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Clan Mackenzie #3
Highlander Mine (Clan Mackenzie) by Juliette Miller
Deep in the lush Highlands, a powerful laird with everything to lose must risk it all for the lass who storms into his keep--and his heart.Raised on the debauched margins of society, Amelia Taylor depends upon her quick wit and fiery spirit to survive. When danger closes in on her already precarious home, she flees into the Highlands and finds refuge in the iron-strong circle of Clan Mackenzie. There, her lack of propriety and intriguing beauty draw the attentions of their formidable leader. But to remain safe from pursuit, she must conceal her identity, even if it means deceiving Laird Knox Mackenzie.A fiercely guarded and staunchly moral warrior, Knox never expected a ravishing stranger like Amelia to reawaken his desires. Yet as their heated confrontations unlock untold passion, temptation proves impossible to resist. So when Amelia's tapestry of lies begins to unravel, the secrets from her dark past threaten both his Clan and a future they can only dare to dream of....
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First published January 28, 2014
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About the author
Juliette Miller
14 books73 followersJuliette Miller is an incurable romantic and an acute sufferer of wanderlust. She began writing romance soon after she met the man of her dreams in a smoky bar on a Greek Island.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 45 reviews
January 23, 2014
The set up
Amelia Taylor is on the run from a powerful and wealthy Edinburgh ganglord. She and her nephew, Hamish, posing as her brother, have made it to the Highlands and are given refuge by the Mackenzie clan. She's withholding the details of her true identity as it's unflattering (she's a professional card dealer) and just needs to have Hamish in place so she can return to rescue her sister.
The issues
Laird Knox Mackenzie's wife and unborn baby died in childbirth over two years ago. He's been celibate and unattached since their deaths and the beautiful Amelia has awakened some dormant emotions. He knows Amelia isn't being entirely truthful about her past but feels he knows her heart. Knox is determined to help her despite Amelia's efforts to handle things on her own.
What I enjoyed
Amelia was gutsy, fearless and resourceful, making her a great match for Knox, who, as clan laird was so serious but couldn't hide his feelings for her. Their romance worked, even though his faith and belief in her stretched credibility at times, but I didn't mind going along for the steamy ride. I also enjoyed the updates about the earlier characters in the series and would have loved having them more involved in the story. The final confrontation with the ganglord was exciting, providing a fitting ending for Amelia and Knox.
What didn't work
The story is told from Amelia's first person point of view, which added excess weight when brevity was in order, especially with the heavy prose used throughout. The lengthy musings in the middle of dialogue slowed the pace of the story. There were passages I had to reread just to understand the point and be reminded of what the responses related to. The first sex scene between Knox and Amelia was one of the most difficult to read in the book because it was poetically awkward. This was an issue in the first two stories but even more so with this one.
The bottom line
This was supposed to be the last book in the trilogy but the story ends with a shocker and I subsequently learned a fourth book is planned. Knox and Amelia's romance is the highlight as there wasn't a lot of action or conflict. I had expected more as Knox was the eldest and most conflicted of the brothers. It was interesting but not as enjoyable as the first two books in the series. However, the Highlands setting is always appealing and I love the Mackenzie clan.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley)
Amelia Taylor is on the run from a powerful and wealthy Edinburgh ganglord. She and her nephew, Hamish, posing as her brother, have made it to the Highlands and are given refuge by the Mackenzie clan. She's withholding the details of her true identity as it's unflattering (she's a professional card dealer) and just needs to have Hamish in place so she can return to rescue her sister.
The issues
Laird Knox Mackenzie's wife and unborn baby died in childbirth over two years ago. He's been celibate and unattached since their deaths and the beautiful Amelia has awakened some dormant emotions. He knows Amelia isn't being entirely truthful about her past but feels he knows her heart. Knox is determined to help her despite Amelia's efforts to handle things on her own.
What I enjoyed
Amelia was gutsy, fearless and resourceful, making her a great match for Knox, who, as clan laird was so serious but couldn't hide his feelings for her. Their romance worked, even though his faith and belief in her stretched credibility at times, but I didn't mind going along for the steamy ride. I also enjoyed the updates about the earlier characters in the series and would have loved having them more involved in the story. The final confrontation with the ganglord was exciting, providing a fitting ending for Amelia and Knox.
What didn't work
The story is told from Amelia's first person point of view, which added excess weight when brevity was in order, especially with the heavy prose used throughout. The lengthy musings in the middle of dialogue slowed the pace of the story. There were passages I had to reread just to understand the point and be reminded of what the responses related to. The first sex scene between Knox and Amelia was one of the most difficult to read in the book because it was poetically awkward. This was an issue in the first two stories but even more so with this one.
The bottom line
This was supposed to be the last book in the trilogy but the story ends with a shocker and I subsequently learned a fourth book is planned. Knox and Amelia's romance is the highlight as there wasn't a lot of action or conflict. I had expected more as Knox was the eldest and most conflicted of the brothers. It was interesting but not as enjoyable as the first two books in the series. However, the Highlands setting is always appealing and I love the Mackenzie clan.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley)
March 25, 2016
Knox lost his wife and unborn child and hasn't been the same till he meets Amelia. Amelia and her little companion arrive to their keep looking for safety, bringing many secrets and a dark past with them.
I really liked Knox's character, he was very sweet and caring and I liked watching him become like his old self again since meeting Amelia. Amelia annoyed me a bit because of the amount of secrets she had on her past that she refused to share with Knox for a very long time. She just lied so much, (in order to protect herself) that I didn't feel that she was as invested in the relationship as Knox.
I loved the epilogue because we got to see all the past characters and their children, it was super adorable!
Looks like the next book which is about Knox's sister, but its going to be a love triangle.. which I absolutely hate and don't want to read. But the cliffhanger ending in this book made me curious about her story :(
I really liked Knox's character, he was very sweet and caring and I liked watching him become like his old self again since meeting Amelia. Amelia annoyed me a bit because of the amount of secrets she had on her past that she refused to share with Knox for a very long time. She just lied so much, (in order to protect herself) that I didn't feel that she was as invested in the relationship as Knox.
I loved the epilogue because we got to see all the past characters and their children, it was super adorable!
Looks like the next book which is about Knox's sister, but its going to be a love triangle.. which I absolutely hate and don't want to read. But the cliffhanger ending in this book made me curious about her story :(
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February 10, 2014
My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book...
Must say, once again I enjoyed losing myself into Juliette Miller’s beautiful narratives. Since book 1 of the Clan Mackenzie series, I’ve been addicted to her writing. She created an enchanted and beautiful Medieval Highlands, occupied by burly, good-looking highlanders that only makes me wanna run there. lol I always say I find her writing excellent, however sometimes the story just doesn’t work for me.
Note that all three books are written from first person POV; the heroine of each story. Personally, first person POV doesn’t always interest me but somehow it worked for me in the Clan Mackenzie series.
I absolutely adored book 1, Highlander Claimed, which was the youngest of the Mackenzie brother, Wilkie’s story. He’s beautiful, happy-go-lucky and charming. And women have never been his problem. Wilkie hasn’t been in love though, until the day he rests his eyes on Roses who was running away from her adoptive (and abusive) clan and its obsessive laird. That guy was an a$$hole, can’t blame her. Stumbling into Mackenzie land on her way to a long-lost relative’s clan was the best thing that ever happened to Roses in ages. But having a glimpse of a wet Wilkie must’ve been the best thing that happened to her ever! And so it began, they fall in love at first sight. As the story unfolds, the crazy laird of Roses’s former clan comes to claim her but Wilkie will never give her up. He’s too deep in love with her, as she is with him. Though his immediate elder brother Kade is amused by his brother’s sudden ‘fall’, Knox, the Laird is not, as he knows Roses is not a lady of means but was a servant. He even makes sure Wilkie is engaged to a daughter of the Morrison’s because he can’t let Wilkie marry a servant! This was one of those instances that made me wanna kick Knox for not caring about Wilkie and Roses’s feelings. But things work out well in the end when Roses’s secret identity is revealed. She’s been searching for her parents and why she was adopted in that clan in the first place. Turns out, Roses is the secret daughter of King Alexander III and his mistress, the only woman he has ever loved. The King acknowledges his daughter and the rest is one big HEA for Wilkie and Roses.
I wasn’t fond of book 2, Highlander Taken, because there were some stuff that bugged me right from the beginning of the story. Stella, considered the most beautiful of the Morrison sisters, at that time was nurturing a broken heart, but of course, the clan’s goodwill came first. She had been brought to the Mackenzie clan to seek a match because they’re one of the most prosperous clans in the Highlands. Stella is all but bartered off like a chattel; at first with Wilkie, who was not only already in love with Roses, also had a ‘history’ with Stella’s more adventurous younger sister, Maisie. When Wilkie refuses to marry her, Kade steps in to honor the contract. But was that all? Was he just honoring a contract with the possibility of marrying a woman considered one of the most beautiful throughout the Highlands? But of course not. Kade has been crazy about Stella for a long time since he had a chance to see her on another occasion. Stella had no idea of course. This should’ve been a very intriguing setting, and I was very interested. Sadly, the story starts with narratives of Knox’s sexual conquests, the discussion of it and his kinky taste by Stella’s idiotic sisters and cousins on the day she was about to marry him. A thing that scared the sh!t outta Stella since she had no idea why anyone would want to bind a woman to bed? WHAT? Don’t ask but I kinda lost it there. There were some other things I didn’t like about that book, one has to be the sexual tension and the subsequent frustration; loads of teasing but not a lot of action. I won’t recap but I wasn’t amused by any of it. I was seriously disappointed because in book 1, the sexual tension was high and even though there weren’t many sex scenes, everything between Wilkie and Roses seemed perfectly proportioned to me.
I have to admit that I was a bit apprehensive about getting into Highlander Mine. But I wanted to read Knox’s story as a continuation of the series. Knox, the strict and devoted laird of Mackenzies, who is living a very strict life too. I also wondered if he’d be as passionate and intense as his other brothers. But my, my! Mr. Laird knocked me right off my socks... all in a very good way. He proved to be hotter than Wilkie and Kade combined. Damn!
The story starts from the h, Amelia’s POV, recounting her sad plight in life. She’s running away from an ‘enemy’ back in Edinburgh, her only companion her 9 yrs old nephew Hamish. We gradually get to know that she was the daughter of a doctor, who passed away without leaving them much. Their mother had already passed and Amelia’s elder sister, Cecelia had to marry the owner of a gambling den, James, who has not been a responsible guardian. Things started going downhill soon enough. They were in debt; Amelia suddenly had to drop off the educational institute where she was getting a noblewoman’s education, to work in the gambling tables. This came as a big blow to her. Then James got deep in the underworld and became a smuggler of illegal goods. But the appearance of the evil, a man named Sebastian Fawkes who bought the majority of the share of James’s gambling den, changed everything. Apparently, it started with his fascination and an express wish to own Amelia, who has strawberry blonde hair, fair complexion and a curvy body that has always attracted men. While working at the tables as a ‘cardshark’ (she’s an expert by now) Amelia been around men at the gambling tables. I kinda found it impossible to believe that she is still a virgin. She claimed to be innocent of any types of sexual practices. But she understood the lust in those men’s eyes and had no trouble understanding the ‘service’ Fawkes wants from her. It’s that or her family is ruined forever. But the threat on Hamish’s life tipped everything for Amelia, the nephew she has practically raised since his birth. One day, she just found no other way to fend off Fawkes’s advances. With her useless BIL away and on Cecelia’s pleading, Amelia had to run far away to save herself and Hamish.
Amelia is looking for a place to stay, maybe get a job, until she gets some news of Cecelia and James and whether she can go back and bring her sister to safety. While they’re at an inn, contemplating those few options, Knox’s sister Christie and Ailie stop by from a recent excursion. This is how they met... but, wait a min. We’re told that Hamish is a beautiful boy with her sister’s blonde hair and blue eyes. Apparently, he’s already aware of his ‘charms’! Hamish is not only very adept at making up stories and acting up (‘lying’ would probably be the exact word) but also an expert cardshark, even at that tender age!! He ‘convinces’ Ailie and Christie with a story of made-up robbery that they’re now destitute and in desperate need of shelter. The sisters are very sympathetic and instantly bring up Knox and that he should be informed of this new robbery. They also invite Amelia along, who is now Hamish’s ‘sister’, thanks to the boy’s story.
Amelia is very proud and continues to be biased towards Hamish, so at times it felt like she’s exaggerating his supposed accomplishments; as in how good he is in everything he does, down to the lying and cheating (yes, he’s an expert cheater at cards as well). This is something I had trouble swallowing. No matter how many times Amelia tried to validate this as a part of their survival process, I couldn’t just take it in. It all felt wrong, and every time Amelia would go ‘oh, I’m so proud of Hamish because he’s such an expert in making up stuff’, I wanted to smack her. First half of the story was kinda ruined for me not only for this reason but also because I was getting a little bored with her repetitive description of how beautiful Mackenzie lands are, how beautiful and manly its Laird is, about her own perils and how she’s going to go off in a few days to find her sister once she earns some money. Very little progression was made storywise.
So, Amelia found a place with the Mackenzie’s until further notice. She also meets Knox in a very... er, awkward fashion. It seemed to me that Amelia had her ‘bountiful curves’ hanging almost always out of her dress every time Knox was around, who’d be struck dumb at the display of... ummm, Amelia’s ‘charm’. But the fun, for me, was in the fact that Knox was known to be somewhat prudish. He definitely was celibate after the death of his wife in childbirth. Amelia was giving him a permanent boner, all.day.long. Can’t be good for any man’s health! Too bad, there was not a thing he could do about it but to keep acting as the gruff laird around her. *heehee*
Amelia also finds a teaching job for the children of one of the women of the clan. Now, for the love me, I couldn’t remember Katriona from the other installments or whatever happened to her husband. She’s a widow and had her eyes on Knox. Amelia’s presence and her somewhat shadowy past only made Katriona suspicious. She tried cooking up trouble for her more than once. Even Amelia knew the story Hamish told Knox and his family were very unrealistic and that Knox didn’t believe them. She was feeling guilty about not telling them the truth, the clan that has been so very kind to her. To Amelia, no emotion can do anything about her sister, who might or might not be alive at this very moment. She wants to earn some money ASAP and leave Hamish with the Mackenzie’s, as day by day it was becoming clear that he’d do very well in this clan. Hamish has already found some friends and has been taken in to be trained as a soldier when he grows up. Knox is kind to them. Yet no matter, Amelia decides she can’t confide in him. This is her battle, she’d fight it alone.
And this, for me, was also very frustrating. There was no doubt that Amelia was becoming more and more fascinated by Knox and I could only assume that he started having the same feeling. I loved some of these scenes where he’d, at first, surreptitiously, then boldly study Amelia, his eyes devouring her. But Knox wasn’t inclined to make any move. As a H, Knox solely gets 5+ stars from me. I was totally blown away in that scene on the boat house where he confesses to her about his celibacy, also the fact that he’s an inherent romantic. Unlike his brothers, Knox has never really been interested in meaningless dalliances. Sex is very important to him and he doesn’t take it lightly. He has worked hard in these past years to make the Mackenzies one of the most prosperous clans in the Highlands but he has needs too. And in the past two years, only Amelia made him want to take another chance on life. Knox had loved his wife, who was dainty and small. Amelia is a total opposite to her. It was becoming very much apparent that the ‘grumpy laird’ was finally ready to heed the advice of his brothers and move on.
As each chapter passed, my liking and respect for Knox grew but with each chapter, Amelia’s continued determination of not confiding in him about her past got to me. She knew Knox was honorable. At one point, I even thought she might not be the worthy heroine I’d envision for a serious yet devoted guy like him. But I guess, the ‘love bug’ does bite Amelia very soon; not very tough when the Laird turns out to be one sexy piece of a$$, his every kiss and fondle so intense that Amelia couldn’t think straight. I found it highly amusing, for once, that she’d be the one frustrated when Knox would stop and won’t take things any further. Amelia was like an eruption of volcano to Knox’s cool and calm river. More and more, she’d be the one who’d be mad at him for not having sex with her, and then she’d have doubts. Is he for real? Does he really want me? I genuinely started enjoying the story finding Amelia becoming jealous of Katriona or the thought of any other woman being interested in Knox. She was already beginning to think of him as hers. If only her circumstances were different!
I also was trying to see things from Amelia’s perspective. Her circumstances, indeed, have never been good, as she kept saying that she has, sort of, become wired to expect the worse at all times. And so, when the tablesa are turned on her and Amelia finds herself in love with Knox, and this beautiful clan, she decides that she can’t let the danger come to her man, or to his clan. To do this, she has to run away, possibly in the dark of the night so that no one knows. Because, it’s for sure that Fawkes’s men have been inquiring about her and Hamish. In between, Ailie becomes engaged to the Laird of Munro’s. Many of the clans come for a visit, to celebrate this occasion. Amelia meets up with Wilkie-Roses, Kade-Stella and their children, and she begins craving a family of her own even more. This time, Amelia hopes to return after rescuing Cecelia. Maybe someday, she can have that family with Knox.
At one point of the celebration, Knox asks Amelia to go to his room because he needed to talk to her in private. He was becoming increasingly frustrated that she’d not confide in him; bits and pieces, yes but not the entire story about her past. I’d say that he was a little hurt too, because Knox was more than halfway in love with this spitfire than he’d ever hoped of being with anyone. And he really, truly wanted to help. The information from the visiting clans had confirmed to him that the stories she told him at first were lies. He confronts her about everything, in hopes that she’d come clean this time. Though Amelia tries to evade his questions, she at last sees how futile this game of ‘hide and seek’ is becoming. For better or worse, he’s already involved and heaven forbid, she loves the kind of possessive streak he shows around her. It makes her feel cherished and protected. And so, Amelia starts confiding in Knox about what she’s been the last 10 years and this ‘danger’ aka Fawkes who’s been giving her nightmares. Also that Hamish is not her brother. She hopes that after hearing her sordid story, Knox wouldn’t push her away. This was another reason why she didn’t feel completely comfortable, as in, what if Knox hates her? But... but, Knox puts all her doubts to rest not only calmly listening to her, promising help but also, by making hasty love to her afterwards, if only to show her that nothing will ever come between them and their newfound, even if shaky, happiness.
On the next morning, a note arrives for Amelia with words written in codes. She immediately figures out it’s from Fawkes. He has finally found her out! The note says that her sister is languishing and her BIL has died, hanged after being caught with illegal goods. This spur things up for Amelia and she decides she’d just run. She doesn’t have any time to think further than reaching her sister ASAP, at all cost. When Knox asks her to go to her room and await his instruction, Amelia finds a way out to deftly escape from her room. I was beginning to become a little apprehensive, mainly for Kade cause I knew that he’d end up hurt again. What I didn’t expect was for Kade to catch-up with her in matter of hours. That was done so well, I was like ‘thank God’!
When Kade and Amelia are both wet from the watery ride (she was running away using a boat), they find shelter in a hidden cove and it’s sandy shores. I wasn’t sure of what was to come next but I should’ve. Kade tells Amelia, again, that he’s not letting her go so easily. That he’d take care of her and all her troubles cause he deems her as his, and he protects what’s his, so she should just let him. When Amelia tries to come up with a viable debate on this, things heat up. The shedding of wet clothes leads to other intense and hot activities and Kade, again discovers that the only way to keep Amelia out of her wits is to have hot sex with her. *wink* That part of the story was probably my most favorite and that sex scene, WOW, literally blew my mind. *fans herself* I begin seeing Kade in an all new way... Good God! Hello, Mr. Dreamy! *sigh*
After that, there was no question of Knox’s love for Amelia, who, for the first time, felt a sense of security so strong that she had to give in. The rescuing of her sister didn’t seem all that tough and unattainable when Knox’s Highland soldiers were there for her aid.
The epilogue was marvelous. It was fascinating to see the grumpy laird so happy, with his wife and the new arrival to the family- a little boy named Knox after his father. Definitely a big ‘awww’ moment for me! I was getting ready to finish the series, but then... er, what was that with Christie and that Mackintosh guy, Blake? That totally took me by surprise, talk about cliffhanger! I wouldn’t have thought our Christie........... Damn! Who are these Mackintosh peeps BTW? I don’t really remember them from the first two installments. Now, I’m not only intrigued about Blake but also his brother, Thane who appeared very briefly but caught my attention. I also wondered if there’d be a book for Ailie and her beau. Can’t wait find out! 4 stars.
This ARC was provided to me by Harlequin/HQN via netgalley which didn’t influence my review and rating in any way.
Must say, once again I enjoyed losing myself into Juliette Miller’s beautiful narratives. Since book 1 of the Clan Mackenzie series, I’ve been addicted to her writing. She created an enchanted and beautiful Medieval Highlands, occupied by burly, good-looking highlanders that only makes me wanna run there. lol I always say I find her writing excellent, however sometimes the story just doesn’t work for me.
Note that all three books are written from first person POV; the heroine of each story. Personally, first person POV doesn’t always interest me but somehow it worked for me in the Clan Mackenzie series.
I absolutely adored book 1, Highlander Claimed, which was the youngest of the Mackenzie brother, Wilkie’s story. He’s beautiful, happy-go-lucky and charming. And women have never been his problem. Wilkie hasn’t been in love though, until the day he rests his eyes on Roses who was running away from her adoptive (and abusive) clan and its obsessive laird. That guy was an a$$hole, can’t blame her. Stumbling into Mackenzie land on her way to a long-lost relative’s clan was the best thing that ever happened to Roses in ages. But having a glimpse of a wet Wilkie must’ve been the best thing that happened to her ever! And so it began, they fall in love at first sight. As the story unfolds, the crazy laird of Roses’s former clan comes to claim her but Wilkie will never give her up. He’s too deep in love with her, as she is with him. Though his immediate elder brother Kade is amused by his brother’s sudden ‘fall’, Knox, the Laird is not, as he knows Roses is not a lady of means but was a servant. He even makes sure Wilkie is engaged to a daughter of the Morrison’s because he can’t let Wilkie marry a servant! This was one of those instances that made me wanna kick Knox for not caring about Wilkie and Roses’s feelings. But things work out well in the end when Roses’s secret identity is revealed. She’s been searching for her parents and why she was adopted in that clan in the first place. Turns out, Roses is the secret daughter of King Alexander III and his mistress, the only woman he has ever loved. The King acknowledges his daughter and the rest is one big HEA for Wilkie and Roses.
I wasn’t fond of book 2, Highlander Taken, because there were some stuff that bugged me right from the beginning of the story. Stella, considered the most beautiful of the Morrison sisters, at that time was nurturing a broken heart, but of course, the clan’s goodwill came first. She had been brought to the Mackenzie clan to seek a match because they’re one of the most prosperous clans in the Highlands. Stella is all but bartered off like a chattel; at first with Wilkie, who was not only already in love with Roses, also had a ‘history’ with Stella’s more adventurous younger sister, Maisie. When Wilkie refuses to marry her, Kade steps in to honor the contract. But was that all? Was he just honoring a contract with the possibility of marrying a woman considered one of the most beautiful throughout the Highlands? But of course not. Kade has been crazy about Stella for a long time since he had a chance to see her on another occasion. Stella had no idea of course. This should’ve been a very intriguing setting, and I was very interested. Sadly, the story starts with narratives of Knox’s sexual conquests, the discussion of it and his kinky taste by Stella’s idiotic sisters and cousins on the day she was about to marry him. A thing that scared the sh!t outta Stella since she had no idea why anyone would want to bind a woman to bed? WHAT? Don’t ask but I kinda lost it there. There were some other things I didn’t like about that book, one has to be the sexual tension and the subsequent frustration; loads of teasing but not a lot of action. I won’t recap but I wasn’t amused by any of it. I was seriously disappointed because in book 1, the sexual tension was high and even though there weren’t many sex scenes, everything between Wilkie and Roses seemed perfectly proportioned to me.
I have to admit that I was a bit apprehensive about getting into Highlander Mine. But I wanted to read Knox’s story as a continuation of the series. Knox, the strict and devoted laird of Mackenzies, who is living a very strict life too. I also wondered if he’d be as passionate and intense as his other brothers. But my, my! Mr. Laird knocked me right off my socks... all in a very good way. He proved to be hotter than Wilkie and Kade combined. Damn!
The story starts from the h, Amelia’s POV, recounting her sad plight in life. She’s running away from an ‘enemy’ back in Edinburgh, her only companion her 9 yrs old nephew Hamish. We gradually get to know that she was the daughter of a doctor, who passed away without leaving them much. Their mother had already passed and Amelia’s elder sister, Cecelia had to marry the owner of a gambling den, James, who has not been a responsible guardian. Things started going downhill soon enough. They were in debt; Amelia suddenly had to drop off the educational institute where she was getting a noblewoman’s education, to work in the gambling tables. This came as a big blow to her. Then James got deep in the underworld and became a smuggler of illegal goods. But the appearance of the evil, a man named Sebastian Fawkes who bought the majority of the share of James’s gambling den, changed everything. Apparently, it started with his fascination and an express wish to own Amelia, who has strawberry blonde hair, fair complexion and a curvy body that has always attracted men. While working at the tables as a ‘cardshark’ (she’s an expert by now) Amelia been around men at the gambling tables. I kinda found it impossible to believe that she is still a virgin. She claimed to be innocent of any types of sexual practices. But she understood the lust in those men’s eyes and had no trouble understanding the ‘service’ Fawkes wants from her. It’s that or her family is ruined forever. But the threat on Hamish’s life tipped everything for Amelia, the nephew she has practically raised since his birth. One day, she just found no other way to fend off Fawkes’s advances. With her useless BIL away and on Cecelia’s pleading, Amelia had to run far away to save herself and Hamish.
Amelia is looking for a place to stay, maybe get a job, until she gets some news of Cecelia and James and whether she can go back and bring her sister to safety. While they’re at an inn, contemplating those few options, Knox’s sister Christie and Ailie stop by from a recent excursion. This is how they met... but, wait a min. We’re told that Hamish is a beautiful boy with her sister’s blonde hair and blue eyes. Apparently, he’s already aware of his ‘charms’! Hamish is not only very adept at making up stories and acting up (‘lying’ would probably be the exact word) but also an expert cardshark, even at that tender age!! He ‘convinces’ Ailie and Christie with a story of made-up robbery that they’re now destitute and in desperate need of shelter. The sisters are very sympathetic and instantly bring up Knox and that he should be informed of this new robbery. They also invite Amelia along, who is now Hamish’s ‘sister’, thanks to the boy’s story.
Amelia is very proud and continues to be biased towards Hamish, so at times it felt like she’s exaggerating his supposed accomplishments; as in how good he is in everything he does, down to the lying and cheating (yes, he’s an expert cheater at cards as well). This is something I had trouble swallowing. No matter how many times Amelia tried to validate this as a part of their survival process, I couldn’t just take it in. It all felt wrong, and every time Amelia would go ‘oh, I’m so proud of Hamish because he’s such an expert in making up stuff’, I wanted to smack her. First half of the story was kinda ruined for me not only for this reason but also because I was getting a little bored with her repetitive description of how beautiful Mackenzie lands are, how beautiful and manly its Laird is, about her own perils and how she’s going to go off in a few days to find her sister once she earns some money. Very little progression was made storywise.
So, Amelia found a place with the Mackenzie’s until further notice. She also meets Knox in a very... er, awkward fashion. It seemed to me that Amelia had her ‘bountiful curves’ hanging almost always out of her dress every time Knox was around, who’d be struck dumb at the display of... ummm, Amelia’s ‘charm’. But the fun, for me, was in the fact that Knox was known to be somewhat prudish. He definitely was celibate after the death of his wife in childbirth. Amelia was giving him a permanent boner, all.day.long. Can’t be good for any man’s health! Too bad, there was not a thing he could do about it but to keep acting as the gruff laird around her. *heehee*
Amelia also finds a teaching job for the children of one of the women of the clan. Now, for the love me, I couldn’t remember Katriona from the other installments or whatever happened to her husband. She’s a widow and had her eyes on Knox. Amelia’s presence and her somewhat shadowy past only made Katriona suspicious. She tried cooking up trouble for her more than once. Even Amelia knew the story Hamish told Knox and his family were very unrealistic and that Knox didn’t believe them. She was feeling guilty about not telling them the truth, the clan that has been so very kind to her. To Amelia, no emotion can do anything about her sister, who might or might not be alive at this very moment. She wants to earn some money ASAP and leave Hamish with the Mackenzie’s, as day by day it was becoming clear that he’d do very well in this clan. Hamish has already found some friends and has been taken in to be trained as a soldier when he grows up. Knox is kind to them. Yet no matter, Amelia decides she can’t confide in him. This is her battle, she’d fight it alone.
And this, for me, was also very frustrating. There was no doubt that Amelia was becoming more and more fascinated by Knox and I could only assume that he started having the same feeling. I loved some of these scenes where he’d, at first, surreptitiously, then boldly study Amelia, his eyes devouring her. But Knox wasn’t inclined to make any move. As a H, Knox solely gets 5+ stars from me. I was totally blown away in that scene on the boat house where he confesses to her about his celibacy, also the fact that he’s an inherent romantic. Unlike his brothers, Knox has never really been interested in meaningless dalliances. Sex is very important to him and he doesn’t take it lightly. He has worked hard in these past years to make the Mackenzies one of the most prosperous clans in the Highlands but he has needs too. And in the past two years, only Amelia made him want to take another chance on life. Knox had loved his wife, who was dainty and small. Amelia is a total opposite to her. It was becoming very much apparent that the ‘grumpy laird’ was finally ready to heed the advice of his brothers and move on.
As each chapter passed, my liking and respect for Knox grew but with each chapter, Amelia’s continued determination of not confiding in him about her past got to me. She knew Knox was honorable. At one point, I even thought she might not be the worthy heroine I’d envision for a serious yet devoted guy like him. But I guess, the ‘love bug’ does bite Amelia very soon; not very tough when the Laird turns out to be one sexy piece of a$$, his every kiss and fondle so intense that Amelia couldn’t think straight. I found it highly amusing, for once, that she’d be the one frustrated when Knox would stop and won’t take things any further. Amelia was like an eruption of volcano to Knox’s cool and calm river. More and more, she’d be the one who’d be mad at him for not having sex with her, and then she’d have doubts. Is he for real? Does he really want me? I genuinely started enjoying the story finding Amelia becoming jealous of Katriona or the thought of any other woman being interested in Knox. She was already beginning to think of him as hers. If only her circumstances were different!
I also was trying to see things from Amelia’s perspective. Her circumstances, indeed, have never been good, as she kept saying that she has, sort of, become wired to expect the worse at all times. And so, when the tablesa are turned on her and Amelia finds herself in love with Knox, and this beautiful clan, she decides that she can’t let the danger come to her man, or to his clan. To do this, she has to run away, possibly in the dark of the night so that no one knows. Because, it’s for sure that Fawkes’s men have been inquiring about her and Hamish. In between, Ailie becomes engaged to the Laird of Munro’s. Many of the clans come for a visit, to celebrate this occasion. Amelia meets up with Wilkie-Roses, Kade-Stella and their children, and she begins craving a family of her own even more. This time, Amelia hopes to return after rescuing Cecelia. Maybe someday, she can have that family with Knox.
At one point of the celebration, Knox asks Amelia to go to his room because he needed to talk to her in private. He was becoming increasingly frustrated that she’d not confide in him; bits and pieces, yes but not the entire story about her past. I’d say that he was a little hurt too, because Knox was more than halfway in love with this spitfire than he’d ever hoped of being with anyone. And he really, truly wanted to help. The information from the visiting clans had confirmed to him that the stories she told him at first were lies. He confronts her about everything, in hopes that she’d come clean this time. Though Amelia tries to evade his questions, she at last sees how futile this game of ‘hide and seek’ is becoming. For better or worse, he’s already involved and heaven forbid, she loves the kind of possessive streak he shows around her. It makes her feel cherished and protected. And so, Amelia starts confiding in Knox about what she’s been the last 10 years and this ‘danger’ aka Fawkes who’s been giving her nightmares. Also that Hamish is not her brother. She hopes that after hearing her sordid story, Knox wouldn’t push her away. This was another reason why she didn’t feel completely comfortable, as in, what if Knox hates her? But... but, Knox puts all her doubts to rest not only calmly listening to her, promising help but also, by making hasty love to her afterwards, if only to show her that nothing will ever come between them and their newfound, even if shaky, happiness.
On the next morning, a note arrives for Amelia with words written in codes. She immediately figures out it’s from Fawkes. He has finally found her out! The note says that her sister is languishing and her BIL has died, hanged after being caught with illegal goods. This spur things up for Amelia and she decides she’d just run. She doesn’t have any time to think further than reaching her sister ASAP, at all cost. When Knox asks her to go to her room and await his instruction, Amelia finds a way out to deftly escape from her room. I was beginning to become a little apprehensive, mainly for Kade cause I knew that he’d end up hurt again. What I didn’t expect was for Kade to catch-up with her in matter of hours. That was done so well, I was like ‘thank God’!
When Kade and Amelia are both wet from the watery ride (she was running away using a boat), they find shelter in a hidden cove and it’s sandy shores. I wasn’t sure of what was to come next but I should’ve. Kade tells Amelia, again, that he’s not letting her go so easily. That he’d take care of her and all her troubles cause he deems her as his, and he protects what’s his, so she should just let him. When Amelia tries to come up with a viable debate on this, things heat up. The shedding of wet clothes leads to other intense and hot activities and Kade, again discovers that the only way to keep Amelia out of her wits is to have hot sex with her. *wink* That part of the story was probably my most favorite and that sex scene, WOW, literally blew my mind. *fans herself* I begin seeing Kade in an all new way... Good God! Hello, Mr. Dreamy! *sigh*
After that, there was no question of Knox’s love for Amelia, who, for the first time, felt a sense of security so strong that she had to give in. The rescuing of her sister didn’t seem all that tough and unattainable when Knox’s Highland soldiers were there for her aid.
The epilogue was marvelous. It was fascinating to see the grumpy laird so happy, with his wife and the new arrival to the family- a little boy named Knox after his father. Definitely a big ‘awww’ moment for me! I was getting ready to finish the series, but then... er, what was that with Christie and that Mackintosh guy, Blake? That totally took me by surprise, talk about cliffhanger! I wouldn’t have thought our Christie........... Damn! Who are these Mackintosh peeps BTW? I don’t really remember them from the first two installments. Now, I’m not only intrigued about Blake but also his brother, Thane who appeared very briefly but caught my attention. I also wondered if there’d be a book for Ailie and her beau. Can’t wait find out! 4 stars.
This ARC was provided to me by Harlequin/HQN via netgalley which didn’t influence my review and rating in any way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2022
This was a fun, a flirty story with likeable characters. Loved Amelia's determination and how she went to the lengths she went to protect her nephew and her family. Loved how she was with her nephew, they truly seemed to be friends as well as family and the tales they told oh my...
The laird and his family were fair and just, and we liked the little games he played with Amelia, even knowing she wasn't telling the whole truth in those situations, just brought a smile to our face.
This was a cute read to pass the time, but, something was just missing from it. I liked the characters well enough, just didn't fall in love with any of them, the nephew stole the spotlight really instead of the main characters. I liked Laird Knox and Amelia as a couple but, we just never felt the chemistry between them and that was a shame because they were perfect for one another in every way. Amelia is far from a simpering miss and capable of holding her own with her alpha male laird and the perfect first lady someone capable of ruling beside him someone and someone not a hindrance but, a blessing.
3.5 stars from us
The laird and his family were fair and just, and we liked the little games he played with Amelia, even knowing she wasn't telling the whole truth in those situations, just brought a smile to our face.
This was a cute read to pass the time, but, something was just missing from it. I liked the characters well enough, just didn't fall in love with any of them, the nephew stole the spotlight really instead of the main characters. I liked Laird Knox and Amelia as a couple but, we just never felt the chemistry between them and that was a shame because they were perfect for one another in every way. Amelia is far from a simpering miss and capable of holding her own with her alpha male laird and the perfect first lady someone capable of ruling beside him someone and someone not a hindrance but, a blessing.
3.5 stars from us
December 6, 2013
My Rating: 3.5/5
A wonderful romance read, Highlander Mine was a lovely highlander romance. It wasn't perfect, but I still really enjoyed reading it. I believe this is the last book in the Clan Mackenzie series, and it was a great conclusion.
Amelia was a strong heroine. She's been through a lot, but she dealt with everything life through at her and still survived. She was extremely dedicated to her family and her loved ones, and she would do anything to protect them. My one problem with her is that she was often contrary just for the sake of being contrary. She even said it straight out. I thought it was more annoying than endearing, so that frustrated me. But, overall, I liked her.
Knox was very sweet. I loved that he was such a romantic and that he believed sex should only be making love. He had a wife who died two years prior, and he had stayed faithful to her since. I thought that was very sweet and rare in romance heroes. He was such a romantic, too. He certainly knew how to woo a lady. I thought he was just adorable.
The romance was okay. I wasn't really feeling it. I didn't feel the process of them falling in love. They just suddenly were in love with each other. At that point, I didn't feel like they even knew each other enough to love each other since they had only spoken a couple of times and both times it was short and mostly them throwing innuendos at each other. Later on, it started working more and I saw the sweetness. On the other hand, the chemistry was there from moment they met. It was hot and led to some very steamy moments ;)
Hamish was Amelia's nephew and I wanted to mention him because he played a big role. He was really cute. But, he seemed to act beyond his years (9 years old). He often spoke and acted in a ways that didn't fit his age, so that threw me off because it seemed unrealistic. But, overall, I thought he was a cutie.
The plot was fast paced. I was kept interested the entire way through. There were a few thrills along the way as Amelia struggled to deal with the danger to her family. I enjoyed the story and the ending was lovely.
Highlander Mine was a wonderful historical romance read. I really enjoyed reading it. Lovers of romance, this is a book you'll want to give a look.
*I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Quotes:
"You're too important," he said. "Too beautiful. I can't lose you. I love you, lass, I love you. With everything I have. All of me. Everything. I love you as I love sunlight and air. You are happiness incarnate. My new lifeblood. I can't breath when I can't see you."-Knox.
A wonderful romance read, Highlander Mine was a lovely highlander romance. It wasn't perfect, but I still really enjoyed reading it. I believe this is the last book in the Clan Mackenzie series, and it was a great conclusion.
Amelia was a strong heroine. She's been through a lot, but she dealt with everything life through at her and still survived. She was extremely dedicated to her family and her loved ones, and she would do anything to protect them. My one problem with her is that she was often contrary just for the sake of being contrary. She even said it straight out. I thought it was more annoying than endearing, so that frustrated me. But, overall, I liked her.
Knox was very sweet. I loved that he was such a romantic and that he believed sex should only be making love. He had a wife who died two years prior, and he had stayed faithful to her since. I thought that was very sweet and rare in romance heroes. He was such a romantic, too. He certainly knew how to woo a lady. I thought he was just adorable.
The romance was okay. I wasn't really feeling it. I didn't feel the process of them falling in love. They just suddenly were in love with each other. At that point, I didn't feel like they even knew each other enough to love each other since they had only spoken a couple of times and both times it was short and mostly them throwing innuendos at each other. Later on, it started working more and I saw the sweetness. On the other hand, the chemistry was there from moment they met. It was hot and led to some very steamy moments ;)
Hamish was Amelia's nephew and I wanted to mention him because he played a big role. He was really cute. But, he seemed to act beyond his years (9 years old). He often spoke and acted in a ways that didn't fit his age, so that threw me off because it seemed unrealistic. But, overall, I thought he was a cutie.
The plot was fast paced. I was kept interested the entire way through. There were a few thrills along the way as Amelia struggled to deal with the danger to her family. I enjoyed the story and the ending was lovely.
Highlander Mine was a wonderful historical romance read. I really enjoyed reading it. Lovers of romance, this is a book you'll want to give a look.
*I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Quotes:
"You're too important," he said. "Too beautiful. I can't lose you. I love you, lass, I love you. With everything I have. All of me. Everything. I love you as I love sunlight and air. You are happiness incarnate. My new lifeblood. I can't breath when I can't see you."-Knox.
January 28, 2014
Wilful beauty meets taciturn Laird!
Wow! Highlander Mine certainly sustains an interesting and occasionally steamy storyline. Enough of both to more than satisfy those hooked on the highlander historical romance genre.
Fleeing from Edinburgh to the Highlands pursued by a dissolute and dangerous villain ('a lawless and malevolent beast'), Amelia (Ami) and her nephew Hamish cozen their way into a powerful Highland Laird's keep.
The Laird, Knox MacKenzie is a veritable Adonis, at once a paragon and yet decidedly human.
Amelia is half angle, half devil and doing all she can to protect her family. She exhibits a fiery nature, coupled with an unknowing attractiveness that marks her as a challenging burden for The MacKenzie.
Witty humour runs through Ami's and MacKenzie's interchanges adding to the enjoyment of the moment. I laughed when MacKenzie said to Ami,
"Your fiery spark and your lively beauty surpass anything I might ever have imagined."
To which Ami snaps back, opening her mouth before she thinks,
'"My beauty is nothing compared to yours," I hear myself say.'
The unfettered innocence of this woman he's just met telling this stalwart highland warrior lord that he is beautiful is brilliant.
Hamish is a charming child. Given his upbringing it's a wonder that he retains his child-like trust and innocence. He provides many of the pivotal moments throughout the storyline and is the impetuous for directions that Ami might take.
Interactions with MacKenzie and others of the castle community are amusing at times, poignant at others, and always contrasting the darkness of the life Amelia and Hamish have fled.
The comparison between the dangerous underbelly of Edinburgh's gaming houses and the pristine beauty and encompassing sanctuary of this highland community is at first striking in a 'noble savage' way. We are dazzled by the comparisons through Ami and Hamish's eyes. Yet as Miller points out through Knox and Amelia's interactions there are threats inherent in the holding of the highlands necessitating clan armed forces. In this, the city and the highlands are not so very different. The dangers are universal.
An 'verra' enjoyable read! 'A pure like it!' (I really like it!)
A NetGalley ARC
Wow! Highlander Mine certainly sustains an interesting and occasionally steamy storyline. Enough of both to more than satisfy those hooked on the highlander historical romance genre.
Fleeing from Edinburgh to the Highlands pursued by a dissolute and dangerous villain ('a lawless and malevolent beast'), Amelia (Ami) and her nephew Hamish cozen their way into a powerful Highland Laird's keep.
The Laird, Knox MacKenzie is a veritable Adonis, at once a paragon and yet decidedly human.
Amelia is half angle, half devil and doing all she can to protect her family. She exhibits a fiery nature, coupled with an unknowing attractiveness that marks her as a challenging burden for The MacKenzie.
Witty humour runs through Ami's and MacKenzie's interchanges adding to the enjoyment of the moment. I laughed when MacKenzie said to Ami,
"Your fiery spark and your lively beauty surpass anything I might ever have imagined."
To which Ami snaps back, opening her mouth before she thinks,
'"My beauty is nothing compared to yours," I hear myself say.'
The unfettered innocence of this woman he's just met telling this stalwart highland warrior lord that he is beautiful is brilliant.
Hamish is a charming child. Given his upbringing it's a wonder that he retains his child-like trust and innocence. He provides many of the pivotal moments throughout the storyline and is the impetuous for directions that Ami might take.
Interactions with MacKenzie and others of the castle community are amusing at times, poignant at others, and always contrasting the darkness of the life Amelia and Hamish have fled.
The comparison between the dangerous underbelly of Edinburgh's gaming houses and the pristine beauty and encompassing sanctuary of this highland community is at first striking in a 'noble savage' way. We are dazzled by the comparisons through Ami and Hamish's eyes. Yet as Miller points out through Knox and Amelia's interactions there are threats inherent in the holding of the highlands necessitating clan armed forces. In this, the city and the highlands are not so very different. The dangers are universal.
An 'verra' enjoyable read! 'A pure like it!' (I really like it!)
A NetGalley ARC
January 27, 2014
Oh Lairdy!
Another wonderful Highlander tale and a fantastic close to the Clan Mackenzie trilogy. Although the first-person narrative doesn't work for all romance readers, I, personally, am a big fan of this style. I love to be in the shoes of the heroine, while the hero remains more of a mystery. I find myself much more immersed in books using this perspective. And Highlander Mine was no exception.
This time, of course, it's time for Laird Knox Mackenzie to meet his match. Although Highlander Mine reads perfectly well as a standalone, followers of the series will have been waiting patiently to see this stoic, stalwart man finally get his edges ruffled. And who better to do that than the barely respectable Amelia, fresh from her escape from life in the seedy gaming halls of Edinburgh. However, Knox has got some pretty solid walls up since the tragic loss of his first wife in childbirth. Does Amelia have what it takes to break through?
What I especially loved about these two was how vulnerable and hopeful they were. They've both been through so much and are naturally hesitant. Of course, Amelia's hesitancy comes more from the fact that she's lying through her teeth about almost everything. Except, perhaps, for how she feels about Knox. The question is: when Knox finds out about her deception, will the fragile bond they've formed be strong enough to withstand the fallout?
C'mon, now. What do you think?
I think five stars, that's what I think.
5 Stars ★★★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Another wonderful Highlander tale and a fantastic close to the Clan Mackenzie trilogy. Although the first-person narrative doesn't work for all romance readers, I, personally, am a big fan of this style. I love to be in the shoes of the heroine, while the hero remains more of a mystery. I find myself much more immersed in books using this perspective. And Highlander Mine was no exception.
This time, of course, it's time for Laird Knox Mackenzie to meet his match. Although Highlander Mine reads perfectly well as a standalone, followers of the series will have been waiting patiently to see this stoic, stalwart man finally get his edges ruffled. And who better to do that than the barely respectable Amelia, fresh from her escape from life in the seedy gaming halls of Edinburgh. However, Knox has got some pretty solid walls up since the tragic loss of his first wife in childbirth. Does Amelia have what it takes to break through?
What I especially loved about these two was how vulnerable and hopeful they were. They've both been through so much and are naturally hesitant. Of course, Amelia's hesitancy comes more from the fact that she's lying through her teeth about almost everything. Except, perhaps, for how she feels about Knox. The question is: when Knox finds out about her deception, will the fragile bond they've formed be strong enough to withstand the fallout?
C'mon, now. What do you think?
I think five stars, that's what I think.
5 Stars ★★★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
February 4, 2014
***Slight Details***
3.5
I had a little trouble liking HIGHLANDER MINE. It felt like it moved really slowly and the romance was superficial.
Amelia Taylor is on the run with her nephew, Hamish, from a controlling man who wishes to force his power on Amelia after her continuous refusals. Leaving her sister behind, Amelia vows to come back when she can.
She finds herself and Hamish taken to Laird Knox Mackenzie over her story of ‘bandits’ attacking them.
And this is where to story stalls. So much time is spent on Amelia at clan Mackenzie, but I’m sure of the point behind it. I enjoyed the spark between her and Knox, but not much time was spent with these two together. The love was instant, but it was more emotional than physical.
Amelia finds her place at the keep by teaching, but multiple slips gives Knox a slow forming picture of just what she’s running from.
I loved their nights together as they finally expressed their love and how open they were about their feelings. (Of course this late in the book, they really didn’t have a chance to deny them.)
Amelia's escape attempt is foiled when Knox follows her after deciphering the message sent to her. This is the most important moment between them as all the walls finally come down. Knox wants her as his wife and Amelia finally trust in his ability to help her.
The rescuing of her sister is quick and flawless.
A year later, their son is a blessing, their family has gathered and many more babies are on the way.
3.5
I had a little trouble liking HIGHLANDER MINE. It felt like it moved really slowly and the romance was superficial.
Amelia Taylor is on the run with her nephew, Hamish, from a controlling man who wishes to force his power on Amelia after her continuous refusals. Leaving her sister behind, Amelia vows to come back when she can.
She finds herself and Hamish taken to Laird Knox Mackenzie over her story of ‘bandits’ attacking them.
And this is where to story stalls. So much time is spent on Amelia at clan Mackenzie, but I’m sure of the point behind it. I enjoyed the spark between her and Knox, but not much time was spent with these two together. The love was instant, but it was more emotional than physical.
Amelia finds her place at the keep by teaching, but multiple slips gives Knox a slow forming picture of just what she’s running from.
I loved their nights together as they finally expressed their love and how open they were about their feelings. (Of course this late in the book, they really didn’t have a chance to deny them.)
Amelia's escape attempt is foiled when Knox follows her after deciphering the message sent to her. This is the most important moment between them as all the walls finally come down. Knox wants her as his wife and Amelia finally trust in his ability to help her.
The rescuing of her sister is quick and flawless.
A year later, their son is a blessing, their family has gathered and many more babies are on the way.
February 19, 2014
I had been waiting to read Knox's story since I picked up the first book. I really loved it. Amelia was a great character, loved her spirit. I loved Knox more however. I love when the male character is stern and serious and we get to see that crumble when the right lass comes along. I thought it was the sexiest out of the three books, with the apple and the boathouse and the hay scene. I did think that the amount of time devouted to the plot of finding the sister was not enough. I remember looking at how many pages I had left and thinking that they hadn't touched on it besides Amelia knowing she had to leave.I would have like to see Knox in action especially since he was such a physical specimen of a man.The first person narrative is so interesting to read. When I read the first book, i thought it was a little too intense especially since the main character didn't speak that much and because there bond was so intense. Highlander Taken and this book were just intense enough for me.I recommend this author, and I look forward to reading other work by her.
November 14, 2017
I enjoyed this the most out of this series...
This was HOT... a lot of teasing... Innuendoes and playful banter...
I liked Amelia, she was willful and fiery... and definitely more stubborn than the past two heroines...
though i didn't always agree with some of her decisions, i felt for her internal struggles...
I just mostly enjoyed how she completely unraveled the ever uptight Knox Mackenzie, and how she challenges him and holds her own....
Laird Knox Mackenzie, past his brooding and princely exterior is an extremely romantic man at heart... he's just so adorable...
Reading about these Highland warriors makes me want to time travel ala-Doctor Who to the Scottish highlands and find me some kilt wearing rouge!...:D
This was HOT... a lot of teasing... Innuendoes and playful banter...
I liked Amelia, she was willful and fiery... and definitely more stubborn than the past two heroines...
though i didn't always agree with some of her decisions, i felt for her internal struggles...
I just mostly enjoyed how she completely unraveled the ever uptight Knox Mackenzie, and how she challenges him and holds her own....
Laird Knox Mackenzie, past his brooding and princely exterior is an extremely romantic man at heart... he's just so adorable...
Reading about these Highland warriors makes me want to time travel ala-Doctor Who to the Scottish highlands and find me some kilt wearing rouge!...:D
December 30, 2015
This is book three in the series "Clan Mackenzie". This book like the other two did not disappoint! I am so crazy about this series! But don't worry if you are reading these books out of order as they are stand alone books!. Our heroine is Amelia Taylor who has been having to survive by her wit and spirit. Amelia is a strong women who is a you would think very independent. Amelia flees to the Highland where she meets our hero, Laird Knox Mackenzie. Knox has been a widow and true to his previous wife. Once meeting Amelia, Knox finds that he can't find his growing feeling. This starts the beginning of another great love story. I hope that you enjoy this book too!
March 28, 2014
I loved all three books in this series so much, I literally devoured them over a holiday. The Mackenzie's are a magical family with great characters that totally transported me to another land. I truly hope Christie's story is next. Thanks for reinspiring my love of historicals with this wonderful family!
September 7, 2021
Laird Knox Mackenzie has been alone since his wife and newborn son died two years ago. He doesn’t know what to think of the woman and boy that his sisters have brought home. Amelia Taylor told of masked robbers attacking and stealing their carriage after killing the coachman. Knox has not heard of any highwaymen in the area and finally gets Amelia to admit the story was false. She told him the boy was her nephew and they had to flee Edinburgh but did not tell him the whole story. A gang leader named Sebastian Fawkes wants her as his and Amelia fled to the Highlands to hide but now he has her sister and Amelia has to save her.
Knox and Amelia fell for each other fast. Everytime she tried to sneak off, he would always find her. She had to return to Edinburgh to save her sister and stole a boat but he was right behind her. Why didn't she tell him the whole truth? Didn't she trust him? His army was right behind them and they would save Cecelia and kill Fawkes.
Of the three books in the series, I thought the second was the best.
Knox and Amelia fell for each other fast. Everytime she tried to sneak off, he would always find her. She had to return to Edinburgh to save her sister and stole a boat but he was right behind her. Why didn't she tell him the whole truth? Didn't she trust him? His army was right behind them and they would save Cecelia and kill Fawkes.
Of the three books in the series, I thought the second was the best.
February 7, 2020
I was so excited reading in the beinging of the book. I was totally into it, the adventure of Amelia and Hamish's. I liked that Lachlan humor Hamish and showed him his sword. 🗡️
But then,.... A singular narrative.
I do enjoyed this read. I would give 5 stars. If I'd just have glimpse of other characters thoughts.
Because to me, Amelia had no rights to assume what they thinks or feels. All she would was be able to is read their emotions.
Ah ..
So glad Knox is finally happy and have found a wife that suited him.
I can’t breathe when I can’t see you. You are milk and honey and innocence and lust. You are agony and pure, pure ecstasy. I want you. I love you.
Knox♥️Amelia 😍
PS in the epilogue, about Christe and Blake...((gasp)) I was surprised! I didn't expect that!!
But then,.... A singular narrative.
I do enjoyed this read. I would give 5 stars. If I'd just have glimpse of other characters thoughts.
Because to me, Amelia had no rights to assume what they thinks or feels. All she would was be able to is read their emotions.
Ah ..
So glad Knox is finally happy and have found a wife that suited him.
I can’t breathe when I can’t see you. You are milk and honey and innocence and lust. You are agony and pure, pure ecstasy. I want you. I love you.
Knox♥️Amelia 😍
PS in the epilogue, about Christe and Blake...((gasp)) I was surprised! I didn't expect that!!
August 18, 2019
The story concept was interesting, obviously otherwise I wouldn't have read it, but otherwise the book was simply ok. The whole suspension of disbelief(I believe that's what its called) wasn't there for me. I'm sorry but not everyone can be gorgeous and perfect. Most of the characters seemed to be described in such a way. It was looking at women's fitness or GQ magazines. Its just not believable. And for a clever character the main character had a lot of not clever moments. Seems counterintuitive to me. I read to see how it would end and even that was a bit anti climactic.
I am glad that others enjoyed this book. I on the other hand was not thrilled by it.
I am glad that others enjoyed this book. I on the other hand was not thrilled by it.
November 30, 2020
A wonderful ending to the brothers stories, now I'm hoping for books for the sisters. If you are looking for a fun highlander read, this series hits the spot.
February 22, 2024
Good story
A bit too much duplicating exposition for me. I found myself skipping over it as I read onward. But the story is filled with romance, angst, and passion.
A bit too much duplicating exposition for me. I found myself skipping over it as I read onward. But the story is filled with romance, angst, and passion.
October 25, 2018
Awesome good fun
So enjoyable this last book. Well written and witty dialogue. I’d read all 3 books again. If you like highland clan stories, you’ll like this one.
So enjoyable this last book. Well written and witty dialogue. I’d read all 3 books again. If you like highland clan stories, you’ll like this one.
February 2, 2014
Yay! It's finally Laird Knox MacKenzie's story!!! I have been intrigued with Knox since he was introduced in "Highlander Taken." As laird of the vastly, prodigious, and wealthy Kinloch Keep, he is a master of his universe with a steady, intense authority, and influence among other leaders in the highlands. Laird Knox is appealing because he is the ultimate, brooding, eligible bachelor that any lass would love to get her hands on. His heart has been broken by the loss of his wife, as she and his son died in childbirth.
The laird is playfully referred to as the "laird of laird's" by Amelia Taylor the beautiful, voluptuous, and intelligent woman who captured Knox's attention at first sight. Amelia and her 9-year old "brother" Hamish find themselves in a fortress of protection from the trouble they fled in Edinburgh. Yet, despite Knox's evident and immediate attraction for Amelia (and she for him), he can't help but feel suspicious that she withholds more than the truth of her story from him. The conflict of maintaining his princely manner while uncovering Amelia's secrets becomes the lure that reopens his heart and releases his past wounds. And for Amelia, a gorgeous, strong, independent woman…well, she's met her match in this breathtaking man. She finally learns to release the weight of her choking responsibility, and realizes that she needs his help, and Knox is more than capable to be her hero.
In this story there are secrets to uncover, trust to be gained, an injustice to address, a sister to save, a sinister gaming lord to best, and an unfolding love to get lost in. I adored the crackling, hot chemistry between Knox and Amelia. The love scenes are some of the most beautiful, tender you will read/listen to….very intimate, very passionate (sometimes playful and sometimes intense). I also loved how romantic Knox was as Amelia's lover.
The epilogue was just amazing. As a gift, Miller allows us into the lives of the other MackEnzie brothers and the ladies who have captured their heart. Oh, I just loved the epilogue!!! And, there was a surprise that will surely lead into a 4th book!!! Yay! (BTW, Audible---please put the first book on audio…I'm dying to listen it!!).
Narrator: I really missed the texture, and beautiful voice of Gemma Johansson as she narrated the previous book. Even though Carolyn Bonnyman has a lovely, crisp voice, I had to get used to her breathing and pace. She was good though.
Wishlist: I have been waiting for the release of this book, and because I adore the MacKenzie's, and really like the author, this is why I did not give up on this book, because I nearly did. The internal monologue of the heroine, as the story is told through her POV, was excessive and in need of heavy editing. Many times, it felt as though the characters stayed motionless as she got lost in her thoughts. I couldn't help but feel like Amelia was a little ADD because of her long, extensive day dreams as she contemplated a stream of thoughts during her moments with Knox, and others. I'm hoping this problem will be caught by the 4th book. So, I'm really looking forward to Christy and Blake's story!!!--It has to be swoon-worthy!!!
The laird is playfully referred to as the "laird of laird's" by Amelia Taylor the beautiful, voluptuous, and intelligent woman who captured Knox's attention at first sight. Amelia and her 9-year old "brother" Hamish find themselves in a fortress of protection from the trouble they fled in Edinburgh. Yet, despite Knox's evident and immediate attraction for Amelia (and she for him), he can't help but feel suspicious that she withholds more than the truth of her story from him. The conflict of maintaining his princely manner while uncovering Amelia's secrets becomes the lure that reopens his heart and releases his past wounds. And for Amelia, a gorgeous, strong, independent woman…well, she's met her match in this breathtaking man. She finally learns to release the weight of her choking responsibility, and realizes that she needs his help, and Knox is more than capable to be her hero.
In this story there are secrets to uncover, trust to be gained, an injustice to address, a sister to save, a sinister gaming lord to best, and an unfolding love to get lost in. I adored the crackling, hot chemistry between Knox and Amelia. The love scenes are some of the most beautiful, tender you will read/listen to….very intimate, very passionate (sometimes playful and sometimes intense). I also loved how romantic Knox was as Amelia's lover.
The epilogue was just amazing. As a gift, Miller allows us into the lives of the other MackEnzie brothers and the ladies who have captured their heart. Oh, I just loved the epilogue!!! And, there was a surprise that will surely lead into a 4th book!!! Yay! (BTW, Audible---please put the first book on audio…I'm dying to listen it!!).
Narrator: I really missed the texture, and beautiful voice of Gemma Johansson as she narrated the previous book. Even though Carolyn Bonnyman has a lovely, crisp voice, I had to get used to her breathing and pace. She was good though.
Wishlist: I have been waiting for the release of this book, and because I adore the MacKenzie's, and really like the author, this is why I did not give up on this book, because I nearly did. The internal monologue of the heroine, as the story is told through her POV, was excessive and in need of heavy editing. Many times, it felt as though the characters stayed motionless as she got lost in her thoughts. I couldn't help but feel like Amelia was a little ADD because of her long, extensive day dreams as she contemplated a stream of thoughts during her moments with Knox, and others. I'm hoping this problem will be caught by the 4th book. So, I'm really looking forward to Christy and Blake's story!!!--It has to be swoon-worthy!!!
March 7, 2017
Classic genre romance. A veritable cornucopia of gushing adjectives and riveting adverbs. Holy cow. Highly entertaining.
January 15, 2014
Originally Reviewed For: Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and Fantasy
Highlander Mine by Juliette Miller is a story about fighting for what you believe in and accepting that yes dreams can come true. But it's not an easy story because yes, fighting is hard.
Amelia Taylor was born a physicians daughter but raised as a gambler's assistant. After her father's death, Amelia went to live with her sister and her husband, a supposedly legitimate business man. Seriously, he ran a gambling house and yes he was a crook. Over time even the semblance of respectability was gone and Amelia was one of the best dealers around. She could, charm and cheat with the best of them. But when an underworld boss takes a serious want to her and gives her a choice.. become his or her nephew dies.. Amelia chooses option C, take her nephew and run! As fast and as far as they can get. Stranded in the Highlands, they are welcomed into a local clan where Amelia can't help but fall in love with the widowed Laird.
Laird Knox Mackenzie makes the right choices, ALWAYS.. he has even been celibate since the death of his wife two years previously. His family and clan come first!! But when the mysterious Amelia shows up on his doorstep with a whale of a story, Knox can't help but begin to fall for her. She is lively and charming with a quick wit and an even quicker mind. All she seems to want is a chance to rest before moving on. But somehow Knox knows there is way more to her story.
A fun read, I wouldn't call this a stellar 5 star book, rather a simple journey Knox and Amelia's romance. They are likable enough, although for an innocent maid and a moral celibate highlander they certainly fell into sensual situations fast enough. That rather distracted me from the story, there was enough going on and I felt that they could have had a lot more lingering glances and sensual thoughts before walking that path.
An always distracting fact for me is when a book is written in first person. I do not really enjoy that particular POV and tend to get, well distracted, unless the story is extremely powerful. Highlander Mine was a fun story with likable characters but did not have the power to hold a First Person POV, IMHO. But it wasn't a bad book or even a bad story it was just well, good.
Shauni
This review is based on the ARC of Highlander Mine, provided by netgalley and is scheduled to be released on January 28, 2014
Highlander Mine by Juliette Miller is a story about fighting for what you believe in and accepting that yes dreams can come true. But it's not an easy story because yes, fighting is hard.
Amelia Taylor was born a physicians daughter but raised as a gambler's assistant. After her father's death, Amelia went to live with her sister and her husband, a supposedly legitimate business man. Seriously, he ran a gambling house and yes he was a crook. Over time even the semblance of respectability was gone and Amelia was one of the best dealers around. She could, charm and cheat with the best of them. But when an underworld boss takes a serious want to her and gives her a choice.. become his or her nephew dies.. Amelia chooses option C, take her nephew and run! As fast and as far as they can get. Stranded in the Highlands, they are welcomed into a local clan where Amelia can't help but fall in love with the widowed Laird.
Laird Knox Mackenzie makes the right choices, ALWAYS.. he has even been celibate since the death of his wife two years previously. His family and clan come first!! But when the mysterious Amelia shows up on his doorstep with a whale of a story, Knox can't help but begin to fall for her. She is lively and charming with a quick wit and an even quicker mind. All she seems to want is a chance to rest before moving on. But somehow Knox knows there is way more to her story.
A fun read, I wouldn't call this a stellar 5 star book, rather a simple journey Knox and Amelia's romance. They are likable enough, although for an innocent maid and a moral celibate highlander they certainly fell into sensual situations fast enough. That rather distracted me from the story, there was enough going on and I felt that they could have had a lot more lingering glances and sensual thoughts before walking that path.
An always distracting fact for me is when a book is written in first person. I do not really enjoy that particular POV and tend to get, well distracted, unless the story is extremely powerful. Highlander Mine was a fun story with likable characters but did not have the power to hold a First Person POV, IMHO. But it wasn't a bad book or even a bad story it was just well, good.
Shauni
This review is based on the ARC of Highlander Mine, provided by netgalley and is scheduled to be released on January 28, 2014
April 4, 2014
If anything i would say 1 1/2.
Don't get me wrong the story was adorable and quite nice, just when i thought i was going to be predictable there was always some little twist that didn't make this into the usual clique.
But oh my god, the descriptions are what really killed me. I would have been happy if this was 50 pages sorter. Maybe I've just become jaded but seriously when it gets to one of Amelia's "moments" where she's caught in endlessly describing Knox, you could skip two pages and still know what's going on.
In all seriousness though i was really looking forward to reading a new author, the summary on the back was truly captivating and really caught my eye. And as well as Hamish, god that little bugger was adorable! ><
But while i was reading i think i wouldn't have minded all the dialogue and endless description so much if maybe there was a little POV from Knox. I mean I understand that he's beautiful and is just oozing sex, but i really didn't need 200 pages to tell me that. But like I was saying maybe after some of Amelia's thoughts it would have been nice to see how captivated he was with Amelia ... and i don't just mean with her breast. It would have been nice to have been treated into his thoughts a little bit.
Though maybe it was a little of my problem because i read this one before i read the others. Though after Amelia i'm a little afraid to to go back though i know it would be a good idea to get the whole story about the family. Because after that ending i really want to see what happens to Christie!!!! ><
Don't get me wrong the story was adorable and quite nice, just when i thought i was going to be predictable there was always some little twist that didn't make this into the usual clique.
But oh my god, the descriptions are what really killed me. I would have been happy if this was 50 pages sorter. Maybe I've just become jaded but seriously when it gets to one of Amelia's "moments" where she's caught in endlessly describing Knox, you could skip two pages and still know what's going on.
In all seriousness though i was really looking forward to reading a new author, the summary on the back was truly captivating and really caught my eye. And as well as Hamish, god that little bugger was adorable! ><
But while i was reading i think i wouldn't have minded all the dialogue and endless description so much if maybe there was a little POV from Knox. I mean I understand that he's beautiful and is just oozing sex, but i really didn't need 200 pages to tell me that. But like I was saying maybe after some of Amelia's thoughts it would have been nice to see how captivated he was with Amelia ... and i don't just mean with her breast. It would have been nice to have been treated into his thoughts a little bit.
Though maybe it was a little of my problem because i read this one before i read the others. Though after Amelia i'm a little afraid to to go back though i know it would be a good idea to get the whole story about the family. Because after that ending i really want to see what happens to Christie!!!! ><
February 18, 2014
3 1/2 stars
I love how Amelia practically "fell" into Knox's life with their first meeting. She is on the run with her nephew and both are holding secrets. A notorious ganglord is after her and is using her sister to get her to return to Edinburgh. Knox knows she is withholding something and continues to try to find out just what Amelia is running from.
Amelia wants desperately to trust but feels that in order to protect those she loves she can't put her trust in anyone other than herself. I love the banter which had me laughing many times through the story. Knox is Laird and as such expects everyone to obey his every command then along comes Amelia who does exactly as she pleases. At Kinloch she finds a home for her and Hamish and they're living their dreams. Amelia knows she has to do something to save her sister and in doing so it involves her leaving Hamish with Knox and returning on her own which may very well bring everything they have down around them. The passion Knox and Amelia share runs soul deep and forever changes each of them and once she learns to let go and put her faith and trust in another everything falls into place.
I started the series on book 3 but want to go and read the others. I love the secondary characters and look forward to seeing more of them.
I love how Amelia practically "fell" into Knox's life with their first meeting. She is on the run with her nephew and both are holding secrets. A notorious ganglord is after her and is using her sister to get her to return to Edinburgh. Knox knows she is withholding something and continues to try to find out just what Amelia is running from.
Amelia wants desperately to trust but feels that in order to protect those she loves she can't put her trust in anyone other than herself. I love the banter which had me laughing many times through the story. Knox is Laird and as such expects everyone to obey his every command then along comes Amelia who does exactly as she pleases. At Kinloch she finds a home for her and Hamish and they're living their dreams. Amelia knows she has to do something to save her sister and in doing so it involves her leaving Hamish with Knox and returning on her own which may very well bring everything they have down around them. The passion Knox and Amelia share runs soul deep and forever changes each of them and once she learns to let go and put her faith and trust in another everything falls into place.
I started the series on book 3 but want to go and read the others. I love the secondary characters and look forward to seeing more of them.
June 4, 2014
Amelia Taylor escapes the back alleys of Edinburgh with her nephew Hamish to avoid the wrath of a ganglord who's after her. After they make their way to the Highlands posing as brother and sister, they are rescued by the sisters of Laird Knox Mackenzie and taken to their castle of Kinloch where she encounters the laird himself. Immediate attraction follows but Amelia knows that she can't act on it because of her upbringing and because she must return to Edinburgh to rescue her sister. Of course, that doesn't work out that way as they can't keep their hands off each other and Amelia decides she has no choice but to run away and save her sister! Knox of course follows her to save the day.
My whole problem with the book is that it is way too wordy. It is about 75-100 pages too long because of Amelia's description of and dwelling on her innermost thoughts. Yes, we know her background and what she faces. Yes, we know the class divide between Amelia and Knox. We just don't need to be reminded constantly about it. The basics of the story were excellent and I love a good Highland romance.
My whole problem with the book is that it is way too wordy. It is about 75-100 pages too long because of Amelia's description of and dwelling on her innermost thoughts. Yes, we know her background and what she faces. Yes, we know the class divide between Amelia and Knox. We just don't need to be reminded constantly about it. The basics of the story were excellent and I love a good Highland romance.
February 12, 2014
I totally love Juliette Miller's "Clan MacKenzie" series! This is the third book that I've read in the series and no disappointments here. An intensely passionate love story between the clan's Laird and the woman who captures his long cold, lusty desires. Laird MacKenzie is a man who has met his match in the one woman who can finally shake his overwhelming sense of control. Amelia is also the one woman who can finally mend his heart and provide what Knox has so long thought not possible for himself.
The story is filled with the lush scenery of the Highlands and the culture and traditions of its people. For Scottish romance fans there are plenty of rugged, handsome highlanders strutting their stuff. A simple love story really made intriguing by the mystery, strength, and danger that encompass the characters of both the hero and heroine. There wasn't a moment when I wasn't rooting for the eventual HEA awaiting these two characters.
Juliette Miller is a wonderful writer of Scottish romance and never a disappointment.
Finally, another book that makes it to my favorites shelf with a 4.5-star rating!
The story is filled with the lush scenery of the Highlands and the culture and traditions of its people. For Scottish romance fans there are plenty of rugged, handsome highlanders strutting their stuff. A simple love story really made intriguing by the mystery, strength, and danger that encompass the characters of both the hero and heroine. There wasn't a moment when I wasn't rooting for the eventual HEA awaiting these two characters.
Juliette Miller is a wonderful writer of Scottish romance and never a disappointment.
Finally, another book that makes it to my favorites shelf with a 4.5-star rating!
August 12, 2016
Ah, Knox. He’s the Laird of the Mackenzie clan and an alpha male extraordinaire. I struggled a little with this story because I do not like deception between a hero and heroine. I allowed it because Amelia was being protective although just barely. She even admits her motive was selfish. These two are strongly attracted to each other from the beginning but what slows down their romance is her knowledge of her true identity and that she will need to return to Edinburgh to free her sister from the slime ball called Sebastian Fawkes. Said slime ball wants Amelia and her complete surrender which is why she fled in the first place. Her nephew, Hamish, is delightful.
Not as strong of a story as the previous two but enjoyable nonetheless. The epilogue is full of baby news and marriages. Juliette Miller writes sexy heroes and her heroines are sex prodigies.
Not as strong of a story as the previous two but enjoyable nonetheless. The epilogue is full of baby news and marriages. Juliette Miller writes sexy heroes and her heroines are sex prodigies.
March 3, 2014
I was given a copy from net galley to read and review. This was a quick read for me. The writing is good but predictable. The romance is nice but nothing spectacular. I enjoy the originality of the conflict but the plot is some what unbelievable in parts. As stated its a good quick romance. I did enjoy the world created, having not read the first two books in the series, it can stands alone. There are references to the main characters of those other books and minor appearances from them but in no way affect the story line. I'd take it or leave it, not sure I'll read the others in the series as it seems fair predictable and similar to other highlander books I've read.
September 20, 2014
First person POV, enough said. Blech. Writing from this perspective is never a good idea for romances since it completely prevents getting any inner thoughts of the hero or objective viewing of the characters' actions, but it's even worse when it's abused the way it is in this novel to cram exposition into long, drawn out repetitive inner monologues of the heroine. It's a little ridiculous to have the heroine describing her own beauty and sensuality.
Add in ridiculous plotting and underdevelopment of the hero and this book is a fail for me.
Add in ridiculous plotting and underdevelopment of the hero and this book is a fail for me.
February 9, 2014
I have been waiting for Knox's story in the MacKensie series. I felt that it was too slow in starting but enjoyed it overall. Amelia is fleeing a gang lord from Edinburgh to the Highlands and meets up with Knox's sisters. It was love at first sight, or at least lust, for the both of them. Their tale involves intrigue, a little gambling, some romance, but a lot of time spent in Amelia's thoughts. It was not what I expected.
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