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    The Raider: A Highland Guard Novel
    The Raider: A Highland Guard Novel
    The Raider: A Highland Guard Novel
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Raider: A Highland Guard Novel

    Written by Monica McCarty

    Narrated by Antony Ferguson

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Of all Bruce's elite warriors, Robert "Raider" Boyd is the most formidable. A true patriot whose bare hands are a deadly weapon, Robbie is the fierce enforcer of the Guard, and his hatred of the English has been honed to a razor-sharp edge. But vengeance proves bittersweet when his enemy's beautiful sister falls into his hands and he finds himself fighting temptation-a battle he badly wants to lose.

    Lady Rosalin Clifford barely recognizes the rebel prisoner she saved from execution six years ago. Though her girlish ideals for fairness have matured into a passion for justice, Rosalin believes she betrayed her brother when she helped this dangerous man escape. Now her traitorous act has come back to haunt her. But she can't deny the longing this tormented warrior ignites in her, or deny the passion that turns sworn enemies into lovers. Is the gentle love of a true English rose enough to free Scotland's most brutal warrior from a path of vengeance-before it's too late?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateFeb 25, 2014
    ISBN9781452687490
    The Raider: A Highland Guard Novel
    Author

    Monica McCarty

    Monica McCarty is the bestselling author of the Highland Guard series, the MacLeods of Skye trilogy, and the Campbell trilogy. Her interest in the Scottish clan system began in the most unlikely of places: a comparative legal history course at Stanford Law School. After realizing that her career as a lawyer and her husband’s transitory life as a professional baseball player were not exactly a match made in heaven, she traded in her legal briefs for Scottish historical romances with sexy alpha heroes. Monica McCarty lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and their two children.

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    Reviews for The Raider

    4.5/5

    60 ratings12 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Another wonderful Highland Guard romance by Monica McCarty. This is the story of Robbie Boyd, the strongest man in Scotland, also know as "The Raider". He has suffered much under the English rule. His father and brother were both killed and his sister abused badly enough to take her own life. He followed Wallace until his death and then transferred his loyalty to The Bruce. The story begins with Robbie in the custody of Robert the 1st Baron de Clifford also know as "Cliff". He is one of the fiercest of England's nobles. Cliff's sister, Rosalin Clifford (16 years old) is in Scotland visiting her brother and witnesses the treatment of the Scottish prisoners. She aches for them and tries to help by leaving food where they are able to find it. She notices that one of the prisoners had a tendency to 'look out for' the others. She finds herself drawn to him. When her brothers men find the extra food they throw Robbie in the "pit". It is from there that Rosalin helps him to escape. Robbie is able to alert his two closest friends and the three of them leave together. Rosalin thinks of Robbie for the next 6 years and fancies herself in love with him. Rosalin and her brother's oldest son were captured by Robbie and his men during a raid and become prisoners, held for ramsom. Ms. McCarty has a wonderful way of telling the story so that the characters jump out of the story and become almost real. The plots kept me turning the pages long ager bed time. I am already looking forward to the next book, The Arrow!
    • 5/5
      When Lady Rosalin was sixteen, she rescued a rebel who was sentenced to death by her brother. She sensed something noble and great about him, and after she freed him they shared a kiss that was short but full of promise. Now its been six years, and she has come back to see her brother. When she and her nephew go on a walk outside the safety of the walls, she ends up captured by the one man she once freed and admired. Now she sees a man that is fierce in his determination to get his revenge, and she is his key to gaining it. Robbie has seen horrible things that the English have done to his people and has seen many innocent people be tortured and killed. So when he captures the one woman that can bring some justice to his people and his effort to fight the English, he never realized how she would turn his life topsy turvy. Will Rosalin's love be able to free Robbie from the bitterness in his heart?The Raider is the eight installment, and I can't believe I haven't caught up in the series. Reading Raider has definitely been a revelation to me. WHEW!!! Such a remarkable romance, and one of the best that I have read this year. It definitely is at the top of the list for me. When I first starting reading The Raider, I didn't know what to expect, but I did love the first three books I have read from this author, and enjoyed them so much I bought them. So yes now I am reading this series out of order, but I found that in Raider, I wasn't lost or had a feeling of out of place at all. I was curious about the other members of the Highland Guard where their stories I have yet to read, but their books are on the next list when I visit my library. Now The Raider, I was given a ARC copy in exchange for a honest review by Netgalley and Random House Publishing.The Raider is a marvelous example of why I adore historical romance novels. There is quite a bit of evidence that this author researches and she researches well. As you begin in the story, you are completely immersed and its almost as if you have been taken back through time, when you see the hardships and sufferings that the Scots had to deal with from the English. You gain a broader understanding and a bit of empathy for what they went through in trying to gain freedom and peace. In Raider, not everything is black and white, there is quite a bit of grey. The two main characters Rosalin and Robbie are from different sides of the war. Rosalin has no idea of the atrocities that that Scottish people have been dealing with. She only hears propaganda and rumors that portray the Scots to be bad and the English good. She has a caring heart and you see much evidence of it throughout the story. Robbie is a fierce fighter and warrior and being at war with the English has changed him since Rosalin last had seen him. We see that they have a strong and fierce connection from the very beginning, but they are enemies, but slowly a desire blossoms into a flaming love that sears the readers heart.I couldn't help but fall for this story and most especially the characters that captivated me. I did love seeing these two battle wits against each other, and I love the tenacity of both characters. They are evenly matched and I enjoyed how intense the setting could get. You never knew what was going to happen next and I was reading as fast as I could just to see what would happen next. I was totally engrossed in the story and I couldn't believe I waited so long to read this one. I found myself being enriched by a story with such historical truths set in it, and the way this author writes is telling...she provokes a vivid emotional reaction from the reader, and you can't help but feel lost in the story. There is quite a bit of rich flavors that enhance the plot and you can't wait to find out the ending and see if these two get their HEA and how it happens. It definitely surprised me, and I just fell for both Robbie and Rosalin. Their courage and love for each other is phenomenal and heart breaking at times.Overall a stimulating romance with a rich historical setting, a conflict to put you on your toes, and a love story to pull at the heart strings!! CLASSICALLY WELL DONE!!
    • 3/5
      I received this book as an Early Reviewer. It's the latest in the Highland Guard series, but I haven't read the others. It's the story of the leader of the Scottish rebels, Robbie Boyd, aka "the Raider," who was trying to enforce the truce between the Scots and the English border lord entrusted with keeping the rebels under control. Clifford, the English lord, captured a bunch of the rebels, but his younger sister, Rosalin, got a crush on one of them who seemed to be a good guy, and she started sneaking food to them. When the English discovered it, one of the Scots was beaten almost to death because he didn't know who had done it. The leader was thrown in the pit when he went to his companion's rescue and scheduled to be executed later. Rosalin felt very guilty and confessed to her brother, but he didn't change his mind. So Rosalin went down that night and helped them escape. Fast forward 6 years. Robbie is furious because the English lead by Clifford, have been decimating the Scottish villages, raping and killing everyone. He makes a raid into English lands and inadvertently captures Clifford's young son, and then also Rosalin when she came to her nephew's rescue. Robbie and Rosalin are shocked to realize that they know each other, and why. Rosalin still has a crush on the Scot she remembers. Robbie realizes he owes her for the escape. However, they can't find common ground, except for his lust for her, so they bicker and accuse, and Robbie in particular is too quick to believe the worst of Rosalin. He's pretty nasty to her, but somehow she still manages to fall in love with him, of course. Things only turn out right close to the very end of the book. That's why I didn't like it enough to give it more than 3 stars. I really don't get much enjoyment from these stories of enemies who mistrust and hurt each other constantly and only get along while they're having sex. I can't believe that the couple actually would fall in love, and I don't like the feelings I pick up from the characters as I read, since they're almost all negative. It may be well written, but if it makes me irritated or angry, I don't like it and it won't get many stars.
    • 5/5
      Another great book in an amazing series! If you enjoy Highland romances with some steam and angst, this is your book and series. And let me add this.book can be read as a standalone also. I received this book in exchange for an honest review for Netgalley.
    • 4/5
      The Raider is the first book that I have read by McCarty, and I found that I really enjoyed it. McCarty captured my attention from the very beginning with the first meeting of Robbie and Rosalin. This meeting changes the lives of both characters when they meet again and discover that Rosalin is the sister of Robbie's enemy. Rosalin is very well developed throughout the book, and I loved that her ideals remained with her even as she was tested again and again. Robbie is also well developed as his character comes to terms with his past and his future. The Raider was a compelling read that kept me anxiously turning the pages waiting to see what happens next. Overall The Raider was a fabulous read that I would definitely recommend, and I look forward to reading this author again.Received a copy of The Raider through LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      Robbie Boyd, the "hero," was an actual person whom fought for Robert the Bruce during the early 14th century war between Scotland and England. The heroine Rosalin Clifford is a fictional character. Their romance was poignant, ironic, and realistic. Ms. McCarty does an excellent job weaving historical events with a plausible, fictional account, often relating facts about the time period that other authors leave out. An example of this is relating that dried heather is used as a freshener of clothing, since traveling overland often did not allow for transporting changes of clothes. Another was that English women of the time wore gowns and shifts, while Scottish women did not. 'Better than average' is my overall opinion on this story. NOTE: This is the fourth book from the Highland Guard series that I have read (obviously, I'm reading them out-of-order, as The Raider is the 8th in the series). These books are easily read as stand-alones.
    • 4/5
      I don't read historical romance that often, but when I do it usually has or one or more of three elements: highlanders, medieval era, or paranormal. This book had two of those three. This is the first Monica McCarty book I've read but I don't think it will be the last. Even though this is Book 8 in the series, I didn't feel lost. I could tell some of the other supporting characters had their story told in previous books, and though it would certainly have been nice to read the series in order and know more about these other characters, it wasn't absolutely necessary to enjoy this book.As far as the historical aspect of the story goes, I'm not a history buff and I read more for the romance than the history, so don't know (and honestly don't care that much) about the accuracy of historical details. Speaking of the romance, I liked the way it was slow to develop and the characters had to work towards it. I actually read this book a couple months ago so I've lost a lot of the smaller details but I do remember that overall I liked it. One thing that did disappoint me was the lack of a Scottish brogue in the dialogue. I've always considered that one of the yummy bits of a highlander romance so, yeah... disappointed there. I just had a hard time remembering that Robbie was a highlander and I had to keep reinventing the character in my head. If anything keeps me from going back to start the series from the beginning, it would be that. Outside of this, I enjoyed the story.
    • 5/5
      I won a free paperback of this book through Librarythings Early Reviewers in exchange for a review. This book was really well written, I immersed myself in Scottish history with Robbie and Rosalyn. Ever since Braveheart came out, I love this brutal side of history. Story building was immense and I could completely lose myself in the story. Rosalyn's affection for Robbie started at a young age, an infatuation while he was being held prisoner by her older brother. The authors tale of the guard is highly entertaining. I love this series! Overall entertainment value is five stars.
    • 2/5
      This is the story of Rosalin Clifford and Robbie Boyd. Rosalin is an English Rose and Robbie is a Scottish "brigand" or so the story goes. This book took too long to go anywhere and I found myself bored and skipping pages after the first 150 pages or so. It is a typical novel of "star-crossed" feelings/love. Rosalin loves Robbie but her brother wants him dead. Robbie wants Rosalin but she is his hostage and he wants her brother dead....and on and on. In my opinion, this book was 100 pages too long. I have no interest in reading the rest in the series.
    • 4/5
      The Raider by Monica McCarty is a 2014 Ballantine Books publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.As a teenage girl, Lady Rosalin Clifford freed Robert Boyd and saved him from execution. Now six years later, her lofty ideals and prinicples are being put to the test. Rosalin and her nephew have been taken hostage by Boyd the infamous "Raider". Rosalin recognizes him at once, but Boyd is a little slow to catch on. Once he realizes that the sweet angel that freed him six years ago is a Clifford, he can't comprehend it. Boyd HATES the English with a passion. Having Rosalin and her nephew as hostages couldn't be better. That is until he finds he is beginning to care for Rosalin. Rosalin spent the past six years feeling guilty about freeing Boyd. She thought she saw something in him that was honorable and of course her romantic inclinations at that age also played a role. Now, Rosalin is sadded to see that the man she freed has changed. He fights only out of bitterness and hatred. He has forgotten the reasons behind this war and has lost perspective. While Rosalin, who is bethrothed, finds that after six years her feelings for Boyd haven't wavered, she is ready to throw away all she has ever known for the love of this one man. Boyd, however, continues to struggle with the fact that Rosalin is English, that he hates her brother, and that she makes him feel something he has never felt before. As a result he is at once romantic, passisonate, and a stubborn jerk that only thinks of himself and his situation without once considering what Rosalin is prepared to do on his behalf. Ultimately, a show down will force The Raider to make a decision between this war and the lady he loves.Rosalin is a strong willed and principled woman with a clear set of values she tries to stick to. She doesn't understand all the politics of war, and of course she has been protected from the ugliness of battle until she finds herself kidnapped and at the mercy of this rather brutish group of people. Rosalin will learn first hand the horrors of battle as she sees things from Robert's point of view. She will fight against the physical violence she sees perpetrated against the women she is encamped with, and she will show Robert what true unconditional love is really about.Boyd has held onto his hate for so long he doesn't know how to feel anything else. It consumes every part of his life until he finds himself not only in a battle against the English but a battle within his own self when a new unsettling feeling begins to grow in his heart. These feelings will come between him and his long time comrades and force him to reevaluate everything he has known for most of his life. This is not an easy thing for this hardened warrior. When he stands to lose the woman he loves it will be Robert's turn to decide on what side he will stand on- his pride or true love. Which one will he chose?A wonderful Scottish romance featuring characters taken from the pages of true history. Monica McCarty is always coming up with great stories and romances that have authenticity, humor, steamy romance against the backdrop of the Scottish Highlands. It's a combination that is hard to resist. This is another wonderful outing for Ms. McCarty. Overall this one is an A.
    • 5/5
      Rosalin was finally getting the chance to visit her brother in the Scottish Highlands. For her own safety, he kept her confined to her room as much as possible. Rosalin was fascinated with one of the rebel prisoners her brother was currently holding at the castle. As she watched, she could see the prisoners weren't getting enough to eat. Rosalin decided to secretly give them more food without her brother knowing. When the prisoners were found out, punished and put in the prison pit, Rosalin knew it was all her fault and she had to do something about it. She knew in her heart the prisoners didn't deserve the punishment and plotted to set them free. She only hopes her brother never finds out the part she played in their escape…Ms. McCarty is a skillful, historical romance author who has a knack for giving us the detail needed for the story in a painless, quickly absorbed, sneaky sort of way. She's so deft at it that we don't even realize it was anything but entertaining and exciting! The characters were so romantic I almost wanted to back up and read certain parts again and again, even before I finished the book. There have been some of this series I've missed, but now that I've had the chance to read The Raider, I'm definitely going back and finding out what I've overlooked. I adored the hero, Robbie, and wanted him for my very own…yum! He's sexy, romantic, and very protective. Even though he thinks he's not very chivalrous, Rosalin knows he really is…and so do I! The Raider is just scrumptious and I'll be reading it again I know, along with each and every book in this series. It's a keeper!
    • 5/5
      What a great historical romance! This novel is the first book I've read by McCarty and she doesn't disappoint. The characters (many based on real historical figures) are very likeable and the story is set during one of the most important and turbulent times of Scottish history. Even the female MC is strong and smart. The romance between the leading characters is hot! I'm hooked. Going to check out the other books in this series first thing tomorrow. You can read it as a stand-alone.Net Galley Feedback