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Bearing It All
Highlander's Beloved #3
Vonnie Davis
Releasing Oct 27th, 2015
Loveswept
A Scottish hunter and a French
secret agent find themselves on a collision course with danger—and irresistible
desire—in Vonnie Davis’s new bear-shifting Highlander novel, perfect for fans
of Jennifer Ashley and Shelly Laurenston.
In the pine-dense mountains of the Scottish Highlands, shape-shifter Ronan Matheson is running free when a desperate woman parachutes out of the sky, directly onto his furry, powerful chest. Instead of clawing her to death, Ronan’s inner bear longs to keep her safe. Once he’s back in human form, Ronan is amused by the mysterious beauty’s fearless attitude—and tempted by her expertly toned physique. But what could she possibly be doing in this isolated stretch of the Highlands?
French intelligence agent Anisa Brosseau never imagined she’d be on the CIA’s bad side—until she’s framed for treason and forced to flee in a stolen drone. Hiding out in a remote cabin, Anisa just needs some time to clear her name. What she doesn’t need is a brooding, muscle-bound Scot in a skimpy kilt to drive her crazy with lust. But when Anisa’s enemies come knocking on his door, Ronan calls on a secret weapon to protect his turf and the bonny lass he’s come to love.
In the pine-dense mountains of the Scottish Highlands, shape-shifter Ronan Matheson is running free when a desperate woman parachutes out of the sky, directly onto his furry, powerful chest. Instead of clawing her to death, Ronan’s inner bear longs to keep her safe. Once he’s back in human form, Ronan is amused by the mysterious beauty’s fearless attitude—and tempted by her expertly toned physique. But what could she possibly be doing in this isolated stretch of the Highlands?
French intelligence agent Anisa Brosseau never imagined she’d be on the CIA’s bad side—until she’s framed for treason and forced to flee in a stolen drone. Hiding out in a remote cabin, Anisa just needs some time to clear her name. What she doesn’t need is a brooding, muscle-bound Scot in a skimpy kilt to drive her crazy with lust. But when Anisa’s enemies come knocking on his door, Ronan calls on a secret weapon to protect his turf and the bonny lass he’s come to love.
Now
what was he supposed to do? “Bloody hell! Not only am I stuck with a woman, but
a feisty, hardheaded one, at that.”
“Take
your Scottish skirt, your hairy muscular legs, and go back inside. Leave. Me.
Alone.”
Look, she likes yer legs. She’s not wimpy. I like her
spirit.
“Yer
opinion has nay bearing in this matter.”
“Does
too,” she mumbled and shifted away from the rock’s roughest edge.
Bloody
hell, she thought he was talking to her. Ronan stooped so he could examine her;
at least her hearing was still good. She’d taken quite a tumble over that
boulder he’d tried digging out on several occasions, but that was just too damn
big to remove by himself. The deeper he shoveled, the larger the feckin’ thing
became. “Are ye hurt, lassie?” He ran his hands over her, searching for broken
bones.
She
rolled and, before he knew what she was about, wrapped her thighs around his
legs, slipped her arms under his armpits and flipped him over her head. He
landed on his back, the wind knocked out of him, and his Scottish temper rose
like the mist over the bogs.
Oh yeah, I like her. Shift, so I can play tumble, too.
“Ye
are a fool if ye think ye’re playing tumble with her.”
The
woman slowly stood and weaved for a bit. “What in the hell are you talking
about? I wasn’t playing tumble. I was getting your grubby hands off me.” She
pressed two fingertips to the part of her forehead exposed by the helmet. “Why
do I feel as if I’m having a three-way conversation?”
“I
wasna making improper advances. I know how nasty that blasted boulder is. I was
merely searching fer any injuries ye may have suffered.” Ronan backflipped into
a stand. “Ye look exhausted, even though ye still have enough vinegar in yer
system to knock me on me arse. I apologize for me boorish actions earlier. Of
course ye’re welcome to spend the night in me warm cabin, fed and undisturbed.”
“After
all I’ve been through this past week, I don’t trust you any more than a rabid
dog or a raging bear.” She planted her hands on her rounded hips. “Frankly,
your change in attitude is too quick to be believed. Even so, my French
politeness demands I apologize.” She glanced away fer a beat as if the apology
was going to cost her a fine fortune.
Then
her gaze connected with his and part of him, his soul, his heart—he had nay
clue—did a strange, slow roll, taking his breath with it. “Sir, you are much
too kind. As dirty as I am, I’d only mess up your house. I’ll just keep moving
on.” She bent to retrieve her flashlight. “Thank you. I’m sorry for my
attitude. I know I was being bitchy.” She gave an audible sigh and shook her
head a time or two. “That remark about your skirt was also uncalled for. I hope
you’ll forgive me for my thoughtlessness.”
Her
heartfelt request fer forgiveness softened his mood. “Outsiders dinna
understand the strong pride we have fer our plaid, our kilts, our traditions.
Come inside. I’ll heat ye some soup.”
“Thanks,
but no. An intelligent woman would not go into a strange man’s cabin alone.”
She made two steps and he picked her up by the waist and tossed her over his
shoulder. She wrapped one arm around his neck, inhaled his woodsy scent as she
clasped that wrist with her other one, shifted over a tad, and kneed him in the
balls.
“Jesus,
Mary, and Joseph,” he breathed as he dropped to his knees, released his grasp
on her, and rolled onto his side, holding his privates. “Bloody fokin’ hell.
What did I do to deserve that?”
Anisa
leaned over him. “Feeling a little sick to your stomach, are you?”
“Ye
are a demon. A ball-crushing demon.” He held his crotch, his knees bent and his
kilt showing he wore nothing beneath it.
She
shuffled from one foot to the other as she stared at his Scottish bagpipe. Bet he could hit a lot of high notes with that thing. “You . . .
you startled me when you grabbed me like that.”
“Well,
ye needna be afraid now. I couldna molest ya, even if I wanted to, which I
dinna. I’m betting foreplay with ye would be like grabbing hold of an
electrical wire while sitting in a tub of water.” He groaned and cussed some
more. “Hell, I bet yer vagina is lined with shark’s teeth.” His continued
gasping still indicated he was fighting for enough breath to talk.
She
leaned over and shook a finger at him. “Just keep that image in your mind,
buster, and we’ll get along fine.”
This is the first book of the series that I read and I believe it can be read as a standalone. I loved the humor in this highland shifter romance, which is not something I often run across when reading a paranormal romance. Ronan and Anisa's chemistry is present throughout the entire book and it makes for a sexy read. Magnus/Brother Bear has a fun and mischievous personality that makes him extremely likable as his own character. Great read if you like a hot scot in a kilt and some humor in your paranormal romance!
I received an ARC via NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review, all conclusions are my own.
Vonnie Davis, who studied English at Penn State, likens herself to a croissant: crusty, wrinkled, flaky—and best served with strong coffee. After a career as a technical writer, she’s spending her retirement playing fairy godmother to her characters, giving them their happily-ever-afters. Six fantastic, talented kids call her “Grandma” and brighten her world in so many ways. She lives in Southern Virginia with her husband, author Calvin Davis.
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