Summary from Goodreads:
"An ill-fated elopement
cost English-born governess Bernadette Kent her reputation, her fickle
lover and any chance of a future match. She has nothing left to fear—not
even the bitter, dangerously handsome Scot due to marry her young
charge. Naive wallflower Avaline is terrified to wed Rabbie Mackenzie,
but if he sends her home, she will be ruined. Bernadette's solution:
convince Rabbie to get Avaline to cry off while ignoring her own
traitorous attraction to him.
A forced engagement to an
Englishwoman is a hard pill for any Scot to swallow. It's even worse
when the fiancee in question is a delicate, foolish young miss unlike
her spirited, quick-witted governess. Sparring with Bernadette brings
passion and light back to Rabbie's life after the failed Jacobite
uprising. His clan's future depends upon his match to another, but how
can any Highlander forsake a love that stirs his heart and soul?"
My Thoughts:
I am officially sold on this author and her books! Earlier this year I read and enjoyed Sinful Scottish Laird so I jumped at the chance to read this one. This book was just as good and a delight to read! I have to say that I love how this author put her characters in next to impossible situations. From the very beginning of this book, I couldn't see how things would ever be able to work out for the hero and heroine. This makes for an interesting reading experience as this is always in the back of my head. I didn't read the above summary before starting this book so I honestly didn't know what to expect. What I got was a much more tragic and brooding hero than I expected. Rabbie wasn't very likeable at the beginning of the book even though you began to understand why as the reader. I loved the fact that Bernadette didn't try whatsoever to pretend like the way he was behaving was okay. She didn't cut him any slack at all and it was fun to watch them hate each other (especially knowing that at some point this would all change).
Although they didn't like each other in the beginning, the best parts of the book were when Rabbie and Bernadette's relationship started to change. I adore a good romance and this is exactly what this book had. I wanted everything to work out for these two even if I was wondering how it possibly could. It definitely kept me reading which hasn't always been the case this year. I seem to be so easily distracted by everything else but I wasn't while reading this one. I also appreciated the fact that there weren't always easy answers. The author keeps true with the story lines that she sets up and I appreciate that. I finished this book with a smile on my face which should tell you enough about how I felt about this book. I absolutely cannot wait to read more by this author!
Overall, this was a really great romance and I'm super excited to have found this author! I am so excited to see what else she has written - I believe there is a first book in this series that I need to get my hands on. Books like this remind me of why I enjoy romance so much. I need to read more of it because it was the perfect change of pace to all of the mysteries and thrillers that I usually read. I would recommend this book (and Sinful Scottish Laird) to historical romance readers and romance readers alike. It was a really great read and one that I enjoyed immensely!
Bottom Line: A delightful read of an author that I can't wait to read more of!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley as part of a TLC book tour.
Summary from Goodreads:
"Widowed and forced to
remarry in three years' time or forfeit her son's inheritance, Daisy
Bristol, Lady Chatwick, has plenty of suitors vying for her hand and her
fortune. But a letter from a long-lost love sends Daisy and her young
son to her Scottish Highland estate to buy time for his return. Along
the way she encounters the powerful Cailean Mackenzie, laird of
Arrandale and a notorious smuggler, and she is utterly and unwillingly
bewitched.
Cailean has no use for any Sassenach in his glen. But
Daisy's brazen, flirtatious nature and alluring beauty intrigue him.
When her first love appears unexpectedly at her estate, Cailean knows
that a passionate woman like Daisy cannot marry this man. And to prevent
the union, Cailean must put his own life at risk to win her heart."
My Thoughts:
I am so glad that I picked this book up and finally gave this author a try! I've got numerous books by Julia London on my TBR list but this is actually my first book by her. It won't be my last though as I really enjoyed this book. This series is titled The Highland Grooms series and I can honestly say that I haven't read a lot of highlander books. Why not though? This book had everything that I enjoy in a good historical romance including that feeling of just being swept away to another time and place. I loved how easily I was able to immerse myself in this world where a widow is being forced to marry in order to not lose her son's inheritance. Something that doesn't seem possible nowadays but back then was probably the norm. Crazy! I felt for Daisy so much because of all the struggles that she had to deal with because of this. She couldn't trust any of the men that paid attention to her in any way without wondering if they were just trying to get at her money. It was just sad and it was a reminder on how lucky I am.
I haven't even talked about how much I loved the relationship that developed between Daisy and Cailean yet. Oh goodness but I adored them together so much! Daisy especially was a character near and dear to my heart because she was so strong willed. She did what she wanted and didn't apologize ever for who she was. I especially loved this about her but I also appreciated how comfortable that she was with her sexuality. She was a widow and never pretended to be some innocent who didn't know her own wants or desires. What a refreshing change of pace from the historical romances with virginal heroines or those who need the hero to bring about their sexual awakening. I just liked everything about Daisy's character and then you add in a strong hero like Cailean and it equaled perfection. I also really liked the fact that I didn't know how their happy ever after was going to happen. The author did a really amazing job of creating realistic obstacles to their happiness- there was a point where I didn't see how it could possibly work itself all out. The ending of this book was just perfect though and I was sad to see it end. What a great romance and great read!
Overall, I obviously really enjoyed this book and am left ready for more. Luckily I have the next book ready for me on my Kindle so I won't wait too long before continuing on. I'm also lucky enough to have many more books by this author to look forward to so I'm excited about that. This was the perfect change of pace in between the mysteries and thrillers that I've been reading. I really loved every minute of it! I would recommend this book to both romance and historical romance fans alike. If strong heroines are your romance cat-nip then definitely give this book a try!
Bottom Line: A wonderful read and I want more books just like this!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley as part of a TLC Book Tour.
