#monica mccarty

[fated-mates]

An episode for the old school romance readers in the audience, we're talking about kidnapping this week! A trope that either absolutely works for readers (aka us) or absolutely doesn't, we talk about why that is, how the original romances of the 80s and 90s installed these buttons and how we still see the bones of old school kidnapping in delicious romances of today. That, and Jen reminds Sarah of books she wrote one time.

[triviareads]

Any good medieval hr you would recommend?

The Conquering of Tate the Pious by Sierra Simone: This is a novella; Adelais is a Norman warlord who takes over from her late husband during the Norman Invasion, and Tate is the abbess of Far Hope Abbey, an ancient place with *secrets*, which Adelais is trying to take over, and Tate offers herself up to Adelais for three nights to prevent this.

A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught: A classic I really ended up enjoying; Jenny is a Scottish heiress accidentally kidnapped (long story) by the English enemy warlord Royce. Cue them trying to fuck with each other in a variety of ways (torn clothes for soldiers, killing his horse which was an accident!, a spankin', etc.). The chemistry is fantastic even when they're like "i TOTALLY hate you".

The Prize by Julie Garwood: Another medieval Royce.... guess it was just a popular name back then? This time, Saxon heiress Nicholaa attempts to defend her castle from Norman warlord Royce. She amuses William the Conqueror so much that he offers her any husband she wants and she DOES choose Royce 75% out of spite.

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Highland Guard books:

The Chief by Monica McCarty: This takes place in medieval Scotland during the time of Robert the Bruce; Tor is the leader of a secret group of *elite* soldiers serving Bruce. The heroine Christina is forced to compromise him so they're hastily wed and while the chemistry is great, he's hiding his extracurricular soldier activities from her.

The Viper by Monica McCarty: Lachlan and Bella are slightly older mcs who have DEEP trust issues which results in a great enemies to lovers arc; Lachlan was betrayed by his wife and now has a reputation as a heartless mercenary, and Bella broke with her husband's politics to crown and support Robert the Bruce and she's imprisoned and hung from a cage for her troubles, and Lachlan has to rescue her.

The Saint by Monica McCarty: So every title in the Highland Guard series refers to the hero's nickname and Magnus is nicknamed the Saint basically because everyone thinks he's tragically celibate and I'm pretty sure he is after being rejected by childhood sweetheart Helen, who is now betrothed to one of his fellow comrades. The vibes are very King Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot with a side of Persuasion.

The Recruit by Monica McCarty: The hero is Helen's brother Kenneth who did the most for me early on when the heroine Mary caught him having sex in the stables with another lady and he MAINTAINED EYE CONTACT while finishing. Mary is a widow but basically hasn't had good sex before until Kenneth arrives on the scene.

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Scandalous Passions by Nicola Davidson: A Scottish throuple consisting of James IV's ex mistress, a super repressed knight who's also a switch, and an innocent but horny debutante. Nicola isn't afraid to Go There when it comes to sex stuff, and her style is very earthy, bodice-ripper explicit, if that makes sense, and this is one of my favorites by her because of it.

The Highlander Takes a Bride by Lynsay Sands: Saidh is a tomboy with zero wiles and seven brothers (so she's one of the guys lol) but new laird Greer is super into that. There's also a murder mystery and I'm pretty sure Saidh gets an arrow to the tit.

The Highlander's Promise by Lynsay Sands: The hero is one of Saidh's biiiiig scarred brothers; Aulay finds an unconscious woman on the beach who it turns out has amnesia. The doctor's orders? Pretend to be her husband so her *delicate* state will be undisturbed.

[smartbitches]

Amanda tells me in this week's episode that the Highland Guard is "What if Navy SEALs in historical Scottish romance?"

ok, sure!

[triviareads]

This is exactly how I got super into a hero named Kenneth of all things.

To all the reviewers who say that it’s inconceivable for a lead to fall in love with their love interest after catching them having sex with a random early in the book

A) ….. judgmental prude

B) exactly why does “knowing your love interest fucked someone other than you before they fell love with you” ruin a future love affair in romance world, I will never understand this logic

[imogenkol]

— OCS AS HISTORICAL ROMANCE HERO ARCHETYPES

tagged by @corvosattano @jackiesarch @inafieldofdaisies to do this uquiz and I found it way too entertaining to do it for my she/her fuckbois (+ a token Boy boy) thank you lovelies 💕💕💕

tagging: @jillvalentinesday @marivenah @kyber-infinitygems @chuckhansen @adelaidedrubman @voidika @queennymeria @shegetsburned @risingsh0t @shellibisshe @indorilnerevarine @socially-awkward-skeleton @florbelles @aceghosts @simonxriley @v0idbuggy @unholymilf @roofgeese @shallow-gravy

GENTLEMAN IN THE STREETS, FREAK IN THE SHEETS

He's a GENTLEMAN. He has STANDARDS. He will not abide by a single WRINKLE in his trousers. But he willlllll fuck you from behind while fish-hooking your mouth and leaving bruises. That's just how he rolls. A coveted type, this gentleman puts on a stern facade and doesn't have a lot of patience for nonsense--but he's also solicitous, polite, and seemingly respectful. Until you give him a bit of lip in the garden. Never go with him to the garden. Or DEFINITELY go with him to the garden, if you want to get defiled. Which, let's be real, you absolutely do. This hero will wipe cum off your tits with the most expensive handkerchief known to man, fold it and place it in his pocket, and be like, "I apologize; I was quite overwhelmed by your charms. Gentleman recs: "The Duke Gets Even" by Joanna Shupe, "The Duke Who Knew Too Much" by Grace Callaway, "Waking Up with the Duke" by Lorraine Heath, "The Earl I Ruined" by Scarlett Peckham, "The Truth About Cads and Dukes" by Elisa Braden

THE SCOT

"Get on your (yer) hands and knees lass" is something you have a 60% chance of reading in a Scottish historical, and honestly? Bless. These heroes are from Scotland, which is in historical romances, "England but with an autumnal vibe" or "England but they do manual labor while also being rich and titled". They're usually (always) FUCKIN' GIGANTIC, a bit rougher around the edges, and more down to earth. Is this all stereotyping? Yes. Are they probably going to deliver a baby animal, go "look at its wee legs" and then fuck you in a stable? Yeah for sure. Scot recs: "When A Scot Ties the Knot" by Tessa Dare, "When A Girl Loves an Earl" by Elisa Braden ("put yer filthy Scot inside ye"), "The Taming a Highlander" by Elisa Braden, the entire Highland Guard series by Monica McCarty, "The Madness of Lord lan Mackenzie" by Jennifer Ashley, "When A Girl Loves an Earl" by Stacy Reid

THE TORTURED HERO

Look--he just doesn't wanna talk about it. The tortured hero has a dark past, which probably involves his childhood, may involve one or both of his parents dying (or a dead wife), and will be withheld from you for at least the first half of the book. He fucks like an absolute demon (usually to make you forget about the questions you asked regarding his scars; it's effective), he may have nightmares where he says what you think is his old lover's name so you steam about it for 20-50 pages and he's like "no, that's my childhood dog, which I had to eat when food became scarce", maybe his dad didn't love him, and he is more likely to be self made than some other heroes. Though he may also be a duke whose actions had consequences. There's a *distinct* possibility that he's mentally unwell, but everyone needs love. Your one big issue is that he... may not think he's worthy of touching you with his filthy hands. Somehow, you must overcome this. Tortured recs: "My Darling Duke" by Stacy Reid, "Dreaming of You" by Lisa Kleypas, "A Lady for a Duke" by Alexis Hall, "Pippa and the Prince of Secrets" by Grace Callaway, "Duke of Midnight" by Elizabeth Hoyt, "The Duke I Tempted" by Scarlett Peckham, "A Rogue by Any Other Name" by Sarah MacLean

THE GOOD GUY

Isn't that great for you? The good guy isn't a NICE guy. He doesn't expect sexual favors because he's nice to you; and he's so charming, he can probably get laid elsewhere. He may have a tragic backstory and a fatal flaw, but that's not going to get him down. He doesn't play at alpha male bullshit, and he may not be a duke, or a lord, or the owner of the world's first department store. But he's a Solid Guy. He will love, honor, and obey, and he will NOT! Do a nonsense. He will, however, eat pussy. He's a good guy. Good guy recs: "Unclaimed" by Courtney Milan, "Scandal in Spring" by Lisa Kleypas, "My Fake Rake" by Eva Leigh, "Unmasked by the Marquess" by Cat Sebastian

[littlefreya]

Do you read smut novels? And if so do you have any recommendations?

Hey love, I do tend to read erotic novels every now and then, however, the queen of recommendation on that genre is @wolvesandhoundshowltogether. So if you want, feel free to leave her an ask. She'll be more than happy to assist. I'm more of a fantasy/horror/thrillers/historical and magical realism savvy :)

Now onward to my recommendations.

Landscape with Animals - Cameron S. Redfern

This is one of the first erotic novels I bought and read and even though it's been almost 20 years since then I can never forget about the journey it took me through. The main characters are nameless and we know very little of their past and current lives. What we do know is that their relationship is quite the taboo...

At some sense it feels a bit like voyeurism as we get a chance to experience their very intense, feral and doomed relationship. While this is not a classic plot-book and more driven by the characters' perspective, it's loaded with emotions and will get you hooked.

More under the cut

Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt

It was only a few paragraphs ago where I mentioned loving thrillers! So this book is actually a combo of historical thriller and passionate erotic romance. What grasp me is how evocative and how well written it is, and of course I can't say no to murder mystery.

More books under the cut

Beautiful Stranger - Christina Lauren

Allow me to give you the synopsis from Goodread

Escaping a cheating ex, finance whiz Sara Dillon’s moved to New York City and is looking for excitement and passion without a lot of strings attached. So meeting the irresistible, sexy Brit at a dance club should have meant nothing more than a night’s fun. But the manner—and speed—with which he melts her inhibitions turns him from a one-time hookup and into her Beautiful Stranger.

I think that's nuff said. Mr sexy brit reminded me of a certain agent Walker throughout the story. And it definitely delivers as promised.

The Red: An Erotic Fantasy - Tiffany Reisz

Another book that Marta texted me with "sfsafka Freya!!! you must read it, ASAP"

Yet another mysterious british man making our dear protagonist an offer she cannot refuse. Or is it? This book has quite the delicious surprise... and the smut is... top notch. It's not as romantic as its debaucherous.

The Chief - Monica McCarty

Currently reading this one, though quite slowly. This is another book recommend to me by Marta. Historical romance, highlands 👀 and again, really well written.

[the-book-queen]

Hide your wallets, it's that time again! Your daily thread of romance deals is ready, FREE to $2.99!

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A teacher who is helping a friend out by going undercover as a stripper for the night ends up going home with the hero and oops accidental pregnancy.

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A ruthless demon mercenary and the lovely halfling Valkyrie who is his fated mate.

TBQ Rec

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An undercover warrior and her sworn enemy play a seductive game of cat-and-mouse.

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$2.99 ✦ The Scoring Secret by Ainsley Booth

1st POV. You've Got Mail meets Tinder as anonymous sexting pals start to fall for each other, not realizing they're neighbors who don't get along. He's a hockey player.

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Putting these lists together takes time. If you appreciate this content, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi. http://ko-fi.com/danielletbq

[arrthurpendragon]

Has anyone else read The Highland Guard novels by Monica McCarty?

[qudachuk]

Bridget McCarty has been making miniature versions of film and TV sets for 15 years

[triviareads]

Can you recommend a book with a good doggy style scene?

It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas: I was surprised I'd forgotten this one! I think what made this hot was that Lillian is so out of it after one orgasm (and one he deliberately withholds) that Westcliff is "arranging" her on her stomach before they do it doggy-style.

Duke of Depravity by Scarlett Scott: The transformation of Crispin from pathetic -> not is complete with this scene; he's very "tell me you're mine", gets a little spanky, a little bite-y, and when Jacinda finally agrees, he goes for it.

Wicked Again by Kathleen Ayers: They're hot. They're older (she's 49, he's 40). A little thing like an ankle injury isn't gonna stop Haddon from going "we're MORE than a dalliance bby!" as he bends Marissa over.

When A Girl Loves An Earl by Elisa Braden: James is muddy and doesn't want to *soil* Viola but Viola can't be stopped, which ends with her on all fours on a couch and Jamie uttering the winning line, "Take yer filthy Scot inside ye now, Viola."

The Chief by Monica McCarty: An emotional doggy-style scene; for background, Tor thought Christina was a prostitute his buddies had sent him (and she was there to get compromised) so he nearly took her from behind. Now when they're married and she asked for it, he's all "are you sure?!?!?" and the funny thing is even after they go at it doggy style he flips her over because he wants to see her face when they orgasm.

I would like to note that I nearly added McCarty's The Saint to this list but when I checked, Magnus only said to Helen "I hope you like it from behind" because he thought she was someone else, but he stopped when he realized it was her and never following through in the entirety of the book so now I'm sad :(

A Rogue's Rules for Seduction by Eva Leigh: The tail-end of Dom and Willa's fuck cabin sex marathon; a standout more so because of everything that comes before it and when he does just before it (he eats her ass; a rarity in HR), but it's very hot.

His Countess by S.M. LaViolette: More of a historical erotic romance; you know that when they do it doggy-style after he a) eats her ass, and b) asks if she's been doing her kegels (30 minutes a day! for his pleasure and hers!).

A Daring Pursuit by Kate Bateman: Post-bear chase! It's adrenaline-fueled and a little rough in a very good way.

Also, if you'd like a list of specifically bending-her-over-the-desk moments, here it is.

[mermaidsirennikita]

Hey, can you recommend some historical romances that are not set in the regency/ Victorian/ Georgian era. Thanks

Hi! Yes. Also tagging @angel-starbeam who just sent me a similar ask :)

I would recommend:

KJ Charles's Will Darling Adventures (a trilogy, must be read in order, each one is fairly short, HEA). This is an M/M series with a GREAT eye for detail regarding the setting (post WWI/1920s). Will, a working class (maybe middle class?) veteran recently inherited a bookshop, and he ends up getting drawn into espionage and intrigue while developing a relationship with possible (probable) spy and upper class rich boy Kim. And when I say relationship, I mean they're basically fuckbuddies with trust issues at first, but oh no, LOOOOVE.

Adriana Herrera wrote a great novella called The Bootlegger's Bounty—it's set around the 1920s, I think, and it's an MMF romance about a singer coming into contact with a notorious bootlegger/pirate guy and... a bratty guy.... On a ship. Super hot, great vibe, so good.

If you're down for something VERY old school (as in, written in the 80s) and not always the most PC regarding gender roles, I gotta admit that I really enjoyed The Princess by Jude Deveraux, set during WWII (1940s). The heroine is the princess of a fictional kingdom and, after almost getting murdered and washing up in the Florida Keys, ends up in a fake but also real marriage with a grumbly alpha pilot. Basically... to stop the Nazis...? It's crazy. I was a little "yikes" at points, but again, it is wildly entertaining.

We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian is an M/M 1950s romance about a pair of reporters who start out as friends before becoming roommates... and then more. It's very soft and sweet, and does a great job with one of the heroes' bi awakening. She also wrote You Should Be So Lucky, an m/m romance set shortly after in the 60s about a baseball player on a losing streak and a reporter assigned to follow him. I enjoyed this one even moooore.

Beverly Jenkins writes a lot of Reconstruction era/pre-Civil War/western romances. Through the Storm is set during the Civil War, and involves the hero and heroine falling in love, only for her to "betray" him before they're latter forced to marry. Indigo, a favorite of mine, is set during the Underground Railroad era (I forget if the war is HAPPENING or if it's shortly before) and involves a hero involved with the Railroad nursing a conductor rake back to health... after which he decides he MUST have her... Forbidden is a Reconstruction-era western about a heroine who's slowly falling for a rich white man and believing they can't be together, except he's actually a biracial man passing for white and struggling with whether or not he should risk revealing the truth to be with her.

Those are just a few, though, she has a lot!

Joanna Shupe writes Gilded Age romances set in New York—all but a few of her historicals are in that era. Some favorites include her Fifth Avenue Rebels series (a bunch of friends end up in scandalous romances with scandalous men following a crazy Newport house party) and her Uptown Girls trilogy (three sisters whose father is a rich politician end up romancing VERY unsuitable men).

The Widow's Kiss by Jane Feather is set during Henry VIII's reign, during which the heroine is accused of killing her fourth husband and the hero is sent to investigate. Henry VIII actually makes cameos lol.

Never Cross a Highlander by Lisa Rayne is set in the 1600s, I believe. The hero is a Highlander who kidnaps the heroine to "save" her, and she's like "my guy, I already had shit in the works". Both of the leads are Black, and I don't know that I've read any other books featuring Black Highlanders.

Jeannie Lin writes Tang Dynasty era romances, which are GREAT. I'd begin with Butterfly Swords, though the followup, The Dragon and The Pearl, is one of my favorites.

I really enjoy medieval romances. Some I'd recommend are:

Highland Guard, a long series by Monica McCarty set in 1100s (I think?) Scotland. The heroes work for Robert the Bruce, and there are a ton of really adventurous, exciting romances that are perfect for people who love BIG Och Aye.

Lord of Danger by Anne Stuart was one of my favorites of the year, with a heroine forced to marry her brother's evil sorcerer (not really a sorcerer) advisor. Both dark and weirdly funny, like most Anne Stuarts, with a great villain hero.

Master of Desire by Kinley MacGregor is another Scottish one, in which the heroine ends up being the ward of a hero who is DETERMINED not to love her.... AND YET..... This has a great grand gesture/grovel move.

Maya Banks writes really good medieval Scottish books. I haven't read too many yet, but I loved Never Seduce a Scot, which has a heroine and hero marry to solve a clan rivalry. However, she's deaf, which a lot of people don't understand, thinking she's not mentally competent. So he doesn't consummate the marriage.... and she very much wants him to.

Laura Kinsale's For My Lady's Heart and Shadowheart are legendary medievals. The first has a knight end up escorting the ice queen princess he's pledged himself to across the country, only to realize that she's much more complicated than he initially realized. Shadowheart is the spinoff, a dark (and kinky) villain romance with a heroine forced to marry the hero, only to start to fall for him... basically against her own will.

Elizabeth Lowell's medieval trilogy is great, but very 90s. Big alpha heroes, not always aging the best, lots of high stakes and intensity.

Julie Garwood's The Bride a must-read border marriage book—a heroine forced to marry the alpha hero, a big crazy plot, high stakes romance. All that great stuff.

A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught is FABULOUS, a medieval in which the (apparently unlikable, rebellious) heroine is kidnapped by the hero, during which he realizes he bit off MUCH more than he can chew.

[kingxhood]

The Highland Guard series

by Monica McCarty

I've read (well listened on Audible) these books twice now and I am still shook by how incredible they are. Here's the premise:

Where the legend of the Highlander began... Journey back to the time of Braveheart, when Scotland was fighting to free itself from English tyranny, and Robert the Bruce was fighting for a crown. To defeat the superior forces of the heavy mounted English knights, Bruce knows he needs a new kind of warrior. He looks to the barbarian lands, to the most feared warriors in Christendom, to the ultimate guerilla fighter... to the Highlander.

Scouring the darkest corners of the Highlands and Western Isles, Bruce handpicks eleven warriors to form a secret elite fighting force like the world has never seen. They are the ultimate “Special Forces,” the best of the best, chosen for their superior skills in each discipline of warfare and brought together into one elite fighting force known as the HIGHLAND GUARD. Bound together in a secret ceremony, they are a phantom force, identifiable only by their extraordinary skills, their war names, and the lion rampant tattooed on their arm.

Vowing death before surrender, Bruce’s band of shadow warriors will stop at nothing but invincible warriors will face the one thing they can’t defeat: love, and the remarkable women who claim their hearts.

With a combination of action, suspense, war and romance it's a thrilling series of twelve books and two novels. Yes that's right TWELVE. With each book comes another warriors story, each of these Highland warriors have to face their own demons and fight for Scottish independance all while fighting the urge to fall in love with a woman.

I give the action in this series a 6/10. The battle scenes were few, some more present in certin books then others, and I would have liked to see more action and more descriptions of the battles.

The romance I give a 8/10. I throughly enjoyed each book and the romance that followed, like any true historical romance they all have happy endings, though it was usually hard won. Some characters going through great loss and tragedy before finding happiness in eachother.

Character development I give 7/10. In some books like The Viper and The Striker and even some in The Recruit I found more character development then the others. Most of the time all the main characters seemed to stay the same throughout the books. This isn't necessarily a bad thing considering all these characters are present through a twelve long series and we see a glimpse of pretty much everyone even if it isn't his book. Like in the Viper we got to know more about Alex "Dragon" Seton as well as William "Templar" Gordon and Magnas "Saint" MacKay. This was espically exciting reading the series through the second time having already known more about them and was able to see the foreshadowing McCarty did for these characters. So that character development I appreciated.

Platonic/familial relationships I give 9/10. This was probably one of the best parts about these books. In The Saint and The Recruit we got to see interactions between brothers and sister and how much they loved and supported each other. In The Ghost we got a glimpse of a healthy platonic relationship between a member of the guard and a woman. I loved the friendship between MacKay and Gordon, and the somewhat reluctant affection between the two cousins Eric and Laclan. Over all I loved these relationships and would have loved to see them explored further.

All in all this is probably my favorite series in the Highlander Romance genre. I will defiantly be reading these books again, and in the meantime i'm going to try and get others to check this series out and start up a fandom on these epic romance novels!

[kitapmagarasi]

İSKOÇ SÜRGÜNÜ ~ MONICA MCCARTY

[antebellumite]

So.

[charmingyourheart]

Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward (Paranormal Romance)

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen (Classic)

The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn (Historical Romance)

It Had To Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips  (Contemporary Romance)

The Chief by Monica McCarty  (Highland Romance)

The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley  (Highland Romance)

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon  (Highland Romance)

Devil’s Bride by Stephanie Laurens  (Historical Romance)

Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase  (Historical Romance)

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas (Historical Romance)