The Warrior Laird [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

Dugan MacMillan has only a few weeks to come up with a huge some of money to pay an unexpected rent on his clan's property. His plan: to use the portion of a treasure map left behind by his grandfather to find a cache of gold coins. He really doesn't have any clue where he is going, but he does have an idea of where to find another piece of the map.

It's just after Dugan finds the second scrap that he runs in Maura. She is a woman on the run from her betrothal to a horrible old man. Coincidentally, she holds a third piece to the treasure map. And when she hears Dugan's men talking about the gold, she steals their two parts and takes off. It's not that she's a bad person, but she figures she could use the gold to help take care of her beloved sister Rosie. Young Rosie is disabled and was cast out by their father. Maura wants only to rescue the child from the distant Loch where she was abandoned, and take care of her.

It takes very little time for Dugan to catch up with her, though. Once he does, he realizes he has two possible paths to get the money he needs. One possibility is for him to find the treasure. But even if he can't, he can ransom Maura back to her fiance. It's cold, but he figures that his greatest responsibility is to take care of his clan, and without the money, they'll have no home.

Of course, Dugan and Maura fall for each other as they journey to the place where they'll meet up with her betrothed. But I can't say that I loved their romance. Maura was earnest enough. Her attraction to Dugan were the first feelings she has ever had for a man. But Dugan makes his moves on her with every intention of selling her off. Even when he comes to care for her... even when there is real hope of finding the gold.. he holds on to the ransom plan. I understand his loyalties, but this made it hard for me to root for them to fall in love.

Then there's the sex. Something just didn't click for me there. The scenes felt rushed and incomplete. I was disappointed.

The book isn't bad. We've got a treasure-seeking adventure and a sexy brogue. And Maura inspired my sympathy, though it was hard to watch her be so powerless to her fate. It was just frustrating at times and I didn't feel the love.

I have read Margo Maguire's.. 'The Rogue Prince' and that was a much better book then this. Here is the story in a nutshell. Maura is from an evil lowland clan who killed many people in Dugan's family and clan. They both meet up with parts of a treasure map that they need to put the pieces together to find the gold. They both need the gold for different reasons. Maura needs to rescue her younger, disabled sister, whom her father hid in some castle because he wanted her to die after birth since she was deformed. Maura wants to free her sister, Rosie, and care for her. Maura's father is trying to marry her off to some old geezer who needs an heir since his only son died. In exchange, he will give her father money for her since she comes with no dowry. She wants to escape this horrific idea of marrying the evil, old geezer who killed his two previous wives.

Dugan, on the other hand, needs the gold to keep his people from being evicted from their lands. He finds out who she really is and has an internal struggle of what to do. Does he ransom her off to the man who is supposed to marry her or do they go and search for the gold together and both get what they want? He is unsure if he will find the gold, so ransoming her off is a contingency plan. Of course, as in the case of all cookie cutter romances, well I am sure you know his internal angst.

As another review stated, I didn't feel the love. I only felt confusion on the part of the hero and heroine, as well as sexual attraction. There are much better romance books out there, even though this wasn't terrible.

Margo Maguire's Scottish romance The Rogue Prince lacked some pizzazz. The elements were there for a good story they just did not come together with enough spice and chemistry.

Maura is a heroine with a heart of gold. She is pretty much ignored and unwanted by her family; her only value is making a match. She is betrothed to a man not to her liking, his previous wives had died and he is much older. She runs away to rescue her disabled sister who has been sent away but before she leaves she discovers a torn map that could lead to a treasure which would help her and her sister immensely.

Also possessing a piece of the treasure map is Dugan MacMillan. He is chief of his clan and he now owes thousands of pounds in rent. He hopes he can find the other pieces of the treasure map and save his clan. Maura and he meet while she is on the run. Maura discovers he has some missing pieces of the map and she steals them while Dugan and his clan are sleeping.

When Dugan catches up with her he is furious and really closes himself off to Maura's pleas. He decides that ransoming Maura back to her fiance; is a great back up plan in case he does not find the treasure.

Both these leads were by themselves decent loyal and caring but together they just did not seem as admirable. Dugan especially seems cold hearted and Maura can be stubborn although she does help Dugan with interpreting the clues in the map.

This couple did not have a strong connection other than their search for the map, their feelings seemed very secondary and there was only a little simmering tension between them. There was actually a pretty good revenge plot in this tale, (Maura's family has a terrible history with Dugan's) which could have been utilized much better instead this focused much more on a quest for a treasure instead of the couple discovering the strong bonds of love and devotion.