A Fierce Archer (Clan Ross #6)

Driven away from his home and family, Ewan Ross is searching for his place in the world and a motivation for his life. In seeking revenge for an attack on a woman he has come to care for, Ewan finds a small bit of usefulness. Catriona Mackay has spent the past year recovering from a brutal attack and is just learning to live again. When she invites Ewan closer, he’s thrilled to be earning her trust. Catriona is amazed to feel attracted to a man again but is unsure she can ever act on those feelings, especially when she isn’t sure if she can trust Ewan.

Fans of this series will likely enjoy this installment, but those who haven’t read the previous books may find themselves feeling as if they’ve missed something. Ewan is a likeable, almost beta hero, and Catriona begins as a character who’s easy to root for given her past traumas. Unfortunately, some of the narrative grows repetitive and the pacing is rather slow, with long stretches with little action. The hero and heroine spend much of their time apart, and when they do come together, their conversations are a bit clunky. Ewan and Catriona go from developing an interesting, friendly relationship that is enjoyable to read, to freezing each other out for a rather flimsy reason. Catriona brings the story down because of her misunderstanding and unwillingness to communicate, which serves as the main source of conflict for this story. Some readers will enjoy this for its angst and emotional drama while others will be frustrated by the reliance on the hero and heroine’s failure to have an open conversation.

Niki Price