Book of the Month: December

Interestingly, according to my Goodreads account I only managed to read and finished during December. Deadlines got the better of me last month, but all is not lost since I can always make up for it this month! 

So what's my book?

Kathleen Morgan's "Child of the Mist (These Highland Hills, #1)"

In the harsh Scottish highlands of 1564, superstitions threaten a truce . . . a traitor plans his attack . . and a new love is born.

An arranged betrothal was never the course Anne MacGregor imagined her life would take. Yet when her father explains that her cooperation is the only hope for peace, Anne sees no other choice. Even one year of commitment to Niall Campbell, after all, would win a long-sought truce between the feuding families.

But as Anne soon discovers, peace is not so easily achieved. Before she even arrives at her new home, rumors about her abound and her safety is threatened. Meanwhile, Niall's ascension as leader of his clan is in jeopardy, as a traitor works to bring about his downfall.

As Niall and Anne begin to see beyond each other's defenses, love takes them by surprise. But will it be enough to defeat their foes? Or will the truce be broken, their lives forfeit, and war return to their beloved land?

The book seems a bit daunting at first considering it is set in Scotland during the 1500s and is not written in modern day English. But I found myself able to quickly adapt to Morgan's style to the extent that once invested in the book; I hardly noticed it.

I had no expectations at all when I first started reading this and I was left pleasantly surprised. I downloaded it after noticing that it was on Amazon's Top 100 Kindle books and also happened to free for download. In retrospect though, the book is worth so much more. I'm happily planning to buy the other books currently available by Kathleen Morgan because I enjoyed her writing that much.

I will admit there were points in the book where I felt conflicted towards Anne (the female protagonist). There were moments where I loved her, moments I hated her and moments where I was worried about her well being. There was particularly controversial scene (no spoilers 'cause I'm feeling nice) which leaves me feeling a bit disappointed, but I took it with a pinch of salt and continued reading.

Whilst I enjoyed the book, I have to admit I wasn't completely satisfied with Anne. She started off as an independent woman with her own identity and slowly she lost her identity and became Niall's possession. The ending hinted that in the future she would gain her identity back somewhat, but I wish the author had made it more obvious.

Other than those couple of complaints, I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for something different to their usual romance books. :)

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