Sinful Scottish Laird

Highland Grooms #2

by Julia London

A young widow puts her sexy suitors to the test in New York Times bestselling author Julia London's scintillating return to the idyllic Scottish Highlands.

Widowed and forced to remarry in three years' time or forfeit her son's inheritance, Daisy Bristol, Lady Chatwick, has plenty of suitors vying for her hand and her fortune. But a letter from a long-lost love sends Daisy and her young son to her Scottish Highland estate to buy time for his return. Along the way she encounters the powerful Cailean Mackenzie, laird of Arrandale and a notorious smuggler, and she is utterly and unwillingly bewitched.

Cailean has no use for any Sassenach in his glen. But Daisy's brazen, flirtatious nature and alluring beauty intrigue him. When her first love appears unexpectedly at her estate, Cailean knows that a passionate woman like Daisy cannot marry this man. And to prevent the union, Cailean must put his own life at risk to win her heart.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Fiction, Adult

304 pages, Hardcover

First published February 28, 2017

About the author

Julia London is the New York Times and USA Today best selling author of more than two dozen romantic fiction novels. She is the author of the popular historical romance series, the Cabot Sisters, including The Trouble with Honor, The Devil Takes a Bride, and The Scoundrel and the Debutante. She is also the author of several contemporary romances, including Homecoming Ranch, Return to Homecoming Ranch, and The Perfect Homecoming.

Julia is the recipient of the RT Bookclub Award for Best Historical Romance and a six-time finalist for the prestigious RITA award for excellence in romantic fiction. To keep up with all the Julia London news, please visit http://www.julialondon.com. Follow her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/julialondon

Reviews

[WhiskeyintheJar · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.3 stars

Cailean fumed on the long walk to Arrandale, exasperated he'd been put on his heels by the Englishwoman, astounded that it had happened before he knew it, and amazed by her cheek. Och, she was barmy, that was what. And bonny. A barmy, bonny woman---the worst sort to have underfoot.

Second in the Highland Grooms series, the author has the son of the previous couple as the hero. I enjoyed this jump as I really liked the couple from the first and it felt like a fresh move. In fact, what I enjoyed the most from this story was the flip-the-script direction the author decided to take not only with the time jump but especially the heroine's personality.

Daisy, our heroine, is English, a widow, a self-proclaimed middling mother, and trying to avoid another unwanted marriage. She's almost thirty and when she sees our hero Cailean, mama want. Usually, in romance books, the pursuer is the hero while the heroine maidenly shies away, not so here. Daisy finds Cailean a lusty piece of man meat and with the confidence and drive of a woman almost thirty, she flirts, provokes, and is not shy about her attraction to him. I loved it, so few times do we get to see heroines like this (probably due to heroine's younger ages).

"You shouldn't come in."
"No," he agreed. "I shouldna kiss you, either."
She stepped back again, so that she was now very much in her room. "You keep saying that," she said and lifted her arms, pulling the pins from her hair.
Cailean watched her hair tumble down around her shoulders. "I keep meaning it," he said quietly.

Cailean I had a harder time connecting with. He was our burned once a billion times shy hero, and with my not feeling like his personality and soul of character was flushed out, it made his reluctance for angst sake denying Daisy pretty annoying. These two were really still at the starting line around the 50% mark, which made the story drag a bit for me.

The sort of villain felt a bit too done with his poopy personality and he fizzed out at the end; I like a little dedication from my villains, at least an attempted child kidnapping to get his way or something. The secondary character of Daisy's cousin Belinda was a bit uneven, but Daisy's son Ellis wonderfully stayed away from being overly cute or butting into my romance. The author did a great job with trying new things here and I greatly appreciated it, books in series should follow a connecting thread but not feel like the same story written over and over just with different names in the leads.

Our heroine Daisy was a breath of fresh air but I had problems connecting with our hero Cailean. Their romance took too long to get going causing the story to drag a bit and their declarations of love didn't feel like they had a solid foundation. The next book in the series is about Cailean's brother and I'm definitely going to read it and see what fresh new turn the author has in store while hoping some of the magic from the first in the series makes a return appearance.

"In the Highlands, if you want something, you reach for it."

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julia London returns to the Scottish Highlands in the region of Balhaire for Sinful Scottish Laird, the second book in her Highland Grooms series. Like the previous book, Wild Wicked Scot, the story takes place during a time of great unrest, with the Jacobites who are loyal to the deposed Stuart kings still actively trying to topple the Hanoverian monarchy installed just over three decades earlier. Unlike that book, however, the political background here is much more low key, even though there is the ever present discontent among the Highland population at their treatment by the English, especially when it concerns the ridiculously high taxes that are being levied on the basic goods that are needed to survive.

Shortages and high taxation rates naturally encourage the growth of “Free Trade” – smuggling – and Cailean Mackenzie, oldest son and heir of Laird Arran Mackenzie (hero of Wild Wicked Scot) and his brother Aulay frequently cross the seas to France in order to bring in cargoes of necessities as well as the finest French wines and brandies that can be sold at a tidy profit.

When he isn’t engaged in piracy, Cailean spends most of his time at his estate, Arrandale, working upon the house he is building for himself there. A youthful romance-gone-wrong has left him shy of emotional involvement and preferring to keep his relations with women informal and short-lived. At thirty-five, he has decided that love and marriage isn’t for him; he has grown to like his own company and solitary pursuits and is content to leave it to his brothers Aulay and Rabbie to secure the Mackenzie succession.

Daisy Bristol, the widow of Viscount Chatwick, has travelled to the Highlands to hide out at the hunting lodge of Auchenard, which is part of her late husband’s estate and now belongs to her nine-year-old son, Ellis. In his will, the late viscount stipulated that Daisy must marry within three years of his death, or her son’s inheritance will be forfeit – meaning Ellis will inherit the estate, but not the money to support it. Naturally, Daisy is furious; her husband actually told her to her face that he believed she would mismanage their son’s finances, which is why he added that claue to his will AND instructed Bishop Craig to help find Daisy a suitable second husband. Not wishing to subject herself to the control of another man – at least, not straight away – Daisy has put off marrying again for the past two years, but now realises the error of her ways as her time is running out. But then, out of the blue, news reaches her that she thinks will solve her problems. Before her parents made the match with Chatwick, Daisy had fallen in love with a young naval officer, Robert Spivey, but because he was not of her rank, was not allowed to marry him and he went away to sea. But now he has returned, and Daisy hopes that perhaps they can rekindle their romance with a happier outcome this time. But the bishop is eager to arrange a betrothal for her, and because her situation is widely known and there is no shortage of men eager to marry her money, Daisy decides it will be safer for her to get away from London and all those fortune-hunting potential suitors in order to await Rob’s return.

She, her son and their entourage are not far from their destination, when their carriage wheel breaks and they are stuck in the middle of nowhere. A group of riders approaches and offers help, but the English party is suspicious and believes they are about to be set upon – all except Daisy, who keeps a clear head and engages the leader of the men in conversation. Inside, however, she’s anything but calm. The big, handsome Scotsman with the piercing blue eyes stirs her blood and steals her breath, and it’s all she can do to politely send him on his way. But she can’t stop thinking about him, and the strength of her reaction; she’s been a widow for two years, and even when her husband was in good health, she’s never experienced such intense desire.

Over the next days and weeks, Daisy and Cailean encounter each other frequently, and while he is initially grumpy and downright hostile towards her, he gradually begins to admire her spirit and to enjoy spending time with Ellis, a quiet, but friendly boy who, Cailean realises, has had no proper male role model in his life. I liked that it’s Daisy who makes no secret of her admiration of Caliean and her attraction to him, while he’s adamant that he isn’t interested in her flirtation and doesn’t want to be “trifled with” – although as he comes to know her, he certainly does flirt back a little, and shows that beneath his guarded exterior is a man possessed of considerable warmth, charm and humour.

Of course, Cailean eventually discovers that Daisy has laid waste to all the barriers he’d erected around his heart, but there is more separating them than the fact that he’s a Scot and she’s English. It’s true that the English are not looked upon kindly by the Scots – and vice-versa – but there’s also the fact that with Ellis holding an English title, he needs to be educated and brought up in England so that he can make the connections he will need later in life. And complicating things still further, there’s the unexpected appearance in Scotland of Robert Spivey, formerly Captain Spivey of the Royal Navy – and the man who has been trying to apprehend Cailean and Aulay for more than a year.

I confess that I’m not the greatest fan of books with the words Highland or Scot in the title, as many of those I’ve read seem to have recycled the same plots and characters, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by this series so far. Sinful Scottish Laird is an extremely readable, character-driven romance in which the relationship between Cailean and Daisy remains front and centre throughout. The obstacles they have to face are very real, and although they are perhaps overcome a little too conveniently by the end, the journey on which the author takes us in order to get there is well put-together and contains moments of poignancy and heartbreak. There is a well-drawn secondary cast, and the background of hardship and political instability against which the tale is set permeates the story without being intrusive or detracting from the main storyline. The romance is lovely, the central characters are likeable, and the writing is infused with warmth and humour, making this a book I’d certainly recommend to others.

[Audrey Dry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Libro terminado! Siendo honesta este libro me lo pasó una amiga para que rompiera mi bloqueo de lector (me he pasado meses sin leer), y lo ha conseguido. De hecho lo he leído con unas amigas y nos ha encantado. No es un libro diferente a otro libro de romance, de hecho está lleno de tópicos (típicos de este tipo de novelas románticas ambientadas esta época). Pero la historia de Daisy y Cailan (Lucas para nosotras, nos gustaba más ese nombre) ha sido bastante interesante y ha tenido muy buen ritmo. Ya en el 15% la historia tenía mucho gancho: una mujer y dos pretendientes, que luego son tres, ya que se suma otro. A pesar de que sabíamos que el final sería el que estaba destinado a ser, hemos vivido las últimas líneas como las primeras.

En cuanto a la redacción es rápido de leer, y no solo por que el libro fuera corto, sino por que la pluma de la autora es ligera.

En definitiva, creo que es un buen libro para pasar un buen rato cuando se busca una lectura ligera. :)

[Stacee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I downloaded this on a whim and was interested by the plot line.

I liked Daisy and Cailean. Of course she's outgoing and he's stubborn and it was amusing to read them dance around each other. The banter was fun and the chemistry was off the charts. I especially loved the scenes with Cailean and his mother.

At times, the writing was a bit dense and the plot did get repetitive, but I liked where it was going. And I loved the ending. Overall, I'm intrigued at the idea of other books in the series.

**Huge thanks to Harlequin Books for providing the arc free of charge**

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review from 2017

I've given this an A for narration and a B for content at AudioGals, so that's 4.5 stars

This second book in Julia London’s Highland Grooms series, Sinful Scottish Laird, is an enjoyable, character-driven romance that takes place over thirty years after the events of Wild Wicked Scot, and in which the hero is the eldest son of Laird Arran Mackenzie and his English wife, Margot. Cailean Mackenzie spends most of his time at his own estate of Arrandale, working on the house he is building; and when he’s not doing that, he and his younger brother, Aulay, are braving the excise men and crossing the sea to France in order to bring back cargoes of the essential goods that shortages and high rates of taxation have put beyond the reach of the ordinary Scot – as well as the wine and brandy they can sell at a profit.

Out riding with a group of his men one day, Cailean comes across a broken-down carriage carrying an assortment of Englishmen and women, most of whom, it seems, are terrified and would quite happily shoot him. Only one person among them doesn’t appear to share that fear, a lovely woman that Cailean learns is Lady Chatwick, on her way to visit the lodge at Auchanard which is part of her young son’s inheritance. Cailean has long sworn off romantic entanglements – a youthful love affair gone wrong decided him that marriage wasn’t for him and he’s content with his solitary life – but there’s something about the way the woman seems quite oblivious to the fears of those around her and the way she looks at him that Cailean finds intriguing – against his better judgement.

Daisy Bristol, Viscountess Chatwick, has been a widow for over two years, and is still furious that her late husband tied up their son’s inheritance in such a way that Daisy will be forced to remarry within three years of his death, or forfeit the boy’s fortune. With the three years almost up, she has become the target of every fortune hunter in London, so in a desperate attempt to avoid them, Daisy decides to head to the Scottish Highlands to visit a very remote part of her son’s estate. She also hopes it will buy her the time she needs to rekindle her youthful romance with Robert Spivey, a naval officer that her parents deemed not worthy of her and whom she was forced to give up in order to marry Viscount Chatwick. Daisy has recently had a letter from Captain Spivey announcing his return to England, in which he clearly indicates his wish that they might meet again. Daisy is pinning her hopes on his offering for her on his return – even though she can’t dispel her often rather salacious thoughts about the big, handsome, auburn-haired Scotsman with piercing blue eyes who lives on the neighbouring estate.

Daisy and Cailean encounter each other frequently over the ensuing days and weeks, and I enjoyed the way their relationship begins as something of a reversal of the normal male/female roles, with Daisy employing gently flirtatious teasing in the face of Cailean’s gruff and sometimes outright hostility. I liked that she makes no secret of her attraction to him; and although he is adamant at first that he isn’t interested in her or her attempts to ‘trifle’ with him, he gradually unbends and starts to flirt back, revealing himself to be a man capable of considerable warmth and charm in spite of his outwardly impassive demeanour. When he sees the love Daisy clearly has for Auchanard, and the effort she is making to transform the rather neglected lodge into a home, Cailean realises she is not the spoiled society lady he had expected her to be and soon finds himself admiring and respecting her. A genuine friendship develops between them, although the simmering undercurrent of mutual attraction is never far away – but Cailean is a Highlander born and bred, and Daisy’s future lies in England with her son, who holds an English title and needs to live and grow up there in order to make the sorts of lifelong connections befitting someone of his station. But the ages old animosity between the Scots and the English isn’t the only thing that stands in the way of their being together; the unexpected arrival at Auchenard of Robert Spivey who, it turns out, has long been attempting to apprehend a certain group of Scottish smugglers, looks set to threaten Cailean’s very life as well as throw into sharp contrast Cailean’s dreams of making a life with Daisy with the truth of what her future must be.

The central conflict in the story is ever present in the background, but is never allowed to overwhelm the development of the central relationship, which Ms. London does very well. Cailean’s initial, gruff responses to Daisy’s flirting are amusing and quite endearing because it’s obvious the man is already entirely smitten, and having the heroine be the one to be consumed by lustful thoughts of the hero makes a refreshing change. Daisy is lively, clever and sophisticated, but has never felt anything like the force of the physical attraction she feels for Cailean. With the problem of her need in to remarry in order to preserve her son’s inheritance lying between them, theirs is a bittersweet romance with just the right amount of angst to engage the listener’s sympathies and keep us guessing as to how the author is going to allow this clearly meant-to-be-together couple to surmount their difficulties and achieve their HEA. Unfortunately, however, this is where the storytelling falters somewhat, because those difficulties are overcome very easily; so easily, in fact, that the dénouement is anticlimactic and I found myself asking why the author had made so much of the obstacles she had thrown into the path of true love only to conveniently handwave them away later.

But with that said, the romance between Daisy and Cailean is well-written and imbued with warmth, charm and sensuality. It’s definitely worth experiencing and in audio the listener is afforded the added benefit of the superb narration delivered by Derek Perkins. In fact, I can’t think of any other narrators who would be capable of performing this story so well; his velvety baritone is a treat for the ears and he really doesn’t put a foot wrong throughout, voicing every character appropriately and differentiating between them skilfully and effectively. In our recent interview, Mr. Perkins spoke about his approach to portraying the heroines in his narrations, and the importance of cadence and speech patterns as opposed to pitch in successfully realising a female character. I was reminded of those comments as I listened to his interpretation of Daisy; her voice isn’t pitched especially high, yet she’s clearly female, with a slight softening of tone and what I can only describe as a definitely feminine inflection to her speech. For Cailean, he adopts an attractive Scottish lilt father than a full-on brogue, an appropriate choice given that Cailean’s mother is English and we’re told that “his speech sounded as though it was tinged with a bit of an English accent.” Later in the story, the contrast between Cailean’s slightly accented tenor and Spivey’s lower pitched, harsher tone is a pointed one, and an excellent way of showing the differences between the two men in thought and attitude as well as in their outward speech and manner.

While the ending is a bit weak – hence the B grade for content – I enjoyed listening to Sinful Scottish Laird and am happy to recommend it. The romance is charming, the central characters are engaging and Derek Perkins further cements his position as one of the best narrators of historical romance around.

[Lover of Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance Summary
Daisy Bristol has been widowed for over two years now. She is raising her son on her own and will need to find a husband within the year or forfeit her son's inheritance as was stipulated in her late husbands will. Daisy also craves a man touch and has been alone for too long. She has come up to Scotland to give them time while she awaits word from the first man she cared for. But when she arrives in Scotland, at a estate that has been long forgotten, as she and her relatives work on cleaning up the estate she meets a certain Scot, who has an obvious disdain for her. Daisy isn't shy about a man she is interested in, and even though she has other plans to marry someone else, she can't deny her attraction to Cailean.Cailean has little tolerance for English lasses that manipulate and tease. He has his own past history with the English and even though his mother is English, he doesn't trust Daisy but he can't resist her beauty or infectious playful nature. But he will have to show her that the man she thinks she needs to marry is the worst thing she could ever do and to win her heart before its too late...

Plot and Story Line
So I wasn't sure what I was expecting here, I am not a fan of love triangles but I knew with Julia London writing, I had to pick it up since I do love everything that she writes. So I will admit that this story was a bit slow going at times. I did enjoy both characters though. The heroine is pretty bold and daring. I like that about her, and yeah it throws our hero Cailean off a bit. He isn't used to women being so obvious in their attraction or sexuality even.

"You're doing it again," he said, shifting closer to her.

"Doing what, pray?"

"Looking at me as if I'm a piece of cake that you'd very much like to eat."

The love triangle angle is not what you expect. Our heroine did love Robert at one time. But Robert is not a character you will like. Robert and Cailean are enemies to each other. So Daisy has to choose between a man she once loved and a man she is falling in love with. I also liked seeing the difference in seeing how these two men treat Daisy's son. Robert is so cold and abrupt with Ellis. But Cailean is totally opposite from that, teaching him and showing him how to be a Scottish lad. I just loved seeing these moments between them, because Ellis is such a shy and reserved boy and you see how much he grows. The romance between Cailean and Daisy is quite fun. I loved their bantering and every time they got together I knew I would be smiling. A charming and entertaining read.
The Cover
oh I just love this cover, it does have a Christmas color feel to it though. I love the mix of red and green, and such a sexy swoony pose too.
Overall View
Sinful Scottish Laird is full of amusing bantering, charming characters, a intriguing mix of rich filled history and romance to satisfy any romance reader!!
Click To Buy on Amazon
[foogallery id="24091"]

[Jultri · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 40%. Heroine is like a dog in heat after almost 3 years of widowhood. She takes her timid son to Scotland to escape the hordes of suitors hoping to take charge of her son's seizable inheritance. There she encounters a rare specimen of a man who doesn't respond to her flirtations. And what a fine male specimen he is, decked out in his kilt and Highland gear. And so she shamelessly ogles this most attractive laird and propositions him at any opportunity. Her brazen behaviour just got to much for my refined sensibilities. She is a mother and a noblewoman. Okay, I get she's sexually frustrated after so many years with an ill older husband and now widowhood, but have some dignity and decorum!! I read HR, because I'm in the mood for genteel and subtle behaviour. If I wanted random, overt, sexualised acts, I would be watching one of the many trashy reality TV shows. The little boy and the hero has potential, and Julia London has written some of my most favourite books, so it wasn't a total fail.



Good narration.

[Ana María · Rating 2 out of 5]

El comienzo de esta novela me resultó refrescante.
Tenemos a una mujer, viuda porque no vaya a ser soltera y caigamos en el infierno, que siente deseo por un hombre más allá de los sentimientos (en un principio) y se lo hace saber.
Con tanta mala suerte que ese hombre es un escocés cuyo corazón fue roto por una vil coqueta que jugó con sus sentimientos. Por lo que no quiere saber nada con esta viuda.
Hasta ahí todo bien, transcurre por los carriles esperados y todo eso.
Pero de la mitad para adelante se transforma en un sinsentido en que parece que van a pasar muchas cosas (extra relación sentimental) y todo queda ahí.... flotando en una nada y con una resolución del conflicto que... bah
No sé para qué se hicieron tanto problema.
Van mis dos estrellitas por la primera parte y las escenas sensuales.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story by Julia London. I am very much enjoying these books via audiobook, the narrator does an excellent job. This is a story about knowing what you want and taking it — be damned the consequences.

[Missy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at SmexyBooks-http://smexybooks.com/2017/02/review-...

Favorite Quote: “Had she been any other place, Daisy might have fanned herself. As it was, she was on the verge of swooning […] in that moment of lust and fear, she could not think of a single other time she has ever been so completely enthralled by one man.”

Daisy Bristol, Lady Chadwick, dutifully married the man her parents choose for her despite her love for another. An arranged marriage to a much older man, Daisy grew to care deeply for him. When he contracts an illness right after the birth of their son that confines him to bed, ending all any and all engagements, Daisy chooses to stay faithful and by his side. Having developed an affectionate relationship with him and assuming he felt the same, she was shocked when he tells her that she would have to remarry within three years of his death or their son would forfeit his title and inheritance.

Enjoying the attentions of eligible men vying for her affections, Daisy soon realizes none of them are attracted to her but more her money. Besieged by fortune hunters, Daisy takes to hiding in her townhouse, until she receives a letter from her first love, Captain Robert Spivey. He declares his love for her has never died and is resigning his commission and coming home to her. Unable to remain in London to wait for him, Daisy packs up her household and travels to Scotland to her husband’s hunting lodge, Auchenard, for some peace and quiet until Robert arrives in London and they can meet. On the way there, a broken wheel forces her party to stop and there she meets a man who sets her heart pounding and her fantasies racing.

“She closed her eyes and imagined being kidnapped by him, carried off on the back of his horse, tossed onto a bed in some rustic castle. She imagined his hands his rather large hands on her body.”

Cailean Mackenzie, laird of Arrandale, is the future Laird of the Clan MacKenzie. Fans of this series will note that his parents were the hero and heroine of book one-Wild Wicked Scott. A serious, brooding man, he has sworn off marriage after a woman played with his affections only to turn down his proposal of marriage due to his heritage. He is not pleased to see a Sassenach entering his glen and living so close to his family, his home, and his secrets.

“You should is no’ safe for Sassenach women and children. Repair your wheel, turn about, and head for the sea.”

Daisy is once again besieged by suitors once news of her fortune gets out; except by the man she wants. Cailean goes out of his way to avoid Daisy. He and his family have secrets that could spell disaster should the English catch wind of it. He has no need for women, especially not an English one and But he soon finds himself unwillingly drawn to her, seeking her out time and time again much against his will.

Sinful Scottish Laird is the second installment in Julia London’s historical Highland Grooms series but is structured to be comfortably read as a standalone. This sensual, heartfelt, and amusing story brings together a young widow who is determined to live her life on her own terms and a conflicted Scotsman whose former dealings with the English and women has left a bad taste in his mouth. Witty dialogue and an and interesting foray through the Scotland countryside and the political intrigues of this era adds to the appeal and conflict of the story-making the actions of the characters far more believable.

Though all the characters are charming and well developed, Daisy is the strongest and most compelling of the lot. She is a contradiction with her vivacious, bold, and seemingly flighty personality that is at odds with her intelligence, strength, and sheer willpower. She is still reeling from the betrayal of her husband and the discovery that she was nothing more than a womb for his child. She is angry that her agency has been taken from her by her late husband and is determined to find her happiness while securing her child’s legacy. At times she seems a little too modern for this time period but her widowhood grants her much leeway.

Meeting Cailean and indulging in her attraction to him is at first a way to pass the time. As she spends more time with Cailean, she sees the strength and loyalty that resides within him and falls in love. She holds a faint bit of hope that Cailean will be her knight in shining armor, giving her the life she wants but she knows deep down that there is only one choice she can make to ensure her son’s future.

“She was losing him, losing herself. She was losing everything. Her freedom. Her garden. Her heart. Everything was lost.”

Cailean is quite the curmudgeon at times whose past and future hold tight to him. Building his home and planning on taking over the clan when his father steps down is both a blessing and a weight upon his shoulders. Daisy annoys him at first with her playfulness and brazen flirting. She reminds him of a prior lover and he refuses to play her games. As he gets to know her, he sees the brilliant witty woman who lights up a room with her smile and laughter. He sees a loving mother and a caring friend. Delightful scenes brimming with wit and charm only serve to further fuel the burning chemistry that exists between this couple.

“You bewitch me, Daisy.” He said gruffly. “From the first moment I laid eyes on you, you have bewitched me.”

Though the romance is what certainly will capture readers attention most, the relationship that truly commanded a large part of this reader’s heart is between Cailean and Ellis, Daisy’s son. Cailean takes a young boy who’s scared of his own shadow and begets a friendship that gives this child joy, strength, and confidence.

“Rest assured when you come back, I’ll be right here, just over those trees, waiting for you to come round and tell me your adventures.”

“Do you swear it”

“I give you my word as a Highlander and a Mackenzie.”

Sinful Scottish Laird is an appealing addition to London’s Highland Grooms saga that offers readers an amusing and heartfelt romance swirling with intrigue, conflict, and reluctant hearts. Perfect for all those who love an emotional historical romance that champions the indomitable will of love and family.

Grade: B

[HR-ML · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scottish Highlands 1742. This had good sexual tension
and sex, but not overly long scenes. Let's face it some
of these scenes in Romance-land are too long/ too boring.
Gave this 3 stars.

Stunning Daisy was widow of a viscount x 2 years & several
mos. Her 9 yr old son Ellis seemed sickly & she over-
protected him. Daisy, Ellis + escorts went to the Highlands
for Ellis to see the property he inherited. Mother and son felt
freer and happier in Scotland.

Cailean, (the ultimate hero) would become his clan's Laird
when his sire stepped down. Hero loved an inconsistent/
false English lady years ago, so he had no trust for the English.

Daisy's late spouse wrote an improbable will pressuring her
to re-marry inside of 3 years of his death. Daisy chose Rob
her one true love, she had not seen for years, as the man to
wed. Rob retired as a Royal Navy captain. Rob knew of but
had never met the hero, a smuggler, but the hero referred
to himself as a 'free trader.'

I liked that Daisy freely admitted (separately) to hero and
then Rob, that she had sexual needs. Rob shamed her about
this. Cailean ran emotionally hot/ cold toward the h, but
encouraged Ellis to try new things and to be less timid. The
2 main males distrusted each other: natch. Both wanted
to claim the heroine.

[Deborah Blanchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must say that I did enjoy this book very much. I am not one for steamy romance books, however, this was tastefully done. Julia London does know how to weave a tale. Filled with sexual tension, this book is also filled with love. Lady Chatwick, Daisy, has lost her husband and has only 3 years to find a husband or lose her sons' inheritance. Her departed husband has demanded this. She travels from London to Scotland to their hunting lodge and it is here that she meets Cailean a Scottish Laird. This is full of Lords and Ladies, not my typical read, but it is a good read. The characters are richly developed and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them all. I especially liked Daisy. She was no fool and wants to find true love, not be controlled by a man. She is free spirited and I loved that about her. Cailean is rough and tough, but with a heart of gold. This is truly a love story. That is why I liked it so much. It kept my interest throughout and has wonderful flow from beginning, to end. I was a little uncomfortable with some of the love scenes, but it really didn't bother me enough to stop reading.I , actually found it hard to put down. I look forward to reading more from this author. This is a sexy, historical fiction, so if that is what you like, then you will love this. I did.

[SidneyKay · Rating 1 out of 5]

What happened?

I must ask myself - was I in a bad mood when I read Sinful Scottish Laird? I examined myself. I wasn't in a bad mood, nothing was going on in my life; I wasn't mad at anyone, my feelings were not hurt, I was not depressed, feeling blue, filled with angst or boo-hooing. For whatever reason, I have once again found myself in the minority position of not liking a book everyone else seems to be crazy about. Let me be a little bit more explicit; this book was almost a DNF for me. I said almost. Here are some of the reason's it didn't become a DNF: Julia London is one of my auto-buy authors and I have great respect for her writing. I also like the relationship between our hero Cailean and our heroine’s son Ellis. I liked the first book in the series, Wild Wicked Scot, very much and was hoping, hoping, hoping as I turned each page in Sinful Scottish Laird that somehow, something would save it. By the time I reached page 122 (out of 248), I knew my wish was not to be. But, through dogged determination I slogged through the entire book.

Here are some of my issues with this book - where to begin? Where to begin? Let's start with Arran MacKenzie, the father of our hero and the hero of the previous book Wild Wicked Scot. This is an "all about me" moment. When my romance heroes age, they better age well. If they have aches, pains and can barely stand I have a problem. I have never been a big fan of watching my book heroes disintegrate. I don't like heroes who I have formed an attachment to moan, groan and start knocking on deaths doorway. They need to be spry, energetic and still have that twinkle in their eyes or eye (they may have been a pirate). If they are struggling physically, then we are crossing the line into a different sub-genre of a sub-genre of a genre. In order to do that, the writing better be superb or it won't work. Sure, sure, back in the good old days of the bodice rippers, a number of our heroes bit the dust and the heroines moved on to other men - lots of men. But I wasn't a fan of those books either. Of course Arran doesn't die in this one, but he was struggling so hard I had to make sure he was the hero of the last book. It was depressing.

But with all of that one of my biggest issue in this book was with Daisy Bristol, our heroine. Daisy - PpppBbbtt!! What an unlikeable frustrating woman. I'm not sure what the author was trying to do with her. While I'm a big fan of strong women in romance books, I'm really not a fan of heroines portrayed as sluttish teases. Yes, I know how most of us feel about romance widows who don't partake of any humpidy-doo or don't scratch that widowhood itch, ever! Daisy just didn't have any constancy when it came to her urges. It seemed to me that any old "pole" in the storm would have been good enough for her. Oh sure, Cailean was the main heart beater, flush creator, throb-maker, but she wasn't above rolling shoulders at other men. All of this while she was waiting for the man from her past who supposedly she loved. That would be Robert Spivey an English Navy officer. Remember we are in Scotland in the tumultuous 1700s. Incidentally, Daisy tries to seduce Robert - tongue in mouth, hands moving up thighs - so it's more than just an eyelash flutter.

Another of my concerns. It seems that Daisy's dead husband stipulated in his will that unless she married within three years of his death, she would lose their sons inheritance. What does that mean? I didn't get it. Does that mean the son would be walking the streets begging? Would this have even been legal? Her husband was a Viscount, so we are talking inherited stuff here. I don't know if any of this would have been legal having never studied English inheritance laws of the 18th century. Wouldn't there have been some kind of a guardian for the underage viscount? It's Ellis' money, not Daisy's so none of this stipulation thing made any sense. Plus the fortune hunting men who were sniffing around Daisy added to my confusion. It was not her money! This whole business was a huge distraction for me. I felt as if I was missing something; it just didn't make any sense.

Cardboard. The wonderful dynamics of Wild Wicked Scot were missing in this book. I kept waiting for something to happen, and that doesn't mean a villain needs to jump out of the pages. No I found myself waiting for some chemistry between Daisy and Cailean to appear in front of my eyes. Much to my chagrin, nothing ever happened. He was a cardboard character and she was just a tease.

Belinda. Not even the secondary character of Belinda could save this story. In fact, I was not able to understand whether she was supposed to be funny, mean or unhinged.

The only thing that saved this book from the wall was nine year old Ellis and his relationship with Cailean. Ellis was a well-developed character. He begins as a coddled, scared little child who hides behind his mother’s skirt and slowly changes into a laughing knee-scraping boy. This transformation is due to the tender guiding hand of Cailean. Their relationship was so special I even felt a tear forming when Ellis was forced to go to London with Daisy. I just wish the rest of the book had been as good.

Bottom line. I was disappointed in the second in the Highland Grooms series. I disliked the fickle, tease Daisy immensely. Cailean was a cardboard hero and I felt like a gerbil in one of those round exercise wheels - reading, reading, reading and never getting anywhere.

While I gave the overall book low marks, the character of Ellis gets high ones.

KaysBlog

[Deniz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Another sizzling book in the series...

I was completely take by Wicked Wild Scot. Ended up reading this back to back. Simply because I wanted- nay needed more. Retrospectively that might have been a disfavor. I think I had such high expectations, they were simply hard to meet.
So everything I read in Sinful Scottish Laird was compared to WWS.
While the first installment boasted a rather different storyline - Sinful Scottish Laird, no so much.
Don't get me wrong. It's interesting and compelling. But it was more cliche than the first book...
The character building is done excellently. The relationship between the characters is beyond interesting and I adore their subtle yet big changes.
The writing style is beautiful. There are wonderful descriptions of the Highlands, that made me want to go back for a visit.

A beautiful, enticing and sizzling novel definitely a must read for lovers of the genre

[Joan · Rating 1 out of 5]

A lusty older widow and a hunky young Scotsman. Not much chemistry. Dull and boring.

[Katherine 黄爱芬 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Daisy Bristol, Lady Chatwick, memutuskan utk bersembunyi dari London dan pergi ke Auchenard, Skotlandia, tempat berburu mendiang suaminya. Rumor pun menyebar bhw Lady Chatwick ini mencari suami krn deadline-nya utk hrs menikah lagi tinggal setahun. Tapi Daisy sudah memutuskan akan menikah dgn Robert Spivey, cinta pertamanya.

Daisy boleh berencana, namun sejak bertemu dgn Cailean Mackenzie, Laird Arrandale, seorang penyelundup sekaligus tetangga baru Daisy, dia tidak bisa menolak ketertarikannya pd bujangan ini. Bagaimana Daisy memutuskan mengakhiri masa lajangnya, apakah memilih Robert atau Cailean?

Alur cerita sebenarnya okay, tapi sejak awal saya kurang suka dgn karakter Daisy yg genit dan kecentilan terhadap Cailean. Kemudian, makin gak suka karena Daisy berselingkuh. Daisy batal dgn Robert pun krn tampaknya Robert emoh bermesraan dgn dirinya krn blm menikah. Sisi bagusnya novel ini justru momen-momen saat Cailean mengajari Ellis - anak Daisy, utk menjadi pria sejati, bukan anak manja yg selalu dilindungi ibunya. Dan Daisy juga punya hobi unik mengotori tangannya dgn berkebun. Selebihnya dari novel ini tidak menggugah saya. Kedua pasangan ini selalu didorong-dorong oleh pihak keluarga, terutama Cailean, malah bikin saya kurang sreg. Daisy juga terlalu naif bagi saya.

Baiklah, lanjut kapan-kapan terusan seri ini.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this. Good book, good series so far. 4☆

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has been a while since I read just a good historical romance book. It was a fun read, with sex, love, and the constraints of propriety. Enjoyable weekend read.

[Joana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've received this eArc in exchange for an honest review

review in Portuguese: http://pepitamagica.blogspot.co.uk/20...

In the second book of the Highland Grooms series, Julia London takes us back to Scotland. In the first book, the main characters were Margot Armstrong and Arran McKenzie. Now, this is the story of their son, Cailean Mackenzie, and an English lady, Lady Daisy Bristol.

Daisy is a widower with a young son. When she discovers that he has a small property in Scotland, she decides to take him there, to be away from all her suitors, but also to try and improve the boy’s health.

The attraction between Daisy and Cailean is almost instantaneous, but what I really liked was that although that attraction was there, it was more than that. Their relationship was a mix of friendship, love and support. Cailean is great with Daisy’s son, and he really likes him, independently of who his mother is.

The possible relationship between Daisy and Cailean is threatened by the Scottish rising (the Jacobites) and the English, which makes it hard for them to be friends, even harder to be more than that. But both Cailean and Daisy are stubborn and know how to fight for what they want. How they manage it, you’ll have to read the book to find out. And believe me, you’re going to like it.

Romance, friendship, some passion and lust – these are the perfect ingredients that make the book so easy and pleasant to read. I like Julia London’s books more and more every day.

[Katy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

Ugh. This book.
If this book were a person, I'd have smacked it upside its head. If it was two people, I would have smacked their heads together. Since it is neither of those things, I just smacked my own head against a table repeatedly.



This book was just too...flippy floppy. Angst is good. Indecision is fine. Frustrating characters can be fun. This was just annoying.

Daisy is a widow with a young boy. Her late husband was like most men of that time, convinced her she was completely incompetent without a man. He decided to stipulate that Daisy had to find a husband within three years of his passing or their son would forfeit his inheritance. Daisy is, of course, horrified, until she gets a letter from Robert, the man she was madly in love with before her father decided to give her hand in marriage to Chatwick, the man she ended up marrying. He wants to see her/marry her. Daisy sees this as a win-win. She gets to marry, her son keeps his inheritance, and she doesn't end up with a broke, fortune-hunting stranger. The clock on her three year deadline is ticking, so to buy herself some time, she takes her son to a property in Scotland that is part of his inheritance. Her neighbor is Cailean, the Sinful Scottish laird in question. Cailean is a smuggler, and proud of it, and is not so keen on English women, having had his heart broken once before. Daisy quickly learns to love Scotland and everything about it, including her neighbor. It also turns out that Robert, Daisy's long lost love is in the British Navy and wants to see Cailean arrested. Or hung. You know. But Robert isn't really the man Daisy remembers. In fact, he's kind of awful. So it goes.
I'm a fan of closed off alpha men being brought to their knees by sudden love. Hell, it's half the fun. But I don't like angry men who are angry at the woman they are in love with for making them love again. Or at all. They can be angry at themselves, or fate, whatever. But there were a few times that Cailean was almost hostile. And a bit of an asshole. I did not like it.



I don't usually mind a more modern outlook in my romance novels. Most of the time, unless done really well, it is incredibly unsexy to read about the dynamics of a relationship in the 19th century (or any century before that). But this was a little too modern. Cailean seemed genuinely surprised when Daisy woke up naked in his arms thinking there was a change in their relationship. You think? I found myself seriously wanting to punch him in face.

I liked Daisy, I did. But her flippy-floppiness (very articulate, right?) just got old so quickly. Either love the man or don't. Either hate the man or don't. Either marry the man or don't. I did eventually get to the point where I was rooting for them, but I think it was more out of frustration than anything else.

I get that Daisy was written to be someone that a wild Scotsman would fall in love with but I was constantly wondering what she was like when she was in London. We don't see a change in her when she arrives in Scotland, she just shows up on the first page like that. I thought she was a wonderful character, I just didn't believe it. We just automatically see a woman who doesn't mind getting her hands dirty (literally), randomly walks around in her night clothes, and does some major old-fashion swearing. (I have the mouth of a sailor, I'm not against swearing. I'm just used to other characters at least commenting on said swearing when it happens in the book.) I would have liked to see her grown into a woman that loves Scotland, it would have seemed more realistic. Instead, I found myself wondering how she was ever a successful part of London society or even London at all.

For all of my complaints, it was still an enjoyable read. I don't really recommend it, but I'm not sorry I read it. It was the kind of book that half the time I loved it, the other half I wanted to throw it across the room. So, math-wise, it landed somewhere in the middle.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sinful Scottish Laird is the second book in the Highland Grooms series. One of the things that I didn't expect is that it takes place more than thirty years after the events of Wild Wicked Scot. Cailean is the first born of the main characters of the first book. This jump in time threw me off at first, but didn't take place from my enjoyment of the story. In fact, I liked this one much more that the first book.

The characters in the book were wonderful. I loved watching Cailean and Daisy fall for each other. Their banter was a lot of fun and really added to the formation of their friendship. I also really loved the scenes with Cailean and Ellis, Daisy's son. Reading about a big brawny Scotsman interact with a small child always hits me right in the heart.

I do recommend this one. It's a quick read because it sucks you right into the story and makes you want to say up late into the night to see if they get their HEA!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
This is the second book in Julia London’s Highland Grooms series. The hero, Cailean Mackenzie, is the son of Arran and Margot from the first book in this series. At a young age, Cailean had his heart broken by an English girl, who led him on but “could never marry a Scot”. As such, Cailean has no plans to ever wed and is building a home not far from his parents and an unkempt hunting lodge owned by some Englishman.

Daisy, Lady Chatwick, a widow with a young son (Ellis), is almost out of time to remarry per her late husband’s will. If she doesn’t marry in the time allowed she forfeits her son’s inheritance. She’s hoping to marry her first love, Robert, a naval officer if he returns in time. Tired of the fortune hunters in London, she decides to visit her late husband’s hunting lodge in the highlands.

The lodge is run down, but her neighbor, Cailean, is very tempting. Ellis, a quiet shy boy, thrives in Scotland as Cailean teaches him all sorts of things boys like to do. When Robert arrives, she realizes she can never marry him as she loves Cailean, who vows never to wed.
After she has left, Cailean realizes he doesn’t want to live without her.

I don’t like to write plot spoilers. There is so much more going on with Daisy, Cailean and the secondary characters that I don’t wish to spoil. I liked catching up with Cailean’s parents from the first book. They helped him see what he was missing.

Thanks to the author for allowing me this ARC. Release date is February 28th.
I do not know why there are all these comments that Goodreads added - this was a paperback and I don't know about all the other stuff they added above my review.

[Andrea Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a historical romance that has romance in it. I should have known that Julia London wouldn't disappoint.

Cailean and Daisy are a fabulous duo. He had a bad relationship with an English woman and Daisy is a widow, whose husband left a will that states that she had to marry within three years of his death or forfeit her son's inheritance.

That was the main reason I wanted to read this book. What husband is going to tell his wife to remarry STAT after his death or else their would be nothing for their child? I wish there would have been some explanation as to why Chadwick would have cut off his heir, if his wife didn't remarry. That was the only thing that struck me as odd.

Before I go into the review, I have to say that early on in the book there were two things that appealed to my tv geek. When Daisy was asking Belinda about Cailean's allure..I went all "Miranda" geeky, as Stevie, who was Miranda's bff was always going on about allure.

Then there was a mention of "Your Auntie Grizelda." That's one of the silliest songs by The Monkees.

I can't believe how much I liked this book. It is everything I like in a historical romance. Granted, it suffers from the one issue I have with most books in this genre these days. Its a little too long. I'm a lover of the regency romance that was only about 200 pages long. (I grew up on these). Even the standard historical novels weren't as long. They got their point across, they had hot sex and the HEA.

I was oddly surprised that Cailean and Daisy didn't really have sex until the book was nearly half through. The chemistry between these two was amazing, even as Cailean fought against it. I also loved how he really took to Daisy's son Ellis. It was so easy to see that these two belonged together no matter what.

From the get go, I knew that there was something not right with Robert, Daisy's love from before her marriage. I wish he wouldn't have turned out to be such a fink, from the time he appeared in Scotland, I knew he wasn't all she was hoping he would be.

But I'm not complaining, because this book was such fun. If you like historical romance, don't miss this book!

[A Hopeless Romantic's Booklandia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I wasn't sure if I should admit this because it makes me look a little bit like a dork, but oh well, it worked out quite nicely, so I will. My confession is that after I read Julia Quinn's Because of Miss Bridgerton and loved it, I went looking for more of her books - only I had a total brain fart and I looked for Julia London instead. I might have come by Sinful Scottish Laird and Ms. London by mistake, but it was without a doubt the best case of mistaken identity I've experienced! I absolutely loved Sinful Scottish Laird, it was amazing!

Daisy is so fun! She's playful and merry and teasing. She almost always has a smile on her face and a laugh just waiting to be let out. That's not to say that Daisy doesn't have a serious side to her because she does. She is passionate, strong, and she's willing to do whatever to make the best life for her son even if that means she can't have what she wants. Daisy is a lovely, lovely heroine and I positively loved, loved, loved her!

Cailean amused me greatly at the beginning of the book because he was trying to deny his attraction to Daisy and trying to resist her charms. He was so serious and so no-nonsense, it was fun to watch Daisy tease him. There is more to Cailen than that stuffy attitude though. He can be incredibly sweet at times, playful at some, and utterly heart melting at others. Cailean is wonderful and he complete captured my heart!

Sinful Scottish Laird was sexy and fun, it made me laugh and smile so much. It made my heart ache and made me want to cry a little bit, it made me angry and want to yell sometimes too. Sinful Scottish Laird was beautiful, entertaining, heartwarming, and marvelous. I can't wait to read the next book in the series and just more of Ms. London in general!

Sinful Scottish Laird is the second book in the Highland Grooms series but you can read it as a standalone, it's told from Cailean and Daisy's POV, and yes, they do get their happily-ever-after!

~ Sonja, 5 Stars

[Lori ◡̈ · Rating 2 out of 5]

So incredibly boring.

The story had a trope that I normally adore... a heroine that is crazy for the hero, but the hero is resistant to love and fights the attraction.

But this heroine, Daisy, was way too forward for the time period. So much so that she came off as a loose-moraled, sex kitten wanna-be. It was painful to watch actually, I was embarrassed for her. Her flirtatious ways were just so unseemly, especially since she supposedly has a fiance on his way to town to meet her. I question why the hero even eventually became fond of her.

Her cousin Belinda was a huge party pooper, her young son was pathetically sad...

Overall the first half of the book was just super slow boring with unlikeable characters (up to that point). It could have gotten better, but I wasn't interested to stick around and see.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't like Daisy - too forward for the time period, even for a widow. Couldn't get a good grasp on Cailean. Daisy's cousin Belinda was a total pill. And Robert, Daisy's supposed first and only love? Blech! Add to that the overuse of 'brogue' and I just didn't care for it.

[Cameran · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF -- April 2017

Boring.

[Househippo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could not figure out what either of these people saw in one another and the whole plot dragged.

[Angela Hates Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread for me and I loved it. This series is one of my faves.