language to describe this book. I'll keep it simple: I LOVED it! Easily one of my favorite books I've read this year! Highland Obsession had everything-- passion, lust, love, and even a bit of action.

And boy, was the sex hot, hot hot! Warning: if you are not into explicit love scenes and threesomes, then tread carefully while reading this book, because it's full of it! I personally didn't mind it, and in fact I found myself enjoying it, even though I'm not usually one for a romance novel with multiple partners in the bed at one time. But in HO, it was handled wonderfully, and instead of reading like a cheap porn (which some authors, unfortunately, end up doing), it still had all the great components of a true romance.

And it's all thanks to Dawn Halliday's amazing writing skills-- the characters were very well developed, and they connected, not only during the sex (no pun intended, of course!), but also during every day conversations. They worked through their problems, of which there were a few along the way, they didn't just let it go and then suddenly "make up" a few days later with sex.

Even though I knew from the very beginning that Cam wasn't meant for Sorcha, despite the fact that they'd had a great friendship...and later became lovers, I realized that what they had was important for the development of the rest of the book. They cared for each other, of course, and the passion was there, but they were meant for someone else. Because they already had that deep connection, it didn't bother me when Alex (Cam's best friend) decide to share Sorcha one night. I knew that even though all three of them weren't going to be together, it still meant something-- to all of them, in a way. Alex and Cam had been friends for so long, they were practically like brothers. And even though Sorcha was Alex's, Cam was a part of her past, and to a point, her future, even if it would only be as friends. That's what made this whole story so good-- because Dawn knows how to show the different kinds of loves, and how trust is really needed in a relationship.

As for the rest of the story...well, it was pretty good as well! I would hate to give too much away, so I won't go into specifics, but let me assure you-- if you love a good historical romance, and you don't mind the erotic undertones, Highland Obsession should be at the top of your list for this year! Halliday has captured my attention as an author, and now whenever I see her name on a book, it's instantly going into my cart! They say that you can only get better with practice....well, HO was already pretty close to being a perfect read, so I can just imagine how good her future books will be! One thing's for sure...I can't wait until Cam's story, but I just wish I didn't have to wait so long (2010!).

5/5 STARS! Utterly delightful, sexy, and romantic, Highland Obsession is only the beginning of what I'm sure will be a great little series. And be sure to look out for more of Halliday's books, published by Ellora's Cave, along with the wicked historicals written under her real name, Jennifer Haymore (A Hint of Wicked is out now!).




Until Next Time,
The Book Queen

6 comments :

Lea said...

This sounds like an awesome book TBQ!

I love Dawn Halliday's work, and she does write menage stories very well. I thoroughly enjoyed "Twice The Night", her paranormal menage that involved a love triangle.

This one sounds really great!

I will pimp your Giveaway for sure. And, I will Join in for sure..

Thank you for the lovely review and heads-up.

L

Lea said...

TBQ: If you would like a three column blog, let me know and I will help you.

Just e-mail me at i_love_my_kiera@yahoo.ca that if you are interested. :)

Best
L

MonieG said...

Oooohhh. Sounds like it's right up my alley. Thanks for the review.

The_Book_Queen said...

Lea-- Believe me, I really enjoyed it! Very hot, and very good! I'll have to look for her other books as well, while I'm waiting for Cam's story. And I still need to buy the book she's written under Jennifer Haymore-- I'm sure it will be great as well!

Thanks, my blog is not followed quite like some of the others (yours included) and since this is a contest I'm technically hosting for Jennifer, I would hate to have only a few people enter at the last minute. Spread the word, I'd really appreciate it! ;)

I may just take you up on that offer! I've been meaning to find a way to get three colums, but so far the few help sites I've found didn't really help, at least not for the template I have. Don't be surprised if you have an email from me in a few days!


MonieG--- Thanks for stopping by! I'm sure you will really enjoy this book, I know I did. ;) I'll see you again on contest day, right? Good luck!


Best,
TBQ

Julie at Outlandish Dreaming said...

I want to read this book! Thanks for the review - I'm dying to get my hands on this!

The_Book_Queen said...

Julie--- Your welcome-- hope my partial ramblings made sense! LOL. It seems no matter how long I spend on a review, both writing it and thinking of ways to improve/edit it, I always miss something, or mess up on something. ;)

Who knows-- maybe this is your chance to get a copy of it before it hits stores! ;) Good luck!

Best,
TBQ