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The Handfasting #1-3
The Handfasting
Destiny brought them together if only for a year and a day ... Feisty Maggie MacBede will never marry a warrior. Och no! With eight strapping brothers and a warrior of a Da, she has had enough of holding her own against great headstrong men. She’ll not risk her heart to the sword. Give her a poet, a bard, any man but a fighting man, and she will find her match. Talorc the Bold, the Laird MacKay, has no care for Maggie’s foolishness. When he heard the MacBede battle cry, “For Our Maggie!” and witnessed the impossible victory it spurred, he set out to marry her for the clan. Then he felt her in his arms and knew he would marry her for himself and the grand power of their mating. The clan intercedes, the two are Handfasted, married for a year and a day as an enemy lurks deep in the belly of the clan. By winning his bride’s love, Talorc may just lose her life.
399 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 9, 2013
129 people are currently reading
549 people want to read
About the author
Becca St. John
17 books48 followersAn Accidental Writer ~
Writing was a tool, not a toy, until a stay in an ancient (I swear it was haunted) hotel on a frightfully stormy night straight from a clichéd novel full of howling wind and creaking floors. The night drove me to a bookcase full of dog eared romances. Sleepless turned to fascination. Hooked I read old romances, new romances, both sexy and sweet until my own tales begged to be written.
Writing was a tool, not a toy, until a stay in an ancient (I swear it was haunted) hotel on a frightfully stormy night straight from a clichéd novel full of howling wind and creaking floors. The night drove me to a bookcase full of dog eared romances. Sleepless turned to fascination. Hooked I read old romances, new romances, both sexy and sweet until my own tales begged to be written.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
February 22, 2015
This was such a challenging read for me. The author did a good job at showing what a woman went through with her h Maggie MacBede. She was 19 years old when her brothers return, all except her twin come back alive and the man she holds responsible for his death ends up coming to the keep with the intent of marrying her. I loved Talorc the Bold. Maggie is tricked into handfasting with the bold and that is when my trouble started.
Maggie is described by Talorc as brave and courageous. He makes it clear to her clan and his the admiration and respect he has for her. I mean my god the man was incredible with his silken tongue and all Maggie could do was flare her quills in preparation to attack. I have read other books where woman dealt with this in a more dignified manner but Maggie made no secret to Talorc the hatred she had for him. While I can respect the author for attempting her own approach to her story I just could not like Maggie.
It got worse when you meet her mother. A mother has to protect her young and yet this mother did not. Fiona asks Maggie if she knows what goes on between a man and a woman which Maggie did. The handfasting is to last a year and a day and her mother tells her as long as you don't give your heart you can return to the keep. Now I am limited in my knowledge of handfasting but Maggie is convinced she can give herself to Talorc and still return.
Maggie was so idiotic at this point because she tells her mother he makes her feel peculiar and when given the chance she is giving into passionate kisses and caresses without any attempt to stop him. She even tells him she will take any pleasure the handfasting has to offer. Which then lead me to believe the girl must not have had any clue how a child came to pass because why would hse risk having a child if she had no intentions of staying. This made me roll my eyes at her mother. How could a mother send her daughter with a strange man and not prepare her for what lies ahead?
Talorc continues throughout the book to gain her trust and prove their feelings to no prevail, but I never really felt the connection because of Maggie's stubbornness. I really hated her and found her spoiled. Along side this is a conspiracy to kill Maggie (me included, LOL). You get to enjoy some Pagan rituals and how fast her companions meant to add comfort to Maggie turn on her when she suffers a head trauma. But I have to say the ending got exciting and I did enjoy that but I'm not sure if some of that excitement came from knowing the book was almost over. I couldn't have dreamt of a better H, his loyality and devotion was everything you could want but the h carried on with her stubbornness almost to the end.
What they suffered at the end and all the blood was sad and it did give me pause for her but overall she just wasn't my type of heroin. I would have gave it one star but the ending and the Bold made me give an extra star!
Maggie is described by Talorc as brave and courageous. He makes it clear to her clan and his the admiration and respect he has for her. I mean my god the man was incredible with his silken tongue and all Maggie could do was flare her quills in preparation to attack. I have read other books where woman dealt with this in a more dignified manner but Maggie made no secret to Talorc the hatred she had for him. While I can respect the author for attempting her own approach to her story I just could not like Maggie.
It got worse when you meet her mother. A mother has to protect her young and yet this mother did not. Fiona asks Maggie if she knows what goes on between a man and a woman which Maggie did. The handfasting is to last a year and a day and her mother tells her as long as you don't give your heart you can return to the keep. Now I am limited in my knowledge of handfasting but Maggie is convinced she can give herself to Talorc and still return.
Maggie was so idiotic at this point because she tells her mother he makes her feel peculiar and when given the chance she is giving into passionate kisses and caresses without any attempt to stop him. She even tells him she will take any pleasure the handfasting has to offer. Which then lead me to believe the girl must not have had any clue how a child came to pass because why would hse risk having a child if she had no intentions of staying. This made me roll my eyes at her mother. How could a mother send her daughter with a strange man and not prepare her for what lies ahead?
Talorc continues throughout the book to gain her trust and prove their feelings to no prevail, but I never really felt the connection because of Maggie's stubbornness. I really hated her and found her spoiled. Along side this is a conspiracy to kill Maggie (me included, LOL). You get to enjoy some Pagan rituals and how fast her companions meant to add comfort to Maggie turn on her when she suffers a head trauma. But I have to say the ending got exciting and I did enjoy that but I'm not sure if some of that excitement came from knowing the book was almost over. I couldn't have dreamt of a better H, his loyality and devotion was everything you could want but the h carried on with her stubbornness almost to the end.
What they suffered at the end and all the blood was sad and it did give me pause for her but overall she just wasn't my type of heroin. I would have gave it one star but the ending and the Bold made me give an extra star!
May 3, 2015
Excellent story. Loved the main characters. Sparks flew between them on every page. I almost didn't get this book due to several reviews that mentioned poor grammar and errors in spelling and punctuation. While there were many errors, the content of the book supersedes these shortcomings. The bulk of the mistakes were in the first chapter (I think) but trust me, you need to continue reading. Buy the end of chapter 1, you will be hooked.
I found Maggie to be a very worthy heroine. She has a big heart that feels very deeply. She lost her twin brother during a battle and refuses to fall in love with another man who could die on the battlefield. I tend to compare her to a mother who loses a young child to a genetic birth defect and refuses to have more children in case they suffer the same fate. Who could blame her?
Taloric, the Bold is a captivating hero. A true alpha male, he decides he will marry her sight unseen. The second he sees her, his body unites with his mind and it's love at first sight. He knows what he wants and he goes for it, no holds barred. She resists and this begins a remarkable story full of passion, love, fear, and strength.
There are some twists and turns in the story. Fighting clans, murders, and jealousy come into play but they fit perfectly in the setting developed by the author. The book concludes with a few loose ends in an effort to pave the way for future books. I am SO looking forward to the next book. This is a book I plan to reread over and over in the years to come.
4.5 stars.
I found Maggie to be a very worthy heroine. She has a big heart that feels very deeply. She lost her twin brother during a battle and refuses to fall in love with another man who could die on the battlefield. I tend to compare her to a mother who loses a young child to a genetic birth defect and refuses to have more children in case they suffer the same fate. Who could blame her?
Taloric, the Bold is a captivating hero. A true alpha male, he decides he will marry her sight unseen. The second he sees her, his body unites with his mind and it's love at first sight. He knows what he wants and he goes for it, no holds barred. She resists and this begins a remarkable story full of passion, love, fear, and strength.
There are some twists and turns in the story. Fighting clans, murders, and jealousy come into play but they fit perfectly in the setting developed by the author. The book concludes with a few loose ends in an effort to pave the way for future books. I am SO looking forward to the next book. This is a book I plan to reread over and over in the years to come.
4.5 stars.
May 3, 2015
Absolutely Fantastic!!
OMG! I LOVED this book; so much so that I read it in one day--I was up until 1:30 this morning finishing it. I just could not put the book down!!! The book is very well written and the story--OMG, the story!!--is fantastic! My only complaint about the book is that it truly could use some fine tune editing. There are quite a number of editing issues; nothing that took away from my enjoyment of the story, but enough that I noticed them, and they distracted me at times. In any event, the characters are all wonderfully developed. I loved Maggie's feistiness and Bold's--well, er--his boldness. LOL The two are a perfect match. Maggie is the youngest of eight children--she's also the only girl. With seven warrior brothers and a warrior father--all big, tough, bossy, overbearing men--Maggie has had to fight tooth and nail to get any say in the family. She's a "strapping lass", meaning she's tall and full bodied, very curvy. LOL As feisty as she is; as willing and able to fight for what she wants, all Maggie really wants is an easy going husband, one who will not try to control her--in other words, she does not want a warrior! This determination not to marry a warrior is only enhanced when her twin brother, Ian, dies in battle. Maggie is distraught at the loss of her brother, and harbors some resentment towards Bold, who is the one who called her family to arms when her brother died.
Although Maggie's father is Laird of their clan, the McBedes are a sept of the McCay clan, of which Bold (Talorc the Bold) is laird. I think that means he was an overlord of sorts and they owe him fealty. In any event, the best part of the story is Bold's single-minded determination to make Maggie his. The man pretty much became obsessed with Maggie from stories he heard about her, told by her brothers and the other men of her clan; stories about her bravery and her fiery nature. When stories about her past deeds inspire the up to then defeated men, to win a battle, Bold decides he will marry Maggie, sight unseen; a woman of her strength of character and bravery would make him an excellent mate and produce a bevy of equally strong brave children. Even though he decides to marry Maggie, Bold expects to be disappointed with her physical appearance once he lays eyes on her. Well, this is a romance novel, so you know THAT doesn't happen. LOL! Instead, the opposite is true. There is an instant, combustible chemistry between Maggie and Bold, one which confuses and scares the innocent beauty. However, Maggie is determined not to marry a warrior, and Bold is the quintessential warrior--he has a reputation of being fierce and fearless on the battlefield; a strong leader of men.
Bold uses every method at his disposal, both fair and foul, to get Maggie to marry him. It was equal parts fun, equal parts uncomfortable for me to read about the methods he used to get her to agree. In the end, she agrees not to marriage, but to a handfasting...now all she has to do is keep her heart and her body safe and in a year and a day, she'll once again be a free woman. But there's a conspiracy against Maggie, one to keep her married to Bold, one which is forged by none other than her family. Unknown to Maggie, once a couple consummates a handfasting, they become husband and wife, just as surely as if they had been married in a church. This little fact is one that Maggie's mother conveniently forgets to tell her. Anyhow, the couple marry and travel to Bold's home, and the story quickly progresses.
There is a personal vendetta against Bold, and a conspiracy to see the McKay clan destroyed, as well as its allies. Maggie is in the way of the villains plot, thus a murder plot against her life is hatched. Bold must keep Maggie safe, while continuing his campaign to get her to willingly give herself to him, so that he can make their marriage a permanent one...her mother made him promise not to force Maggie. The romance between the two is the focus of the story with the conspiracy/murder plot adding plenty of intrigue and action to the plot. Overall, it made for a very romantic, very exciting read. FYI, this is not a clean story. There are a couple of love scenes; although IMO, they are not overly graphic, nor is there any crude language used. My only complaint, aside from the mild editing issue, is that when the villain is uncovered, there was talk about banishment. I had to wonder if they hadn't learned their lesson about banishment--it doesn't work! Anyhow, I'm happy to report that someone took matters into their own hands and killed the bastard. Thus all ended as it should with everyone getting exactly what they deserved. Happy reading!
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May 28, 2015Seven brothers and one daughter in the MacBede family. Maggie, the youngest, is nineteen and lost her twin brother in a recent battle. He died in the arms of Talorc the Bold, the Laird MacKay, and he has come to tell Maggie his last words and to offer to wed her. As a little girl, Maggie wrapped up a small parcel of soil in a rag of tartan and gave one to each MacBede warrior. Little did she know that they function as lucky charms for her warriors. They literally have a piece of what they are fighting for and they fight better because of it.
Talorc wants Maggie to be his talisman and her brothers have successfully scared away any men interested in Maggie. But they won’t say ‘no’ to Talorc.
***
Uh, oh.
Site???? No. Sight.
There is a sentence on almost every page that I have to read twice to understand.
I find it a little hard to believe that a grown girl (I am not sure of her age but she is full grown enough to have big breasts) can walk into a house where people are having sex and NOT know what it is. Especially when she went there to ask the guy to go to the dinner with her, and he’s in bed having sex with her friend.
She’s a bit daft, this Maggie.
Nor do I understand why her family respect her sooo much but haven’t bothered to explain that she is to be married to the big Scotsman who makes her tummy feel queasy. This is a girl who is supposed to date harpers and tailors - skinny, non-warrior types - and has never heard of love? If she is this blindly oblivious with previous men, no wonder they gave up and bedded other women. And that by the way makes no sense. Do you really think a skinny non-warrior type is not going to tumble her into bed when he gets the chance? It’s ridiculous.
And he snogged her in the chapel (I think) and she loved it, and then says she doesn’t understand how it makes her feel.
‘Mother? What is this weird feeling?’
Seriously? Wow…
It makes no sense
No. Speech descriptors go with the speech after a comma. Unless she actually hissed, but I don’t think she did.
It takes Maggie too long to work things out and before she does, she has pages of thoughts that flip back and forth either way. It’s so hard to read.
Oh, wait… she’s 19! Nineteen??? Are you kidding me? No wonder she said her friends were already married with babies. So why is she behaving like a twelve year old? She’s the only marriageable daughter of the lord. She MUST know that her wedding will be a matter for diplomacy and strategic advantage; she’d be very lucky to have a love match. Not that she seems to know what love is, either.
She has major personality changes in a paragraph.
Oh, NOW she knows what sex is when her mother asks her but she didn't know what it was before when it was happening upstairs in the house she was standing in.
It’s too much.
I can’t read anymore. Talorc the Bold deserves someone way better than this incredibly selfish, thick witted girl.
Dnf at 24%
Talorc wants Maggie to be his talisman and her brothers have successfully scared away any men interested in Maggie. But they won’t say ‘no’ to Talorc.
***
Uh, oh.
“He had expected to be disappointed when they met in the flesh; had not expected the site of her to fill his blood enough to explode.(Kindle Locations 282-283)”
Site???? No. Sight.
There is a sentence on almost every page that I have to read twice to understand.
I find it a little hard to believe that a grown girl (I am not sure of her age but she is full grown enough to have big breasts) can walk into a house where people are having sex and NOT know what it is. Especially when she went there to ask the guy to go to the dinner with her, and he’s in bed having sex with her friend.
She’s a bit daft, this Maggie.
Nor do I understand why her family respect her sooo much but haven’t bothered to explain that she is to be married to the big Scotsman who makes her tummy feel queasy. This is a girl who is supposed to date harpers and tailors - skinny, non-warrior types - and has never heard of love? If she is this blindly oblivious with previous men, no wonder they gave up and bedded other women. And that by the way makes no sense. Do you really think a skinny non-warrior type is not going to tumble her into bed when he gets the chance? It’s ridiculous.
And he snogged her in the chapel (I think) and she loved it, and then says she doesn’t understand how it makes her feel.
‘Mother? What is this weird feeling?’
Seriously? Wow…
It makes no sense
“Stop.” She hissed. (Kindle Location 1027)
No. Speech descriptors go with the speech after a comma. Unless she actually hissed, but I don’t think she did.
It takes Maggie too long to work things out and before she does, she has pages of thoughts that flip back and forth either way. It’s so hard to read.
Oh, wait… she’s 19! Nineteen??? Are you kidding me? No wonder she said her friends were already married with babies. So why is she behaving like a twelve year old? She’s the only marriageable daughter of the lord. She MUST know that her wedding will be a matter for diplomacy and strategic advantage; she’d be very lucky to have a love match. Not that she seems to know what love is, either.
She has major personality changes in a paragraph.
Oh, NOW she knows what sex is when her mother asks her but she didn't know what it was before when it was happening upstairs in the house she was standing in.
It’s too much.
I can’t read anymore. Talorc the Bold deserves someone way better than this incredibly selfish, thick witted girl.
Dnf at 24%
October 29, 2020
I loved this story so much. Talorc heard stories of Maggie from her clan during battle and he knew he had to have her for his own clan. But the moment he first saw her he was captivated, the second she was in his hands he knew he had to have her for himself and not just for the good of his clan.
Maggie has a wild spirit. She was stubborn but she had a good head on her shoulders. Something I really liked about her was once she realized something she didn’t deny it. She didn’t lie, sometimes she implied or embellished the truth a bit but when asked a direct question she never outright lied. I’m referring to her feelings for Talorc for the most part here.
I also read some other reviews and a lot of people had a problem with her. I didn’t at all. Maybe it was because I listened to the audiobook, but I felt her frustrations with her, all the while loving Talorc the Bold and routing for him to win her over. I thought the narrator did a wonderful job of bringing these characters to life.
Let me backtrack a bit. Talorc puts her on the spot when he proposes marriage to her. He did it in a way that made it hard to refuse. I could feel her frustration and I felt bad for her because she felt cornered. But I never had hard feelings towards Talorc because he was so patient and kind to her, and he was so obviously taken with her, it was hard not to fall in love with him.
I loved that the author didn’t use miscommunication or misunderstandings to lengthen her story. I absolutely hate it when one person is under a miscommunication and the other person has the power to enlighten them but just doesn’t. Instead they decide to give up and just keep their mouth shut. I HATE that. And when a situation like this arose in this story, Maggie didn’t let it go. She made him listen to her until he understood exactly what had happened. I was so glad for that. It became one of favorite scenes.
I will most likely listen to this again. I really enjoyed it.
Maggie has a wild spirit. She was stubborn but she had a good head on her shoulders. Something I really liked about her was once she realized something she didn’t deny it. She didn’t lie, sometimes she implied or embellished the truth a bit but when asked a direct question she never outright lied. I’m referring to her feelings for Talorc for the most part here.
I also read some other reviews and a lot of people had a problem with her. I didn’t at all. Maybe it was because I listened to the audiobook, but I felt her frustrations with her, all the while loving Talorc the Bold and routing for him to win her over. I thought the narrator did a wonderful job of bringing these characters to life.
Let me backtrack a bit. Talorc puts her on the spot when he proposes marriage to her. He did it in a way that made it hard to refuse. I could feel her frustration and I felt bad for her because she felt cornered. But I never had hard feelings towards Talorc because he was so patient and kind to her, and he was so obviously taken with her, it was hard not to fall in love with him.
I loved that the author didn’t use miscommunication or misunderstandings to lengthen her story. I absolutely hate it when one person is under a miscommunication and the other person has the power to enlighten them but just doesn’t. Instead they decide to give up and just keep their mouth shut. I HATE that. And when a situation like this arose in this story, Maggie didn’t let it go. She made him listen to her until he understood exactly what had happened. I was so glad for that. It became one of favorite scenes.
I will most likely listen to this again. I really enjoyed it.
October 20, 2013
The Handfasting by Becca St. John is a trilogy. It is an enjoyable piece of historical fiction set in 14th century Scotland. The characters are likable and the intrigue will keep you reading. I loved that the heroine wasn't a damsel in distress but a strong, fiery, albiet naive, woman. The story has a little bit of everything--intrigue, mystery, romance and comedy. It is a nice, light, escapist read. My chief complaint is that, as with most series, each installment is rather short, and the trilogy is really only one book.
March 30, 2015
These books are exactly as the writer described herself accidental. Maggie was so annoying and the bold is so boring. The writing style is bad with no character development and no plot except for the conversation between Bold and Maggie.
October 18, 2020
Book is good. The heroine is a bit immature and can't seem to make up her mind and got a bit irritating. However, the rest of it was good and interesting.
Narrator is ok I had to speed it up to 1.7 it was just too slow to me.
Narrator is ok I had to speed it up to 1.7 it was just too slow to me.
July 5, 2022
I enjoyed this book, even though it felt like a bit of a typical formula story of strong girl made to marry warrior, lots of fighting between them and then of course, a predictable ending.
Not sure if I will read the other books in the series, although they might be a fun light read.
Not sure if I will read the other books in the series, although they might be a fun light read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2019
audible romance.
May 5, 2015
“Life never offers guarantees, but can make promises.” Maggie MacBede is a fiery lass that won’t go gentle in the night. As a young lass, almost a baby she had spontaneously inspired her clan to victory and the tales of her selfless feats gave her many brothers much to brag about. The first time Talorc the Bold, Laird MacKay touched her they both felt the electric feel of passion pass between them. Talorc knew and recognized the attraction; Maggie didn’t. The time is 1224 and the Highland clans had no shortage of enemies. The Norsemen, Sassenachs (Englishmen) and other rival clans were almost in a constant state of strife. The constant dangers that surrounded them made time an uncertain commodity so none could be wasted. When Talorc declared his intention to wed Maggie her parents, brothers and the entire MacBede Clan welcomed the news; Maggie didn’t. Fiercely independent she resisted all attempts to change her mind, even those coming from her own body. Eventually a compromise was reached and the couple handfasted (this is basically an engagement lasting a year and a day with the possibility of benefits and probably established in a time when transportation was slow, distances were great and priests were few). She was cozen by all, including her mother and her advice was just a partial truth, which also made it a partial lie. The consequence of their physical unification would make their union permanent, even without the blessing of the church. Is blood thicker than their passion? Their union could spawn an heir and that wasn’t to the liking of the Gunn clan, or any of their other mortal enemies. That put Maggie’s safety into question. This is a tale filled with claymores slashing, blood flowing, passions burning and endless love. “For the land, for the name, and for the glory of both,” was her heartfelt declaration that spread throughout both the MacBede and the MacKay clans. Ice and fire……fire and ice; most people would attest to the two being opposites but upon very close inspection the similarities become more clear as the differences recede. When the mental revision is complete, the old adage applies: opposites attract and this attraction eventually becomes a bond, creating a union that cannot be broken. If in doubt, look to the highlands and behold it is before your eyes.
This chronicle is separated into three parts; one as full of action and emotion as the others. Recently stories of both the Scottish highlands and lowlands have become popular subjects. The passions of Jamie and Claire in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series have possibly inspired this relative new wave of Scottish interest. This tale is different than many in the historical fiction genre. This story is first and foremost a romance. The historical setting takes a backseat to the passion of the two main characters. Whatever the catalyst is behind this book reeks of passion and would be a welcomed addition to any library or reading list. I won’t hesitate to reread this book (in a couple of years) or sample anything else by this author.
This chronicle is separated into three parts; one as full of action and emotion as the others. Recently stories of both the Scottish highlands and lowlands have become popular subjects. The passions of Jamie and Claire in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series have possibly inspired this relative new wave of Scottish interest. This tale is different than many in the historical fiction genre. This story is first and foremost a romance. The historical setting takes a backseat to the passion of the two main characters. Whatever the catalyst is behind this book reeks of passion and would be a welcomed addition to any library or reading list. I won’t hesitate to reread this book (in a couple of years) or sample anything else by this author.
October 6, 2013
I read The Handfasting as a trilogy, inhaling it all at once. This enabled me to avoid the cliffhanger feelings that would have inevitably struck me at the end of Bold and Tangled. Which is a good thing. I do think The Handfasting as a whole is best presented as one cohesive book rather than three.
I recently read a blog post about how to do a book review, so I am going to apply what I read here. :)
What I Liked
First, I have to give swoons to Talorc, called Bold. He's Our Hero in this series. A Highland warrior, he's a man who can fight and lead and govern with a degree of skill. A widower, he is determined to do his best for his clan, the MacKays. And as a man, he's just wonderful to watch as he pursues Maggie.
I enjoy the time period presented in this book. The early 13th Century is a nice choice and Scotland is always a dramatic place. There is a martial spirit to the people, yet they aren't hard as a group, but more family-like. A Clan. The loyalty to the Clan is very important.
The edge of mystery. This is not just a love story; there is also a conspiracy afoot. That was pretty cool. A clever one, too. No spoiling, here, though!
The bittersweet dreams Maggie has throughout were, I think, well chosen and presented.
What Bothered Me
Our Heroine. Now, I like that she's feisty and strong. I do. But she is supposed to be twenty years of age, with a passel of overprotective males in her family, and she lives within the Keep as the Laird MacBede's only daughter. She's in mourning for her dead twin, Ian, which I do appreciate, but overall, I felt that her character was written as if she were sixteen, perhaps, and clueless about the ways of relationships. She acted childishly - which, again, would have been better for me if she were still indeed a child.
The editing. This book could have used another pass by a copy editor and a proofreader. Continual shifts in spellings were a huge distraction for some of the secondary character names and so on.
The irregular insertions of "the Scots burr" into both thoughts and spoken dialogue.
Some characterization irregularities grated, though the characters themselves were overall charming.
I Would Recommend This
I would recommend The Handfasting as one cohesive read to those who enjoy a romp in the Highlands. If you want to hear the clamor of a large group of people cheering and laughing and celebrating together, this is a great book. Also good for those who like a sweet romance with both UST and demonstrated passion.
I recently read a blog post about how to do a book review, so I am going to apply what I read here. :)
What I Liked
First, I have to give swoons to Talorc, called Bold. He's Our Hero in this series. A Highland warrior, he's a man who can fight and lead and govern with a degree of skill. A widower, he is determined to do his best for his clan, the MacKays. And as a man, he's just wonderful to watch as he pursues Maggie.
I enjoy the time period presented in this book. The early 13th Century is a nice choice and Scotland is always a dramatic place. There is a martial spirit to the people, yet they aren't hard as a group, but more family-like. A Clan. The loyalty to the Clan is very important.
The edge of mystery. This is not just a love story; there is also a conspiracy afoot. That was pretty cool. A clever one, too. No spoiling, here, though!
The bittersweet dreams Maggie has throughout were, I think, well chosen and presented.
What Bothered Me
Our Heroine. Now, I like that she's feisty and strong. I do. But she is supposed to be twenty years of age, with a passel of overprotective males in her family, and she lives within the Keep as the Laird MacBede's only daughter. She's in mourning for her dead twin, Ian, which I do appreciate, but overall, I felt that her character was written as if she were sixteen, perhaps, and clueless about the ways of relationships. She acted childishly - which, again, would have been better for me if she were still indeed a child.
The editing. This book could have used another pass by a copy editor and a proofreader. Continual shifts in spellings were a huge distraction for some of the secondary character names and so on.
The irregular insertions of "the Scots burr" into both thoughts and spoken dialogue.
Some characterization irregularities grated, though the characters themselves were overall charming.
I Would Recommend This
I would recommend The Handfasting as one cohesive read to those who enjoy a romp in the Highlands. If you want to hear the clamor of a large group of people cheering and laughing and celebrating together, this is a great book. Also good for those who like a sweet romance with both UST and demonstrated passion.
May 23, 2016
Maggie MacBede is spirited, to say the least, and the youngest in a family with six brothers. She recently lost her twin brother to clan fighting and has determined that she will not give her heart to a warrior who will always be leaving her. But Tolroc the Bold, the laird of clan MacKay wants her. He tricks her into a handfasting and takes her back to his clan. He will do everything he can to show Maggie how good a marriage between them can be. But Maggie isn't safe among the Mackays because someone wants her dead. Tolroc will do everything he can to protect her, but he has to protect his clan as well, which brings to the forefront Maggie's fears about marrying a warrior.
It was an engaging read, but there was entirely too much here to get my dander up. First of all was Maggie. I totally sympathize with her dealing with being steamrolled and having absolutely no control over her own life. I cannot fault her anger in the least. But honestly the girl gets riled so easily and ends up acting with the maturity of a twelve year old half the time. She was prone to tantrums and rash decisions, but won't agree to a marriage with Tolroc because she needs to think it through. Now Tolroc was a mixed bag. I love the fact that he's so incredibly smitten with Maggie, but I hate his ends-justifies-the-means attitude. He knows how angry and upset Maggie is about the handfasting and leaving her family and he sees her sobbing and miserable, but he tells himself that she'll see it is all for the best. And unfortunately, this attitude that he knows best, continues on. He doesn't really learn this lesson... Even later after he's gone into self-hate mode because he forced Maggie to come to his home and was uanble to protect her and he's regretting his underhanded methods. Instead of giving Maggie a choice (which would show he'd learned his lesson), he makes it for her and decides to send her home. RME.
For the suspense part - I was fairly impressed. We knew there was a spy among the MacKays, but I had absolutely no idea who it was. Though I do remember suspecting the person at least once but never really suspected them again. That part of things was well handled. I kind of felt like the story ended a bit abruptly. This was just begging for an epilogue. Especially since That simply screams epilogue and we never got it.
It was an engaging read, but there was entirely too much here to get my dander up. First of all was Maggie. I totally sympathize with her dealing with being steamrolled and having absolutely no control over her own life. I cannot fault her anger in the least. But honestly the girl gets riled so easily and ends up acting with the maturity of a twelve year old half the time. She was prone to tantrums and rash decisions, but won't agree to a marriage with Tolroc because she needs to think it through. Now Tolroc was a mixed bag. I love the fact that he's so incredibly smitten with Maggie, but I hate his ends-justifies-the-means attitude. He knows how angry and upset Maggie is about the handfasting and leaving her family and he sees her sobbing and miserable, but he tells himself that she'll see it is all for the best. And unfortunately, this attitude that he knows best, continues on. He doesn't really learn this lesson... Even later after he's gone into self-hate mode because he forced Maggie to come to his home and was uanble to protect her and he's regretting his underhanded methods. Instead of giving Maggie a choice (which would show he'd learned his lesson), he makes it for her and decides to send her home. RME.
For the suspense part - I was fairly impressed. We knew there was a spy among the MacKays, but I had absolutely no idea who it was. Though I do remember suspecting the person at least once but never really suspected them again. That part of things was well handled. I kind of felt like the story ended a bit abruptly. This was just begging for an epilogue. Especially since That simply screams epilogue and we never got it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2013
This is the complete trilogy in one.
Had a lot of good story line with suspense/mystery elements that paralleled the romance between the two main characters. The overall story did hold my attention with a 'who done it' mystery that kept me guessing until the end which I always appreciate.
As to the romantic slant. There was a definite sexual tension sort of thing going on. Basically the experienced warrior widowed Laird wants virginal young lass who has a very overprotective family including warrior brothers and loving father. Maggie had to be pretty strong minded and devious throughout her life to be able to handle her brothers and father so it was fun to experience her 'handfasting' with Talorc. The balance between her inexperience and youth and Talorc's seduction did have it's ups and downs in my opinion but overall I enjoyed it. My only problem with this though was that I really didn't get the feel of WHY Maggie was so determined to NOT get into a relationship with a warrior. I realize this was an issue for Maggie but I failed to believe that she had that mindset except that circumstances were such that they were.
My other issues were in the lack of flow and unnecessary fluff that didn't add anything to the story itself. I do believe there was an attempt to include folklore and dark magic into this book but I don't see how it ever complimented the plot. This slant added an element of something to things but what relevance it had on the overall story I just didn't get. To be clear I don't mean the paranormal (ghost) elements in this only the mysticism.
There were a few glitches in this book that did have me scratching my head but overall was a very enjoyable fictional read that I'm happy to have read.
Had a lot of good story line with suspense/mystery elements that paralleled the romance between the two main characters. The overall story did hold my attention with a 'who done it' mystery that kept me guessing until the end which I always appreciate.
As to the romantic slant. There was a definite sexual tension sort of thing going on. Basically the experienced warrior widowed Laird wants virginal young lass who has a very overprotective family including warrior brothers and loving father. Maggie had to be pretty strong minded and devious throughout her life to be able to handle her brothers and father so it was fun to experience her 'handfasting' with Talorc. The balance between her inexperience and youth and Talorc's seduction did have it's ups and downs in my opinion but overall I enjoyed it. My only problem with this though was that I really didn't get the feel of WHY Maggie was so determined to NOT get into a relationship with a warrior. I realize this was an issue for Maggie but I failed to believe that she had that mindset except that circumstances were such that they were.
My other issues were in the lack of flow and unnecessary fluff that didn't add anything to the story itself. I do believe there was an attempt to include folklore and dark magic into this book but I don't see how it ever complimented the plot. This slant added an element of something to things but what relevance it had on the overall story I just didn't get. To be clear I don't mean the paranormal (ghost) elements in this only the mysticism.
There were a few glitches in this book that did have me scratching my head but overall was a very enjoyable fictional read that I'm happy to have read.
May 3, 2015
I loved this book but there were so many frustrating things about it that I can’t justify giving it a better rating.
Overall, I loved the story Becca St. John told. It was enough to keep me interested and wanting to read more. I liked both protagonists although they could be rather frustrating at times. I wasn’t surprised by the villain, however. I felt that I should have been, that the author wanted me to be, but it was too obvious. The other villain wasn’t even brought up until it was time in the plot to reveal them.
The main problem I have with this novel is that it desperately needs editing. There are many errors in terms of grammar, spelling, and syntax. I found there were many words that had too many letters such as having three H’s when there should only be one. But mainly there were just a lot of passages that didn’t make sense. I found myself reading sentences and paragraphs multiple times overs to try and understand what they meant. I would like to chalk it up to just a lack of my imagination on my part, but genuinely they just didn’t make sense. The actions and words of the characters weren’t logical and didn’t translate well. I almost wonder if the author ever went back to what she had already written to make sure it flowed and was clear and plausible.
I think St. John has a good story here, but I think the execution could be better.
Overall, I loved the story Becca St. John told. It was enough to keep me interested and wanting to read more. I liked both protagonists although they could be rather frustrating at times. I wasn’t surprised by the villain, however. I felt that I should have been, that the author wanted me to be, but it was too obvious. The other villain wasn’t even brought up until it was time in the plot to reveal them.
The main problem I have with this novel is that it desperately needs editing. There are many errors in terms of grammar, spelling, and syntax. I found there were many words that had too many letters such as having three H’s when there should only be one. But mainly there were just a lot of passages that didn’t make sense. I found myself reading sentences and paragraphs multiple times overs to try and understand what they meant. I would like to chalk it up to just a lack of my imagination on my part, but genuinely they just didn’t make sense. The actions and words of the characters weren’t logical and didn’t translate well. I almost wonder if the author ever went back to what she had already written to make sure it flowed and was clear and plausible.
I think St. John has a good story here, but I think the execution could be better.
July 26, 2015
Maggie MacBede is the only daughter in a large family of Highland warriors. Her twin brother was killed in the last battle. She can't bear the thought of losing anyone else. This time when the warriors return home the Laird MacKay (the one who is always sending for them to fight) comes with them. Maggie has no say in her future from then on.
Talorc the Bold the Laird MacKay has heard many tales of Maggie from her clansmen round the campfire. He is determined to make her his, one way or another.
All the neighbouring clans have suffered loses and damage, but now young girls are going missing. They must find out who is responsible.
In this story we have a BBW as our heroine. She is bold and feisty and quite often acts before she thinks. She is born for the job of a chieftain's wife. Except that is NOT what she wants.
Our hero is a typical Highland Laird, everyone jumps to his command, because he knows what is best for everyone. Needless to say they they Both have some learning to do. All the while the danger is getting closer.
There are lots of laughs and a few tears in this story. As usual from this very talented author a book that keeps you interested from page one all the way to the end. I highly recommend it.
Talorc the Bold the Laird MacKay has heard many tales of Maggie from her clansmen round the campfire. He is determined to make her his, one way or another.
All the neighbouring clans have suffered loses and damage, but now young girls are going missing. They must find out who is responsible.
In this story we have a BBW as our heroine. She is bold and feisty and quite often acts before she thinks. She is born for the job of a chieftain's wife. Except that is NOT what she wants.
Our hero is a typical Highland Laird, everyone jumps to his command, because he knows what is best for everyone. Needless to say they they Both have some learning to do. All the while the danger is getting closer.
There are lots of laughs and a few tears in this story. As usual from this very talented author a book that keeps you interested from page one all the way to the end. I highly recommend it.
November 25, 2016
Like with the Reah (yes I'm reading the books out of order because, you guessed it, it all depends on what's on Kindle Unlimited!), this has a strange writing style. But it's a decent book.
I appreciate the unconventional take on this story, as well as the unconventional female main character. However, I do not buy for one second that someone like the Bold (I already forgot his first name, it's that forgettable, probably because it's just consonants, bless) would fall for stories of an 8-year-old girl giving warriors tokens stuffed with heather. I mean, it's pretty gross to think of a warrior hearing about a scared 8-year-old handing warriors tokens headed for death and being like, "Yeah, that's the girl I want! Ah yeah!" Like, wow, slow your roll, bro.
The side plot of Deidre and the brother and the weird incest-y bit is... whatever. It's just whatever. It added drama to a story that needed some drama to take away from the weirdness of it, so I appreciated that.
I appreciate the unconventional take on this story, as well as the unconventional female main character. However, I do not buy for one second that someone like the Bold (I already forgot his first name, it's that forgettable, probably because it's just consonants, bless) would fall for stories of an 8-year-old girl giving warriors tokens stuffed with heather. I mean, it's pretty gross to think of a warrior hearing about a scared 8-year-old handing warriors tokens headed for death and being like, "Yeah, that's the girl I want! Ah yeah!" Like, wow, slow your roll, bro.
The side plot of Deidre and the brother and the weird incest-y bit is... whatever. It's just whatever. It added drama to a story that needed some drama to take away from the weirdness of it, so I appreciated that.
May 2, 2015
Great story
I almost didn't grab this book due to reviews which mentioned poor editing. I am really picky about grammar and editing. Since it was free, I decided tho try it anyway. I'm really glad I did. Any editing issues have obviously been fixed, because I didn't find any editing issues. I truly enjoyed the story. Maggie was supremely feisty and courageous. Bold was her equal in every way. He was patient with her and kind to her and lifted her up to his people. Unfortunately, not everyone was happy with their alliance. Someone wanted Maggie out of the way, maybe even dead. Young women are disappearing, and Maggie may be next. Bold is determined to protect her, but headstrong Maggie doesn't make his job easy. The chemistry between this couple was intense, and their back and forth banter was exciting. It was a great historical read.
I almost didn't grab this book due to reviews which mentioned poor editing. I am really picky about grammar and editing. Since it was free, I decided tho try it anyway. I'm really glad I did. Any editing issues have obviously been fixed, because I didn't find any editing issues. I truly enjoyed the story. Maggie was supremely feisty and courageous. Bold was her equal in every way. He was patient with her and kind to her and lifted her up to his people. Unfortunately, not everyone was happy with their alliance. Someone wanted Maggie out of the way, maybe even dead. Young women are disappearing, and Maggie may be next. Bold is determined to protect her, but headstrong Maggie doesn't make his job easy. The chemistry between this couple was intense, and their back and forth banter was exciting. It was a great historical read.
June 4, 2015
I really enjoyed this story of a highland laird who falls for a lass he's only heard stories about. But when he meets her and is convinced she must be his wife, he has some serious convincing to do.
Maggie doesn't want a warrior, revered laird or not. She blames him for the loss of her twin brother and others of her clansmen in battles fighting for the laird.
But she's pressured by her family and clan and tricked by him into accepting a handfast she has no intention of finalizing with a marriage.
What happens when she leaves her home to join him at his castle with a new clan full of strangers is more than either of them expects.
Gripping tale of twisted revenge, attempted murder, clan secrets, and finally, the strength of unexpected love and loyalty.
Well written with surprising and frightening twists that kept me exclaiming out loud to the very end.
Maggie doesn't want a warrior, revered laird or not. She blames him for the loss of her twin brother and others of her clansmen in battles fighting for the laird.
But she's pressured by her family and clan and tricked by him into accepting a handfast she has no intention of finalizing with a marriage.
What happens when she leaves her home to join him at his castle with a new clan full of strangers is more than either of them expects.
Gripping tale of twisted revenge, attempted murder, clan secrets, and finally, the strength of unexpected love and loyalty.
Well written with surprising and frightening twists that kept me exclaiming out loud to the very end.
September 2, 2016
A wonderful, heart felt read!!
Maggie was an only girl with 7 older brothers who protected her to no ends. She is still grieving the death of her twin when the men come back from battle with The Bold as he is called. Torlec gas heard so many stories about Maggie over the years that he knew he wanted her for his wife. He pressures her to Handfast with him. She has no choice and agrees and is taken from her family the next day. When they travel back to his home they are attacked and Maggie is badly wounded. As she recovers she has a dream about her dead twin Ian who shows get the way in a sense. So many things happened when they realize there is a traitor among his clan. She, her husband her family, the clan and his enemy will have to band together to fight this evil. A great read with a wonderful ending!!
Maggie was an only girl with 7 older brothers who protected her to no ends. She is still grieving the death of her twin when the men come back from battle with The Bold as he is called. Torlec gas heard so many stories about Maggie over the years that he knew he wanted her for his wife. He pressures her to Handfast with him. She has no choice and agrees and is taken from her family the next day. When they travel back to his home they are attacked and Maggie is badly wounded. As she recovers she has a dream about her dead twin Ian who shows get the way in a sense. So many things happened when they realize there is a traitor among his clan. She, her husband her family, the clan and his enemy will have to band together to fight this evil. A great read with a wonderful ending!!
August 30, 2014
Overall good story but I couldn't give it five stars because the heroine was so annoying at times. I'm getting tired of the heroine being stupid or hard headed or both. Talorc should have been a saint for as much as he put up with from Maggie.
I did enjoy the vivid descriptions of the area, the people, their way of life. There was intrigue, suspense and misunderstandings but it all worked out in the end. Fortunately, the books came together in a set because I highly doubt I would have continued after book one because it ended right in the middle of the story, to be picked up in book two, and so on.
I did enjoy the vivid descriptions of the area, the people, their way of life. There was intrigue, suspense and misunderstandings but it all worked out in the end. Fortunately, the books came together in a set because I highly doubt I would have continued after book one because it ended right in the middle of the story, to be picked up in book two, and so on.
May 13, 2015
I've become somewhat obsessed with any book about Highlanders, so of course I had to read this one. Talorc, Laird MacKay has heard many stories of Maggie MacBede and decides he must meet her for himself. When he does he knows for sure she must be his wife. He talks her in to hand fasting for a year and a day. Her parents, brothers and clan persuade her to do so. This is a fairly typical romance where one fights their feelings and there are misunderstandings, but I liked the two main characters. There was also a bit of mystery as someone tries to kill Maggie, and there is someone messing with different clans. I would not mind reading more in this series if they are all similar to this one.
June 21, 2015
3.5 stars. I finished this book in one day not because I couldn't put it down....but because if I put it down I would never come back to finish it. The first quarter of the book made it hard to delve into the story. After the half point it became more interesting but I still skimmed quite a few pages. The problem with this book was Maggie (I did not understand the motivation behind her behavior) She was a coddled child of 21...I couldn't relate to her until the last 15 to 20% of the book. It was an ok read. Bold was a little more likeable....probably because of his yummyness lol. The attraction was built to a crescendo but fell flat when the final act was written (not steamy enough)
June 3, 2015
I couldn't finish it. I was so vexed. I hate books where it's about a guy who professes to know more (well, everyone in this case... her parents brothers, etc) than she (and she's supposed to be the strong feisty one?) and she just eventually agrees with him. It annoys me. I'm not a feminist in most ways, but I feel like the whole scenerio is almost a mental abuse of "I know better than you and you don't know what you want, you'll see" wrapped up in pretty words and a "love story". I have no patience for it.
July 11, 2015
I am always up for a historical romance piece and this book didn't disappoint at all. You have the clans of the Highlands individually led by their lairds and the drama that wants to bring them down. This time it isn't the English that seek to destroy, but the renagades that have been cast out. Throw in a handsome, hard-headed leader named Bold and a fiery red-haired lass who only wants to find love with someone other than a warrior, and you get one heck of an adventure. Well worth the read! I loved it!
February 21, 2015
Exciting , fast paced story
This story was jam-packed with action and intrigue. The hero was larger than life, but a little soft when it came to dealing with the heroine. Heroine was spoiled, selfish, rude and disrespectful. I could not warm up to heroine and felt myself rooting more for the hero rather than the heroine. All in all a good read. I'll read more by this author.
This story was jam-packed with action and intrigue. The hero was larger than life, but a little soft when it came to dealing with the heroine. Heroine was spoiled, selfish, rude and disrespectful. I could not warm up to heroine and felt myself rooting more for the hero rather than the heroine. All in all a good read. I'll read more by this author.
May 3, 2015
AUDIOBOOK: listen to: April 30th to May 3 2015
Narrator:Mary Sarah Agliotta...Well...?! I didn't like her narration, to whinny at times. I did sort of like the story but then again did not. Maggie was way to childish and way to bold at the same time.
Ok, so the story was just ok and the characters were bad. I think the author tried to mix in some suspense/mystery but just bugled things up.
To theatrical to my liking.
Not a re-redeading one
Narrator:Mary Sarah Agliotta...Well...?! I didn't like her narration, to whinny at times. I did sort of like the story but then again did not. Maggie was way to childish and way to bold at the same time.
Ok, so the story was just ok and the characters were bad. I think the author tried to mix in some suspense/mystery but just bugled things up.
To theatrical to my liking.
Not a re-redeading one
May 9, 2015
Excellent story
I would have given it more stars except for my constant desire to slap Maggie and tell her to grow up! The plot and other characters were very well written and entertaining. However, Maggie was so immature, self centered and spoiled I had to stop reading half way through. I went back to finish because the story was good, but perhaps a little less spoiled brat and a bit more thinking about others would have made for a better read.
I would have given it more stars except for my constant desire to slap Maggie and tell her to grow up! The plot and other characters were very well written and entertaining. However, Maggie was so immature, self centered and spoiled I had to stop reading half way through. I went back to finish because the story was good, but perhaps a little less spoiled brat and a bit more thinking about others would have made for a better read.
May 15, 2015
Pretty good, actually
Maggie, our heroine, is prone to impulsive acts and misunderstanding and nearly unbearable naivety, but she's likeable for all that. Bold is overbearing and overconfident, but means no harm. All in all, he's a good guy. There are a few grammatical bubbles, like arbitrarily capitalized words and a few incorrect words (e.g., then instead of than). But the story flows and the writing sings. Nicely done.
Maggie, our heroine, is prone to impulsive acts and misunderstanding and nearly unbearable naivety, but she's likeable for all that. Bold is overbearing and overconfident, but means no harm. All in all, he's a good guy. There are a few grammatical bubbles, like arbitrarily capitalized words and a few incorrect words (e.g., then instead of than). But the story flows and the writing sings. Nicely done.
June 21, 2015
Strong female lead
Pretty good book with a balance of mystery, danger, and romance. I like a strong female lead, but hate when they are too stubborn for their own good. Maggie teetered on the edge of annoying. Luckily she came to her senses. I like The Bold but he was a little pushy. The Renegade situation was a little confusing. The violence in their scenes seemed extreme compared to the writing of the rest of the book. Overall a good read. I'm a sucker for happy endings.
Pretty good book with a balance of mystery, danger, and romance. I like a strong female lead, but hate when they are too stubborn for their own good. Maggie teetered on the edge of annoying. Luckily she came to her senses. I like The Bold but he was a little pushy. The Renegade situation was a little confusing. The violence in their scenes seemed extreme compared to the writing of the rest of the book. Overall a good read. I'm a sucker for happy endings.
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