Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Taming Her Irish Warrior (The MacEgan Brothers #5) by Michelle Willingham
Historical romance released by Harlequin Historical 01 Oct 2009
Michelle Willingham continues her Irish medieval series about the MacEgan brothers with this latest entry, featuring the youngest of the lot, Ewan. I’ll admit I have a huge soft spot for younger brother romance heroes with a need to “prove themselves” to their older siblings (siblings that usually tend to cast long shadows). Ewan fits that mold, and while I found him appealing at times, his stubborn nature, coupled with the equally stubborn heroine didn’t always make the romance sing for me.
Ewan is the youngest of five brothers, and while the oldest one is a King, Ewan’s prospects are pretty slim. It’s imperative that he weds a lady of means, preferably one with some land to her name. He sets his sights on Lady Katherine of Ardennes. Unfortunately for him, Katherine has the kind of beauty (and dowry) that inspires a number of suitors. As a lowly younger son, one with few prospects, he’s got his work cut out for him.
Katherine’s older sister, Honora St. Leger has already survived one disastrous marriage. After her husband dies, she finds herself thwarting the unwanted advances of her odious son-in-law. So she returns home to her father and sister to regroup. For years Honora has secretly honed her fighting skills among her father’s warriors. In fact, it was Ewan who helped to train her. She wants to rid the poor peasants of her vile son-in-law, but to do so she needs to raise an army. There’s also the small matter that the villain terrifies her. On top of that, her father is pressuring her to remarry, which Honora would rather be skinned alive than do. That is until Ewan shows up. He’s there hoping to win the hand of her properly feminine sister, and Honora knows she lacks everything he needs in a proper wife. So how come these two cannot stay away from each other? And what will they do with the villain comes calling?
There are a lot of potential pitfalls in the story that will likely turn off some readers. For one, we have the heroine who likes to disguise herself as a man and play warrior woman. Then we have a hero who is wooing one sister while lusting after the other. It all sounds a bit….distasteful. For the most part Willingham does a good job working the angles. Chicks in pants playing with swords can annoy, but it fits Honora’s personality well. Once determined to prove herself to a father who had little use for her, she now welcomes her skills as a means to protect herself – which come in especially handy during the course of her marriage. Where this story stumbles a bit is with the conflict revolving around Ewan’s wooing of Katherine.
It’s very apparent early on that Ewan is smitten with Honora. She infuriates him, puzzles him, vexes him, and she drives him totally mad with lust. As the reader, this is very easy to see and understand. Unfortunately it takes Ewan a while to realize it. From a historical standpoint, I get it – making a good marriage match was everything, especially if you were a younger brother with little to no prospects. He needs an heiress for a wife. He needs the land, the dowry, the whole deal if he wants any sort of semi-comfortable life for himself and his future children. So it’s easy to understand why he doesn’t throw Katherine over within the first 50 pages, but it does drag on for the bulk of the novel. And then there’s the small matter of Honora pushing him away because she’s not what he needs, never mind she’s exactly what he wants. It was kind of sick actually. “Darling, I know you lust after me, but go! Go marry my sister!”
Ultimately something happens that forces their hand, Ewan has to finally make his choice, and the villain must be dealt with. Still, the couple keeps tap-dancing around their feelings for each other, and the belief that neither is what the other one needs continues to linger. By this point I found myself getting a bit exasperated with them both.
Willingham continues to write interesting medievals, and it’s to her credit that she delivers a readable story featuring plot devices that generally are harder sells for me. If you’re a reader who is a sucker for a chick in pants or heroes who start out the story wooing another woman? This one will surely deliver what you crave.
Grade: C+
Summary:
When did Ewan MacEgan grow to be so overwhelmingly strong and disarmingly sexy? He intends to wed Honora St. Leger’s demure sister—but why should that matter to her? Honora would rather wield a sword than a mending needle and, as a widow, she knows there is little pleasure in the marriage bed….
Ewan MacEgan has set his sights on a wealthy bride but, tantalizingly, he finds himself drawn to the forbidden Honora! One touch and he is longing to awaken her sensuality, for he suspects she will be as passionate in bed as she is on the battlefield!
Other books in this series:
