Category: Medieval (1066-1540)

Leila’s Legacy by Madeline Martin

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Medieval (1066-1540), OtherLeave a comment

Leila's Legacy (Borderland Ladies #5)Barbara’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Borderland Ladies #5
Publication Date: 10/15/19
Number of Pages: 284

Proper preparation is a requirement for reading this book – you need a comfy chair, a full box of tissues and your bottle of digitalis to revive you after your heart stops. This is a story that stays in your heart and on your mind long after you’ve read the last word and closed the book. I think this was my favorite book in the series and was the perfect wrap-up. Everything was tidily completed with no loose ends. All of the villains got their just desserts, all of the heroes and heroines got their Happily Ever After and the reader gets a wonderfully sweet and contented feeling to last a long, long time. The epilogue – OMGoodness – the epilogue – heart palpitations! We even got a couple of wonderful nuggets that I had hoped for but didn’t actually expect.  I don’t usually gush over books – but – gush, gush, gush!

Lady Leila Barrington has always known that she was different from her sisters in more ways than one. She looks different – they are very blonde and fair and she is small and dark-haired – and – she has visions – terrifying visions usually. She sees the past on occasion, but usually it is the future she sees. All of her life, she has been plagued with visions of her death at the hands of the man she loves. Now, the pestilence that Leila had long foreseen is spreading across the land and the people are dying. Leila knows her time is coming nearer, but she cannot hide in the castle, she has to help nurse her people as long as she can. Once she meets the man, The Lion, can she stop herself from falling in love with him? How could she possibly love someone who will take her life?

Niall Douglas, Deputy to the Keeper of Liddesdale, hates witches. He has hated them since one caused the death of his father – and now one is bringing death across the land. It is his job to find her and bring her back to Liddesdale for trial. Niall is the honorable man that Lord Armstrong, Keeper of Liddesdale, and his son Alban are not. Niall is fierce, loyal, steadfast, and determined. He is determined to find the witch and to see her tried for the damage she has caused. Then, when he does find her, he cannot believe this small, beautiful, kind, and caring creature is a witch. How can he save her? Surely the priest who is coming from Edinburgh to try her will be able to see that she isn’t a witch.

Niall is in for some rude lessons about his employer. He’d always believed the best of the man and thought that one of the reasons Armstrong employed him was that he was honorable and Armstrong would listen to him. Niall quickly learns that everything he thought he knew isn’t so. Now, he isn’t sure he can save Leila or himself.

I highly recommend this book and this series! However, I wouldn’t read the book as a stand-alone. You really need to read the other books in the series to understand the full impact of the series. If you don’t read the other books, at least read the first one, Marin’s Promise. BTW – we met some of the Armstrong’s in Ella’s Desire, and I was a bit unhappy that the Armstrong’s didn’t pay a high price for what they did.

I absolutely cannot think of one thing that would have made this book better – it was perfect just as it was. The author gave us some beautiful memories and some heart-stopping suspense and a romance that was to-die-for (literally). The only thing I wonder about is how things went at Liddesdale in the aftermath of everything. There were some good people there and I had to wonder if Lady Davina married and she and her husband took the lead there – that is how I’m going to think about it anyway.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Highland Outlaw by Heather McCollum

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Medieval (1066-1540)Leave a comment

The Highland OutlawBarbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Campbell’s #4
Publication Date: 10/21/19
Number of Pages: 400

WOW! What a fast-paced, interesting, breath-holding chase across Scotland this story was! From the first page to the last there are fearsome Highland warriors – of the male and female sort. The entire series has been that way, so I was sure this book would follow suit – and it did.

Shaw Sinclair, Chief of the Sinclair clan, has had a hard, miserable life – and he has the scars – inside and outside – to prove it. After Shaw’s father died, his wicked uncle took over as Laird. He abused Shaw, his sisters, and his mother. Not only that, he ran up huge debts from drinking, gambling and other debaucheries and ended up giving up the Sinclair castle and lands to the northern Campbells. Since then, the Sinclair clan has been homeless and the vindictive Campbells constantly runs them out of their cottages – even in the dead of a harsh Scottish winter. So, it is no surprise that Shaw jumps at the chance to have the crown restore his home and lands. All he has to do is deliver a newborn baby girl to a boat in St. Andrews. Except, when he finally receives the babe, her wet-nurse has died and there are English soldiers pursuing the baby – to put it to death. He has to find someone to care for the babe – especially someone who can feed her – all while avoiding the English soldiers. Piece of cake for a braw highlander.

Alana Campbell, sister to the Laird of the southern Campbells, is one of the older members of the Highland Roses school. We’ve met her in the earlier books in the series and she is an intelligent, lovely young woman who just happens to be a trained warrior as well. Imagine her surprise when a huge, fierce warrior appears in her tent – and abducts her so she can care for an infant girl. Of course, once she discovers that their destination is just north of Edinburgh, she decides to willingly go along. She needs to get to Edinburg to rescue her mother that all of them had thought dead.

Somewhere along the way – dodging soldiers and caring for an infant – Alana comes to care deeply for both the Highlander and the babe. How will she ever have the strength to put that sweet babe on the boat? She doesn’t care much for the idea of separating from the Highlander either.

How will their love survive once all of the treachery, lies, and deceit are revealed? What will happen if Shaw cannot regain the Sinclair lands and castle? Why in the world are the English soldiers out to murder a tiny, innocent, defenseless babe?

NOTE: Possible spoilers below – so don’t read if you don’t want to know

Is it a sign of a really good story when, at the end, you keep wondering what happened next? I hope we will see some of that in a future book – maybe Kirsten’s book. I have to wonder how they got the Campbells off their land. Are they still being harassed by the Campbells? Can Shaw learn to trust Alistair and Logan again? Will they get there in time to save the Sinclair’s from the harsh winter? Will they actually start a second Highland Rose shool?

One thing that seemed confusing to me is that although they got the proclamation from King James – they were still talking about paying the northern Campbells for the debt Shaw’s uncle owed. Did they just want to pay it off because they felt the clan owed it? It sounds fair to me for them to pay it, but it just wasn’t made very clear.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.