Category: Scottish/Highlander

The Kilted Groom by Lauren Smith

On By TracyIn Contemporary, Novella, Scottish/Highlander, Standalone Title, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

The Kilted GroomThe Kilted Groom by Lauren Smith

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone?

Release Date: November 2, 2025

When her grandmother dies, she leaves her estate to Ainsley Hazelwood but to claim her inheritance, she is tasked with returning an old ring to a family in Scotland. Feeling somewhat adrift and a bit lonely since her grandmother passed, Ainsley decides to quit her job and set out for Scotland. But right from the beginning, things do not go as planned when her car gets stuck in the mud on the way to the B&B she is staying at. With no cell service and a raging storm, it looks like it is going to be a long, cold night in her rented car, that is until she is saved by a very handsome local – Leith Creighton. She is wary at first, but he proves himself to be a great guy and they enjoy each other’s company for the night, not expecting to see each other again. Ah, the best laid plans…

Leith Creighton, the Earl of Blair and the owner of Blair Castle, a medieval fortress build on the edge of Loch Awe, is on his way home when he comes upon Ainsley. He offers to take her to the B&B and ends up spending the night there himself. When he returns home the next day, he wonders how he can see her again, even though they agreed to just one night. So, no one is more shocked than he is when she shows up at his door. It turns out her Great-Great-Great Grandmother was engaged to Leith’s Great-Great-Great uncle Daniel, who perished in WWI. Ainsley’s relative Saoirse was heartbroken when Daniel died and left Scotland, she returned their letters to the family, but kept her engagement ring, which was a family heirloom. Leith is shocked that Ainsley is returning it and shares Daniel and Saoirse’s love story with her. Not wanting to break their connection, he offers her a job. Is it possible that they could continue the love story that their relatives had stolen from them?

This was such a great story, I loved Ainsley and Leith and was rooting for them right from the start! The writing was great, it was paced nicely and had just the right amount of spice. Ainsley and Leith have a believable connection right from the beginning and I loved the way the author wove the story of the ring into their story, making their instant attraction almost feel fated. My only complaint was I wish it was longer, and I wanted to experience their HEA, but there is the promise of another story, so fingers crossed this is not the last we will see of them! Other than that, I was enchanted and would happily recommend this book.

*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. *

Go, Rogue by Kay K. Denner

On By TracyIn Check Content Warning/Triggers, Part of a Series, Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

Go, Rogue (The Mavericks Book 2)Go, Rogue by Kay K. Denner

Tracy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: The Mavericks #2

Release Date: December 1, 2025

On the day she is supposed to marry, Lady Catherine West instead leaves her groom at the altar and stows away on Andrew McGann’s ship, The Elphame bound for Boston. She knows Andrew thinks she is more trouble than she is worth and clearly wants nothing to do with her, but boarding his ship gives her something she desperately needs, a new start far away from the gilded cage she has been trapped in. Can she win over the stern captain and finally find the happiness she has been longing for?

Andrew McGann has fought for his place in the world; he is half Scottish/half Jamaican and carries the stigma of being born on the “wrong side of the blanket” and he has finally realized his dream of owning his own shipping company and after years of servitude to the East India Company and then four more years landlocked in England. He is finally back on the water, but within moments of setting sail, his peace is ruined thanks to “the menace”. He wants nothing more than to get rid of her, but for now he will have to keep her at a distance. But when things start going wrong, keeping Catherine at bay becomes impossible and the sparks will fly!

When I finished this book, I was left with mixed feelings. Andrew was the definitely the star of the show and I appreciated that the book didn’t shy away from the racism he faced, or the emotional wounds left by his family, he was a grump, but I loved him. He kept me turning pages, but some things didn’t quite work for me; primarily was author’s use of present tense narrative, which made it hard for me to stay immersed in the story, add to that was my mixed feelings about Catherine, she was strong, but she was also a bit self-absorbed and had more than one TSTL moments. Overall, if you enjoy opposites-attract, grumpy/sunshine or forced proximity romance tropes, you might enjoy this book, but for me, while the story had a wonderful hero and a bit of steam, it ultimately wasn’t what I was hoping for and not a book I would read again. This is the second book in the series, and I would strongly recommend reading the books in order so you can better understand the initial tension between Catherine and Andrew.

*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. *