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Highlander #1
Beyond the Highland Mist
He would sell his warrior soul to possess her...
An alluring laird...
He was known throughout the kingdom as Hawk, legendary predator of the battlefield and the boudoir. No woman could refuse his touch, but no woman ever stirred his heart—until a vengeful fairy tumbled Adrienne de Simone out of modern-day Seattle and into medieval Scotland. Captive in a century not her own, entirely too bold, too outspoken, she was an irresistible challenge to the sixteenth-century rogue. Coerced into a marriage with Hawk, Adrienne vowed to keep him at arm's length—but his sweet seduction played havoc with her resolve.
A prisoner in time...
She had a perfect "no" on her perfect lips for the notorious laird, but Hawk swore she would whisper his name with desire, begging for the passion he longed to ignite within her. Not even the barriers of time and space would keep him from winning her love. Despite her uncertainty about following the promptings of her own passionate heart, Adrienne's reservations were no match for Hawk's determination to keep her by his side...
An alluring laird...
He was known throughout the kingdom as Hawk, legendary predator of the battlefield and the boudoir. No woman could refuse his touch, but no woman ever stirred his heart—until a vengeful fairy tumbled Adrienne de Simone out of modern-day Seattle and into medieval Scotland. Captive in a century not her own, entirely too bold, too outspoken, she was an irresistible challenge to the sixteenth-century rogue. Coerced into a marriage with Hawk, Adrienne vowed to keep him at arm's length—but his sweet seduction played havoc with her resolve.
A prisoner in time...
She had a perfect "no" on her perfect lips for the notorious laird, but Hawk swore she would whisper his name with desire, begging for the passion he longed to ignite within her. Not even the barriers of time and space would keep him from winning her love. Despite her uncertainty about following the promptings of her own passionate heart, Adrienne's reservations were no match for Hawk's determination to keep her by his side...
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 9, 1999
About the author
Karen Marie Moning
35 books30.4k followers“The only other calling I ever felt was an irrepressible desire to be Captain of my own Starship. I was born in the wrong century and it wasn’t possible, so I chose to explore the universe by writing fiction instead. Books are doors to endless adventure.” -KMM
Karen Marie Moning is the #1 NYT bestselling author of the Fever Series and Highlander novels.
An alum of the Immaculate Conception Academy, at seventeen she attended Purdue University where she completed a BA in Society & Law, with minors in Philosophy, Creative Writing and Theatre, while working full time as a bartender and computer consultant. She intended to go to law school but after an internship with a firm of Criminal Attorneys, decided against it. For the next decade, she worked in insurance, where she wrote intercompany arbitrations and directed commercial litigation. At the age of thirty, she decided it was time to get serious and do what she’d always wanted to do: write fiction novels.
Beyond the Highland Mist was published in 1999 and nominated for two RITA awards. She then published six more novels in her award-winning HIGHLANDER series, and received the RITA Award in 2001 for The Highlander’s Touch.
In 2004, she began writing the #1 New York Times bestselling FEVER series. The books have been optioned twice for potential franchise development by Twentieth Century Fox and DreamWorks Studios, but the rights are currently held by Moning who has expressed a desire to one day see it as a television series. Her novels have been published in over thirty countries. She divides her time between Ohio and Florida and is working on two future projects for Random House Publishing.
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” – Jorge Luis Borges
Karen Marie Moning is the #1 NYT bestselling author of the Fever Series and Highlander novels.
An alum of the Immaculate Conception Academy, at seventeen she attended Purdue University where she completed a BA in Society & Law, with minors in Philosophy, Creative Writing and Theatre, while working full time as a bartender and computer consultant. She intended to go to law school but after an internship with a firm of Criminal Attorneys, decided against it. For the next decade, she worked in insurance, where she wrote intercompany arbitrations and directed commercial litigation. At the age of thirty, she decided it was time to get serious and do what she’d always wanted to do: write fiction novels.
Beyond the Highland Mist was published in 1999 and nominated for two RITA awards. She then published six more novels in her award-winning HIGHLANDER series, and received the RITA Award in 2001 for The Highlander’s Touch.
In 2004, she began writing the #1 New York Times bestselling FEVER series. The books have been optioned twice for potential franchise development by Twentieth Century Fox and DreamWorks Studios, but the rights are currently held by Moning who has expressed a desire to one day see it as a television series. Her novels have been published in over thirty countries. She divides her time between Ohio and Florida and is working on two future projects for Random House Publishing.
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” – Jorge Luis Borges
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,540 reviews
November 22, 2015
Beyond the Highland Mist is my first read by this author, and not a bad start to the Highland series, though only loosely tied to it.
Those who know me know that I suffer from a sometimes debilitating disorder known as MRBIOs, Must Read Books In Order syndrome. It’s important that you understand this about me because I’m about make a shocking statement, here: In order to enjoy this series, it isn’t necessary to read the first book. Yes, I really did say that, and no, I’m not on medication. Just stating the facts.
As I said, this isn’t a bad start to the series, though it definitely suffers from a case of the FITS – First in the Series syndrome. My overall feelings about this story have nothing to do with the fact that I’m not a fan of time travel, rather everything to do with the hero and heroine.
Hawk has all the characteristics of an amazing hero, and I adored him! In ways, he reminds me of Gaston from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast because he’s extremely good looking and enjoys reaping the reward of women in his bed because of it. He’s a powerful laird, physically and mentally, and his clan has great respect for him. He’s a man of honor and integrity and can be trusted to always do the right thing. Was he perfect? No, and by the end of the story I wanted to shoot him and end my own misery.
What prompted my brush with charactercide? Read on....
Adrienne, on the other hand, bothered the heck out of me right from the start and I never really cared about her one way or the other, except for how she affected Hawk’s happiness. I found very little about her to be appealing, and by the end of the story there was really nothing she could have done to redeem herself enough to be deserving of Hawk.
For those who, like myself, aren’t fans of time travel, that element in this book is very minor and I don’t think it takes too much away from the story. Although I suppose it could be argued that it had a huge impact on my rating because Adrienne being from the future and her over the top “I have rights” attitude throughout the book ruined the story for me. I’m giving this 2.5 stars because Hawk was hot.
Again, this book is not necessary to the ongoing storyline of the series.
March 30, 2012
3.5 stars
I'm having mixed feelings about this one as a whole but I would just like to say that my 3.5 star rating is, in this case, a rather positive one. I actually enjoyed reading the majority of this novel and I also wouldn't mind checking out Moning's other Highland novels as I've heard this is the least popular of the series. It suffered somewhat from the inevitable comparisons that I simply had to make to the Fever series, it was nothing like those and I'm starting to believe nothing ever will be.
But my first impressions of the novel were good, I found it to be a kind of fae version of Outlander, where the female protagonist ends up time-travelling several centuries back into a Scotland complete with kilted men, feudalism and sexism. There she is forced to marry a Scot who she grows to love against the odds - yeah, definitely sounds very Gabaldon-ish, minus about 600 pages. This Scot is a 16th century manwhore, to put it plainly, 'womaniser' is too kind a word for him; and he naturally falls for the spirited, independent 20th century woman who refuses his advances.
I found the historical aspect both interesting and enjoyable, even though this will never be the Fever series, Karen Marie Moning is still a very good writer and I like the way she tends to use the less-explored folklore and mythology, rather than just following the pattern of countless other writers who have jumped on the vampire/werewolf bandwagon.
This book did have a heavier focus on the romance than her other series did, but it wasn't unexpected and the romance worked for the most part. I lost confidence in Hawk (the hero of the novel) somewhere in the middle but he managed to win it back again towards the end. But I will whine about what I didn't like - this is my review after all - and say that his behaviour during his own insecurities was ridiculous. In pretty much every romance story you will find at some point that one or both parties will experience an element of self-doubt relating to their partner. You know: does she really want me or is she thinking of someone else? or am I just another one of his numerous conquests? It comes with the genre. But... jealousy I can take, anger, brooding, revenge I can take... what I can't take is "oh, well, if she doesn't want me I'm going to lock her in a room, take away her freedom, until she does". When the so-called 'hero' does that I don't find it attractive... I simply think something along the lines of "pathetic, desperate control-freak". Not sexy, not good at all.
I am relieved that these tricks didn't work and Hawk felt bad about them afterwards, and he got better as the novel went on. Though, I still have problems accepting how most of their attraction to one another was based on beauty; for me, if an author creates a hero well enough I will fall for them just as much as the heroine in the story but, seeing as aesthetically a book leaves something to be desired, looks are one of the least important things! Take V'lane from the Fever series, he could never compare to Barrons because he was little more than a pretty face... a face that we couldn't see! I'm sure these men are orgasms for the eyes but I'm reading a sodding book so it's not really working for me. Give me personality please.
And let's not forget the sheer hilarity of some phrases from the book. If they had been said in jest then I would have applauded:
"They say his manhood at half-mast would make a stallion envious." - Ouch.
"Perhaps you have something in need of a heated shaping and molding? Or perhaps I might reshape my steel lance in the heat of your forge, milady?" - How I LOLed.
Don't be put off, seriously it's quite enjoyable in a way that makes you feel dirty for enjoying it, haha. Yeah, I will read more, for smut and laughs if nothing else :D
September 6, 2016
What will be your reason for picking this one up?
If it's anything like: “Mmm, I really like KMM’s Fever series...Mac 3.0 was alright and Mac 4.0 kicked some ass. And Barrons..oh Barrons! That hot, carnal, cantankerous badass... So why not try KMM's other series?” Well, let's say you're in for a surprise. Beyond the Highland Mist is nothing like the Fever series. Evidence to substantiate this bold statement you ask? How about this?
"The thing about the room that struck her so hard was that it seemed to be waiting. Open and warm and inviting, saying, fill me with laughing babies and love. All was in readiness, the nursery was merely biding time - until the right woman would come along and breathe into it the sparkling life of children's songs and dreams and hopes."
Barrons would have babies for breakfast.
I occasionally love to indulge in the guilty pleasure of finding out how the heap of misunderstandings will miraculously lead to THE deflowering scene. It's always exciting to find out whether:
1) the heroine - however often almost thirty, married and divorced and ridiculously hot - turns out to be a Surprise Virgin after all;
2) and when that fact will become obvious to the hero, when he 'thrusts' his 'shaft' - or rather his 'engorged phallus' (KMM’s words, not mine!) - into her and suddenly stumbles upon a 'barricade' somewhere halfway up.
At which point the hero and I will both gasp and, while the hero bravely thrusts on, I cry out in wonder: "Could it be..a hymen? In such a strange location? Has it travelled upwards in a "You shall not pass, Flame of Udun!" sort of way? It cannot be!"
But believe me, in romance novels it certainly can.
Anyway, Beyond the Highland Mist is not the best that the genre has to offer. I vaguely expected something different from the usual fluff. Especially since I know how KMM can write ridiculously hot and intense scenes. What's interesting is that she experiments with the fae realm, so you get to see a little of the creative process that ultimately led to the successful Fever series. But in this novel, that experiment is merely distracting. The story-line itself follows a bumpy road and brings us to a corny deflowering scene. One that goes cringe-worthily wrong three to four times due to various bizarre reasons , before we actually get some lukewarm action.
The characters just aren't that incredible either. The hero simply purrs to much. And I'm just not a fan of continuously purring men..it's a tad..creepy? The heroine, well..she's the type of woman who "fully intended to have half a dozen of babies" and she said something silly about preferring to live in the Middle Ages as well. As a female, yes. And after several attempts at murdering her had failed. So she must've had a damn good reason for wanting to swap the late nineties for the 'comforting safety' of 1513 right?
"Actually, I was thinking about how nice it is here. In the 1990's, my God, people were just out of control! Children killing parents. Parents killing children. Children killing children. They've all got cell phones stuck to their ears and yet I've never seen such distance between people trying so hard to be close. And just the day before I left you should have seen the headlines in the papers. A boy strangled a little girl when she wouldn't get off the phone and let him use it. Oh, I was thinking bitter thoughts of that time and comparing it to (my new) home (1513) and home was definitely winning!"
Someone must have been asleep during history class, ha!
***update***
Soooo...for those who weren't really impressed with this book, but don't want to write off the Highlander series just yet. Book 4 was actually remarkably good.
If it's anything like: “Mmm, I really like KMM’s Fever series...Mac 3.0 was alright and Mac 4.0 kicked some ass. And Barrons..oh Barrons! That hot, carnal, cantankerous badass... So why not try KMM's other series?” Well, let's say you're in for a surprise. Beyond the Highland Mist is nothing like the Fever series. Evidence to substantiate this bold statement you ask? How about this?
"The thing about the room that struck her so hard was that it seemed to be waiting. Open and warm and inviting, saying, fill me with laughing babies and love. All was in readiness, the nursery was merely biding time - until the right woman would come along and breathe into it the sparkling life of children's songs and dreams and hopes."
Barrons would have babies for breakfast.
I occasionally love to indulge in the guilty pleasure of finding out how the heap of misunderstandings will miraculously lead to THE deflowering scene. It's always exciting to find out whether:
1) the heroine - however often almost thirty, married and divorced and ridiculously hot - turns out to be a Surprise Virgin after all;
2) and when that fact will become obvious to the hero, when he 'thrusts' his 'shaft' - or rather his 'engorged phallus' (KMM’s words, not mine!) - into her and suddenly stumbles upon a 'barricade' somewhere halfway up.
At which point the hero and I will both gasp and, while the hero bravely thrusts on, I cry out in wonder: "Could it be..a hymen? In such a strange location? Has it travelled upwards in a "You shall not pass, Flame of Udun!" sort of way? It cannot be!"
But believe me, in romance novels it certainly can.
Anyway, Beyond the Highland Mist is not the best that the genre has to offer. I vaguely expected something different from the usual fluff. Especially since I know how KMM can write ridiculously hot and intense scenes. What's interesting is that she experiments with the fae realm, so you get to see a little of the creative process that ultimately led to the successful Fever series. But in this novel, that experiment is merely distracting. The story-line itself follows a bumpy road and brings us to a corny deflowering scene. One that goes cringe-worthily wrong three to four times due to various bizarre reasons , before we actually get some lukewarm action.
The characters just aren't that incredible either. The hero simply purrs to much. And I'm just not a fan of continuously purring men..it's a tad..creepy? The heroine, well..she's the type of woman who "fully intended to have half a dozen of babies" and she said something silly about preferring to live in the Middle Ages as well. As a female, yes. And after several attempts at murdering her had failed. So she must've had a damn good reason for wanting to swap the late nineties for the 'comforting safety' of 1513 right?
"Actually, I was thinking about how nice it is here. In the 1990's, my God, people were just out of control! Children killing parents. Parents killing children. Children killing children. They've all got cell phones stuck to their ears and yet I've never seen such distance between people trying so hard to be close. And just the day before I left you should have seen the headlines in the papers. A boy strangled a little girl when she wouldn't get off the phone and let him use it. Oh, I was thinking bitter thoughts of that time and comparing it to (my new) home (1513) and home was definitely winning!"
Someone must have been asleep during history class, ha!
***update***
Soooo...for those who weren't really impressed with this book, but don't want to write off the Highlander series just yet. Book 4 was actually remarkably good.
April 3, 2021
3 stars
Hmm, I’m not sure how I feel about this one.
I only read this because I started the Fever series by this author and I wanted to know if she had other sure things I can pick up after I finished that one. (plus I was in the mood for a historical romance)
The story had a very fairytale-esque vibe to it, particularly due to the supernatural elements (not talking about the time travel but the other stuff). The main characters were also very formulaic in that sense.
I wasn’t a fan of how the hero was described. I mean, the fact that he was the most perfect human male to ever walk the earth up to that point in history.. well, it did nothing for me. I needed more than praises to his perfect face, body and .... technique. The heroine was described pretty much the same. Very beautiful and very smart (we didn’t get to see the how the latter was deduced).
Also, the whole conflict was based on the heroine being biased against men who are “beautiful”. She had a one track mind to hate them all just because they have a pretty face... so that right there, already didn’t endear her to me. It seems to me very small minded of someone to hate anything based on one experience. It’s like hating all Europeans (an example) because one of them broke your heart and used you. For a very smart person (so we are told), she sure was stupid.
Yeah, don’t know what else to add really, because there wasn’t much of a plot . Just a lot of poetic words (which sometimes were pleasing to read) and loads of back and forth about the same issues between the leads.
Not a bad story. But also not something I’d describe as good enough to remember.
Hmm, I’m not sure how I feel about this one.
I only read this because I started the Fever series by this author and I wanted to know if she had other sure things I can pick up after I finished that one. (plus I was in the mood for a historical romance)
The story had a very fairytale-esque vibe to it, particularly due to the supernatural elements (not talking about the time travel but the other stuff). The main characters were also very formulaic in that sense.
I wasn’t a fan of how the hero was described. I mean, the fact that he was the most perfect human male to ever walk the earth up to that point in history.. well, it did nothing for me. I needed more than praises to his perfect face, body and .... technique. The heroine was described pretty much the same. Very beautiful and very smart (we didn’t get to see the how the latter was deduced).
Also, the whole conflict was based on the heroine being biased against men who are “beautiful”. She had a one track mind to hate them all just because they have a pretty face... so that right there, already didn’t endear her to me. It seems to me very small minded of someone to hate anything based on one experience. It’s like hating all Europeans (an example) because one of them broke your heart and used you. For a very smart person (so we are told), she sure was stupid.
Yeah, don’t know what else to add really, because there wasn’t much of a plot . Just a lot of poetic words (which sometimes were pleasing to read) and loads of back and forth about the same issues between the leads.
Not a bad story. But also not something I’d describe as good enough to remember.
March 13, 2014
FOUR HIGHLAND STARS.
It was about time for me to read this new-to-me author. I wanted epic love, a toe curling romance, and a love that would sweep me off my feet and this book delivered. Moning provided me with the perfect escape and I couldn't have wished for more. An utterly dreamy start to a series that I know I'm going to fall in love with.
... Book two here I come.
*Buddy read with the bezzie ...*
It was about time for me to read this new-to-me author. I wanted epic love, a toe curling romance, and a love that would sweep me off my feet and this book delivered. Moning provided me with the perfect escape and I couldn't have wished for more. An utterly dreamy start to a series that I know I'm going to fall in love with.
... Book two here I come.
*Buddy read with the bezzie ...*
August 28, 2017
What a difference an audiobook makes...
And especially one with a fantastic narrator!!!
Let's just say that from my original 2 star rating I jumped to 4 stars in my reread with audiobook. Phil Gigante makes everything interesting, the first half was absolutely amazing and I would've given it 5 stars if the main woman wasn't such a moron, but oh well it can't be perfect.
Anyway, all I have to say for the readers: Grab the audiobooks of this series!!! You won't regret it!
First review:
This is quite a rant, I'm not usually up for writing bad about books, but I gotta voice my opinion on this one, sorry KMM fans, don't take it personally. I will continue reading her stuff though :) Just hope the stories will be better than this one.
Spoiler alert ahead!
I've watched a lot of soap operas, and this book was just like one. And a bad one at that. I just couldn't like it much.
The writing style was ok, this is a new writer for me so it took some getting used to, but I didn't mind anything about it.
The story - well that was the biggest problem. You know, when you watch a soap, at the end of every episode there is a :O moment. The main pair always ends up fighting about some terrible misunderstanding, or some bad guy tries to off them or something... Well that was basically this book from the start. Every single scene between the H/h, if it started good, ended bad, there were sooooooo many misunderstandings I can't remember them all, more than I have fingers on my arms AND legs. When there wasn't a misunderstanding in question, there was a bad guy/woman to stirr things up and make trouble, or attempt a murder or some blackmail or another form of badness. I think there was just one scene, only one between H and h that didn't end in a fight or in any bad way, and that was when they had sex for the first time (might I mention, the only sex scene in the novel, not including some foreplays that were waaaay sexier than the actuall sex). Oh yes, and in the story the hero got 2 potions from a gypsy. One was an aphrodisiac, and another some viagra alternative that leaves a man up for hours and hours. You'd think that was a good thing? Noooo. He uses the viagra stuff, but doesn't have sex with her because it made him feel distant from her, not emotionally involved, so he goes away and suffers till it warns off. Then she drinks the afrodisiac and becomes horny as hell. But noo, he can't have sex with her because HE didn't make her horny, and untill he does that - no hanky-panky. So I guess now you'll know what I mean about every freaking scene not ending as it should. Always some stupid excuse for it to go bad. It drove me crazy.
The heroine was irritating as hell. I couldn't stand her. The main problem is that I just couldn't relate to her in any way. She hates beautiful men because her ex was beautiful and he did some awfull things to her. OK I get her, hate the ex. But he didn't do those things because he was gorgeous. He was just bad. And to hate all men who were good looking because you had an experience with a good looking man is just silly. I couldn't get that. So she helped a lot with those scenes that never ended good, because she ruined 2/3 of them all by pushing Hawk away because he's so gorgeous (hmmmmm no comment)
The ONLY good thing about this was Hawk. I actually liked him, even though I cannot understand how he could fall in love with a woman like Adrienne, but hey, each to his own. I fell in love with Scottish Highlanders a long time ago, and I love them still, so Hawk holds a soft spot for me here :) Although there wasn't much brogue here except for some "aye" and "lass" involved, I hope it'll get better in the next books.
It's just too bad for a character who's hung like a horse (literaly, she really does say that in the novel and the heroine sees and thinks he really is horse-like-hung) to have only one sex scene. I expected some more (yes I'm bad I know, but still, it tickled my imagination XD)
So, I guess I'll follow the advice and move to book 4 lol
Sorry again for the lovers of this one, I just couldn't help myself XD
July 3, 2011
2 1/2 to 3 stars
I'm glad I read this series out of order (these books can be read out of order). I'm honestly not sure if would have continued the series had I read the first three books in the series first. Personally, I don't think the series was particularly engrossing until after the third book. Books four, five, and six are my favorite, with book six, The Immortal Highlander, my favorite of the series. You must, however, read books four, five, six, and seven in order.
I recommend reading the series in this order: Kiss of the Highlander (#4),The Dark Highlander (#5),The Immortal Highlander (#6), Spell of the Highlander (#7), The Highlander Touch (#3), Beyond the Highland Mist (#1), To Tame a Highland Warrior (#2)
I'm glad I read this series out of order (these books can be read out of order). I'm honestly not sure if would have continued the series had I read the first three books in the series first. Personally, I don't think the series was particularly engrossing until after the third book. Books four, five, and six are my favorite, with book six, The Immortal Highlander, my favorite of the series. You must, however, read books four, five, six, and seven in order.
I recommend reading the series in this order: Kiss of the Highlander (#4),The Dark Highlander (#5),The Immortal Highlander (#6), Spell of the Highlander (#7), The Highlander Touch (#3), Beyond the Highland Mist (#1), To Tame a Highland Warrior (#2)
November 25, 2024
4.5 stars
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning was the first paranormal romance I ever read.
10+ years ago the only books I’d read that could even remotely be compared to PNR or UF were Anne Rice books (and if any of you have read Anne Rice books, you know that they are so not the same). I don’t think I even picked up my first modern (not Narnia or LOTR) fantasy until my freshman year of college (The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan).
I’m sure that all the Vivian Vande Velde, Robin McKinley, and Christopher Pike books I read when I was a teenager set the stage for the love of all things supernatural I developed as an adult, but for whatever reason, there was a five(ish)-year gap after high school in which I never managed to stumble across anything that could pass as either of my favorite genres today (the aforementioned PNR and UF).
And I was so bored.
Enter one of my sisters who was always reading the historical romances that she began filching from our maternal grandmother (not the fairy tale-reading grandmother) at WAY too early an age. She was always trying to get me to read some bodice-ripper or another, but it just wasn’t my thing. Then she brings one that she swears I’ll LOVE.
*squints in disbelief*
“No, really,” she says, and then explains that this is not just a historical romance, this is a paranormal/historical romance. A paranormal/historical romance in which a hot, evil version of Puck drags a woman scorned from the modern world back in time 500 years to the Scottish highlands.
Fairies, you say?
Back in time, you say?
Hmmm . . .
So I gave it a shot.
And I loved it. I read all seven books in the series, and then several years later, continued on to read the (loosely) connected Fever series (which I loved even more). Come to think of it, the Fever series was my very first foray into UF, so that makes a Karen Marie Moning book responsible for my introduction to both of my favorite genres. C-R-A-Z-Y. Anyway, loving the Fever books even more than the Highlander books made the Highlander books take a back seat in my mind. I don’t think, in hindsight, that I fully appreciated how good they were. It was a finished series. I didn’t reread them, like I did the Fever series, every time a new book came out.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
So fast forward to this past weekend.
I’m bored. I hate my ovaries. Historical romance is sounding good-ish to my nutso hormones, but not exactly right . . . I know! I’ll reread those really good Karen Marie Moning historical/time-travel PNR books. YES!!!
Best idea I’ve had in a long, LONG time. It was hilarious. It was HOT. It was sweet. It was clever.
Our heroine is an orphaned hater-of-pretty-men who is on the run from her past. Our hero is just GAH—a literal legend among men AND fairies alike (which is why both hero and heroine find themselves in their predicament, incidentally). There are crazy Gypsies, fairies in disguise as smokin’ hot blacksmiths, AND (my personal favorite thing about PNR vs. UF) an absolutely sublime HEA—as it turns out, nutso hormones are all about the instant gratification when it comes to books.
Basically, if you’ve never read them, or it’s been a while since you last did—READ THEM. It’s an excellent way to spend an overcast (and cranky) weekend afternoon.
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning was the first paranormal romance I ever read.
10+ years ago the only books I’d read that could even remotely be compared to PNR or UF were Anne Rice books (and if any of you have read Anne Rice books, you know that they are so not the same). I don’t think I even picked up my first modern (not Narnia or LOTR) fantasy until my freshman year of college (The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan).
I’m sure that all the Vivian Vande Velde, Robin McKinley, and Christopher Pike books I read when I was a teenager set the stage for the love of all things supernatural I developed as an adult, but for whatever reason, there was a five(ish)-year gap after high school in which I never managed to stumble across anything that could pass as either of my favorite genres today (the aforementioned PNR and UF).
And I was so bored.
Enter one of my sisters who was always reading the historical romances that she began filching from our maternal grandmother (not the fairy tale-reading grandmother) at WAY too early an age. She was always trying to get me to read some bodice-ripper or another, but it just wasn’t my thing. Then she brings one that she swears I’ll LOVE.
*squints in disbelief*
“No, really,” she says, and then explains that this is not just a historical romance, this is a paranormal/historical romance. A paranormal/historical romance in which a hot, evil version of Puck drags a woman scorned from the modern world back in time 500 years to the Scottish highlands.
Fairies, you say?
Back in time, you say?
Hmmm . . .
So I gave it a shot.
And I loved it. I read all seven books in the series, and then several years later, continued on to read the (loosely) connected Fever series (which I loved even more). Come to think of it, the Fever series was my very first foray into UF, so that makes a Karen Marie Moning book responsible for my introduction to both of my favorite genres. C-R-A-Z-Y. Anyway, loving the Fever books even more than the Highlander books made the Highlander books take a back seat in my mind. I don’t think, in hindsight, that I fully appreciated how good they were. It was a finished series. I didn’t reread them, like I did the Fever series, every time a new book came out.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
So fast forward to this past weekend.
I’m bored. I hate my ovaries. Historical romance is sounding good-ish to my nutso hormones, but not exactly right . . . I know! I’ll reread those really good Karen Marie Moning historical/time-travel PNR books. YES!!!
Best idea I’ve had in a long, LONG time. It was hilarious. It was HOT. It was sweet. It was clever.
Our heroine is an orphaned hater-of-pretty-men who is on the run from her past. Our hero is just GAH—a literal legend among men AND fairies alike (which is why both hero and heroine find themselves in their predicament, incidentally). There are crazy Gypsies, fairies in disguise as smokin’ hot blacksmiths, AND (my personal favorite thing about PNR vs. UF) an absolutely sublime HEA—as it turns out, nutso hormones are all about the instant gratification when it comes to books.
Basically, if you’ve never read them, or it’s been a while since you last did—READ THEM. It’s an excellent way to spend an overcast (and cranky) weekend afternoon.
January 19, 2014
Fans of Mac and Barrons STAY AWAY from this offensive pile of dung.
This is the fantasy story of the beautiful, man hating (but not really, do not read this is you have any pro feminist views at all) orphan 'Adrienne De Simone' who travels back in time and right onto the lap of a violent laird, all because of the jealousy of the fairy queen's lover.
This is actually convenient for both the creepy old laird and Adrienne; for him because he just inexplicably killed his mad daughter right before she was to be betrothed to the infamously handsome man called 'the Hawk', it was convenient for our 21st century heroine because she had just killed her boyfriend (sounds exciting right? Well it is not) and was therefore some sort of felon (conveniently she has no family or friends or life at all so she doesn't miss her home).
So the old fat laird marries her off as his own daughter 'Janet'...But although Adrienne deals with the time travel very pragmatically (apparently because she was brought up in New Orleans), she can not deal with being married to a beautiful man. God no. This is because she had her heart broken once before by a very mean man who was also presumably very attractive.
Her new unbelievably handsome husband, who has a very chiseled jaw line, and hard as wood abs, falls instantly in love with her, not only because of her astonishing beauty but also because she says no to him (no woman has ever done this before). So as you can guess the rest of the book is about 'Hawk', with his long dark, sexy flowing locks over his beautiful face, as he tries to breaks the implacable will of his wife, (using the force of sappiness) apparently much like one breaks in a falcon but much less sexy.
Part 'Midsummer nights dreams' part, 'Highlander fanfiction' and mostly 'offensive literature that will make you want to smash up your kindle'. I would recommend this to any one who feels the need to self induce vomiting or severe book rage.
Things that pissed me off with this book (may contain spoilers):
Well the whole style of writing, the plot and the characters reminded me too much a fanfiction. It was not convincing, well rounded and the story just seemed like some woman's lame fantasy.
Adrienne:
She had potential, she was an orphan who had to fight to get what she wanted. When she found out her fiance was deceiving her he ended up dead. This all sounds great, but some how Karen Marie Moning has created a totally insipid dumb ass with a weird fetish for fifth century bedding (gross. just gross).
Adrienne has no friends, she falls for her fiance because he was rich and good looking and then acted totally naive during the relationship. Not that she deserved what happened, but I basically had no sympathy for her on that front. The whole relationship seemed artificial.
Her 'vow' never to love a good looking guy again is just stupid, although she going for men based on their looks alone is equally lame...she is just far too inexperienced and has no insight at all.
Inexperience. I can not. I will not read another book about a friggin totally beautiful college educated virgin. I just don't like it, or think it is any sort of virtue that I can relate to. Furthermore I find it entirely implausible.
Despite saying otherwise over and over, all she really wanted the whole way through the book was to be married and have lots and lots and lots of babies. Which is also what 'Hawk' wanted the whole way through the book. bravo guys! Basically the fairies planned to ruin some lives but actually ended up love-matching to annoying but very good looking people together. Their babies will be very aesthetically pleasing.
She has no personality. I can't think of one personal attribute I like that she can lay claim too, and there is no growth of character for her at all.
Hawk:
Well he is clearly very good looking, and he has had many many many many many lovers. And he really knows how to have great sex. But underneath it all he just wants a wee wifey to have lots of babies for him.
Basically he is a fucking sap under his rock hard, bronzed body. Despite his rippling muscles he is an emotional wreck with no idea of self worth and a crippling lack of confidence. This is why he carries on obsessing over his new 'wife' that he doesn't know at all, despite her apparent interest in another man.
His love for the beautiful Adrienne is instant and annoying. He never stops and I JUST DON'T GET IT! Maybe it is because she has long golden hair and a tiny waist, with a perfect 'bosom'.
His stupid fucking nursery he built years ago made me puke into my mouth. That sort of shit should not happen. Does any one honestly like that years ago he built a perfect nursery with lots and lots of cribs and toys for when he got married???
Anyone? No? I didn't think so. Why doesn't he go around fighting, more like they do in highlander? There is only one fight scene and it is with an effing fairy... and the sex scenes were so awkward they had to be skipped.
Grimm and the rest...:
Hawks side kick is a douche bag. He thinks it is his fault that Adrienne is there cause he wished on a shooting star. He gives her a really hard time for being cold to hawk...BUT NOT ONCE DOES HE, OR ANYONE ELSE, ACKNOWLEDGE HOW HARD IT MIGHT BE FOR ADRIENNE TO BE RIPPED FROM HER OWN TIME, LEAVING HER WHOLE LIFE, FAMILY, TECHNOLOGY, COMFORTS, LOVERS AND JOB AND THEN BE FORCED TO MARRY SOME DUDE WITH A NAME LIKE 'THE HAWK'! WTF! Luckily for Adrienne she has no life back in the 21st century because she is an insipid mollusk with a very attractive outer shell.
The weirdest/worst thing is nobody is even interested in what is going on in the future, or how she can help them with the medical advancements we have in our age or the military tactics we have learned etc ....WTFUCK
This is the fantasy story of the beautiful, man hating (but not really, do not read this is you have any pro feminist views at all) orphan 'Adrienne De Simone' who travels back in time and right onto the lap of a violent laird, all because of the jealousy of the fairy queen's lover.
This is actually convenient for both the creepy old laird and Adrienne; for him because he just inexplicably killed his mad daughter right before she was to be betrothed to the infamously handsome man called 'the Hawk', it was convenient for our 21st century heroine because she had just killed her boyfriend (sounds exciting right? Well it is not) and was therefore some sort of felon (conveniently she has no family or friends or life at all so she doesn't miss her home).
So the old fat laird marries her off as his own daughter 'Janet'...But although Adrienne deals with the time travel very pragmatically (apparently because she was brought up in New Orleans), she can not deal with being married to a beautiful man. God no. This is because she had her heart broken once before by a very mean man who was also presumably very attractive.
Her new unbelievably handsome husband, who has a very chiseled jaw line, and hard as wood abs, falls instantly in love with her, not only because of her astonishing beauty but also because she says no to him (no woman has ever done this before). So as you can guess the rest of the book is about 'Hawk', with his long dark, sexy flowing locks over his beautiful face, as he tries to breaks the implacable will of his wife, (using the force of sappiness) apparently much like one breaks in a falcon but much less sexy.
Part 'Midsummer nights dreams' part, 'Highlander fanfiction' and mostly 'offensive literature that will make you want to smash up your kindle'. I would recommend this to any one who feels the need to self induce vomiting or severe book rage.
Things that pissed me off with this book (may contain spoilers):
Well the whole style of writing, the plot and the characters reminded me too much a fanfiction. It was not convincing, well rounded and the story just seemed like some woman's lame fantasy.
Adrienne:
She had potential, she was an orphan who had to fight to get what she wanted. When she found out her fiance was deceiving her he ended up dead. This all sounds great, but some how Karen Marie Moning has created a totally insipid dumb ass with a weird fetish for fifth century bedding (gross. just gross).
Adrienne has no friends, she falls for her fiance because he was rich and good looking and then acted totally naive during the relationship. Not that she deserved what happened, but I basically had no sympathy for her on that front. The whole relationship seemed artificial.
Her 'vow' never to love a good looking guy again is just stupid, although she going for men based on their looks alone is equally lame...she is just far too inexperienced and has no insight at all.
Inexperience. I can not. I will not read another book about a friggin totally beautiful college educated virgin. I just don't like it, or think it is any sort of virtue that I can relate to. Furthermore I find it entirely implausible.
Despite saying otherwise over and over, all she really wanted the whole way through the book was to be married and have lots and lots and lots of babies. Which is also what 'Hawk' wanted the whole way through the book. bravo guys! Basically the fairies planned to ruin some lives but actually ended up love-matching to annoying but very good looking people together. Their babies will be very aesthetically pleasing.
She has no personality. I can't think of one personal attribute I like that she can lay claim too, and there is no growth of character for her at all.
Hawk:
Well he is clearly very good looking, and he has had many many many many many lovers. And he really knows how to have great sex. But underneath it all he just wants a wee wifey to have lots of babies for him.
Basically he is a fucking sap under his rock hard, bronzed body. Despite his rippling muscles he is an emotional wreck with no idea of self worth and a crippling lack of confidence. This is why he carries on obsessing over his new 'wife' that he doesn't know at all, despite her apparent interest in another man.
His love for the beautiful Adrienne is instant and annoying. He never stops and I JUST DON'T GET IT! Maybe it is because she has long golden hair and a tiny waist, with a perfect 'bosom'.
His stupid fucking nursery he built years ago made me puke into my mouth. That sort of shit should not happen. Does any one honestly like that years ago he built a perfect nursery with lots and lots of cribs and toys for when he got married???
Anyone? No? I didn't think so. Why doesn't he go around fighting, more like they do in highlander? There is only one fight scene and it is with an effing fairy... and the sex scenes were so awkward they had to be skipped.
Grimm and the rest...:
Hawks side kick is a douche bag. He thinks it is his fault that Adrienne is there cause he wished on a shooting star. He gives her a really hard time for being cold to hawk...BUT NOT ONCE DOES HE, OR ANYONE ELSE, ACKNOWLEDGE HOW HARD IT MIGHT BE FOR ADRIENNE TO BE RIPPED FROM HER OWN TIME, LEAVING HER WHOLE LIFE, FAMILY, TECHNOLOGY, COMFORTS, LOVERS AND JOB AND THEN BE FORCED TO MARRY SOME DUDE WITH A NAME LIKE 'THE HAWK'! WTF! Luckily for Adrienne she has no life back in the 21st century because she is an insipid mollusk with a very attractive outer shell.
The weirdest/worst thing is nobody is even interested in what is going on in the future, or how she can help them with the medical advancements we have in our age or the military tactics we have learned etc ....WTFUCK
November 17, 2021
Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning
1st book in the Highlander series. Historical time travel romance.
Adrienne is transported magically from modern day Seattle to sixteen century Scotland where she is forced to marry. Hawk is fascinated by the outspoken and opinionated female unlike any he’s met before.
I had a tough time in the very beginning by the maid getting beaten. Then the lack of consent. Getting past that, it’s an out of time romance for a couple that are equally opinionated and strong. I didn’t like the lies but understood her need to be defiant. To a point. Neither actually had much say in their situation because of the Fae Magic.
I’m glad they eventually resolved the differences and were able to love each other.
I’m not sure time has done this one too many favors. Pun intended!
Bookclub read for a book that’s been on my shelf since prior to 2013.
1st book in the Highlander series. Historical time travel romance.
Adrienne is transported magically from modern day Seattle to sixteen century Scotland where she is forced to marry. Hawk is fascinated by the outspoken and opinionated female unlike any he’s met before.
I had a tough time in the very beginning by the maid getting beaten. Then the lack of consent. Getting past that, it’s an out of time romance for a couple that are equally opinionated and strong. I didn’t like the lies but understood her need to be defiant. To a point. Neither actually had much say in their situation because of the Fae Magic.
I’m glad they eventually resolved the differences and were able to love each other.
I’m not sure time has done this one too many favors. Pun intended!
Bookclub read for a book that’s been on my shelf since prior to 2013.
November 27, 2016
I read this over two years ago and never wrote a proper review for it. I've never been a romance fan so this didn't go very well for me. My friend Kate did enjoy the book so you should check out her
review
, it might convince you to give this a try!
Spread the love people, we all deserve to be famous!
Awesome badge courtesy of awesome Kat!
************
Original review (November 2012):
This is not the type of book I usually read but once in a while I feel like a change and try a something different. Well, picking this up was definitely not a good idea.
I still can't believe how ridiculous this book is and what possessed me to finish it. Granted, I skimmed through most of the pages, but still... The writing is awful and repetitive (get rid of every passage where the heroine says she "hates beautiful men" and those where the hero's flawless body is mentioned and half the book is gone), the characters are beyond clichéd.
I thought that A Knight in Shining Armor was bad but after reading Beyond the Highland Mist I am actually tempted to give it two stars instead of one...
Spread the love people, we all deserve to be famous!
Awesome badge courtesy of awesome Kat!
************
Original review (November 2012):
This is not the type of book I usually read but once in a while I feel like a change and try a something different. Well, picking this up was definitely not a good idea.
I still can't believe how ridiculous this book is and what possessed me to finish it. Granted, I skimmed through most of the pages, but still... The writing is awful and repetitive (get rid of every passage where the heroine says she "hates beautiful men" and those where the hero's flawless body is mentioned and half the book is gone), the characters are beyond clichéd.
I thought that A Knight in Shining Armor was bad but after reading Beyond the Highland Mist I am actually tempted to give it two stars instead of one...
July 30, 2010
I love historical romances - especially those featuring pirates, knights, and highlanders - so I was excited to discover Karen Marie Moning's "Highlander" series. "Beyond the Highland Mist" is the first in the series and I am so glad I picked this book up!
Sixteenth Century - Sidheach (Sid-hawk) James Lyon Douglas is known as Hawk, legendary lover to countless women. His sensuality just oozes off the pages. He is well-aware of the hold his beauty and his sexuality holds over the women who are lucky/unlucky enough to share his bed. As he so arrogantly brags to his best friend and captain of the guard, Grimm, "There is not a woman I can not have." A wish upon a star by his friend soon finds the legendary lover eating those very words.
Twentieth Century - Adrienne de Simone has had enough with beautiful men. Finding her world turned upside down by a failed and almost fatal relationship with a gorgeous playboy, she swears off beautiful men forever. Finding herself the pawn in a game between the mortals and the fae, Adrienne is thrust back in time to the sixteenth century where she is to be wed to the man who is the very epitome of everything she has sworn off in men.
Things start getting very interesting when the first time Hawk sees his wife, who he was determined before to ignore, she's checking out the blacksmith, Adam Black. Once so sure of himself, Hawk finds himself treading the very unfamiliar waters of jealousy. Determined to not lose his bride to a blacksmith, Hawk sets out to seduce her only to find his every plan thwarted by the not so easily won Adrienne.
I laughed until I cried at these two! Hawk's jealousy towards Adam was hilarious...and touching. The secondary characters were just as enjoyable, too! From Lady Lydia, the Hawk's mother to Tavis and his "I'll say" to the Rom and their superstitions - all come together to form a wonderful story of wit, mayhem, and magic!
By the way, I found myself just as enchanted by Adam Black the blacksmith as the heroine and after a quick search on Amazon.com I found that he has his own book! *squeal Of course it comes much later in the series and so I'll have to wait patiently until I've finished the others before I can find out what happened to my favorite "prankster". *wink
Sixteenth Century - Sidheach (Sid-hawk) James Lyon Douglas is known as Hawk, legendary lover to countless women. His sensuality just oozes off the pages. He is well-aware of the hold his beauty and his sexuality holds over the women who are lucky/unlucky enough to share his bed. As he so arrogantly brags to his best friend and captain of the guard, Grimm, "There is not a woman I can not have." A wish upon a star by his friend soon finds the legendary lover eating those very words.
Twentieth Century - Adrienne de Simone has had enough with beautiful men. Finding her world turned upside down by a failed and almost fatal relationship with a gorgeous playboy, she swears off beautiful men forever. Finding herself the pawn in a game between the mortals and the fae, Adrienne is thrust back in time to the sixteenth century where she is to be wed to the man who is the very epitome of everything she has sworn off in men.
Things start getting very interesting when the first time Hawk sees his wife, who he was determined before to ignore, she's checking out the blacksmith, Adam Black. Once so sure of himself, Hawk finds himself treading the very unfamiliar waters of jealousy. Determined to not lose his bride to a blacksmith, Hawk sets out to seduce her only to find his every plan thwarted by the not so easily won Adrienne.
I laughed until I cried at these two! Hawk's jealousy towards Adam was hilarious...and touching. The secondary characters were just as enjoyable, too! From Lady Lydia, the Hawk's mother to Tavis and his "I'll say" to the Rom and their superstitions - all come together to form a wonderful story of wit, mayhem, and magic!
By the way, I found myself just as enchanted by Adam Black the blacksmith as the heroine and after a quick search on Amazon.com I found that he has his own book! *squeal Of course it comes much later in the series and so I'll have to wait patiently until I've finished the others before I can find out what happened to my favorite "prankster". *wink
January 12, 2016
2.5 Stars
I adore the Fever series, so I thought I'd have success with Beyond the Highland Mist. No so much. I adored Hawk, but for a lot of the story I was completely frustrated with Adrienne. So illogically stubborn and prejudice against "beautiful men". I know Adrienne was burned by a "beautiful man", but how can someone be so shortsighted to judge every good looking male for the sins of one?!
I think the story would've benefited by some editing down, as well.
As for the narration, Phil Gigante's male voices are so rich and seductive! Man oh man, he could talk the panties off a nun! His Scottish accent was lovely! The female voices are another story. Lydia wasn't so bad, but Adrienne came off as whiny and peevish, and maybe that was on purpose somewhat, but it made me think she was even more of a brat when I already wanted to shake her.
I adore the Fever series, so I thought I'd have success with Beyond the Highland Mist. No so much. I adored Hawk, but for a lot of the story I was completely frustrated with Adrienne. So illogically stubborn and prejudice against "beautiful men". I know Adrienne was burned by a "beautiful man", but how can someone be so shortsighted to judge every good looking male for the sins of one?!
I think the story would've benefited by some editing down, as well.
As for the narration, Phil Gigante's male voices are so rich and seductive! Man oh man, he could talk the panties off a nun! His Scottish accent was lovely! The female voices are another story. Lydia wasn't so bad, but Adrienne came off as whiny and peevish, and maybe that was on purpose somewhat, but it made me think she was even more of a brat when I already wanted to shake her.
April 7, 2011
Next up on the IPod.
This book has received many favorable reviews but this isn’t going to be one of them. I feel like the Goodreads grouch but as I was listening to this on audio my overriding thought was, “when the hell is it going to end?” It seemed to plod on and on and if I heard the heroine exclaim “I HATE BEAUTIFUL MEN!” once more whilst drooling over two pretty men I was certain I was going lose the last thread of sanity that’s holding me together.
I’m not going to waste your time (and mine) by rehashing the plot bit by painful bit. Basically, it’s a time-travel in which the modern day heroine gets flung back in time straight into the lap of a man in need of a daughter to marry off to “The Hawk”. Hawk is a beautiful man, with big beautiful man parts that he’s been using to give pleasure to most of the women in the area for years. He’s ticked off a jealous fey King and he’s in service to his King (because of something his father did) and both King’s have something to do with the time flippery of the heroine. Got it? No? I’m not sure I do either. The Hawk isn’t supposed to love whatshername (Adrianne, was it?), which is why the fey chose her (as punishment) but, imagine this if you will, they fall madly, truly, deeply, forever after in love, despite it all.
I’m being sarcastic because that's how I roll when I'm grumpy after listening to this male narrator go on and on for what seemed like two months. He does a super sexy Hawk voice but his falsetto female voice just didn’t work for me and when he read the sex scenes I was more than a bit uncomfortable in a bad way. These two characters come across as a bit bratty for way too much of the story. She tries to make him jealous to push him away because, don’t forget(like the author would ever let you), SHE HATES BEAUTIFUL MEN! HATES THEM!! because she’s been scorned by one. She doth protest way too much and spends numerous pages flirting with a gorgeous-o (I dare not say beautiful) blacksmith and it was downright mean to Hawk and didn’t make me sympathize with her at all. The Hawk, of course, falls for it every damn time and stomps off in a huff determined to make her love him anyway, even when he thinks she’s slept with the other dude. Why, man, why?! There are lots of nice girls out there who would give you those babies you want and wouldn't hurt you so!
I was so confused. I got the impression that she was a modern girl, who in her past, was treated exceptionally bad by an arrogant, beautiful bastard whom she had a relationship with and from the bits revealed it seemed as if she lived with the man. However, it is later revealed that she is a virgin. Twenty, living with a guy and a virgin still? Her ex seemed like a real worldly man and I just didn’t get this but maybe I just have too dirty of a mind? Yeah, that’s probably it.
Despite my many issues with this book I did love “The Hawk” and felt that he deserved better than Adrianne and her silly head games. This book made me so crazy and nattered on for eternity but because it made me feel something, even if that something was too often anger, I have to give it three stars for making me care. I’ll probably read the next one too because that’s how I am.
This book has received many favorable reviews but this isn’t going to be one of them. I feel like the Goodreads grouch but as I was listening to this on audio my overriding thought was, “when the hell is it going to end?” It seemed to plod on and on and if I heard the heroine exclaim “I HATE BEAUTIFUL MEN!” once more whilst drooling over two pretty men I was certain I was going lose the last thread of sanity that’s holding me together.
I’m not going to waste your time (and mine) by rehashing the plot bit by painful bit. Basically, it’s a time-travel in which the modern day heroine gets flung back in time straight into the lap of a man in need of a daughter to marry off to “The Hawk”. Hawk is a beautiful man, with big beautiful man parts that he’s been using to give pleasure to most of the women in the area for years. He’s ticked off a jealous fey King and he’s in service to his King (because of something his father did) and both King’s have something to do with the time flippery of the heroine. Got it? No? I’m not sure I do either. The Hawk isn’t supposed to love whatshername (Adrianne, was it?), which is why the fey chose her (as punishment) but, imagine this if you will, they fall madly, truly, deeply, forever after in love, despite it all.
I’m being sarcastic because that's how I roll when I'm grumpy after listening to this male narrator go on and on for what seemed like two months. He does a super sexy Hawk voice but his falsetto female voice just didn’t work for me and when he read the sex scenes I was more than a bit uncomfortable in a bad way. These two characters come across as a bit bratty for way too much of the story. She tries to make him jealous to push him away because, don’t forget(like the author would ever let you), SHE HATES BEAUTIFUL MEN! HATES THEM!! because she’s been scorned by one. She doth protest way too much and spends numerous pages flirting with a gorgeous-o (I dare not say beautiful) blacksmith and it was downright mean to Hawk and didn’t make me sympathize with her at all. The Hawk, of course, falls for it every damn time and stomps off in a huff determined to make her love him anyway, even when he thinks she’s slept with the other dude. Why, man, why?! There are lots of nice girls out there who would give you those babies you want and wouldn't hurt you so!
I was so confused. I got the impression that she was a modern girl, who in her past, was treated exceptionally bad by an arrogant, beautiful bastard whom she had a relationship with and from the bits revealed it seemed as if she lived with the man. However, it is later revealed that she is a virgin. Twenty, living with a guy and a virgin still? Her ex seemed like a real worldly man and I just didn’t get this but maybe I just have too dirty of a mind? Yeah, that’s probably it.
Despite my many issues with this book I did love “The Hawk” and felt that he deserved better than Adrianne and her silly head games. This book made me so crazy and nattered on for eternity but because it made me feel something, even if that something was too often anger, I have to give it three stars for making me care. I’ll probably read the next one too because that’s how I am.
February 23, 2017
Tengo que reconocer que me ha decepcionado un poco este inicio de saga. No sé, esperaba algo más...
June 5, 2011
Beyond the Highland Mist - First of all I have read this series out of order, intentionally. I was told by a dozen fellow reviewers that the first three in this series were pretty flat. So I read 4-7 and FREAKING LOVED THEM, but then my gal pal, Nissie and I decided that we should pay the first three in the series homage. After reading the first one, I’m going to have to swing my vote in favour of this one not being anywhere near as good as books 4-7. The only compensation being that I got a chunk full of Adam Black * Excuse me while I wipe the drool from my chin*.
Now I’m not going to lie, KMM has a way with her words. She has a nice knack for making things from the lick of the lower lip to talking about Falcons, pretty darn sensual. And can build sexual tension to a boiling point!
Sidheach James Lyon Dougal, (whoa! Wrap your mouth around that one a half dozen times) aka HAWK, is the 16th centuries version on Brad Pitt, or whatever you consider the epitome of perfect. Okay so imagine the most perfect man ever in your head....got it?.....hold it..... okay, so that’s, Hawk.
Adrienne is the 20th Centuries version of a ‘man hater’ – she herself is pretty stunning. But because of her 20th century loathing of pretty men, she is by no fault of her own sucked back through time to be used as a pawn against Hawk. Adrienne finds herself married to Hawk and stuck in the 16th Century, the roll she seems to slide into a little too smoothly. No freaking out about time travel, no ‘OMG IM IN THE LAND BEFORE TOILETS AND *GASP* TOILET PAPER!’.
This is where Adam Blacks worms his way into the equation – he wants to get revenge on Hawk after the Queen Fairy Aoibheal made her King Finnbheara jealous with her tales of Hawk. And so the story begins.
Time travel, romance, seduction, fairies, Rom, danger, action, love are only snippets into what we get in this book. But in saying all these things there was still something lacking in this story that was there in the other books. I didn’t like that to Hawk there was never a question as to if he, himself would go to Adrienne's time to save her; it was always she had to come to him. Also Hawk was really quite full of himself and well Adrienne didn’t fare much better. I guess this book has a case of what’s been come to known as FITSI – FIRST IN THE SERIES ITIS.
But I will be reading on because I already know the series ends up to be magnificent.
May 11, 2011
What did I think? I thought thank god I read the Fever series before this or I would have never picked it up and would have mocked anyone who recommended it to me.
There isn't much to say about this book except the fact that this is not the Karen Marie Moning I am used to. Yet, some things have actually acquired a certain clarity; she is certainly a veteran in writing hot steamy sex scenes and the Highlander series has been, for all intents and purposes, her training camp, leading to the Fever series.
I decided to read these books - yes, I was planning to read the whole thing - to fill in the gaps that Shadowfever left me with. Who is Adam Black? Where do the MacKeltars come from and what is their story?
I knew this was much more on the paranormal romance side, yet I did not expect it to be bordering on erotica.
Let me make an example taken right from page 1, the Prologue:
"They say his manhood at half-mast would make a stallion envious."
or imagine my shock when I read these words coming from the mysterious Adam Black's mouth (who is really none other than Puck/Robin Goodfellow, FYI), right on page 45:
"Is there a service I might perform for you, my fair queen? Perhaps you have something in need of a heated shaping and molding? Or perhaps I might reshape my steel lance in the heat of your forge, milady?"
From here on is an escalation of bodice ripping scenes and infuriating similies - woman/mare, woman/falcon to tame, woman/ whatever animal to mount comes to mind, and believe me, if I never hear the words silken nub or throbbing shaft ever again, it'll be too soon.
So yeah, this book was so not for me. I think I was hoping to find Jericho Barrons hidden somewhere in the pages, but alas, he appears to be unrepeatable.
Follow me at NightReader
There isn't much to say about this book except the fact that this is not the Karen Marie Moning I am used to. Yet, some things have actually acquired a certain clarity; she is certainly a veteran in writing hot steamy sex scenes and the Highlander series has been, for all intents and purposes, her training camp, leading to the Fever series.
I decided to read these books - yes, I was planning to read the whole thing - to fill in the gaps that Shadowfever left me with. Who is Adam Black? Where do the MacKeltars come from and what is their story?
I knew this was much more on the paranormal romance side, yet I did not expect it to be bordering on erotica.
Let me make an example taken right from page 1, the Prologue:
"They say his manhood at half-mast would make a stallion envious."
or imagine my shock when I read these words coming from the mysterious Adam Black's mouth (who is really none other than Puck/Robin Goodfellow, FYI), right on page 45:
"Is there a service I might perform for you, my fair queen? Perhaps you have something in need of a heated shaping and molding? Or perhaps I might reshape my steel lance in the heat of your forge, milady?"
From here on is an escalation of bodice ripping scenes and infuriating similies - woman/mare, woman/falcon to tame, woman/ whatever animal to mount comes to mind, and believe me, if I never hear the words silken nub or throbbing shaft ever again, it'll be too soon.
So yeah, this book was so not for me. I think I was hoping to find Jericho Barrons hidden somewhere in the pages, but alas, he appears to be unrepeatable.
Follow me at NightReader
December 2, 2016
What a sweet romantic book and what a great author Moning is!
In the kingdom of Fae, the King and the Queen with the help of the Fool are playing with the lives of two young people Hawk and Adrienne.
From the 20th century and New Orlean, Adrienne teleports to the 16th century and Scotland. There, she is forced to marry Hawk, a womeniser who does not really want to marry her. Hawk and Adrienne eventually fall in love.
My favourite scene was when Hawk was trying to seduce his wife in the falcons stables, inside the broch.
In the kingdom of Fae, the King and the Queen with the help of the Fool are playing with the lives of two young people Hawk and Adrienne.
From the 20th century and New Orlean, Adrienne teleports to the 16th century and Scotland. There, she is forced to marry Hawk, a womeniser who does not really want to marry her. Hawk and Adrienne eventually fall in love.
My favourite scene was when Hawk was trying to seduce his wife in the falcons stables, inside the broch.
July 25, 2023
1 😮⭐️
I honestly must have won a medal for finishing this story…
The premise was intriguing and promising but the execution was bad. Farfetched and ridiculous elements, absurd behaviours, unrealistic and unreasonable aspects, poor development.
And how was it possible that the mcs fell in love when they really didn’t know each other, since there was no actual communication between them???
I honestly must have won a medal for finishing this story…
The premise was intriguing and promising but the execution was bad. Farfetched and ridiculous elements, absurd behaviours, unrealistic and unreasonable aspects, poor development.
And how was it possible that the mcs fell in love when they really didn’t know each other, since there was no actual communication between them???
October 2, 2022
This book was published in 1999 and is the first in a series of 8 books. I read this as my time travel romance for my book club. My thoughts......Hawk spent the first 40% of the book being lovesick and trying to convince Adrienne to love/have sex with him. I enjoyed the magical/mystical parts of the story more with Adam Black and the fairies. It was a nice book that had a good twist on the time travel trope. I may read more in the series and rate it 3.5*
December 7, 2016
★★★★★5 Love&magic stars★★★★★Bedevil the devil and devil be dammed. I fear no devil and bow to no man.
This book was truly an absolute delight ! Passion & seduction,love & magic,secrets & mystery;This book truly had it all !Beyond the Highland Mist was like an unexpectedly tasty morsel ,I just had to finish at one go!Which I so promptly did ;)
I know with all that exclamatory marks,I'm probably coming across a bit unhinged and bouncy,(Is that even a word?) right now but I promise you,it's only from the absolute high this book left me with...A endearing side-effect.
“What did you wish for, Grimm?”A slow smile slid over Grimm’s face. “A lass who doesn’t want you. A lovely, nay, an earth-shatteringly beautiful one, with wit and wisdom to boot. One with a perfect face and a perfect body, and a perfect ‘no’ on her perfect lips for you, my oh-so-perfect friend. And I also wished to be allowed to watch the battle.”
Hawk smiled smugly. “It will never happen.”
“The wind gusting sweetly through the pines carried a disembodied voice that drifted on a breeze of jasmine and sandalwood. Then it spoke in laughing words neither man heard. “I think that can be arranged.”
The plot-line stayed solid and entertaining throughout the book.I love how the author taked a far-fetched concept like 'Time travel' and used just the right amount of 'Magic' to make the story seem a bit more believable.
With that said I loved, each and every character of this book,even the book's main antagonist,The Queen's Fool.All of them were well written and left strong impressions of their character's on my mind.But Hawk&Adrienne probably did end up being my favorites.(Even though she gave me a migraine with all the Yes and a No attitude for probably 60% of the book,*grimace*.But don't worry darlings,She makes up for it in the end.*Secret smile*
“My heart. I didn’t just pick a sweet turn of phrase to name you, but spoke from my soul when I named you thus. Without my heart I couldn’t live. And I couldn’t breathe without you.”
“Are you a man who has more than one heart?”
“Nay. Only this one. But it’s bitter and dark now from the pain I’ve brought you.”
At first,I was actually quite hesitant to pick up this series.This book had earned a couple of 2 stars from a few of my close GR besties. A friend of mine told me that almost all of these books can be read as a standalone and to dip my leg into this 'Series pond' by trying out one of her favourite first,which was book 4 Kiss of a highlander(which I ended up loving btw).
So yes,I skipped a few books initially but I feel like maybe,I might have started off in a good place,to enjoy the rest of the series.
I steamrolled my way to book 6 but before I finished this series (thanks to my O.C.D like tendencies) I just had to go back and give BOOK 1 a Go first and....
And Viola ! 24 hours and so many minutes later,here I am raving about a great read,blissfully high and stated on what could only be described as an Amazing Story Rush ;)
I know,my review will NOT be the only review you read.But if by any chance you feel that small nudging feeling telling you to read this series.Don't ignore it,it's the Fae's strange magic ;) or maybe it's just my awesome reviewing skills.*Smiles* Maybe just maybe.*Winks*
This series in Ratings :
#1 Beyond the Highland Mist - 5 Stars ! (Review=https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
#2 To Tame A Highland Warrior - 1 Star :( [The ONLY book in this series I rated so low.]Here's why->(Review=https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
#3 The Highlander's Touch - 3 Stars (Not bad but not that great either.*Shrug*)
#4 Kiss of the Highlander - 5 Stars !!
(Review = https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
#5 The Dark Highlander - 4 Stars :)
(Review = https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... )
#6 The Immortal Highlander - 4.75 Stars !
#7 Spell of the Highlander - 4 Stars.
(Review= https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
#8 Into the Dreaming -4 Stars :)
February 5, 2017
Pues me ha gustado muchísimo...
Ha tenido momentos de mucha tensión de la buena (como momento café entre Hawk y Ari ) y momentos de muchas risas. No se me ha hecho una lectura pesada y ya se ha visto que tiene relación con la otra serie Fever. Pues seguiré leyendo esta serie.
Ha tenido momentos de mucha tensión de la buena (como momento café entre Hawk y Ari ) y momentos de muchas risas. No se me ha hecho una lectura pesada y ya se ha visto que tiene relación con la otra serie Fever. Pues seguiré leyendo esta serie.
April 23, 2024
okumam gerekenler listesi boyumu aşmış, ödev yazmak için okumam gereken onca kitap varken ben ne yaptım? tabii ki re-read! AH BEBEĞİM SIDHEACH! bul beniiiiiiiiiii
*
3. Okuma BR 👉 @Füsun, @Hayledie, @ilknur a.k.a. iko, @Sedef
•
İlk İskoç’um, ilk PNR’m! 😍 Ah Sidheach, ah, ne güzel kalbin var senin!
Evet, İskoç fetişimin kaynağı da KMM’dir. Beni öyle bir batağa soktu ki, çektiğim yoksunluğun haddi hesabı yok. Öbür tarafta iki elim yakanda kadın!
Şimdi, bu kitap ve seri için Fever karşılaştırması yapıldığına sık sık denk geliyorum. Ama ben buna katılmıyorum. Evet, aynı kişi tarafından kaleme alınmış olabilirler ama o kadar farklı kulvarda iki seride bahsediyoruz ki!
Bir kere Barrons dediğiniz herif apayrı bir dünya, karşılaştırmak bile anlamsız ulan!
Bu seri Paranormal-Romance, Fever ise Urban Fantasy. Aradaki fark için bu yazıyı okumanızı tavsiye ederim. Dolayısıyla ne kadar karşılaştırılmaya müsait tartışılır. Ha, beğenmezsin anlarım ama lütfen karşılaştırma yapmamaya gayret ederek okuyun.
*
3. Okuma BR 👉 @Füsun, @Hayledie, @ilknur a.k.a. iko, @Sedef
•
İlk İskoç’um, ilk PNR’m! 😍 Ah Sidheach, ah, ne güzel kalbin var senin!
Evet, İskoç fetişimin kaynağı da KMM’dir. Beni öyle bir batağa soktu ki, çektiğim yoksunluğun haddi hesabı yok. Öbür tarafta iki elim yakanda kadın!
Şimdi, bu kitap ve seri için Fever karşılaştırması yapıldığına sık sık denk geliyorum. Ama ben buna katılmıyorum. Evet, aynı kişi tarafından kaleme alınmış olabilirler ama o kadar farklı kulvarda iki seride bahsediyoruz ki!
Bir kere Barrons dediğiniz herif apayrı bir dünya, karşılaştırmak bile anlamsız ulan!
Bu seri Paranormal-Romance, Fever ise Urban Fantasy. Aradaki fark için bu yazıyı okumanızı tavsiye ederim. Dolayısıyla ne kadar karşılaştırılmaya müsait tartışılır. Ha, beğenmezsin anlarım ama lütfen karşılaştırma yapmamaya gayret ederek okuyun.
March 27, 2024
3.5 Stars.
I liked it a lot.
Time Travel is not my favorite genre, but this one is well played! None of that over the top paradox mucking up the story.
It is a very slow burn and very little adult steam, but when they finally get there it is well worth the wait.
I liked all the characters and the world. Loved Hawk and Adrienne. Although I kind of did not care for her name. I must of changed how it was pronounced in my head a dozen times 😊
All and all it was a fun and delightful read. Intriguing, sometimes funny, sexy and steamy and oh so romantic.
But there are some negatives.
The one that got to me the most is the repetition of thoughts and the long windedness of the story.
If those things had been eliminated or at least reduced, this would have been a high 4 star read.
I will most definitely be reading the next book in this series!
I liked it a lot.
Time Travel is not my favorite genre, but this one is well played! None of that over the top paradox mucking up the story.
It is a very slow burn and very little adult steam, but when they finally get there it is well worth the wait.
I liked all the characters and the world. Loved Hawk and Adrienne. Although I kind of did not care for her name. I must of changed how it was pronounced in my head a dozen times 😊
All and all it was a fun and delightful read. Intriguing, sometimes funny, sexy and steamy and oh so romantic.
But there are some negatives.
The one that got to me the most is the repetition of thoughts and the long windedness of the story.
If those things had been eliminated or at least reduced, this would have been a high 4 star read.
I will most definitely be reading the next book in this series!
June 16, 2023
Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, quite a bit of banter
(These ratings are all personal preference except the steam scale, where every full sex act is a flame (follows our chart for The Ton and the Tartans facebook group))
This is a time travel romance. The heroine is taken from the future and dropped into the 1500s in Scotland. (If you’re wondering how much page time is contemporary versus historical, I noted it! It’s only about 20 pages contemporary time. So about 5% of the story. Rejoice, HR lovers!
This whole story begins because of the legendary sexual prowess of the Hawk. Able to bed anyone, apparently he’s turned the fae Queen’s head his way and angered her king and servants. Adam Black is the fae court fool, and he causes mischief for the hero and heroine. He searches for someone who will have no problem saying NO to Hawk and finds that with Adrienne. Five hundred years in the future, perhaps, but not a problem for Adam.
Give this a try if you want:
- Time travel romance with a contemporary heroine and a touch of magic
- Lots of other woman/other man drama
- 1500s time period in Scotland
- Mid steam – this is a classic case of me remembering something as steamier than what it is. There are quite a few kisses, so those make it feel steamier. I did not count the scenes that did not have orgasms in the flame count (see end of review for exact locations/amounts under spoiler). There's a few sex scenes that are shorter. I marked it as 3.
- Arranged marriage trope – these two are married by proxy as soon as she’s dropped in the past
- Enemies to lovers – the heroine hates beautiful men
- A highlander hero that loves first
- A jealous hero (and a jealous heroine) due to the OM/OW drama
- You’re okay with lots of dubious consent and the ‘no but I mean yes’ feeling, though sex is totally consensual
Now, this was one my first historical romances I read after a decent hiatus from reading. So I think I’ll always have a soft spot for this one. This romance actually has a number of things I find rather annoying. Other woman/other man drama throughout much of the book...A few different perspectives happening outside the hero/heroine...the whole ending was a bit frustrating...the heroine was truly obnoxious to me and took everything too far.
But. But...Sidheach (Hawk!) oh how he just utterly melts my heart. I just adored him. I loved this story so much with his parts. I wanted to pull that heroine out and plop myself in there, though I would have been saying yes right away and the book would have been really short lol.
I love that hero wants love. He wants a family. He loves his mother, he loves his clan. He really tries to woo the heroine and he’s always cornering her and putting his arms on the wall behind her, and pulling her close, and whispering sweet nothings in her ear and just begging….begging her to yield to him. He’s one of my favorites.
So even though I had some things that bothered me, I still love this book. I found myself thinking about it constantly when I wasn’t reading it, wanting to read it, and that hasn’t happened to me in a long time!
One of my favorite lines
Suddenly she was doing more than permitting. Her arms crept up to circle his neck. She buried her fingers in his silky dark hair, then slid them down his neck to his powerful shoulders, tracing the contours of each sculpted muscle.
Adrienne drew a shaky, bewildered breath. She couldn’t get enough oxygen in her lungs, but that ceased to matter as Hawk replaced her need for hair with a need for his lips, a need for his tongue, a need for his need of her.
“I am the one, lass,” he warned her softly. “It all stops here. With me. The best and last. Oh, definitely your last.”
My last, she reluctantly acknowledged, for she doubted that any other man could match this one.
Content warnings:
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, quite a bit of banter
(These ratings are all personal preference except the steam scale, where every full sex act is a flame (follows our chart for The Ton and the Tartans facebook group))
This is a time travel romance. The heroine is taken from the future and dropped into the 1500s in Scotland. (If you’re wondering how much page time is contemporary versus historical, I noted it! It’s only about 20 pages contemporary time. So about 5% of the story. Rejoice, HR lovers!
This whole story begins because of the legendary sexual prowess of the Hawk. Able to bed anyone, apparently he’s turned the fae Queen’s head his way and angered her king and servants. Adam Black is the fae court fool, and he causes mischief for the hero and heroine. He searches for someone who will have no problem saying NO to Hawk and finds that with Adrienne. Five hundred years in the future, perhaps, but not a problem for Adam.
Give this a try if you want:
- Time travel romance with a contemporary heroine and a touch of magic
- Lots of other woman/other man drama
- 1500s time period in Scotland
- Mid steam – this is a classic case of me remembering something as steamier than what it is. There are quite a few kisses, so those make it feel steamier. I did not count the scenes that did not have orgasms in the flame count (see end of review for exact locations/amounts under spoiler). There's a few sex scenes that are shorter. I marked it as 3.
- Arranged marriage trope – these two are married by proxy as soon as she’s dropped in the past
- Enemies to lovers – the heroine hates beautiful men
- A highlander hero that loves first
- A jealous hero (and a jealous heroine) due to the OM/OW drama
- You’re okay with lots of dubious consent and the ‘no but I mean yes’ feeling, though sex is totally consensual
Now, this was one my first historical romances I read after a decent hiatus from reading. So I think I’ll always have a soft spot for this one. This romance actually has a number of things I find rather annoying. Other woman/other man drama throughout much of the book...A few different perspectives happening outside the hero/heroine...the whole ending was a bit frustrating...the heroine was truly obnoxious to me and took everything too far.
But. But...Sidheach (Hawk!) oh how he just utterly melts my heart. I just adored him. I loved this story so much with his parts. I wanted to pull that heroine out and plop myself in there, though I would have been saying yes right away and the book would have been really short lol.
I love that hero wants love. He wants a family. He loves his mother, he loves his clan. He really tries to woo the heroine and he’s always cornering her and putting his arms on the wall behind her, and pulling her close, and whispering sweet nothings in her ear and just begging….begging her to yield to him. He’s one of my favorites.
So even though I had some things that bothered me, I still love this book. I found myself thinking about it constantly when I wasn’t reading it, wanting to read it, and that hasn’t happened to me in a long time!
One of my favorite lines
Suddenly she was doing more than permitting. Her arms crept up to circle his neck. She buried her fingers in his silky dark hair, then slid them down his neck to his powerful shoulders, tracing the contours of each sculpted muscle.
Adrienne drew a shaky, bewildered breath. She couldn’t get enough oxygen in her lungs, but that ceased to matter as Hawk replaced her need for hair with a need for his lips, a need for his tongue, a need for his need of her.
“I am the one, lass,” he warned her softly. “It all stops here. With me. The best and last. Oh, definitely your last.”
My last, she reluctantly acknowledged, for she doubted that any other man could match this one.
Content warnings:
May 17, 2017
"Beyond the Highland Mist" is the first book in Karen Marie Moning's "Highlander series." Stubborn and lusty Scottish warriors have been a literary delight of mine since I first read Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series when I was 19. While I would say that each series is in a class separate from one another, both have been quite enjoyable reads for me.
The plot here is nothing new in the romance novel genre world. The male protagonist, Hawk is a Scottish warrior and laird of the Douglas clan. Women love him due to his legendary prowess in the bedroom and also for his rock hard abs and other physical attributes. Our female protagonist, is Adrienne de Simone, a 20th century fiery spirit who finds herself time traveling to 16th century Scotland. Her time traveling adventure is due to the mischievous Adam Black, known by many names in cultural legends but perhaps for those who read Shakespeare, none other than the loveable Puck.
Of course, sparks quickly fly between the male and female protagonist. Of course, the female protagonist resists the male's raw sexual magnetism. As per usual, the foreplay goes on for about 100 pages until our female can comfortably give in. The female is a virgin( of course she is!), the male is hung like a horse( of course, he is!) and provides the female with the longest lasting and most powerful orgasm of her life( well, of course he would!). They enjoy a couple of great nights of sensuality and then things go awry( Duh!). But don't worry the two protagonists will find their way to each other after the villains of the story are defeated.
Despite all this typical clichéd plotline, I liked the book because KMM makes it work and writes in a way that lures a reader like myself in. It even caused me to overlook the historical inaccuracy of the male heroes wearing kilts. The kilt would have been worn by a only a handful of Scots in the 1500's according to the Scottish history sites I have checked out.. But like the Braveheart movie, we love that stereotype of the Scots so much it just has to be there. But that doesn't make it any less desirable as a book.
I am now reading book 2!
The plot here is nothing new in the romance novel genre world. The male protagonist, Hawk is a Scottish warrior and laird of the Douglas clan. Women love him due to his legendary prowess in the bedroom and also for his rock hard abs and other physical attributes. Our female protagonist, is Adrienne de Simone, a 20th century fiery spirit who finds herself time traveling to 16th century Scotland. Her time traveling adventure is due to the mischievous Adam Black, known by many names in cultural legends but perhaps for those who read Shakespeare, none other than the loveable Puck.
Of course, sparks quickly fly between the male and female protagonist. Of course, the female protagonist resists the male's raw sexual magnetism. As per usual, the foreplay goes on for about 100 pages until our female can comfortably give in. The female is a virgin( of course she is!), the male is hung like a horse( of course, he is!) and provides the female with the longest lasting and most powerful orgasm of her life( well, of course he would!). They enjoy a couple of great nights of sensuality and then things go awry( Duh!). But don't worry the two protagonists will find their way to each other after the villains of the story are defeated.
Despite all this typical clichéd plotline, I liked the book because KMM makes it work and writes in a way that lures a reader like myself in. It even caused me to overlook the historical inaccuracy of the male heroes wearing kilts. The kilt would have been worn by a only a handful of Scots in the 1500's according to the Scottish history sites I have checked out.. But like the Braveheart movie, we love that stereotype of the Scots so much it just has to be there. But that doesn't make it any less desirable as a book.
I am now reading book 2!
June 9, 2010
^^MYSTIFYINGLY GOOD!^^
Beyond the Highland Mist is the first book in Moning’s Highlander series. A tale of when men were men, all brawn and brains, where the fey lurked about and caused confusion. Where men wore kilts and you would die just to get some wind to blow up those suckers. When a Sixteenth century warrior meets Twentieth century woman, things will never be the same again.
Adrienne de Simone is sick and tired of beautiful men. She knows hands down behind the face of an angel is the heart of a devil. Now basically on the run with one eye always over her shoulder, she lives her life in fear and solitude with her cat Moonshine. Adrienne world is about to be shaken up when she becomes a chess piece to the Fey. A pawn in their game to bring destruction to a man they hate. The worst part is that it was a time where beautiful men were abundant and she is about to land herself the most beautiful of all.
Sixteenth C- Sidheach (Sid-hawk) James Douglas is a well known man of beauty, women plot and kill to get into his bed. His prowess and virility is well known, men respect him and also hate him. What they never see is the true man that he is, heart filled with courage and love for his people and a dream that he will meet the perfect woman and have babies. His sexiness comes of the pages and slaps you in the face, he sweats sex and oozes pure sensuality. Unawares he is about to become an enemy of the Fey, all because his legendary bedding skills. “There is not a woman I cannot have” those words uttered by the Hawk are about to be put to the test.
Things get all kinds of interesting when Adrienne finds out she is to become the wife of some man she does not know, plus the year is 1513 of course she is going crazy. Time travel does not exist but her eyes do not deceive her because the proof is there. So now she is married to a man by proxy because he refused to show up to his own wedding, she has to pretend to be someone else. This woman is all kinds of pissed.
The first meeting between Hawk and Adrienne is hilarious when he catches her checking out the smithy Adam Black. Adrienne is in all kinds of hell surrounded by hot and sexy men, and the worst happens to be her husband who she wants to be wrapped around like a pole. Hawk is seriously jealous of Adam who plays a serious part in the coming together of our hero and heroine. It is just down right hilarious, fun and sexy.
So what we have here is a wonderful story of a love that span the ages. The chemistry between Hawk and Adrienne is simply sizzling; Adrienne defiance in loving him and Hawk’s persistence in making her was just written wonderfully. No one writes fairy drama like Moning and they play an important role in this book. Laugh out loud funny, with interesting , witty and fun characters whats not to love.
On a side note if you have not read the Fever series by Moning, you should do so.
Beyond the Highland Mist is the first book in Moning’s Highlander series. A tale of when men were men, all brawn and brains, where the fey lurked about and caused confusion. Where men wore kilts and you would die just to get some wind to blow up those suckers. When a Sixteenth century warrior meets Twentieth century woman, things will never be the same again.
Adrienne de Simone is sick and tired of beautiful men. She knows hands down behind the face of an angel is the heart of a devil. Now basically on the run with one eye always over her shoulder, she lives her life in fear and solitude with her cat Moonshine. Adrienne world is about to be shaken up when she becomes a chess piece to the Fey. A pawn in their game to bring destruction to a man they hate. The worst part is that it was a time where beautiful men were abundant and she is about to land herself the most beautiful of all.
Sixteenth C- Sidheach (Sid-hawk) James Douglas is a well known man of beauty, women plot and kill to get into his bed. His prowess and virility is well known, men respect him and also hate him. What they never see is the true man that he is, heart filled with courage and love for his people and a dream that he will meet the perfect woman and have babies. His sexiness comes of the pages and slaps you in the face, he sweats sex and oozes pure sensuality. Unawares he is about to become an enemy of the Fey, all because his legendary bedding skills. “There is not a woman I cannot have” those words uttered by the Hawk are about to be put to the test.
Things get all kinds of interesting when Adrienne finds out she is to become the wife of some man she does not know, plus the year is 1513 of course she is going crazy. Time travel does not exist but her eyes do not deceive her because the proof is there. So now she is married to a man by proxy because he refused to show up to his own wedding, she has to pretend to be someone else. This woman is all kinds of pissed.
The first meeting between Hawk and Adrienne is hilarious when he catches her checking out the smithy Adam Black. Adrienne is in all kinds of hell surrounded by hot and sexy men, and the worst happens to be her husband who she wants to be wrapped around like a pole. Hawk is seriously jealous of Adam who plays a serious part in the coming together of our hero and heroine. It is just down right hilarious, fun and sexy.
So what we have here is a wonderful story of a love that span the ages. The chemistry between Hawk and Adrienne is simply sizzling; Adrienne defiance in loving him and Hawk’s persistence in making her was just written wonderfully. No one writes fairy drama like Moning and they play an important role in this book. Laugh out loud funny, with interesting , witty and fun characters whats not to love.
On a side note if you have not read the Fever series by Moning, you should do so.
February 20, 2018
Take some Midsummer Nights Dream mix in a little Taming of the Shrew and you will understand why I love this book! 😁💕
This is one of those books that you are reading a long and thinking “This seems so familiar. 🤔 Have I read something like it?” Then you realize that you’ve already read this book years ago, but you loved it so much that rereading it becomes necessary. Its like rewatching Friends episodes or old movies. Doesn’t matter that you know how its going to end and what is going to happen, you grab your blanket and a snack and settle in. 😊
So, a little about the story...The Fae Queen is talking about how hot our hero is. Unfortunately the fella she wants to make jealous is the Fae King. He sends his Puck out to find the one woman in all of time who won’t give in to his charms.
Meanwhile our heroine is chilling in the 20th century with her cat. She has escaped a bad relationship and had sworn off men.
She is transported to medieval Scotland so she will be forced to marry our hero but not give him her heart.
This is a beautiful and passionate love story with a fantasy and sci fi twist. 😊💕📖
This is one of those books that you are reading a long and thinking “This seems so familiar. 🤔 Have I read something like it?” Then you realize that you’ve already read this book years ago, but you loved it so much that rereading it becomes necessary. Its like rewatching Friends episodes or old movies. Doesn’t matter that you know how its going to end and what is going to happen, you grab your blanket and a snack and settle in. 😊
So, a little about the story...The Fae Queen is talking about how hot our hero is. Unfortunately the fella she wants to make jealous is the Fae King. He sends his Puck out to find the one woman in all of time who won’t give in to his charms.
Meanwhile our heroine is chilling in the 20th century with her cat. She has escaped a bad relationship and had sworn off men.
She is transported to medieval Scotland so she will be forced to marry our hero but not give him her heart.
This is a beautiful and passionate love story with a fantasy and sci fi twist. 😊💕📖
August 14, 2020
3.5⭐️'s
Time travel, fairies, a Scottish hero, a woman scorned and a Fairie bent on revenge.....all these elements make for an interesting story.
My thoughts:
- in the beginning I was a little confused keeping everything straight. It took me just a bit to get into a groove where the story made sense.
- The Scottish hero - yes he says "lass" and "wee" and "dinna" - so you get all the Scottish dialect you would expect and want from this type of hero. On top of that, he has given up 15 years of his life doing the King's bidding in order to keep his clan safe. So he's selfless and caring and oh so sexy!! The way the king used him will make you love him even more. A great hero! ❤️
- The 20th century heroine - she's also strong, but her strength didn't come through as much as her stubbornness did. She was a pawn in her first relationship and a pawn in the Fairie revenge plot, so it was easy to feel a bit sorry for her.
- Together - these two were a bit frustrating at times. This is a very slow burn and a lot of the book is spent with these two disliking each other or suffering from miscommunication thanks to the shenanigans of a certain Fairie. It was 75% before they actually admitted to liking each other and hitting the sheets. There was a lot of "I'm attracted to you, but I don't want to be attracted to you so I'm going to hate you because I'm mad at my feelings" type of drama. Not very steamy.
- Because of the repetitive nature of the previous point, I skipped some because the plot just didn't move forward enough
- Adrienne had no difficulty traveling back 500 years and giving up all the modern conveniences she was used to. There was no mention of anything she missed except for coffee ☕️ . Hello.....bathroom, 🚽 shower, 🚿 sweatpants, 👖 chocolate 🍫 . 😉 why was she not suffering from missing any of that? This just seemed to be a little far fetched.
- Once they did get together it didn't last long as she was whisked back to the present. So honestly, I was disappointed in that aspect. I waited so long for them to admit feelings and then once they did they were torn apart again until the end of the book
- Things came together in the end and I loved Hawk's very long-winded "compelling command". Way to cover your bases, dude! 👍
- Overall, there were some interesting elements, but I wasn't fully engaged as I felt the H/h drama just lasted too long.
Time travel, fairies, a Scottish hero, a woman scorned and a Fairie bent on revenge.....all these elements make for an interesting story.
My thoughts:
- in the beginning I was a little confused keeping everything straight. It took me just a bit to get into a groove where the story made sense.
- The Scottish hero - yes he says "lass" and "wee" and "dinna" - so you get all the Scottish dialect you would expect and want from this type of hero. On top of that, he has given up 15 years of his life doing the King's bidding in order to keep his clan safe. So he's selfless and caring and oh so sexy!! The way the king used him will make you love him even more. A great hero! ❤️
- The 20th century heroine - she's also strong, but her strength didn't come through as much as her stubbornness did. She was a pawn in her first relationship and a pawn in the Fairie revenge plot, so it was easy to feel a bit sorry for her.
- Together - these two were a bit frustrating at times. This is a very slow burn and a lot of the book is spent with these two disliking each other or suffering from miscommunication thanks to the shenanigans of a certain Fairie. It was 75% before they actually admitted to liking each other and hitting the sheets. There was a lot of "I'm attracted to you, but I don't want to be attracted to you so I'm going to hate you because I'm mad at my feelings" type of drama. Not very steamy.
- Because of the repetitive nature of the previous point, I skipped some because the plot just didn't move forward enough
- Adrienne had no difficulty traveling back 500 years and giving up all the modern conveniences she was used to. There was no mention of anything she missed except for coffee ☕️ . Hello.....bathroom, 🚽 shower, 🚿 sweatpants, 👖 chocolate 🍫 . 😉 why was she not suffering from missing any of that? This just seemed to be a little far fetched.
- Once they did get together it didn't last long as she was whisked back to the present. So honestly, I was disappointed in that aspect. I waited so long for them to admit feelings and then once they did they were torn apart again until the end of the book
- Things came together in the end and I loved Hawk's very long-winded "compelling command". Way to cover your bases, dude! 👍
- Overall, there were some interesting elements, but I wasn't fully engaged as I felt the H/h drama just lasted too long.
February 10, 2017
I don't know what I expected when I started this novel but at the end, it did not work for me at all. Writing was rushed and chaotic, it didn't sit well with me. I really had troubles concentrating on the story and I had hard time connecting with characters.
Moreover, the way others talked about "hero" made my eyes roll quite often.
And I just couldn't take story seriously when similar phrases were lurking at me here and there while reading this novel.
Beyond the Highland Mist is typical example of cheesy historical romance. This was my first book by this author and I definitely do not plan to continue reading this series. Seems that Jamie Fraser has forever ruined me for all other historical stories with Highlanders.
Moreover, the way others talked about "hero" made my eyes roll quite often.
"His manhood at half-mast would make a stallion envious."
And I just couldn't take story seriously when similar phrases were lurking at me here and there while reading this novel.
Beyond the Highland Mist is typical example of cheesy historical romance. This was my first book by this author and I definitely do not plan to continue reading this series. Seems that Jamie Fraser has forever ruined me for all other historical stories with Highlanders.
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