Defiant

Read Defiant Online

Authors: Pamela Clare

Tags: #Romance, #General, #Historical, #Fiction

“Pamela Clare…creates heroes, heroines, and villains with the ease of a master [drawing] the reader irresistibly into the story, making them part of the pain, the fear…and the passion.”

—Leigh Greenwood,
USA Today
bestselling author

 

Praise for the MacKinnon’s Rangers Novels

SURRENDER

 

“Be forewarned that this is not a book you’ll put down lightly. Once you start, you’ll be hard-pressed to do anything else but travel along on this journey filled with action, danger, fantastically vivid historical events, and written in almost liquid prose: nonstop and ever-flowing words that blend together in a lifelike portrayal of colonial times and the people that stood up to almost unimaginable hardships, written only as Pamela Clare can write them.
Surrender
is a must-have…I can’t recommend this book highly enough.”


Romance Reader at Heart

 

“An astonishing story. All you need to do is open the cover and read page one to know you’re being taken on an incredible journey and beginning one of the most exciting books ever written.
Surrender
is nothing short of genius, a work of art, written by a master storyteller. Pamela Clare pens a story so gut-wrenching, so intense, so deeply moving that you can barely put it down. There are wonderful one-liners that make you laugh, along with the most beautiful words of love you’ll ever read. It’s an intense drama with unforgettable characters and a hero and heroine you’ll hold in your heart forever. Surrender to
Surrender
.”


Fresh Fiction

 

“This is fantastic historical romance that uses the backdrop of the French and Indian War to tell a terrific tale of love. The story line is action packed…and never slows down until the final exhilarating climax…Fans will treasure this keeper and look forward to more MacKinnon thrillers.”


Midwest Book Review

 

“Engrossing…This is a book to savor.”


The Romance Reader

 

“Ms. Clare writes a compelling story that I found difficult to set aside. I was totally submerged in the characters and the story through the very end. I’m anxiously awaiting the next two novels where we will learn more about Iain’s brothers.”


Once Upon A Romance

 

“[
Surrender
] has its fill of adventure…The author evokes her setting wonderfully…Readers looking for a passionate romance and plenty of adventure will likely enjoy this story.”


All About Romance

 

UNTAMED

 

“Captivating…Clare’s detailed attention to the history of alliances forged and battles fought near Fort Ticonderoga adds authenticity, and the characters evolve and change with a realism that readers will love.”


Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

 

“Sizzling sensuality, touching emotions, and great historical detail make this a sure winner…Magnificent…You need only to read the first page to know that you are beginning another historical romantic masterpiece by Pamela Clare, a master storyteller who always delights readers…
Untamed
will leave you breathless and cheering with its attention to historical detail, characters you can almost reach out and
touch, a story line that’s deeply riveting, and a love story that will melt your heart as only these MacKinnons, Highland warriors, Scottish brothers, can do…You must always keep a Pamela Clare book on your keeper shelf. She is not just a read, she is a reread.”


Fresh Fiction

 

“Riveting. Clare cleverly combines history and fiction to bring us a tale full of drama and sensuality, with well-drawn characters and continuous action.”


RT Book Reviews

 

“A great tale…The story line is action packed but owned by the fleeing lead couple and the historical backdrop that makes this clearly must-reading for Colonial America romance fans.”


Midwest Book Review

 

“This story had me from the first page. Pamela Clare is a master storyteller who writes stories steeped in historical settings that are so vivid you feel you are walking alongside the main characters as you view the story through their eyes. This one has it all. It is a story of honor, deception, loyalty, passion, duty, forgiveness, faith, and, above all, love. The main characters are strong and beautifully matched. They complete each other so perfectly…The love scenes are just to die for, and this story brought tears to my eyes more than once, as well. I highly recommend this stirring and wonderful series to anyone who loves a good love story.”


Night Owl Reviews

 

“A powerful story about two people who discover love despite war and betrayal…I felt truly invested in the characters in
Untamed
and found the time period captivating. Morgan has now taken the lead as my favorite hero of the year.”


All About Romance

 

Berkley Sensation Books by Pamela Clare

 

EXTREME EXPOSURE

HARD EVIDENCE

UNLAWFUL CONTACT

NAKED EDGE

BREAKING POINT

SURRENDER

UNTAMED

DEFIANT

D
EFIANT
 

 

Pamela Clare

 

BERKLEY SENSATION, NEW YORK

 

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) • Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

DEFIANT

A Berkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with the author

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Berkley Sensation mass-market edition / July 2012

Copyright © 2012 by Pamela Clare.

Cover art by Gregg Gulbronson. Cover design by George Long.

Map illustration © Gary Zaboly.

Interior text design by Laura K. Corless.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

ISBN: 978-1-101-55998-7

BERKLEY SENSATION
®

Berkley Sensation Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

BERKLEY SENSATION
®
is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

The “B” design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

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If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

 

ALWAYS LEARNING

PEARSON

This book is dedicated to you, my dear readers,
who have e-mailed me every day since 2008 asking,
“When are you going to write Connor’s book?”
Your love for this series and for the
MacKinnon brothers helped save this story from the
dustbin of my imagination.

 

You are the best.

 

Acknowledgments

 

This book would not have been possible without the support of my editor, Cindy Hwang, and my agent, Natasha Kern. Thank you for keeping MacKinnon’s Rangers alive.

Special thanks to Eileen Washburn Hannay, Gary Zaboly, Timothy Todish, and David Starbuck for sharing their expertise with me in person and through e-mails, books, and masterful artwork. You brought history alive for me so that I could bring it alive for my readers. Eileen and Gary, getting to know you has been such a joy.

Personal thanks to my sister, Michelle White, for literally holding my hand throughout the writing of this book when parts of my life were unraveling. I will never be able to thank you enough. You are my baby sister and no one else’s baby sister.

Many thanks to my co-conspirators Norah Wilson, Bonnie Vanak, Jan Zimlich, Alice Duncan, Alice Gaines, and Mimi Riser for their support and friendship; and to Jill Shalvis, Joyce Lamb, Julie James, and Marie Force for the same.

Additional thanks to my home team: Michelle, Libby Murphy, Kristi Ross, Sue Zimmerman, Ronlyn Howe, Jennifer Johnson, Stéphanie Desprez, Ruth Salisbury, and Suzanne Warren. You keep me going when the caffeine wears off and the confidence wanes.

Much love and thanks to my parents, Robert and Mary White, for letting me move in and eat your food so that I could write and finish this book. I love you.

And, as always, much love to my sons, Alec and Benjamin.

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