Month: October 2018

Forgetting the Scot by Jennifer Trethewey

On By TracyIn Regency Era (1811-1820), Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's Reviews2 Comments

Forgetting the Scot (The Highlanders of Balforss)Forgetting the Scot by Jennifer Trethewey

Tracy’s rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: The Highlanders of Balforss, #3

Release Date: October 22, 2018

Let me start this review with a PSA – this book contains several triggers – in the form of abuse and adultery. It is well written, but some of the content may be upsetting to some readers.

Virginia, Viscountess Langley is in a very unhappy marriage. Her husband was charming and attentive until the wedding and then his true colors began to show. He married her for her dowry and once he had it, he was cruel and abusive. Virginia has had enough, enough physical, mental and emotional abuse. Her greatest desire is to have children to love, convinced that she will never be able to have a child, she has turned her heart towards the forgotten children of London. She has a plan, she will use the trust fund her father set up for her and build a home for these children, she will live separately from Lord Langley and devote her life to orphans.

She is livid when she learns that Langley has stolen her money and plans to confront him, but everything changes when she is abducted after leaving the solicitors office. She is sold to the pirate O’Malley and held on his ship for months. She is sure all is lost when a miracle happens – they are rescued!

Magnus Sinclair never believed in love at first sight, until he saw Virginia. He saves her from certain death and wants nothing more than to always protect her. They form a bond and he believes that she is the “one”. But then the truth comes out – Virginia is married. Magnus is heartbroken, but he can’t seem to let her go. No one and nothing will keep him from her. Even the threat of his death. He will help her return to London and reclaim her fortune and ensure that her husband can never hurt her again – even if he dies in the process.

When things come to a head in London and Virginia is freed, Magnus has hope that they will have a HEA – But Virginia has her own dreams and as much as she wants Magnus, she will not forsake her dream for him or ask him to forsake his for her. A HEA for these two seems impossible, but a twist of fate may change everything.

I loved this book until about the 60% mark, up until then, I couldn’t read it fast enough, but then it hit a wall for me – in the form of adultery – I know her husband was a scumbag, I know he abused her and broke his vows, but that doesn’t change the fact that she committed adultery – this is a deal breaker for me – they shared kisses before this and while I wasn’t overly thrilled with that, I could let it go, but when they moved past kisses to an intimate relationship, I was upset and disgusted. But, I made a conscious decision to ignore my personal bias and be fair and open minded for the rest of the story. But once they got to London the story just fell apart in my opinion. Virginia just made one bad decision after another and several improbable/unbelievable things transpired. By the end of the book, I wanted Magnus to walk away and find another woman to love. Honestly, even without the adultery, I would have wanted him to wash his hands of her – she was so incredibly set on her path that she refused to even consider compromising – I just felt like she didn’t love Magnus as much as he loved her and hurt him over and over again.

This book was well written and flowed nicely, but in my opinion, the story fell apart after they got to London. I liked that this book tied all the books together, I liked revisiting characters from the previous books, I loved Lucy’s brother George, I LOVED Magnus and my heart broke for Virginia. But in the end, I felt that this was a 3 star read. The first half of this book was a easily a 5 star read, but the second half was barely 2 stars, there were so many questionable legal issues and consequences that were wrapped up too quickly and easily to be convincing and the possible legal ramifications of her pregnancy were completely ignored. If you have read the other books in this series, I would recommend this book, but caution that there are “triggers” in this book. If you haven’t read the other books, I would recommend starting with Tying the Scot and deciding for yourself.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*

 

The Highlander Who Protected Me by Vanessa Kelly

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Regency Era (1811-1820)3 Comments

The Highlander Who Protected Me (Clan Kendrick #1)The Highlander Who Protected Me by Vanessa Kelly

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Clan Kendrick #1
Publication Date: 10/30/18

This is a superbly written, gripping, fast-paced, suck-you-in kind of story. The characters make you love them or dislike them, but you aren’t neutral about any of them. It is the first book in the new Clan Kendrick series, but it is really a follow-on from The Highlander’s Princess Bride from the ‘The Improper Princesses’ series.

The Kendricks are a boisterous, close-knit, loving Highland Clan. The family consists of seven brothers – Nicholas (Nick), Logan, Royal, Graeme & Grant (twins), Braeden and Kade plus their irascible grandfather Angus. We learned their history in The Highlanders Princess Bride and I certainly recommend that you read it – you don’t have to read it to enjoy this one, but you really get to know them all in that book. Since that book, I have been sitting on pins and needles just waiting for this one because Royal was such an intriguing character – you know – dark, moody, brooding, wounded war-hero. I didn’t care for Ainsley in that book and I still didn’t really care for her in this book. Frankly, I felt sorry for her predicament, but I found myself thinking that Royal would be much better off in the long run if she just went to London and stayed there.

Royal met Ainsley not long after he returned from the war where he had almost died. Nick, his older brother and clan chief, had dragged him all the way from the Highlands to London to see a series of doctors. He had attended a ball because Nick thought he needed to ‘get a life’ and quit brooding. Then, he saw Ainsley and thought she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. They flirted, but the evening ended badly. Fast-forward to the following year and Ainsley is staying just a half-days ride from the Kendricks. Royal decides to visit her, but he isn’t prepared for what he finds. He knew something wasn’t right with Ainsley when she had passed through on her way to her great-aunt’s home several months before, but he hadn’t pursued it. Now, here she was, sitting in her aunt’s house and she was very, very pregnant.

Ainsley went into labor shortly after Royal arrived and delivered a beautiful little girl. She asks Royal to take her daughter, keep her safe and raise her as his own. She tells Royal a part of the story, but not all, and Royal finally agrees. Royal puts up with the gossip and scandal of bringing ‘his’ by-blow into his family home and raising her. He’s squared his shoulders and weathered it all and they are finally content – not happy, but content. Then Ainsley shows up again and, of course, trouble follows.

Some of what I didn’t like – well, mostly it was Ainsley. She used Royal because he loved her and would let her walk all over him. She was selfish, spoiled, overbearing, opinionated, and she wanted it all. She wanted Royal to protect her and the baby, but she didn’t tell him the whole story. She was defensive and argumentative all the time –especially with grandda. She supposedly loved Royal, but, well, she didn’t do anything until the very end of the book that made me think she cared for him at all. Then, there was grandda, but I do have to say I liked him better in this book than the last one. He was an old curmudgeon who loved his grandson but constantly interfered to keep Royal and Ainsley apart – even after they were married.

Another thing I didn’t like was the ending. It cost Royal yet again – at that point, I thought he had surely paid enough – but no. It also didn’t feel complete – we were just left hanging with some things still unsolved. I assume (maybe) we’ll get the wrap-up in the next book – which will probably be Logan’s because he was a main feature in this book.

Add in some very modern conversation styles and the use of words such as Spoilsport, Corker, and Fussbudget which all seem to stem from the late 1800’s and not the early 1800’s. I didn’t look up all of the words that struck me as anachronistic. There were some ‘old sayings’ that I didn’t think came from the Regency period – but they might have – “shake a stick at” or “she’s a corker”.

All-in-all, I enjoyed the book, but I had a really hard time caring for Ainsley or understanding how Royal could be so besotted with her. I hope you will enjoy it too!

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“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”