BELOVED WARRIOR

Author: Patricia Potter ISBN: 0425215733 4/2007 HISTORICAL Publisher: BERKLEY SENSATION
Time Period: 1514 Spain and Scotland

Driven from his ancestral home, Patrick Maclean has spent the last six years as a prisoner aboard a slave ship. Embittered by his family's refusal to pay a ransom to free him, he vows to one day claim his rightful place as the Maclean heir—and exact vengeance on his father and brothers. Finally, when the mutiny he has plotted succeeds, he gets his chance. But he suddenly finds himself saddled with a most unsettlingly beautiful hostage... Juliana Mendoza is on her way to England to meet her groom when she's taken captive by a powerful Scottish warrior. But as the weeks pass, she discovers the kindness and compassion lurking beneath Patrick's gruff resentment, and her terror gradually turns to smoldering attraction. And yet she has no choice. If she is to save her mother, along with the man she has grown to love, she must marry her intended—even if it destroys her newly awakened heart...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

The long awaited third book in Patricia Potter's Scottish Highland trilogy is called BELOVED WARRIOR. It seems like forever since I read and reviewed BELOVED STRANGER, the second book in the series. I just couldn't wait to read Patrick Maclean's story, and I finally read it! However, there is good news and bad news. The bad news is that this is the final book in the series, but the good news is that it was definitely worth the wait!

After having the pleasure of reading all three books now, it's my opinion that BELOVED WARRIOR is a darker, more intense book. There's nothing pretty in the first couple of chapters of the book. It's violent and a bit scary. It's here we find that Patrick is a slave on board a ship and he's planning a mutiny. There happens to be a lovely woman on board, Juliana Mendoza, who is going to put a wrench into his plans.

Patrick doesn't want to have feelings for Juliana, especially since she is betrothed to Viscount Kingsley. Not only is she a lovely lady, but she also happens to be the niece to the wretched captain whose boat he was a slave on. As fate would have it—and also for the sake that it is a romance book—Patrick and Juliana begin to develop feelings toward each other. Those feelings are going to lead them into dangerous waters.

The love affair between Patrick and Juliana is passionate and emotional. Aside from the romance, there are twists and turns in the story that you don't see coming. It was nice to see Rory and Lachlan again, especially when they are reunited with Patrick. Having all three brothers together was a favorite part of this book for me!

Although BELOVED STRANGER is my favorite book of the trilogy, BELOVED WARRIOR was still a very fine read. Patricia Potter knows what her readers want from her stories, and she doesn't disappoint them in this new release. BELOVED WARRIOR is a worthy book to finalize such a fantastic trilogy.

Julie Kornhausl