American Historical – Page 14 – Flippin' Pages Book Reviews

The Scotsman Who Saved Me by Hannah Howell
Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Seven Brides for Seven Scotsmen, #1

Release Date: September 26, 2017

This was a good start to a new series, it has all the elements needed to make it an exciting and interesting read. It has likable characters combined with an unusual setting and a steamy love story – what’s not to like?

Iain MacEnroy is the oldest of the seven MacEnroy brothers, they are a family of displaced Scots that moved to America when their Laird’s wife threw them off their land. The incident has given the brothers a deep hatred/distrust for the gentry. They fled to America hoping to start a new life, but on the way to Arkansas Territory, their parents where killed and Iain was left to raise the brothers. Through hard work and sheer determination, they have succeeded in building a home and establishing themselves. Iain meets Emily Stanton when he comes upon her burning home and finds the bodies of her sister and brother in law. They bury the dead and realize that there were others in the house and follow the trail of blood to Emily and her young nephew.

Emily Stanton is on the run for her life and the life of her three year old nephew – she is the granddaughter of a Duke and by an unusual condition bestowed by Queen Elizabeth, the dukedom may be passed the son of daughter, making Neddy (the nephew) the heir to the duke. However, a distant cousin is determined to get rid of Emily and her nephew to ensure he inherits – he has already killed her parents and several other family members that tried to protect Emily and her sister, forcing them to flee England. But it seems that Albert has found them. Emily’s sister begged her to take Neddy and run when the attack began, the attack that killed them and left Emily grievously wounded. When Iain finds her, she knows that her family is dead and she has no place to go. When she passes out, Iain makes the decision to take them back to his home, even knowing that she is English.

Emily slowly heals and is grateful to the MacEnroy’s, she is not sure what will become of her and Neddy, but she feels safe for the first time in years. Iain knows there is more to Emily’s story than she is telling and he is torn between his growing attraction and admiration of her with his distain for the English/gentry. As they grow closer, Iain runs hot and cold with her, but when her life is threaten again, he does not hesitate to protect her.

The story is non-stop from the first page to the last, but it is on the violent side (the villain is relentless) and personally I found the final confrontation with the villain a bit underwhelming. I loved all the characters, the love scenes where steamy, the story flowed well and it focused entirely on Iain and Emily (vs. using this book to set up the series). It is an action-packed, emotional read that will have you laughing one minute and crying the next.

I would happily recommend this book and look forward to reading the other brother’s stories.

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

Once a Rebel by Mary Jo Putney
Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Rogues Redeemed, #2

Release Date: August 29, 2017

If you like friends to lovers stories – you will love this book.

Catherine Callista Brooke (aka Callie) and Lord George Gordon Richard Augustus Audley (aka Richard aka Gordon) have been the best of friends since they were children. So when Callie’s father tells her that he has arranged her marriage to a much older widowed plantation owner and that she will be married immediately and go with him to Jamaica, she is frantic and turns to Richard for help running away. Richard is the rebellious third son of the Marquess of Kingston, when Callie comes to him for help, he doesn’t hesitate, he suggests that they go to Scotland to marry. When they are caught by their fathers, Callie agrees to marry the man her father has chosen if he will spare Richard’s life. Her father agrees, but trumps up charges and has Richard transported to New South Wales.

Fifteen years later, Richard is back in London (if you read the Lost Lords series, you might remember him as Gordon – a classmate and minor character in those books) and Lord Kirkwood has an assignment for him. He needs him to go to America and find the widow Audley and either return her to her family in England or ensure her wellbeing in America. This task will be dangerous as England is at war with America – but helping people is what Richard does best and he accepts the mission.

Callie is now widowed and has moved her “family” to Washington and assumed the identity of the widow Audley to escape her vile step-son Henry. When her husband died, he made no final provisions for his two illegitimate children with his mistress. His children are quadroons and Henry considers them slaves and wanted to sell them, Callie has grown to love the children and fled to America rather than let Henry sell them. She has worked hard and established herself as seamstress, all is going well until the British invade Washington. Fearing for her family, she sends them to Baltimore and stays behind to protect the house. She is inadvertently caught up in skirmish, her house is burned to the ground and she is in grave danger when Richard arrives and claims that she is his wife.

Callie and Richard are shocked to see one another again, Callie had been told that Richard died en route to New South Wales. Richard is overjoyed to find Callie and again offers to marry her. Callie politely declines but agrees to act the part of his wife to get to Baltimore. Richard decides that Callie is the woman for him and plans to use the time to woo her. They risk life and limb to get to Baltimore and arrive to find that Callie’s extended family is safe and sound – however Baltimore is preparing for the British to attack – so there will be no easy escape for them. As they spend more time together, the more they begin to fallback into their easy friendship and Callie begins to realize that everything is changing, she is no longer quintessential to her “family” and she begins to think that marrying Richard and returning to England might be exactly what she needs. Just when it seems that her life might finally be looking up, she is faced with yet another challenge – her stepson Henry has found them. After a horrifying encounter with Henry and surviving the Battle of Baltimore – Callie agrees to marry Richard and return to England.

Once they return to England, there are more shocks in store for our lovers, such as the identity of the sister that betrayed them 15 years and the discovery that both their fathers have passed and through the fickle hand of fate – Richard is now the Marquess of Kingston. Determined to make the best of their newly rewritten future, Callie and Richard venture to the Kingston family estate to confront Richard’s younger brothers. All seems to be falling into place, when another tragedy strikes them and secrets are revealed and Richard is forced to do the unthinkable to save the woman he loves more than life itself.

This book was really well done, it has an almost epic feel to it and flows perfectly. It has a lot of history, surprising cameos, steamy love scenes, life and death moments, lighthearted moments and a truly lovely soulmate type of love. My only complaint is this book really needed an epilogue – I was left wondering what happened to her family in America and what became of her unresolved feelings with her sister. Other than that, which admittedly is very minor – I enjoyed this book and would happily recommend it. It is the second book in the series, but they are very loosely connected and there would be no reason this book could not be read as a stand alone title.

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

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