The Laird’s Guardian Angel by Eliza Knight

The Laird's Guardian Angel (Highland Lairds Book 3)The Laird’s Guardian Angel by Eliza Knight

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: Highland Lairds #3

Release Date: January 28, 2025

When Lady Calliope Ramsey was a little girl, her English mother left Scotland and took Calliope with her. Now fifteen years later, her mother has died under mysterious circumstances and the man Calliope believed to be her stepfather, is returning her to her father in Scotland. Her father, the Chieftain of the Ramsey clan is overjoyed at her return and welcomes her with open arms. But their reunion is cut short when English soldiers attack the castle and Calliope sees her father cut down. Terrified, she flees the castle and is found by Alistair Sinclair and his men. They take her to his castle and promises to help her retake her home. As much as Calliope admires Alistair, she still isn’t willing to standby while he retakes her castle, she defies his orders to join the battle and proves that she worthy to lead her clan. Once she has regained control of Castle Ramsey, she should be happy, but her feelings for Alistair complicate her plans to take her father’s place as Chieftain, will love find a way or are they doomed to be star-crossed lovers?

Alistair Sinclair is the only unmarried brother of the Sinclair triplets. He has devoted himself to protecting Scotland and is returning from a skirmish on the border when he finds Calliope. She tells him of the attack on the castle and demands that they return immediately to take the castle back. Alistair is enchanted by Calliope and wants to help her, but he needs time to regroup and plan, something she doesn’t agree with. She is unlike any woman he has ever known and the only woman who has made him think of marriage. But there are bigger things at play, and with Calliope determined to lead her clan, their feelings, though intense, cannot take precedence over the safety of Scotland.

This was a fast-paced, quick read with wonderful characters and lots of action. This book has something for everyone, action, adventure, great characters, family reunions, a bit of mystery, steamy love scenes, a heroine with the heart of a warrior, a hero who is pretty much perfect, wonderful secondary characters, surprises, and finally a hard-won HEA. Overall, this was an enjoyable read, and one that I am happy to recommend.

*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. *

Review: Deadly Curse by Carla Simpson

Deadly Curse (Angus Brodie & Mikaela Forsythe #11)Barbara’s rating: 3.7 out of 5 Stars
Series: Angus Brodie & Mikaela Forsythe #11
Publication Date: 1/28/25
Period: Victorian London – 1892
Number of Pages: 226

In 1892, the whole world was enamored with exploring ancient Egypt. Archaeologists and Egyptologists are thick on the ground digging for antiquities. Sir Nelson Lawrence is one of the few who doesn’t want to exploit Egypt for personal gain. He wants to show their ancient history to the world and teach others to love it as he does. It’s too bad he won’t ever get that chance since his body has been discovered at the base of a large floor-to-ceiling statue of Ramses II. Is it due to a curse? Or a rival archaeologist? Or a collector who wants the artifacts for himself? Or a family member who feels he’s been cheated? Or . . .

The tension mounts as more bodies turn up and Mikaela is attacked. They check out clue after clue and learn little – but just enough to move them forward by a single step. Then, things get even more stirred up when a leader in London’s underworld offers assistance. Is his information good or is he leading them into a trap? If his information is good and proves helpful, what will he want in return?

I always enjoy Mikaela and Brodie along with their entire ensemble cast. We had a couple of new characters added this time and I wonder if they will have recurring roles or if this was a one-and-only for them. First, we had Inspector Todd with the Metropolitan Police. He seems as nasty as Chief Inspector Abberline but with less power. The other new addition was the underworld boss, Mr. Brown, who appears to have a grudging respect for Brodie – but his interests seem entirely self-serving. So, two somewhat interesting characters appeared and it will be interesting to see if they reappear.

While this was an interesting story and the mystery was good, it was not my favorite book of the series. I found it to be more plodding and less exciting than the other books – probably more like a real-life investigation would be. 😊

If an ancient Egyptian curse runs shivers down your spine, you should give this book a try.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

View all my reviews