The Highland Guardian by Amy Jarecki
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: Lords of the Highlands #3
Publication Date: 12/19/17
Romantic! Exciting! Suspenseful! This book reached out, grabbed me by the heart and dragged me back in time to Scotland during the early stages of the Jacobite movement. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. While this is the third book in the lords of the Highlands series, you can easily read it as a stand-alone. However, all of the other books are so good I know you’ll want to go back and read them as well.
Amy Jarecki has captured the feel of the time superbly. The English are riding roughshod over the Scots. They consider the Scots to be barbarians and see no reason not to mistreat and maim at every opportunity. You feel the tension in the air and feel the cruelty of the English. Is it any wonder that the Scots rebelled? The characters are fully developed, the writing outstanding and the story is well planned, well-written and very exciting. You’ll fall in love with both Audrey and Reid.
Reid MacKenzie, Earl of Seaforth is a Highlander through-and-through. He’s also a Jacobite. Not because he’s a religious zealot, but because he is concerned about the sovereignty of Great Britain and doesn’t want to be ruled by ‘outsiders’ upon the death of Queen Anne. He wants Anne’s brother, James, from the Stuart line to become king. He’s the leader of the Highlanders support of ‘the cause’ and has little time for other things in his life – especially NOT a young ward. When he and his crew are returning to England from a visit to James in France, their ship is fired upon and sunk off the coast. His whole crew escapes unharmed – except for Nicholas Kinnet. As Kennet lays dying, he extracts a promise from Reid. Reid promises that he will see to the care and well-being of Kinnet’s daughter. Reid has no time to care for a child, but he’s a man of his word and will see to her care. How long can it take to find a good boarding school for her?
Audrey Kennet has always been excruciatingly shy and awkward. She’s a wallflower of the first order – or so she thinks. So, what is she to do when an unkempt stranger shows up at her door and announces that her father is dead and he is her new guardian? Well – she certainly isn’t going to trust him! Then, he announces that he will be marrying her off as soon as possible. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! She has no intention of marrying just to suit her new guardian. She finds she has strength and courage she never existed within her and manages to keep Reid off-kilter at every turn.
There is a first-class villain, of course. He sets many bad things in motion – just so he can have Audrey and her estate. I won’t mention all of the treacheries he sets off, but it takes us on a wild ride of a story. It is fast-paced, chilling, heart-wrenching and – yes – romantic. What a ride! You wonder right up to the end if they’ll survive and get their HEA! Great read!
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