Highland Sword by May McGoldrick

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Royal Highlander, #3

Release Date: March 31, 2020

Morrigan Drummond follows her greatest enemy into an alley with murder in her heart, but before she can act, she meets Aidan Grant who is protecting the man she wants dead. Morrigan makes it clear that she is not to be underestimated. She gives him a through thrashing and manages to escape, but not without losing her blade and taking a couple of knocks herself.

They meet again days later when Isabella is called to tend a sick man brought to Dalmigavie by barrister Aidan Grant and his solicitor brother, Sebastian. Isabella asked Morrigan to accompany her and she is shocked when she realizes the man she fought is the man Isabella is meeting. She hopes he will not tell Isabella of their first introduction – she also learns that the man she hates more than anyone is the man Aidan is trying to have Isabella save. She is grateful that he keeps her secret and thinks that they will have no further contact – but that thought is blown away when his witness sees Morrigan and tells everyone that he is her uncle.

Aidan needs the man’s testimony and approaches Morrigan for help. They soon start an unlikely friendship and gradually they fall in love, but there are secrets that Morrigan hasn’t shared and when a common enemy threatens to reveal her secrets, Morrigan will have to make a choice – share her fears and shame or lose the man she has come to love.

This was a well written, intense story with a lot of emotion and sensitivity triggers – parts of the story are truly heartbreaking and difficult to read, but Aidan manages to keep the story from becoming oppressive. I feel a little torn in this review, I liked the story and felt the romance suited the storyline, but I also felt that some parts dragged and the romance was really downplayed. Considering the subject material, the story was executed perfectly, but I still wished for more. This is the third book in the series and I recommend reading the books in order – this installment ties up all the loose ends and provides both closure and comeuppance| I enjoyed the book and would be happy to recommend it!

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