The Hawk

By: Monica McCarty

Narrated by: Robert McNab

Length: 14 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Best-selling author Monica McCarty captivates millions with swashbuckling Scottish romances like The Hawk. Brilliant seafarer Erik MacSorley has never encountered a gale he couldn’t weather or a woman he couldn’t win—until he drags a wet, halfclothed “nursemaid” from the Irish Sea. But Ellie’s ordinary dress belies the truth that she’s the spirited daughter of an Irish nobleman. And her determination to resist Erik’s charms is a challenge he can’t resist.

©2010 Monica McCarty (P)2011 Recorded Books, LLC

Please change narrators

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend another Monica McCarty book first with a different narrator. How the producers could choose a narrator with such a horrible Scottish accent is beyond me. It ruins the whole character of Hawk. If this were the first Monica McCarty book I listened to, unfortunately, it would be the last.

What other book might you compare The Hawk to and why?

Stephen King's "11-22-63". I coukdn't finish it because of the poor narration.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Completely destroyed the book for me.

Was The Hawk worth the listening time?

It is another good Monica McCarty book. I just truly struggled through the narration.

The storyline was good

I enjoyed the characters and most of the book. However, as it got closer to the end it became all about the sex and that kind of ruined the storyline a bit. I think it just got a little slow then.

5+ stars. Perfect!

From the first sentence, this book will grab your attention. In my opinion, this book is even better than The Chief. Hawk is a wonderful character, and the romance is super steamy.

Definitely McCarty's best series. Download all three of the Highland Guard books. You won't be disappointed. (Chief, Hawk, and Ranger are the first three in the Highland guard series)

Great characters, bad narration

I agree with previous reviews in that the narration is distracting. Hawk’s voice reminded me too much of Bane (villain from Batman), others have likened it to an old mans voice, which it also resembles!:) So, I would recommend reading over listening to the audiobook.
This is a unique love story.... in the world of romance literature, it’s not everyday where the heroine is described as not pretty, not ugly, but very common looking. Ellie and Eric are both likable and endearing characters that you root for.
I’ve only read The Viper and The Ghost by Monica McCarty, both of which I prefer to this book. But if you are a fan of the Highland Guard series, I think this book is worth a read.

Excellent book

Monica McCarty has written a great series of books during the time of Robert the Bruce. If you are interested in the history of Scotland you will not be disappointed. Adventure, romance, suspense. Robert McNab is an excellent narrator who captures you with his voice.

High seas Adventure & sexy romance

What did you love best about The Hawk?

I loved Hawk & Ellie's chemistry. She is a great heroine and he is a good Highlander / Pirate / Viking......nice combination!

What did you like best about this story?

I didn't realize this was the second book if a series ...but it's okay because it can serve as a stand alone book. That being said, what I liked most was that the story felt very real & possible.....since it was inspired by real historical events maybe that is why.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

I like the narrators voice....but most of his character voices are pretty rough! His Hawk voice almost sounds computer generated. I didn't love the narration, but I was able to get pasts it and not let it ruin the story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No...but I was definitely never bored and never felt like I might not finish. It held my interest. The only time I felt like it kinda dragged on was the second quarter of the book while we waited for the relationship to take its next logical step.

Any additional comments?

The love scenes were very long and detailed..but tasteful..never raunchy. I thoroughly enjoyed the authors note at the end. I love hearing the history behind her inspiration. I will definitely begin the series !

I love the character of Hawk

I really liked the story, but I wish that the performer would have used a bit of a different approach to the voice of Hawk. The voice seamed to have been too old and rough for the playful Hawk.

great listen

I love Monica's books. This makes the second one I have listened to and LOVED it. The narrator is not much & a little slow but the story itself makes up for it. I liked the two books I have listened to so well that I went looking for more but much to my dissappointment none of her other books (and there are many) are on audiobook format. So I actually wrote the author an e-mail and she stated more will be released soon. I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Better than the first one!

I definitely liked the characters better in this book and will continue with the series.

Good Series, Not So Good Narration

Would you consider the audio edition of The Hawk to be better than the print version?

Considering the fact that I dislike the narrator, I doubt it. As a matter of fact, after listening to the first book in this series my plan was to finish the series in print, but I waited so long to read The Hawk that I forgot about that plan UNTIL I heard the first couple of sentences.

What other book might you compare The Hawk to and why?

Take your pick. Its pretty similar to countless other historical romance with just a touch more history and depth to it.

What didn’t you like about Robert McNab’s performance?

I had to speed up the book because not only did he read too slow, but sometimes his rhythm was a bit off. He doesn't do characters very well, especially female characters, and his Irish accent left a lot to be desired. On a positive note he has a great sounding voice; a very pleasant tone.

I'm not going to bash Mr. McNab. It is my belief that narrators each have a type/genre of book that they are more organically suited for and historical romance just may not be his thing.

Any additional comments?

I like the series.