Intent on winning a Lowlander’s tournament, Bran MacLeod travels south with his laird. All goes as planned, except spirited Miss Enya Ross continually distracts him, and in the oddest situations. With no business lusting after a baron’s daughter, Bran decides to return to Raasay—until his laird pledges Bran’s services in the fight to reinstate Mary, Queen of Scots to the throne.
Enya has no deference for the lines of nobility, or for the Great Divide that separates Lowlanders from Highlanders. The way Sir Bran’s eyes hunger for her ignites an internal fire Enya cannot quell. All her life she’s wanted adventure and excitement, but now her every thought is consumed with the rugged Highlander.
With all odds stacked against them, can their forbidden love withstand the tumult of war and the menace of betrayal?
Known for her action-packed, passionate romances, USA TODAY Bestselling Author Amy Jarecki has received reader and critical praise throughout her writing career. She won the prestigious RT Reviewers' Choice award for THE HIGHLAND DUKE and a RONE award from InD’tale Magazine for Best Time Travel for her novel RISE OF A LEGEND. In addition to being a USA TODAY Bestselling Author, Amy has earned the designation as an Amazon All Star Author. She holds an MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland and now resides in Wisconsin with her husband where she writes immersive historical and contemporary romance novels.
Become a part of her world and learn more about Amy’s books on amyjarecki.com!
Really? That's how the horrific ordeal is dealt with? I'm crying my eyes out for Bran and Eyna- and I don't get the raw emotions from Bran? Then a week later let's have a wedding celebration and miraculously she's okay and not really grieving, and neither is he? He's okay with whatever happens? And let's just skip over her near death experience with a time jump. What?????? No. Like seriously- that was a major deal- why didn't we get to go through the motions too? How can it all be good a week later and a marriage happens? Ugh!!!!
This reader was ripped off with such a big thing like that - not giving it the full emotions from all around, and healing time and what not! Pissed off!!!
And please - she just has to shriek her love for Bran and finally they listen and that's that? Come on. The whole point was to keep the couple apart and that's how it ends? Such a cop out. Someone should have died. Too many easy cop outs and what a horrible family she has.
And really- she and Bran should have left the clan to heal over what happened to her, and the betrayal they felt- even if I get the reasoning, it still cost a life.
Wow! This book deserves 100 stars if you ask me! The Highland Henchman was just amazing! It totally rocked as I just Love! Love! Loved it! This book is just brilliant and I just couldn't put it down from page one to the very last word on the last page. This book really knocked my socks off! Yes it was that great, a joy to read, excellent, perfect. If you love Scotland like I do with a bit of history like I do plus adventure, suspense, at long last love. You will love and adore this book as I did! Amy Jarecki is a wonderful writer, this is the second book in the series *Highland Force Series* as I also did a 5 star review for her first book "Captured by The Pirate Laird". As much as I loved her first book, I think I loved this one "The Highland Henchman" even more though some parts were a bit darker, yet captivating as well. You can read this book alone or in series order, I recommend reading it in series order, just because I think it's more fun plus you will know the connections though it is briefly explained in this book too. So it is a personal choice.
This book is about Bran MacLeod, he goes to the unwelcome lowlands as he and his clan were invited to a tournament by Laird Ross although he and his laird already suspected it was for other reasons and since there is no love lost between highlander and lowlanders. It turns out they want them for war to help free and fight the incarcerated Mary Queen of Scots. His laird and all the highlander just left the best sword arm as they could not dessert their own lands as they had enough problems with The MacDonalds and of their own feuds, so his best sword arm is Bran his henchman , but also like a son or brother as well as Laird Callum MacLeod had raised his since Bran's parents death at ten and two.
This female heroine in this book is Lord Ross daughter who yearns for adventure and see the world or fight in battle. As she is not like most ladies her age who learn embroidery and want a husband and nursery. Hoping their fathers will pick a good match for them. Enya Ross wants none of that, but her freedom wishing at times she was boy for their freedom. Enya's pursuits are she is the perfect archer and and love riding horses but no side saddle but astride like a man, she fears her father will pick a peacock of man that would also stop these activities she loves so much.
Yet when Lady Enya sees the big handsome highlander and watches his impressive strength she starts falling for him and Bran is instantly attracted to Enya and her beauty, but adorable spirit as well. As to him she is forbidden fruit not that she is a Lowlander, but a highborn lady as he has nothing to offer a beautiful lady as highborn as her. Of course there are family member of hers that will oppose and betray this union feeling Bran is so beneath them and a barbarian highlander! Of course Lady Enya could care less about wealth and title all she cares about is Bran and soon they can't resist the attraction no matter how forbidden it might be. Yet there are repercussions because of the ones opposing their love which become rather deadly. So how will they figure out to be together or will Enya's family force her to marry someone of her own station leaving Bran with a broken heart or worse. You will just have read this amazing book to find out!
I definitely recommend "The Highland Henchman" by Amy Jarecki as she is a fabulous talented writer and I look forward to more books by her in the future as her books are definitely wonderful reads and on my keeper shelf.
I look forward to "Beauty and the Barbarian" which is book three in The Highland Force Series due out June 1st. I can't wait! ~B
Please buy this book if you haven't already- you definitely would not regret it!
If you are looking for a romance, this author weaves it with class.
What I really love about this book is that from page one I was hooked. Amy Jarecki is an amazing author who writes amazing fiction that holds you hostage until you finish the book.
If you love historical romance, you're going to love this book.
The story was interesting, the characters were amazing. The story was well organized. I love Scottish historic romance stories, this book left me wanting more stories like this!
Who doesn't like a touch of romance mixed in with some historic characters?
Amy Jarecki's name is quickly becoming synonymous in my mind with adorable Scottish heroes. The lay-down-my-life-for-you-in-a-heartbeat kind of hero. And this one is no different. Except, perhaps, that we're going a bit younger this time. Sweet young love- dawww! Our hero, Bran, I believe was only around 21, and the heroine, Enya, 18-19. Although the latter is nothing unusual in this genre since it would be unlikely any older would still be unmarried.
The couple face so many trials and obstacles in THE HIGHLAND HENCHMAN. They are really up against it at every turn. Some of the events are quite brutal as well, and really made me gasp and the unfairness of it all. It seems a simple henchman is not good enough to even look at a chief's daughter, and anything further than that? Completely unthinkable. But the thing about all star-crossed lovers stories is that the forbidden nature of it only seems to add to the wanting.
Bran was truly delicious as a leading man. Fans of the series so far will remember him from book one as the 12-year-old cabin boy who showed Anne her first bit of kindness. He's all grown up now, and has been an adopted son to the couple and Calum MacLeod's right-hand man for half his life. Still, he is very young, and not looking for love at all. In fact he's more interested in proving himself worthy of his new knightly title in the Highland games held by Enya's father. But we all know love works on its own schedule, and he is simply bowled over by Enya's beauty and spirit, and it's not long before his heart follows suit.
Enya was a fairly sweet-tempered heroine, with a nice dollop of tomboyish tendencies that really added to her allure. She's an excellent archer and loves to ride. I enjoyed her character and how fiercely she tries to protect Bran at all costs, even agaisnt her own kin.
All together, this was another wonderful instalment in this exciting series, with twists and turns enough to keep any reader entertained throughout. 4 Stars! ★★★★
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Another great book by Ms. Jarecki. I loved Bran in the first book and was excited to read his and Enya's HEA. Loved the twist and turns on the way to a wedding. It was nice to see all the folks from the first book again. Iona is full of a bunch of crazy people. We never got the whole story of Heather or Malcom. My only complaint is the ending. It just stopped and I needed more.
The next book is Ian, Callum and Anne's son. It sounds interesting....hhhhmmmm
The Highland Henchman is the second book in the Highland Force by Amy Jarecki.
After the death of Bran’s father Laird Calum MacLeod took Bran under his wing. Bran is very grateful for everything Calum has done for him and has dedicated his life to protect Calum and their clan. Now the opportunity to prove his worthiness has arisen, they have been invited to a tournament in the Lowlands hosted by the Baron of Ross; a tournament Bran is intent on winning. Before leaving their home in the isle of Raasay Calum officially named Bran as his henchman (knight). Bran knew there were going to be many distractions during the tournament and he was prepared for all of them, but one, the sweet daughter of their host, Enya. He hasn’t been able to stop thinking about her since the moment he laid eyes on her. He knows he’s wasting his time; a man of his station could never aspire to be with the daughter of a Baron, but avoiding her seems impossible when she does her best to look for him. To her parents’ displeasure Enya has always been kind of wild and different, and no the delicate lady a girl of her station is supposed to be. For Enya riding her horse and practicing archery is more satisfying than embroidery and wearing beautiful dresses. Knowing her parents are planning to marry her as a commodity to gain riches is not easy to accept, especially when all she wants in life is adventure and to live new experiences. Enya is very excited about the tournament, her excitement only increases with the arrival of the highlanders, especially Laird Calum MacLeod and his henchman, Bran. Bran is everything Enya has always dreamed in a man. She knows their parents would never approve of a man like him for her, but that doesn’t deter her. Enya wants him and she’ll do anything in her power to be with him, even going behind her parents’ back.
I loved Bran in Captured by the Pirate Laird (first book) and was really looking forward to reading his book. Even though he was a child in that book I saw his hero potential and I was not wrong. Bran is dedicated, loyal, and fierce, a real swoon worthy hero. He will do anything for his Laird, his clan and the girl he loves and he shows us that time after time in this installment.
Enya doesn’t care about riches or status; she just wants to live a happy and adventurous life. She’s stubborn and strong and is not afraid of taking risks if the outcome is to be with the man she loves.
Bran and Enya romance is sweet and lovely. There is an insta-attraction but is not act immediately upon because of the forbidden factor, to add to that they are both kind of innocent; it’s almost like they are discovering love together; that only makes their relationship sweeter and more enjoyable to watch.
In this installment we also see the characters we love from Captured by the Pirate Laird. It was really nice to see where they are in their lives and everything they have accomplished in the years between that book and this one.
One of the things I like the most about Amy Jarecki’s books is their settings, with her words she brings to live the Highlands and its surroundings. Her descriptions are so vivid and realistic that I only needed to close my eyes to picture the different settings.
The Highland Henchman is a fast paced book, with love, secrets, betrayals and so many twists and turns that is almost impossible to put it down.
I’m looking forward to June 1st to the release of next book in the series, Beauty and the Barbarian. Beauty and the Barbarian will be Ian’s story; Ian is Callum and Anne’s son.
Now a man Bran sets sails with his Laird to the lowland’s to content in games arranged by a lowland Lord. Now knighted, Bran’s only focus is to protect Laird Calum and to win these games and walk out a champion for his clan. But he’s plans are soon tested when a young lass shows up and stirs way too much in Bran. Before he knows it he has started to fall in love with the young lass, who is no other than the Lord Ross’s daughter, Enya. But a match between a highland henchman and a royal lowland lass cannot be. As much as Bran tried to stay away from Enya, she just had a nick for showing up and pushing Bran to the limit of control. It isn’t long before the highlander cannot resist her anymore, and all hell breaks loose around them.
Wow, just wow. That was all I could utter when I finished this book. The first book in the series was amazing, and the second book was just epic. I fell instantly in love with Bran. He is a beautiful character filled with honor and a great heart. Just utterly perfect. Enya captured my heart as well. Born in a time when women wasn’t allowed to venture about like a man, she dreamed of just being free and seeing the world. A strong fighter herself, she doesn’t just stand down and take a beating. Their love story edged close to Romeo and Juliet, but with a huge difference. I just loved it. Once again Amy proved that is able to not only capture a reader’s attention, but also a reader’s heart. When the part came of Bran being tortured I had to hold back the tears and curses. And when Enya had to endure her own torture the screen became unexplainable blurry. Once again Amy had me experiencing all possible human emotion that one can experience in life.
Amy Jerecki knows how to build an exceptional plot filled with characters you will have no choice but to love. An amazing talent indeed. There is no doubt that this have easy became one of my favorite series and there is no way I am going to miss any books within it. I will be the one constantly begging Amy for the next book, it’s just that addictive! If you haven’t picked up this series you are losing out on one hell of a series. Well done Amy, well done.
Full of lovely romance, surprising betrayals, and tons of action, The Highland Henchmen was a fantastic historical romance read. I loved this book! It was romantic, thrilling, and I really enjoyed reading it.
Enya was a lovely heroine. She was vivacious, strong, and just wanted someone who didn't try to change her behavior. And, when she found it, she wasn't afraid to fight for it. She was a fun character that brought a lot of life to the pages and I really liked her.
Bran was also wonderful. He was very sweet, intensely loyal, and fastidiously honorable. Nothing could stop him for fighting for what he believed in and what he wanted. I could go on and on about how amazing he was, but I'll just say that he was perfect and I adored him.
The romance was lovely. Enya and Bran were so sweet together. I loved how they both implicitly understood each other, especially with how Bran accepted Enya, with all of her unladylike habits, as she was. And, the chemistry between them was sizzling, with plenty of steaminess going on. I thought they were a perfect couple.
The plot was fast paced and I was hooked the entire way through. There were tons of thrills, secrets, and betrayals that kept me on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed the story and the ending was lovely. Can't wait to read the next book in the series!
The Highland Henchman was a fantastic historical romance. I really loved this book. From the sweet and hot romance, to the surprises in store, this book was wonderful. Romance lovers, this is a book you'll definitely want to read.
*I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review
Bran MacLeod, Laird Callum's henchman, travels to the lowlands to participate in a tournament. He didn't count on the Lowlander's daughter catching his eye. Knowing that she was way out of his league, Bran is determined to finish the tournament and head home. Unfortunately, Bran's services are pledged to help reinstate Mary, Queen of Scots to the throne and he must stay in the lowlands.
Enya has wanted adventure and excitement her whole life. She wants to travel the world and help her father and brothers when they go into battle. When she sees Bran for the first time, she can't fight the attraction she feels for him. Her father has plans for her marriage, but Enya has plans of her own.
Can these two lovers from different classes fight against the odds and get their happily ever after?
Having met Bran in the first novel, I was anxiously awaiting his story. Jarecki didn't disappoint. I love that the Enya not the typical heroine we read in historical romances and that Bran was attracted to her because of this. Jaricki has a way of telling a story that just sucks you in. The story is fast paced with many plot twists and turns. She is an author that keeps you on your toes!
Another wonderful novel by Amy Jarecki! I can't wait for the next book in the series.
Thanks go to Rapture Books via NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.
Another 5+ stars by the amazing Amy Jarecki!! I absolutely loved the fist book in Amy's Highland Force series and was so excited to read the next one. I was not disappointed at all!! I loved young Bran when we meet him in the first book and was excited that The Highland Henchman was based around him. The Highland Henchman takes the readers on a wild, fun and dangerous ride through the highlands and lowlands. Bran is a huge, ruggedly handsome and fierce highland warrior who would make any lass swoon. He falls for the forbidden lass who doesn't make it easy for him to say no. Enya is a strong, stubborn and adventurous lass who would give anything to travel the seas and fight like a man in war. She may just get her wish sooner than she ever dreamed of. The Highland Henchman is an amazing ride that is full of love, laughs, tears, passion and betrayal. The chemistry between Bran and Enya is almost instant and fierce! The two of them are a perfect fit and will do anything to be together, even if that means war. Amy is such a talented author who will have you falling head over heals for her characters and books. You want to jump right into the book and watch everything unfold in front of your eyes. She has a way with words that make you believe you have done just that and that you never want to leave. I am so excited for the next book in this series and cannot wait to see where her characters take us next. Thank you Amy for another amazing highland adventure.
Bran is a lowlander from Scotland who has been invited, along with his clan, to attend a tournament. This tournament is a ruse to get help Mary, Queen of Scotland, get her back. Men are needed to fight in this war. During the tournament Bran meets the Baron's daughter Enya and the two fall in love immediately. The baron has been attempting to marry his daughter off to another land owner in order to bind their tribes and obtain more status. Unfortunately these plans may be waylaid when he finds his daughter and Bran in bed together. Not only must a war for the Queen be fought but now the Baron will have to somehow kill Bran in order to marry his daughter off.
This was a typical historical love story. I was really disappointed with the writing. Sentences like "Recover from her lapse into the depths of despair" used but her vagina was referred to as "the sacred woman's place." It was way over the top. I felt as though I was reading a erotic love story form the early 1900's.
The plot was pretty good but once again I have read it before. Toward the end of the book it seemed to fast forward a lot. A lot of details were skimmed instead of written about with flourish. The characters were described with a quick brush and stroke. I could not quite picture them in my head. The only reason I have a decent picture of Bran in my mind was because of the cover.
So I loved Calum and Lady Anne's story I seriously couldn't wait to see what Bran would be all grown up. I wasn't disappointed and neither will you!!!
Bran is now all grown up into a Henchman, or protector of the Laird. He and the surrounding highlanders and lowlanders are on their way to a tournament held by a neighbor. They we working to use the highlanders but to what purpose..
Ross Has a daughter Enya. Enya isn't like all the other lassies ;) She is sorta like Anne but i liked her more. She was more independent and can actually take care fo herself. Yes she is a little child like in her thinking but hey what lady in that time would have thought everything through right :)
Its good story, there isn't much pirating, but there is fighting, steamy scenes, and a whole lot of Bran that makes you unable to put the book down.
I cannot get enough of Amy Jarecki's books! Her heroes are magnificent wild creatures and Bran is certainly no exception. They beg to be tamed and Enya is strong enough to do it. I love that Enya was such a kick-ass character who knew what she wanted and wasn't going to let any man tell her what to do or how to do it. They're perfectly matched and the tension between them leaps off every single page.
It doesn't hurt that Bran is seriously lickable!!!
Amy continues to amaze with settings so real I can feel the highland heather brushing against my shins. I love love how real she makes the Highlands come alive!
After reading "The Angel and the Warrior" I really needed a book to pick me up and I am so glad that this book did just the trick. The only thing that irked me was that the heroine in this book upset me greatly.
Sir Bran of Clan MacLeod, is 21 and henchman for his highland clan. His job is simple- defend his laird or die trying, he takes it seriously and is proud of his position within the clan. Bran has integrity. He knows as a highlander he is not considered a good match for a Lowland lass.
Enya Ross is the youngest of the six daughters of Lord Ross. She resents the freedoms available to males, detests the pursuits that are appropriate for females, wants adventure and does not want to marry until she has had said adventure. She resents he father using her and her sisters to further his position and his purse. She sneaks out to practice with her bow and arrow; she is very skilled and better than many of her father’s men.
Enya’s father is using the highlander’s to assist in freeing Mary, Queen of Scots who has been locked away in Lochleven, having been forced to abdicate her throne to her brother, Moray. Lord Ross sees the Highlanders as the brawn and disposable, whereas the Lowlanders are the brains. Enya is intrigued by Bran and wants to get to know him, even though she knows it is against her father’s wishes. Bran is also interested in Enya. Things go terribly wrong; supposed treason, prison, poisoning, betrayals, monks with vows of silence and finally the HEA. Ms. Jarecki spins a wonderful tale with characters of depth and emotion. You find yourself cheering for the good and hissing at the bad characters. This book had just the right amount of “history” mixed with personal drama, humor and love; I am going to catch up on the whole series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Merged review:
Sir Bran of Clan MacLeod, is 21 and henchman for his highland clan. His job is simple- defend his laird or die trying, he takes it seriously and is proud of his position within the clan. Bran has integrity. He knows as a highlander he is not considered a good match for a Lowland lass.
Enya Ross is the youngest of the six daughters of Lord Ross. She resents the freedoms available to males, detests the pursuits that are appropriate for females, wants adventure and does not want to marry until she has had said adventure. She resents he father using her and her sisters to further his position and his purse. She sneaks out to practice with her bow and arrow; she is very skilled and better than many of her father’s men.
Enya’s father is using the highlander’s to assist in freeing Mary, Queen of Scots who has been locked away in Lochleven, having been forced to abdicate her throne to her brother, Moray. Lord Ross sees the Highlanders as the brawn and disposable, whereas the Lowlanders are the brains. Enya is intrigued by Bran and wants to get to know him, even though she knows it is against her father’s wishes. Bran is also interested in Enya. Things go terribly wrong; supposed treason, prison, poisoning, betrayals, monks with vows of silence and finally the HEA. Ms. Jarecki spins a wonderful tale with characters of depth and emotion. You find yourself cheering for the good and hissing at the bad characters. This book had just the right amount of “history” mixed with personal drama, humor and love; I am going to catch up on the whole series. I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Ah, Bran! I remember him when he was just a lad, the cabin boy who was with Laird Calum MacLeod when he captured the English ship with Lady Anne on board. Lady Anne made a sling for his injured arm. Then Bran had 'stood on gawky legs in a moth-eaten kilt, his face caked with dirt and sea-salt.' With Lady Anne he learnt to read, trained as a falconer with the eaglet Swan, and has become an important part of Calum's fighting forces. It's now 1658 and this is Bran's story. A story that includes Enya Ross, the youngest daughter of Sir Ross, a lowlander Baron. Some of the Highland clans have agreed to join forces with Ross. Together they plan to free Mary, Queen of Scots and help her regain her rightful place. Ross, an atrocious man would sacrifice his daughter Enya on the altar of ambition and eventually will incarcerate her in a nunnery on Iona. A wicked place that represents cold religious judgement and vindication at its worst. Bran is a man grown, a strapping man, a man who will protect, a man deserving of his knighthood, a perfect, loyal highland henchman! Bran carries on his shoulder a gorgeous golden eagle, Griffon. He carries the office of henchman and knight to Calum proudly and his responsibilities willingly. He also carries a fierce and true love for Enya. Their story of love, is of one born free and wild, honed in battle, purged and tested by cruelty and redeemed by the strength and depth of feeling for each other. A love sworn true.
What am I to say. My Bran is such a wonderful person. I am SO glad he turned out to be such a good lad. I loved the book. I had to force myself to read the end. I mean I can't make the book last forever. I did try though. The Highland Henchman is a 5-5-5-5 star book.
I loved the Heroine, she was strong and outgoing. Nothing kept her mouth shut, well almost nothing. lol She wanted something and she went for it. Sometimes that was not a good trait to have though.
Hero was just as awww as ever. He grew up and was nothing but a Strong, gentle, loving, kick ass kind of man. He loved deeply and fought brilliantly. He was so good with his Laird, and loved the Eagle.
The book started out good and ended good. If your looking for action, fun, surprises, traitors, and a kidnapping. then this is your book. Oh and there is Romance thrown in there too.
Wow! Wow! Wow! Have you ever read a book that had you alternately swooning and hyperventilating? I have to confess that I actually had to put this down more than once just to get my heart rate down.
This is a heart wrenching story that brought tears to my eyes at the end. The hero Bran MacLeod is a highlander and a henchman who is thought to be far below the station of heroine Enya Ross. They fall in love regardless of birthright, station, or an uncaring father who sees his daughter as nothing more than a pawn. The story stacks all the odds against them in the middle of war and adds betrayal testing their relationship to the limit.
The author really knows how to immerse you in that time period. Were there really nunneries like that? I hated her father and mother, and definitely her brother. It was nice to catch up with Calum and Anne.
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Bittersweet, rushed, unsatisfactory ending that ruined the book. I read this book through KU. I really wanted to like this book. I LOVE, LOVE the character Bran, and couldn't wait to read his story. But, the dark moments of the book are too heavily concentrated near the end of the book which leads it to end on a sour note. Also, the editing was worse than the first book, causing me to have to re-read phrases more often than before.
*****SPOILERS***** For example, Calum who has always put clan first but balanced it with kindness is suddenly portrayed as ruthless. The author makes a poor attempt to change the readers view of him by showing him in a moment of remorse with his wife. However, it just comes off making him look selfish because he only really cares about what his wife thinks about him. If he had shown his remorse to Enya for her loss, Calum would have been viewed better, and the ending would not feel so fake. At the end I kept thinking, WTF? They suffered a HUGE loss (and Enya might never be able to conceive) yet there they are, all buddy-buddy with the Laird who caused their woes. It's not realistic, and makes the ending feel clipped, fake and bittersweet. Plus, there was much unresolved- how did Enya's father react? What happened to Claud? Did everyone receive their pardons (was Lord Ross's word on the King's behalf enough?) What would Robert do; continue the vendetta? (I mean he never cared what Enya thought before, so why would one impassioned speech suddenly matter?) This book was such a disappointment, especially since the beginning of the book was so good. I think I will give the next book a chance, though, since I liked the first book so much.
The Highland Henchman is the second book in Amy Jarecki’s historical romance Highland Force series. Set ten years later, we follow Bran, now grown into a powerful young man, who falls for Enya, a highborn lowlander. I suppose you would class it as forbidden romance, but there wasn’t quite enough angst for me to consider it so. Therein lay my problem with the book. I like the push and pull that forbidden romance typically provides, but I did not feel enough push. That is to say that while our protagonists would occasionally mention that they ought not to be doing what they were doing, you never felt that they believed it. As with the first book, this is also usually plot-heavy for a romance. A lot of the plot centers around the politics of restoring Queen Mary to the throne. Neither of our protagonists expresses their views on the topic, and they seem involved by proximity alone. That made this huge part of the plot a little uninteresting to me. Unfortunately, I wasn’t swept up in the melodrama as I was with the first book, making me think that this one was not for me. Personal feelings aside it is a solid historical romance, and I think plenty of readers will find it enjoyable, but I’m not sure I’ll be continuing with the series.
I was really, really upset by the ending. Callum did what he thought was right based on his limited information, but that resulted in Enya having her baby aborted against her will. Where was his accountability for that? If he had just talked to Bran at least about the plan, he would have warned him that she was pregnant. Yes her father and brother and the nuns who did it without even telling her were the most responsible but Callum bears some responsibility for putting her in that position to begin with. It was glossed over within a few pages and that was that. If we had at least seen the conversation in which Callum was told what happened his reaction probably would have made me feel better, but as is, the ending is really unsatisfactory and upsetting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
A great book and then BOOM the end. What the heck!! What this poor young woman Enya Ross went through in the last chapter of the book was horrendous. And the next sentence, “one week later“ everyone is happy and she is getting married. I honestly thought a full chapter was left but no, just excerpts from the following book. What a terrible letdown and disappointment at the end of an excellent book. But don’t let this deter you, this is a fantastic series and Amy Jarecki is an excellent author I have loved one of her books.
The ending was really crappy. I wish I had skipped this one. I know bad things happen in life. This is fantasy however and I prefer not to see the heroine totally violated. But her dad agreed to killing her baby and indirectly so did her laird. No one was overly concerned about the baby's death not even the supposedly strong heroine though bc sh could get married in the next paragraph so happy ending. Definatelly shelving this book in the trash.
This is only one star, and it's all due to terrible narration. His voices might be ok IF his burr was understandable. Consequently, I have no idea what the story was about. When he's not reading dialog, he reads sooo slooow! I'm going to skip book 3 in this series, but I will read #4 as it's narrated by Dave Gilles, who is a MUCH better narrator!
I thought I was probably too hard on book one. Granted if you skip over all the sew scenes there is a story there. But not worth the hassle. This is the type of book that people say is just porn for women. Sorry I wasted good reading time.
I liked Bran and Enya. The story was interesting, but at times I did not feel as much emotion as I normally would reading Amy Jarecki's books. The ending came to a quick conclusion and I was sure there would have been more to it. I wish there had been an epilogue.