A Reader's Opinion: Tempted by the Highland Warrior by Michelle Willingham

The Book

After years of brutal torture, Callum MacKinloch is finally free of his captors—but his voice is still held prisoner. He'd never let anyone hear him scream.

Although Lady Marguerite de Montpierre's chains may be invisible, they threaten to tie her to a loveless and cruel marriage.

When Marguerite discovers Callum waiting to die, her heart aches for the warrior beneath the suffering—but they can have no future. Yet she is the one woman with the power to tame the rage locked inside him. Maybe he can find another reason to live…for her.

A Reader's Opinion

I had a like/dislike relationship with this book. Please note that I haven't read the first two books in this series, but other than possibly missing out on some family background, the book read like a stand-alone. The simple blurb gives the reader a good idea of what the book is about, so I won't be repeating that here.

So what did I like about the book? I read a lot of Highlander stories and this is the first where I've come across a handicapped hero and I thought that was an interesting touch by the author. Because of his disability, dialogue was a premium in this story, which did take some getting used to, but it worked. I also liked Callum. As a wounded hero, I felt he was well-written, and though he may not be a typical knight-in-shining-armour type, the author did a good job with this character considering his disadvantages. I also liked the struggles and challenges faced by the characters. It wasn't an easy love and I appreciated that the characters had to endure hardships. Callum's love for Marguerite was believable and kind considering what he went through. This is definitely a story where the under-dog wins.

My difficulties with the book? One of my favorite things about reading a story set in the Scottish Highlands is the setting--this story lacked that. Sometimes it felt modern and I had to remind myself that they were in fact in the Highlands. The men didn't feel like Highlanders and despite liking most of them, I didn't connect with any of the characters. The sex scenes--very graphic. Normally I skip over these, just considering everything that Callum went through, I read through one to see how he fared. I felt as though the graphic scenes were just thrown in there rather than adding any value nor were the scenes tastefully done. 

In the end, I probably would have actually enjoyed this book more if the lack of setting and too many sex scenes hadn't detracted from the story. I would likely recommend this book to readers who enjoy an easy romance story and who don't mind a lot of graphic scenes. 

Note: A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review through NetGalley.