Rating: 
Summary: This is one great historical!!!
Review: Laura MacRae is now the head of her Clan, since death of her father, and her cousin the new laird lies in a coma. It is up to her to defend her island from the Viking menace, to keep the Northmen from taking the island home. But that is not the only troubles she faces. Her island is shared with the hated English, lead by Arion du Morgan. Togther neither force can withstand the Viking threat, but united they can hold it off. But how can they keep the people that have been at war with each other for generations.Once when they were children, he saved Lauren from the clutches of his wicked uncle who had kidnapped her and likely would have killed her to gain control of the island. Now Lauren must fight the Viking, face a marriage of alliance she does not want, the condemnation of the women and men of her clan, and the passion she finds in her for Arion. WISE Writers and Readers Book of the Month November 2000
Rating: 
Summary: Scottish Clanswoman
Review: Lauren and Arion make an unlikely couple, to say the least. She is the leader of the Clan MacRae (thanks to her father's death) and he is a powerful english overlord -- and her clan's sworn enemy. Neither can allow themselves to trust the other. But a defining moment in their past (once, when they were children, Arion saved Lauren from a tortuous fate), combined with their shared love for the land bring these two lovers together, against all odds. To keep safe everything they believe in, they must become allies and the two headstrong leaders form a risky alliance. This of course causes strife not only with Lauren's clan, but with Arion's soldiers. You can probably guess the rest..... Ms. Abe writes with a touch of the mystical and has a deft hand at describing the beauty and wildness of the time period. This is an emotional book, with strong sensual characters. Lauren and Arion are striking figures and a well-matched couple who stay in your mind long after you finish the book. I think the only reason I didn't give it higher stars is that I don't normally enjoy serious historical romances, prefering instead a light, comic approach. Also this book can be predictable and I saw the ending coming a mile away, but I still enjoyed the beautiful way it was written. As historicals go, this one is lyrical and filled with deep emotions. Pick it up especially if you have a love of Scotland.
Rating: 
Summary: More action than romance...
Review: Lauren and Arion, as well as the secondary characters are all well defined and well represented. I liked the way Shana Abe portrayed Lauren best. She's tough, courages and level headed. I've read quite a few books with tomboyish even a fighting-woman as heroine yet only a few manages to sound all-together feminine. Lauren here is not at all brawny, which i like. Yes, she fights like a man yet she's still able to maintain that feminine aura which I find fetching. Arion on the otherhand is the typical hero: handsome, rich, well trained warrior and well respected by his people. Their love for each other actually took awhile to flourish yet understandable considering the plot and their situation. I guess perhaps this is why I rated this book a 4 star. This book is more of an action scenes than the love scenes I prefer. The external clash between the clan which is link back to Arion and Lauren seemed to overshadow their romance. I don't mind adventure and action twist in my books... However, I admit that there are lots of times that I'm not as move with action/adventure twist compared to a lovey-dovey, spine chilling, heart squeezing, goose-bumps alert scenes. Call me a romantic fool but this is why I read ROMANCE books. I prefer heart soaring, trembly romances than action anytime. It wouldn't be fair for me to rate this book lower than 4 stars mainly because of my own preferences as this book is truly well written. Ms. Abe really did a great job on this one. IF you are the kind of person who prefers more action and adventure to romance then INTIMATE ENEMIES is definitely for u. This is only my second book of Ms. Shana Abe and I will still pick up more of her works in the future. I may not have given this book a five stars rating but it's still an enjoyable read. It really all goes down to a matter of taste and preferences. I do urge you to try this book anyway, who knows you might like it more than I have...
Rating:
Summary: More action than romance...
Review: Lauren and Arion, as well as the secondary characters are all well defined and well represented. I liked the way Shana Abe portrayed Lauren best. She's tough, courages and level headed. I've read quite a few books with tomboyish even a fighting-woman as heroine yet only a few manages to sound all-together feminine. Lauren here is not at all brawny, which i like. Yes, she fights like a man yet she's still able to maintain that feminine aura which I find fetching. Arion on the otherhand is the typical hero: handsome, rich, well trained warrior and well respected by his people. Their love for each other actually took awhile to flourish yet understandable considering the plot and their situation. I guess perhaps this is why I rated this book a 4 star. This book is more of an action scenes than the love scenes I prefer. The external clash between the clan which is link back to Arion and Lauren seemed to overshadow their romance. I don't mind adventure and action twist in my books... However, I admit that there are lots of times that I'm not as move with action/adventure twist compared to a lovey-dovey, spine chilling, heart squeezing, goose-bumps alert scenes. Call me a romantic fool but this is why I read ROMANCE books. I prefer heart soaring, trembly romances than action anytime. It wouldn't be fair for me to rate this book lower than 4 stars mainly because of my own preferences as this book is truly well written. Ms. Abe really did a great job on this one. IF you are the kind of person who prefers more action and adventure to romance then INTIMATE ENEMIES is definitely for u. This is only my second book of Ms. Shana Abe and I will still pick up more of her works in the future. I may not have given this book a five stars rating but it's still an enjoyable read. It really all goes down to a matter of taste and preferences. I do urge you to try this book anyway, who knows you might like it more than I have...
Rating:
Summary: A good Scot-English romance..
Review: Shana Abe's "Intimate Enemies" realistically captures the tension between the two leads, a Scottish woman fihgting to save her clan from the Vikings, and an English earl who wants to do right by his people. At first, they have a controlled loathing of each other, but soon, they find that they are falling in love, while they try to keep their tenuous alliance together in spite of stubborness and treachery. The villain is a bit too convineat, as it elimatinates any possible tension between duty to one's clan and following one's heart. The Englishman is an average character; he's trying to undo what his evil uncle did. The woman, Lauren MacRae, is formidable, but a bit confused. She embodies the heroine well, and you find yourself rooting for her, in spite of the contrivedness of her engagement to Murdoch, and the clan's resentment of her trying to lead.
Rating:
Summary: A fantastic Book
Review: This is the first book I am reading of this author and boy is this book wild! When you put two enemies together with an already existing bond and throw together with it a powerful sexual attration, you get this fantastic love story.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!!
Review: What a great Author. I couldn't put the book down. Thank you for writing a book with so much passion.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!!
Review: What a great Author. I couldn't put the book down. Thank you for writing a book with so much passion.
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly Exciting as well as Romantic
Review: Whew! I just finished this book and I think I was holding my breath the last few chapters - it was that exciting and oh soooo romantic. Beautiful Lauren MacRae was kidnapped as a child and held hostage by the English and it was in a dungeon she would meet the Englishman Arion du Morgan who would save her life. Years later she would return that favor on a battlefield against a new enemy and save his life. He was now the Earl of Morgan and she the leader of the Clan MacRae. Both of these wonderful people were raised to hate one another but they were intelligent enough to realize they needed the strength of an alliance to fight a more vicious and common enemy. It made sense to form an alliance, but it also forced them into each other's company, finding themselves drawn to one another in spite of the history that taught them to hate and despise one another. Lauren was betrothed since childhood to Payton Murdoch, a powerful laird of Clan Murdoch and she would do her duty to her people for the honor of Clan McRae, even if it meant denying a love she thought never to feel. This was such an amazing story, there were so many obstacles to overcome between these two people but Ms. Abe writes with such intensity that you can feel the passion drawing them to one another. This is a historical romance, but one that has a tremendous amount of bite and so much action that you will have trouble putting it down. Ms. Abe is definitely on my 'buy' list!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: Wow! This book was great! I just finished reading it last night - and I'd have to say Shana, you did a fabulous job! This one ranks up there with your first one A Rose In Winter - the characters were very well established and the chemistry between the two was great. I have to admit I was a little disapointed that the love scenes occured so late in the novel, but after finishing the novel, I think the placement was perfect! Excellent reading!
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