In Bed with a Highlander

By: Maya Banks

Narrated by: Kirsten Potter

Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Ewan McCabe, the eldest, is a warrior determined to vanquish his enemy. Now, with the time ripe for battle, his men are ready and Ewan is poised to take back what is his-until a blue-eyed, raven-haired temptress is thrust upon him. Mairin may be the salvation of Ewan's clan, but for a man who dreams only of revenge, matters of the heart are strange territory to conquer. The illegitimate daughter of the king, Mairin possesses prized property that has made her a pawn-and wary of love. Her worst fears are realized when she is rescued from peril only to be forced into marriage by her charismatic and commanding savior, Ewan McCabe. But her attraction to her ruggedly powerful new husband makes her crave his surprisingly tender touch; her body comes alive under his sensual mastery. And as war draws near, Mairin's strength, spirit, and passion challenge Ewan to conquer his demons-and embrace a love that means more than revenge or land.

©2011 Maya Banks (P)2012 Tantor

Very good start to the series :D

4-4.5 stars

This was a very good story. I loved Ewan and Mairin, they made a sweet and interesting couple. The story takes place in Scottish Highlands in the past and the story has a pretty good plot that keeps things interesting.

Mairin is the illegitimate daughter of a King. She's been put in hiding in an Abby until she's married as many would forcibly marry her for her dowry. She's sweet but also has a bit of a fiery spirit and is just hoping she can find a husband that will treat her well. She ends up being kidnapped from her Abby by a man that tries to force her to marry him but she manages to escape along with a young boy she helped.

Ewan is the leader of his clan and a good man. His first wife died and he's spent his time building his clan and raising his son. When his son, Chrispin, goes missing Ewan is beside himself and search parties are sent all around. When Chrispin is located he's in the company of a beautiful woman whom his son insists they must help.

Ewan agrees to help Mairin since she was good enough to help his son. The man that tried to force her in to marriage is a sworn enemy of their clan and Ewan has no problem with an excuse to fight him. He does still want to know why Mairin is so important. When he finds out who she is and about her dowry, Ewan realizes that marrying her would be of great benefit to the clan so he sets out to convince her. Admittedly, Mairin and Ewan feel an attraction to each other but Mairin is very annoyed by Ewan and just wants to leave (even though she has no real place to go that's safe). Ewan does manage to convince her that marrying him would be beneficial to them both and Mairin starts to look on their marriage with hope that things will turn out alright.

Unfortunately, bad plots are afoot and Ewan's enemy continues to cause problems as Mairin and Ewan's marriage starts. Fortunately, Ewan's clan embraces Mairin as their own and she settles in well. That doesn't mean everything is smooth though and there were some issues that Mairin and Ewan needed to get past as they learn each other and settl in to their marriage. Although there are some fights, Mairin and Ewan work things out well and I liked seeing the feelings grow between each other. They have some tender moments and eventually they truly fall in love with each other (such a sweet scene when they admit it!).

But the bad plots against them are still active and they find out that the threat is bigger than just Ewan's enemy. Mairin and Ewan are separated for a time and Ewan and his men have to go against heavy opposition in order to get her back and keep her safe. Things don't look good for a while and I have to admit I wondered how things would be resolved but in the end they were and we get a great ending with a satisfying HEA.

I really liked this story. Mairin and Ewan were great and a really sweet couple (Ewan is a kickbutt warroir but he could still be very sweet). The story was well written and interesting and leads in to the next book of the series nicely (without a cliffhanger). I'd recommend this book. Thumbs up. :D

Loved it! Detroit michigan

I swore that after listening to the Rush from the breathless trilogy that I would not read or listen to anything Maya Banks wrote. Until a friend highly recommend this series.

It was well written and the characters are really developed. I appreciated that The main characters did not fall in love or lust at first sight. There was actual dialogue between them and a great storyline.

I can't wait to listen to the rest of the series.

Pleasant listening

This was a very pleasant listen for an historical romance. The narrator was very good and not a strong Irish accent, just right. The accents can sometimes be too strong to the point of annoying. Kristen potter was very pleasant.

Nice uncomplicated listen. Enjoyable romantic.

Would you consider the audio edition of In Bed with a Highlander to be better than the print version?

Yes, I read the 2 sequels but definitely enjoyed listening more.

What was one of the most memorable moments of In Bed with a Highlander?

The meeting of Mairin and Ewan.

What about Kirsten Potter’s performance did you like?

Excellent reader. She makes the characters very alive in your mind.

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

Yes, very easy to sit back and enjoy.

Any additional comments?

If you like a good romance with a little spice and good storyline you will enjoy this and the two following it. Helps to read them in order.

Wonderful book

Love, love, love this book. I loved the characters, who were very well developed. Lots of plot twists, but so easy to follow. I had a hard time putting this down. I listen to audible books while on the treadmill and I found myself going longer so I could keep listening. Very sigh-worthy. I'm looking forward to hearing the next book in the series. The narrator was the best I've heard. I hope the next one does as good of a job.

Great Story

The narrator did an excellent job. I really enjoyed the H/h and secondary characters. The story sucked me in and I couldn't wait to see what came next.

So good!!

This series is so good! I love the damsel in distress and the warrior saves the day. If you like Scottish romances Maya Banks and Kirsten Potter deliver.

Best story I have heard in a long time!

I was hesitant to try this book. I have read some other books by the author and I wasn't sure if she would write a historical romance I would enjoy reading. I am so glad I decided to give it a try. The characters were well written, the story kept me intrigued, and there were more times than I could count where I actually laughed out loud and had to rewind to hear what I missed! I cannot wait to see what happens in the next 2 books.

Nothing demure about this highland lass

I did enjoy this novel while listening to it. Attractive and likeable protagonists, drama and plenty of loving this story hit all the has plenty in it to make you want to continue to listen. I have to say I am really looking forward to listening the other two books in the series. Of the three brothers I found Ewan to be the least compelling so I am anticipating liking the other two just as much if not better. My reasoning for giving this story only three stars is that there was nothing unique about this novel. Upon reaching the end and looking back I can't really find anything to set it apart from all the other highland romances. This is perhaps "steamier" than most but that's about it.

Kristen Potter does a more than passable job with the accents and didn't detract from my listening experience but did not earn a 5 star rating, from me, for this one.

Maya Banks and Kirsten Potter are the dynamic duo

In Bed With a Highlander would've been an awesome read if I had just read the paperback. But Kirsten Potter's narration took it from awesome to extraordinary.

Mairin was a fantastic heroine - able to stand on her own two feet, but willing to ask for help if she needed it. Ewan was every bit the alpha Highlander and although high handed and egotistical at times, when he fell in love, it was all over for him. Totally swoon-worthy.

I can't wait to see what happens next in this series.