Book Review: The Sinner by Margaret Mallory

This is a Scottish Highlander romance with strong, sexy characters.

The Sinner (Return of the Highlanders 2)

by Margaret Mallory

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Forever; Original edition (November 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446583103
• ISBN-13: 978-0446583107

Genre:  Historical Romance (heavy on the romance)
My Rating:  3.75 of 5.0

Book Description
Series: Return of the Highlanders 2 | Publication Date: November 1, 2011

THE RETURN OF THE HIGHLANDERS: BOOK 2
Four fearless warriors return to the Highlands to claim their lands and legacies. But all their trials on the battlefield can't prepare them for their greatest challenge yet: winning the hearts of four willful Scottish beauties.

IRRESISTIBLE DESIRE

Alex MacDonald is known for his skill as a warrior, his prowess with women, and his vow to never take a wife. But now his chieftain has asked him to make the ultimate sacrifice: wed Glynis MacNeil, a lass famed throughout the Highlands for her exquisite beauty-and defiant ways.

Familiar with heartbreak, Glynis refuses to fall for another handsome scoundrel. Yet when Alex's past sins force an unlikely union, Glynis gives in to temptation and becomes his wife. Will their newfound passion be strong enough to fight the enemy that threatens their home, their clan, and their very lives?

Review:  There minds said they didn’t want to marry but their passion said something else.

Glynis was married to a Scottish oaf against her will. Within a few months she was disgusted by his open philandering and she left him after pointing a knife at his sensitive parts. Now she is set on avoiding another marriage. To escape her father’s efforts to find a new husband she decides to go to her mother’s family.  Glynis blackmails Alex to take her to Edinburgh since he is headed that way.

Alex has a reputation with the ladies and has no intention of settling down even when his clan leader is implying that an alliance would be helpful.  Before leaving home the local prophetess advises Alex that he will be called upon to help three women: one will bring danger, one will give him a surprising gift and the third will fulfill his deepest desires. Alex agrees to go to another clan to negotiate support but not a marriage alliance.  When he first meets Glynis she is disguised as a lumpish figure with red face marks that are slipping.  He finds her attempts to avoid attention very humorous. The second time he sees her he is awed by the beautiful nymph on the beach. Against his better judgment he agrees to escort her to Edinburgh.

As they travel together Alex is tortured by her temptations. Finally Glynis decides that before she becomes a celibate old maid she wants to have a quick affair with Alex.  The couple proceeds to have a passionate affair while each continues to claim they do not want to marry. Then they are put in a situation where they must marry. Glynis agrees that marrying Alex is better than alternatives but she she doesn’t trust him to be faithful.

I enjoyed the underlying story and I did like Glynis and Alex as strong, fun characters. However much of the book is steamy love scenes. I understand that the intimacy helps give depth to their relationship and creates conflict for the distrust issues, but it was too much sex action for me. Fortunately there was some intrigue and action and the whole story moved pretty quickly.  I still like the author’s writing and I like the series enough that I will try the next one in hopes that the plot substance out weighs the sexual scenes.

Thank you to Hachette Book Group for providing this book for review and giveaway.  Please see the Giveaway post for two books - the next post after the second review of The Highlander Hero.