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The MacGregors #6
Rebellion
Scotland, 1745. Against the bloody background of the Battle of Culloden, another war was waged and won the price was honor, the victory, love.
Scottish beauty Serena MacGregor's hatred of all English began as a child when she watched as a band of Englishmen attacked her mother. Her brother's friend Brigham Langston was no exception to Serena's loathing despite his supposed loyalty to the Scottish causeand his good looks.
Although Brigham eventually proves himself worthy of the MacGregor family's respect, Serena is still reluctant to abandon her hatred for him and his heritage. But Brigham has other plans. Serena has captivated him with her beauty, her passion for life and commitment to her beliefs and he refuses to let her antagonistic attitude keep him from winning her. And Serena must learn to open her mind as Brigham opens his heart to see the true love awaiting her.
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Scottish beauty Serena MacGregor's hatred of all English began as a child when she watched as a band of Englishmen attacked her mother. Her brother's friend Brigham Langston was no exception to Serena's loathing despite his supposed loyalty to the Scottish causeand his good looks.
Although Brigham eventually proves himself worthy of the MacGregor family's respect, Serena is still reluctant to abandon her hatred for him and his heritage. But Brigham has other plans. Serena has captivated him with her beauty, her passion for life and commitment to her beliefs and he refuses to let her antagonistic attitude keep him from winning her. And Serena must learn to open her mind as Brigham opens his heart to see the true love awaiting her.
"
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 1988
470 people are currently reading
5127 people want to read
About the author
Nora Roberts
1,865 books58.3k followersNora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Hideaway, Under Currents, Come Sundown, The Awakening, Legacy, and coming in November 2021 -- The Becoming -- the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 286 reviews
February 24, 2021
Serena MacGregor loathes the English, a hatred borne from the assault she witnessed in her own home ten years before by a brutal English captain. Unfortunately, her brother’s best friend Brigham Langston is an English lord who is secretly supporting Prince Charles’ attempt to restore the Stuarts to Scottish rule and is determined to win her heart. She can’t deny her own attraction to him but it’s not enough to overcome her disdain of all things English. In the meantime, plans for a rebellion are escalating and it will impact the entire MacGregor family and clan, including Brigham.
This story takes us back several generations of MacGregors to when the clan was led by Ian MacGregor in Glen Forest, Scotland, around the time of the Jacobite Rebellion. Serena is the oldest daughter but she’s as fierce as her father and oldest brother, Coll. Her budding relationship with Brigham was all spitfire and heat as the last thing she was interested in was becoming anyone’s wife let alone an English aristocrat. It was entertaining and although sometimes tiresome, it transitioned at the right moment. What really distinguished this story was the rebellion as the events leading up to the actual event provided an historical insight I found educational. I’m familiar with elements but having both the English sympathizers and Scottish points of view was enlightening.
I enjoyed the story, even though it took some time for me to get traction. I loved learning the MacGregor history and liked that the series took this step back into the past to explore the rich background of the family. The rebellion wasn’t glorified, as all the horrors of that war were illustrated rather vividly, as well as the lasting impact of it on the family.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
This story takes us back several generations of MacGregors to when the clan was led by Ian MacGregor in Glen Forest, Scotland, around the time of the Jacobite Rebellion. Serena is the oldest daughter but she’s as fierce as her father and oldest brother, Coll. Her budding relationship with Brigham was all spitfire and heat as the last thing she was interested in was becoming anyone’s wife let alone an English aristocrat. It was entertaining and although sometimes tiresome, it transitioned at the right moment. What really distinguished this story was the rebellion as the events leading up to the actual event provided an historical insight I found educational. I’m familiar with elements but having both the English sympathizers and Scottish points of view was enlightening.
I enjoyed the story, even though it took some time for me to get traction. I loved learning the MacGregor history and liked that the series took this step back into the past to explore the rich background of the family. The rebellion wasn’t glorified, as all the horrors of that war were illustrated rather vividly, as well as the lasting impact of it on the family.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
March 4, 2016
3.5 stars
A pretty decent historical romance by Nora Roberts. I definitely like her thrillers and crime novels better. The characters are awesome actually - Serena is a powerful young woman and a kick-ass lady.
Brigham is her equal in bad-assery and they definitely have a fantastic chemistry. I liked the supporting characters as well but unfortunately, the story dragged out a little bit. I skimmed a few chapters but the ending was quite good. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I love Nora's strong female characters.
A pretty decent historical romance by Nora Roberts. I definitely like her thrillers and crime novels better. The characters are awesome actually - Serena is a powerful young woman and a kick-ass lady.
Brigham is her equal in bad-assery and they definitely have a fantastic chemistry. I liked the supporting characters as well but unfortunately, the story dragged out a little bit. I skimmed a few chapters but the ending was quite good. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I love Nora's strong female characters.
January 8, 2021
Nora Roberts with her flawless and delicate stroke of words have another magnificent romance in "Rebellion",my very first historical romance i have ever read by her and damn it..how i wish she could have written more!
The story takes place in 1700s where the war between Scotland and England will take place, the scots wants their true king on the throne and our hero, a royalty and proud of his name are Brigham Langston, Earl of Ashburn who will be one of the few to lead the scots to the war. Being a English man himself he is a man of honor and stands up for justice. His remarkable calm posture and patience is something i greatly admired for being a young man of 24, but he could be quite ruthless when needed to be. All that will be put to test when he travels to Glenroe with his friend Coll MacGregor, and gets bewitched by his sister, the spirited wildcat Serena MacGregor. The blossoming love between them was something they already from the start never could deny...and that`s what makes it all so much more beautiful!(dreamy sigh)
Why does Roberts create beautiful love-stories like these, does she know how my heart never stops with its double beating every time i open her books.That`s madness, and one of the very reasons Roberts are one of my top 10 favourite authors. Serena may have been too insulting and annoying with her hateful words towards Brigham at times, but she was a woman who stayed true to her heart. The scene in the forest beside a lake, when she takes her clothes off and seduces Brigham (and Brigham who wanted to wait for their wedding, which she DIDN`T know) i truly admired her as a heroine. She gave everything of herself and as a certain woman in love sacrificed her pride and honor to have that last moment with the man she loves, thinking that he would never come back for her and knowing that she would never marry nor love another. I nearly wanted to cry for Brigham when she thought that what he offered her was for her to be his mistress, which he NEVER EVER WOULD HAVE done! Even i knew him better than that! He is the one who much earlier than her knew that he had fallen in love with her...and i really wanted to hit her on the head for not realizing it. Brigham is such a unusual man and a very worthy hero. I swooned when he threatened to tell her father about their love-making when she refused his proposal of marriage. Ahh what a man! The side love-story between Coll and Maggie was so adorable and i loved it how clumsy he felt around her. When the war came i got blown away by much sorrow and horror for what had went though in this history of time...and getting really worried for Brigham`s and Serena`s and the other MacGregor`s safety. Nora Roberts never once in one second disappointed me throughout this epic tale of love, family and honor. With bright humor, passion and excitement Serena`s and Brigham`s love-story are everything for a Romantic-lover like myself, and soon enough i can`t wait to read the other books about the MacGregor family!
The story takes place in 1700s where the war between Scotland and England will take place, the scots wants their true king on the throne and our hero, a royalty and proud of his name are Brigham Langston, Earl of Ashburn who will be one of the few to lead the scots to the war. Being a English man himself he is a man of honor and stands up for justice. His remarkable calm posture and patience is something i greatly admired for being a young man of 24, but he could be quite ruthless when needed to be. All that will be put to test when he travels to Glenroe with his friend Coll MacGregor, and gets bewitched by his sister, the spirited wildcat Serena MacGregor. The blossoming love between them was something they already from the start never could deny...and that`s what makes it all so much more beautiful!(dreamy sigh)
Why does Roberts create beautiful love-stories like these, does she know how my heart never stops with its double beating every time i open her books.That`s madness, and one of the very reasons Roberts are one of my top 10 favourite authors. Serena may have been too insulting and annoying with her hateful words towards Brigham at times, but she was a woman who stayed true to her heart. The scene in the forest beside a lake, when she takes her clothes off and seduces Brigham (and Brigham who wanted to wait for their wedding, which she DIDN`T know) i truly admired her as a heroine. She gave everything of herself and as a certain woman in love sacrificed her pride and honor to have that last moment with the man she loves, thinking that he would never come back for her and knowing that she would never marry nor love another. I nearly wanted to cry for Brigham when she thought that what he offered her was for her to be his mistress, which he NEVER EVER WOULD HAVE done! Even i knew him better than that! He is the one who much earlier than her knew that he had fallen in love with her...and i really wanted to hit her on the head for not realizing it. Brigham is such a unusual man and a very worthy hero. I swooned when he threatened to tell her father about their love-making when she refused his proposal of marriage. Ahh what a man! The side love-story between Coll and Maggie was so adorable and i loved it how clumsy he felt around her. When the war came i got blown away by much sorrow and horror for what had went though in this history of time...and getting really worried for Brigham`s and Serena`s and the other MacGregor`s safety. Nora Roberts never once in one second disappointed me throughout this epic tale of love, family and honor. With bright humor, passion and excitement Serena`s and Brigham`s love-story are everything for a Romantic-lover like myself, and soon enough i can`t wait to read the other books about the MacGregor family!
February 13, 2015
This gives us the back, back story of the MacGregors and it's a great read and a real change of pace for Nora Roberts. Historical romance is not her usual thing but she does not disappoint. Set in Scotland in 1745 against the backdrop of Culloden, we get the first Serena MacGregor and her love story. It's fun to read about the ancestors of characters we've come to love. I highly recommend this book for lovers of the series but it can be read as a stand alone book. Enjoy, I did.
December 14, 2022
I originally gave this three stars, but after my book club's live show I think I'm going to bump this up to four. There was a lot of politics and talk of war, but that's kind of needed for a romance that surrounds the battle of Culloden. Ir really liked how the hero and heroine met and how the hero was English while the heroin was Scottish. I loved her fiery personality and how close she was with her family. The secondary romance was cute, too, and I loved all of the side characters. Overall it was a solid highlander romance!
May 30, 2022
I have read many books by Nora Roberts, but this is probably my first historical romance from her. I didn't quite know what to expect, but rather not what I found.
I was expecting something more like Nora Roberts' early books in this series, a much more uncomplicated story. I thought it would be a rather typical category romance. However, this story turned out to be much more developed.
Though maybe not quite when it comes to romance. What we have here is more or less love at first sight. Or at least Serena and Brigham are interested in each other from the very beginning. They also start talking about love quite quickly. But unlike the other books in this series, this one did not lack so much of a relationship development in my opinion.
Serena and Brigham's love is caught in the wind of history. I did not expect this at all. And this is also where the story got much more serious and much darker than I expected. I admit, this is not what I was looking for in this book, so I had mixed feelings reading these scenes. In the last few weeks, I rather avoid the topic of war in my books, mostly due to atrocities of the war in neighboring Ukraine. Therefore, these fragments, and especially the description of bloody crimes against the local population, was especially difficult for me to read.
I don't remember the rest of the books in this series well enough to relate with certainty the story in this book to the previous ones. Of course, if I remember correctly, the rest of the books are set in modern times. So this is probably the story of the beginning of the MacGregor clan. If you haven't read the rest of the books in the series, this will not be a problem.
The book was written in the late 1980's, but it has grown old pretty well. Of course, it helps that this is historical romance, so some things are easier to overlook.
I was expecting something more like Nora Roberts' early books in this series, a much more uncomplicated story. I thought it would be a rather typical category romance. However, this story turned out to be much more developed.
Though maybe not quite when it comes to romance. What we have here is more or less love at first sight. Or at least Serena and Brigham are interested in each other from the very beginning. They also start talking about love quite quickly. But unlike the other books in this series, this one did not lack so much of a relationship development in my opinion.
Serena and Brigham's love is caught in the wind of history. I did not expect this at all. And this is also where the story got much more serious and much darker than I expected. I admit, this is not what I was looking for in this book, so I had mixed feelings reading these scenes. In the last few weeks, I rather avoid the topic of war in my books, mostly due to atrocities of the war in neighboring Ukraine. Therefore, these fragments, and especially the description of bloody crimes against the local population, was especially difficult for me to read.
I don't remember the rest of the books in this series well enough to relate with certainty the story in this book to the previous ones. Of course, if I remember correctly, the rest of the books are set in modern times. So this is probably the story of the beginning of the MacGregor clan. If you haven't read the rest of the books in the series, this will not be a problem.
The book was written in the late 1980's, but it has grown old pretty well. Of course, it helps that this is historical romance, so some things are easier to overlook.
November 8, 2022
I never thought that I’ll see Nora Roberts write a historical romance but apparently she has a whole series on it which I’ve never come across. I would say it’s definitely a pleasant surprise and as it is Nora Roberts, I knew the story would be good.
Also considering my sudden like for the Scottish things (I blame my lecturers, they’ve been talking about Scottish castles a lot), this book ticked off all my boxes. Once again, it’s Nora Roberts. She never goes wrong.
Also considering my sudden like for the Scottish things (I blame my lecturers, they’ve been talking about Scottish castles a lot), this book ticked off all my boxes. Once again, it’s Nora Roberts. She never goes wrong.
January 10, 2019
I have to say, this is the first Nora Roberts book that didn't really grate on me. Similarly, I'd have to check my notes but it is also a highlander romance that didn't get all bogged down in the mystical side of Scotland and make me hate the characters for all their time-traveling selfishness...I'd also like to point out this is the first pre-2000 book (I think!) that I've actually liked at all.
It was nice to read about an English man and a Scottish woman also. I might even be tempted to continue on this series to see how the fam makes it home again or whatever it is they end up doing
Based on the fact I'll never reread-it's just a 3.
It was nice to read about an English man and a Scottish woman also. I might even be tempted to continue on this series to see how the fam makes it home again or whatever it is they end up doing
Based on the fact I'll never reread-it's just a 3.
May 9, 2018
Superb Storytelling of the Rising of 1745 and a Love That Would Not be Denied – A Keeper!
It begins in 1735 when Serena MacGregor’s home in the Highlands is invaded by British dragoons and her mother is raped by their leader who wants to shame a Highland’s chief’s wife. And that night hatred for the English was born in Serena. Ten years later, in 1745, her brother Coll brings home his friend, Brigham Langston, whose mother might have been a MacDonald but he is English.
Serena means to hate Brigham but ends up falling in love. Brigham wants the fiery tempered lass and means to have her. But there is a matter of the Jacobite Rising of 1745 that will interfere.
It’s a time of rebellion in the Highlands as the Scots, sick of English oppression, long for their Bonnie Prince Charlie, their “king across the waters” to return and reclaim his throne. The Germans may reign in England but the Scots want their true king restored.
When I read about the Battle of Culloden that took place in 1746 and see the images that represent that fateful day, I am always deeply saddened. Not just for the battle that was lost or the thousands of Scots slain, but for the cruelty of England inflicted thereafter on a generation of Highlanders. The English destroyed a way of life.
Roberts brings this time in Scotland’s history to life with superb storytelling, wonderful characters and brilliant dialog. Rich in historical detail and passion-filled love, this is a keeper. I fell in love with Brigham whose heart beat to the Highlands though he was an English lord. And I cheered on Serena as she finally decided to claim the man her own heart could not deny.
First published in 1988, this is the story of the historical roots for Roberts’ contemporary MacGregor series. I am so sorry she gave us only two historical romance novels before moving on to other genres as her historicals are very, very good.
It begins in 1735 when Serena MacGregor’s home in the Highlands is invaded by British dragoons and her mother is raped by their leader who wants to shame a Highland’s chief’s wife. And that night hatred for the English was born in Serena. Ten years later, in 1745, her brother Coll brings home his friend, Brigham Langston, whose mother might have been a MacDonald but he is English.
Serena means to hate Brigham but ends up falling in love. Brigham wants the fiery tempered lass and means to have her. But there is a matter of the Jacobite Rising of 1745 that will interfere.
It’s a time of rebellion in the Highlands as the Scots, sick of English oppression, long for their Bonnie Prince Charlie, their “king across the waters” to return and reclaim his throne. The Germans may reign in England but the Scots want their true king restored.
When I read about the Battle of Culloden that took place in 1746 and see the images that represent that fateful day, I am always deeply saddened. Not just for the battle that was lost or the thousands of Scots slain, but for the cruelty of England inflicted thereafter on a generation of Highlanders. The English destroyed a way of life.
Roberts brings this time in Scotland’s history to life with superb storytelling, wonderful characters and brilliant dialog. Rich in historical detail and passion-filled love, this is a keeper. I fell in love with Brigham whose heart beat to the Highlands though he was an English lord. And I cheered on Serena as she finally decided to claim the man her own heart could not deny.
First published in 1988, this is the story of the historical roots for Roberts’ contemporary MacGregor series. I am so sorry she gave us only two historical romance novels before moving on to other genres as her historicals are very, very good.
February 3, 2013
MacGregors klanının tarihçesi idi bu kitap muhteşemdi..Nora Roberts'in kaleminden ilk defa bir historical roman okudum..Kitap su gibi akıyordu desem hani abartmış olmam kesinlikle..Kitabı elimden bırakamadım..
Yıl 1745 Yer İskoçya ünlü isyan hareketinin başlangıcı..İskoçlar tahta Stuat Hanedanında Charles'i getirmek için isyan ederler..İşte roman tam bu atmosferde Kuzey İskoçya'da geçiyor..
Romandaki kadın karakter Serena(Rena) MacGregor
Erkek Karakter ise yarı İskoçyalı Lord Ashburn-Brigham Langston hikayeleri müthiş idi.Brigham Cold MacGregor ile geldiği bu topraklarda bu isyanın mimarlarından olacaktı..Gregor ailesinin büyük kızı ile karşılaştığında ise neye uğradığını şaşırdı Serena'nın İngilizleri sevmemesinin nedenini anlayamıyordu aralarındaki çekişme ise bitmek bilmediği gibi çekimi de gün geçtikçe artırıyordu..Romandaki aile sıcaklığın�� yazar o kadar güzel işlemiş ki sanki ailenin bir ferdi gibi hissediyorsunuz kendinizi..
İkilinin arasındaki aşk ve tutku,dönemi yazar o kadar güzel anlatmış ki hayran oldum..MacGregor ailesinin sırrı vardı bir de annelerinin sırrı..Serena'nın İngilizlere olan nefretinin en büyük sebebi idi bu sır..Serena'nın inadı Brigham'ın kararlılığı karşısında fazla dayanamadı sonunda..Güzel bir historical roman idi..MacGregorların atalarının hikayesini severek okudum..Bence Nora Roberts daha fazla historical yazmalı idi..Tavsiye ederim..
Yıl 1745 Yer İskoçya ünlü isyan hareketinin başlangıcı..İskoçlar tahta Stuat Hanedanında Charles'i getirmek için isyan ederler..İşte roman tam bu atmosferde Kuzey İskoçya'da geçiyor..
Romandaki kadın karakter Serena(Rena) MacGregor
Erkek Karakter ise yarı İskoçyalı Lord Ashburn-Brigham Langston hikayeleri müthiş idi.Brigham Cold MacGregor ile geldiği bu topraklarda bu isyanın mimarlarından olacaktı..Gregor ailesinin büyük kızı ile karşılaştığında ise neye uğradığını şaşırdı Serena'nın İngilizleri sevmemesinin nedenini anlayamıyordu aralarındaki çekişme ise bitmek bilmediği gibi çekimi de gün geçtikçe artırıyordu..Romandaki aile sıcaklığın�� yazar o kadar güzel işlemiş ki sanki ailenin bir ferdi gibi hissediyorsunuz kendinizi..
İkilinin arasındaki aşk ve tutku,dönemi yazar o kadar güzel anlatmış ki hayran oldum..MacGregor ailesinin sırrı vardı bir de annelerinin sırrı..Serena'nın İngilizlere olan nefretinin en büyük sebebi idi bu sır..Serena'nın inadı Brigham'ın kararlılığı karşısında fazla dayanamadı sonunda..Güzel bir historical roman idi..MacGregorların atalarının hikayesini severek okudum..Bence Nora Roberts daha fazla historical yazmalı idi..Tavsiye ederim..
January 8, 2015
a refreshing story set against the bloody background of the historic Battle of Culloden.
it was nice to read the war and remind me of the young bonnie prince charles stuart. the jacobite rebellion was a very bloody war and it always touches me everytime i read about it. and as usual it bring me down knowing what had happened to the scots. but nora roberts did made a good job justifying the story. with her page turner writing style and interesting scenes, you will soon be finished reading her book without noticing it and left with a satisfied imagination.
since it was categorize as historical romance, there was still an air of love on the book between the feisty Scottish beauty Serena MacGregor and the english loyal supporter of prince charles Brigham Langston.
i only read lawless and this one and im not sure if nora roberts has other historical fiction. may it be historical or mystery/suspense or paranormal she always fascinates me.
it was nice to read the war and remind me of the young bonnie prince charles stuart. the jacobite rebellion was a very bloody war and it always touches me everytime i read about it. and as usual it bring me down knowing what had happened to the scots. but nora roberts did made a good job justifying the story. with her page turner writing style and interesting scenes, you will soon be finished reading her book without noticing it and left with a satisfied imagination.
since it was categorize as historical romance, there was still an air of love on the book between the feisty Scottish beauty Serena MacGregor and the english loyal supporter of prince charles Brigham Langston.
i only read lawless and this one and im not sure if nora roberts has other historical fiction. may it be historical or mystery/suspense or paranormal she always fascinates me.
February 18, 2017
A beautiful bittersweet tale in the war era between the Scots and the British, and the start to this amazing series, Rebellion is the love story of Serena, the Scottish lass and Brigham, the English royalty.
When they initially meet, sparks and verbal spurs fly. Rena judges him preemptively and lashes him with her sharp tongue, and sometimes toes but Brigham conquers it all with sweet kisses and some hot love makin.
The couple have insta love and attraction, and are not shy to act on it.
The story moves forward several times, with their families experiencing both good and bad times- including war and death- and the tale ends at a sweet note of HFN (mainly because I'm hoping the legacy continues in other books). It's also a rather abrupt ending.
It started out really heartwarming but by the end there was a lot of pillage and pain- however our couple does end up happily for the time being.
I hope everything works out for the family. (Yup I'm uncertain)
Safe
3.75/5
When they initially meet, sparks and verbal spurs fly. Rena judges him preemptively and lashes him with her sharp tongue, and sometimes toes but Brigham conquers it all with sweet kisses and some hot love makin.
The couple have insta love and attraction, and are not shy to act on it.
The story moves forward several times, with their families experiencing both good and bad times- including war and death- and the tale ends at a sweet note of HFN (mainly because I'm hoping the legacy continues in other books). It's also a rather abrupt ending.
It started out really heartwarming but by the end there was a lot of pillage and pain- however our couple does end up happily for the time being.
I hope everything works out for the family. (Yup I'm uncertain)
Safe
3.75/5
April 8, 2020
While I have read countless of books of the lead up to, the actual battle itself and the horrific aftermath of the Battle of Culloden, I thought Nora Roberts did a pretty good job of trying to capture some of the events of the whole tragic tale, along with a fictional historical romance, in one book. Just the history of the Clan MacGregor ("Royal is My Race") and what happened to them with the proscription alone could have encompassed many stories. Having said that, I thought it was a terrific book to add to the MacGregor Series.
May 18, 2020
Bas lepo sto su u Blic zeni poceli sa ovim delom iako to nije prva Norina knjiga iz serijala; jeste malo neobicno za nju da se ovoliko oslanja na istorijske dogadjaje ali to uopste ne umanjuje lepotu njenog pisanja :D ; knjiga je naravno prelepa i jedva cekam izlazak nove knjige iduceg meseca.
October 20, 2022
Rebellion is a Highlander historical romance from writing queen, Nora Roberts. This was actually my first time ever reading a book by NR and I was honestly a little wary going in, just because I didn’t know what to expect. But I was so impressed with this and had a great time! This blended romance with the action of the Jacobite Rebellion so well and I just flew through this story! Apparently this book is part of her MacGregor family series, which has multiple books, but this one was told generations in the past so I’m not too sure if any others in this series are historicals as well.
This story takes place in Scotland in 1745. We meet Serena MacGregor in the prologue 10 years prior where she sees her mother attacked by a band of Englishmen who come into their home. After that, Serena’s hatred for the English doesn’t waver over the years. But when her brother Coll returns home injured with his very English friend, Brigham Langston (an Earl), and Serena is forced to tend to Brigham’s wounds…things get complicated. Brigham immediately is very taken with Serena while she’s the more stand-off-ish one. I enjoyed this brother’s best friend romance with her trying to hate him solely based on him being English, but also super drawn to him. Brigham and her father Ian MacGregor are both gearing up for the Jacobite Rebellion and we see quite a bit of action and setup leading towards the Battle of Culloden. We see Brigham earn the trust of the MacGregor family, he even seeks vengeance for her mother, and wins Serena’s heart.
This has some really lovely romantic moments between Serena and Brigham. We do even get steamy scenes, while not super descriptive the scenes also aren’t fade-to-black or closed door, which was a nice surprise! I liked how Serena calls Brigham “Sassenach”. I loved seeing Serena’s conversations with her mother throughout the book. This was just a great balance between the romantic moments and all the action of the rebellion. I also love when books feature a great family, it’s always nice to see good parents in historicals!
This story takes place in Scotland in 1745. We meet Serena MacGregor in the prologue 10 years prior where she sees her mother attacked by a band of Englishmen who come into their home. After that, Serena’s hatred for the English doesn’t waver over the years. But when her brother Coll returns home injured with his very English friend, Brigham Langston (an Earl), and Serena is forced to tend to Brigham’s wounds…things get complicated. Brigham immediately is very taken with Serena while she’s the more stand-off-ish one. I enjoyed this brother’s best friend romance with her trying to hate him solely based on him being English, but also super drawn to him. Brigham and her father Ian MacGregor are both gearing up for the Jacobite Rebellion and we see quite a bit of action and setup leading towards the Battle of Culloden. We see Brigham earn the trust of the MacGregor family, he even seeks vengeance for her mother, and wins Serena’s heart.
This has some really lovely romantic moments between Serena and Brigham. We do even get steamy scenes, while not super descriptive the scenes also aren’t fade-to-black or closed door, which was a nice surprise! I liked how Serena calls Brigham “Sassenach”. I loved seeing Serena’s conversations with her mother throughout the book. This was just a great balance between the romantic moments and all the action of the rebellion. I also love when books feature a great family, it’s always nice to see good parents in historicals!
October 12, 2012
I chose to follow the time line when starting this series. So, although this was not the first book published in the MacGregor series, it starts at the beginning of the story. So, in the 1700's we meet Serena and her family.
Serena despises the English. When her brother allied with an Earl, Serena lets her temper get the better of her. But, Lord Brigham was smitten with her despite her foul temper.
This was really good story. The story of the Rebellion, of two people vastly different coming together for love and for a common cause.
After the war finally starts, the war scenes dominated the last quarter of the book. I'm not big on war and battle so this part carried on a little too long for me. I know this was a major part of the plot, but I did grow weary of the battle scenes anyway.
I loved Serena's personality. She just couldn't control her temper, which lead to some hilarious antics. I could picture a proper English Lord trying to deal with her. But, that was what he loved about her.
I'm glad that things worked out the way it did in the end even though it came at such a great cost.
There were many laughs, tears, battles and courage. I'm excited about continuing this series. I have heard so much about it for so long, but just never got started on it. I must say the first book lived up to all the hype. A-
Serena despises the English. When her brother allied with an Earl, Serena lets her temper get the better of her. But, Lord Brigham was smitten with her despite her foul temper.
This was really good story. The story of the Rebellion, of two people vastly different coming together for love and for a common cause.
After the war finally starts, the war scenes dominated the last quarter of the book. I'm not big on war and battle so this part carried on a little too long for me. I know this was a major part of the plot, but I did grow weary of the battle scenes anyway.
I loved Serena's personality. She just couldn't control her temper, which lead to some hilarious antics. I could picture a proper English Lord trying to deal with her. But, that was what he loved about her.
I'm glad that things worked out the way it did in the end even though it came at such a great cost.
There were many laughs, tears, battles and courage. I'm excited about continuing this series. I have heard so much about it for so long, but just never got started on it. I must say the first book lived up to all the hype. A-
January 8, 2016
I have read several books by nora roberts and this is very good a romance set in the time of the culloden uprising of 1745, about a womans hatred of the english, and her love for an englishman loyal to the scottish cause because of his grandmother, and how she learns to overcome her hatred of what he stands for and the love that eventually overcomes the barriers between them
August 31, 2021
Quanto tempo era che non leggevo un libro della Roberts?
Ho ripescato un historical romance che è poi il prequel della saga McGregor letta anni fa.
Ambientato ai tempi di Culloden, troviamo due ragazzi, uno inglese e l'altro scozzese, grandi amici ma con gli stessi ideali. Brigham è un lord inglese con sangue scozzese che sceglie di schierarsi a favore della Scozia e segue il suo amico Coll nelle highlands.
Qui conosce sua sorella Serena, una ragazza bellissima, indomita, ma con una lingua velenosa e gli artigli affilati.
Brig se ne innamora ma Rena è piena di pregiudizi sugli inglesi, dovuti anche alla violenza subita dalla madre quando era giovane.
Brig ha una pazienza infinita, Serena è una gatta selvatica, che prima cede un po' e poi scappa alla velocità della luce. A volte avrei voluto scuoterla, perchè far ricadere le colpe di altri su Brig?
Il ritmo è incalzante anche grazie alla guerra imminente.
Ho fatto bene a recuperare la lettura.
Ho ripescato un historical romance che è poi il prequel della saga McGregor letta anni fa.
Ambientato ai tempi di Culloden, troviamo due ragazzi, uno inglese e l'altro scozzese, grandi amici ma con gli stessi ideali. Brigham è un lord inglese con sangue scozzese che sceglie di schierarsi a favore della Scozia e segue il suo amico Coll nelle highlands.
Qui conosce sua sorella Serena, una ragazza bellissima, indomita, ma con una lingua velenosa e gli artigli affilati.
Brig se ne innamora ma Rena è piena di pregiudizi sugli inglesi, dovuti anche alla violenza subita dalla madre quando era giovane.
Brig ha una pazienza infinita, Serena è una gatta selvatica, che prima cede un po' e poi scappa alla velocità della luce. A volte avrei voluto scuoterla, perchè far ricadere le colpe di altri su Brig?
Il ritmo è incalzante anche grazie alla guerra imminente.
Ho fatto bene a recuperare la lettura.
February 2, 2019
Nora Roberts does historical! I really like this one, and it's always made me a little wistful that she didn't do more historical stuff. This Serena MacGregor is great and Jacobites will never fail to make my heart suffer.
November 2, 2017
A VERY SAD LONELY STAR! DEFINITELY NOT MY CUP OF ENGLISH TEA.
Before I jump into this review, I have to say that I am not big into historical romances. So why did I read this you ask? Because I have read part of another book in the MacGregors series and loved it. I wanted to start from the very beginning. Was that a mistake on my part? I don’t know. Possibly? Maybe I should have started in the order of publication rather than chronological order. Maybe it would have made me feel more for the main characters – other than annoyed and frustrated. (I was waaay more invested in the supporting characters than the love birds.) Or just maybe, it was just destined for me not to like this book. *shrugs*
Serena MacGregor is a fiery, unique lass. She had all the makings of a kick-ass, fearless protagonist until you realize that she is just really insecure of her feelings and uses anger to scare men away. While that quality is relatable and understandable, considering what happened to her mother, it’s extremely overdone. I was only 30% into the book when I decided that Katy Perry’s song “Hot N Cold” was her theme song.
Brigham Langston is the uppity Englishman with Scottish ties who just loves our heroine – even when she turns him down. CONSTANTLY. It was rather refreshing to see the guy chase after the girl for once; however, I really wanted to scream at him to stop being so handsy. It is not attractive when a man paws at a woman without her consent. I just imagine him running after Serena like:
Oh, and I realize that this takes place in the 1700s and women were looked at as possessions more so than partners, but this is a romance novel! There needs to be a slow burn, the gradual building of their relationship to fully satisfy the readers… or me. I’m not proud of to say that I skimmed through the second half of this book. #justkeepskimming
I really hope NR can redeem herself with the next installment of this series.
Before I jump into this review, I have to say that I am not big into historical romances. So why did I read this you ask? Because I have read part of another book in the MacGregors series and loved it. I wanted to start from the very beginning. Was that a mistake on my part? I don’t know. Possibly? Maybe I should have started in the order of publication rather than chronological order. Maybe it would have made me feel more for the main characters – other than annoyed and frustrated. (I was waaay more invested in the supporting characters than the love birds.) Or just maybe, it was just destined for me not to like this book. *shrugs*
Serena MacGregor is a fiery, unique lass. She had all the makings of a kick-ass, fearless protagonist until you realize that she is just really insecure of her feelings and uses anger to scare men away. While that quality is relatable and understandable, considering what happened to her mother, it’s extremely overdone. I was only 30% into the book when I decided that Katy Perry’s song “Hot N Cold” was her theme song.
Brigham Langston is the uppity Englishman with Scottish ties who just loves our heroine – even when she turns him down. CONSTANTLY. It was rather refreshing to see the guy chase after the girl for once; however, I really wanted to scream at him to stop being so handsy. It is not attractive when a man paws at a woman without her consent. I just imagine him running after Serena like:
Oh, and I realize that this takes place in the 1700s and women were looked at as possessions more so than partners, but this is a romance novel! There needs to be a slow burn, the gradual building of their relationship to fully satisfy the readers… or me. I’m not proud of to say that I skimmed through the second half of this book. #justkeepskimming
I really hope NR can redeem herself with the next installment of this series.
May 7, 2019
The first of the MacGregor series. It was fantastic. Nora Roberts is one of my favorite authors, and (I may be biased) the best. The MacGregors are a stubborn lot. This Serena MacGregor is very prideful, stubborn, and passionate. The perfect foil against Brigham Langston, who is also very stubborn, prideful and passionate. (laughing) I love that Brigham takes pride in both of his heritages- the English and the Scottish and is on the side of putting the Bonnie Prince Charles back on his throne. Serena acts like she hates him when they meet, but when Brigham pulls her near for an embrace, her brain turns to mush and she can’t resist him. There is a battle scene in this book and I love how Roberts shows the agony, and the planning of war. This is an excellent book, I recommend it for romance readers, and Nora Roberts fans.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2009
I started/stopped reading this book so many times that I lost count. I just can´t get through it and, as of now, I´m officially giving up on it.
January 12, 2011
The story of the beginning of the McGregor clan is wonderful. It's set in a time of discontent, with history weaving its way through the lives of all the characters. It's a beautiful love story, with revolution, war, politics and loyalty all affecting the lives, loves and decisions of the McGregors.
August 10, 2011
Rebellion as a truly amazing book. Filled with true love and romance, hate and vigor. I would give this book a 6 star rating. I fell in love with the whole story, which I believe was beautifully written and wonderfully told. The Characters had alot of passion and they were all about their clan. It kept me reading and wanting to read more about the Mcgregors.
March 26, 2019
Nora Roberts knows how to keep me interested and this book definitely did that for me. I grew up watching Lifetime movies and kept seeing movies that were originally Nora Roberts books so I thought I would give her stuff a try. I am addicted to her books now.
May 21, 2012
I've read a lot of historical romance where the Jacobite have been portrayed as villains, it was refreshing to read a book that shows the events from their perspective.
June 18, 2016
Her zamanki gibi yine güzel.
January 24, 2019
Love this book every time I read one of her books I feel like I'm there
January 28, 2018
Bueno, este libro es completamente diferente de la saga de los MacGregor. Tiene lugar doscientos años antes de los demás libros y en Escocia.
Para empezar, me encantan los libros que cuentan historias que suceden en Escocia en el siglo XVIII, es uno de mis periodos históricos favoritos para leer por lo tanto podréis imaginaros lo mucho que me ha apasionado esta novela. Algo que me ha fascinado es que no se centra tan solo en la historia de amor como pasaba en los otros libros (si que tiene un papel importante en la novela pero no es el único) sino que también habla de guerra, de luchar por los ideales, de defender el honor y de como los escoceses lucharon hasta la muerte por aquello en lo que creían.
Probablemente no sea la mejor novela histórica sobre este periodo de tiempo, pero Nora Roberts siempre consigue fascinarme con su gran imaginación, su lenguaje y su prosa. Si a todo eso, le añades una MacGregor y un Lord inglés jacobita sale la combinación perfecta.
Este libro es, sin ninguna duda, la joya de la corona. De toda la saga, ha sido con el que más he disfrutado, sufrido, reido, llorado... Hacía mucho tiempo que no leía una novela histórica y casi se me había olvidado lo mucho que disfruto este tipo de libros. Gracias Nora Roberts por recordármelo y por escribir esta historia tan bella y con tanto sentimiento.
Para empezar, me encantan los libros que cuentan historias que suceden en Escocia en el siglo XVIII, es uno de mis periodos históricos favoritos para leer por lo tanto podréis imaginaros lo mucho que me ha apasionado esta novela. Algo que me ha fascinado es que no se centra tan solo en la historia de amor como pasaba en los otros libros (si que tiene un papel importante en la novela pero no es el único) sino que también habla de guerra, de luchar por los ideales, de defender el honor y de como los escoceses lucharon hasta la muerte por aquello en lo que creían.
Probablemente no sea la mejor novela histórica sobre este periodo de tiempo, pero Nora Roberts siempre consigue fascinarme con su gran imaginación, su lenguaje y su prosa. Si a todo eso, le añades una MacGregor y un Lord inglés jacobita sale la combinación perfecta.
Este libro es, sin ninguna duda, la joya de la corona. De toda la saga, ha sido con el que más he disfrutado, sufrido, reido, llorado... Hacía mucho tiempo que no leía una novela histórica y casi se me había olvidado lo mucho que disfruto este tipo de libros. Gracias Nora Roberts por recordármelo y por escribir esta historia tan bella y con tanto sentimiento.
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