The MacKinnon's Bride

By: Tanya Anne Crosby

Narrated by: Braden Wright

Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's Summary

Descended of the legendary sons of MacAlpin, Iain MacKinnon refuses to bow to the English. When his young son is captured by a minion of the English king, the fierce Scottish chieftain vows to stop at nothing to secure the lad's return. Retaliating in kind, he captures the daughter of his enemy, planning to bargain with the devil.

FitzSimon's daughter has lived her entire life in the shadow of the man she called father - yet never would she have imagined he would forsake his only daughter. Even as Page blames her captor for welching on a contract with her father, she suspects the truth. But the shadows hold secrets…now only the love of her reluctant champion can save the MacKinnon's Bride.

This book begins The Highland Brides series.

©1996 Tanya Anne Crosby (P)2013 Tanya Anne Crosby

Fantastic Highlander Romance

What made the experience of listening to The MacKinnon's Bride the most enjoyable?

Very well narrated and captured attention immediately.

Any additional comments?

In Scotland 1124, the Hero, Iain MacKinnon, living with past tragedies of his wife’s death, is betrayed by one of his own clan and his very young son is turned over to the English to be held as hostage. The powerful Scottish Highlander will stop at nothing to retrieve his son and bring him back home. So what does he do, he captures the enemy’s daughter and intends to trade hostages.

Page, the heroine, has been rejected by her father all her life and is paid absolutely no attention or love from him. But never did she dream that her father would deny bringing her home and return the highlander’s son to him.

When Iain learns that FitzSimons will not make the trade he takes another avenue to ensure the return of his son. Although he succeeds he learns the father doesn’t want the daughter back and will in no way allow her to return home, or he will kill her. Iain simply cannot understand how any father could feel so towards his offspring. So he gives orders that none of his warriors are to tell Page what is happening and that he plans on taking her with him to his home.

What follows, with Page not being told her father doesn’t want her, is her making any kind of trouble she can to escape. Her attempts are filled with humor and I found myself laughing along at her antics. This story is shares humor, romance, mystery, intrigue, and passion with the reader. The interaction between the hero and heroine captures and enthralls.

I have actually read this book many times, with each time seeming like the first time, and have it in print, on kindle, and on audio, which is fantastic, as well. It has found a permanent home on my keeper shelf! I very highly recommend reading this as well as the books that follow in the series, or anything else written by the fabulously talented Tanya Anne Crosby!

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Outstanding!

Any additional comments?

I loved this book when I read it a few years ago, but listening to Braden Wright narrate was something totally different! I hated for it to end...he had the perfect deep sexy voice you would expect for Ian...I loved this audio version & would love to see more of the Highland Brides series in audio...with Braden narrating, of course!

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Two Torn Hearts One Fun Adventure

This book really surprised me. I wasn't expecting this story to be a captivating, emotional, funny and romantic....but it was.

The main characters are both very emotionally hurt individuals. Iain is a tortured romantic soul and Page is a sassy smart-mouthed wench. When they meet they are drawn together both emotionally and physically then set out on a journey to overcome their insecurities and find love and family. The minor characters in this book added so much emotion and humor (it's really unfair to call them minor). The narrator did a great job with this book. Hope he reads the next book in the series.

This adventure has hostages, murder, romance, secrets, anguish, lies, silly nudity, and just cute fun. I am looking forward to book 2.

17 of 20 people found this review helpful

I HATED HITTING THE PAUSE BUTTON

If you download this captivating listen then prepare yourself to be engulfed, entrapped and entwined as a riveting love story slowly but deliciously emerges about two lost souls who start off as enemies but eventually, and thankfully, grasp at love.

As you're whisked away to a heartbreaking scene within a bedroom inside a Castle in Scotland then, a few years later, to a Lake outside the Castle walls of 1124 England, it's there you'll meet the H/H, a vulnerable, yet strong, but mentally abused and scarred, Lady Page and her kidnapper who's a much loved Laird and a devout Father handsome Iain MacKinnon. He is also mentally damaged by the events of his past but who's life is about to become drastically and dramatically changed forever.

You can't help but empathize with the H/H who have been wounded by life's challenges but, as you get swept up in the unfolding story that's sprinkled with humor and a glorious use of both the old English and Gaelic language, you become immersed in the first tentative steps of mutual attraction. This is fought and denied but then the inevitable tender sizzling awareness, then passion and.... eventually (sigh) love follows. Two not too descriptive sex scenes but very touching nonetheless.

This charming story isn't filled with a lot of pulse-pounding action, descriptive references or historical references BUT what it is filled with is emotion in the form of secrets, kidnapping, murder, deception, intrigue, hidden feelings, likeable characters, a loveable sweet little boy, betrayal and, as the Warriors huddle around the campfire, a concealed enemy lurks and slowly plans his evil revenge.

Braden Wright has, thankfully, narrated all TAC's books because he brings to life each scene, each character and his deep Scottish brogue for Iain is just a pleasure to listen to and I'm one grateful fan.

Worth a credit? Any historical romance fan who can't resist a loveable handsome Highland brute in a kilt (phew and sigh, my library's filled with them) then this one's for you and definitely me.... so ooow aye, 'twas a bonny book n well wurrth a wee credit.

19 of 23 people found this review helpful

4 1/2 Great Stars!

This was a good historical romance. It was entertaining, especially the last half of the book. Little Malcolm was cute.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

A thoroughly delightful story

Tanya has the ability to put humor in her stories that I love. The narrater Braden has you on the edge and I find myself laughing hysterically walking around with my earphones, while my family just looks at me strangely. Tanya has the ability to take common events that transcends time like family, faith, jealousy, adultery, abstinense, humor, parental love etc. Braden uses a Scottish brogue to perfection. He brings you to the lowest low, then quickly raises you up. This is my first book by Tanya, and I can't wait to start the next one,!!!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

And they lived happily ever after

I enjoyed this story. The author has a nice way of describing pretty things like flowers and sunsets. I enjoyed her words. They were like poetry in the middle of a story.

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

Excellent

I loved this book when I read it a few years ago, but listening to it read by Braden Wright blew me away. Just the right amount of raspy with a healthy does of warmth, Mr. Wright's voice is the perfect choice for this story, it made me feel warm and tingly... and the singing he does... *sigh* I played those parts back a few times. The voices of the characters were well differentiated, I especially loved Iain's voice, also old Angus' voice. The emotions came thru clearly which for me is important. I find nothing worse when I hear the word but not the emotion behind it. This story of Iain and Page is a a good mix of romance, mystery, betrayal, redemption, revenge and a dash of hilarity ending with a HEA. Thank you for a great listening experience.

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

It was cute, for $3.95 just get it!

This book told us about an honorable highlander, who is scared by his past, and a young lady who is funny and strong but still is waiting for her father's approval. It was heartbreaking to hear of the Laird's first wife, but even more heartbreaking to hear of a noble daughter relegated to servants work and a father who never wanted anything to do with her.

The antics these two get up to was very amusing and I would definitely listen to a story by this author and narrator again.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

The McKinnon’s Bride

I really enjoyed the story and the characters. The plot was intriguing from the very beginning. My only complaint would be that the narrator was sometimes inconsistent with the voices for the two main couple. Understandable because he had to switch from low Scottish accent to high English accent. But it was definitely noticeable at times.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Female voices were grim but the male voices?! Wow!

Where does The MacKinnon's Bride rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I'd put it in the middle. Though the story is good and I love the male voices, the female voices were dreadful. Those lowered the caliber of the audiobook for me. I would definitely give his narration a go again though because it wasn't completely annoying (only because of the hot male voices and hardly any women in the book). However if Braden Wright was paired with a female voice actress I would definitely give it a go- obviously providing I liked the plot line.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The MacKinnon's Bride?

The escape attempt and the naked chase! lol. And of course the yellow crocuses. :)

Which character – as performed by Braden Wright – was your favourite?

Definitely Iain. I absolutely hated his rendition of female voices. It was awful. However his male voices were hot! I would be dismayed with Page's voice and then Iain's would make it all better! Insert tingle here! lmao!

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Some parts made me laugh, no crying although there was some frustration at times. Sometimes I felt we were repeating dialogue and inner battles we had already had; and they would happen at times where you desperately wanted to see what happened next.

Any additional comments?

Two things I felt this book needed was more suspense for the 'baddie'. In some of my favourite books, you have an idea about the villain but then theres a plot twist that throws you for a loop and you like "wow". I guessed pretty much straight away who the antagonist of the story was and then the author admitted it and named him before the characters figured it out. I felt that could have been done better.The second, and this is purely a pet peeve- if a story has a prologue or an ending like this story did it NEEDS to have an epilogue even if (because this is a series) its a month ahead. I really wanted to hear Malcom call Page mammy and find out if she fell pregnant straight away like Iain wanted. Overall though, it was an enjoyable story.