The Knight

Highland Guard Series, Book 7.5

By: Monica McCarty

Narrated by: Antony Ferguson

Length: 4 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

A novella set in the world of New York Times best-selling author Monica McCarty's Highland Guard series.

The year is 1311, and the battle for Scotland's independence rages on.... Stripped of his lands by the English king who killed his father, James Douglas will do whatever it takes to see his clan's honor and fortune restored. The ambitious young knight, whose dark visage, powerful stature, and ferocity in battle has earned him the epithet "the Black," knows he must use fear, force, and intimidation to defeat the English, put Robert the Bruce on Scotland's throne, and restore the honor of the Douglas name. Nothing and no one will get in his way. Not even the lass who captured his heart in childhood and still holds it in her delicate hands.

Joanna Dicson has loved James Douglas for as long as she can remember. That she is "only" the daughter of the marshal of Douglas Castle has never concerned her. Yet even as James's ruthless reputation grows, and despite the warnings of others to guard her heart - and her virtue - against him, Joanna never dreams he will turn on her. He loves her and would never hurt her. But when James returns to Douglas to force the English garrison from his castle, Joanna learns that their love is nothing against his ambition. His marriage - like everything else - will be a means of bettering his clan. Heartbroken and humiliated, Joanna is left alone with a secret that may destroy them both.

Contains mature themes.

©2013 Monica McCarty (P)2018 Tantor

Worth re-reading again and again.

Loved it. Read it again and again. Need more like this. Wish all in the series were like this.

A Must Read

Throughly enjoyed the narrator. This was a great read and finally a FMC with some spine. Enjoyed seeing the MMC grovel.

Bangin Hot!

There is a lot in this short book, jammed pack with deep feelings and emotions and the desire for power and revenge. At one point I wished this book wasn't so short, but it did not disappoint at all.

𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺!!❤️‍🔥★✬★✬★

𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴❤ 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢 𝘔𝘤𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘵. 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦.❥❥❥📚❥

Monica McCarty’s “the Guard” of Robert the Bruce

I’ve read all of Monica McCarty’s Highland Guard series at least once. Being Scottish I know my history of this time period fairly well and McCarty does a monument job of passing on the trials of this time. Although her books are fiction, there are many facts which occurred. Praises to Monica McCarty!

Sue

Very sweet

I loved this one. I’ve been caught up in books where people are all caught up in virtue or “not hearing words of love” but this was 2 people who really loved each other and an idiot who realized he made a huge mistake.

Terrible male lead and a wasted better second lead

I do not know how anyone likes James. He is sour, entitled, and emotionally volatile. He is full of himself and unrepentant for the majority of the novella. Only once it becomes clear Joanna is attempting to distance herself from him seriously does he commit to being better and get her back. I seriously dislike this trope in romance.

I found it gross that they tried to reason she was just as guilty for their situation because she should have known better than to sleep with someone before marriage. But he made her believe he was in love with her. He said he would build a castle for her (so it isn’t unreasonable for her to think he meant to marry her). And she had believed him to be a man of honor. And he is her lord! Talk about unequal power dynamics.

What’s even stranger is that the novella had two better alternate love options for Joanna.

Her best friend was a nice and more grounded person than James. He would have been a more interesting male lead than James.

And the Sir (knight) who saves her after an accident in the novella was so sweet, understanding, and patient that I was screaming at Joanna to choose him. He was aware of her position and the previous relationship between James and her and wanted to marry her if she was willing. Like, how was I not supposed to root for him?

Anyway, the narrator is good. However, he struggles like a lot of male narrators with female voices. He can sometimes go too nasally or pitch too high from some of the female voices. Despite that, he did a nice job overall.