Review of The Rock (Highland Guard #11)

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The Rock (Highland Guard #11)

By Monica McCarty

3.5 of 5 stars

Description:

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.

Review:

Another great book! I love this series. For someone who enjoys history (so much so, I went for my degree), Monica McCarty’s stories are rich in detail and historical goodies. Her writing style is wonderful; she has a real talent for drawing the read to her characters.

Thomas MacGowan and Lady Elizabeth Dougal come from different worlds. He is the son of a blacksmith and she is nobility, yet they were childhood friends. While growing up, Thomas hoped that he and Elziabeth could be together one day, but social status and her fear of being disowned by her family kept them apart. As they grew older, Thomas confesses his love for Elizabeth, but she refuses. She feels that she has a duty to her Clan.

Thomas MacGowan is a relatively new character in the series, but I found him to be endearing, super sweet and everything he did was for love.  Elizabeth on the other hand had a tendency to be mean and manipulative. Though she insisted that she felt only friendship toward Thomas and kept pushing him away, she also kept chasing after him. She made it nearly impossible for the poor man to move with his life. He could have found someone else and at times, I wish he would.  I found myself hoping Elizabeth would turn it around and that I could find something about her that I liked, but it didn’t really happen. She was downright irritating and the reason I gave this book 3 instead of 4 stars. On the plus side, the pacing was good and the writing was amazing. Ms. McCarty writing is smooth and effortless, which makes for quick, enjoyable reads.

I’m excited to see what The Ghost (Highland Guard #12) will bring.