“My One True Highlander” by Suzanne Enoch is perfect catnip for lovers of the Scottish highlander subgenre of romance. I’ll admit it: I’m addicted to this genre.  There’s something inherently romantic to me about the Highlands and a kilt, a brogue and a tall Highlander. If you are like me, and enjoy these things along with a great, funny plot and a sassy heroine, you will totally enjoy this book as much as I did.

The Story- 

Marjorie was trained to be a lady’s maid or a governess, but when her brother is made a Duke due to distant family connections, she hopes to take her place among London society.  Unfortunately, society sees her as an impudent upstart and refuses to accept her.  Her brother’s recent marriage to a Scottish woman prompts her to travel to the Highlands for a visit and a respite from the cold, unfeeling people that are rejecting her. Graeme is a chieftan, unsure of how to placate the leader of his clan who wants to unseat the new English Duke in their region.  When his presumptuous younger brothers kidnap the Duke’s sister in an ill-conceived plan to win favor, he is in a bit of a bind.  But the Duke’s sister is not the fine, uppity lady he expected, and her situation becomes more complicated each day.

My Thoughts-

I’m having trouble deciding whether I enjoyed the plot or characters more for this one.  Graeme’s brothers and his relationship with them is refreshingly different from most secondary character plot devices used in romance.  They truly serve a purpose in the plot and provide depth to the story.  Marjorie is a great heroine, and I absolutely loved her backstory of not fitting in. It made her finding her place in the Highlands that much more satisfying. It also brought some humor to the situation as Graeme keeps being surprised by her. 

The Bottom Line-

This book is thoroughly enjoyable, but will especially please those readers like me who love to be transported to Scotland. It avoids common pitfalls and provides a fresh plot while satisfying with beloved tropes. I cannot wait to go back and read the first book in this series and look forward to those to come. 5 stars

“I Dared the Duke” is the second book in Anna Bennett’s Wayward Wallflowers novels, but you certainly don’t need to read the first one in order to enjoy this one. This was my first read from Bennett, and it turned out to be just the historical catnip I needed.

The Story-

Beth is the new companion to the grandmother of the Duke of Blackshire.  She is happy to be needed and cares greatly for the older woman. When the Duke intimates his plan to move his grandmother to the country, Beth proposes a deal requiring the Duke to grant three wishes for the woman in exchange for convincing her to make the move. Alexander has had multiple attempts on his life, and now only his grandmother’s new companion stands in the way of moving her to the country so that he can investigate the potential murderer with no danger to his family.

My Thoughts-

Initially, I thought Beth was going to be a boring character, but over and over, she stands up for herself and her companion. She has a wit that is not immediately obvious, and it soon becomes clear that Alexander needs her more than she needs him. I thought the plot clicked right along with never a clear lull, and the conclusion was completely satisfying. The characters are well-developed, including some secondary characters like the Duke’s best friend and grandmother.

The Bottom Line-

If you enjoy historical romance, you should not miss this one. It is a perfect little confection of happiness with a compelling plot and great characters. I’m definitely going back to read the first in this series! 4 1/2 stars

I’ll admit it: this is another one where the cover absolutely was the reason I wanted to read the book.  In fact, I was slightly worried with the word “beast” in the title that it might be too… something … for me. But, I love highlanders, and I love the tiny islands that surround my dream land of Scotland. So, yep… this was not a difficult choice. “The Beast of Aros Castle” paid off and successfully provided a lovely jaunt across the sea.
The Story-

Ava is a commoner that was taken in by a noble family in England; she’s more than a servant, but not treated exactly as family, especially by the horrific brother who is soon to inherit upon his father’s death. Fearing rape, forced marriage and other terrible outcomes, Ava and Grace, her best friend and daughter of the family, scheme to escape by marrying Grace off to a Scottish laird.  When Grace fears going through with the marriage, Ava decides to step up, pretend to be Grace, and marry Tor Maclean herself. The plan is to eventually slip away and live on their own in Scotland, away from threats.   Tor is not interested in marrying again after being deceived the first time around.  But, this feisty woman refuses to give up, and a man can’t hold out forever, can he?
My Thoughts-

I really loved Ava for her wit, intelligence and courage.  Honestly, as much as I liked the hero, I’m not entirely sure he’s good enough for her.  The relationship between her and Grace added to the story; I just love it when we see a healthy female relationship where they support each other.  The bad guy is really bad (perverse, evil, plotting), and I thought the resolution was extremely satisfying.  There are some great twists and surprises in this story, and I became very invested in Ava.
The Bottom Line-

The island setting was refreshing for a Scottish-set romance, and the heroine is certainly more than your typical damsel-in-distress.  I’m already scouring Heather McCollum’s backlist for more! 4 stars

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This is my first Kerrigan Byrne, and I have to tell you… after coming off Elizabeth Hoyt’s Maiden Lane series, I was a little worried about reading a historical that might not be able to match the intensity. Boy, was I wrong! Byrne has her own dark intensity, and at one point, I literally said, “what!?! oh my gosh!” 

The Story- 
Imogen is stuck tending bar at a whorehouse because her dad ran up a ton of debt before he died. One night, a young Duke strolls in and pays for her virginity. The experience changes the both of them and will influence both of their paths as the years pass. 

My Thoughts-
OMG, I love Imogen. I think she is my spirit animal, if that can be said of a character. The way she picks herself up and focuses on creating and being light and life inspires me. I’m honestly not sure the Duke is worthy of her, but she wants him, so that’s good enough for me. Her story is so good, but will definitely surprise you. The tension between the two is palpable, and the pain that they both feel is so real that all the reactions make complete sense. You feel like these are two people that have truly been to hell and back and are coming to grips with it. Don’t get me wrong: this book will also make you laugh out loud and cheer Imogen’s wit. 

Bottom Line-
If you are a fan of historical romance that has a dark edge and intriguing, fully-developed characters, you will love this! I can’t wait to go back and read the rest of the series. 5 stars

 This is my first book by Maggie Robinson, but the idea of a romance set in the Cotswolds really appealed to me. “Schooling the Viscount” is the first book in the Cotswold Confidential series and, despite the silly name, Robinson delivers a satisfying romance.

The Story-
The tiny village of Puddling-on-the-Wold, which is in the Cotswolds, is a Regency/Victorian rehab of sorts. When family members go off the rails or need some sort of intervention, they get sent to the village where everyone in the village conspires to help cure them of whatever ailment they possess. If he’s a drunk, there is no liquor to be found in town. If they need to lose a few pounds, only healthy food is available. (Can someone please send me on a diet in the Cotswolds?) Our viscount, Henry, got caught by his father with a couple of prostitutes so… every young woman must stay hidden from his view during his visit. Of course, Henry wanders where he shouldn’t and comes across the young schoolteacher, Rachel.

My Thoughts-

As innocent and innocuous as all this sounds, it actually has some great spice and tension. The best thing about the book is that Robinson allows her characters depth and true humanity.  Rachel isn’t a cookie-cutter schoolteacher; she is a passionate woman who fantasizes about being swept away in naughty ways. Henry is dealing with some PTSD from his wartime experiences.  Yes, there are some hijinks and silliness here and there: for some reason, the hero keeps bumping his head or falling down. Even so, I felt that the build of the romance and the relationship was strong and satisfying. Also, the secondary characters are interesting and well-developed. They add to the story rather that just being space fillers. I loved Rachel’s dad!  
Bottom Line-

If you like your romance with some humor, this is a good choice. The characters are well-developed and interesting. I visited the Cotswolds this past year, and this book was such a fun return to a beautiful and unique setting for a romance. I hope publishers and authors keep producing books that take place somewhere other than the typical 5 or so settings. I will definitely be looking forward to Cotswold Confidential Book #2!  4 stars

“Conquering William” is my first book by Sarah Hegger, and is the third in the Sir Arthur’s Legacy series of medieval romances.  I love historical romance, particularly medieval, but usually they don’t really transport me to that time period. Sure, they mention riding horses and having servants “draw baths”, but other than a few basic setting mentions, the stories are like any historical. Thankfully, this one is different. 
The Story

Alice has just married her 4th husband and has low expectations for this match since the others didn’t exactly make marriage an enjoyable state for her. Her plan is to “grin and bear it” until she can conceive a child, then ignore her new husband and carry on. William’s marriage to Alice was arranged for a land deal, but he plans to make the best of it.  Alice’s advisor/keeper (jailer), Sister Julianna, continues to get in the way of his potential happiness. Additionally, the more he learns about his new home, the more he finds that needs fixing. 

My Thoughts

I think that the historical setting really informed the characters here.  Alice is more the product of her environment and raising than a strong, sassy medieval heroine that we often encounter, but she is probably a more realistic representation of women in that time.  It was incredibly rewarding to see William win her over as he emboldens her to take her place in the household.  William is a great character; he is the perfect representation of a pretty boy turned responsible. The only thing that took me out of the book was Sweet Bea and the couple of times she took her anger out on Alice. Perhaps I would understand her personality better if I went back and read her book, but it seemed a little rash and over-reacting. This one quibble is not enough to take away from my enjoyment of this book though, and I had trouble putting it down. The story in this one doesn’t let up and continues to reveal surprises up to almost the last page. The secondary characters enrich the story, and as I’ve said, the setting is completely realized and is the perfect backdrop to tell this tale.

The Bottom Line

If you enjoy medieval romance, this is a must!  It is a true medieval with great characters and a captivating plot that clips right along. There were many well-thought-out, witty moments, and I will definitely read this author again. 5 stars