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Broadswords and Ballrooms #3
How to Train Your Highlander
A foolproof plan to avoid marriage: 1. Always carry at least three blades. 2. Ride circles around any man. 3. Never get caught in a handsome duke's arms. Wild Highlander Mary Elizabeth Waters is living on borrowed time. She's managed to dodge the marriage banns up to now, but even Englishmen can only be put off for so long . . . and there's one in particular who has her in his sights. Harold Percy, Duke of Northumberland, is enchanted by the beautiful hellion who outrides every man on his estate and dances Scottish reels while the ton looks on in horror. The more he sees Mary, the more he knows he has to have her, tradition and good sense be damned. But what's a powerful man to do when the Highland spitfire of his dreams has no desire to be tamed? Contains mature themes.
Audio CD
First published December 6, 2016
60 people are currently reading
710 people want to read
About the author
Christy English
37 books407 followersEver since Christy English picked up a fake sword in stage combat class at the age of fourteen, she has lived vicariously through the sword-wielding women of her imagination. Sometimes an actor, always a storyteller, Christy works happily with Sourcebooks Casablanca to bring the knife-throwing women of her novels to life. A banker by day and a writer by night, she loves to eat chocolate, drink too many soft drinks, and walk the mountain trails of her home in western North Carolina. Please visit her at http://www.ChristyEnglish.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
August 24, 2020
3.5 stars... not sure if I should round up or down.
Last book of the series and most anticipated because I have loved Mary Elizabeth from the start of book 1 of this series!
Unfortunately, Mary Elizabeth was half the bad ass she was in the first 2 books. I do hate it when an author builds a character up in books prior to their own, only to leave them lacking in their own book. I'm not complaining that the book was un enjoyable.
It's just that Mary has been labled scandalous because she carries knives and blades, and actually pulled a sword on an Earl in book 2. But she never got to prove her value in her own book. She was never kidnapped and allowed to show how much of a badass she could be....Bummer, because I was really looking forward to seeing more of what she was capable of.
The Duke was lovable in his own way. He was a total contradiction. He didn't smile because he was taught never to show emotion, yet he worked in the yard, digging up plants, doing manual labor. He was a recluse and avoided parties and entertainment, and he had no issue with being rude to the ladies of the ton when he deemed necessary.
Even though I enjoyed his pursuit of Mary as he pretended to be a poor relation of the Duke. I felt that his apology to Mary for his actions were lackluster and not heart felt. I see this as a
Last book of the series and most anticipated because I have loved Mary Elizabeth from the start of book 1 of this series!
Unfortunately, Mary Elizabeth was half the bad ass she was in the first 2 books. I do hate it when an author builds a character up in books prior to their own, only to leave them lacking in their own book. I'm not complaining that the book was un enjoyable.
It's just that Mary has been labled scandalous because she carries knives and blades, and actually pulled a sword on an Earl in book 2. But she never got to prove her value in her own book. She was never kidnapped and allowed to show how much of a badass she could be....Bummer, because I was really looking forward to seeing more of what she was capable of.
The Duke was lovable in his own way. He was a total contradiction. He didn't smile because he was taught never to show emotion, yet he worked in the yard, digging up plants, doing manual labor. He was a recluse and avoided parties and entertainment, and he had no issue with being rude to the ladies of the ton when he deemed necessary.
Even though I enjoyed his pursuit of Mary as he pretended to be a poor relation of the Duke. I felt that his apology to Mary for his actions were lackluster and not heart felt. I see this as a
August 25, 2017
This book was just all over the place. It started out great. I was so excited. Then it slid down to really good. I was like Okay. Just a bit of a lull. It will pick back up. Then it did! Then it just took a nose dive and got progressively worse. I was so disappointed.
The plot is pretty basic. Untamable Scottish Mary Elizabeth can not be tamed. She was forced to come to England to go husband shopping, at least for a while. She is a guest at the house of the Duke of Northumberland who is also known as the reclusive Duke. Recluse Duke. Something like that. Anyways. Harry, our aforementioned Duke, is sick of being chased around for marriage so he is wandering around his estate doing a bunch of gardening/stable work. Naturally, Mary Elizabeth mistakes him for a stable boy, then a gardener. Then she (logically) assumes he is some weird gardening stable boy. She doesn't treat him disrespectfully per se (especially compared to how more nobility treats their servants) but obviously, she doesn't treat him like a Duke. And Harry likes that. So he lets her think he is a stableboygardener. For wayyyy longer than he should. Then he still doesn't have the balls to admit that he's a Duke, so then he pretends to be a poor cousin of the Duke. From there it just shifts into now you're just humiliating her because she is the only one that doesn't know that you are freaking royalty. I was not a fan of that. It is cute up until a point. You know, like when nobility comes to his giant "I need to find a wife" house party and she can't figure out why the women are fawning over Harry. But then it gets really sweet because Harry only has eyes for Mary Elizabeth and knows it and is just fine with everyone else knowing it too. This book really a giant slinky of good-not so good-good-not so good. It is finally established that everyone loves everyone but Mary Elizabeth doesn't want to get married. She said in the beginning and she means it in the middle. Being the genre that this is, we all know she doesn't mean it in the end.
For the first 30% of this book, I kept picturing Harry as someone closer to twenty than thirty. There was something about the way he was described and the way he spoke that screamed more twenty-something Wesley from The Princess Bride (I looked this up, Cary Elwes was 25 when making that movie) and less thirty-year-old Man Jaded by Meddling Mamas and Duchy Hunters. He was supposed to have this world-weariness about him that just wasn't there. By the end of the book, he came off as petulant and self-pitying. I liked that he knew he loved Mary Elizabeth pretty early. I'm a sucker for romances with the men chasing the women for you know, lurrv reasons.
There was one small detail that probably shouldn't have bothered me as much as it did, but guess what? It did. In the beginning of the first sex scene, Mary Elizabeth sits on top of him. They aren't fully undressed yet but Harry has a mild freak out. He actually scolds her. He basically says, using the ballroom analogy In the bedroom, just like on a ballroom, I always lead. Always. That's how it's done. And that is that. It is never discussed again. He thumps his chest, is always on top and goes about his merry way. It was really off-putting. Mostly because it was included. Everything included in a book should be there for a reason. Much like scenes in a movie. If the camera zooms in on a cup, I usually assume that said cup is important. But if it isn't zoomed in on, it is just a cup sitting on a table in the background. It is perfectly okay for Harry to have that preference in the bedroom. Whatever. But why mention it? What does it add to the book? It isn't particularly sexy considering the actual plot of this book. It is all about Harry falling in love with a wild Scottish woman that is unlike any English woman he has ever met. He loves that she is wild and untamed and completely herself. He loves all the crazy things about her including the fact that she fishes, drinks whiskey, and always carries three blades on her at all times. But GOD FORBID she sit astride his lap while undressing for sexytimes. Perish the thought. Having a half naked woman sitting on your lap is apparently very bad for Duke egos. I swear, I could actually see him shaking his pointer finger at her in my head. Ugh. Maybe it's just me.
Mary Elizabeth was your standard too cool for school heroine. I liked that she genuinely didn't want to get married because it just didn't fit with what she wanted for life but it was written well enough that when she finally and obviously acquiesced I felt like she was actually settling. Harry was lovely and all, but she was right, being a Duchess really wouldn't suit her. I really felt like she was caging herself in something she would later regret. And that isn't particularly romantic.
This is really turning out to be one of those books that I thought was a decent 4/3.5 stars and as I review it is quickly taking a nose dive. I did enjoy some of it, I swear! I think most of it was watching Harry chase Mary Elizabeth. As is mentioned manyyy times, a Duke never has to chase after a bride. They just fall at his feet. He actually had to work to win over Mary Elizabeth and that was such fun to read.
Did I enjoy it? Yes. Would I recommend it? Sure. But don't spend 8 bucks on it or anything. I may not regret reading it but I know I won't read it again.
The plot is pretty basic. Untamable Scottish Mary Elizabeth can not be tamed. She was forced to come to England to go husband shopping, at least for a while. She is a guest at the house of the Duke of Northumberland who is also known as the reclusive Duke. Recluse Duke. Something like that. Anyways. Harry, our aforementioned Duke, is sick of being chased around for marriage so he is wandering around his estate doing a bunch of gardening/stable work. Naturally, Mary Elizabeth mistakes him for a stable boy, then a gardener. Then she (logically) assumes he is some weird gardening stable boy. She doesn't treat him disrespectfully per se (especially compared to how more nobility treats their servants) but obviously, she doesn't treat him like a Duke. And Harry likes that. So he lets her think he is a stableboygardener. For wayyyy longer than he should. Then he still doesn't have the balls to admit that he's a Duke, so then he pretends to be a poor cousin of the Duke. From there it just shifts into now you're just humiliating her because she is the only one that doesn't know that you are freaking royalty. I was not a fan of that. It is cute up until a point. You know, like when nobility comes to his giant "I need to find a wife" house party and she can't figure out why the women are fawning over Harry. But then it gets really sweet because Harry only has eyes for Mary Elizabeth and knows it and is just fine with everyone else knowing it too. This book really a giant slinky of good-not so good-good-not so good. It is finally established that everyone loves everyone but Mary Elizabeth doesn't want to get married. She said in the beginning and she means it in the middle. Being the genre that this is, we all know she doesn't mean it in the end.
For the first 30% of this book, I kept picturing Harry as someone closer to twenty than thirty. There was something about the way he was described and the way he spoke that screamed more twenty-something Wesley from The Princess Bride (I looked this up, Cary Elwes was 25 when making that movie) and less thirty-year-old Man Jaded by Meddling Mamas and Duchy Hunters. He was supposed to have this world-weariness about him that just wasn't there. By the end of the book, he came off as petulant and self-pitying. I liked that he knew he loved Mary Elizabeth pretty early. I'm a sucker for romances with the men chasing the women for you know, lurrv reasons.
There was one small detail that probably shouldn't have bothered me as much as it did, but guess what? It did. In the beginning of the first sex scene, Mary Elizabeth sits on top of him. They aren't fully undressed yet but Harry has a mild freak out. He actually scolds her. He basically says, using the ballroom analogy In the bedroom, just like on a ballroom, I always lead. Always. That's how it's done. And that is that. It is never discussed again. He thumps his chest, is always on top and goes about his merry way. It was really off-putting. Mostly because it was included. Everything included in a book should be there for a reason. Much like scenes in a movie. If the camera zooms in on a cup, I usually assume that said cup is important. But if it isn't zoomed in on, it is just a cup sitting on a table in the background. It is perfectly okay for Harry to have that preference in the bedroom. Whatever. But why mention it? What does it add to the book? It isn't particularly sexy considering the actual plot of this book. It is all about Harry falling in love with a wild Scottish woman that is unlike any English woman he has ever met. He loves that she is wild and untamed and completely herself. He loves all the crazy things about her including the fact that she fishes, drinks whiskey, and always carries three blades on her at all times. But GOD FORBID she sit astride his lap while undressing for sexytimes. Perish the thought. Having a half naked woman sitting on your lap is apparently very bad for Duke egos. I swear, I could actually see him shaking his pointer finger at her in my head. Ugh. Maybe it's just me.
Mary Elizabeth was your standard too cool for school heroine. I liked that she genuinely didn't want to get married because it just didn't fit with what she wanted for life but it was written well enough that when she finally and obviously acquiesced I felt like she was actually settling. Harry was lovely and all, but she was right, being a Duchess really wouldn't suit her. I really felt like she was caging herself in something she would later regret. And that isn't particularly romantic.
This is really turning out to be one of those books that I thought was a decent 4/3.5 stars and as I review it is quickly taking a nose dive. I did enjoy some of it, I swear! I think most of it was watching Harry chase Mary Elizabeth. As is mentioned manyyy times, a Duke never has to chase after a bride. They just fall at his feet. He actually had to work to win over Mary Elizabeth and that was such fun to read.
Did I enjoy it? Yes. Would I recommend it? Sure. But don't spend 8 bucks on it or anything. I may not regret reading it but I know I won't read it again.
February 10, 2020
2.5
I don't know why but I enjoy reading books where one or both of the main characters pretend to be a servant, especially if the hero is the one pretending. Valerie Bowman has a new series (The Footmen's Club) coming out soon based on this trope. Can't wait to read them!
Some readers don't like this particular trope because of the deception. For some reason, that part doesn't really bother me. What gives me a little bit of anxiety is how the truth will come out and how the other main character will react to this, in most cases--anger, feeling betrayed, which are the correct reactions. Fortunately, the heroine, Mary Elizabeth, wasn't too angry at the duke's deception. It was actually kind of a funny scene if I recall correctly.
The main plot reminded me of Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas. We have a Scottish (highlander) heroine forced to have a season in London, who doesn't want to marry but to return to her home in Scotland. She meets and falls in love with a duke (whom she first mistakes for a stableboy) and the duke falls in love with her too. He proposes marriage several times, but she turns him down, because she doesn't want to be a man's property. She wants to be free and to return to Scotland. I like that the duke, Harry, understands this, towards the beginning of the book (when he was only just attracted to her). He said something along the line to Mary Elizabeth's older brother, Alex (hero from book 1), that she's like a bird and can never be caged. Mary Elizabeth is unlike any woman he's ever met so he couldn't help but fall in love with her and want to marry her.
The two of them realize their love for each other about half way through the story. The rest of the book is mostly, will she marry him and if she does, will she live in England forever? which I felt kind dragged on for too long. Nothing too exciting happens. No nasty villains (hooray!). It could easily end up being a dull and slow read, but fortunately, I like both H/h and enjoyed the book more than the first book in the series. I don't plan to read the second book in the series, because I don't really feel a connection to the characters, but I do want to complete the trilogy, so I might read it one day.
I don't know why but I enjoy reading books where one or both of the main characters pretend to be a servant, especially if the hero is the one pretending. Valerie Bowman has a new series (The Footmen's Club) coming out soon based on this trope. Can't wait to read them!
Some readers don't like this particular trope because of the deception. For some reason, that part doesn't really bother me. What gives me a little bit of anxiety is how the truth will come out and how the other main character will react to this, in most cases--anger, feeling betrayed, which are the correct reactions. Fortunately, the heroine, Mary Elizabeth, wasn't too angry at the duke's deception. It was actually kind of a funny scene if I recall correctly.
The main plot reminded me of Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas. We have a Scottish (highlander) heroine forced to have a season in London, who doesn't want to marry but to return to her home in Scotland. She meets and falls in love with a duke (whom she first mistakes for a stableboy) and the duke falls in love with her too. He proposes marriage several times, but she turns him down, because she doesn't want to be a man's property. She wants to be free and to return to Scotland. I like that the duke, Harry, understands this, towards the beginning of the book (when he was only just attracted to her). He said something along the line to Mary Elizabeth's older brother, Alex (hero from book 1), that she's like a bird and can never be caged. Mary Elizabeth is unlike any woman he's ever met so he couldn't help but fall in love with her and want to marry her.
The two of them realize their love for each other about half way through the story. The rest of the book is mostly, will she marry him and if she does, will she live in England forever? which I felt kind dragged on for too long. Nothing too exciting happens. No nasty villains (hooray!). It could easily end up being a dull and slow read, but fortunately, I like both H/h and enjoyed the book more than the first book in the series. I don't plan to read the second book in the series, because I don't really feel a connection to the characters, but I do want to complete the trilogy, so I might read it one day.
September 30, 2020
Solid 3.5 stars.
Main takeaway from this book:
- Harry has an obsession with Mary's bottom.
- You can gauge someone's emotion from their CONSTANTLY changing eye color.
- Mary likes to canoodle.
- Mary thinks the English are daft. Just daft.
- Harry is Mr Grey. A Regency version.
It still liked the book. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I had read it rather than listened to it. And Colin's accent is suppose to be Welsh?!?!
Main takeaway from this book:
- Harry has an obsession with Mary's bottom.
- You can gauge someone's emotion from their CONSTANTLY changing eye color.
- Mary likes to canoodle.
- Mary thinks the English are daft. Just daft.
- Harry is Mr Grey. A Regency version.
It still liked the book. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I had read it rather than listened to it. And Colin's accent is suppose to be Welsh?!?!
March 4, 2017
Book: How To Train Your Highlander by Christy English
Series:Broadswords and Ballrooms #3
Reviewer: Barb Massabrook (of)
Tartan Book Reviews
Purple Tulip Book Reviews
Celtic Barb’s Tartan Book Review Blog
Heat Setting: Mild
Overall Setting: 5/5 Stars
Northumberland, 1820
This is the third book of Christy English’s Broadswords and Ballrooms series. I have enjoyed each and everyone although I would call the genre Scottish regency.
This story is about Mary Elizabeth Waters who will do anything to avoid marriage. She has the typical mother who wants her English daughter to marry an English titled gentlemen! Mary Elizabeth just assumed to avoid the entire marriage trap period! Plus her mother feels her Scottish daughter needs to calm down and get settled already! Only an Englishman will be able to handle this and settle her down.
The last thing Mary Elizabeth wants is to be settled down! She has been able to avoid two betrothals already. Plus she is proud of her Scottish heritage which she is terribly homesick for. Plus she feels Englishman want to control her like an animal on a leash. Almost like she would be caged or locked in.
Now her mama got them invited to Harold Percy, the Duke of Northumberland’s house party. Mary Elizabeth just knows her mama is scheming for she to marry this English Duke. She just wants to return to Scotland, roaming on the heather and thistles and swimming in the cold refreshing loch or burns!
At the Dukes party she mistakenly thinks the Duke is the stable boy. Finding the English ways strange, calling men 30 summers old boys! She makes a friend not realizing it's actually the Duke. Harold, the Duke, knows he will have to fess up and tell the truth eventually and hopes Mary Elizabeth will forgive his fib. The Duke is just tired of constantly being chased by these mothers and their daughters for a marriage offer. They don't even know him! He likes being unrecognizable and unknown by this Scottish beauty. It is quite refreshing and a wonderful change.
Will Mary Elizabeth forgive this English Duke? Possibly will she be furious, being played with like this?You will have to read this wonderful book to find the conclusion.
It's hilarious, Mary Elizabeth always carries blades on her, riding circles around any man. Yet she dances Scottish reels and Harold Percy, the secret Duke knows he must have her! She is the wild Scottish Thistle of his dreams!
Another fast paced page turning, it will make you laugh and make you cry. Wonderful plots wondering what the conclusion will be! This is my favorite book in the series filled with laughter, surprises, betrayal, forgiveness, trust, passion and love!
I read this phenomenal novel in one setting. As it was that magnificent! I highly recommend How To Train Your Highlander, by the gifted author, Christy English. Another book full of fun and enjoyment that I highly recommend!
This is a voluntarily advance ereader given by the publisher through NetGalley. All words, thoughts and ideas are my own.
Series:Broadswords and Ballrooms #3
Reviewer: Barb Massabrook (of)
Tartan Book Reviews
Purple Tulip Book Reviews
Celtic Barb’s Tartan Book Review Blog
Heat Setting: Mild
Overall Setting: 5/5 Stars
Northumberland, 1820
This is the third book of Christy English’s Broadswords and Ballrooms series. I have enjoyed each and everyone although I would call the genre Scottish regency.
This story is about Mary Elizabeth Waters who will do anything to avoid marriage. She has the typical mother who wants her English daughter to marry an English titled gentlemen! Mary Elizabeth just assumed to avoid the entire marriage trap period! Plus her mother feels her Scottish daughter needs to calm down and get settled already! Only an Englishman will be able to handle this and settle her down.
The last thing Mary Elizabeth wants is to be settled down! She has been able to avoid two betrothals already. Plus she is proud of her Scottish heritage which she is terribly homesick for. Plus she feels Englishman want to control her like an animal on a leash. Almost like she would be caged or locked in.
Now her mama got them invited to Harold Percy, the Duke of Northumberland’s house party. Mary Elizabeth just knows her mama is scheming for she to marry this English Duke. She just wants to return to Scotland, roaming on the heather and thistles and swimming in the cold refreshing loch or burns!
At the Dukes party she mistakenly thinks the Duke is the stable boy. Finding the English ways strange, calling men 30 summers old boys! She makes a friend not realizing it's actually the Duke. Harold, the Duke, knows he will have to fess up and tell the truth eventually and hopes Mary Elizabeth will forgive his fib. The Duke is just tired of constantly being chased by these mothers and their daughters for a marriage offer. They don't even know him! He likes being unrecognizable and unknown by this Scottish beauty. It is quite refreshing and a wonderful change.
Will Mary Elizabeth forgive this English Duke? Possibly will she be furious, being played with like this?You will have to read this wonderful book to find the conclusion.
It's hilarious, Mary Elizabeth always carries blades on her, riding circles around any man. Yet she dances Scottish reels and Harold Percy, the secret Duke knows he must have her! She is the wild Scottish Thistle of his dreams!
Another fast paced page turning, it will make you laugh and make you cry. Wonderful plots wondering what the conclusion will be! This is my favorite book in the series filled with laughter, surprises, betrayal, forgiveness, trust, passion and love!
I read this phenomenal novel in one setting. As it was that magnificent! I highly recommend How To Train Your Highlander, by the gifted author, Christy English. Another book full of fun and enjoyment that I highly recommend!
This is a voluntarily advance ereader given by the publisher through NetGalley. All words, thoughts and ideas are my own.
January 10, 2017
I've been waiting for Mary Elizabeth's HEA and this book did not disappoint. Mary Elizabeth knows who she is and what she wants. And what she wants is to return to Scotland. When she meets Harry, she assumes he works for the Duke she and her brother are visiting. Her mother is friends with the Dowager Duchess and hopes for Mary Elizabeth to marry the Duke. Mary Elizabeth falls for Harry not knowing who he really is, but she's determined not to marry anyone. They do get a HEA but I won't spoil the story.
I liked Harry's friend from Wales - Clive Owain. If he looks like the modern Clive Owen, I'd have dumped the Duke for him!
I liked Harry's friend from Wales - Clive Owain. If he looks like the modern Clive Owen, I'd have dumped the Duke for him!
November 28, 2016
How to Train Your Highlander is the third book in the Broadswords and Ballrooms series by Christy English. I have read the first two books in the series and each of them were worthy of a 5 star rating. You don't need to have read any of the other books to fully enjoy this one, but it was nice to catch up on the characters that I had read about previously.
This whole series started because Mary Elizabeth Waters' mother was determined that her wayward daughter find a suitable English husband, preferably a Lord. She hoped marriage to a gentleman would settle her daughter down. In the first two books Mary Elizabeth managed to escape any betrothal, especially to an Englishman. She is a proud highland lassie, and the last thing on her mind is to be tamed by any man, or marriage. Her mother is becoming desperate about the state of affairs. So much so that she has told Mary Elizabeth that if she doesn't nab herself a gentleman of her choosing in England, then she herself would choose one for her, and a wedding WOULD take place.
Her mother arranges for her to attend a house party given at the Duke of Northumberland's home. Mary Elizabeth just knows that her mother expects her to woo and snare the Duke, and before she even arrives there, Mary Elizabeth is determined that that will not happen. She is terribly homesick for her beloved Scotland and all she wants to do is return there to live life as she always has. When they arrive at the estate she looks to an upper floor window and sees a well dressed, overweight man looking down at her. She assumes he is the Duke and is even more determined that she won't be married to the old, overweight, man. As the party she arrives with is readying to head to the house, Mary Elizabeth tells a stable boy to take her bags into the house. He's quite a good looking man, and she thinks it an odd English thing that no matter the age of the person, the stable boy will always be called as such. This man must be in his 30s and definitely not a boy.
What she doesn't realise is that the stable boy is actually the Duke of Northumberland! His staff are shocked at the way that Mary Elizabeth speaks to him, but are silenced by a look from him. He likes being incognito as it were. He's fed up of being chased by young girls and their mothers with the aim of getting him to marry. He's fed up of not been befriended for himself, just a man, rather than for his title. The more time he spends with Mary Elizabeth not knowing who he is, the happier he is. The more time she spends with him, the more Mary Elizabeth finds herself, if nothing else, lusting after Harry (the Duke).
What will happen when she discovers that he has been lying to her, and that he is a Duke, the very Duke she was determined not to have anything to do with. Even if she can forgive him, even if she admits to her very strong attraction to him, perhaps even love, she can't marry him, can she? She despises the English, she misses her beloved Scotland and she won't feel complete and happy until she is back there. If she were to marry the Duke she would have to live in England, her children would have to be raised as English children, and she'd never get to live in Scotland again. It's too much to ask of her, isn't it?
Harry will do everything in his power to convince her otherwise, if he can get her to forgive him his deception. Her mother finds out what is going on, and it's not long before she writes to Mary Elizabeth to tell her she is on her way to the Duke's estate, because if she can't snare herself the Duke, then her mother will do the job for her. She doesn't realise that the Duke is already snared and that it's Mary herself that is putting up the blocks to any future between them.
I adored this book and the whole series, and to see Mary Elizabeth fall in love, and to none other than a dreaded Duke, was just lovely to read about. To see her learn that not all English are horrible people as she always thought, and not all aristocrats are horrid snobs was a pleasure. It was also a pleasure to see her and her mother learn more about each other and for Mary Elizabeth to realise that not everything she thought was behind her mother wanting her to marry a Lord was true. As for our hero, Harry, he has the patience of a saint, and I loved how he understood Mary Elizabeth and her fears. I loved that he wanted to try to help her overcome them. All in all, this book was such a delight to read, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book.
This whole series started because Mary Elizabeth Waters' mother was determined that her wayward daughter find a suitable English husband, preferably a Lord. She hoped marriage to a gentleman would settle her daughter down. In the first two books Mary Elizabeth managed to escape any betrothal, especially to an Englishman. She is a proud highland lassie, and the last thing on her mind is to be tamed by any man, or marriage. Her mother is becoming desperate about the state of affairs. So much so that she has told Mary Elizabeth that if she doesn't nab herself a gentleman of her choosing in England, then she herself would choose one for her, and a wedding WOULD take place.
Her mother arranges for her to attend a house party given at the Duke of Northumberland's home. Mary Elizabeth just knows that her mother expects her to woo and snare the Duke, and before she even arrives there, Mary Elizabeth is determined that that will not happen. She is terribly homesick for her beloved Scotland and all she wants to do is return there to live life as she always has. When they arrive at the estate she looks to an upper floor window and sees a well dressed, overweight man looking down at her. She assumes he is the Duke and is even more determined that she won't be married to the old, overweight, man. As the party she arrives with is readying to head to the house, Mary Elizabeth tells a stable boy to take her bags into the house. He's quite a good looking man, and she thinks it an odd English thing that no matter the age of the person, the stable boy will always be called as such. This man must be in his 30s and definitely not a boy.
What she doesn't realise is that the stable boy is actually the Duke of Northumberland! His staff are shocked at the way that Mary Elizabeth speaks to him, but are silenced by a look from him. He likes being incognito as it were. He's fed up of being chased by young girls and their mothers with the aim of getting him to marry. He's fed up of not been befriended for himself, just a man, rather than for his title. The more time he spends with Mary Elizabeth not knowing who he is, the happier he is. The more time she spends with him, the more Mary Elizabeth finds herself, if nothing else, lusting after Harry (the Duke).
What will happen when she discovers that he has been lying to her, and that he is a Duke, the very Duke she was determined not to have anything to do with. Even if she can forgive him, even if she admits to her very strong attraction to him, perhaps even love, she can't marry him, can she? She despises the English, she misses her beloved Scotland and she won't feel complete and happy until she is back there. If she were to marry the Duke she would have to live in England, her children would have to be raised as English children, and she'd never get to live in Scotland again. It's too much to ask of her, isn't it?
Harry will do everything in his power to convince her otherwise, if he can get her to forgive him his deception. Her mother finds out what is going on, and it's not long before she writes to Mary Elizabeth to tell her she is on her way to the Duke's estate, because if she can't snare herself the Duke, then her mother will do the job for her. She doesn't realise that the Duke is already snared and that it's Mary herself that is putting up the blocks to any future between them.
I adored this book and the whole series, and to see Mary Elizabeth fall in love, and to none other than a dreaded Duke, was just lovely to read about. To see her learn that not all English are horrible people as she always thought, and not all aristocrats are horrid snobs was a pleasure. It was also a pleasure to see her and her mother learn more about each other and for Mary Elizabeth to realise that not everything she thought was behind her mother wanting her to marry a Lord was true. As for our hero, Harry, he has the patience of a saint, and I loved how he understood Mary Elizabeth and her fears. I loved that he wanted to try to help her overcome them. All in all, this book was such a delight to read, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book.
November 6, 2016
1 helm
Please follow me on my blog :) Review originally posted on Vellum Voyages
There are two things I loved about this book:
1) The cover
2) The title (I loved the movie, so I thought this was a cute little spin on it)
That's all.
As I began to read, I got irritated...from page one till the end. This was not your average irritation at certain parts, but a full blown "why am I doing this to myself" rage. It was painful reading and this was really close to being a DNF** book, but I forced myself to persevere as I had already read up to 50%.
Mary Elizabeth is a wild, highlander hellion who is in the market for a husband by order of her family. She doesn't want to marry at all and is hell bent on not marrying an English husband, as that means giving up on her beloved highlands of Scotland. While on an invited house party trip to the Duke of Northumberland's estate, Mary mistakes Harold Percy to be a stable boy but who is in fact, the Duke. Harry continues to encourage her mistake, and they get to know each other better via this farce and start to fall in love.
This is a light hearted and easy read, if you are reading this without a critical eye. It might work for some, but unfortunately this didn't work for me. Mary Elizabeth came across to me as TSTL*** rather than feisty and Harry was so boring. The characters were not enchanting, there were numerous plot holes (I haven't read the previous books so I don't know if I might have had a slightly better reading experience if I had) and the whole book felt highly anachronistic and discordant. The relationship and background story about Mary Elizabeth's mother felt really random and unexplained too. The writing was just okay and the world building was sub-par.
Nothing's more interesting to me than a feisty, untamed rogue hero or heroine but neither Mary or Harry stirred by emotions or curiosity :(
*Thank-you Christy English, NetGalley & Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC
**DNF-Did Not Finish
***TSTL-Too Stupid To Live
Please follow me on my blog :) Review originally posted on Vellum Voyages
There are two things I loved about this book:
1) The cover
2) The title (I loved the movie, so I thought this was a cute little spin on it)
That's all.
As I began to read, I got irritated...from page one till the end. This was not your average irritation at certain parts, but a full blown "why am I doing this to myself" rage. It was painful reading and this was really close to being a DNF** book, but I forced myself to persevere as I had already read up to 50%.
Mary Elizabeth is a wild, highlander hellion who is in the market for a husband by order of her family. She doesn't want to marry at all and is hell bent on not marrying an English husband, as that means giving up on her beloved highlands of Scotland. While on an invited house party trip to the Duke of Northumberland's estate, Mary mistakes Harold Percy to be a stable boy but who is in fact, the Duke. Harry continues to encourage her mistake, and they get to know each other better via this farce and start to fall in love.
This is a light hearted and easy read, if you are reading this without a critical eye. It might work for some, but unfortunately this didn't work for me. Mary Elizabeth came across to me as TSTL*** rather than feisty and Harry was so boring. The characters were not enchanting, there were numerous plot holes (I haven't read the previous books so I don't know if I might have had a slightly better reading experience if I had) and the whole book felt highly anachronistic and discordant. The relationship and background story about Mary Elizabeth's mother felt really random and unexplained too. The writing was just okay and the world building was sub-par.
Nothing's more interesting to me than a feisty, untamed rogue hero or heroine but neither Mary or Harry stirred by emotions or curiosity :(
*Thank-you Christy English, NetGalley & Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC
**DNF-Did Not Finish
***TSTL-Too Stupid To Live
January 9, 2017
★★★½ Mary Elizabeth and Harry are not the most obvious match, but Harry's calmness perfectly balances Mary Elizabeth's sassiness. I often smiled and laughed during the book, but while being a great match for Mary Elizabeth, for me personally Harry was a bit too soft.
For more romance reviews, check out my website: https://katherinasbooks.wordpress.com
For more romance reviews, check out my website: https://katherinasbooks.wordpress.com
September 11, 2016
I loved Harry, “oh, I’m well past daft, sweet Mary. I’ve crossed over into pure madness.” He caressed her bum, not once but twice." I really loved Harry that man had so much patience for Mary Elizabeth, but that girl was strong and could hold her own.
July 9, 2025
I got over halfway through this book and after taking a long break from it have decided it is a waste of precious reading time, so I have created a new tag called ‘abandoned’ in case I do this again for another book (likely)
August 11, 2024
4 stars
very entertaining
very entertaining
December 7, 2016
3.5 stars rounded
It took a bit of searching out background as I hadn’t read the earlier books in this series. The third that features Mary, a highland girl who is doing everything she can to avoid marriage, most particularly marriage to an Englishman: she doesn’t want to leave Scotland, and she persists in the ‘broad brush’ theory – all English are not to be trusted. I can live with that: a bit of recalcitrant heroine and some learning to happen. So here she is, again in a situation that will enhance her chances to meet and marry a suitable man, and she is fighting it with everything she knows.
Harry is the Duke of Northumberland, and is amused when Mary, upon alighting from her carriage orders him to carry her bags, mistaking him for a stable boy. Intrigued by the brash Scotswoman, Harry makes no moves to correct her mistake, or allow his staff to gently inform her of the error. Tired of being chased for his title by marriage minded misses and their mamas alike, Harry doesn’t bother to correct her, and she slowly warms to him, as his interest piques.
So, while the story is rife with coincidence, some more far-fetched than others, it is Mary and her steadfast determination to be THE winner in every encounter that shows her true bone-deep insecurities. I choose insecurities rather than stupidity, because I still see it as such, rather than a badly written attempt at true alpha female. Then Harry: he’s sweet and well-meaning, but deferring the unmasking to tell Mary the truth of who he is does rather serve to solidify her belief in the untrustworthiness of the English. But, he is amused by her, and there is no harm coming to him by allowing her the freedom to feel superior in status. These are two characters written without easily defined sharp traits: is she stubborn and stupid or simply stubborn and scared. Does he have the true traits of a beta, or does he feel confident and secure enough in himself to not let her silliness matter? Perhaps had I read all of the series, I could answer that more confidently, but I didn’t, and I can’t.
What I can say is the relationship develops with skill, and the two do have a chemistry that feels authentic and plausible. A bit of backstory and back and forth with Mary’s mother almost felt extraneous to the story and, for me, added more questions than answers. On the whole, Mary is a character that engenders strong emotions, there is no middle ground for her. And while that skill in building her character is apparent, it also may be to her detriment, since the emotions will swing distinctly between love and hate, and reading a story with a character you hate as a primary figure in a romance requires great growth in the character and a careful hand in the balance, and I am not convinced I saw that with Mary. Harry, however, was a bit more moderated in character and reaction: at times coming close to milquetoast against the fiery declarations. People looking for a series and characters that don’t quite fit in any conventional box will most probably enjoy this series.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
This review was originally posted on I am, Indeed
It took a bit of searching out background as I hadn’t read the earlier books in this series. The third that features Mary, a highland girl who is doing everything she can to avoid marriage, most particularly marriage to an Englishman: she doesn’t want to leave Scotland, and she persists in the ‘broad brush’ theory – all English are not to be trusted. I can live with that: a bit of recalcitrant heroine and some learning to happen. So here she is, again in a situation that will enhance her chances to meet and marry a suitable man, and she is fighting it with everything she knows.
Harry is the Duke of Northumberland, and is amused when Mary, upon alighting from her carriage orders him to carry her bags, mistaking him for a stable boy. Intrigued by the brash Scotswoman, Harry makes no moves to correct her mistake, or allow his staff to gently inform her of the error. Tired of being chased for his title by marriage minded misses and their mamas alike, Harry doesn’t bother to correct her, and she slowly warms to him, as his interest piques.
So, while the story is rife with coincidence, some more far-fetched than others, it is Mary and her steadfast determination to be THE winner in every encounter that shows her true bone-deep insecurities. I choose insecurities rather than stupidity, because I still see it as such, rather than a badly written attempt at true alpha female. Then Harry: he’s sweet and well-meaning, but deferring the unmasking to tell Mary the truth of who he is does rather serve to solidify her belief in the untrustworthiness of the English. But, he is amused by her, and there is no harm coming to him by allowing her the freedom to feel superior in status. These are two characters written without easily defined sharp traits: is she stubborn and stupid or simply stubborn and scared. Does he have the true traits of a beta, or does he feel confident and secure enough in himself to not let her silliness matter? Perhaps had I read all of the series, I could answer that more confidently, but I didn’t, and I can’t.
What I can say is the relationship develops with skill, and the two do have a chemistry that feels authentic and plausible. A bit of backstory and back and forth with Mary’s mother almost felt extraneous to the story and, for me, added more questions than answers. On the whole, Mary is a character that engenders strong emotions, there is no middle ground for her. And while that skill in building her character is apparent, it also may be to her detriment, since the emotions will swing distinctly between love and hate, and reading a story with a character you hate as a primary figure in a romance requires great growth in the character and a careful hand in the balance, and I am not convinced I saw that with Mary. Harry, however, was a bit more moderated in character and reaction: at times coming close to milquetoast against the fiery declarations. People looking for a series and characters that don’t quite fit in any conventional box will most probably enjoy this series.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
This review was originally posted on I am, Indeed
December 5, 2016
One of the things I really liked about Highlander was that from the beginning, Mary knew who she was and had no intention of changing. She liked herself, was comfortable with her tomboyish ways, and proud that she could ride rings around any Englishman she needed to. Her mother wants her to be someone she isn't: a classic, demure debutante. But despite the pressure Mary never considers changing herself to make others happy.
It also drove home some of the difficulties and decisions a woman had when she considered marriage in this time. Often marriage was the only way of ensuring a future, but when it isn't? Mary has a family who loves her, a home she loves, and can't imagine living anywhere else. She doesn't fit in with the Ton and has no wish to try. When she falls in love with Harry she has to weigh that love against leaving Scotland, taking up the responsibilities of a duchess, dealing with the aristocratic English she doesn't care for.
I wasn't as happy with the fact that, haven't not read the two previous books in the series (How to Seduce a Scot, & How to Wed a Warrior), I always felt like I was playing catch up. I assumed some things mentioned briefly in this book happened in one of the others in the series. But even though some (like drawing a sword on someone in the park) have serious repercussions for Mary and might have even started of what brought her and Harry together, the reader doesn't get any kind of explanation. No quick summary or memory. No backstory, or character introduction. Until almost the end of the book I didn't feel like I knew anything about Mary's family or even her own story. While what you see is what you get with her, I kept waiting for the hints of her past that showed why she was the way she was. As open and honest as she is, I didn't feel like I knew her. Harry gets an equally brief touch of his past so you have to pretty much fill in your own ideas on why he is the way he is. Nor did I understand Mary's relationship with her mother and why her mother was so insistent on Mary marrying the way she was. Was there some hidden reason? Fear? Money troubles? Did her mother just want to get rid of Mary? And at the end, when Mary does something that is actually quite intelligent and logical, she does it in an uncharacteristically secretive way that may be a classic bit of non-communication to increase drama, but was totally out of character.
Overall I found How to Train You Highlander a mix of fun and aggravating. Mary and Harry are fun, witty, and have great chemistry, but this is clearly a series that doesn't work well if you read it out of order. Having started with book 3, I was frustrated enough with the sometimes awkward descriptions and writing style, with the brief mentions of important things that tied to other books that should have been significant (apparently nobody cared other family and friends running off to get into trouble and/or married?) that I wouldn't go back and start the series over.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For my full review go to:
http://bookwyrmreader.blogspot.com/20...
It also drove home some of the difficulties and decisions a woman had when she considered marriage in this time. Often marriage was the only way of ensuring a future, but when it isn't? Mary has a family who loves her, a home she loves, and can't imagine living anywhere else. She doesn't fit in with the Ton and has no wish to try. When she falls in love with Harry she has to weigh that love against leaving Scotland, taking up the responsibilities of a duchess, dealing with the aristocratic English she doesn't care for.
I wasn't as happy with the fact that, haven't not read the two previous books in the series (How to Seduce a Scot, & How to Wed a Warrior), I always felt like I was playing catch up. I assumed some things mentioned briefly in this book happened in one of the others in the series. But even though some (like drawing a sword on someone in the park) have serious repercussions for Mary and might have even started of what brought her and Harry together, the reader doesn't get any kind of explanation. No quick summary or memory. No backstory, or character introduction. Until almost the end of the book I didn't feel like I knew anything about Mary's family or even her own story. While what you see is what you get with her, I kept waiting for the hints of her past that showed why she was the way she was. As open and honest as she is, I didn't feel like I knew her. Harry gets an equally brief touch of his past so you have to pretty much fill in your own ideas on why he is the way he is. Nor did I understand Mary's relationship with her mother and why her mother was so insistent on Mary marrying the way she was. Was there some hidden reason? Fear? Money troubles? Did her mother just want to get rid of Mary? And at the end, when Mary does something that is actually quite intelligent and logical, she does it in an uncharacteristically secretive way that may be a classic bit of non-communication to increase drama, but was totally out of character.
Overall I found How to Train You Highlander a mix of fun and aggravating. Mary and Harry are fun, witty, and have great chemistry, but this is clearly a series that doesn't work well if you read it out of order. Having started with book 3, I was frustrated enough with the sometimes awkward descriptions and writing style, with the brief mentions of important things that tied to other books that should have been significant (apparently nobody cared other family and friends running off to get into trouble and/or married?) that I wouldn't go back and start the series over.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For my full review go to:
http://bookwyrmreader.blogspot.com/20...
December 22, 2016
This is not a how- to book! It is a wild and racy romance between Harry Percy, The Duke Of Northumberland and Mary Elizabeth, a Scottish highlander who had been dragged into England against her will because as her mother said, she was old enough to become a lady, to find a husband and marry. Mary Elizabeth has no intention has no intention of ever being a lady. Raised with four brothers and allowed to run wild in Scotland until her mother plucked her off the heather at age season and all but threw her into the London seasons.
when the Duke meets her in his gardening garb, she thinks he is the stable boy which highly amuses him. Feeling more comfortable with him and wondering where the real duke is, they get very cozy until she finds out the truth and sparks begin to fly. Unable to bear it, Mary races back home to Scotland.
Does she get her man? Does she want him? What about him? How does he feel to find her gone?
With every book she writes, Christy gets better and better!
My only complaint is on nearly every page except toward the end, there is mention of chocolate. Chocolate this and chocolate that. I love chocolate! I got so hungry I went out and bought a whole bag, thanks to Christy!
when the Duke meets her in his gardening garb, she thinks he is the stable boy which highly amuses him. Feeling more comfortable with him and wondering where the real duke is, they get very cozy until she finds out the truth and sparks begin to fly. Unable to bear it, Mary races back home to Scotland.
Does she get her man? Does she want him? What about him? How does he feel to find her gone?
With every book she writes, Christy gets better and better!
My only complaint is on nearly every page except toward the end, there is mention of chocolate. Chocolate this and chocolate that. I love chocolate! I got so hungry I went out and bought a whole bag, thanks to Christy!
December 19, 2016
Enjoyable and fun
This was an enjoyable and fun romance that had a feisty heroine and a charming Duke for a heroine. I loved their first meeting and felt anticipation for the moment when Mary Elizabeth found out the truth. Everything happened rather quickly as far as the two of them falling in love and the conflict was more to do with Mary Elizabeth and her feelings about marrying an Englishman and particularly a Duke and having to leave her Highland home which she loved. It all resolved rather well and I didn't find myself bored with the story at all. Mary Elizabeth was a fun heroine with a penchant for being a bit wild and independent and I enjoyed that about her. Harry didn't take long to realize that Mary Elizabeth was the woman for him and I loved how he accepted the things about her that Society considered flaws. Altogether a wonderful romance.
This was an enjoyable and fun romance that had a feisty heroine and a charming Duke for a heroine. I loved their first meeting and felt anticipation for the moment when Mary Elizabeth found out the truth. Everything happened rather quickly as far as the two of them falling in love and the conflict was more to do with Mary Elizabeth and her feelings about marrying an Englishman and particularly a Duke and having to leave her Highland home which she loved. It all resolved rather well and I didn't find myself bored with the story at all. Mary Elizabeth was a fun heroine with a penchant for being a bit wild and independent and I enjoyed that about her. Harry didn't take long to realize that Mary Elizabeth was the woman for him and I loved how he accepted the things about her that Society considered flaws. Altogether a wonderful romance.
July 7, 2017
I am sorry that I didn’t start this series from the beginning. I loved Mary Elizabeth and the finale of this series would have been sweeter if I had been here from the beginning.
This book caught my attention in a recent Tantor newsletter and narrator Heather Wilds did a nice job bringing these characters to life. I loved the free-spirited Mary Elizabeth. She definitely is the highlight of the series. Although I only read this book in the series, I didn’t have a hard time keeping up, I just realized I missed a lot of the fun in the prior books. Highlander novels are not at the top of my list of favorites. I have enjoyed a few but this one will no doubt stand out.
In this series, Mary Elizabeth is the only girl in a house full of boys and runs wild in the highlands hunting and fishing and throwing knives with the rest of the boys. When Mary Elizabeth hits 16, her mother brings her indoors and tries to teach her how to be a lady. You have to think “Are you kidding me?” I don’t know if her mother was too busy with her own life or what would motivate her to ignore the fact that her daughter was running wild for 16 years and think she will want to put on a fancy gown and learn ballroom dancing. So, yeah, this is a great idea.
But she does and then she takes Mary Elizabeth to Edinburgh to meet men and when she doesn’t find any that interest her, her mother sends Mary Elizabeth and her two unmarried brothers to London to meet the ton and find a prospective husband for Mary Elizabeth, even though she doesn’t have anything nice to say about the English. Mary Elizabeth shocks the London lords and ladies with her antics in the first two books while her brothers find love, including pulling a Claymore on one lord while walking in the park. Everything was culminating to arriving at the home of the reclusive Duke of Northumberland before returning home to Scotland and that is where we start Book 3.
Mary Elizabeth’s plan is simply, avoid the Duke at all costs until the house party is over so she can return home and go back to hunting, fishing and throwing knives. The Duke is referred to as the “reclusive Duke” as if he was the topic of conversations in prior books. Since becoming Duke, Harry has preferred to remain on his property caring to his horses, his gardens and his scientific pursuits, but he agrees with his mother that at 30 he must pick a wife and start acting like a Duke. Harry is casually dressed with Mary Elizabeth and her brother arrive so Mary Elizabeth mistakes him for a stable hand, thus setting up the fact that Mary Elizabeth wants to hang around with Harry while she avoids a fat, bald man she thinks is the Duke. Eventually Harry decides to pretend to be a distant relation and instructs his mother and the household to go along with it so he can come in the house and have dinner with everyone.
Harry doesn’t do this for nefarious reasons, he likes that Mary Elizabeth is frank with him and he knows once he tells her he is a Duke, she would treat him differently or worse, pretend interest just to marry him. But in that, Harry has nothing to fear since Mary Elizabeth has no interest in getting married, and while they share a few kisses, she let’s him know she is not interested in getting married. She is going home after the party.
Her brother’s are not fooled and want to make sure Harry isn’t playing games with their virginal sister. They are mad at first when Harry declares he won’t offer for Mary Elizabeth but they are shocked when he states it is not because she is a highland lass but becomes she is a free-spirit the the duties of being a Duchess would change her. The brother agrees with Harry and allows them to continue their friendship as long as Harry keeps it in his pants.
Even after declaring why he wouldn’t marry Mary Elizabeth, his affection grows the more time they spend together and he realizes he doesn’t want any of the girls except Mary Elizabeth. So good intentions are tossed aside with a quick “we’ll figure something out” as far as Ducal duties and Harry sets out to woo and unwilling hellion who has captured his heart.
Mary Elizabeth is torn between her new feelings for Harry and her love of the Highlands. When her mother arrives she gives Mary Elizabeth an ultimatum, accept the Duke or return to London until she picks a husband. Well, Mary Elizabeth is not one for being forced to do anything so just as she might have given Harry the answer he was waiting for, she won’t allow her mother for force her hand. You would think at this point Harry would pop her mother in the mouth because he was so close to getting a yes out of Mary Elizabeth.
Two things would have made this whole story run smoother (1) if her mother confessed to her from the beginning that she wasn’t punishing Mary Elizabeth by sending her away from home, but that was afraid Mary Elizabeth would waste her youth and when she finally realized everyone else was married with babies and she was finally ready for a husband and a family, she would be too old (although she was only 18, really?); and (2) if Harry had simply told Mary Elizabeth that he would have no problem spending the summers in Scotland with her family instead of just musing on the subject in his head. Mary Elizabeth thought if she chose Harry, she would never get to visit home, so she had to decide which she loved more.
Overall, the story is simple, but very enjoyable. The characters were well-written. I really liked Mary Elizabeth’s spirit and I liked that a man who had little interest in people saw how special and unique Mary Elizabeth was and he wasn’t interested in changing her or just using her because he desired her.
This book caught my attention in a recent Tantor newsletter and narrator Heather Wilds did a nice job bringing these characters to life. I loved the free-spirited Mary Elizabeth. She definitely is the highlight of the series. Although I only read this book in the series, I didn’t have a hard time keeping up, I just realized I missed a lot of the fun in the prior books. Highlander novels are not at the top of my list of favorites. I have enjoyed a few but this one will no doubt stand out.
In this series, Mary Elizabeth is the only girl in a house full of boys and runs wild in the highlands hunting and fishing and throwing knives with the rest of the boys. When Mary Elizabeth hits 16, her mother brings her indoors and tries to teach her how to be a lady. You have to think “Are you kidding me?” I don’t know if her mother was too busy with her own life or what would motivate her to ignore the fact that her daughter was running wild for 16 years and think she will want to put on a fancy gown and learn ballroom dancing. So, yeah, this is a great idea.
But she does and then she takes Mary Elizabeth to Edinburgh to meet men and when she doesn’t find any that interest her, her mother sends Mary Elizabeth and her two unmarried brothers to London to meet the ton and find a prospective husband for Mary Elizabeth, even though she doesn’t have anything nice to say about the English. Mary Elizabeth shocks the London lords and ladies with her antics in the first two books while her brothers find love, including pulling a Claymore on one lord while walking in the park. Everything was culminating to arriving at the home of the reclusive Duke of Northumberland before returning home to Scotland and that is where we start Book 3.
Mary Elizabeth’s plan is simply, avoid the Duke at all costs until the house party is over so she can return home and go back to hunting, fishing and throwing knives. The Duke is referred to as the “reclusive Duke” as if he was the topic of conversations in prior books. Since becoming Duke, Harry has preferred to remain on his property caring to his horses, his gardens and his scientific pursuits, but he agrees with his mother that at 30 he must pick a wife and start acting like a Duke. Harry is casually dressed with Mary Elizabeth and her brother arrive so Mary Elizabeth mistakes him for a stable hand, thus setting up the fact that Mary Elizabeth wants to hang around with Harry while she avoids a fat, bald man she thinks is the Duke. Eventually Harry decides to pretend to be a distant relation and instructs his mother and the household to go along with it so he can come in the house and have dinner with everyone.
Harry doesn’t do this for nefarious reasons, he likes that Mary Elizabeth is frank with him and he knows once he tells her he is a Duke, she would treat him differently or worse, pretend interest just to marry him. But in that, Harry has nothing to fear since Mary Elizabeth has no interest in getting married, and while they share a few kisses, she let’s him know she is not interested in getting married. She is going home after the party.
Her brother’s are not fooled and want to make sure Harry isn’t playing games with their virginal sister. They are mad at first when Harry declares he won’t offer for Mary Elizabeth but they are shocked when he states it is not because she is a highland lass but becomes she is a free-spirit the the duties of being a Duchess would change her. The brother agrees with Harry and allows them to continue their friendship as long as Harry keeps it in his pants.
Even after declaring why he wouldn’t marry Mary Elizabeth, his affection grows the more time they spend together and he realizes he doesn’t want any of the girls except Mary Elizabeth. So good intentions are tossed aside with a quick “we’ll figure something out” as far as Ducal duties and Harry sets out to woo and unwilling hellion who has captured his heart.
Mary Elizabeth is torn between her new feelings for Harry and her love of the Highlands. When her mother arrives she gives Mary Elizabeth an ultimatum, accept the Duke or return to London until she picks a husband. Well, Mary Elizabeth is not one for being forced to do anything so just as she might have given Harry the answer he was waiting for, she won’t allow her mother for force her hand. You would think at this point Harry would pop her mother in the mouth because he was so close to getting a yes out of Mary Elizabeth.
Two things would have made this whole story run smoother (1) if her mother confessed to her from the beginning that she wasn’t punishing Mary Elizabeth by sending her away from home, but that was afraid Mary Elizabeth would waste her youth and when she finally realized everyone else was married with babies and she was finally ready for a husband and a family, she would be too old (although she was only 18, really?); and (2) if Harry had simply told Mary Elizabeth that he would have no problem spending the summers in Scotland with her family instead of just musing on the subject in his head. Mary Elizabeth thought if she chose Harry, she would never get to visit home, so she had to decide which she loved more.
Overall, the story is simple, but very enjoyable. The characters were well-written. I really liked Mary Elizabeth’s spirit and I liked that a man who had little interest in people saw how special and unique Mary Elizabeth was and he wasn’t interested in changing her or just using her because he desired her.
December 11, 2016
I read the first two books in this series but I have to say that I enjoyed this third book the best. The story was sweet and the characters interesting. The title makes you think that the "highlander" to be "trained" is a laddie but it's actually a lassie. I loved Harry. It was fun to watch him fall in love and then pursue Mary until she was his. I was not given a free book to read but rented it from my library. I will go to the store and buy this book to have in my library. I only buy the ones I REALLY love and I loved this book.
Read
December 16, 2016The constant use of the phrases 'her man' and 'his girl' or 'his woman' drove me bats. Looking forward to Clive's story as it's about time we got some charming Welsh heroes instead of all these pasty Englishmen and strapping Scots.
December 7, 2016
There is just something about Harry. Normally I don’t go for a strong, silent type, prim and proper, English Duke, as I prefer a claymore swinging, plaid wearing, brogue swearing, OTT Scottish alpha male. But Duke Harry seems to have made an exception with me. He’s like a handsome Ken doll, still in the box, who is in desperate need of a sassy, dirk yielding, Scottish Barbie doll to set him free and show him what he’s been missing.
Having not read the previous books first, Mary, the heroine, has a clean slate with me. The only thing I knew going into this was she is beautiful, skilled in all things Highlander (horses, swords, knives) and she’s not afraid to show it. She values her freedom so much she has pretty much sworn off ever marrying, despite her family’s attempts to do their duty and find her a suitable husband. Their exasperation, in particularly her English mother’s, have driven them to banish her from her Highland home until that goal is accomplished.
With an at first “can’t marry you” theme on both sides, this main couple surprises even themselves by not being able to stop their polar opposite magnetic attraction towards each other. By 50%, however, I started to grow a little weary of Mary’s not so logical way of thinking and her lack of ability to recognize the obvious, especially since everyone else did. The dancing around each other seemed to come to a standstill as they both wanted each other and though they now had nothing standing in their way one of them continued to be stubborn.
Harry’s sweet nature and determination didn’t just win Mary over, it did me, as well. No, there wasn’t any nail biting drama. This was just a sweet romance with a couple of very smexy scenes, writing that flowed, interesting sub-characters, which included some delightful, handsome, very intimidating over protective brothers, who at a glance got their message across, except for Ian who actually drew blood to make his point. I’m glad I didn’t let the slow pace near the middle keep me from seeing it to its final conclusion. It stay focused on the main couple, without any OW/OM issues to steal time away from these destined to be together lovebirds.
Having recently purchased the previous books, I look forward to backtracking and learning all the details regarding Mary’s brothers, Alex and Robert, each getting their own HEA. Here’s to hoping my review has been helpful in some way in helping you decide if you should do the same.
Title: How to Train Your Highlander, Series: Broadswords and Ballrooms (Book 3), Author: Christy English, Pages: 352, Pub. Date: 12/6/16, stand-alone but part of a series, feisty Scottish heroine, quiet/silent type handsome English Duke, only a couple graphically, steamy scenes, no cheating, no love triangle, no OW/OM drama, no violence, virgin heroine, HEA.
Book 1 - How to Seduce a Scot, Pages: 345, 12/1/15 (Alexander & Catherine)
Book 2 - How to Wed a Warrior, Pages: 352, 2/1/16 (Robert & Prudence)
Book 3 - How to Train Your Highlander, 352, 12/6/16 (Mary Elizabeth & Harry)
(This review is based on free advanced reader copy provided via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased, fair review. No type of compensation was given to the reviewer. There is no relationship/affiliation between the reviewer and the author/publisher.)
Having not read the previous books first, Mary, the heroine, has a clean slate with me. The only thing I knew going into this was she is beautiful, skilled in all things Highlander (horses, swords, knives) and she’s not afraid to show it. She values her freedom so much she has pretty much sworn off ever marrying, despite her family’s attempts to do their duty and find her a suitable husband. Their exasperation, in particularly her English mother’s, have driven them to banish her from her Highland home until that goal is accomplished.
With an at first “can’t marry you” theme on both sides, this main couple surprises even themselves by not being able to stop their polar opposite magnetic attraction towards each other. By 50%, however, I started to grow a little weary of Mary’s not so logical way of thinking and her lack of ability to recognize the obvious, especially since everyone else did. The dancing around each other seemed to come to a standstill as they both wanted each other and though they now had nothing standing in their way one of them continued to be stubborn.
Harry’s sweet nature and determination didn’t just win Mary over, it did me, as well. No, there wasn’t any nail biting drama. This was just a sweet romance with a couple of very smexy scenes, writing that flowed, interesting sub-characters, which included some delightful, handsome, very intimidating over protective brothers, who at a glance got their message across, except for Ian who actually drew blood to make his point. I’m glad I didn’t let the slow pace near the middle keep me from seeing it to its final conclusion. It stay focused on the main couple, without any OW/OM issues to steal time away from these destined to be together lovebirds.
Having recently purchased the previous books, I look forward to backtracking and learning all the details regarding Mary’s brothers, Alex and Robert, each getting their own HEA. Here’s to hoping my review has been helpful in some way in helping you decide if you should do the same.
Title: How to Train Your Highlander, Series: Broadswords and Ballrooms (Book 3), Author: Christy English, Pages: 352, Pub. Date: 12/6/16, stand-alone but part of a series, feisty Scottish heroine, quiet/silent type handsome English Duke, only a couple graphically, steamy scenes, no cheating, no love triangle, no OW/OM drama, no violence, virgin heroine, HEA.
Book 1 - How to Seduce a Scot, Pages: 345, 12/1/15 (Alexander & Catherine)
Book 2 - How to Wed a Warrior, Pages: 352, 2/1/16 (Robert & Prudence)
Book 3 - How to Train Your Highlander, 352, 12/6/16 (Mary Elizabeth & Harry)
(This review is based on free advanced reader copy provided via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased, fair review. No type of compensation was given to the reviewer. There is no relationship/affiliation between the reviewer and the author/publisher.)
August 28, 2020
We saw many of their first interactions (nearly all the major ones actually) in the last book. So when this book started back with those I really thought it would just catch the readers up in case they'd missed that book or forgotten or something and then carry on. But instead it just sort of continued on plodding through all those same scenes only from their perspectives. It took most of the book just to get up to where the last one left off! Which was all a bit disappointing but fine I guess. The hero and heroine are both pretty immature (I was chalking it up to just being young but then part way through it mentioned the man was in his 30s!). The heroine is pretty oblivious in this book (she had exhibited some insight as a side character) but here she just trucks along in her own little world or something. She latches onto an assumption in the beginning and just clings to it past the point of any reason. The hero seemed kind of like a spoiled kid, which I guess is believable growing up always catered to as a duke, but didn't make him very appealing to me. Both characters showed very poor judgement throughout most of the book. I actually just liked it less and less I think. I'm not sure they really suited each other. One of the main things he seemed to like about her was that she didn't treat him with reverence, but that's an even weaker reason that usual because she didn't even know he was a duke for most of the book... And her major personality traits were that she didn't like the English and their ways, and that she marched to her own drum. So ending up as a duchess living in England, and with a husband who has kind of a chip on his shoulder and a dominating streak, is not as nice as it might be for another heroine. He was attracted to her wild spirit, but then went about trying to subdue it rather than nurture it, it just felt kind of off-putting. I finished it because I am a book finisher, lol, but honestly I think I stopped caring about them reaching their HEA long before they reached it. It's not absolutely horrible, but it didn't add much of anything, even joy, to my life. lol.
July 30, 2017
This is a witty and fun romance, but the heroine is extremely annoying. Wildly annoying. Massively annoying. She's a Regency Manic Pixie Dream Girl: a young Scotswoman who's utterly without guile and does all of these unladylike things but with such panache that our hero, the hapless Harry, Duke of Northumberland (but, shh, she doesn't know because she doesn't like titles or the English!). She instantly tames fierce horses with but a few whispers and soon they're obediently taking her everywhere without any harness at all. She is tiny but carries her own claymore everywhere as well as three personal knives and a flask of Islay whisky. She can throw knives as well as a sideshow performer and she's utterly irresistible.
Yeah, as my review suggests, I found Mary Elizabeth a really tough character to like. Her conflict seemed really faked, her mother/antagonist utterly unbelievable. When the whole conflict faded away into nothing in the last few chapters, I snorted, because of course it was really nothing. There was a marginal sense that Mary grew through the story, a slightly larger sense that Harry did (but he was shown from the start utterly adoring her iconoclastic, hard-drinking but only after midday ways) and the rest of the cast seemed mere ciphers in the fantasy romance.
Sweet, a bit cloying: I wouldn't be able to read a lot of this in a row without some respite. That said, the writing was wonderfully balanced for dialogue and description, there's a grand sense of place and a large dollop of humour everywhere you might like it. If you like slightly tongue-in-cheek historical romances with iconoclastic heroines who break all the rules and nevertheless are utterly adorable? Read on!
Yeah, as my review suggests, I found Mary Elizabeth a really tough character to like. Her conflict seemed really faked, her mother/antagonist utterly unbelievable. When the whole conflict faded away into nothing in the last few chapters, I snorted, because of course it was really nothing. There was a marginal sense that Mary grew through the story, a slightly larger sense that Harry did (but he was shown from the start utterly adoring her iconoclastic, hard-drinking but only after midday ways) and the rest of the cast seemed mere ciphers in the fantasy romance.
Sweet, a bit cloying: I wouldn't be able to read a lot of this in a row without some respite. That said, the writing was wonderfully balanced for dialogue and description, there's a grand sense of place and a large dollop of humour everywhere you might like it. If you like slightly tongue-in-cheek historical romances with iconoclastic heroines who break all the rules and nevertheless are utterly adorable? Read on!
August 2, 2021
Get ready for a bumpy ride because I got alot of thoughts!
Well... guess we better start with the good stuff- the ridicule.
" 'Hello.' He answered in the posh tones of the English gentry, and she wondered why the duchess would allow such a man to work with her horses. The English were usually mad about class distinction and would never allow their stable hands to read, if the boys were so inclined. But this boy seemed to not care a fig for any of his so-called betters, including hers, and that made her smile."
At this time, Scotland and England had a bit of a bumpy relationship, and I love that the author showed a bit of it. For all of those who are not really into a history lesson, have no fear. It is really only in their banter and poking fun. It helped keep the book light-hearted and fun.
On the flip side, the ending was just not it. Mary Elizabeth loves the duke but understands what marriage will mean for her indepedence and her Scottish identity. I absolutely love that the author talked about this, however, the whole issue was too easily resolved. My biggest frustration was when Mary Elizabeth went home to think about what would be the best for her. When the duke came, he seemed to have a better understanding of what she would have to give up, but he just listed the stuff she would have to give up. I would have loved to see him really understand on a deeper level rather just know you are going to have to give some stuff up but I'm not leaving until you agree to marry me. On the Mary Elizabeth side, she was struggling with the loss of her independency then all of sudden she was like oh I'm all good. What in the world!!!
Well... guess we better start with the good stuff- the ridicule.
" 'Hello.' He answered in the posh tones of the English gentry, and she wondered why the duchess would allow such a man to work with her horses. The English were usually mad about class distinction and would never allow their stable hands to read, if the boys were so inclined. But this boy seemed to not care a fig for any of his so-called betters, including hers, and that made her smile."
At this time, Scotland and England had a bit of a bumpy relationship, and I love that the author showed a bit of it. For all of those who are not really into a history lesson, have no fear. It is really only in their banter and poking fun. It helped keep the book light-hearted and fun.
On the flip side, the ending was just not it. Mary Elizabeth loves the duke but understands what marriage will mean for her indepedence and her Scottish identity. I absolutely love that the author talked about this, however, the whole issue was too easily resolved. My biggest frustration was when Mary Elizabeth went home to think about what would be the best for her. When the duke came, he seemed to have a better understanding of what she would have to give up, but he just listed the stuff she would have to give up. I would have loved to see him really understand on a deeper level rather just know you are going to have to give some stuff up but I'm not leaving until you agree to marry me. On the Mary Elizabeth side, she was struggling with the loss of her independency then all of sudden she was like oh I'm all good. What in the world!!!
February 28, 2018
I will totally admit that if I didn't have such high expectations I would have enjoyed this one more. But I did so I didn't! Which is really a shame, Mary Elizabeth has been my favourite character from the last 2 books so I really wanted to love her story.
The first half was really good! Harry basically is constantly watching her ride off into the sunset with stars in his eyes, it was beautiful. I loved the hidden identity, and I loved both Harry and Mary Elizabeth's characters.
It's just the conclusion that left me unsatisfied. I really kind of hate her mom. I just. I do? I understand her reasoning and whatnot, but she behaved terribly and I don't like that her and Mary Elizabeth don't really have it out. A large part of their story happens with conversations with other people, not each other.
There is also a bit of the whole "quiet woman we are manly men who must beat our chests in a display of manliness" that happened a bit, especially near the end. I have no patience for machismo.
And I really found the happily-ever-after to be both too short (we needed some sort of epilogue I think), and bittersweet. Mary Elizabeth is giving up a lot for love, and we never really got past the heartache of leaving her home behind. So it didn't really feel that happy.
Anyhoo, I have a lot of feelings about it.
The first half was really good! Harry basically is constantly watching her ride off into the sunset with stars in his eyes, it was beautiful. I loved the hidden identity, and I loved both Harry and Mary Elizabeth's characters.
It's just the conclusion that left me unsatisfied. I really kind of hate her mom. I just. I do? I understand her reasoning and whatnot, but she behaved terribly and I don't like that her and Mary Elizabeth don't really have it out. A large part of their story happens with conversations with other people, not each other.
There is also a bit of the whole "quiet woman we are manly men who must beat our chests in a display of manliness" that happened a bit, especially near the end. I have no patience for machismo.
And I really found the happily-ever-after to be both too short (we needed some sort of epilogue I think), and bittersweet. Mary Elizabeth is giving up a lot for love, and we never really got past the heartache of leaving her home behind. So it didn't really feel that happy.
Anyhoo, I have a lot of feelings about it.
June 11, 2017
It took me some time to get used to the writing as it is somehow a bit distant and the author has a very unique style. this is not necessarily bad, of course, it just wasn't what I expected at first.
I was a bit put out though, when the deception, that domineered most of the action in the book, kept on and on and ....you get it, right? When our hero, Harry, Duke of Northumberland and our slightly hoydenish heroine Mary Elizabeth Waters who are both very special and very lovable characters, fell in love despite both of them very much trying to resist that pesky feeling, I might have smiled a bit goofily, sometimes I laughed out loud and I simply adored Mary and her Highlander brothers and their ways.
Blunt and to the point, loving and, well, protective as well, as Harry has to find out, her brothers don't beat around the bush when they think that their sister needs their help.
A well woven and convincing story, interesting and lovable characters - despite my reservations at the beginning, I really enjoyed this book. This was the first book by Christy English that I' ve read but it won't be the last.
I was a bit put out though, when the deception, that domineered most of the action in the book, kept on and on and ....you get it, right? When our hero, Harry, Duke of Northumberland and our slightly hoydenish heroine Mary Elizabeth Waters who are both very special and very lovable characters, fell in love despite both of them very much trying to resist that pesky feeling, I might have smiled a bit goofily, sometimes I laughed out loud and I simply adored Mary and her Highlander brothers and their ways.
Blunt and to the point, loving and, well, protective as well, as Harry has to find out, her brothers don't beat around the bush when they think that their sister needs their help.
A well woven and convincing story, interesting and lovable characters - despite my reservations at the beginning, I really enjoyed this book. This was the first book by Christy English that I' ve read but it won't be the last.
August 10, 2019
How can you avoid an 'arranged marriage'?
1. " Always carry at least three blades
2. "Ride circles around any man"
3. "Never get caught in a handsome duke's arms"
Mary Elizabeth Waters is considered the 'Wild Highlander' and has managed to dodge the marriage banns to go at any time in her life until now.
She is a 'Scottish' through and through and has fallen hard for an English Duke.
What will her family say?
Will he come up to 'snuff'?
How will her three brothers react to an Englishman in the family?
Will she be allowed to go to and see the Highland Games given the number of times she has run away from him before she marries him?
When she runs back home the Handsome Duke of Northumberland follow her?
1. " Always carry at least three blades
2. "Ride circles around any man"
3. "Never get caught in a handsome duke's arms"
Mary Elizabeth Waters is considered the 'Wild Highlander' and has managed to dodge the marriage banns to go at any time in her life until now.
She is a 'Scottish' through and through and has fallen hard for an English Duke.
What will her family say?
Will he come up to 'snuff'?
How will her three brothers react to an Englishman in the family?
Will she be allowed to go to and see the Highland Games given the number of times she has run away from him before she marries him?
When she runs back home the Handsome Duke of Northumberland follow her?
April 9, 2021
This book was in a word, confusing. At least it started that way. I felt, as the reader, as though I came into the book partway through. There is no lead-up or introduction of the characters, it's a very blunt beginning. I can only assume, as it is book 3 in the series, that the characters and story-line are better introduced in the first two books, but I won't be reading them to find out.
Other than that, the book itself is fairly well written. It's an OK book, just not my cup of tea. For that reason I'm giving it the one-star did-not-like. If it had a better beginning it would have received two stars for sure.
Other than that, the book itself is fairly well written. It's an OK book, just not my cup of tea. For that reason I'm giving it the one-star did-not-like. If it had a better beginning it would have received two stars for sure.
January 2, 2018
Sigh. Okay, so this was a fun little book. I liked both Mary Elizabeth and Harry. Cute, fun story--but there was just a little too much story. They fell in love so quickly and moved on to the sexytimes so fast that the whole twist was unnecessary and actually a little annoying. She really only did it to spite her mother, and that's a tale old as time.
That lost it one star. The other was whacked off with Mary Elizabeth's blade because if I read one more "his girl," "her man," "his love," "her love" in that possessive third person inner voice, I was going to fling my Kindle across the room.
That lost it one star. The other was whacked off with Mary Elizabeth's blade because if I read one more "his girl," "her man," "his love," "her love" in that possessive third person inner voice, I was going to fling my Kindle across the room.
December 4, 2016
Any character, whether male or female, that is not afraid to be true themselves, deserves a thumbs up in my opinion. Mary Elizabeth has the heart of a fighter, the spirit of a wild child and the mouth of a sailor. She's as original as can be and I loved that about her. The push back between her and Harold made for entertaining dialogue and electric sex appeal. The fact that Ms. English dares to be different in her writing is just as appealing as the unique firecrackers in her stories.
April 4, 2018
Mary Elizabeth is on the marriage mart because her mother says she must, but she hates it. She just wants to go home. When she meets Harry she believes he is a stable boy and therefore does not immediately dismiss him as she has done other men. The fact that she tames a very disagreeable bourse intrigues Harry and soon he wants her for his wife. She however does not know he is the Duke she has come to meet. It is a sweet story and reads well.
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