The Highlander’s Return by Lynsay Sands

Tracy’s Rating: 4/4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Highland Brides #12

Release: September 24, 2024

Since being abandoned by her husband of less than a day, Annella Gunn nee MacKay, has been acting as both Lady and Laird of the castle with no help from her husband’s family, especially his vile mother. Yet despite that, she has been very successful and won the respect of the clan. Now six years later, her husband has been found dead and his bones returned to Scotland. No longer needed to stay with the Gunns she is eager to return home. Hoping her father (Ross MacKay) will find her another husband, hopefully one who will love her and give her children. But she will need the permission of the new Laird, her husband’s younger brother – Graeme Gunn. She is sure he will agree, but her brother convinces her to stay a little while to help Graeme in his new position, after all the man has not been home in years and never thought he would be Laird. She reluctantly agrees and starts to spend time with Graeme, and has to admit to herself that she is attracted to him, more than any man she has ever known. When things get heated between them, Graeme insists on marriage, and she resists, until circumstances force her hand. Can she find the love she has always wanted or is she doomed to living unhappily ever after?

From the moment he returned home and saw Annella tending a clan member, Graeme Gunn knew she was the woman for him. But convincing her was a lot harder than he anticipated. He will need the help of her brother Payton and his fellow mercenaries, Symon and Teague to win her hand. But no sooner than he does, it becomes clear that someone is trying to kill one of them! He will have to figure it out before he loses the only woman he has ever loved.

This book has all the elements that made me a fan of Lynsay Sands! The book is well written, nicely paced and has wonderful characters. It took me a minute to figure out how Annella and Graeme were connected to the “Highland Brides” and then I realized that Annella is next generation of Highland Brides, since she is Ross & Annabel’s daughter from the first book in the series and readers will be delighted to reunite with them in this book. The story classic Sands with her trademark humor, intrigue, and steamy love scenes. The book is filled with mystery, wonderful characters, witty banter, a strong heroine, a sexy highlander hero, great secondary characters, vile villains, a bit of miscommunication and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue. I will be honest, I am not sure how I feel about how things ended with the villain, I can’t say more without spoilers, but I did find it unsettling, not undeserved, just not quite what I was expecting. Anyway, it was a for the most part, a fun, spicy read that could be read as a standalone title with no problems and a book that I am happy to recommend to my fellow Lyndsay Sands fans.

4 maybe, 4.5 stars

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *