This digital release of Lion Heart is a special author's edition, with an extensive new edit and all new scenes.
The illegitimate daughter of a penniless English baron, Elizabet is determined to win her freedom at all costs... until treachery thrusts her into the arms of a proud Scotsman.
Bound to protect her, despite that holding her could mean the death of a fragile peace between the Highland clans, Broc of the McKinnons, soon realizes that the fiery vixen he holds captive could pose an even greater risk to his heart.
Tanya Anne Crosby is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirty novels. She has been featured in magazines, such as People, Romantic Times and Publisher’s Weekly, and her books have been translated into eight languages. Her first novel was published in 1992 by Avon Books, where Tanya was hailed as “one of Avon’s fastest rising stars.” Her fourth book was chosen to launch the company’s Avon Romantic Treasure imprint. Known for stories charged with emotion and humor and filled with flawed characters Tanya is an award-winning author, journalist, and editor, and her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. She and her writer husband split their time between Charleston, SC, where she was raised, and northern Michigan, where the couple make their home.
I really enjoyed this even though the angst and the wtf'ery was low.
I was looking for something to listen to on a drive to my company's main office a few hours away and I didn't have a great deal of time to make sure I was getting the next book in the sequence. Actually, I skipped way ahead. I went from book 1 The MacKinnon's Bride to this (book 4). There were obviously some events I'd missed out on, but I didn't have problems following the story.
It's probably been a year or more since I read book 1, but I still clearly remembered Broc because I just fell in love with him. He wasn't presented as typical hero material, but he was a scene stealer. He was described as being good looking, but he also spent most of book 1 with fleas, because he was so attached to his dog that he slept with her every night and didn't seem to make the connection. The heroine from book 1, in a pretty funny scene, washes the dog and Broc in lye and apparently after that he decided there was merit in remaining flealess ;)
Basically Broc is big, lovable guy. He's not a rake and he's not an alphhole. He's the big, loyal teddy bear sort, but he can seriously kick butt if the need arises. Besides, any man who loves animals always has a special place with me.
Elizabet was a likable heroine as well. She did have trust issues and came across as prickly at first, but she had very good reasons for being the way she was.
I felt the end was a bit rushed. There were a few plot holes I would have liked to have seen filled. Piers (a distant relative of the heroine who was supposed to be her new guardian) was very suspicious of the villain and then just let the heroine leave with him and that was never addressed. I felt like we needed another scene with him to tie up those loose ends, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment. I also felt there needed to be a longer scene dealing with all of Broc's well-intentioned lies to the heroine.
RE: the narrator - he did a good job with Broc I thought, but not so great with the heroine or some of the other voices.
Broc lost his family and clan to a massacre by the English when he was a child. He swore to never open his heart because it hurt too much to lose someone you love. His only commitment was to his clan that had taken him in when he lost his family.
Elizabet was born to a courtesan mother. When she dies, she goes to live with her father. Several years later, he remarries and sends her and her step brother, John, to his cousin, Piers, because his new wife wants them gone. Elizabet has a dog named Harpy who is her constant companion. She is determined to never be bound to a man or be dependent upon them like her mother was, She doesn't want children or a man.
Elizabet is looking for her dog who ran off when she finds Broc with her dog. She thinks he is trying to steal Harpy when he is only trying to rescue it. They get in a tit for tat argument. He thinks her a sassy shrew and she thinks him a ruthless barbarian. While they're arguing he spies an Englishman in the woods with an arrow notched and he realizes it's aimed at her. He sees the man loose the arrow and he hurls himself on her, knocking her to the ground. They get up, he with a knife, and she starts screaming. Her brother John comes to rescue her only to be knocked out by Broc. He doesn't understand why one of her own is trying to kill her so he pretends he is abducting her. He wants to keep her safe until he can figure out what's going on. She doesn't realize she is in danger.
When two deaths occur, the English try to blame Broc. He hies Elizabet off to a friend's old home that's no longer in use and tries to keep her safe while unraveling this mystery. They find themselves falling hard for each other but will a secret that Broc holds come between the love she has for him?
This story had me howling in laughter many times. The banter between Broc and Elizabet is top rate! One of the funniest parts is when he comes back to the cairn to find her gone and goes looking for her. Warrior woman, indeed! LOL! One of my favorite quotes is," Aye, well, simply because you are possessed of a proud cock does not mean you can leave it to crow in every barn!"
Tanya Crosby never fails to move me with her words. This series has left it's footprint on my heart and has brought some wonderful characters to life for me.
Broc deserved a better book. He lied way to much to Elizabeth. In fact he lied to everyone. Could understand why she couldn't trust him. Everyone kept saying how wonderful Broc was but if you hadn't read the previous books you can't imagine why.
Elizabeth is a bit scatterbrained. Her family connections vague to say the least. She sorta has a father, siblings, a cousin but no relationship with anyone but one young weak brother?
The story needed more show and less tell. Also none of the humor that was in The MacKinnon's Bride was in this one. Most of the story took place in the hovel they were hiding out in. Even the dog was dull.
I enjoyed learning more about Broc in this story. He is the H and the h is another English girl as in the first book of the series. The plot is quite different from the first, which made it an interesting read. Loved the connection between the H and h...but got a little bored with the explicit sex scenes and kissing scenes. Just felt they were taking up too much of the book and really wanted to move on to the story at times. All in all this was a good book and I'm glad I read it. It filled in more information on past characters and brings the series into clearer focus.
I’m done with this series. Broc is a big lying oaf. Then the way she was delivered to the funeral, what a numbskull. Finally, when she had her come to Jesus moment and he was there to save the day in an instant. It was all ridiculous and I thought Antioch deserved a better richer story.
OKAY so to start this off I want it to be known that I have never read a mass market romance novel before.... and I managed to start off with the fourth book in a series. I found it at a thrift store, chose it because of the (back) cover, and decided to read it during my beach trip because why not. And now that it's finished, I shall leave it in the rental house for others to enjoy. I also want it to be known that this is the book I met my Goodreads goal with. Alright enough recipe blog for this review let's get into it.
The plot is essentially, English Elizabitch (sorry I'm just really not going to type her real name. It's not Elizabeth for some reason) is running after her dog, then her companion attempts an assassination, while Scottish Broc who hates the English for murdering his entire clan decides to save her, then stowing her in an abandoned house to keep her safe for the length of the book.
So this is written in third person omniscient and sometimes I'd get a little confused but most of the time it was very clearly written. I actually enjoyed the writing style for the most part which I am surprised about. She, however, is in the middle of the romance writing spectrum, where she will not use the explicit words, but she also will not use those strange innuendos either. Broc did once refer to his penis as "the wee lad" so that was questionable.
I really enjoyed the amount of consent between the characters. Elizabitch never really initiated anything, but aside from a couple kisses "stolen in anger", Broc was very clear with everything he was going to be doing and stopped immediately when Elizabitch asked him to.
The main reason I rated it three stars is the main plot. I do not like it when a character is deliberately keeping information to "make life easier". That went on the entire book and when it was finally revealed what happened, neither character involved handled it well and then the ending kind of felt like it was just wrapping everything up and very rushed.
Overall, it was a fairly enjoyable time, especially for someone who has never read a romance novel of the mass market caliber. I definitely think I would read one again (maybe even next, I got two at that thrift store).
Just finished book 4, featuring Broc and Elizabet's story. I love all of this author's books. They are intended for adults due to some violence and sexual situations (although I'm sure that with all of the video games that a lot of people he kids play the these days or even the shows on T.V. have desensitized us all). Her books are well researched, characters and back story/platform are all fleshed out. Even though he Gaelic terms used features a glossary in the back to reference if you like. I am so glad that Broc and Elizabet met and fell in love. It is as very romantic, although not without trials to ensure before hand. This was the only book that had specific details in the "epilogue" regarding what happened in the future with them both. I do wish that all of the books were that detailed. Many of he characters from the first three books were featured as well. I was surprised to hear about Constance in the epilogue (Cameron's sister, Broc's cousin). A very HEA for all. I love all of the characters from all of these books and do hope/wish that they too will have a more substantial part (or cameo) in the books to come. I do wonder about how their lives have turned out and so on. I would recommend all of her books to adults. The books didn't have many mistakes, so good editing (there were only two mistakes that I counted). The only weird thing (to me anyway) was all of the "winking" going on...If you have read any of these books in this series, then you know what I mean. Even the women are doing it... Strange. LOL. Happy reading. I am off to read the next book.
Elizabet is a carbon copy of all the other brides to date. Their physical attributes are almost identical (OMG - they all have hips designed to bear bairns) They’re acerbic and don’t hold back sharing their opinions. Much like a Hallmark movie all you need to do is switch the name and location and viola! - there’s your heroine. The men’s immediate reactions upon first sighting the object of their desire are indistinguishable. The women have all been virgins until swept away by the ardor of their suitors/abductors.
Why was Tomas so eager to kill for what is reported as Elizabet’s meager dowry? Why did his sister marry Elizabet’s father, a man with a history of marrying to gain his wive’s dowries? Supposedly the father was aged, poor and had numerous children. What was the attraction?
How did Lyon not realize a chapel was being constructed on his property? Wouldn’t a new structure stick out like a sore thumb?
I have enjoyed this series despite the blasé romances. The back stories and current adventures are enough to keep me reading. This volume added a nice touch with the epilogue letting us know how this particular couple fared in the future. BTW, Broc is the featured male here.
Muito bom, mas também prejudicado pelo péssimo trabalho de tradução e revisão.
Um dos melhores da série, foi até mais violento que os demais que foram bem leves. Um enredo envolto em maldade, mentiras, mentiras bondosas (se é que isso existe), amor e superação, tratados de forma fluída. Mas novamente foi um parto deparar com todos aqueles erros horríveis. Não sou expert em português, longe disso, cometo erros e muitos, mas até eu que sou, deixe-me ver a melhor palavra... leiga, amadora? Sim, amadora serve. Até mesmo eu que sou amadora na gramatica da língua portuguesa, sinto quase uma dor física ao ler discordâncias verbais, erros de concordância, e até erro de gênero. Por isso mais um que merecia mais mas vai ficar com 3 estrelas de novo. Eu tinha dado 3,8 e arredondado para 4, mas vi que estava sendo muito boazinha com o péssimo trabalho de tradução e resolvi dar 2,8 arredondado para 3, infelizmente. Se você não se importa com isso, o enredo é imperdível, tanto que vou continuar com a sofrência.
Broc lost his family to the English when he was a boy, so when he finds himself protecting an Englishwoman who is in danger he is naturally conflicted. Elizabet has traveled to the Scotland to become a ward of Piers Montgomerie, the hero from the second book of this series, but finds herself embroiled in something much larger. To say more would spoil the story, but this latest installment in Ms. Crosby’s saga is filled with strong women and cameos from all our favorite characters. Broc’s character is tested in this one, and many readers may not condone his lying, but his heart is in the right place. Settle in for a fun, steamy, and angst-ridden romance in the Highlands!
Talk about a joy to read. I loved reading Broc of the MacKinnons story. Seeing a simple situation spiral out of control was interesting.. Elizabet was in danger and Broc tried to protect her. Seems simple but it wasn't for Broc the blonde. It was fun to read how Tanya wrote this story. For it had action, adventure and of course good old romance. Reading their story was interesting for there was many tangles that Broc had to fix including one that Elizabet caused. You will find it hard to put this book down at least I did. So if you have time take a journey with Broc & Elizabet. You may find it interesting. J
Broc is one of my favorite characters in this series. He is good and kind and always the protector of his clan and those he loves. Elizabet is on her way to seek housing from a cousin she has never met. Along the way one of her fathers men tries to kill her and kills her brother. Broc swoops in to protect her and keeps her hidden while he tries to prove he is innocent and her fathers man is the guilty one. Sweet story of love and lust and commitment.
This is the 4th book I have read of this author, I think she is a talented writer but as always simply to blatant in repetition. I still find myself skipping chapters because it very obvious what the characters dialogue is going be. How many times and how many words does it take to say I love you. How many chapters does it take to create a love scene. The storyline are swallowed with word salad
Having loved Broc since the first book in the series I was really excited for his story and it didn’t disappoint! I really like Broc and Elizabeth together and it was also nice to see some recurring characters. While these books are standalones they are definitely more enjoyable as a series considering some of the clan dynamics might not have been as clear without having read the previous books, and in this story in particular they seemed key to part of the dilemma.
I knew Broc's story would be interesting. I have like Broc since his appearance in book one. This series has great characters and I love that the previous characters make an appearance in the other books Elizabet was just the right woman to bring Bros peace. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
Lion Heart Highlands Brides book 4 by Tanya Anne Crosby
So happy to be able to get to re-read this wonderful series by Tanya Anne Crosby!💖 The characters are absolutely heartwarming and thourghly engaging with plenty of everything that you would want to read about!I'm recommending this whole fantastic series!😍
I have loved every book that I have read! I love stories of Scotland and it’s people. Tanya has a gift of words that make me want to keep reading straight through each book! I like knowing the people from previous books! Her books are filled with detail, love, romance, mystery and more! I plan on reading all of them!
I totally loving this series! The characters are great and enjoyable! The Tanya Crosby grabs your attention the start! Loving seeing all the characters get happy ever after! Cant wait to see who finds love next!
It was a nice cute story... It was refreshing to see a highlander softhearted....yet not weak... The characters all seemed justified... And the story was smooth...
Though the end was too short and could have been a bit more...ineresting..
I am enjoying the series. Every one of the characters will make you fall in love with them. It seems every book is better than the last one. Each book can be read alone but it is so good to start at the beginning and read each one and order.
I enjoyed the book greatly, however at chapter 28, pages were missing near the end of the story!!!! Even the epilogue was incomplete, what a dissapointment!
I liked the story to continue the series, but this story had much too many sex references. Glad to catch up with Constance. Will probably find a sample of the next book before downloading.
I truly enjoyed this story in this series. Had an element of chivary in it. And that is always enjoyed in a historical romance. Looking forward to rest of series.
This book is a fun read, a little different in the romance department, they don't just keep coming up with reasons they shouldn't love each other, it's done differently.
Book four in the Highland Brides Series, features one of my favorite characters from the series, Broc. I was so happy to see him get his happy ever after.