Tag: romance

Highland Sword by May McGoldrick
My Rating:
Genre: Historical Romance
Release Date: March 31, 2020
Formats: eBook, Audiobook, Paperback

Morrigan Drummond vows to see that Sir Rupert Burney, a spy, will pay for his past sins. When she spots him in the Highlands she seizes the opportunity—only to have a riotous meeting with a renowned barrister, Aiden Grant. Aiden needs Burney’s secrets to save the lives of two men… and does not need a vengeful woman scuttling his pursuit of justice.

After their tumultuous meeting, the pair meet again within the walls of Dalmigavie Castle. Morrigan is unhappy at first about Aiden invading her home, but the barrister is an honored guest of the laird. He makes her feel things she never wanted to feel. Aiden also may be the key to moving on from her shadowed past.

Morrigan was a difficult character to connect with for the first half of the book, because even if you pick up on some clues, she doesn’t reveal much about who she is and why until she opens up regarding her past. Aiden was more straightforward and was guided by his morals. He knew that Morrigan was holding back, yet was patient and didn’t push. I admired his tenacity for defending his clients as well as the care he exhibited for Morrigan.

The duo’s relationship had time to breath and grow. Were there feelings early on? Of course. But they took the time to learn who each other was long before committing themselves to a relationship. Morrigan had additional hurdles to overcome, and this is when the beauty of her resilience shined through. She fully came into herself and that was the moment I knew we were seeing the true Morrigan—the one who could see a future for herself.

There was one subplot I could’ve done without in this book: the caricatures. They were an interesting opener to Morrigan, but ended up being a weird tool that was employed only when the characters needed an excuse to go certain places. The story had enough going on without this addition.

Morrigan and Aiden’s story is third in the series but can be read as a standalone. There are a couple oddball chapters with Cinaed as the narrator which seem to exist only to tie an overarching series story to the previous book and, presumably, the next. Not reading the previous books didn’t detract from my enjoyment of this story at all—the author does a great job at explaining previously established relationships and events.

Highland Sword is out now and available in eBook, audiobook, and paperback formats.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Scot Under the Covers by Suzanne Enoch
My Rating:
Genre: Historical Romance
Release Date: January 28, 2020
Formats: eBook, Paperback

Aden MacTaggert finds himself in London to fulfill an agreement between his parents that their sons all marry before their daughter. Miranda Harris, a close friend of Aden’s sister, returns to town and finds herself trapped by something she vehemently dislikes: a gambler. Miranda’s choices are limited and her future is at-risk, and Aden is drawn into helping her regain her freedom.

Both Miranda and Aden had personalities that shined through their actions. Aden’s gambler side is seen in the risks he takes, both with his standing in society and his pursuit of Miranda. A paragon of society herself, Miranda is seen wavering on the edges, deciding between when she can break from the ideals she’s held dearly and what’s more important: family standing in society or her future. While Aden doesn’t change much aside from his dedication to Miranda as he falls in love, Miranda evolves from a perfect miss to a woman who is strong and in-control of her wants.

The plot was enjoyable, if a bit long. One of Miranda’s lines that stuck with me the most was: “Then tell me what is going on, for God’s sake!”. I can’t agree more. The reader is left in the dark on Aden’s plans, usually not quite sure what his intent is in his actions, as he works to free Miranda. This gets frustrating and pulled me out of the plot every time I was left wondering about why Aden was doing XYZ this time or that.

Scot Under the Covers was engaging, however, thanks to these two characters. We see Aden and Miranda grow in love during their interactions. We seem them take on a shadowy figure haunting London. We see them both prove that love, family, and your future are important, and that it is possible to have it all.

Scot Under the Covers is out now and available in both eBook and paperback formats.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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The Duke’s Desire by Erica Ridley
My Rating:
Genre: Historical Romance
Release Date: December 24, 2019
Formats: eBook, Paperback

The Duke’s Desire is the eighth book in Erica Ridley’s 12 Dukes of Christmas series.

Lucien le Duc, former blacksmith in the town of Cressmouth, is eager to return home to France after years of hiding away due to the French revolution. Meg Church is happily free of her miserable childhood in France and loves the freedom that her spinster life offers. She’s admired Luc from afar, and he’s avoided everyone English since day one.

This entry in the Dukes of Christmas series offers the organic romance I’ve been looking for in these stories. The book is still fast-paced, but the passage of time allows us to experience Meg and Luc’s friendship⁠—and love⁠—as the two grow closer together. There’s still plenty of humor (Meg especially is outrageously hilarious) despite the fact that both characters have high personal burdens to overcome.

Meg and Luc grew up in the shadows of their respective family histories. They need to figure out what they’re willing to risk to hold onto—or shed—those pasts.

The Duke’s Desire is out now and available in both eBook and paperback formats.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

View all my reviews