Highland Warriors sworn to protect innocence through the ages...

Ian Maclean’s arrogance hides a terrible secret—for decades he was held prisoner by demons. Not a day goes by that he isn’t tormented by his darkest fears of powerlessness. Now he is about to sell to the highest bidder a page he’s stolen from the Book of Power—if one woman doesn’t stop him.

Every Rose woman has her destiny

Slayer Samantha Rose’s latest mission is to recover the stolen page—and get payback from the only man who’s ever rejected her. What she hasn’t counted on is the raging attraction between them—or her growing realization of what Maclean has survived. As the powers of the evil from his past gather, Sam will do anything to help him—even if it means following him into time and facing his worst nightmares with him...

Ian Maclean is arrogant, wealthy, powerful, selfish and antisocial. These are traits that wouldn’t make a very likeable hero but still he is because his behavior and look on life and the world was profoundly altered after he was killed, revived and held captive for 66 years by his demon grandfather and tortured by said grandfather and his demon friends with their perverted games.

Ever since a demon killed her mother and she wasn’t able to safe her, Sam Rose has taken it upon her to hunt and destroy evil. She is the Slayer of the Rose women. When her job for the Historical Crime Unit (HCU), puts her in the path of Ian Maclean, she has to work together with a man she despises and desires at the same time. While they are both trying to use the other for their own purposes, they are forced to face their fears, enemies and feelings.

Ian fears pain and evil and therefore has wrapped himself in a cocoon of aloofness where he thinks no one can reach him. He needs sex to avoid giving into the horrible flashbacks of his tormented and he uses his wealth to prove to himself he is capable of doing anything he wants and doesn’t have to rely on anyone else for his needs. He may seem the sexy, arrogant, careless playboy but underneath that image he’s build for himself, he is a traumatized man who went through horrors during this abduction and is a long way from recovering from them.

Sam seems to be a free spirit, one who lives life her way, liberated, strong, confident, she doesn’t take crap from anyone, especially men. She is vengeful, smart-mouthed and fearless. Beneath her tough outer shell is a woman who tries to protect herself from hurt by pretending not to care about anything or anyone except fighting evil. She doesn’t allow herself to care because caring means pain when she loses them. She has learned to depend only on herself and her own strength.

Sam and Ian are like to peas from the same pod. They both like to be in control, both like to win, losing is not an option and they always get what they want. This makes them clash like crazy, creating a verbal sparring extravaganza even if they are perfect for each other and they are kindred spirits. From the moment they meet, sparks fly and their interactions and dialogues are sizzling. These two take verbal sparring to a whole other level. I loved the way their romance fitted their characters perfectly. It went from pure sexual attraction to partners fighting evil to love. And both went kicking and screaming all the way. They both crave what the other provides but are not willing to admit it, let alone give into it.

Even though there were many secondary characters, the story focuses mainly on Sam, Ian and their enemies. Nick Forrester, who runs the HCU and is Sam’s boss, is the only character who is deepened out a bit more than the others and I really hope he will get his own book, or at least a substantial secondary storyline in the future. There is just so much surrounding him that intrigues me and arouses my speculative mind.

Am glad I stuck with this series throughout some books that I did not enjoy reading so much (books 2 and 3) because if I had given up on it after the terrible second book I wouldn’t have experienced this amazing and almost perfect installment. This fifth book in the series and final installment of the Rose Trilogy within the series was definitely the best so far. There was no confusing time leaping or messed up chronology. It was the first book in the series that I found easy to follow. The characters were great and the plotline was very good, though I am a bit done now with the resurfacing of Moray (the villain of the series). He’s like the soap opera character that just won’t stay dead. Yet again in this book the solution to the problem of Moray leaves possibilities for resurrection so I won’t be surprised if he shows up again in future installments.

Dark Lover is an action-packed romance novel that is all about freedom, taking control back, despair and passion. It represents the potential of the series and shows Brenda Joyce’s writing talent with strong, willful characters and a well written plot, without distracting and confusing time leaping mechanisms, even if the role of the Masters of Time is less present than in the first 2 books of the series.
Contrary to my normal “stick to the series order” advice I tend to give, in this case, I would recommend the first installment of the series and then this one to readers who’d like to sample this series.

And if you don’t read this book for the romance or plot, you should read it just to discover what intriguing body part adornment Ian has and where it is…and I am not talking tattoos here.

Rating: 8.9 out of 10


My reviews of the other books in this series:
DARK SEDUCTION
DARK RIVAL
DARK EMBRACE
DARK VICTORY

Back Cover copy:
A HIGHLANDER DRIVEN BY VENGEANCE.
A dark, ruthless Highlander, the Black Macleod has refused his destiny. His life is revenge for the massacre of his family. His enemies' insults—that he is a man of stone—only amuse him. But Fate is impatient, and when a woman from another time dares to summon him, he cannot resist her powers—or her…

THE WOMAN WHO WILL SAVE HIM.
A schoolteacher by day, Tabitha Rose uses her magic to protect others by night. When the vision of a dark Highlander, bloody and burned, appears to Tabby, she knows she has been called to help him, no matter how frightening he might be. But what Tabby doesn’t expect is to be taken against her will to his dark violent time. And when evil begins to stalk her, she realizes she must fight for far more than his destiny—she must fight for her love….

Guy McLeod lost his entire family due to a feud with the MacDougalls and ever since his quest in life has been revenge on that family. He even refuses to take his vows to become a Master of Time. Blind to anything but erasing the MacDougalls from the face of the earth he goes through life a ruthless executioner who knows no mercy. But as with everything in life, every action has consequences and in Guy's case the consequences lie in his future, in the form of witch Tabitha Rose.
Tabitha is a schoolteacher during the day and at night she fights evil to save the innocents, as her family had been doing for generations. When during a visit to an exhibit at the museum, she has a vision of a bloodied Highlander desperate for her help, she unconsciously summons him to her time and that's the start of a journey toward love and redemption throughout time and space.

Tabitha is the quiet, gracious and classic one of the Rose women. She is polite and kind but beneath her proper exterior lays a woman who is powerful, strong and brave. She's been burned in love by her arrogant and macho ex-husband and decided that only non-alpha men will do for her. But she didn't count on the ultimate Alpha male Highlander from the past to sweep her of her feet.

Guy is hot-tempered, stubborn, merciless and even barbaric at times. He has a vast amount of self-confidence that can easily be confused with arrogance. His only need for women in his life is a physical one. However, he didn't count on a prim and proper woman from the future to turn his world upside down. Guy is very set in his ways and his obsession with revenge but Tabby and his feelings for her do mellow him a bit.

Both Guy and Tabby were not only great characters individually but also together they brought the intensity and sensuality I missed with Brie and Aidan in the previous book. Guy is every bit the medieval, barbarian Highlander and Tabby epitomizes the elegant, compassionate witch. Guy triggers her inner sensuality and strength and makes her want to be less inhibited.

There are a lot of characters in this book. Next to the main couple, secondary characters as Nick Forrester, Samantha Rose and Kit play very important roles in the plot. I know that Sam is the heroine of the next book in this series (DARK LOVER) and Nick and Kit are definitely main character material too. For now though I'm really looking forward to Sam Rose and Ian MacLean's story which is coming next. I had a taste of their chemistry in this book and I want more!!
And then there's Nick. The tidbits on him continued from the previous book and they are enticing and mysterious enough to make me want to know more of him, even if in this book he already had quite a big part.

With this second book in the Rose Trilogy within the Masters of Time series of which it's the fourth one, Brenda Joyce gave me a novel filled with grief, love, loyalty and thirst for vengeance. I'll start by saying that I loved this book but I have to list the lesser things first so I can end it on the high I also finished the book on. The one thing that keeps puzzling me throughout this series, even after 4 books now, is the time leaping and I keep having difficulties with the chronology. Especially without an explanation of the rules I guess this is something that will run through all the books in this series. It is something that confuses me but at the same time Brenda Joyce keeps met enticed with the time-travel and the chronology in these books because in the end she always manages to tie everything together in a great and clear way, solving all the confusing and puzzlement created before. Because of the time-leaping these are books that you should read with a clear and attentive mind, otherwise you get lost in the back and forth between past, present and future. Next to the time-leaping thing there are a few small inconsistencies, but they were so minor it didn't influence my reading pleasure.

The above being said, I must say that for me this was the best installment of this series to date. Not only did I truly like the main couple, the chemistry between them and their contradicting personalities, the various little subplots and secondary characters also pleasantly surprised me. I'm still impressed by how this book captured me and kept me guessing as to where Brenda Joyce was taking me with the utterly unpredictable plot. The end was put together excellently. It gave answers to all the questions raised and brought closure to the few loose ends that were present earlier in the plot.

In this book I learned more about the Rose women and their destinies. Every generation has a Healer, a Witch and a Slayer and each of them have their destinies set long before they are even born in this world. What's more, the world of the Masters of Time is expanded with additional knowledge about the CDA (Centre for Demonic Activities) and the HCU (Historical Crimes Unit), the ones battling evil in the present day. Consequently, the book is set substantially more in the present day compared to the previous ones.

Every once in a while I read books that send my speculative senses to a high. This was one of those books. I was speculating about future stories, prompted by tantalizing information on and dialogues between secondary characters as Nick, Jan, Kit, Sam, Ian and the mysterious Lady of An Roinn Mor. I was even speculating about the outcome of this very book and the plot. This part of the series managed to evoke that enthusiastic feeling I had when I read the very first book of it. After two slightly disappointing books Brenda Joyce pulled me right back into the world of the Masters of Time and the Rose Women with this one.

Quote:
He caught her hair, using it as a leash, and twisted her head backward. Then he whirled her around, until her back hit the door. He shoved his huge thigh between hers, and Tabby moaned, throbbing wildly all over him. (...) She let him kiss her so hard he was probably drawing blood. It didn't matter. She was in a vortex, spinning toward that usually elusive brink, shaking wildly in his arms, her blood roaring in her veins, her brain. Every inch of her was on fire. Now, she clung and begged.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Back Cover blurb:
Aidan, the Wolf of Awe, has abandoned the Brotherhood and forsaken his vows. Feared by all and trusted by none, he hunts alone, seeking vengeance against the evil that destroyed his son. He has not saved an Innocent in sixty-six years--until he hears Brianna Rose’s scream of terror across centuries, and leaps to modern-day Manhattan to rescue her…

Brie spends her time fighting evil from the safety of her laptop—and fantasizing about the medieval Highlander she met just once. She is also a gifted empath. Still, her life is pretty ordinary—until she awakens one night consumed with Aidan’s pain and rage—which she is feeling across centuries! And when Aidan suddenly appears in the city and takes her hostage, Brie cannot believe how dark and dangerous he has become. She knows she should be afraid, but instead, she will fight across time for his redemption… and his love.

Aidan, the Wolf of Awe, is on a path of self-destruction ever since his demon father killed the only person he truly loved, his nine-year old son. He used to be a Master of Time but since his son's murder he is consumed by hatred, rage, despair, revenge and pain. He has forsaken his vows as a Master to save and protect the Innocent, hates the gods that did this to him and his only goal for the last 66 years has been to avenge his son.
His salvation comes in the form of a twentieth century computer-geek, Brianna (Brie) Rose.
The Rose women are all gifted with empathic powers and Brie also has visions. She feels Aidan's pain and suffering over time and space and is determined to save him from turning as evil as his father. When Aidan hears her cry for help when she's attacked by evil he leaps to her aid and decides to hold her imprisoned in his time when he finds out she has a connection with his dead son. Brie has had a crush on Aidan since she first laid eyes on him and she feels she is the one who can bring him back to goodness. But Aidan refuses her help and her love. He has no room in his heart for anything but his revenge.

Aidan is testy, rude and has an aura of utter darkness surrounding him.
But Brie stirs his soul back to life little by little. She chips away at the darkness surrounding his heart and brings him back to being the man he used to be.
Brie is loyal and giving. Despite the harsh ways Aidan tries to scare her away from him, her determination to love and help him ultimately wins from his determination not to let her.
The build-up of the tension and desire between Brie and Aidan is done gradually and realistically. I liked that despite his strong attraction to Brie, Aidan was fighting it. It fit his background story and it wouldn't have been believable if he had given into her earlier in the story. The graduality of it gave him time to accept and embrace his feelings and it gave Brie time to adjust to her own feelings and his.

There are many secondary characters. The main ones being the main couples from the previous two books: Malcolm (Aidan's half-brother), Claire, Royce and Allie (Brie's best friend). Masters MacNeil and Seoc make a brief appearance and there are also the other two Rose women: Brie's cousins Tabitha (Tabby) and Samantha (Sam), they are the heroines of the following two books in this Rose Trilogy within the Masters of Time series.
Let's not forget Moray, the demon from book 1 and Aidan's father. Throughout most of the book I was wondering what his motives were, besides just being pure evil. I couldn't figure out what he wanted and why and when I came to the end of the book I actually still didn't know. It hasn't been cleared up so I suspect this wasn't the last of him and he'll be back in future books of the series.
And last but not least a new secondary character is introduced: Nick Forrester. He is head of the CDA (Center for Demon Activity) and Brie's boss. There is so much more to him than meets the eye and I wouldn't be surprised if he turns out to be the hero of a future book.

I had some ambivalent feelings when I finished this book. I didn't quite know what to think of it. I can't say it was bad, I thought it was better than the previous book. Certainly I was able to connect to Brie's character more than to Allie's who annoyed me again in this book by the way. But I didn't feel it was as good as the first book in this series. I missed some intensity and sexual tension. The descriptions were there, the plot was there, the great characters were there, the love story was there and the pace was all right but the sum of all those elements put together didn't blow me away.
And again the time leaping provided a bit of confusion for me. Not with Aidan and Brie but with some secondary characters and again it was not until the end that some of it made sense. While reading, it was hard to find a logical chronological sequence in some parts because you know there are rules with the time traveling but they are not explained clearly.

Still it was a wonderful story of faith, loss, grief, love, courage and desire. Despite not being overwhelmed by the romance and the plot I still liked the book. Even with the confusing time traveling there were quite a few fun moments that made me smile and emotional dialogues that touched my own emotions. I'm looking forward to the other stories in the Rose Trilogy.


Rating: 7 out of 10

Highland warriors sworn to protect Innocence through the ages….
A golden man, he is called Black Royce—a battle hardened soldier of the gods. His vows are his life—until he is sent to New York City to protect a Healer from those who would use her powers for themselves. The moment Royce sees beautiful, feisty Allie Monroe, he knows she will be his only weakness—and he is right.

Destiny is a dangerous thing.
Allie Monroe is more than an heiress. She is a Healer, willing to do anything to save victims of the evil that lurks in the city at night. But alone, she can do only so much—until destiny sends her the darkest Highlander of them all. Then evil strikes and Royce is destroyed before Allie's eyes. Now Allie will do anything to save Royce—even if it means going back in time to a dark, dangerous world to be with him. And confronting their enemies could cost not only their lives, but also their love—for all eternity.

This installment of the Masters of Time brings us the story of Black Royce, Malcolm's (from book 1) uncle.
After failing to protect his wife from a demon Royce vows never to trust or love a woman again, but that is until he meets heiress and healer Allie Monroe. She doesn't want love or a man interfering with her healing and the hunting down of evil, which is her calling in life. And then she meets Royce who has come from the past to protect her, as is his task as Master of Time. In a great plot they hunt an ancient and evil demon but also fall in love. A love Royce fights with all his might but eventually has to give in to in all the time-periods he and Allie are together. This is all I'm going to say about the plot and the story because more would spoil the story.

The little information you get on him in Dark Seduction doesn't even scratch the surface of the complicated and intense man Royce is. He is not called Black Royce for nothing.
He was a fascinating and compelling character in the book and for me he saved the book from being a true disappointment.
The heroine Allie, starts of as a lovely, pure and innocent person but when she gets to Royce's time I just couldn't shake the feeling of her being used to getting her way and when not getting it, she became a bit annoying and thus less sympathetic to me.
Where I did connect with Royce and his feelings I just couldn't totally connect with Allie. On one page I found her easy to identify with but on the next she would annoy the daylights out of me. I just couldn't combine the selflessness of her healing and her want to heal living beings with her at times selfish behavior.
This combined with the lack of intensity I did find in the first book that started the series in a magnificent way leaves me a bit disappointed.

Brenda Joyce delivered a tale with a gifted heroine, a delicious alpha hero and a wonderful plot but she lost me with the chronological chaos with the time leaping and the inconsistencies in the heroine's character.
Do not get me wrong I loved the book and eventually the chaotic time leaping makes sense when the plot is unraveled but it still was something that bothered and confused me throughout a major part of the book.
I really liked the secondary characters, the other Masters, especially Aidan. I think he’s going to be my favorite Master next to Malcolm.
Claire and Malcolm also make a guest appearance and I loved seeing them back.
But Allie's friends Brie, Sam and Tabby were equally fascinating and in the book it's clear that there is a bigger role for them in the future.


Quote:
He stared at her now, as if enchanted.
This one could tempt the Pope and seduce the devil


Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Highland warriors sworn to protect Innocence through the ages….
Malcolm of Dunroch has been chosen by the secret Brotherhood, a nameless society of pagan knights sworn to defend mankind. He is a novice to his extraordinary—and dangerous--powers. But he has already broken his vows--for an innocent woman’s death is on his hands. Malcolm is determined to fight his dark sexuality, denying himself all pleasure…until fate sends him another Innocent, the beautiful bookseller, Claire Camden.

Desire is the first weapon...
Since her mother's murder, Claire has done everything possible to make a safe, secure life for herself in a city where danger lurks on every street corner, especially in the dark of the night. But nothing can prepare her for the powerful and sexual medieval warrior who sweeps her back into his time—a treacherous, frightening world where the hunters and the hunted are one and the same. Claire needs Malcolm to survive, yet she must somehow keep the dangerously powerful Master at arm’s length. For she has no wish to die in his bed like the others—in the throes of dark, forbidden pleasure…

After having read Moning’s Highlanders I was craving for some Highlanders who could entice me the way they had….and I’ll be looking no further. Brenda Joyce has provided them with the Masters of Time-series.

This was Charmed meets Highlander in a sizzling paranormal debut of historical romance author Brenda Joyce.
I haven’t read any of Joyce’s historicals but if they are only half as good as this paranormal debut, they are definitely worth a try.
Dark Seduction was a brilliant mix of suspense, magic and sensuality. A combination of time-travel, medieval and paranormal with a great plot and a terrific beginning of a very promising series.

Joyce gave us a strong and special heroin, a scrumptious, fierce hero and some fine secondary characters, mainly other Masters who in the future will have their own books (I can’t wait!!).
The story was easy to read and fast-paced. A bit chaotic chronologically in the beginning but that feeling disappeared as soon as you get into the wonderful story of Malcolm and Clair.
Malcolm refuses to fall in love with Clair because as a Master anything can and will be used against you by evil. And Clair refuses to fall in with Malcolm because she knows she must eventually return to her own time. But of course nor evil neither time can stop true and genuine love.

But not only hero and heroin entice you, Royce, Aidan, MacNeill, Ironheart and even the evil of evilest Moray are powerfull secondary characters who give the book just that little bit extra to make it great.

Quotes:

If he could make her throb greedily in a near climax with his tongue down her throat, she knew she’d die and go to heaven when they made love.

The wave of pleasure threatened to crest, break. He stared, slowly sitting up. Aye, he cared for her, but it was too late.
For she stood there, shaking and panting, swollen and wet.


Rating: 8 out of 10