Applied environmental economics Book

3.5 stars

I'm having mixed feelings about this one as a whole but I would just like to say that my 3.5 star rating is, in this case, a rather positive one. I actually enjoyed reading the majority of this novel and I also wouldn't mind checking out Moning's other Highland novels as I've heard this is the least popular of the series. It suffered somewhat from the inevitable comparisons that I simply had to make to the Fever series, it was nothing like those and I'm starting to believe nothing ever will be.

But my first impressions of the novel were good, I found it to be a kind of fae version of Outlander, where the female protagonist ends up time-travelling several centuries back into a Scotland complete with kilted men, feudalism and sexism. There she is forced to marry a Scot who she grows to love against the odds - yeah, definitely sounds very Gabaldon-ish, minus about 600 pages. This Scot is a 16th century manwhore, to put it plainly, 'womaniser' is too kind a word for him; and he naturally falls for the spirited, independent 20th century woman who refuses his advances.

I found the historical aspect both interesting and enjoyable, even though this will never be the Fever series, Karen Marie Moning is still a very good writer and I like the way she tends to use the less-explored folklore and mythology, rather than just following the pattern of countless other writers who have jumped on the vampire/werewolf bandwagon.

This book did have a heavier focus on the romance than her other series did, but it wasn't unexpected and the romance worked for the most part. I lost confidence in Hawk (the hero of the novel) somewhere in the middle but he managed to win it back again towards the end. But I will whine about what I didn't like - this is my review after all - and say that his behaviour during his own insecurities was ridiculous. In pretty much every romance story you will find at some point that one or both parties will experience an element of self-doubt relating to their partner. You know: does she really want me or is she thinking of someone else? or am I just another one of his numerous conquests? It comes with the genre. But... jealousy I can take, anger, brooding, revenge I can take... what I can't take is "oh, well, if she doesn't want me I'm going to lock her in a room, take away her freedom, until she does". When the so-called 'hero' does that I don't find it attractive... I simply think something along the lines of "pathetic, desperate control-freak". Not sexy, not good at all.

I am relieved that these tricks didn't work and Hawk felt bad about them afterwards, and he got better as the novel went on. Though, I still have problems accepting how most of their attraction to one another was based on beauty; for me, if an author creates a hero well enough I will fall for them just as much as the heroine in the story but, seeing as aesthetically a book leaves something to be desired, looks are one of the least important things! Take V'lane from the Fever series, he could never compare to Barrons because he was little more than a pretty face... a face that we couldn't see! I'm sure these men are orgasms for the eyes but I'm reading a sodding book so it's not really working for me. Give me personality please.

And let's not forget the sheer hilarity of some phrases from the book. If they had been said in jest then I would have applauded:

"They say his manhood at half-mast would make a stallion envious." - Ouch.

"Perhaps you have something in need of a heated shaping and molding? Or perhaps I might reshape my steel lance in the heat of your forge, milady?" - How I LOLed.



Don't be put off, seriously it's quite enjoyable in a way that makes you feel dirty for enjoying it, haha. Yeah, I will read more, for smut and laughs if nothing else :D