Highland Outlaw (Campbell Trilogy #2) by Monica McCarty

Since I have the day off today, I wanted to quench my thirst of yet another Highlander romance. Although the previous book in this series, #Highland Warrior was a disappointment,  I figured it might have something to do with my mood— maybe I wasn’t in the right mood when I was reading it. I didn’t want to give the rest of the series up, and I was not disappointed.

This is about the outlaw, Patrick McGregor who since the age of ten,  had his parents killed and clan broken apart… lands owned by his ancestors already seized and his home then was burnt down, his clansmen all but exterminated. In order to get back what belonged to him and to rebuild his clan, he had to seduce Elizabeth Campbell (his land was recently added to her tocher by her cousin, the most powerful man)— the daughter of his worst enemy in order to get his hands on what originally belonged to him.

I love Patrick! He’s an outlaw, true— but he’s the most honourable, handsome, strongest outlaw I’ve ever read about. I could have added more positive descriptions, and I guess after reading the novel a few times, I may fall more and more in love with it, but this is just my impression on the first read. He’s lost so many of his brothers and clansmen to the Campbells, but he’s willing to give up what he’s fighting for for Elizabeth (or Lizzie as she’s called by her brothers). Of course being a typical Highlander who doesn’t fall in love, he’s been struggling from the start but eventually he did realise his love for her. Everything he did for her from the beginning was for her— including hurting the man who insulted and hurt her at the very beginning, when he first met her two years ago. He’s so sweet! I felt strongly for the honourable outlaw who since young had no home and had to run for his entire life in order to avoid persecution, who witnessed the wrongful deaths of his family and clansmen, who did no wrong but had to suffer so much to get back what was originally his.

I adore Elizabeth! She’s strong, kind and innocent but has a weakness of stammering, which made her the point of ridicule among many suitors (who only wanted to marry her for her tocher), but her love for Patrick is amazing. I have to say, Monica McCarty does not give her readers a break! At one point when Patrick was so desperately in love with Elizabeth and vice versa, and yet his unforgivable betrayal was uncovered, I felt a pang in my heart wondering how she’s going to take it. But Lizzie doesn’t disappoint! Their love faced many difficulties from the start and right up to the end.

Of course, this is the only one of two female leads who were not described to have ‘ unrivaled beauty’ and a ‘to-die-for body’ (Ellie in # The Hawk was the first), I always wondered at the ‘ She looked at him from under her lashes’… sounds like these heroines always have long lashes! Do people really have to be physical beauties to encounter such enviable knights in shining armour? 

Anyway, I love this book! And I’m certain I’ll read this over and over again! In fact, I’ve read the other books in The Highland Guards so many times during the work breaks that I have, yet I’m still so absorbed and so happy for them each time I finished.

Rating: 4/5