When A Warrior Woos A Lass by Julie Johnstone
When a Warrior Woos a Lass by Julie Johnstone Series: Highlander Vows Entangled Hearts Series Book #5
on December 18, 2017
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical / Ancient World, Fiction / Romance / Historical / General, Fiction / Romance / Historical / Medieval, Fiction / Romance / Historical / Scottish
Pages: 262
Goodreads
The past haunts them. Treachery awaits them. Love will save them.
A shattered lass…
Scarred by the cruel whims of her late husband, Lena MacLeod lives in fear of men and marriage. So when the king’s edict obliges her to wed Scottish warrior Alex MacLean, she never expects to feel safe, let alone happy. But behind Alex’s fierce exterior lies a gentle, gallant highlander who renews her soul, emboldens her, and offers her the one thing she never thought she would possess—true love. Now that Alex has her whole heart, she’ll settle for nothing less than all of his.
A tortured highlander…
Haunted by violent nightmares of his dark past, Alex MacLean has put off getting married for as long as possible. But now he finds himself the husband of the fragile, beautiful Lena, and he’s drawn to her as he has never been to another. He vows to protect and heal her, and as she grows stronger, so does his love for her. Yet, his horrible memories and a treacherous task are preventing him from giving himself to her entirely, and the secrets he harbors threaten to destroy their life together.
A union…
When Lena uncovers a dangerous scheme involving Alex, she embarks on a desperate journey to save the man she loves. But Alex still hasn’t let her in, and he runs the risk of losing her—and his life—unless he can accept that his once delicate wife is now an ally strong enough to light his way.
Lena MacLeod has returned to her clan’s home of Dunvegan Castle after suffering through a brutally abusive marriage. She has attempted to be invisible for two years – holding herself aloof from the rest of the MacLeod clan. But everything changes the night of her younger brother’s wedding, when Alex Mac Lean asks her to dance. “A shiver of panic swept through Lena, and she stumbled into Alex’s unyielding body. When she looked up to apologize and put distance between him, the words caught in her throat, her hand frozen on his chest. His heart was racing beneath her palm, as if he was just as bothered by the prospect of a dance with her as she was with him.…. Lena stood there gaping at Alex. As he stared back, it seemed as though a cloak had lifted from his eyes, and the tenderness in their depths sucked the air from her lungs. ‘I ken ye dunnae wish to dance,’ he said in a voice as deep as an endless loch.”
I enjoyed “When a Warrior Woos Lass”, its strong characters and the romantic tension between Alex and Lena were captivating. Alex has his own secret demons that he is battling and it is his shame of these demons that threaten to destroy his relationship with Lena. Although this book is a stand-alone story, I believe I would have appreciated the depth of the characters had I read the rest of the series’ first. I was disappointed in Lena’s quick surrender to Alex. I felt if someone had suffered that severely in a prior relationship, she would have taken much more time to consummate her second marriage. There was some sexual content, but it wasn’t too graphic. However, I did enjoy Lena’s transformation from fearful to brave. I also loved the artwork on the cover. It is a gorgeous picture in my opinion. If you enjoy medieval romance, Johnstone has written a very well-crafted story with wonderful messages of redemption and restoration.
