Review: Surrender by Pamela Clare.

Surrender by Pamela Clare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

To sum it up: A hand-picked cadre of warriors, they had the fierce courage of their Scots fore-fathers, combined with the stealth and cunning of the Indians who lived beside them in the wilderness. Battling the French in no-holds-barred combat, they forged a new brand of honor, became a new breed of men... MacKinnon's Rangers.

Iain MacKinnon had been forced to serve the British crown, but compassion urged him to save the lovely lass facing certain death at the hands of the Abenaki. He'd defied his orders, endangered his brothers, his men and his mission, all for a woman. But when he held Annie's sweet body in his arms, he could feel no regret. Though he sensed she was hiding something from him, it was too late to hold back his heart. In love and war, there are times when the only course of action is... Surrender.

★★★★★5 HUGE Stars!★★★★★

Before I get started, you should know that this review is actually an updated version since when I initially read it for the first time... Not that my opinion on the book has changed or anything- If anything, I've actually fallen even more in love with it if that's at all possible. Pamela Clare is literally a God when it comes to writing Historical romances. She just has this amazing ability to weave such incredible detail, non-stop action and a beautiful love story all into one book that's nothing short of perfection.

The hero Iain MacKinnon is literally one of the best heroes I've ever encountered.

...He's not only honorable, but extremely protective- Especially towards the heroine Annie and his fellow Rangers. Iain had been forced to command a company of Rangers and fight for the British crown under false charges of murder. With the aid of his brothers and the company of other Rangers, he puts everything he has into battle, never once letting anyone or anything get in his way... That is, until he comes across Annie being attacked by Indians. Not being able to abandon her, he defies his orders and risks his life to see that she's safe. The thing I loved the most about Iain's character was the fact that he never once turned his back on anyone no matter the circumstance, even if it caused him cruel punishment. It was that particular endearing quality that I couldn't stop swooning over... Pair that with his protectiveness and dominate nature, and he was the epitome of the perfect Alpha male that we've all grown to love.

The heroine Annie on the other hand, is without a doubt an extremely courageous character. She's suffered greatly at the hands of someone who should have protected her... Her uncle. Unwilling to remain under his complete control, he sends her off to become an indentured slave in another household... One that's also unkind. After the home she was living in went under attack by Abenaki Indians, she did the only thing that was left to do- She fled. It wasn't long though, before they caught up with her and almost raped and killed her for their own satisfaction... That is, until Iain came to the rescue...

Annie's character has such a perfect combination of strength and vulnerability, which really made for such a likable heroine. She was once considered a Lady with social status, and had quickly become a woman who had been beaten and was barely surviving- But through all of the horror she had endured, she never once lost her brave and fierce attitude. Even when bruised and bloodied, while facing the threats of rape and murder, she still did her best to fight her way through and never give up hope... All such admirable qualities.

I'm extremely happy to say that this book doesn't involve that dreaded insta-love theme that I've really come to hate these days. Instead, the romance between these two builds at a very reasonable pace making you appreciate it all the more. The love, devotion and respect that both Annie and Iain show each other throughout every turn of the page is beyond breath-taking. These two consistently made sacrifices, not only for each other but for those that they considered their own. It's something that's missing in so many other romance novels out there, which only made me appreciate it all the more.

Aside from the two main characters, I also have to take a moment to mention the secondary characters as well- Finding an author who has the ability to make you care for them just as much, takes true talent... Something that Pamela Clare has in spades. They too were also filled with so much depth, making it impossible not to become immersed in their lives as well.

Honestly, there's just no way my words or review could do this book justice. Surrender is truly such a beautiful love story full of action, adventure and passion. As always, the road to love for both Annie and Iain was a rough one, but Pamela Clare did a phenomenal job weaving both history and romance together, making this one book that I can't recommend enough to anyone.

View all my reviews on Goodreads