Smitten by Books

Release Date: Jan 30, 2018
Series: Scottish Highlanders
Book: 5
Heat Level: Hot
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon Books
Price: $6.99

Lynsay Sands is a household name in the paranormal romance world but many readers are unaware of her extensive collection of Highland medieval and Regency romances that I count among some of my favourite books of the genre. I have read a few of the books in this series but just had to re-read them all leading up to this fifth book and I am happy I did; you really get a feel for the era and the turmoil young ladies had to face in the harsh highlands at that time. Reading the other books in the series is not a pre-requisite as you can absolutely follow this book as a stand alone novel but it is so much more fun to anticipate a character’s story when you have a bit of their history first. Strong, brave highlanders fighting to keep their family’s safe with strong-willed, fierce highland lasses at their side doing battle… what more do you need?

Lady Edith Drummond is in trouble. Big trouble. Her entire family has been murdered and she has barely escaped several attempts on her life. She needs help and finds it in the unexpected guise of her friend’s brother, Niels Buchannan, and the band of men he shows up with at her keep. Niels knows something is afoot but without any proof and little to go on, the wily murderer is always one step ahead of them. Can he protect the lovely lass whom he has lost his heart to without losing the lass as well?

Edith is a practical woman with a good head on her shoulders which I appreciated since her life was in such turmoil. I wanted her to be strong and determined and as the story moves along you get a character who develops into much more. She faces all her tragedies with grace and poise while never letting down her guard. You want her to protect her clan and stand up for her people so it was a pleasure to find that she is able to do that and then some. Her perfect match is the brave Niels who will stop at nothing to protect her and his new-found clan. He is not a bull-headed warrior who will not listen to reason and I enjoyed the dynamic between them more because of it. Often characters like his are portrayed more like a bull in a china shop but Niels is restrained and cautious which is a great blend for the equally restrained Edith. 

This book hit just the right note for me as it is a mix of mystery and medieval romance, setting a great tone for Edith and Niels love story. I very much enjoyed the themes in the book and the story telling but the romance fell a little flat for me. I am all about a good mystery and Ms. Sands provides some great twists and turns that keep you guessing at the murderer’s identity but for a passionate romance I felt the book didn’t show enough heat between the main characters. Oh, there are some graphic love scenes but they didn’t feel as genuine as they could have been if there had been more of a build up between Edith and Niels. Unlike other books I have read by this author, I just didn’t feel the love as much as I would have liked, and that is really my only critic of the book.

I recommend you pick this one up and enjoy the well-thought out mystery and the warm, sensual romance of Edith and Niels – especially if you love a man in a kilt like me!

~ Danielle