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Highland Lairds Trilogy #1
The MacLean Groom
Bold men of power, pride and passionate hearts in a beautiful, troubled land . . . Highland Lairds
Married by Decree
He is her family's ancient foe, but never has Lady Joanna Macdonald seen a man she wants more. Still, she hides from Rory MacLean—the dashing lairs whom King James has ordered her to marry—hoping to save her family's honor. For the pretty young lass knows that once she is wed, her trembling passion will be a difficult secret to keep hidden from her determined bridegroom.
Bound by Desire
For Rory MacLean, this marriage was merely a means to secure his fortune. But when he finally sets eyes upon his heiress bride, Rory is enraptured, and determined to have her, body and soul. But first the rugged Highlands warrior has to the spirited, innocent beauty desire the man she has been taught all her life to hate. And by slow and sinful seduction, Rory MacLean will show sweet Joanna that he is truly the husband her heart is destined for.
388 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 9, 1999
38 people are currently reading
315 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen Harrington
19 books183 followersKathleen Harrington, winner of the Colorado Romance Writers' Award of Excellence, has touched the hearts of readers across the country with her sparkling tales of high adventure and unending love. Her historical romances have been finalists for Romance Writers of America's RITA® Award, the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice, Virginia Romance Writers' HOLT Medallion, and the Phoenix Desert Rose Golden Quill. Her fabulous heroes have garnered the K.I.S.S. (Knight in Shining Silver) Award. She lives in Southern California.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
June 27, 2010
Decent older historical, read a bit like a medievel fairytale. Lots of adventure and battling evil foes. The author did a good job at keeping you guessing and weaving a complex storyline, but the H/h were another matter. While both were likable, it was hard to follow their relationship. Were they on or off? Friends or enemies? They went back and forth, back and forth, and back and forth. Toward the end, the heroine couldn't make a decision and stick with it for more than 3 pages. And you can only imagine the kind of trouble a hero must rescue such a heroine from. But there was a lot to enjoy, and if you can suspend your disbelief and just want a high adventure damsel-in-distress story set in 1400's Scotland, this could be quite an enjoyable read.
March 29, 2012
Highlanders are my guilty pleasure, however, I can't set aside my standards for what constitutes a well written book for the love of kilts. The author's prose held the potential for a good story and the text was blessedly free of typographical errors, however, by about halfway into the book, it became obvious that the author had committed several of what I consider the Cardinal Sins of Romance Writing. The primary offense being taking characters suited to a Regency novel and putting them into an earlier time period, hauling the dialect of the time (and some of the wardrobe) along with them into what was supposed to be the 15th century in Scotland. I have been told that my level of immersion in the history of dress and custom of that era exceeds what I can reasonably expect out of an average author, so I do try to balance that against the overall quality of writing. In this case, I began to see that there had been at least the use of a copy editor, if not a ghost writer, who had done some research on the period and so gave some portions of the book the correct "flavor" of the time.
The Second Sin of Romance Writing is what I refer to as "over-packing"; the author tries to put too many elements together and you end up with a pastiche of common romance themes that never get fully developed and leave the plot in a disjointed mess. Twists and turns are good; contortions and inversions that leave you wondering if the author knew which book she was writing...not so much.
Finally, my personal pet peeve of the Writer's Sins - Primary Research Failure. As I mentioned above, I do try to be balanced about how stringently I apply my standards. If the work I am reading is Historical Fiction, I apply a tougher standard there than I do for the Romance genre. However, it comes down to a simple fact that details are what make or break the mood of the reader. In the case of this book, I left it unfinished because I just couldn't suspend my inner critic in the face of that much careless error.
The Second Sin of Romance Writing is what I refer to as "over-packing"; the author tries to put too many elements together and you end up with a pastiche of common romance themes that never get fully developed and leave the plot in a disjointed mess. Twists and turns are good; contortions and inversions that leave you wondering if the author knew which book she was writing...not so much.
Finally, my personal pet peeve of the Writer's Sins - Primary Research Failure. As I mentioned above, I do try to be balanced about how stringently I apply my standards. If the work I am reading is Historical Fiction, I apply a tougher standard there than I do for the Romance genre. However, it comes down to a simple fact that details are what make or break the mood of the reader. In the case of this book, I left it unfinished because I just couldn't suspend my inner critic in the face of that much careless error.
August 6, 2025
Disgusting Age Canyon
DNF Disgusting pedophile theme with an inappropriate age canyon between the male and female leads. He’s in his 30’s and she is 17. Absolutely not! The fact that a female author wrote this pos is fing deplorable!
DNF Disgusting pedophile theme with an inappropriate age canyon between the male and female leads. He’s in his 30’s and she is 17. Absolutely not! The fact that a female author wrote this pos is fing deplorable!
December 14, 2014
Highlanders are my new guilty pleasure... and for once I liked that it doesn't had a lot of fairy or magic on it
August 9, 2013
I enjoyed this book even though the heroine was slightly ditsy. The author tried to portray her as very intelligent, but also made her a believer of fairy tales. She actually thought her husband was part sea creature with a scaly green tail. It did keep me interested.
February 26, 2008
If you want to read about a beta hero and a selfish heroine then read this book.
April 4, 2013
I gave 2.5 stars... I had a really hard time with the lead female character... she drove me nuts.
July 27, 2025
bem legal.
é assim: o rei da escócia manda o casal de clãs inimigos se casar. o cara aceita, porém a menina e o clã dela, não. aí ela se disfarça de homem pra se esconder no meio do clã, sendo que o cara nota de cara que ela é uma mulher e começa a se aproximar, a ter conversas com ela e tal. e ela, em momento nenhum, desconfia que isso se dá pq ele sabe quem ela é. CARA, TAVA ÓBVIO!! várias coisas que ela conclui na cabeça dela dão muita agonia. ela é uma menina, imatura demais e bobinha. por isso não dou nota maior, pq a história é até legal e eu amo um casamento de conveniência.
o cara é bem bacana e, em vez de pensar, como eu, que ela é uma tolinha, passa a admirar a determinação da noiva. cada um com seu cada um, né. eu tava sem paciência pra essa enrolação acabar. quando eles casam, as coisas melhoras? nãããão, isso aí já é querer demais. eu nunca tenho essa sorte rs ela continua com as tolices dela. misericórdia. aí entra também a família vingativa dela e várias coisas acontecem até bem o finalzinho do livro. não há 1 momento de paz. meio exaustivo isso.
mas, enfim, não chega a ser ruim, só é bem frustrante até 99% do livro.
o hot é bem bacana 4/5
é assim: o rei da escócia manda o casal de clãs inimigos se casar. o cara aceita, porém a menina e o clã dela, não. aí ela se disfarça de homem pra se esconder no meio do clã, sendo que o cara nota de cara que ela é uma mulher e começa a se aproximar, a ter conversas com ela e tal. e ela, em momento nenhum, desconfia que isso se dá pq ele sabe quem ela é. CARA, TAVA ÓBVIO!! várias coisas que ela conclui na cabeça dela dão muita agonia. ela é uma menina, imatura demais e bobinha. por isso não dou nota maior, pq a história é até legal e eu amo um casamento de conveniência.
o cara é bem bacana e, em vez de pensar, como eu, que ela é uma tolinha, passa a admirar a determinação da noiva. cada um com seu cada um, né. eu tava sem paciência pra essa enrolação acabar. quando eles casam, as coisas melhoras? nãããão, isso aí já é querer demais. eu nunca tenho essa sorte rs ela continua com as tolices dela. misericórdia. aí entra também a família vingativa dela e várias coisas acontecem até bem o finalzinho do livro. não há 1 momento de paz. meio exaustivo isso.
mas, enfim, não chega a ser ruim, só é bem frustrante até 99% do livro.
o hot é bem bacana 4/5
October 1, 2018
This was a good story and interesting characters. I like the quick pace, now that being said if you are paying attention to details then it will make you a bit nuts.
The way they spoke and the words they would have used in that time frame is way off.
The clothing and the style of homes/castles are not correct.
The main female character is a bit annoying but if you keep reminding yourself she is only 17 and she is acting like a 17 year old it is easier to take.
The male main character is great, love his sense of humor, passion and loyalty to family and friends. He is a typical highlander.
The way they spoke and the words they would have used in that time frame is way off.
The clothing and the style of homes/castles are not correct.
The main female character is a bit annoying but if you keep reminding yourself she is only 17 and she is acting like a 17 year old it is easier to take.
The male main character is great, love his sense of humor, passion and loyalty to family and friends. He is a typical highlander.
February 18, 2019
Romance:4
Steaminess:3
Action/suspense:2
Overall:4
It made me smile.
By any standards, this book wasn’t great. The characters were predictable and underdeveloped. The storyline wasn’t unique in any way and empty. There were a lot of plot holes.
But there was also love and gallantry in the novel. And the predictability of the novel made it an easy read. It’s been awhile since my highlander romance days so it felt very comforting to slip back into this romantic genre. It was funny and light and I think it was just perfect for my mood. It was pretty steamy for this genre too.
Overall, I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re in the mood for an easy historical romance.
Steaminess:3
Action/suspense:2
Overall:4
It made me smile.
By any standards, this book wasn’t great. The characters were predictable and underdeveloped. The storyline wasn’t unique in any way and empty. There were a lot of plot holes.
But there was also love and gallantry in the novel. And the predictability of the novel made it an easy read. It’s been awhile since my highlander romance days so it felt very comforting to slip back into this romantic genre. It was funny and light and I think it was just perfect for my mood. It was pretty steamy for this genre too.
Overall, I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re in the mood for an easy historical romance.
November 11, 2021
DNF: It was reasonably good but I kind of got bored for some reason and never finished it before my ebook checked back in. It had done bits i enjoyed, but I sort of feel hero is actually too easy on the heroine, at least the parts I've read.
January 15, 2019
hero fell over heels in love with heroine as soon as he sees her felt forced read halfway and then stoped
March 24, 2014
Ordered to marry by King James of Scotland, Rory MacLean has arrived at the MacDonald compound to collect his bride, Lady Joanna MacDonald. Unfortunately, the MacDonalds are in on a plan to keep Lady Joanna from Rory at her request and she's in disguise as a stable lad when he arrives. An orphan, born in the Highlands but raised in England, Joanna has heard the stories about the Sea Dragon and is secretly enamored of him but afraid at the same time. Told that she's slow-witted and wanders the glades in a daze, Rory sees right through her clan's stories and puts the lad to work in the stables and elsewhere. There are those who want Joanna to marry her own cousin and will stop at nothing to achieve that end. When Rory forces the lad to stand in by proxy at his wedding and thereby actually marrying Joanna, it unleashes hatred of those who want control of her fortune. Will either Rory or Joanna survive in time to find true love?
March 27, 2021
I absolutely loved the first half of the book (up until they married). It was LOL funny. Rory’s treatment of Joanna in her disguise was hilarious as was the scene with Joanna and Rory’s mother. And Joanna showed a lot of spunk. The marriage scene was wonderful. Unfortunately it went down hill after that. Too many things going on, our heroine not knowing her own mind, one really ridiculous scene between Joanna and Rory, sex happening at awkward times in the relationship, too many plots and ‘plotters’... I couldn’t wait for it to end which was a real shame since the first half of the book was so great.
February 10, 2014
Been meaning to read this story for a longtime already but never really gotten around to read it. I love Rory MacLean. I love the name and also the character though I've never been really a fan of pirates stories. I also love Joanna, the female lead character in this story though I never could really comprehend how easily she forgave Rory for killing her innocent grandfather. Yes, they are so very much in love and yes, Rory has already apologized to her for his mistake but still, it doesn't feel right to easily forgive Rory's misdeed with all her heart.
April 11, 2015
The MacLean groom :Highland laird trilogy
I enjoyed the first books this trilogy. I had a hard time putting this book down. Ms Harrington has done a good job with the characters. There is humor, and suspense, and most of all a knight that is not willing to give up what is his and gets his revenge on those who has the audacity to think they can get away with it. Loved Rory and joanna. I can not wait to start reading Lachlans story. I
I enjoyed the first books this trilogy. I had a hard time putting this book down. Ms Harrington has done a good job with the characters. There is humor, and suspense, and most of all a knight that is not willing to give up what is his and gets his revenge on those who has the audacity to think they can get away with it. Loved Rory and joanna. I can not wait to start reading Lachlans story. I
February 17, 2008
Lady Joanna disguises herself as a boy to avoid marriage with her clan's enemy.
Excellent. Very enjoyable. Even with the "forced marriage" scenario, the author manages to make both characters a joy to read, without the typical anger and betrayal. I didn't necessarily like the ending, with the long time lapses, but the rest of the book made up for it.
Excellent. Very enjoyable. Even with the "forced marriage" scenario, the author manages to make both characters a joy to read, without the typical anger and betrayal. I didn't necessarily like the ending, with the long time lapses, but the rest of the book made up for it.
October 29, 2014
Is this what Old Skool historicals are like? I don't think I've ever seen such a high body count outside of a paranormal, and then they find neat ways to kill people off. Here it was slit throat, broken back, stabbed, and a lot more slit throats. It felt oddly bloodless, despite that.
An okay story but nothing special.
An okay story but nothing special.
December 2, 2014
I really like this author!! She brings the heat & great storytelling!
Follow me!
Follow me!
November 29, 2011
** 3 1/2 stars **
June 1, 2013
not bad,would i re~read,probably not
December 15, 2013
Enjoyed this book very much.
February 4, 2014
loved it
Read
August 31, 2017В топку. Растянутая резина. DNF.
historical
January 7, 2019Married by Decree
He is her family's ancient foe, but never has Lady Joanna Macdonald seen a man she wants more. Still, she hides from Rory MacLean--the dashing laird whom King James has ordered her to marry--hoping to save her family's honor. For the pretty young lass knows that once she is wed, her trembling passion will be a difficult secret to keep hidden from her determined bridegroom.
Bound by Desire
For Rory MacLean, this marriage was merely a means to secure his fortune. But when he finally sets eyes upon his heiress bride, Rory is enraptured, and determined to have her, body and soul. But first the rugged Highlands warrior has to make the spirited, innocent beauty desire the man she has been taught all her life to hate. And by slow and sinful seduction, Rory MacLean will show sweet Janna that he is truly the husband her heart is destined for. (less)
He is her family's ancient foe, but never has Lady Joanna Macdonald seen a man she wants more. Still, she hides from Rory MacLean--the dashing laird whom King James has ordered her to marry--hoping to save her family's honor. For the pretty young lass knows that once she is wed, her trembling passion will be a difficult secret to keep hidden from her determined bridegroom.
Bound by Desire
For Rory MacLean, this marriage was merely a means to secure his fortune. But when he finally sets eyes upon his heiress bride, Rory is enraptured, and determined to have her, body and soul. But first the rugged Highlands warrior has to make the spirited, innocent beauty desire the man she has been taught all her life to hate. And by slow and sinful seduction, Rory MacLean will show sweet Janna that he is truly the husband her heart is destined for. (less)
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews