The Highlander’s Lost Lady by Anna Campbell

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Lairds Most Likely, #3

Release Date: May 6, 2019

The last thing Diarmid Mactavish, Laird of Invertavey, ever expected to find washed up on his beach is the love of his life – but that is exactly what he finds while out riding the night after a wicked storm.

Fiona Grant is on a mission to reclaim her daughter. Orphaned at 15, her father’s clansmen took custody of her and married her to the Laird’s brother – a man 30 years her senior. After 10 years of abuse at the hands of the Grants, Fiona is a shell of the woman she once was, now widowed, she thinks she might finally be free but when she learns of their plans for her daughter Christina, she will move heaven and earth to save her. Fiona escapes and with the help of Colin, a fisherman, she sets out to find Christina. When Fiona wakes, she learns that Colin is dead and she is on the lands of her clans most hated enemy – the Mactavishs – she is weak and in no condition to continue on with her search, she needs time to heal and form a new plan. Convinced the hated Mactavishs will send her back to her clan, Fiona pretends to have amnesia – a ploy that Diarmid clearly doesn’t beleive.

Fiona begins to heal and plans to run, but when her brother in law comes to Invertavey and says the mystery girl is his brother’s wife, Diarmid has no right to keep her and hands her over to them, even though she is clearly terrified. Later his friend convinces him to go after her and when he finds her tied to a bed, he knows that he can’t leave her, even if he has no legal right to her. He rescues her, but he wants answers.

After learning her story, Diarmid vows to help her find her daughter and will do whatever is necessary to reunite her with her child, even endure a loveless, chaste marriage. So with the help of Fergus, Marina and Hamish, Diarmid forms a plan – but will Fiona agree? After 9 years as a wife, she has no desire to marry again and submit herself to a man, even one as kind and handsome as Diarmid.

This was not your typical, boy saves girl and they fall in love story, it is much deeper than that, both Diarmid and Fiona have valid reasons to avoid love and Fiona has endured years of abuse. She is not broken, but she is deeply bruised and may never be able to be the wife Diarmid deserves, but to save her daughter the same fate she had, she will marry him and try to be the best wife she can. These two will have a very long journey to their HEA and it kept this reader reading long into the night, unable to put the book down until I knew how it would end. The book is well written, but it was a little repetitive in the beginning as we learn why Diarmid doesn’t trust love and why Fiona doesn’t beleive in it, but once her identity is revealed, the story takes off and doesn’t stop until the final page. There are cameos with Fergus, Marina and Hamish, steamy-ish love scenes, a lot of emotion, some chilling, nail-biting moments, evil villains and an unexpected ending. This is the third book in the Lairds Most Likely series, but it could be read as a stand alone title with no problem – but, I will give you fair warning, once you meet Fergus and Marina in this book, you are going to want to read their story!!! I am happy to recommend this book and can’t wait for the next one!!