Highland Warrior

Joshua Sinclair the second male of the Sinclair Clan and one of his father’s sons the four horseman. Joshua is known as the Horseman of War, trained by his father to be one of four Horsemen from Revelations in the bible. Joshua has had enough of war and killing, but he simply wants to go home and live his life in peace. Kara Flett is trying every trick in the book to get him to change his mind and train her people to fight, to protect their lives and their land against Robert Bruce. What a pair these two are Joshua the man of war who doesn’t want to become involved in there war, but finds himself pulled by Kara in and out of bed and her plight to save her family and friends. He’s no their savior, but she might be his! A captivating story of love, war and romance in the Highlands. I voluntarily read and reviewed this excellent book filled romance.

Well-written descriptive narrative of characters you will truly care about. Psst…with steam;-)
This is the second in the Sons of Sinclair series. After their mother died and their father went crazy with grief, the four boys were trained to be one of the Four Horsemen from the book of Revelations from the Bible: Conquest (Cain); War (Joshua); Justice (Gideon) and lastly Death (Bàs). There is more back story which you will find in HIGHLAND CONQUEST, book #1. The glossary in the front and the history in the back help with the colloquial words and story.
Joshua Sinclair, the Horseman of War is unsettled after what happened at South Ronaldsay so he moves around selling his war skills as a mercenary. After living under the thatch roof of Lord Robert, Joshua has become disgusted with his treatment of people. As he travels through the small town of Orkney to hire passage on a boat to take him home, he becomes attracted to the bar wench, or so he thinks. She is really the “queen” as her uncle was taken prisoner, which Joshua had witnessed on his way out of Lord Robert’s castle. Whoa! This part sizzles. She needs his skills to rid their people of Lord Robert and he likes her “skills” elsewhere.
Truly I was on the edge of my seat starting about 30% in. Joshua and Kára fight so many seen and unseen battles until they get their HEA. Best ending EVER! I’m sure this is a romanticized version of what life might have been like back then but so stirring. McCollum has made Joshua a very intimidating warrior with finesse like “007” and grit like “Rambo” with Kára his equal in fortitude. I can’t wait for Gideon’s book now. If you like historical Highlander fiction with steam, read this book. Btw, McCollum can write the most sensuous titillating scenes. You can almost feel the cloth as it slowly slips down their bodies. Get your fan! I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through Entangled/NetGalley and give it high praise.

I came into this story knowing I was coming into it as the second in the series. Its safe to say this can most definitely be read as a stand alone. I would recommend reading the first however due to the fact on why Joshua the lead left his clan to train other clans.

This was a wonderful bundle of historical goodness, the author crafted a world about real history surrounding Robert Stuart and his army. Highland Warrior follows Joshua Sinclair who left his clan after his older brother took over from their father. Joshua was trained as a warrior, war was in his blood, as his father made it be so. When his brother takes over he wants peace, but Joshua is the Horseman of War and he can see the peace that his brother wants. He leaves and trains other men, while eventually training Robert Stuarts men, but training them puts a target on his head at all times. When he sees what his brother wants is now something he wants after the death of a child, he leaves for home.

But he comes face to face with a woman he can’t resist, Kara Flett, the daughter of a Norse King. She needs his help and protection and will do anything to get it.

I love reading stories of men who go on to find themselves, Joshua may have acted on immature intentions because of how he was raised, but he became the man he was suppose to be especially after meeting Kara and her people. I applaud the author for really showing growth in a male character, especially an alpha male, I really enjoy reading this. When Kara and Joshua meet its an intense attraction, the knows who he is and does something any desperate woman would do to save those she loves. The romance is passionate, intense and the connection between these two characters grows with every moment together, more so with Kara’s son, her son was actually the one who won me over.

In the end this is a great historical romance, lots of suspense and having the reader wonder how will they have their happy ending with all the dangers that keep coming their way. I did have a hard time connecting to Kara , her stubborn nature and how she just didn’t listen didn’t sit right with me. Overall her character should of been my most liked but I couldn’t connect. But that did not take away from the wonderful writing and world building.

What’s a war chief to do when the leader of the clan decides to pursue peace? Joshua Sinclair is about to find out, since his brother isn’t interested in waging war. Unhappy with his situation, Joshua leaves home and finds a position training others in the art of warfare.

It’s here that his viewpoint begins to change as he sees the consequences of aggression and his association with widowed Kara Flett, who is no stranger to war time. She’s got her own agenda for the war chief that includes seduction and more! When Joshua realizes her desperation he goes along with her plan and ends up finding there is more to Kara, especially in the bedroom.

This was a terrific historical escape that captured the time period and ethnicities well and I appreciated that. As a romance, there’s plenty of chemistry between the main characters. I was drawn into this series after reading the first book and I’ve been invested in how each of the Sinclair clan with find their HEA. So overall, a nice escapist historical romance with interesting characters and entertaining action to keep things moving along.

A story of self-discovery, embracing change, love, and fighting for what you believe in, The Highland Warrior is a captivating and immersive historical romance. Each story in the Sons of Sinclair series follows one of four brothers, and this one focuses on Joshua, the Horseman of War.

Joshua, a mercenary who never loses in battle, does not want to fight anymore. Disenchanted with his role as the Horseman of War, Joshua is ready to return home to his brothers and begin a less violent stage of his life. On his journey home, a chance meeting with Kara, the leader of a small clan, changes Joshua’s plans. Kara enlists Joshua to help train and protect her people from the dastardly leader who oppresses them. The closer Joshua gets to Kara and her people, the more he sees what he wants in life. But how can he have peace when danger surrounds them?

Kara is a widow who will do anything to protect her people, even seduce a Highland warrior. However, she never expected deep feelings to develop for Joshua. Will Kara open herself to love again? Can Joshua help Kara and her people?

Joshua has spent much of his life fulfilling a role created by his father. He did not have much say on his future after his father dubbed him Horseman of War. All he knows is battle, and he lives his life according to the book The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Each chapter, in fact, begins with a relevant quote from Sun Tzu’s book. However, as the story progresses, Joshua begins to redefine himself. His discontent with his role, as well as a traumatic event that haunts him, leads him to think about a new future away from war. I enjoyed Joshua’s growth and development throughout the story as he falls in love and his perspectives change.

Kara grows as well. A determined and focused clan leader, Kara is fierce and loyal to her people. However, after losing her husband years ago, she won’t give her heart to another. Kara admirably gives herself entirely to her people without reservations, and she has many big decisions to make. I like that Kara slowly learns to love again and that she thinks about her needs and wants. She proves that a person can successfully live, lead, and love.

Joshua and Kara have an epic insta-attraction romance. Built on respect, admiration, and desire, their relationship is steamy and romantic. I like that they view each other as equals and that they look to each other for support and guidance. I also like how willing they are to trust one another. I think this speaks volumes about the kinds of relationship they have and the trust they found in each other.

I also love the people of Kara’s clan. Kara’s son, brother, best friend, and more add so much to the story, and I enjoyed learning about them. For those that read Highland Conquest, the first book in the series, some of the characters make a brief appearance in this book, which is also fabulous. I always like when the author revisits characters from previous books so that the reader can see how their stories have progressed!

This is a well-paced, well-researched, and fascinating novel with a deep and passionate romance. Kara and Joshua’s story is filled with action, kidnapping, humor, touching moments, and more, and I loved the many twists and turns! Plus, there’s a comical warhorse named Fuil that easily stole my heart. Thanks so much to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, and Heather McCollum for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

This was an entertaining and at times, a very tense read. Joshua Sinclair is the warrior, who is skilled in the art of war. He is quite a terrifying figure to be up against, tall, broad and fierce. Kara, is a chief on the island of Orkney, and is determined to enlist Joshua’s help against their enemy. This story moves along at a good pace, there is plenty of action, danger and passion. It also has a strong, loving relationship that develops between Joshua and Kara. I loved the strong family bond between Joshua and his brothers and I look forward to reading more about this family. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Amazing story! Joshua and Kara are true warriors!

There is so much that I loved about this story that I hardly know where to begin. Joshua is beginning to grow weary of his Horseman of War persona, though he has perfected his skills so that he’s the most feared and formidable warrior in all of Scotland. He knows more than most the true cost of war, and has rarely seen a victory that was worth the sacrifice.

Kara is the de facto leader of a small, close-knit community who are consistently abused and oppressed by Robert Stuart, the uncle of Scotland’s current king. She’s determined to fight at all costs to free her people from him and his equally vicious sons, so she all but leaps at the chance to recruit Joshua to her cause.

As a history buff, I really appreciated how the author handled the intermixing of fact and fiction.
Robert Stuart is based on an historical figure, and the author makes great use of this person’s known acts of tyranny while expanding on his activities to portray him as a cruel villain, though stopping short of changing the outcome of the story when it would conflict with the historical record. As a result, the victory here is not complete, though the author’s note at the end gives us the satisfaction of knowing that justice was served within about ten years, and with the help of the Sinclair clan.

The romance between Kara and Joshua begins with a fiery passion that is nearly all-consuming. But then real life steps back in, and they have to deal with much more pressing matters than their obvious physical compatibility. It is through this time of shared trials that the real love story takes place, and it’s exquisitely delivered. It’s almost a slow-burn romance at this point, which seems counter-intuitive against the backdrop of their insta-lust beginning, but I for one really enjoyed how they grew to love each other because of, not in spite of, all the obstacles that kept them from each other’s beds.

It was so perfectly fitting that not only was Joshua a student of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, but that the author included a quote from this preeminent work in each chapter’s heading. These insights into battle strategy really helped to underscore the issues that dictated Joshua’s decisions, and why he was trying to lead the Flett clan to a solution that seemed to be the opposite of what they thought they needed. The conflicts here are expertly layered, with both psychological dilemmas as well as physical threats. It was truly enlightening to see how each conflict had to be addressed as a battle of its own, and victory did not always look like they thought it would. When there’s no clear path to justice, more than ever the moral character of the leader is his (or her) most important attribute.

Just when you think they’re backed into a corner with no possible way out, the author impressively takes the story around a few new corners until Joshua, Kara, and her entire clan find their HEA and can finally breathe easy, looking forward to a life of security and peace.

Like the first in this series, this is a story that will stay with me for a good, long time. It’s what I read books for, and I can’t recommend this amazing story highly enough. If you love intelligent, thought-provoking historical romances that are both fully historical and fully romantic, this is the series for you. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

The beginning of the book has a glossary of a Scots Gaelic and Old English words used in the story. To be honest, it wasn’t that hard to follow when they showed up in the story. Which I consider a good thing. Each Chapter also starts out with words from “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu. The author also included an interesting Historical Note at the end of the book.

The people in the story were well developed starting with both of the main characters.
Kára Flett is someone that Joshua begins to see really is a warrior woman, a Warrior Queen. She is also a loving and fiercely protective person. Both to her young son and her people. She doesn’t know what to make of Joshua Sinclair. She just knows that she has a mission to fulfill with The Horseman of War and she’s not sure she can pull it off. One thing she is sure of is that she is wildly attracted to him. And he isn’t slow to chase her either. They end up having “heated” scenes together but that doesn’t overtake the story.

The villains in the story were also easy to “love to hate.” And there’s a whole family of them along with an extra bully, The Brute. It isn’t all about just the bad guys because there are plenty of good people in the story. But it’s not hard to follow and didn’t give the feeling of being overwhelming.

Plenty of battles and makes you wonder if there’s any way for a H.E.A. The twist at the end is a big one, a doozie of a surprise.

I was happy to see that there was a Epilogue as well.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Joshua Sinclair known as The Horseman of War was once the fiercest and most notorious warrior of the mighty Sinclair clan of Northern Scotland. But now there’s nothing and no one that can make him take up arms again. He travels to Orkney & trains Robert Stuart’s men how to defend the castle if attacked. However he’s disillusioned & leaves to travel home for Samhain. When Kára Flett, leader of some local inhabitants, throws together a risky and outrageous plan to bring him to her side. Threats of violence bounce right off him. Offers of gold seem to entice him even less. Desperate enough to use the pleas of the village children to sway him, she’s shocked when he’s completely unmoved. There’s only one tactic left for her: seduction. Her hasty proposition falls completely by the wayside, though, as she and the Highlander come together in a carnal inferno.
This is the second book in the series & is very easily read on its own. Talk about action packed! It starts at a canter & very soon is galloping to the conclusion, the pages just flew by. I loved the chemistry between Joshua & Kara which was intense & electric. The author does a wonderful job of painting a picture not only of how Kara’s people had to live & the hardships they endured, but of the cruelty a power mad harsh despot could inflict. The characters have depth & you either love them or loath them. In places it’s not a comfortable read but it’s an engrossing one & I can’t wait for the rest of the series. I’m so glad I started this early in the day as no way could I put it down
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read