Category: Jacobean/Stuart Era (1603-1714)

The Stuart Era is 1603-1714 and The Jacobean era refers to the period in English and Scottish history that coincides with the reign of James VI of Scotland, who also inherited the crown of England in 1603 as James I.
Preceded by: Elizabethan era
Followed by: Caroline era
Monarch: James VI and I

Highlander Ever After by Paula Quinn

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Jacobean/Stuart Era (1603-1714)3 Comments

Highlander Ever After (The MacGregors: Highland Heirs, #8)Highlander Ever After by Paula Quinn

Barbara’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Highland Heirs #8
Publication Date: 12/18/18
Number of Pages: 400

I understand this is the last book in this excellent series and I’m sorry to see it end. It has been an excellent series with wonderful characters. This addition to the story is well-written, well-plotted and the characters are memorable – not to mention that it includes nice visits with former heroes and heroines.

In the first few chapters, I thought I didn’t like Sina at all. However, as I thought about it, her reactions were very true-to-life. She was a young lady not accustomed to anything other than court-life. She was betrothed to a man she loved and all was right in her world. Then, in the dead of night, she is taken, at the order of Queen Anne, to be married to a Highland savage. She was just taken – no time to pack or even say goodbye. As soon as she arrived, she was expected to marry a man she had never met but greatly feared. She showed quite a bit of spunk trying to fight the marriage but finally had no choice. Was she unhappy – you bet! Did she make everyone aware of her unhappiness – you bet! Could she have had more sympathy for Adam — yes she could have. Adam was in the same situation as Sina, he was forced into the marriage as well, but at least he didn’t have to leave his home, family, friends and live in a place where everything and everyone made you afraid. So, I came to like and respect Sina even though I thought the thing with ‘loving’ William went on a little too long.

Melusina (Sina) de Arenburg is a Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Anne (last of the Stuart monarchs). She is also the illegitimate daughter of the future king, George (first of the Hanoverian monarchs). Sina and Anne have become close during Sina’s tenure as Lady-in-Waiting – at least Sina thought they had. Then, when Anne had Sina gathered up and taken to the Scottish Highlands to be wed to a Highland savage, she couldn’t believe Anne would betray her like that. When she arrived at Camlochlin Castle she was terrified, but not so terrified that she couldn’t at least try to get out of it – but – to defy the Queen. Oh! What a dilemma. Well – she might have to marry him, but she didn’t have to make it easy on him and she surely didn’t have to consummate the marriage.

Adam MacGregor is the oldest son of the clan chief. Adam is tall, strong, handsome as sin, and loves his life as a single man. He has no ambition to follow as clan chief and is actively promoting his sister to fill that role. Then, a coach arrives with a female aboard and orders for him to marry her. Although Adam has no desire to marry, especially not a stranger, he knows he must follow the Queens orders so he can keep his clan safe. The MacGregors have been proscribed, but they have been mostly left alone because of the MacGregor’s relationship with Queen Anne. This marriage is Anne’s way of keeping the MacGregor’s safe after she dies. Adam sucks it up and decides to make the best of the marriage. Since they have no choice but to wed, they might as well make the best of it and try to be happy. Well – he might as well try, because apparently, Sina has no intention of cooperating.

I loved watching Adam slowly but surely wooing Sina. Who could resist him? He’s wonderful, thoughtful, caring and interested. Sina fights the attraction, but it is useless. Just as Sina comes to the conclusion that she cares, Queen Anne dies, Sina’s father becomes King and he demands Sina’s return to court. How can Adam let her go when she has come to mean so much to him? How can Sina leave when Adam has come to mean so much to her? Again, they have no choice.

Half of this novel takes place at Camlochlin Castle on the Isle of Skye in the Scottish Highlands and the other half takes place in London. It was fun watching Adam show up all of those dandy London Lords. Could Adam win over the King and leave London with his wife? You’ll definitely be rooting for Adam and Sina to find their HEA.

I hope you’ll enjoy the book as much as I did. If you find yourself disliking Sina in the beginning, just remember who she is and what has happened to her – and – put yourself in her place. Would you handle that any better than she did? I wouldn’t.

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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.”

The Highland Chieftain by Amy Jarecki

On By TracyIn Jacobean/Stuart Era (1603-1714), Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's Reviews1 Comment

The Highland Chieftain (Lords of the Highlands)The Highland Chieftain by Amy Jarecki
Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Highland Lords, #4

Release Date: July 31, 2018

I enjoyed this addition to the Lords of the Highlands series. When we last saw Lady Mairi MacKenzie, she was reeling from being jilted by Reid MacKenzie, the Earl of Seaforth. They had been betrothed as children and Mairi grew up believing she would be his countess, but instead, he breaks their betrothal and marries Audrey, his ward. Mairi isn’t exactly heartbroken, but she is feeling sorry for herself and turns down a proposal by Duncan “Dunn” MacRae, believing the highland laird, a man who swears fealty to Seaforth is only proposing out of pity.

Dunn has long desired Mairi, but as Seaforth’s betrothed, she was off limits. When he proposes and is rejected, he knows he should just move on and forget about her, but the heart wants what the heart wants and forgetting her is just not possible. When Mairi is in danger, Dunn risks his life to save her, he kills three English dragoons that were intent on raping her and rides away with her when more soldiers show up. He had planned on returning her to her home immediately, but her father convinced he abducted her, has placed a bounty on his head and he cannot safely return her.

They hole up in his favorite spot, the Cavern of the Fairies and Dunn does his best to keep his desire in check. They spend time talking and Dunn offers to teach her how to defend herself. All is going well until Mairi gets ill and Dunn is forced to leave their sanctuary to get her to a healer. He takes her to his home Eilean Donan Castle and nurses her back to health.

Mairi has always been attracted to Dunn, but she never acted on it, first she was betrothed and later didn’t want to be pitied by him, but now she has come to realize there is much more to Dunn than she believed and she would like nothing more than to explore the feelings he has invoked. Before they become lovers, Dunn again proposes and she accepts, she is aware her father has other plans for her, but she is sure she can convince him to accept Dunn.

They enjoy their time together, but they long to get her father’s blessing and when pleas to Seaforth to intervene come to nothing, they decide to confront her father. But things take a terrible turn and Dunn is imprisoned. Mairi is devastated, she loves Dunn with all her heart and is forced to go to London with her father to save his life.

It seems all is lost for our lovers, but Dunn is not willing to lose Mairi again, he is relentless in his quest to marry her and more than once, his life is put in jeopardy. But when all seems lost, help comes from unexpected sources and Mairi will have to decide if her love for Dunn is enough to give up her family.

This was a fast paced, very emotionally driven story with a sigh worthy hero who loves Mairi with steadfast devotion rarely portrayed in romances these days. The story has action, steamy love scenes, a really vile villain, heartbreak, cameos from Reid and Audrey and a truly beautiful soulmate type love. The only thing that really bothered me was that the villain really didn’t suffer any repercussions for his treatment of Dunn and Mairi. But that aside, it was a good read and had a completely different feel from the previous books in the series. This is the fourth book in the Lords of the Highlands, but I think it could be read as a stand alone with no problems, however, if you want to go into this book with a better understanding of the relationships between Dunn, Mairi and Seaforth, I would highly recommend at least reading Highland Guardian first.

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