Category: Scottish/Highlander

Between a Highlander and a Hard Place by Mary Wine

On By TracyIn Elizabethan Era (1558-1603), Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's Reviews, Tudor Era (1485-1603)3 Comments

Between a Highlander and a Hard Place (Highland Weddings, #5)Between a Highlander and a Hard Place by Mary Wine
Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Highland Weddings, #5

Release Date: October 30, 2018

Symon Grant needs to marry, he and his cousin Brenda are the last of their line and both childless and widowed. Symon cared for his wife and has mourned her for four long years, but the time to move on has come – he owes his clan an heir.

Athena Trappes is the on the brink of marrying Galwell, the son of Baron Scrope. He has asked for her hand and promises to see to the contracts soon. But when Galwell betrays her, Athena has to flee or see her family destroyed. Her uncle has her dress as a boy and travel with a friend of his to Scotland, he promises to gain support against Galwell so that she might return home.

Athena travels for weeks with Myles and when they stop in a village, she abandons her disguise and joins the May Day revels. She catches the eye of Symon, she is the first woman in years to elicit a response from him and there is no way he is going to let her get away. They share a kiss and she disappears. He looks for her and is more determined than ever to find her. Athena sees him looking for her, but knows nothing can come of it, no matter how attractive he is, or tall, or handsome – no, nothing can come of it. But what she doesn’t know is her impromptu dance didn’t just catch Symon’s attention – it also revealed her true identity to a very unscrupulous man, Will Tinker, who is traveling with Myles. Will takes one look at Athena’s beauty and decides that she will make him rich.

He abducts her and plans to sell her to a brothel – but she outsmarts him and escapes – right into Symon’s waiting arms. Symon learned that Will had nefarious plans for Athena and is going to save her – he isn’t sure if she is the woman he wants to marry, but he knows he can’t leave her to the fate Will has in store for her.

When he finds her outside the brothel, he insists that she go with him – he says it is not safe for her to be alone and promises to notify her uncle. She goes, but has no plans on staying. When they arrive, the clan thinks she is his bride – they both deny it and there are quite a few amusing scenes based on the assumption he will marry Athena.

For their part, they can’t keep their hands off each other and Brenda appoints herself the guardian of Athena’s virtue. They grow closer and Athena decides that she will marry Symon, but before she can let him know, Will Tinker turns up again, with a new plan!

Athena is saved yet again by Symon, but the rescue is not without casualties and their celebration is cut short by the king’s men. They are forced to attend King James and he throws a wrench into their happiness by revealing the truth of Athena’s parentage and threatens to tear them apart.

Another abduction, escape and rescue are thrown into the mix as well as the arrival of Brenda’s annoyingly persistent suitor Bothan Gunn and a decision by the king that sends everyone reeling.

This was a fun story, a bit wordy and repetitive at times, but overall a well written, fast paced, steamy, exciting story with great leads, secondary characters and multiple villains. Ms. Wine does a great job of setting up the next story without detracting from Symon and Athena’s hard earned HEA. This is the 5th book in the Highland Weddings series, but it can definitely be read as a stand alone title.

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

Highland Wolf by Hannah Howell

On By TracyIn Middle Ages / Medieval (476-1454), Scottish/Highlander, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

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Highland Wolf by Hannah Howell

Series: The Murrays #15

Release Date: October 30, 2018 (Re-Release)

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sir James Drummond, foster son to the Murray clan, has lost everything, his home, his wife and his child. Three years ago his wife was found burned to death and her cousin Sir Donnell MacKay cried murder, had James declared an outlaw and took over Dunncraig Castle and has told everyone that Margaret (Meggie) is actually his daughter, not James’. But after 3 years on the run, James is ready to return, clear his name and oust Donnell.

Annora MacKay is Donnell’s poor, unwanted, illegitimate cousin and was brought to Dunncraig to care for Meggie. Donnell and his friend Egan are brutal men, they rule by fear and have beaten Annora and Meggie numerous times – Annora stays for only one reason, Meggie. She is not sure she believes Donnell is the child’s father and is sure he gained the castle by underhanded means. When Donnell hires a woodworker to work at the castle, Annora finds herself drawn to him – James has gain entry to the castle by posing as Rolf the woodworker. He gains Annora’s attention because she has a gift, she is an empath and his rage makes her curious, but for some reason, she doesn’t fear him.

Rolf is frustrated at his lack of progress and by his ill-timed attraction to Annora, a woman that Egan clearly views as his – much to Annora’s disgust. When they both have the same idea to search Donnell’s ledger room – they share a kiss and are almost caught by Donnell and Egan. She tells herself to stay away from Rolf, lest she end up like her mother. Later she learns Donnell’s plan for Meggie and is more determined than ever to learn Donnell’s secrets.

James’ attention of Annora has not gone unnoticed and he is warned away by Donnell, but when he comes upon Egan trying to rape her, he intervenes. Things between them escalate and when she overhears Donnell and Egan making plans for Egan to marry her – she runs to Rolf and learns that he is not who she thought he was – he is Sir James! He explains why he has returned and she offers to help him – he does not seem put off by her gift and believes her when she says, she doesn’t think his wife Mary was dead when he was outlawed, but is sure she is dead now. He kisses her and things became heated, James claims her as his mate and will do whatever is necessary to keep her.

They try to find out what happened to Mary, but Donnell has covered his tracks well. But the discovery of Mary’s journals and the arrival of Sir Symon Innes & Sir Tormand Murray really get the investigation moving. They need more proof, but are running out of time – when Egan again tries to rape Annora, James beats him and is ready to throw away his dream of redemption to save the woman he loves and his child. They run, but are caught, James is take prisoner and Annora is brutally beaten – it seems all is lost, but Annora is not willing to let the man she loves die and forces herself to get help. Will it be enough to save James? Will there be a HEA? Will he still want her once his name is restored?

This is a well written, fast paced book, with a lot of steamy love scenes, a lot of violence (there are triggers for both physical abuse and rape – if these are sensitive issues for you, be warned), action, mystery, really nasty bad guys, great secondary characters and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue. I liked this story, but it is on the violent side and the formal address is not quite right, but all in all, not a bad read. In fact, I read this book when it first came out in 2008, I don’t think I ever wrote a review, but I would be hard pressed to say if there was anything different in this re-released edition (other than the cover and in my opinion the new cover is WAY BETTER). This is book 15 in the Murray series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone title and it quietly sets up the next two books in the series.

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