Highland Rebel : All About Romance

Highland Rebel

Grade : C

Judith James’ debut novel, Broken Wing, easily ranks as one of my top three books of the past year. Therefore, I really wanted – more like badly wanted – to love Highland Rebel. Call it a case of high expectations but I expected, well…more, much more.

The book reminds me of those old-fashioned sweeping romance novels of epic proportions with numerous locations and adventures and a whopping 449 pages. Covering a period of approximately two years, the story features a pair of leads I never warmed to although I tried – hard. My disappointment was great because I had hoped this would be my big read of the summer.

Jamie Sinclair is a cynical man willing to shift his allegiance and religion wherever it proves to be most advantageous. Although he’s played many roles in his life – actor, adventurer, gambler, courtier, and spy, he is now a man burdened with ancestral properties just a step away from bankrupt. Jamie is attempting to prove himself worthy of King James’ favor and a marriage, arranged by the crown, to an heiress capable of easing his financial situation.

Sent by the King to oversee a band of brutal mercenaries, Jamie rescues a young warrior woman claimed by the group as spoils of the battle. Surmising that the rebel woman in boy’s clothing is of noble birth, Jamie protects her in the only manner he can think of and marries her within hours of her capture. Only pretending to take her virginity, he plans to have their marriage annulled once they reach London. Little does he realize she will be rescued by her clansmen before he even learns her name, thus leaving him without the ability to marry the heiress that he needs so badly.

Catherine Drummond, Countess of Moray, is the daughter of the powerful laird and chieftain of clan Drummond and heir to the bulk of his lands and fortune. Her family is eager to marry her off to a man of their choosing to indirectly control her vast inheritance. Catherine, however, is determined to retain her freedom and control of her properties and uses her missing husband, who she plans on never seeing again, to stave off her power hungry relatives.

Unaware that his errant bride is considered a great prize in the Highlands, Jamie sets out to find her disguised as a tinker. Catherine’s family, however, has reason to suspect Jamie’s presence and beats, tortures, and leaves him to die – all while Catherine stands silently watching – never once attempting to protect him or reveal his identity. Some credit can be given Catherine since she eventually cuts him down and secretly nurses him back to health, but I found I could never quite forgive her lack of action regardless of her reasons.

Fast forward to London a year later. Jamie is back in London, sans Catherine, living the life of a poor aristocrat without the easy annulment he had envisioned. He’s out of favor with the King, barely surviving on his winnings at the table, and the occasional gift from the wealthy women he services. His staff often goes without pay, he owes everyone, and since he spends his time in great debauchery, Jamie is no longer accepted in polite society. Catherine eventually joins Jamie in London and it is at this point that I feel the story really began.

Catherine is a woman determined to do whatever is necessary to have things work to her benefit and I often found her reactions (especially to Jamie) waspish and uncaring. My anger towards her continued to simmer for the first two-thirds of the book and her actions were responsible for more than a few frustrating “come on” moments. However, during the final third she evolves into a more considerate woman and her need to have the upper hand with Jamie becomes more a matter of fair play. But don’t let me leave you with the impression that Jamie is one to be trod upon or to exhibit meekness in anyway. He easily admits that as a British peer, he is highhanded, conceited, and smug…and can’t help it. When he is in control, he does so with such self-deprecation that one can easily be fooled into thinking otherwise.

I think my greatest disappointment as I read Highland Rebel was the fact that Catherine and Jamie failed to give in to the romantic scenarios constantly spinning around them. But attempting to understand the nature of their actions also provided my “aha” moment when I finally realized the reasons for their inaction. These two willful individuals truly have business on their mind first and foremost – not romance.

As I forged ahead, convinced that Ms. James would surely bring about a favorable conclusion, the final third of the book proved to be just that as the romance moved forward in a gratifying manner. At this point, I understood the complexities of Jamie and Catherine’s characters, saw more clearly their motivations, and actually read a good number of scenes where I thought “wow – this is great stuff!” The margins of my review book were filled with favorable comments and I couldn’t help but stop and think at times “Why did it take so long to get here?”

Overall, I was unable to shake the sense of disappointment and realization that if Highland Rebel had been my first Judith James book, it is unlikely that I would have read the wonderful Broken Wing.

Reviewed by Lea Hensley

Grade : C

Book type : European Historical Romance | Historical Romance

Sensuality : Warm

Review Date : August 29, 2009

Published On : 2009/09