Never Love a Highlander

By: Maya Banks

Narrated by: Kirsten Potter

Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's Summary

Caelen McCabe's young, reckless heart nearly destroyed his clan. Now, putting family loyalty above all else, he steps up to marry his older brother's jilted bride and salvage the uneasy alliance between two clans. While beautiful Rionna McDonald is a fit wife for any man, Caelen trusts no woman, especially not this sweet temptress who torments him with white-hot longing.

As the sacrificial lamb in her father's power game, Rionna will do her duty but vows to protect her heart and her pride from humiliation. Despite everything, though, the heat in Caelen's touch melts her defenses, and she craves the sensual delights of a husband who guards his emotions as fiercely as his clan. But when the ultimate battle for the McCabe legacy is upon them, Rionna's true warrior spirit emerges. She will risk the wrath of her father, the fury of her enemies, and her life to prove to Caelen that his wife's love is too precious to lose.

©2011 Maya Banks (P)2012 Tantor

Critic Reviews

"Banks nicely balances bedroom and battlefield action as Rionnas tough swordsmanship and Caelens tender lust propel the couple and the clans toward harmony." ( Publishers Weekly)

Always Love a Highlander!

Would you consider the audio edition of Never Love a Highlander to be better than the print version?

No, they both have their merits.... The story is great either way

What did you like best about this story?

Always loved Calen, the youngest McCabe brother. He tries so hard to be cynical,about women and love, but you can feel deep down, he wants love more than anything. You get the feeling that he had a little crush on Riona when she was engaged to his brother Aleric..
and Riona rocks... she is a sword wielding, pants wearing, 16th century biker chick, who embraces her new husband, and is determined to make him love her.

What does Kirsten Potter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

They cast her perfectly, her voice is smooth and clear, her character voices are all different, so you know who is speaking.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Discover the Heat of the HIghlands

Any additional comments?

Enjoy

13 of 13 people found this review helpful

BOO WHOOO ....... I WANT MORE MORE MORE

Oh, this is the last of the trilogy of the McCabe brothers and I'm having withdrawal effects. All 3 books have been great and I've loved them all - they have hot romances, likeable characters, well written with good Storylines and of course, hunky highland heroes.

A message to Maya Banks - can't they have an adopted brother, 2 illegitimate brothers, cousins, young uncles.... anything. Oh I know I'm grasping at straws...... and sad, but I'm begging you - please please please.

Worth the credit? After this review what do you think?

16 of 18 people found this review helpful

Enjoyable for the most part

This is my least favorite of the three books, but still very worth the read. I actually really enjoyed the story, Maya is a great writer. However. This particular story ended up being a lot of intimate scenes! More than needed. In fact, so much so that it started to feel like filler to make the book longer.
The story was great other than that though. I liked how she took a non traditional woman who was trying to be conformed to a more traditional role. I thought it was so nice that Rionna was trying to make her husband happy instead of being instantly rebellious, and then Caelen in turn realized he shouldn't try to change her. I like when a writer can manage to make conflict not be something that causes the characters to be miserable and we in turn end up that way too. It was nice spending time watching this relationship grow. I extra appreciated the mixture of all the characters in all the books. I’ve said this before, but it was like one big book broken down into three. There was only one wee bit of closure I’d have liked with one character, but I guess it can be assumed. Overall, the series was fantastic and I am so glad I read them!

The narrator isnt my favorite, but she does a good Scottish accent so that was really nice. I didn't dislike her at all, just not somebody I would seek out.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Couldn't Even Finish

Would you ever listen to anything by Maya Banks again?

This is my 3rd and LAST Maya Banks book…the 2nd one I bought was also lacking (In Bed with a Highlander), but I hoped the "McCabe" series would improve because the 1st MB book I listened to (Never Seduce a Scot) was great. I guess this author must have improved with time as "Never Seduce a Scot" is from a later series, but I won’t be risking any more of my precious credits to find out.

Have you listened to any of Kirsten Potter’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

The narrator was good…her talent was the only reason I got as far as I did with this book.

Any additional comments?

This book was bad....the plot was weak; marry the jilted bride seemed like it had some potential, but it never panned out in the parts of the book I listened to because admittedly I only got about half way through. Every time I went to listen to it I cringed…the “hero” (note the quotation marks) was simply rude and unyielding for no reason. At one point the heroine was attacked by an enemy clan and brutally assaulted while HE was away. After she was healed, he decided to chastise HER for not being more careful; when she became rightfully upset ALL he could think about was how he wanted to bed her because she was so lovely in her upset…this character sucked! The heroine was fairly a good character…she at least had some dimensions beyond just her beauty.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

MY FAVORITE MAYA BANKS BOOK SO FAR!

What did you love best about Never Love a Highlander?

I loved Rionna McDonald and her relationship with Caelen McCabe. She is so misunderstood in the beginning until you get to know her. And hearing the two of them together and how their relationship grows and changes is great!

What other book might you compare Never Love a Highlander to and why?

So this was the first book I listened to in this series not knowing there were previous books. However I must say this was my favorite of all three!! I loved these two characters the best as there is so much more to them that meets the eye!

What does Kirsten Potter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Since listening to my first book from her, I have always thought she was great! I would recommend her narration any time. Her accents and the way she can change from character to character is amazing! Love her!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! For sure...I have a hard time stopping!

Any additional comments?

Wish it didn't have to end! :)

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

Intervention? Someone?

In my search for lighter fare I now find myself engulfed in Highland meringue. This is the third installment of the McCabe series and is – as I found the others – predictable and – interesting. Better than book two, not as good as book one.

I love Kristen Potter’s narration so I think that is what kept me listening. Not the predicable plot or the predicable ending. (I could almost hear the theme for “Top Gun” at the climax of this one.) I’m not that imaginative so I’m sure there are better themes to draw from – like “Kill Bill.” (I have only sort of watch one of those…)

The end was just silly, but poor Rionna did find love and became the ‘Warrior Princess’ she always wanted to be – as if no one could figure that out from book one when she defeated a McCabe warrior three times her size.

Like I said before, I must have required a serious distraction because I listened to the whole thing, I cringed at a few things but not like book two, and I didn’t return it (yes you can).

I am now on to more good books. I’m glad for the distraction – I must have needed it. And what is with the title? I do not get that at all.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

You won't want it to end

This last book in a trilogy about the hunky McCabe brothers is every bit as delicious as the previous two. If your a first timer of Maya Banks I highly reccomend you start with book one. That's not to say this book can't stand on its own, it most certainly can but why waste the steamy fun on just one book?

Caelen McCabe is the youngest McCabe brother. His no nonsense approach to life can put people off, but those that know him know the reason for his gruff ways. When he was younger his trust and love in a women had cost him dearly. Now he can trust no one, especially a women. When he steps in to marry the women his brother cast aside for another he has his work cut out for him. He is now the leader of his wife's clan and no one is happy about that. Can he learn to trust and gain trust in return? His life and as well as his old clan and the new one might depend on it.

I love how Maya Banks puts a story together. Her excellent writing skills put together a story so beautifully that I find I never want it to end. She spins a tale of intrigue and sexual conquest much like a spider spins web, sucking the listener in deeper and deeper until they are helpless to escape. And this case have no desire to escape. This is romance with a capital R! If you love steamy love scenes and brawny hero's as well as stubborn not so docile heroines then you will love this book.

Kudos to Kristen Potter who reads beautifully and smoothly. Her well spoken voice makes this well worth listening to.

7 of 9 people found this review helpful

Can I just say WOW!

Caelen McCabe is the most rugged brother of them all! Wow! He didn't take any crap at all. I loved that. He had to be tough, stepping up as a new Lair of a new clan, and I think he did well to gain the repect due him. Caelen was the perfect brother to be with Rionna too! Their love story was just great. I love how the characters of all three books just carried over from one book to another. I liked how each book just picked up where the other left off. I loved who killed the bad guy! That was just perfect.I thought it was gonna be like a three way between the brothers, but I loved how Banks ended this sereis. I kinda wish there was another book. Maybe to show how Kristen and Gretchen will be!!!

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Warrior Princess mets Highland McCabe

Ms Banks is one of the few writers who can tell a tale in 3 books and make them all very good. Ewen # 1 is a strong hero & begins the tale. Aleric #2 book, you will need a tissue and Calen #3 is headstrong but the ending is so endearing. This is the first trio that really is worth buying. Voice of Kristen Potter makes all 3 books just plain wonderful to listen and get the full experience. I listen to the 3 books straight through and you can not say that about many triology!

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

My Favorite in the McCabe Series

This is my favorite of this series. I loved the touching ending in this one; it was so sweet! After marathon listening to five of Maya Banks’ books back to back (I enjoyed the Montgomerys and Armstrongs series slightly more than this series overall) what I like most about Banks’ stories are the sentimentality she infuses into the romance. Here again we have the typical warrior/manly man wanting to protect the lady, but they both fall so hard for one another that it’s just very sweet. I enjoyed seeing how than man who doesn’t trust women became so captivated by the woman who acted like a man. Despite some repetition in the story elements, I can recommend this one.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful