What do you think?
Rate this book
The Highlanders of Balforss #1
Tying the Scot
At age eleven, Alex Sinclair pledges an oath to the Duke of Chatham promising to serve and protect his illegitimate daughter, Lucy FitzHarris. Nine years later, the duke unexpectedly takes Alex up on his vow, offering the future Laird of Balforss his daughter’s hand in marriage.
Now a man, hotheaded Alex has difficulty convincing Lucy—who would rather starve to death than marry a vulgar Scot—to go through with the arranged marriage. Once Lucy arrives in Scotland, she cannot resist the magic of Balforss or the allure of her handsome Highland warrior. But when Alex seemingly betrays Lucy right before their wedding, she is tricked into running away. Alex must rein in his temper to rescue his lady from unforeseen danger and Lucy must swallow her pride if she hopes to wed the Highlander she has come to love.
Now a man, hotheaded Alex has difficulty convincing Lucy—who would rather starve to death than marry a vulgar Scot—to go through with the arranged marriage. Once Lucy arrives in Scotland, she cannot resist the magic of Balforss or the allure of her handsome Highland warrior. But when Alex seemingly betrays Lucy right before their wedding, she is tricked into running away. Alex must rein in his temper to rescue his lady from unforeseen danger and Lucy must swallow her pride if she hopes to wed the Highlander she has come to love.
MP3 CD
First published November 27, 2017
205 people are currently reading
1003 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Trethewey
5 books132 followersJennifer Trethewey is an actor-turned-writer who has moved her performances from the stage to the page. In 2013 she traveled to Scotland for the first time, where she instantly fell for the language, humor, intense sense of pride, and breathtaking landscape. Her love for Scotland was translated into her first series of historical romance novels, the Highlanders of Balforss. The sexy, adventurous first book of the series, Tying the Scot, is set to be released in November 2017.
Trethewey’s primary experience in bringing the imaginary to life was working for one of the oldest women’s theaters in the nation, where she was the co-founder and co-artistic director. Today she continues to act, but writes contemporary and historical fiction full-time. Her other loves include dogs, movies, music and good wine. She lives in Milwaukee with her husband.
Trethewey’s primary experience in bringing the imaginary to life was working for one of the oldest women’s theaters in the nation, where she was the co-founder and co-artistic director. Today she continues to act, but writes contemporary and historical fiction full-time. Her other loves include dogs, movies, music and good wine. She lives in Milwaukee with her husband.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
March 7, 2019
5 Words: Family, duty, love, manipulation, pride.
Content warning: attempted rape
That was a lovely read, sweet and passionate. I'd definitely read more by the author. It wasn't without its problems, but it was exactly what I was after.
What I Liked:
• Alex. Can I have one please? *swoon*
• The Sinclairs. They were a fantastic family, so supportive and welcoming and Good.
• Slow Burn. Give me a slow burn and I'm in heaven. I loved the steady build up.
• Lucy. I mean, she's the main character it would have been difficult to like the book if I didn't like her even a little. There were some things about her that grated, but I loved how resourceful she was.
What I Didn't Like:
• Elizabeth. She was completely irredeemable, a truly horrid character.
• Liam. See above, although at the very end I did feel sorry for him.
• Questions of consent. Or rather, the lack of consent at times. Although I very much appreciated that the character in question acknowledged that what they'd done was wrong and apologised.
Content warning: attempted rape
That was a lovely read, sweet and passionate. I'd definitely read more by the author. It wasn't without its problems, but it was exactly what I was after.
What I Liked:
• Alex. Can I have one please? *swoon*
• The Sinclairs. They were a fantastic family, so supportive and welcoming and Good.
• Slow Burn. Give me a slow burn and I'm in heaven. I loved the steady build up.
• Lucy. I mean, she's the main character it would have been difficult to like the book if I didn't like her even a little. There were some things about her that grated, but I loved how resourceful she was.
What I Didn't Like:
• Elizabeth. She was completely irredeemable, a truly horrid character.
• Liam. See above, although at the very end I did feel sorry for him.
• Questions of consent. Or rather, the lack of consent at times. Although I very much appreciated that the character in question acknowledged that what they'd done was wrong and apologised.
October 4, 2018
Alex Sinclair and Lucy FitzHarris met as children, Alex was smitten with her and acted in her defense when her brother threw her ball in the pond. Alex retrieved her ball and punched her brother. Lucy's father asked 11 year old Alex to swear an oath to be 9 year old Lucy's protector.
Fast forward nine years, Lucy learns that the man she hoped to marry, the man with a title that would make the ton overlook her illegitimate birth, has gone and gotten engaged to another woman. And to make matters worse, her father has betrothed her to a Scotsman! She begs, she whines, she cries, she throws a tantrum and spends the next few weeks trying to have her father call off the wedding.
Alex has agreed to the wedding, he knows it will benefit his clan and he wants to show his father that he has matured. Alex is a little heart sore, he asked a woman to marry him and she rejected him, so he hopes he will be able to have a happy marriage with Lucy, he remembers her as a little girl, but wants to know what kind of woman she has become. He concocts a rather stupid plan to pretend to be part of her escort so he can observe her without her knowing who he is.
All is going well until Lucy learns the truth and flips out. I personally thought her reaction was over the top and painted her as a vindictive, spoiled, immature brat. And she cannot let it go - for almost half the book, she is mad at him and plotting her "revenge". They finally make up and it seems like she is maturing a bit. She finally agrees to marry him and then she misunderstand something she sees Alex doing. Again, she flat out refuses to listen to his explanation and ends up putting herself in peril.
Alex is a hot head and a bit immature himself, but he really cares for Lucy and when he learns she left, he takes off after her.
This is a new author to me and I thought the writing was good, the story did move right along and stayed on point. There was action, betrayal, kidnappings, multiple villains, interesting secondary characters, a couple of mild love scenes and a lot of frustrating misunderstandings before these two get a HEA.
This was new author to me and while I didn't love this story, I would be willing to read her future work.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher*
Merged review:
Alex Sinclair and Lucy FitzHarris met as children, Alex was smitten with her and acted in her defense when her brother threw her ball in the pond. Alex retrieved her ball and punched her brother. Lucy's father asked 11 year old Alex to swear an oath to be 9 year old Lucy's protector.
Fast forward nine years, Lucy learns that the man she hoped to marry, the man with a title that would make the ton overlook her illegitimate birth, has gone and gotten engaged to another woman. And to make matters worse, her father has betrothed her to a Scotsman! She begs, she whines, she cries, she throws a tantrum and spends the next few weeks trying to have her father call off the wedding.
Alex has agreed to the wedding, he knows it will benefit his clan and he wants to show his father that he has matured. Alex is a little heart sore, he asked a woman to marry him and she rejected him, so he hopes he will be able to have a happy marriage with Lucy, he remembers her as a little girl, but wants to know what kind of woman she has become. He concocts a rather stupid plan to pretend to be part of her escort so he can observe her without her knowing who he is.
All is going well until Lucy learns the truth and flips out. I personally thought her reaction was over the top and painted her as a vindictive, spoiled, immature brat. And she cannot let it go - for almost half the book, she is mad at him and plotting her "revenge". They finally make up and it seems like she is maturing a bit. She finally agrees to marry him and then she misunderstand something she sees Alex doing. Again, she flat out refuses to listen to his explanation and ends up putting herself in peril.
Alex is a hot head and a bit immature himself, but he really cares for Lucy and when he learns she left, he takes off after her.
This is a new author to me and I thought the writing was good, the story did move right along and stayed on point. There was action, betrayal, kidnappings, multiple villains, interesting secondary characters, a couple of mild love scenes and a lot of frustrating misunderstandings before these two get a HEA.
This was new author to me and while I didn't love this story, I would be willing to read her future work.
*ARC provided by NetGalley and the Publisher*
Fast forward nine years, Lucy learns that the man she hoped to marry, the man with a title that would make the ton overlook her illegitimate birth, has gone and gotten engaged to another woman. And to make matters worse, her father has betrothed her to a Scotsman! She begs, she whines, she cries, she throws a tantrum and spends the next few weeks trying to have her father call off the wedding.
Alex has agreed to the wedding, he knows it will benefit his clan and he wants to show his father that he has matured. Alex is a little heart sore, he asked a woman to marry him and she rejected him, so he hopes he will be able to have a happy marriage with Lucy, he remembers her as a little girl, but wants to know what kind of woman she has become. He concocts a rather stupid plan to pretend to be part of her escort so he can observe her without her knowing who he is.
All is going well until Lucy learns the truth and flips out. I personally thought her reaction was over the top and painted her as a vindictive, spoiled, immature brat. And she cannot let it go - for almost half the book, she is mad at him and plotting her "revenge". They finally make up and it seems like she is maturing a bit. She finally agrees to marry him and then she misunderstand something she sees Alex doing. Again, she flat out refuses to listen to his explanation and ends up putting herself in peril.
Alex is a hot head and a bit immature himself, but he really cares for Lucy and when he learns she left, he takes off after her.
This is a new author to me and I thought the writing was good, the story did move right along and stayed on point. There was action, betrayal, kidnappings, multiple villains, interesting secondary characters, a couple of mild love scenes and a lot of frustrating misunderstandings before these two get a HEA.
This was new author to me and while I didn't love this story, I would be willing to read her future work.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher*
Merged review:
Alex Sinclair and Lucy FitzHarris met as children, Alex was smitten with her and acted in her defense when her brother threw her ball in the pond. Alex retrieved her ball and punched her brother. Lucy's father asked 11 year old Alex to swear an oath to be 9 year old Lucy's protector.
Fast forward nine years, Lucy learns that the man she hoped to marry, the man with a title that would make the ton overlook her illegitimate birth, has gone and gotten engaged to another woman. And to make matters worse, her father has betrothed her to a Scotsman! She begs, she whines, she cries, she throws a tantrum and spends the next few weeks trying to have her father call off the wedding.
Alex has agreed to the wedding, he knows it will benefit his clan and he wants to show his father that he has matured. Alex is a little heart sore, he asked a woman to marry him and she rejected him, so he hopes he will be able to have a happy marriage with Lucy, he remembers her as a little girl, but wants to know what kind of woman she has become. He concocts a rather stupid plan to pretend to be part of her escort so he can observe her without her knowing who he is.
All is going well until Lucy learns the truth and flips out. I personally thought her reaction was over the top and painted her as a vindictive, spoiled, immature brat. And she cannot let it go - for almost half the book, she is mad at him and plotting her "revenge". They finally make up and it seems like she is maturing a bit. She finally agrees to marry him and then she misunderstand something she sees Alex doing. Again, she flat out refuses to listen to his explanation and ends up putting herself in peril.
Alex is a hot head and a bit immature himself, but he really cares for Lucy and when he learns she left, he takes off after her.
This is a new author to me and I thought the writing was good, the story did move right along and stayed on point. There was action, betrayal, kidnappings, multiple villains, interesting secondary characters, a couple of mild love scenes and a lot of frustrating misunderstandings before these two get a HEA.
This was new author to me and while I didn't love this story, I would be willing to read her future work.
*ARC provided by NetGalley and the Publisher*
November 9, 2020
First thing first. The author is a very, very, very, big fan of Outlander (and it shows so much).
Lucy is a difficult heroine for me to like. I don’t care for the “dutiful daughter; woman who is very timid and a yes sir type of person.” So initially she rubbed me the wrong way because she feels like a shadow of a real woman.
I can’t say much about it because I wouldn’t want to narrate audiobooks, but I don’t like the woman they chose to be the narrator. She makes Alex sound like a woman who is in disguise as a man in order to maintain her property because it’s the 1800’s 🤷🏼♀️ I would have preferred it if at least when they changed POV they had a male narrate Alex’s parts.
Lucy is just so whiny 😫 and that kills her character for me. When given the opportunity to make a decision she always makes the worse one that makes her life considerably more difficult than it needs to be.
If you know me or have read any of my other reviews you are also aware that I absolutely detest when authors use rape as a way to extend the plot or force trauma on the victim. And this book puts Lucy in a situation where rape was inevitable until she is heroically rescued by her man. Lucy is a character who have things happen to her, she doesn’t make things happen. The attempted rape was 100% unneeded. It didn’t change anything to the plot so therefore it’s not necessary to the story, but the author did it anyway for the shock factor. Which is a cheap way of drawing suspense.
She is the epitome of a damsel in distress. Even when she does do things (shooting a man with a bow and arrow) she still regrets killing that man, and she is angry at Alex for killing people in self defense in the exact same moment. It felt like she just wanted to be mad at Alex regardless of what he did.
Sure they eventually find each other and fall in love and all the stuff that readers were actually there for, but I found myself not caring about either of them and actually rooting for them to end up together. I wasn’t given enough time to actually enjoy them together as a couple. Throughout the book it felt like they spent more time either being mad at each other or separated than actually being with each other. I didn’t have time to fall for them either as individuals or as a team. So the romance fell flat for me unfortunately.
Lucy is a difficult heroine for me to like. I don’t care for the “dutiful daughter; woman who is very timid and a yes sir type of person.” So initially she rubbed me the wrong way because she feels like a shadow of a real woman.
I can’t say much about it because I wouldn’t want to narrate audiobooks, but I don’t like the woman they chose to be the narrator. She makes Alex sound like a woman who is in disguise as a man in order to maintain her property because it’s the 1800’s 🤷🏼♀️ I would have preferred it if at least when they changed POV they had a male narrate Alex’s parts.
Lucy is just so whiny 😫 and that kills her character for me. When given the opportunity to make a decision she always makes the worse one that makes her life considerably more difficult than it needs to be.
If you know me or have read any of my other reviews you are also aware that I absolutely detest when authors use rape as a way to extend the plot or force trauma on the victim. And this book puts Lucy in a situation where rape was inevitable until she is heroically rescued by her man. Lucy is a character who have things happen to her, she doesn’t make things happen. The attempted rape was 100% unneeded. It didn’t change anything to the plot so therefore it’s not necessary to the story, but the author did it anyway for the shock factor. Which is a cheap way of drawing suspense.
She is the epitome of a damsel in distress. Even when she does do things (shooting a man with a bow and arrow) she still regrets killing that man, and she is angry at Alex for killing people in self defense in the exact same moment. It felt like she just wanted to be mad at Alex regardless of what he did.
Sure they eventually find each other and fall in love and all the stuff that readers were actually there for, but I found myself not caring about either of them and actually rooting for them to end up together. I wasn’t given enough time to actually enjoy them together as a couple. Throughout the book it felt like they spent more time either being mad at each other or separated than actually being with each other. I didn’t have time to fall for them either as individuals or as a team. So the romance fell flat for me unfortunately.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2021
A Romance Amongst the Highlands
This is my first time reading a book by Jennifer Tretheway and I am already eager for the next story! The story of Alex Sinclair and Lucy FitzHarris is entertaining, romantic, full of Witt, and one you could read about forever. I enjoyed the way the story shows the MC in their younger years and sets the background for their love story. I found Alex’s antics to be charming as he tries to learn about his betrothed. Watching Lucy settle into the life of a Highlander and future Lady Sinclair was entertaining and showed the depth of her character. As we learned tidbits about Alex throughout the story he was revealed to be a man who truly cared about others, who tried to right the wrongs people faced, who loved his family fiercely, and who would make a perfect Laird in the future.
I loved watching Alex and Lucy fall in love. Although there is some strife right before the wedding, Alex never gave up on helping Lucy to her place of happiness. He was willing to let her go, if she chose it, but he also fought like h*ll to keep her.
This story is one that will keep you flipping the pages as fast as you can and have you up reading way past your bedtime! The loss of sleep is so worth it!! I never wanted this story to end!!
5 Stars for Alex & Lucy!
This is my first time reading a book by Jennifer Tretheway and I am already eager for the next story! The story of Alex Sinclair and Lucy FitzHarris is entertaining, romantic, full of Witt, and one you could read about forever. I enjoyed the way the story shows the MC in their younger years and sets the background for their love story. I found Alex’s antics to be charming as he tries to learn about his betrothed. Watching Lucy settle into the life of a Highlander and future Lady Sinclair was entertaining and showed the depth of her character. As we learned tidbits about Alex throughout the story he was revealed to be a man who truly cared about others, who tried to right the wrongs people faced, who loved his family fiercely, and who would make a perfect Laird in the future.
I loved watching Alex and Lucy fall in love. Although there is some strife right before the wedding, Alex never gave up on helping Lucy to her place of happiness. He was willing to let her go, if she chose it, but he also fought like h*ll to keep her.
This story is one that will keep you flipping the pages as fast as you can and have you up reading way past your bedtime! The loss of sleep is so worth it!! I never wanted this story to end!!
5 Stars for Alex & Lucy!
December 4, 2022
Note Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (It was on audio so a bit harder for me to tell but I think it was about average?)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥
Humor: A bit. If you like enemies to lovers banter you'll probably find more humor than me.
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine
(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from The Ton and Tartans Book Club )
Should I read in order?
This is the first book in Trethewey’s Highlanders of Balforss series.
Basic plot:
As children, Alex Sinclair makes an oath to always protect Lucy FitzHarris. Nine years later, Lucy’s father requests him to fulfill his oath with marriage.
Give this a try if you want:
- Scotland setting
- Regency time period (1814)
- Enemies to lovers feel
- Childhood protector
- Arranged marriage
- Archery loving heroine
- Lower steam - 1 full scene but quite a few kisses
- Hero is the son of a laird, heroine is the bastard daughter of a duke
- Secret identity
- Child in the story (side character, not one of the main character’s children)
- Pets in the story – heroine has a dog
- Scottish hero, French/English heroine
- Other man and other woman jealousy
Ages:
- Heroine is 18, not sure about hero but would guess just a bit older, maybe mid 20s?
My thoughts:
I struggled a lot with this story, sadly! I think many will like it though, as these are just personal preference of what I like in romance.
I think maybe the prologue had me going a certain way with expectations. As children, Alex and Lucy meet and have some interactions with each other where Alex rescues her toy, stands up for her against her brother, and vows to always protect her. But then when we pick up the full story, Lucy doesn’t seem to remember anything about him or the vow. So it lost any of that childhood protector magic to me.
They quickly become more of an enemies feel – the heroine is upset about the entire arranged marriage. And she does come off as a bit of an irrational brat to me. She seemed to argue with everyone around her, wail about life a lot. She knew her own self worth, which was great, but her expectations of others I thought were pretty unfair. She thinks she deserves everything grand and doesn’t see the worth in anything less. She demands a lord for a husband and is deeply disappointed in her highlander betrothed even though he will be a laird.
I think I could have liked this book if it had really focused on the couple together. They had enough conflict between them to work out that I think it would have lent itself to some great banter and character connection and sexual tension. But….but...and here is my big complaint about romances with action – it seemed EVERYTHING else happened except the romance. If you like a lot of drama in your stories and plenty of action I think you should give this one a go. I am boring and prefer simple books haha.
I wanted the characters together more. It seemed like the hero was always leaving the heroine, or having to go rescue her from something and I wanted them to have more one on one time. In the beginning I did get tired of the enemies feel. The hatred was a bit tiring for me. And just when I felt it start to shift and got excited (my favorite part of enemies to lovers romance), then it was one thing after the other with these two. There is not one villain but multiple. There is not just other man drama, but other woman drama too. It was just a lot for me and by the time these two finally get together I felt like I didn’t like either of them much or know them particularly well.
There was quite a bit of animosity between them. The heroine being fairly aggressive about that and going so far as to hit the hero. I thought the hero had more self control but he does tell her at one point he is going to hit her back (he doesn’t) but I was not impressed with him there.
I liked the kisses, but they were so short and every time it started to get good and build some tension, they were interrupted by more drama or people. The hero gets kissed by another woman. He doesn’t want to do participate but she does it and he doesn’t stop her for a moment. And there’s mention of him being aroused by it. At that point, the hero was pretty much irredeemable to me.
Specific complaints
Content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (It was on audio so a bit harder for me to tell but I think it was about average?)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥
Humor: A bit. If you like enemies to lovers banter you'll probably find more humor than me.
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine
(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from The Ton and Tartans Book Club )
Should I read in order?
This is the first book in Trethewey’s Highlanders of Balforss series.
Basic plot:
As children, Alex Sinclair makes an oath to always protect Lucy FitzHarris. Nine years later, Lucy’s father requests him to fulfill his oath with marriage.
Give this a try if you want:
- Scotland setting
- Regency time period (1814)
- Enemies to lovers feel
- Childhood protector
- Arranged marriage
- Archery loving heroine
- Lower steam - 1 full scene but quite a few kisses
- Hero is the son of a laird, heroine is the bastard daughter of a duke
- Secret identity
- Child in the story (side character, not one of the main character’s children)
- Pets in the story – heroine has a dog
- Scottish hero, French/English heroine
- Other man and other woman jealousy
Ages:
- Heroine is 18, not sure about hero but would guess just a bit older, maybe mid 20s?
My thoughts:
I struggled a lot with this story, sadly! I think many will like it though, as these are just personal preference of what I like in romance.
I think maybe the prologue had me going a certain way with expectations. As children, Alex and Lucy meet and have some interactions with each other where Alex rescues her toy, stands up for her against her brother, and vows to always protect her. But then when we pick up the full story, Lucy doesn’t seem to remember anything about him or the vow. So it lost any of that childhood protector magic to me.
They quickly become more of an enemies feel – the heroine is upset about the entire arranged marriage. And she does come off as a bit of an irrational brat to me. She seemed to argue with everyone around her, wail about life a lot. She knew her own self worth, which was great, but her expectations of others I thought were pretty unfair. She thinks she deserves everything grand and doesn’t see the worth in anything less. She demands a lord for a husband and is deeply disappointed in her highlander betrothed even though he will be a laird.
I think I could have liked this book if it had really focused on the couple together. They had enough conflict between them to work out that I think it would have lent itself to some great banter and character connection and sexual tension. But….but...and here is my big complaint about romances with action – it seemed EVERYTHING else happened except the romance. If you like a lot of drama in your stories and plenty of action I think you should give this one a go. I am boring and prefer simple books haha.
I wanted the characters together more. It seemed like the hero was always leaving the heroine, or having to go rescue her from something and I wanted them to have more one on one time. In the beginning I did get tired of the enemies feel. The hatred was a bit tiring for me. And just when I felt it start to shift and got excited (my favorite part of enemies to lovers romance), then it was one thing after the other with these two. There is not one villain but multiple. There is not just other man drama, but other woman drama too. It was just a lot for me and by the time these two finally get together I felt like I didn’t like either of them much or know them particularly well.
There was quite a bit of animosity between them. The heroine being fairly aggressive about that and going so far as to hit the hero. I thought the hero had more self control but he does tell her at one point he is going to hit her back (he doesn’t) but I was not impressed with him there.
I liked the kisses, but they were so short and every time it started to get good and build some tension, they were interrupted by more drama or people. The hero gets kissed by another woman. He doesn’t want to do participate but she does it and he doesn’t stop her for a moment. And there’s mention of him being aroused by it. At that point, the hero was pretty much irredeemable to me.
Specific complaints
Content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
October 2, 2021
In the prologue they meet as children.
At the start of the story, the heroine seemed very OTT but she is potrayed as slightly spoilt so that maybe why.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine.
Other man drama in form of another interested man, off page, who kissed her and she thought they'd marry.
Other woman drama in form of unrequited feelings for a woman who showed no interest in the Hero but returns to cause trouble. She kisses him for the heroine to see.
The heroine is a victim of attempted rape, they don't succeed.
Heroine is a virgin. It's mentioned that the Hero has been with other women but no-one since meeting the heroine again.
HEA.
Epilogue.
At the start of the story, the heroine seemed very OTT but she is potrayed as slightly spoilt so that maybe why.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine.
Other man drama in form of another interested man, off page, who kissed her and she thought they'd marry.
Other woman drama in form of unrequited feelings for a woman who showed no interest in the Hero but returns to cause trouble. She kisses him for the heroine to see.
The heroine is a victim of attempted rape, they don't succeed.
Heroine is a virgin. It's mentioned that the Hero has been with other women but no-one since meeting the heroine again.
HEA.
Epilogue.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2024
2.25 stars - (audiobook) The MFC flirts with temper tantrums and the MMC has anger issues. It’s not cute. The immaturity and cyclical distrust really spoiled it for me. The end did have some redemption with character growth and a bit of adventure, but it just wasn’t for me.
October 22, 2017
Well now, Alex has a jealous side, “that’s not what I meant. I— who?” Heat scorched the back of his neck as if someone had set him afire. He hadn’t considered that he might have a rival. “Who else wants you? What’s his name?” he demanded." Being inside Alex's mind was fun, "was it wrong to steal a kiss? Yes. He would apologize to her for being impulsive. Was he sorry? No. Not at all." Alex just can't win at times, “bloody hell, man, leave us!” he roared. The boy ran for his life. Lucy got to her feet, laughing, whereas his aching balls could find nothing funny about this moment." I really liked this book, I loved Alex.
November 19, 2017
"Tying the Scot" by Jennifer Tretheway was a satisfying read filled with love, angst and true villains. Lucy, the illegitimate daughter of an English peer, and Alex met when they were children. Alex wasn't happy to see young Lucy's brother take her toy and he rescued the toy, whooped the brother and promised Lucy's father that he would be her protector.
Lucy's father calls on Alex's father to agree to a betrothal. Lucy isn't well received by the ton due to her illegitimacy, and fell in love with a friend of her brother's who just asked another woman to marry him. Lucy is humiliated at the slight, believing the object of her affection wanted to marry her as much as she wanted to marry him. She is very unhappy with her father for arranging this betrothal, she doesn't want to live in Scotland and marry a man she's never met.
Alex agrees to the betrothal because his heart is a bit sore. He asked a woman to marry him and she turned him down flat. He remembered the incident with Lucy and decided that she would be as good as any bride. Alex wants to see how she will react to him and if they will rub along well, he decides to be in her escort party, but not reveal his identity.
I'm sure readers can figure out how well Alex's scheme will work out. This is just the first in many misunderstandings that spring up between Alex and Lucy. They do have chemistry and they work well together, when they actually talk and listen, and they both become not only resigned to the marriage, but look forward to it as well.
Then comes the true misunderstanding. The villains show up, there are a number of them, and the misunderstandings run rampant.
Only one or two sexy scenes, mildly sexy, I usually look for more heat in my favorite reads. The characters are both likable and they are good together when they finally figure out they are meant for each other.
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
Lucy's father calls on Alex's father to agree to a betrothal. Lucy isn't well received by the ton due to her illegitimacy, and fell in love with a friend of her brother's who just asked another woman to marry him. Lucy is humiliated at the slight, believing the object of her affection wanted to marry her as much as she wanted to marry him. She is very unhappy with her father for arranging this betrothal, she doesn't want to live in Scotland and marry a man she's never met.
Alex agrees to the betrothal because his heart is a bit sore. He asked a woman to marry him and she turned him down flat. He remembered the incident with Lucy and decided that she would be as good as any bride. Alex wants to see how she will react to him and if they will rub along well, he decides to be in her escort party, but not reveal his identity.
I'm sure readers can figure out how well Alex's scheme will work out. This is just the first in many misunderstandings that spring up between Alex and Lucy. They do have chemistry and they work well together, when they actually talk and listen, and they both become not only resigned to the marriage, but look forward to it as well.
Then comes the true misunderstanding. The villains show up, there are a number of them, and the misunderstandings run rampant.
Only one or two sexy scenes, mildly sexy, I usually look for more heat in my favorite reads. The characters are both likable and they are good together when they finally figure out they are meant for each other.
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 10, 2018
Tying the Scot is a historical romance, it is generally a light story with a few suspenseful or emotional moments, and is perfect as an escapism read. The world building is very well done, Ms Trethewey builds a very believable 19th Century Scotland, but like many historicals these days, with a bit of a modern twist. Although, not historically accurate, I enjoy the current pattern of showing females characters displaying the whole range of emotion and personality; from the more humble and meek, to the strong and independent who are not afraid to voice their opinions. This modern twist makes a story that is more palatable to modern sensibilities, and let’s face it for more entertaining reading.
The characters in Tying the Scot were well developed; even if I did have a love/hate relationship with Lucy who I had keep reminding myself was still very young and had a lot of maturing to do. Alex was also impulsive and hot tempered, again showing his youth, but he and Lucy were a good match for neither of them would let the other get away with too much. The secondary characters were also well developed and the villains suitably villainous. Overall, Ms Trethewey created a world that was lush in description and populated with many varied and interesting characters.
Tying the Scot is a lovely light read, perfect for lovers of historical romance. Jennifer Trethewey is a new author for me and I thoroughly enjoyed this introduction to her work.
The characters in Tying the Scot were well developed; even if I did have a love/hate relationship with Lucy who I had keep reminding myself was still very young and had a lot of maturing to do. Alex was also impulsive and hot tempered, again showing his youth, but he and Lucy were a good match for neither of them would let the other get away with too much. The secondary characters were also well developed and the villains suitably villainous. Overall, Ms Trethewey created a world that was lush in description and populated with many varied and interesting characters.
Tying the Scot is a lovely light read, perfect for lovers of historical romance. Jennifer Trethewey is a new author for me and I thoroughly enjoyed this introduction to her work.
November 18, 2021
Okay, the main character really annoyed me st the beginning. she's extremely proud and sensitive, which seems ridiculous since she grew up as an illegitimate child in England.i think not liking her contributed to the start being slow and more challenging for me to get into. But she grew on me as her character grew snd I got to see parts of her that are more attractive. I could never fully dislike someone who loves their dog so much- everything about her little Dog Hercules I enjoyed. I always loved the Hero - he's rash and impulsive, but has the best intentions. There was never any doubt for me of his good heart. Once things got going, I enjoyed watching the characters fall in love and overcome their own faults, not to mention schemes out to get them. I will look forward to seeing other couples in this series as I really enjoyed all the characters.
December 20, 2019
Merde! I don't believe I've ever read such a bunch of rubbish in my entire life!
The amount of times I literally rolled my eyes at cliché or cringy sectences must have been record breaking.
Eventhough the main female was 'only' eighteen, she acted like an absolute child. She kept whining about almost everything and kept jumping to conclusions based on almost nothing.
The relationship between the main characters, wich was basically the whole plot of the book, felt rushed and was also really unhealthy. I could go on and on about what I didn't like, but for everyones sake, lets just leave it at that.
Look, I can see why people could possibly like this book, I really do, it simply wasnt't for me.
The amount of times I literally rolled my eyes at cliché or cringy sectences must have been record breaking.
Eventhough the main female was 'only' eighteen, she acted like an absolute child. She kept whining about almost everything and kept jumping to conclusions based on almost nothing.
The relationship between the main characters, wich was basically the whole plot of the book, felt rushed and was also really unhealthy. I could go on and on about what I didn't like, but for everyones sake, lets just leave it at that.
Look, I can see why people could possibly like this book, I really do, it simply wasnt't for me.
November 27, 2017
Tying the Scot was delightful. I'm a sucker for characters who get off to a bumpy start and characters who have some growing to do, and I got both in this fantastic story.
Alex, in particular, had a wonderful character development. Swoony from the start, to be sure, he had a deep inner insecurity regarding the duties he'd one day inherit from his father. It was lovely to watch him grow into himself, and to come to realize he really would be up to the job when his time came.
This is a great debut from Jennifer Threthewey and I can't wait to see what she writes next!
Alex, in particular, had a wonderful character development. Swoony from the start, to be sure, he had a deep inner insecurity regarding the duties he'd one day inherit from his father. It was lovely to watch him grow into himself, and to come to realize he really would be up to the job when his time came.
This is a great debut from Jennifer Threthewey and I can't wait to see what she writes next!
May 30, 2018
I very much enjoyed this story. I read the second book in this series first, however that did not cause me any problem while listening to this one. The Sinclair family is full of huge, handsome and loyal men. When Alex Sinclair turns twenty, his father, Laird John, and his father's best-friend, The Duke of Chatham, arrange for the marriage of their children. Lucy is illegitimate and her father sees this as a great opportunity to get away from the snide comments in London, as well as to get a wonderful husband. Unfortunately, Lucy does not agree. She does not want to marry this man she met once when she was just a young child, but agrees to go to Scotland and meet him. Of course there are many trials along the way to their love and marriage.
At the beginning of the story, I did not like Lucy very much. She was rather spoiled and a bit haughty. I quickly saw that she was frightened and was actually a very nice person. She cared about others very much, but her ingrained sense of propriety tended to come across as her thinking she was too good for the Scots. She was also not sure what to expect due to what she had heard from others over the years about the "Dirty Scots". Alex was also a great character; strong, handsome, a fierce warrior, and a determined protector of his people and those he loved. It was a good story learning how they dealt with the trials they came across in their travel to love. They do have chemistry and they work well together, when they actually talk and listen, and they both become not only resigned to the marriage, but look forward to it as well. When the villains show up to derail the burgeoning love affair, there are some battles and gallantry with good triumphing over evil. I loved the ending, simple yet sweet. There are a couple of sex scenes, mildly sexy, but not overdone. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series to see who Magnus ends up with and what the rest of his story brings. The narration in the book was not bad. All the men sounded the same but I did enjoy the accents and the language. I would definitely listen to another book using this Ruth Urquhart as narrator.
At the beginning of the story, I did not like Lucy very much. She was rather spoiled and a bit haughty. I quickly saw that she was frightened and was actually a very nice person. She cared about others very much, but her ingrained sense of propriety tended to come across as her thinking she was too good for the Scots. She was also not sure what to expect due to what she had heard from others over the years about the "Dirty Scots". Alex was also a great character; strong, handsome, a fierce warrior, and a determined protector of his people and those he loved. It was a good story learning how they dealt with the trials they came across in their travel to love. They do have chemistry and they work well together, when they actually talk and listen, and they both become not only resigned to the marriage, but look forward to it as well. When the villains show up to derail the burgeoning love affair, there are some battles and gallantry with good triumphing over evil. I loved the ending, simple yet sweet. There are a couple of sex scenes, mildly sexy, but not overdone. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series to see who Magnus ends up with and what the rest of his story brings. The narration in the book was not bad. All the men sounded the same but I did enjoy the accents and the language. I would definitely listen to another book using this Ruth Urquhart as narrator.
February 1, 2021
A nice story well read.
The characters are not too smart but sweet. Their pride, prejudice, miscommunication and mutual sexual desire move the plot from their acquaintance to the wedding.
The characters are not too smart but sweet. Their pride, prejudice, miscommunication and mutual sexual desire move the plot from their acquaintance to the wedding.
August 10, 2025
Struggled to get through this one. The female character annoyed me, also felt similar to some Highlander books I’ve read in the past.
April 22, 2021
Great scottish read! It makes me miss outlander
February 28, 2018
Alex Sinclair, son of Laird John Sinclair of Balforss, was 11 when he met 9-year-old Lady Lucy FitzHarris and rescued her ball from the pond at her father’s estate. Her father declared him her Protector. Their fathers, who had been friends for a long time, wanted a match between them.
Years later, Lucy was sent to Scotland to marry him. She wanted to marry an Englishman she had a crush on. Her father realized the English aristocracy would never accept her. Her brother, George, saw her to the ship and advised “Don’t let fear and anger rule you. Instead, think of this as a great adventure and value each moment – good and bad”.
Alex’s parents are thrilled with the upcoming marriage and do all they can to show her she’s welcome. As her own mother had died years earlier she became attached to his mother immediately. She enjoyed learning how to make candles and garden. His family is also helping those Scots who are run off their lands and homes, burned due to the Clearances.
His aunt, uncle and evil cousins arrive early and do their best to ruin the upcoming marriage. They convince her he doesn’t want to marry her, and she leaves with them. She is kidnapped and held in a cellar. Alex, along with his cousins, Ian and Declan, rescue her. They do get their HEA!
I really try not to give away too much in a review. I hope you’ll read this new author as the book is very good. I’m looking forward to reading more by Jennifer Trethewey. There are some typos and wrong names but not enough to spoil the story.
4.5 rounded to 5
Years later, Lucy was sent to Scotland to marry him. She wanted to marry an Englishman she had a crush on. Her father realized the English aristocracy would never accept her. Her brother, George, saw her to the ship and advised “Don’t let fear and anger rule you. Instead, think of this as a great adventure and value each moment – good and bad”.
Alex’s parents are thrilled with the upcoming marriage and do all they can to show her she’s welcome. As her own mother had died years earlier she became attached to his mother immediately. She enjoyed learning how to make candles and garden. His family is also helping those Scots who are run off their lands and homes, burned due to the Clearances.
His aunt, uncle and evil cousins arrive early and do their best to ruin the upcoming marriage. They convince her he doesn’t want to marry her, and she leaves with them. She is kidnapped and held in a cellar. Alex, along with his cousins, Ian and Declan, rescue her. They do get their HEA!
I really try not to give away too much in a review. I hope you’ll read this new author as the book is very good. I’m looking forward to reading more by Jennifer Trethewey. There are some typos and wrong names but not enough to spoil the story.
4.5 rounded to 5
November 25, 2017
The heroine was not a character that I particularly cared for. She is childish, prideful and resorted to histrionics and daily tantrums to get what she wanted. Ashamed of her bastardy, she wanted to marry a viscount. Any viscount. Her heart had not been engaged with her brother’s friend, Lord Langley at all. She was seeking an opportunity to better her position.
The hero. Alex is extremely short tempered and even when attempting to reconcile with Lucy ends up in a rage for almost no justification and makes the situation worse. He’s hot headed and says things which he ends up regretting it later.
It gets a little better after the 1st few chapters, largely due to Alex’s parents, especially his mother who is kind, warm and natural & doesn’t expect anything of Lucy. Both Lucy and Alex start to get to know each other and warm up to each other. But when Alex’s cousin arrives for the wedding – the woman he thought he loved and had courted only to be spurned the story spiraled downwards quickly and I totally lost interest. Lucy again, ends up behaving stupidly, jumping to conclusions and runs away. That she put herself in a situation with 2 people she didn’t like or trust seemed the height of stupidity.
I preferred just about every other character in the story; Alex's parents and his younger brother (definitely a more sensible and rationale man compared to Alex).
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
The hero. Alex is extremely short tempered and even when attempting to reconcile with Lucy ends up in a rage for almost no justification and makes the situation worse. He’s hot headed and says things which he ends up regretting it later.
It gets a little better after the 1st few chapters, largely due to Alex’s parents, especially his mother who is kind, warm and natural & doesn’t expect anything of Lucy. Both Lucy and Alex start to get to know each other and warm up to each other. But when Alex’s cousin arrives for the wedding – the woman he thought he loved and had courted only to be spurned the story spiraled downwards quickly and I totally lost interest. Lucy again, ends up behaving stupidly, jumping to conclusions and runs away. That she put herself in a situation with 2 people she didn’t like or trust seemed the height of stupidity.
I preferred just about every other character in the story; Alex's parents and his younger brother (definitely a more sensible and rationale man compared to Alex).
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
March 14, 2018
When they were children, Alex Sinclair rescued Lucy Fitzharris from her brother’s pranks. He vowed to protect her always, so… when her father, an English peer and his father’s best friend, asks him to marry her, he accepts. Because she’s illegitimate, Lucy has little chance to marry well in the London Ton. To accept Alex’s offer of marriage, she’s sent to Balforss against her will with only her adorable lap dog, Hercules for comfort.
Alex and his friends and cousins meet her at the docks to escort her to the family estate, but Alex decides to hide his identity as her future groom, and this is just the first misunderstanding between the two. Sparks fly. The chemistry between these two flares. They bicker and trick each other, but eventually learn to love each other.
Lucy is spoiled and privileged, and Alex is impulsive and jealous, yet as they face adversity together, they magnify each other’s best qualities, and become the heroine and hero we all want to root for.
Tying the Scot is a fun read that raised lots of smiles and chuckles from me. In addition, the setting and the descriptions of 19th century Scotland enchanted me as a reader. Balforss is a fantastic virtual vacation.
If you’re a fan of Scottish Historical Romances, this is one you’ve got to try for the endearing characters, the fiery romance and the magical descriptions of Balforss.
Alex and his friends and cousins meet her at the docks to escort her to the family estate, but Alex decides to hide his identity as her future groom, and this is just the first misunderstanding between the two. Sparks fly. The chemistry between these two flares. They bicker and trick each other, but eventually learn to love each other.
Lucy is spoiled and privileged, and Alex is impulsive and jealous, yet as they face adversity together, they magnify each other’s best qualities, and become the heroine and hero we all want to root for.
Tying the Scot is a fun read that raised lots of smiles and chuckles from me. In addition, the setting and the descriptions of 19th century Scotland enchanted me as a reader. Balforss is a fantastic virtual vacation.
If you’re a fan of Scottish Historical Romances, this is one you’ve got to try for the endearing characters, the fiery romance and the magical descriptions of Balforss.
August 12, 2019
Lucy is in love. But her father, the Duke, has different plans for her. He has arranged her marriage to the son of his long time friend. A scotsman. She only met her betrothed, Alex, once when they were kids. He defended her against her older brother's teasing and became her knight. But that was when they were kids, she's sure he is a brute now.
Lucy annoyed me in the beginning, but at the same time, I felt for her. She thought she was in love, and then found out she was to marry someone else and move far away. Not only that the man she thinks herself in love with is engaged to be married to another. But I was really impressed with the way she pulled herself together, and went to meet her scot, with her head held high.
Lucy and Alex didn't get along at first. They had a bumpy road, but eventually they found their way to each other. It was a sweet satisfying story, even if there were times when the characters would do things that I would screaming in my head for them not to do. I still enjoyed it.
Lucy annoyed me in the beginning, but at the same time, I felt for her. She thought she was in love, and then found out she was to marry someone else and move far away. Not only that the man she thinks herself in love with is engaged to be married to another. But I was really impressed with the way she pulled herself together, and went to meet her scot, with her head held high.
Lucy and Alex didn't get along at first. They had a bumpy road, but eventually they found their way to each other. It was a sweet satisfying story, even if there were times when the characters would do things that I would screaming in my head for them not to do. I still enjoyed it.
November 22, 2017
First time I have read this author. I am sure I will read her again.
Typical Scot story with a sassenach and a wild Scottish highlander. Lucy got a tad on my nerves and Alex did the same. They were both very naive and didn’t believe in each other. Lucy’s back and forth was tiring, but she finally got it together. Alex very Jamie Fraser like in some ways. A true ginger with his temper and impulsiveness.
Not much hotness. So don’t look for that. There is adventure and betrayal. Overall good story.
Received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
Typical Scot story with a sassenach and a wild Scottish highlander. Lucy got a tad on my nerves and Alex did the same. They were both very naive and didn’t believe in each other. Lucy’s back and forth was tiring, but she finally got it together. Alex very Jamie Fraser like in some ways. A true ginger with his temper and impulsiveness.
Not much hotness. So don’t look for that. There is adventure and betrayal. Overall good story.
Received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
November 26, 2017
I enjoyed Jennifer Trethewey's "Tying the Scot" for a variety of reasons: the honest and outright boldness in both the hero and heroine, Alex and Lucy. Their bickering and eventual love attraction was genuine although the author did a wonderful job stringing us along in that endeavor! The Scottish countryside has always intrigued me and I loved how Lucy and Alex met - as children. Trethewey used a good dose of humor and intrigue to keep the story moving forward. Great read. I'll watch for more from this author.
November 28, 2017
Adventure, kidnapping, highway robbers, men in kilts, and a clever, headstrong heroine — who could ask for more!? Tying the Scot was deliciously satisfying escapism with just the right dash of spice. I loved the romance (of course), but the interactions between the future Laird Alex and the people of Balforss brought unexpected pleasure. Beyond the story of Lucy and Alex, I fell for Balforss, and I can’t wait to return! I’m already planning for a relaxing bubble bath and a lovely read when Book 2 comes out.
November 23, 2017
Loved how the story opened, with the meeting of Alex and Lucy as children. I loved reading this story. Lucy is sent from her home to Northern Scotland, but instead of being a total brat about it, she makes the best of her situation. She finds herself falling in love with the area and the people, as well as her future husband.
Alex was a great match for her personality. Watching his reserves crumble around her was very fun. Very much recommend for any lovers of Highland romance.
Alex was a great match for her personality. Watching his reserves crumble around her was very fun. Very much recommend for any lovers of Highland romance.
August 26, 2020
Can I truly say that I read this one? I quit halfway through because I was just so frustrated with the main characters absolute refusal to communicate honestly. My momma instincts were kicking in so strongly I wanted to take them both by the ear and scold them for behaving like idiots. I didn't finish this book. I have enough stress in my life without adding fictional irritations.
November 27, 2017
I enjoy Scottish based stories and this one was a winning read.Well paced with drama,suspense and romance made for an entertaining book.The characters were true to life where Alex and Lucys bickering made the real.I read this book as an arc from netgalley and this is my honest opinion.
August 14, 2018
Listened to audiobook on YouTube while working on a Shutterfly album. Simple entertainment and I’m happy to have tried an audiobook but I didn’t like the narrator’s voices for the MCs but I did love her various accents.
January 27, 2018
Fast paced, action packed with well written plot and intriguing characters. Highly recommended for fans of Medieval Romance, Scotland and wonderful characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews