Surrender by Pamela Clare

Title: Surrender

Author: Pamela Clare

Series: MacKinnon’s Rangers (book #1)
Next in series: Untamed

My rating: 5 Stars

Synopsis: Forced to serve in the British Army on pain of death, Iain MacKinnon and his brothers becomes fearsome warriors against the French forces in Colonial America. When he stumbles across Anne Burns Campbell on the verge of being raped and murdered, Iain defies his orders and saves her life. But Anne has secrets that may destroy their burgeoning relationship for she is not who Iain believes her to be …

Review: An exciting mix of romance and adventure set during the French-Indian wars. The first half of the plot is reminiscent of the film The Last of the Mohicans with Daniel Day Lewis (a favorite of mine), and the vivid historical descriptions and language enhance the immersive quality of the story.

 

The characterization is fantastic. Iain is a magnificent hero (of course, I’ve always had a soft spot for highlanders) and Annie is courageous, spirited and loving. The buildup of their relationship is passionate and compelling. While the “keeping secrets” plot device is not one of my preferred themes, it is neither overdone nor drawn out and merges well into the storyline.

The secondary characters are well-developed, especially Iain’s brothers, Morgan and Connor (who will feature in books of their own – hopefully Joseph will as well), and the villains – one diabolical and the other with questionable morals. The question of whether the latter will redeem himself is one of the more intriguing aspects of the book. The camaraderie between the rangers and their sense of loyalty and community is another highlight.  

Surrender epitomizes the best of the historical romance genre. I will definitely be continuing with the series and will probably re-read this one again and again.