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Highland Warlords #2
The Highlander's War Prize
Castles and hearts are under siege.
Giselle de Villers is sent to Northumberland to wed, but when a Scots hoard besieges her betrothed’s castle, she falls prey to vicious predator, Banan MacGregor. Salvation, of sorts, comes in the shape of handsome Lyall Buchanan, who wins her as his war prize and takes her for ransom.
Carried off into the Highlands, Giselle has to suffer the protection of a savage Scot who is as wild and unpredictable as his moorland home. But he is also a sight to behold and more of a man than anyone she has ever met. Soon, Giselle is in danger of losing not only her freedom, but also her virtue and her heart. As she tries to resist Lyall’s practised seduction, Banan’s urge to possess her grows to murderous proportions.
Lyall Buchanan has become two men. Haunted by the rigours of war, he is torn between the ruthless fighter he has to be to survive, and the honourable man he once was. When innocent Giselle de Villers needs protection, he steps in. Telling himself he wants the ransom her rich father will pay, Lyall drags her into Scotland. But feelings that lay buried, start to resurface, and soon, the soft, English lass becomes more than just an enemy and a burden. Giselle is at his mercy, so, if she yields to him, is it through passion, or fear? When evil threatens to tear them apart, how far will he go, how low will he sink, for love?
As storm clouds gather around the throne of Scotland, a reckoning approaches, and a fight to the death, in one final, bloody siege - for freedom and for love.
The Highlander’s War Prize takes the reader on a journey of temptation, seduction and conquest, through the moors of Scotland, into its deep lochs and soaring glens.
This is a high stakes, adult romance, and there may be triggers for some people.
Extract
‘Strange, isn’t it, how the world turns? When I attacked this castle, I hoped there would be a great prize hidden inside it. I did not find it. Instead, I am burdened with you, a frightened, English lass who shakes when I look sideways at her.’
‘If you don’t want me, why fight over me?’
‘Who says I don’t want you?’ He came up to her and put a filthy hand into her hair, running it through the red waves and twirling a strand between his fingers. Giselle tried to breathe, but she could not seem to get enough air into her lungs. Lyall Buchanan smelled of blood and sweat and iron and seemed more animal than man.
‘Your hair is like copper, so beautiful,’ he said, holding her eyes with his. ‘You are the first pure and honest thing I have seen in a long time. You remind me of my sister. She is about your age, bonnie like you, but not quite so soft in her manners.’
The way this man was looking at her was anything but brotherly. Giselle stared up into his green eyes, and though he smiled down at her, there was some kind of sadness in them.
He sighed heavily. ‘I could just reach out and take you now, and it would be my right.’
‘What right is that?’
‘You are the spoils of war, a prize, for risking my life for my King. I could ease my loneliness and the ache in my loins.’
For one insane moment, Giselle wondered what it would be like to have this Scot’s full lips pressed to hers, his hands taking hold of her and pulling her close. No man had ever looked on her with such open admiration before, and she so needed comfort, so wanted to feel safe, if just for a moment. But no Scot was safe, nor could they be trusted.
‘You won’t do that,’ she gasped.
‘How do you know? Seems to me you know little of men, or what they turn into when their blood is up.’
Giselle de Villers is sent to Northumberland to wed, but when a Scots hoard besieges her betrothed’s castle, she falls prey to vicious predator, Banan MacGregor. Salvation, of sorts, comes in the shape of handsome Lyall Buchanan, who wins her as his war prize and takes her for ransom.
Carried off into the Highlands, Giselle has to suffer the protection of a savage Scot who is as wild and unpredictable as his moorland home. But he is also a sight to behold and more of a man than anyone she has ever met. Soon, Giselle is in danger of losing not only her freedom, but also her virtue and her heart. As she tries to resist Lyall’s practised seduction, Banan’s urge to possess her grows to murderous proportions.
Lyall Buchanan has become two men. Haunted by the rigours of war, he is torn between the ruthless fighter he has to be to survive, and the honourable man he once was. When innocent Giselle de Villers needs protection, he steps in. Telling himself he wants the ransom her rich father will pay, Lyall drags her into Scotland. But feelings that lay buried, start to resurface, and soon, the soft, English lass becomes more than just an enemy and a burden. Giselle is at his mercy, so, if she yields to him, is it through passion, or fear? When evil threatens to tear them apart, how far will he go, how low will he sink, for love?
As storm clouds gather around the throne of Scotland, a reckoning approaches, and a fight to the death, in one final, bloody siege - for freedom and for love.
The Highlander’s War Prize takes the reader on a journey of temptation, seduction and conquest, through the moors of Scotland, into its deep lochs and soaring glens.
This is a high stakes, adult romance, and there may be triggers for some people.
Extract
‘Strange, isn’t it, how the world turns? When I attacked this castle, I hoped there would be a great prize hidden inside it. I did not find it. Instead, I am burdened with you, a frightened, English lass who shakes when I look sideways at her.’
‘If you don’t want me, why fight over me?’
‘Who says I don’t want you?’ He came up to her and put a filthy hand into her hair, running it through the red waves and twirling a strand between his fingers. Giselle tried to breathe, but she could not seem to get enough air into her lungs. Lyall Buchanan smelled of blood and sweat and iron and seemed more animal than man.
‘Your hair is like copper, so beautiful,’ he said, holding her eyes with his. ‘You are the first pure and honest thing I have seen in a long time. You remind me of my sister. She is about your age, bonnie like you, but not quite so soft in her manners.’
The way this man was looking at her was anything but brotherly. Giselle stared up into his green eyes, and though he smiled down at her, there was some kind of sadness in them.
He sighed heavily. ‘I could just reach out and take you now, and it would be my right.’
‘What right is that?’
‘You are the spoils of war, a prize, for risking my life for my King. I could ease my loneliness and the ache in my loins.’
For one insane moment, Giselle wondered what it would be like to have this Scot’s full lips pressed to hers, his hands taking hold of her and pulling her close. No man had ever looked on her with such open admiration before, and she so needed comfort, so wanted to feel safe, if just for a moment. But no Scot was safe, nor could they be trusted.
‘You won’t do that,’ she gasped.
‘How do you know? Seems to me you know little of men, or what they turn into when their blood is up.’
239 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 12, 2019
132 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
Tessa Murran
19 books24 followersTessa Murran grew up in the United Kingdom but currently lives a sun-soaked life at the edge of the Australian bush.
She loves dark-hearted romances and crafts high-stakes love stories with an edge, striving to live up to her motto of ‘wild and passionate historical romance.’
The characters in her books are not perfect by any means. They are often willful, greedy, stubborn and lusty. But they have hearts that beat for love and souls that strive to rise above their trials.
So if you want a wild ride of romance and adventure, with a healthy dose of steamy passion thrown in, buckle up and take a journey back to the turbulent past.
Sign up for newsletters, exclusives and updates at http://www.tessamurran.com/
or get to know Tessa via X, @tessamurran.
She loves dark-hearted romances and crafts high-stakes love stories with an edge, striving to live up to her motto of ‘wild and passionate historical romance.’
The characters in her books are not perfect by any means. They are often willful, greedy, stubborn and lusty. But they have hearts that beat for love and souls that strive to rise above their trials.
So if you want a wild ride of romance and adventure, with a healthy dose of steamy passion thrown in, buckle up and take a journey back to the turbulent past.
Sign up for newsletters, exclusives and updates at http://www.tessamurran.com/
or get to know Tessa via X, @tessamurran.
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 26, 2024
This is a historical read, that is more true to the medieval times. Set in the highlands , where life is hard especially for the women. Raids and wars, between clans and the English are common.
Banan is a brutal evil man and he treat women as objects to be ignored and abused.
He doesn’t like Lyall and wants his women. Who Lyall took as a hostage from England and to keep her safe from Banan. Banan wanted her and he’s determined to separates them .
Giselle and Lyall have fallen for each other, but they both get separated , lots of obstacles get in the way of their relationship.
Sad and emotional read.
Banan is a brutal evil man and he treat women as objects to be ignored and abused.
He doesn’t like Lyall and wants his women. Who Lyall took as a hostage from England and to keep her safe from Banan. Banan wanted her and he’s determined to separates them .
Giselle and Lyall have fallen for each other, but they both get separated , lots of obstacles get in the way of their relationship.
Sad and emotional read.
February 26, 2020
The reader is lulled into thinking that this could be another highland romance and they would be right up to a point. However, this is a brutal and barbaric account of what happened to women during medieval times. You are left on edge wondering if the women are even going to live through their ordeal. Men have absolute control over the destinies of the women who are carted off like so much baggage. I did enjoy it but at times I felt like I didn’t want to finish it because I feared the outcome for Lyall and Giselle. Evil is all around them and it takes a lot of courage and love to overcome it. Brilliantly written!
March 31, 2021
Can’t recommend this series.
This is the second book in the Highland Warriors series. Overall, it’s more trouble than it’s worth. The characters are all over the place and they are unlikable through most of the book - they work hard to make themselves (and the reader) miserable. Even the characters from the first book, Raveena and Cormack, have become grumpy and hard. There is little happiness to be had in this tale
This is the second book in the Highland Warriors series. Overall, it’s more trouble than it’s worth. The characters are all over the place and they are unlikable through most of the book - they work hard to make themselves (and the reader) miserable. Even the characters from the first book, Raveena and Cormack, have become grumpy and hard. There is little happiness to be had in this tale
May 20, 2020
OMG this is not some highland love story, it's a horror story. It will make you cry, resent and question the difference between right and wrong.
So, please read it at your own risk as it has a lot of triggers ranging from murder, kidnapping, rape to cheating and the list goes on & on. I so wanted the finish the story of Lyall and Giselle but yet, I was fearful of the same. In the end, it was a process which leads to the salvation of their souls and has not been properly penned down in detail by author. Still, it's a heart wrenching story of men and women choices and fate in the medieval story.
Note : Don't read it if you are in mood of some light romance.
So, please read it at your own risk as it has a lot of triggers ranging from murder, kidnapping, rape to cheating and the list goes on & on. I so wanted the finish the story of Lyall and Giselle but yet, I was fearful of the same. In the end, it was a process which leads to the salvation of their souls and has not been properly penned down in detail by author. Still, it's a heart wrenching story of men and women choices and fate in the medieval story.
Note : Don't read it if you are in mood of some light romance.
November 13, 2024
The romance between the two is actually very sweet. From reivews it sounded like the H was alphaholish, he's actually a good guy. There is a baddie in this story. He's the one who tries to hurt the heroine, the H saves her. This is an enemies to lovers story.
The h suffers S/A at the hands of another, thankfully not much description, but enough to let you know it's bad and mostly happens off page.
There's a trope I don't go out of my way to choose, and it's pregnant by someone else. I didn't love it here, and I wished that there had been a twist, or at least a different gender when the baby was born. I appreaciate that the h and H struggled with various aspects of this. I appreaciate dark reads, usually more if it's beween the H and h.
I am glad he loved her for her and tried to work through the trauma they both had from what she went through, but I also felt somewhat disappointed in the last 1/4 of the book.
The baddie nurses a grudge and obsession. He's one who hurts her repeatedly. She also gets pregnant. The hero tries to say there is a chance the baby is his, but she says the the timeline doesn't work, even though as a reader it could,but it's vague. The Baddie forces her to marry him, beats her, rapes her and does it all by threatenting the women and children in the H's clan if she doesn't submit. >
The h suffers S/A at the hands of another, thankfully not much description, but enough to let you know it's bad and mostly happens off page.
There's a trope I don't go out of my way to choose, and it's pregnant by someone else. I didn't love it here, and I wished that there had been a twist, or at least a different gender when the baby was born. I appreaciate that the h and H struggled with various aspects of this. I appreaciate dark reads, usually more if it's beween the H and h.
I am glad he loved her for her and tried to work through the trauma they both had from what she went through, but I also felt somewhat disappointed in the last 1/4 of the book.
The baddie nurses a grudge and obsession. He's one who hurts her repeatedly. She also gets pregnant. The hero tries to say there is a chance the baby is his, but she says the the timeline doesn't work, even though as a reader it could,but it's vague. The Baddie forces her to marry him, beats her, rapes her and does it all by threatenting the women and children in the H's clan if she doesn't submit. >
November 18, 2024
not disappointing but not one I would read again
Was somewhat disappointed in this book, not really sure why? Was it the repetitive scenes or or was it the desolate cadence that kept showing up in the characters and the constant never ending war. Yes it written about the Scottish search for independence but description of Robert the Bruce seemed to paint him as a physcotic killer of which even history doesn’t record
Was somewhat disappointed in this book, not really sure why? Was it the repetitive scenes or or was it the desolate cadence that kept showing up in the characters and the constant never ending war. Yes it written about the Scottish search for independence but description of Robert the Bruce seemed to paint him as a physcotic killer of which even history doesn’t record
October 22, 2021
Great historical romance
This was a good book. It has love and hate and war to get through. To love after trauma is hard.
This was a good book. It has love and hate and war to get through. To love after trauma is hard.
Read
July 24, 2023DNF around 17% because even though it got me with “war prize” I wasn’t sticking around for the three-star, Kindle Unlimited find.
February 9, 2021
Looking forward to Lyall Buchanan’s story...
November 6, 2019
Fun read
Easy to get into the story. Liked the characters they were well developed and the female lead did not need to prove anything.
Easy to get into the story. Liked the characters they were well developed and the female lead did not need to prove anything.
January 15, 2020
Very emotional and deep feelings, it moves you. Can’t put it down.
January 30, 2020
War, cruelty, and love
Was a good story, many twists and turns . Unrequited love, vicious treatment, unrealized feelings, love and forgiveness at last.
Was a good story, many twists and turns . Unrequited love, vicious treatment, unrealized feelings, love and forgiveness at last.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews