Veena’s review of The Rock (Highland Guard, Book 11) by Monica McCarty
Historical Romance published by Pocket Books 29 Dec 15
Thomas McGowan was born the son of the village blacksmith. Elizabeth Douglas, daughter to the laird of Douglas, was so far above him in station that she might as well have been a star in the sky. However, chance is a mighty thing and his rescue of the princess made him a playmate to her and the young laird. While they grew up playing together, he began to dream impossible dreams that were dashed when war and her family separated them. Determined to use the war as an opportunity to win a knighthood and rise above his station, Thomas leaves behind his village and his trade, determined to find a way to realize his dreams. As we all know, life really isn’t a fairy tale, and Thomas will have a difficult path to follow, but it’s refreshing to read a story about an ordinary person who performs extraordinary feats.
Thomas definitely has strength of will as well as brawn when he joins the army of Edward Bruce. At heart he’s a very decent man, which brings him to the attention of Edward. We all clearly had the chance to see his chivalry when he stuck his neck out to help Margaret McDowell, wife to Eoin MacLean and cousin to Robert the Bruce. His physical strength makes him a popular choice when the army is trying to bring down the castles they conquer in Robert the Bruce’s scorched earth policy.
Hard work has its own reward, and when a chance to rescue prisoners in an unattainable castle allows him to use his unique rock-climbing skills, suddenly he’s of great interest to the king and his elite Highland Guard. Given that he’s based in Edinburgh being recruited for a position in the guard and Elizabeth is also there with her family, Thomas starts to dream impossible dreams again.
Thomas and Elizabeth are wonderful protagonists, even though Elizabeth seems to be a bit shallow when she succumbs to the lure of wealth and position against poverty and ridicule. The author does a great job in helping the reader understand her fears and not dismiss her as a shallow character. Thomas, of course, is the inspiration who shows us how sheer grit and resolve can achieve the impossible.
I really enjoyed the series and then it seemed to get a bit bland, but after a hiatus the author has come back very strongly with two back-to-back books of which this is definitely the winner. It brings to mind the ordinary people who turned the tide against the English and won Robert the Bruce his crown.
Grade: A
Summary:
The first time he caught sight of Elizabeth Douglas, Thomas MacGowan thought she was a princess. To the son of the castle blacksmith, the daughter of the powerful Lord of Douglas might as well be. When it becomes clear that his childhood companion will never see him as a man she could love, Thom joins Edward Bruce’s army as a man-at-arms to try to change his lot. If he’s harbored a secret hope that he could close the gap between them, he faces the cold, hard truth when Elizabeth comes to him for help. She might need the boy who used to climb cliffs to rescue her brother from the hands of the English, but she would never see the son of a smith as a man worthy of her hand.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
