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Highland Grooms #3
Hard-Hearted Highlander - Tambatan Hati sang Highlander
Skandal kawin lari Bernadette Holly membuatnya kehilangan bukan hanya cinta dalam hidupnya, tapi juga statusnya sebagai kalangan atas. Kini sebagai governess Avaline Kent, gadis muda yang akan dijodohkan dengan pria Skotlandia, Bernadette terpaksa ikut keluarga gadis itu pindah ke sana. Masalahnya, bagi Avaline pria itu terlalu kasar dan menakutkan, sehingga timbullah berbagai keengganan, pertengkaran, serta air mata yang hanya membuat Bernadette pusing.
Rabbie Mackenzie hanya ingin mati, tapi nasib klannya dipertaruhkan sehingga ia terpaksa menyetujui perjodohan dengan gadis bau kencur dari Inggris. Situasi sungguh tak
tertahankan bagi Rabbie, sampai ia bersinggungan dengan Bernadette, si gadis pelayan yang berani lancang kepadanya. Kelancangan itu entah bagaimana menyalakan lagi semangat hidupnya, menyadarkannya mungkin masih ada cinta yang ditakdirkan untuknya.
Sepertinya cinta tumbuh di antara dua orang pada waktu yang salah, tetapi haruskah Rabbie kembali menyerah pada keadaan seperti dulu?
Rabbie Mackenzie hanya ingin mati, tapi nasib klannya dipertaruhkan sehingga ia terpaksa menyetujui perjodohan dengan gadis bau kencur dari Inggris. Situasi sungguh tak
tertahankan bagi Rabbie, sampai ia bersinggungan dengan Bernadette, si gadis pelayan yang berani lancang kepadanya. Kelancangan itu entah bagaimana menyalakan lagi semangat hidupnya, menyadarkannya mungkin masih ada cinta yang ditakdirkan untuknya.
Sepertinya cinta tumbuh di antara dua orang pada waktu yang salah, tetapi haruskah Rabbie kembali menyerah pada keadaan seperti dulu?
456 pages, Paperback
First published April 25, 2017
305 people are currently reading
1589 people want to read
About the author
Julia London
190 books3,138 followersJulia 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 209 reviews
May 26, 2018
I've given this a C+ at AAR, so 3.5 stars.
I’ve enjoyed the previous two books in Julia London’s Highland Grooms series in spite of my general aversion to Scottish/Highland set romances; both books are strongly character driven with, in the case of the first book, Wild Wicked Scot, a dash of politics and intrigue thrown in to add an extra layer of interest. So I’ve been looking forward to this third book, in which the hero is Rabbie Mackenzie, younger son of Laird Arran and his English wife, Margot. But I’m afraid I can’t say that I enjoyed Hard Hearted Highlander as much as the other books, mostly because the eponymous hero is such a miserable bastard for well over half of the story, and it’s difficult to find any vestige of sympathy or liking for a man who is so ill-mannered and self-centred.
That’s not to say that Rabbie doesn’t have grounds for what is immediately apparent is a case of severe depression. The book is set in 1750, five years after the Battle of Culloden, and takes place in a very different world to the previous novel. Many families and clans were wiped out on the battlefield and after, and of those who weren’t many have fled – to the cities, or overseas – and the landscape has been forever changed. Even the powerful Mackenzie clan is struggling to look after its own; their neutrality in the conflict did not protect them from the widely wrought devastation and times are hard.
Like many of his countrymen, Rabbie is frustrated and bitter about the huge change the battle has wrought in the Highlander way of life, but he is also mired in grief for the woman he loved, Seona MacBee, who was killed, along with her family, either during or after the uprising. It’s been years since her death, but Rabbie mourns her every day, and continues to scowl and growl his way through life, much to the consternation of his family. They love him dearly and hate to see him so melancholy, but don’t know what to do to help – and know that he would probably reject it if they tried.
As the Mackenzies struggle to rebuild their fortunes after the rebellion, it becomes necessary for Laird Mackenzie to broker a match between Rabbie and the young daughter of Lord Kent, an English nobleman who has purchased the nearby estate of Kileaven and looks set to buy up other lands around Balhaire. If that happens, there won’t be enough land to sustain even the small number of Mackenzies who are left, and a this arrangement is the only way to protect Balhaire and its dependents. Rabbie recognises the importance of this marriage to his family and agrees to marry the girl. He doesn’t care – he’s dead inside anyway.
When the Kents arrive, it’s immediately apparent that the two families are not a match made in heaven. Lord Kent is an abrasive boor who is more often drunk than not and his wife and daughter live in fear of him. Aveline Kent is only seventeen; she’s pretty and sweet, but her excessive timidity and utter lack of individuality and spirit irritate Rabbie intensely and he finds himself unable to say a civil word to her. His complete lack of consideration for the young woman, and for the difficult situation she has been pushed into similarly irritate Aveline’s maid and companion, Bernadette Holly, who makes very clear her disdain for Rabbie and dislike of the way he is treating her friend.
Of course, this is a romance novel, so I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by saying that that disdain leads to some harsh words and eventually to verbal sparring that sends the sparks flying between Rabbie and Bernadette. For the first time in years, he finds himself attracted to a woman, but things are moving quickly, and with the wedding just days away and the fate of his clan at stake, how can they have a future together?
Like Rabbie, Bernadette has a heart-breaking tragedy in her past, but unlike him, she doesn’t allow it to colour her every thought and move. As a younger woman, she fell in love and eloped with a man her father thought beneath her. He had her followed and brought home, the marriage was annulled and the young man sent away, never to be seen again. Bernadette later learned he had died at sea – but even worse, after the separation she discovered she was expecting his child only to lose the baby when she was several months along, and is now unable to have children of her own. Ruined and with her reputation in shreds, Bernadette is now employed by the Kents as a maid-cum-companion, and it’s to her that Lord Kent looks to prepare Aveline for her upcoming marriage. It’s an impossible task however; the dour Highlander shows no inclination whatsoever to even try to get to know his bride, and doesn’t care that Aveline has no alternative but to obey her brutish father.
I liked Bernadette; she’s come through her tragedy and emerged as a stronger person who isn’t easily cowed by anyone. She goes toe-to-toe with Rabbie and calls him on his crap, hinting to him that he’s not the only person to ever have been hurt and telling him outright that he needs to stop acting like a spoiled child, man up and deal with it. In the absence of treatments for depression, it’s fortunate for Rabbie that his interest is piqued by Bernadette’s spirit and he is not a little inspired by the way she has managed to pull herself out of the despair she experienced upon her own losses.
The biggest problem with Hard-Hearted Highlander is that about two thirds of it is Rabbie being a rude, unfeeling and discourteous dickhead to his poor fiancée – who isn’t to blame for anything other than being an empty-headed seventeen-year-old – and Rabbie and Bernadette pondering their losses during a number of lengthy inner monologues. I liked the author’s overall message about the need to let go and move on, but the romance is rushed, there’s an odd subplot that made me a little uncomfortable, and the various flashbacks to Rabbie’s life with Seona are out of place; we already know he’s heartbroken, and these reinforcements add nothing to the overall story.
I understand that there are to be more books in this series, and I certainly intend to read them, but I can’t wholeheartedly recommend this one. It’s well-written and Ms. London has once again made good use of her research into the period to create a suitably subdued atmosphere that reflects the political situation of the time. But ultimately, the romance falls flat; the hero is too unappealing for most of the book, and his turn-about, when it comes, is too fast and too late. Hard-Hearted Highlander is certainly not the place to start with the Highland Grooms<?b>, and even if you’re following the series, you might want to give it a miss.
I’ve enjoyed the previous two books in Julia London’s Highland Grooms series in spite of my general aversion to Scottish/Highland set romances; both books are strongly character driven with, in the case of the first book, Wild Wicked Scot, a dash of politics and intrigue thrown in to add an extra layer of interest. So I’ve been looking forward to this third book, in which the hero is Rabbie Mackenzie, younger son of Laird Arran and his English wife, Margot. But I’m afraid I can’t say that I enjoyed Hard Hearted Highlander as much as the other books, mostly because the eponymous hero is such a miserable bastard for well over half of the story, and it’s difficult to find any vestige of sympathy or liking for a man who is so ill-mannered and self-centred.
That’s not to say that Rabbie doesn’t have grounds for what is immediately apparent is a case of severe depression. The book is set in 1750, five years after the Battle of Culloden, and takes place in a very different world to the previous novel. Many families and clans were wiped out on the battlefield and after, and of those who weren’t many have fled – to the cities, or overseas – and the landscape has been forever changed. Even the powerful Mackenzie clan is struggling to look after its own; their neutrality in the conflict did not protect them from the widely wrought devastation and times are hard.
Like many of his countrymen, Rabbie is frustrated and bitter about the huge change the battle has wrought in the Highlander way of life, but he is also mired in grief for the woman he loved, Seona MacBee, who was killed, along with her family, either during or after the uprising. It’s been years since her death, but Rabbie mourns her every day, and continues to scowl and growl his way through life, much to the consternation of his family. They love him dearly and hate to see him so melancholy, but don’t know what to do to help – and know that he would probably reject it if they tried.
As the Mackenzies struggle to rebuild their fortunes after the rebellion, it becomes necessary for Laird Mackenzie to broker a match between Rabbie and the young daughter of Lord Kent, an English nobleman who has purchased the nearby estate of Kileaven and looks set to buy up other lands around Balhaire. If that happens, there won’t be enough land to sustain even the small number of Mackenzies who are left, and a this arrangement is the only way to protect Balhaire and its dependents. Rabbie recognises the importance of this marriage to his family and agrees to marry the girl. He doesn’t care – he’s dead inside anyway.
When the Kents arrive, it’s immediately apparent that the two families are not a match made in heaven. Lord Kent is an abrasive boor who is more often drunk than not and his wife and daughter live in fear of him. Aveline Kent is only seventeen; she’s pretty and sweet, but her excessive timidity and utter lack of individuality and spirit irritate Rabbie intensely and he finds himself unable to say a civil word to her. His complete lack of consideration for the young woman, and for the difficult situation she has been pushed into similarly irritate Aveline’s maid and companion, Bernadette Holly, who makes very clear her disdain for Rabbie and dislike of the way he is treating her friend.
Of course, this is a romance novel, so I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by saying that that disdain leads to some harsh words and eventually to verbal sparring that sends the sparks flying between Rabbie and Bernadette. For the first time in years, he finds himself attracted to a woman, but things are moving quickly, and with the wedding just days away and the fate of his clan at stake, how can they have a future together?
Like Rabbie, Bernadette has a heart-breaking tragedy in her past, but unlike him, she doesn’t allow it to colour her every thought and move. As a younger woman, she fell in love and eloped with a man her father thought beneath her. He had her followed and brought home, the marriage was annulled and the young man sent away, never to be seen again. Bernadette later learned he had died at sea – but even worse, after the separation she discovered she was expecting his child only to lose the baby when she was several months along, and is now unable to have children of her own. Ruined and with her reputation in shreds, Bernadette is now employed by the Kents as a maid-cum-companion, and it’s to her that Lord Kent looks to prepare Aveline for her upcoming marriage. It’s an impossible task however; the dour Highlander shows no inclination whatsoever to even try to get to know his bride, and doesn’t care that Aveline has no alternative but to obey her brutish father.
I liked Bernadette; she’s come through her tragedy and emerged as a stronger person who isn’t easily cowed by anyone. She goes toe-to-toe with Rabbie and calls him on his crap, hinting to him that he’s not the only person to ever have been hurt and telling him outright that he needs to stop acting like a spoiled child, man up and deal with it. In the absence of treatments for depression, it’s fortunate for Rabbie that his interest is piqued by Bernadette’s spirit and he is not a little inspired by the way she has managed to pull herself out of the despair she experienced upon her own losses.
The biggest problem with Hard-Hearted Highlander is that about two thirds of it is Rabbie being a rude, unfeeling and discourteous dickhead to his poor fiancée – who isn’t to blame for anything other than being an empty-headed seventeen-year-old – and Rabbie and Bernadette pondering their losses during a number of lengthy inner monologues. I liked the author’s overall message about the need to let go and move on, but the romance is rushed, there’s an odd subplot that made me a little uncomfortable, and the various flashbacks to Rabbie’s life with Seona are out of place; we already know he’s heartbroken, and these reinforcements add nothing to the overall story.
I understand that there are to be more books in this series, and I certainly intend to read them, but I can’t wholeheartedly recommend this one. It’s well-written and Ms. London has once again made good use of her research into the period to create a suitably subdued atmosphere that reflects the political situation of the time. But ultimately, the romance falls flat; the hero is too unappealing for most of the book, and his turn-about, when it comes, is too fast and too late. Hard-Hearted Highlander is certainly not the place to start with the Highland Grooms<?b>, and even if you’re following the series, you might want to give it a miss.
April 1, 2017
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
Summary
Bernadette Kent, is a woman having little and no choice but to work as a governess, due to past scandals and the pain she has experienced. Bernadette has learned some rough truths of life, and one of them is that woman have no choice in life especially in what they wish in life or who they wish to marry. Now its Bernadette's job to make sure that her young charge and friend learn to accept her upcoming marriage that she has no choice in. Bernadette understands why Avaline who may be kind but is shy and practically shakes in fear of her new fiancee. Rabbie Mackenzie accepted the upcoming marriage at a painful time in his life. Now he has no choice but to bind himself to a girl that is barely out of the schoolroom and has no strength or courage. But his life comes alive again when he banters with independent Bernadette who fights him on every turn. But soon the opposition they both feels turns into something passionate and eventually into a softer emotion....love. But their relationship is forbidden and not just to society, but both Bernadette and Rabbie understand each others pains of the past and could help heal each other...
The Hero
Rabbie Mackenzie has suffered some of the worst pains. He lost the woman he loved and most of her family in a very painful way and ever since has continued to grieve his loss of her and has merely existed. Rabbie reluctantly agreed to a marriage for financial gain on both parties. Once Rabbie meets his future bride, he regrets his agreement but refuses to go back on his word. Rabbie is a proud highlander who has suffered some great losses in his life. But he looks out for his family and other Scots who need his help to survive with the recent joining of Scotland and England which has practically starved and decimated the Scottish people. What I truly loved about Rabbie was his protective nature toward his people. Now he can be a jerk quite a bit especially in the beginning. He has a very rough exterior, but I truly loved seeing the change in his character as he learns to let go of the past and learning to love again.
The Heroine
Bernadette hasn't had a easy life. Bernadette once fell in love and managed to elope, but she learned a painful lesson when her father annulled the marriage, and forced her fiancee to a ship to work and died a few months later and Berndatte lost even more than that....and she knows that she will never be able to have the family she always dreamed of. But it hasn't hardened or made her bitter. She still has a sweet nature, and I truly adored how passionate she was especially in defense of Avaline. Her character isn't easy to read, because of the way we are introduced to her and sets a certain tone of the story. I did enjoy her character and seeing the way she overcomes the ghosts of her past and find the happy after she deserves.
Plot and Story Line
Hard Hearted Highlander is a wonderful romance that has a strong angsty beginning. What I truly loved about this book was seeing the growth and changes in our characters. At the beginning of the book, there are shields around both Bernadette and Rabbie. These shields are because of some painful experiences these two have had to struggle through. And I understood where they were coming from but they tended to bicker and banter like children and there were times it could be amusing, but other times I felt a bit frustated but then I don't think I was in the mood for a angsty romance. But it didn't take very long to get into the frame this book has set. Now we have another character Avaline. I will admit there are times I learned to like her, but honestly she drove me nuts. She was fearful of everything and was so weak in so many ways. I understood why she was the way she is....her parents left much to be desired. However she does get some backbone. I really enjoyed the way this story progressed and didn't quite turn out the way I expected and I liked that. There are some predictable moments, but other moments that happily surprise you. What made this book so wonderful though was the ending. Because man...this author had me crying and laughing in the same moment which is rare. And yeah I fell in head over heels with this couple pretty quickly especially in the way you see how they help each other emotionally. It really brings these two together in such a poignant way.
The Cover
What a beautiful cover and so perfect for april, I love the spring tone of the purple and their embrace is so passionate
Overall View
Hard Hearted Highlander is a simply fantastic romance that is full of fun yet angsty bantering, an emotional whirlwind of desire, grief and brings a perfectly satisfying story!!
Click To Buy On Amazon
[foogallery id="24091"]
Summary
Bernadette Kent, is a woman having little and no choice but to work as a governess, due to past scandals and the pain she has experienced. Bernadette has learned some rough truths of life, and one of them is that woman have no choice in life especially in what they wish in life or who they wish to marry. Now its Bernadette's job to make sure that her young charge and friend learn to accept her upcoming marriage that she has no choice in. Bernadette understands why Avaline who may be kind but is shy and practically shakes in fear of her new fiancee. Rabbie Mackenzie accepted the upcoming marriage at a painful time in his life. Now he has no choice but to bind himself to a girl that is barely out of the schoolroom and has no strength or courage. But his life comes alive again when he banters with independent Bernadette who fights him on every turn. But soon the opposition they both feels turns into something passionate and eventually into a softer emotion....love. But their relationship is forbidden and not just to society, but both Bernadette and Rabbie understand each others pains of the past and could help heal each other...
The Hero
Rabbie Mackenzie has suffered some of the worst pains. He lost the woman he loved and most of her family in a very painful way and ever since has continued to grieve his loss of her and has merely existed. Rabbie reluctantly agreed to a marriage for financial gain on both parties. Once Rabbie meets his future bride, he regrets his agreement but refuses to go back on his word. Rabbie is a proud highlander who has suffered some great losses in his life. But he looks out for his family and other Scots who need his help to survive with the recent joining of Scotland and England which has practically starved and decimated the Scottish people. What I truly loved about Rabbie was his protective nature toward his people. Now he can be a jerk quite a bit especially in the beginning. He has a very rough exterior, but I truly loved seeing the change in his character as he learns to let go of the past and learning to love again.
The Heroine
Bernadette hasn't had a easy life. Bernadette once fell in love and managed to elope, but she learned a painful lesson when her father annulled the marriage, and forced her fiancee to a ship to work and died a few months later and Berndatte lost even more than that....and she knows that she will never be able to have the family she always dreamed of. But it hasn't hardened or made her bitter. She still has a sweet nature, and I truly adored how passionate she was especially in defense of Avaline. Her character isn't easy to read, because of the way we are introduced to her and sets a certain tone of the story. I did enjoy her character and seeing the way she overcomes the ghosts of her past and find the happy after she deserves.
Plot and Story Line
Hard Hearted Highlander is a wonderful romance that has a strong angsty beginning. What I truly loved about this book was seeing the growth and changes in our characters. At the beginning of the book, there are shields around both Bernadette and Rabbie. These shields are because of some painful experiences these two have had to struggle through. And I understood where they were coming from but they tended to bicker and banter like children and there were times it could be amusing, but other times I felt a bit frustated but then I don't think I was in the mood for a angsty romance. But it didn't take very long to get into the frame this book has set. Now we have another character Avaline. I will admit there are times I learned to like her, but honestly she drove me nuts. She was fearful of everything and was so weak in so many ways. I understood why she was the way she is....her parents left much to be desired. However she does get some backbone. I really enjoyed the way this story progressed and didn't quite turn out the way I expected and I liked that. There are some predictable moments, but other moments that happily surprise you. What made this book so wonderful though was the ending. Because man...this author had me crying and laughing in the same moment which is rare. And yeah I fell in head over heels with this couple pretty quickly especially in the way you see how they help each other emotionally. It really brings these two together in such a poignant way.
The Cover
What a beautiful cover and so perfect for april, I love the spring tone of the purple and their embrace is so passionate
Overall View
Hard Hearted Highlander is a simply fantastic romance that is full of fun yet angsty bantering, an emotional whirlwind of desire, grief and brings a perfectly satisfying story!!
Click To Buy On Amazon
[foogallery id="24091"]
April 9, 2017
To be totally honest, I read this book a month ago. I had absolutely no recollection of the plot. The only reason I remembered it is because I checked NetGalley, saw I needed to submit feedback, and was like, "huh, did I not read that?"
Friends, I did read it. That's how forgettable it is.
I had to skim a few chapters to remind myself. Immediately, I thought, "Oh crap, now I remember."
Rabbie MacKenzie is the hero of this story; Bernadette, a lady-in-waiting/governess to a girl named Avaline (if I remember correctly, which, who knows), is the heroine. Like many of the heroes in Julia London novels, Rabbie has a dark past: a fiance who disappeared during a raid (she's....dead) causing him to be suicidal. Like many of the heroines, Bernadette also has a dark past: she married a boy without her father's consent, got pregnant, and then got dragged home by said father. Trust me when I say, both characters let you know how so super duper sad they are in multiple page long monologues.
What is WITH the monologues in romance novels? I hate it. I hate them! Show, don't tell! Have none of these writers taken a beginning level creative writing class? Spoon feeding us your characters emotions is bad. Try again.
Rabbie's family decides their tired of his dumbass moping (not kidding) and decide to draw up a tidy little marriage contract to a teenager named Avaline. She's... English? Her father is pretty cool. And by pretty cool, I mean, he's the most obvious "bad character" I've ever read in my life. This isn't characterization; it's hardly even trying. Her father drinks too much, bullies her and her mother, treats his daughter like little more than chattel. Like, he is not dynamic at all. Julia London--try. harder. oh. my. god. It's so easy to write bad-for-the-sake-of-bad-because-you-need-a-plot-device characters, but stop. It's insulting.
Avaline brings along her governess, Bernadette, who is only there because her dad basically, like, sold her? It's her only option besides the church, I guess. Avaline is super sensitive, insecure, and generally a doormat. Rabbie is capital n Not Interested. However, he can't stop giving Bernadette the look.
Honestly, the middle of the novel becomes a blur. Despite his engagement to Avaline, which Rabbie can't break off because HONOR despite the fact that Avaline is totally helpless, Bernadette and Rabbie get into some risky business. That's all I remember. Avaline begins to think that Rabbie's brother loves her (he doesn't) and so she hatches a plan to kiss him and have him marry her instead. Sure, ok.
Basically, the engagement ends. Avaline is kinda shamed? Bernadette stays behind and Rabbie's like, "let's do this." So Bernadette has to tell him that she can't have children? Because of the baby she had with her not-really-husband? It destroyed her uterus, I guess. Rabbie is a little shook. SO instead of giving her time to think about that, he goes and picks up TWO ORPHANED CHILDREN that live with his parents and is like, take care of these! You can love them!
Dude.
Anyway, Bernadette is mad about that, but does OK with the kids. They agree to get married and adopt kids and it's very perfect. In the end, Avaline gets engaged to some other kid which is great. Everyone's happy.
Are you yawning? I'm yawning.
Friends, I did read it. That's how forgettable it is.
I had to skim a few chapters to remind myself. Immediately, I thought, "Oh crap, now I remember."
Rabbie MacKenzie is the hero of this story; Bernadette, a lady-in-waiting/governess to a girl named Avaline (if I remember correctly, which, who knows), is the heroine. Like many of the heroes in Julia London novels, Rabbie has a dark past: a fiance who disappeared during a raid (she's....dead) causing him to be suicidal. Like many of the heroines, Bernadette also has a dark past: she married a boy without her father's consent, got pregnant, and then got dragged home by said father. Trust me when I say, both characters let you know how so super duper sad they are in multiple page long monologues.
What is WITH the monologues in romance novels? I hate it. I hate them! Show, don't tell! Have none of these writers taken a beginning level creative writing class? Spoon feeding us your characters emotions is bad. Try again.
Rabbie's family decides their tired of his dumbass moping (not kidding) and decide to draw up a tidy little marriage contract to a teenager named Avaline. She's... English? Her father is pretty cool. And by pretty cool, I mean, he's the most obvious "bad character" I've ever read in my life. This isn't characterization; it's hardly even trying. Her father drinks too much, bullies her and her mother, treats his daughter like little more than chattel. Like, he is not dynamic at all. Julia London--try. harder. oh. my. god. It's so easy to write bad-for-the-sake-of-bad-because-you-need-a-plot-device characters, but stop. It's insulting.
Avaline brings along her governess, Bernadette, who is only there because her dad basically, like, sold her? It's her only option besides the church, I guess. Avaline is super sensitive, insecure, and generally a doormat. Rabbie is capital n Not Interested. However, he can't stop giving Bernadette the look.
Honestly, the middle of the novel becomes a blur. Despite his engagement to Avaline, which Rabbie can't break off because HONOR despite the fact that Avaline is totally helpless, Bernadette and Rabbie get into some risky business. That's all I remember. Avaline begins to think that Rabbie's brother loves her (he doesn't) and so she hatches a plan to kiss him and have him marry her instead. Sure, ok.
Basically, the engagement ends. Avaline is kinda shamed? Bernadette stays behind and Rabbie's like, "let's do this." So Bernadette has to tell him that she can't have children? Because of the baby she had with her not-really-husband? It destroyed her uterus, I guess. Rabbie is a little shook. SO instead of giving her time to think about that, he goes and picks up TWO ORPHANED CHILDREN that live with his parents and is like, take care of these! You can love them!
Dude.
Anyway, Bernadette is mad about that, but does OK with the kids. They agree to get married and adopt kids and it's very perfect. In the end, Avaline gets engaged to some other kid which is great. Everyone's happy.
Are you yawning? I'm yawning.
May 4, 2019
No ha sido uno de los mejores libros de esta autora... demasiados clichés de romántica y un final demasiado empalagoso para mi gusto .
April 25, 2017
The second book in the Highland Grooms Series is a powerful heart wrenching story of lost love, tragedy and how two people make the journey back to life and love.
First let me say that there are parts of this book that took fortitude on my part to read, but it was worth reading through some really sad parts to a HAE. This book is about Rabbie MacKenzie the brother of the hero from "Sinful Scottish Laird". Rabbie has lost his will to live. He has watched his precious Highlands be decimated by the English after the battle at Culloden , the love of his life died a terrible death and his clan is barely scraping by. He is just going through the motions for one reason, because no matter how much he doesn't want to go on he knows that if he died his family would be devastated. Now Rabbie has agreed to marry a young English woman who will bring much needed money. He doesn't want anything to do with her when she arrives at his home. He is not even trying to endear himself and is being rude and dismissive an all around ass.
Accompanying the bride to be from England is Bernadette Holly. A ladies maid with a terribly tragic past. She and her love ran away from home to marry, defying her wealthy Father, who wanted her to marry a nobleman to help him gain access to into the Ton. Her father's men catch up with them days after they were married and drag her husband away. She is taken home and her marriage is annulled. She later finds out that her husband was conscripted into the Royal Navy and died at sea. She then finds out she is pregnant but loses the baby when her father strikes her and she falls down a flight of stairs. She has hidden deep in her mind and heart the crippling pain that has shaped who she is and what she has become.
How can Rabbie and Bernadette help each other when it is clear that the only thing they have in common is pain and heartbreak? I have read everything that Julia has written in Historical Romance, this story is darker in that Julia delves deeper into what makes these characters so special. They are both strong, intelligent characters who come out even stronger in the end. There is conflict, redemption, and best of all a happy ending for them. I am a fan of Julia's writing and think this book is a must read.
First let me say that there are parts of this book that took fortitude on my part to read, but it was worth reading through some really sad parts to a HAE. This book is about Rabbie MacKenzie the brother of the hero from "Sinful Scottish Laird". Rabbie has lost his will to live. He has watched his precious Highlands be decimated by the English after the battle at Culloden , the love of his life died a terrible death and his clan is barely scraping by. He is just going through the motions for one reason, because no matter how much he doesn't want to go on he knows that if he died his family would be devastated. Now Rabbie has agreed to marry a young English woman who will bring much needed money. He doesn't want anything to do with her when she arrives at his home. He is not even trying to endear himself and is being rude and dismissive an all around ass.
Accompanying the bride to be from England is Bernadette Holly. A ladies maid with a terribly tragic past. She and her love ran away from home to marry, defying her wealthy Father, who wanted her to marry a nobleman to help him gain access to into the Ton. Her father's men catch up with them days after they were married and drag her husband away. She is taken home and her marriage is annulled. She later finds out that her husband was conscripted into the Royal Navy and died at sea. She then finds out she is pregnant but loses the baby when her father strikes her and she falls down a flight of stairs. She has hidden deep in her mind and heart the crippling pain that has shaped who she is and what she has become.
How can Rabbie and Bernadette help each other when it is clear that the only thing they have in common is pain and heartbreak? I have read everything that Julia has written in Historical Romance, this story is darker in that Julia delves deeper into what makes these characters so special. They are both strong, intelligent characters who come out even stronger in the end. There is conflict, redemption, and best of all a happy ending for them. I am a fan of Julia's writing and think this book is a must read.
October 30, 2018
This one was just okay. Both the hero and heroine had dead first true loves, which I always find kind of disheartening. I know it's perfectly realistic and can make for some good drama if handled correctly but I usually prefer if my hero and heroine have that "I've never felt this way about anyone" kind of love, rather than constantly having to live with the specters of their dead lovers. At least in this book they both had dead loves so it wasn't just one half of the couple constantly having to deal with being compared to some paragon of the past. But on the whole, this kind of tale just isn't my preferred sub-genre.
That part aside, however, this was a pretty long and slow moving book that dealt much, MUCH more heavily with the subjects of loss and depression than with the romance between our unhappy couple. In the end, I didn't see them as two people who were hopelessly in love and meant to be together so much as a couple of very damaged people who understood each other's issues and therefore felt comfortable spending the rest of their lives together.
So all in all it was an okay story. I guess it depends on what you're looking for. In some ways it was good, if you like that sort of thing. The author took a pretty serious and realistic look at grief and how it can follow you for years. How sometimes there is no magic solution that makes the bad memories just go away (for example, ). It takes long years of mourning. But she also focused on the message that you do, eventually, have to carry on. You can't just let yourself be swallowed up forever by your sadness. So I guess that was well done if you're into that.
But for me, all of that realism made me not really feel the love between our hero and heroine. So much of the focus was on their grief and the need to find a way to carry on that it just didn't seem like Bernadette and Rabbie were each other's "one true love." It felt a lot like a "love the one you're with" situation. Like they both really had truly loved their previous lovers and always would and Rabbie and Bernadette's relationship was built upon the mutual understanding that they'd never truly love each other, but would be good friends and lovers for life. And that's just not the kind of relationship I read romance novels to see. So this one was a dud for me.
That part aside, however, this was a pretty long and slow moving book that dealt much, MUCH more heavily with the subjects of loss and depression than with the romance between our unhappy couple. In the end, I didn't see them as two people who were hopelessly in love and meant to be together so much as a couple of very damaged people who understood each other's issues and therefore felt comfortable spending the rest of their lives together.
So all in all it was an okay story. I guess it depends on what you're looking for. In some ways it was good, if you like that sort of thing. The author took a pretty serious and realistic look at grief and how it can follow you for years. How sometimes there is no magic solution that makes the bad memories just go away (for example, ). It takes long years of mourning. But she also focused on the message that you do, eventually, have to carry on. You can't just let yourself be swallowed up forever by your sadness. So I guess that was well done if you're into that.
But for me, all of that realism made me not really feel the love between our hero and heroine. So much of the focus was on their grief and the need to find a way to carry on that it just didn't seem like Bernadette and Rabbie were each other's "one true love." It felt a lot like a "love the one you're with" situation. Like they both really had truly loved their previous lovers and always would and Rabbie and Bernadette's relationship was built upon the mutual understanding that they'd never truly love each other, but would be good friends and lovers for life. And that's just not the kind of relationship I read romance novels to see. So this one was a dud for me.
April 23, 2017
This is my favorite of Julia London’s The Highland Grooms series. Rabbie Mackenzie is a lost and broken soul after the battle at Culloden Moor that devastated the Highlands. He had not joined the rebels, but was sympathetic to their cause. While his family stayed out of it, much of their land and village was still destroyed by the English. He contemplates suicide and wonders what happened to his childhood love, but won’t cause his parents more pain. They have arranged a marriage for him to a young English girl.
Miss Avaline Kent has no desire to wed a boorish Scot but is too afraid of her father to disagree with him and his plans. Her companion, Bernadette Holly, encourages her to give Rabbie a chance. Bernadette has a sad past, and works as a companion as her father disowned her. (I won’t spoil that good part of the story.) Bernadette agrees that he is not a good choice for Avaline. However, as she gets to know him she falls in love with him.
There is so much going on in this wonderful book and I do not like to spoil anything for those who have yet to read this book. I highly recommend it, especially if you like Scottish stories.
This is the third book of the series but can be read without reading the earlier ones. Thanks to Julia London for giving me this ARC. Release date is April 4th.
Miss Avaline Kent has no desire to wed a boorish Scot but is too afraid of her father to disagree with him and his plans. Her companion, Bernadette Holly, encourages her to give Rabbie a chance. Bernadette has a sad past, and works as a companion as her father disowned her. (I won’t spoil that good part of the story.) Bernadette agrees that he is not a good choice for Avaline. However, as she gets to know him she falls in love with him.
There is so much going on in this wonderful book and I do not like to spoil anything for those who have yet to read this book. I highly recommend it, especially if you like Scottish stories.
This is the third book of the series but can be read without reading the earlier ones. Thanks to Julia London for giving me this ARC. Release date is April 4th.
April 18, 2017
Hard-Hearted Highlander is the third book in the Highland Grooms series by Julia London. It can easily be read as a stand alone novel.
It's called Hard-Hearted Highlander, but dear Rabbie Mackenzie only comes across like that, and when you realise why, then you'll fall in love with him just like I did. Not only does he have a very sad past to contend with, he also is betrothed to a young English miss. Aveline is a young 17 year old, a pretty naïve young thing who isn't happy about the betrothal either. But neither she nor Rabbie have a choice, as the marriage joins two families who need what the other has to offer. Rabbie hasn't got the patience to even be pleasant to his future bride and she and his family just see him as a mean Hard-Hearted Highlander, one beneath them.
Bernadette Holly comes from a noble family, but falling in love with the wrong man, an elopement, and it's subsequent breaking by Bernadette's father has seen her now despised by him. In an attempt to get away from all gossip and of course from her wicked father, she becomes a lady's maid to Aveline. They are friends as well, and Aveline can only bear being in Scotland and having to marry because Bernadette will be with her.
Rabbie's first meeting with Bernadette doesn't go very well, in fact he is most astounded at how she speaks to him as if she is in a higher position than a maid, a servant who should be subservient to him. As they interact more, and argue more, the more Rabbie finds himself attracted to her. She brings his soul back to life, the soul that seemed to have died many years ago. Bernadette will admit to herself that she too finds herself seeing behind Rabbie's mean facade, and finds him a very attractive man. She knows she can never be anything to him because of her circumstances. Rabbie knows he can't be anything to her either because of his betrothal, but that doesn't stop them finding themselves in passionate embraces. And what passion! I swear that the first time Rabbie grabs Bernadette for a kiss I held my breath, and then felt like swooning. What a fabulous scene!
So, what are our couple to do? Even before falling for Rabbie herself, Bernadette knows that he can't marry Aveline, she'd fall to pieces as his wife. He can't cry off the engagement because it would mean her ruination. I mean if a Highlander won't take her as a wife, then what proper English man would?? The only way to stop the wedding would be for Aveline to call it off herself, but everything that Bernadette tells her about Rabbie makes no difference to her. She is determined not to call off the wedding. But why? We know she doesn't want to marry him, so what does she want?
Does the wedding go ahead, and even if it doesn't, what of Bernadette and Rabbie, can they get past the obstacles that should keep them apart??
This book is amazing, the story so moving, the characters so believable. I loved the relationships between them all, even the horrid ones like the ones between Aveline and her mother and father. Mr Kent (the dad) is the villain of the story and believe me, if I could have reached into the book and smacked him in the face I think I would have. Perfect writing of a bad character is when you have violent feelings towards them!! As well as the romance or possible romances in this book, you also have the story of life after the failed Jacobite uprising, which is all part of why Rabbie is having to marry Aveline in the first place. Such an interesting story that kept me captivated from beginning to end. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it 100%.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.
It's called Hard-Hearted Highlander, but dear Rabbie Mackenzie only comes across like that, and when you realise why, then you'll fall in love with him just like I did. Not only does he have a very sad past to contend with, he also is betrothed to a young English miss. Aveline is a young 17 year old, a pretty naïve young thing who isn't happy about the betrothal either. But neither she nor Rabbie have a choice, as the marriage joins two families who need what the other has to offer. Rabbie hasn't got the patience to even be pleasant to his future bride and she and his family just see him as a mean Hard-Hearted Highlander, one beneath them.
Bernadette Holly comes from a noble family, but falling in love with the wrong man, an elopement, and it's subsequent breaking by Bernadette's father has seen her now despised by him. In an attempt to get away from all gossip and of course from her wicked father, she becomes a lady's maid to Aveline. They are friends as well, and Aveline can only bear being in Scotland and having to marry because Bernadette will be with her.
Rabbie's first meeting with Bernadette doesn't go very well, in fact he is most astounded at how she speaks to him as if she is in a higher position than a maid, a servant who should be subservient to him. As they interact more, and argue more, the more Rabbie finds himself attracted to her. She brings his soul back to life, the soul that seemed to have died many years ago. Bernadette will admit to herself that she too finds herself seeing behind Rabbie's mean facade, and finds him a very attractive man. She knows she can never be anything to him because of her circumstances. Rabbie knows he can't be anything to her either because of his betrothal, but that doesn't stop them finding themselves in passionate embraces. And what passion! I swear that the first time Rabbie grabs Bernadette for a kiss I held my breath, and then felt like swooning. What a fabulous scene!
So, what are our couple to do? Even before falling for Rabbie herself, Bernadette knows that he can't marry Aveline, she'd fall to pieces as his wife. He can't cry off the engagement because it would mean her ruination. I mean if a Highlander won't take her as a wife, then what proper English man would?? The only way to stop the wedding would be for Aveline to call it off herself, but everything that Bernadette tells her about Rabbie makes no difference to her. She is determined not to call off the wedding. But why? We know she doesn't want to marry him, so what does she want?
Does the wedding go ahead, and even if it doesn't, what of Bernadette and Rabbie, can they get past the obstacles that should keep them apart??
This book is amazing, the story so moving, the characters so believable. I loved the relationships between them all, even the horrid ones like the ones between Aveline and her mother and father. Mr Kent (the dad) is the villain of the story and believe me, if I could have reached into the book and smacked him in the face I think I would have. Perfect writing of a bad character is when you have violent feelings towards them!! As well as the romance or possible romances in this book, you also have the story of life after the failed Jacobite uprising, which is all part of why Rabbie is having to marry Aveline in the first place. Such an interesting story that kept me captivated from beginning to end. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it 100%.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.
April 27, 2017
Set in the years following the terrible Scots defeat at Culloden and the subsequent ravaging of the Highlands by the English, there is a dark and moody undertone to this book, embodied in the hero, Rabbie MacKenzie. Rabbie's fiancee was lost in the ravaging and he is hurt and embittered, frankly suicidal at points during the book. Convinced by his family to accept a betrothal to a young Englishwoman in order to reverse the family's failing fortunes, he runs headlong into the serious problem that he can't stand her.
This was where the book absolutely fell apart, for me. Yes, Aveline was a whining little ninny, but she was also seventeen and being forced into a marriage she wanted no more than Rabbie did. A genteel Englishwoman of that age is probably equivalent to an eleven-year-old girl today in how little she understood the world, how sheltered she was. Aveline was treated with nothing short of cruelty by the entire narrative, most particularly by Rabbie. She was a child doing her best in an untenable situation, and the book went out of its way to basically slap her in the face for it. I did hope that she'd get her happy ending with the man of her dreams but instead there was a horrible reversal that quite unnecessarily devastated her.
Bernadette, the supposed heroine of the book and Aveline's 'friend' behaved absolutely reprehensibly, and so did Rabbie. Rabbie was engaged to another woman and the pair of them cheated. Rabbie made little real effort to end the engagement, dumping all the burden on Bernadette's shoulders when she had no power to do anything about it, and was an utter heel throughout the book.
Having a tragic backstory doesn't absolve you of the responsibility to at least attempt to treat other people decently. Or do I have to channel my inner Jake Peralta here?
"Cool motive. Still murder." Or in this case: “Tragic backstory. Still cheating.”
Not one person in this entire book treated Aveline with any real decency except for Rabbie's sister Cat, the only person in the book I actually liked. Frankly, for the rest of them I had little emotion left but contempt by the end, and the eventual news of Aveline's marriage was clearly supposed to leave us saying 'yay, at least she didn't end up an old maid'. I did not say yay. Trading one fiancé you don't like for another fiancé you don't like? Not a step upwards.
The book is well written and the language beautifully descriptive. If you like broody asshole Scottish heroes and heroines who are willing to sleep with a man engaged to another woman, you might enjoy it. I'm afraid I really did not. Two stars.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley.
This was where the book absolutely fell apart, for me. Yes, Aveline was a whining little ninny, but she was also seventeen and being forced into a marriage she wanted no more than Rabbie did. A genteel Englishwoman of that age is probably equivalent to an eleven-year-old girl today in how little she understood the world, how sheltered she was. Aveline was treated with nothing short of cruelty by the entire narrative, most particularly by Rabbie. She was a child doing her best in an untenable situation, and the book went out of its way to basically slap her in the face for it. I did hope that she'd get her happy ending with the man of her dreams but instead there was a horrible reversal that quite unnecessarily devastated her.
Bernadette, the supposed heroine of the book and Aveline's 'friend' behaved absolutely reprehensibly, and so did Rabbie. Rabbie was engaged to another woman and the pair of them cheated. Rabbie made little real effort to end the engagement, dumping all the burden on Bernadette's shoulders when she had no power to do anything about it, and was an utter heel throughout the book.
Having a tragic backstory doesn't absolve you of the responsibility to at least attempt to treat other people decently. Or do I have to channel my inner Jake Peralta here?
"Cool motive. Still murder." Or in this case: “Tragic backstory. Still cheating.”
Not one person in this entire book treated Aveline with any real decency except for Rabbie's sister Cat, the only person in the book I actually liked. Frankly, for the rest of them I had little emotion left but contempt by the end, and the eventual news of Aveline's marriage was clearly supposed to leave us saying 'yay, at least she didn't end up an old maid'. I did not say yay. Trading one fiancé you don't like for another fiancé you don't like? Not a step upwards.
The book is well written and the language beautifully descriptive. If you like broody asshole Scottish heroes and heroines who are willing to sleep with a man engaged to another woman, you might enjoy it. I'm afraid I really did not. Two stars.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley.
April 18, 2017
I love highlander books, so I was pretty excited to get ahold of this one. It sounded totally up my alley, but an unlikable hero and odd subplot made this feel disjointed and somewhat unsatisfying for me.
The Story-
Rabbie has to marry an English girl to save his family land etc. His ex/true love died at the hands of the English following Culloden, so suffice to say, he isn't happy about the arrangement. His bride-to-be is an unlikable little ninny who still has a governess of sorts: Bernadette. Bernadette is, of course, sassy and worldly, which is more interesting to Rabbie than the ninny. Both have tragic backstories and lots of built-up sexual tension.
My Thoughts-
Rabbie broods and sulks through most of the novel even though the heroine, Bernadette, went through something way worse and seems well-adjusted considering. He never really turns a corner and does anything particularly likable; they just start having sex. At one point, I thought that the ninny was going to have a HEA and maybe be alright because the author did some scenes from her perspective, but no. She's just an idiot that gets embarrassed by a creep. Then, there is all this weird backstory written in italics that actually made me wish Rabbie's first love hadn't kicked it. I know Bernadette would have been better off if her jerk father hadn't screwed up her live and love. Oh, and don't get me started on the whole "here's a couple of kids!" thing. I won't go into detail, but he pulls a very man move out of the blue that left me like "huh?".
The Bottom Line-
So, why the 3 stars if there were so many things that annoyed me? The plot clicked along pretty well, and although I am not super happy how she ended up with Rabbie, Bernadette is a pretty kicking heroine. I enjoyed their banter and was truly intrigued to see how they would get together because it really wasn't seeming likely. The writing is solid, and I have a feeling that I would enjoy something else by this author. She writes in my fave subgenre, and clearly has talent; this just went in too many directions and didn't redeem the hero enough for my taste. 3 stars
The Story-
Rabbie has to marry an English girl to save his family land etc. His ex/true love died at the hands of the English following Culloden, so suffice to say, he isn't happy about the arrangement. His bride-to-be is an unlikable little ninny who still has a governess of sorts: Bernadette. Bernadette is, of course, sassy and worldly, which is more interesting to Rabbie than the ninny. Both have tragic backstories and lots of built-up sexual tension.
My Thoughts-
Rabbie broods and sulks through most of the novel even though the heroine, Bernadette, went through something way worse and seems well-adjusted considering. He never really turns a corner and does anything particularly likable; they just start having sex. At one point, I thought that the ninny was going to have a HEA and maybe be alright because the author did some scenes from her perspective, but no. She's just an idiot that gets embarrassed by a creep. Then, there is all this weird backstory written in italics that actually made me wish Rabbie's first love hadn't kicked it. I know Bernadette would have been better off if her jerk father hadn't screwed up her live and love. Oh, and don't get me started on the whole "here's a couple of kids!" thing. I won't go into detail, but he pulls a very man move out of the blue that left me like "huh?".
The Bottom Line-
So, why the 3 stars if there were so many things that annoyed me? The plot clicked along pretty well, and although I am not super happy how she ended up with Rabbie, Bernadette is a pretty kicking heroine. I enjoyed their banter and was truly intrigued to see how they would get together because it really wasn't seeming likely. The writing is solid, and I have a feeling that I would enjoy something else by this author. She writes in my fave subgenre, and clearly has talent; this just went in too many directions and didn't redeem the hero enough for my taste. 3 stars
October 31, 2018
Another wonderful HR by London.
I enjoyed the character building
The storyline was amazing, except for the last bit. It ended up being a tad melodramatic
Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading Hard-hearted Highlander very much.
I enjoyed the character building
The storyline was amazing, except for the last bit. It ended up being a tad melodramatic
Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading Hard-hearted Highlander very much.
March 21, 2017
Rabbie has no problem explaining his problems, “perhaps no’, but I canna abide being in the same room with you and no’ speaking to you, aye? I’ve thought of naugh’ but you, Bernadette,” he muttered. “I canna sleep, I canna eat.” I liked this book, I loved Rabbie.
March 1, 2022
unable to fully enjoy story because me & the hero just didn’t agree. I did complete the book, barely, and ONLY because the narrator is freaking amazing.
October 17, 2021
Sometimes it is possible for a story to pick a premise that undermines itself. This is an example of one. We have been impressed upon by everyone the importance of Rabbie and Avaline’s union by marriage, yet the heroine is Bernadette. So instantly, without having read the book, we already know the necessity of the union cannot be so consequential. The explanation had better be remarkable since there’s no surprise as to where the ending will take us. So Rabbie and Bernadette basically have the type of dalliance before the impending nuptials that make a mockery of the upcoming vows between Rabbie and Avaline. It’s somewhat forbidden and some readers will either find this compelling or increasingly distasteful.
Rabbie is a damaged and miserable hero whose past is a constant reminder, as the events are etched on local landscape. He is in the throes of depression and is barely functioning. Reality calls and he is needed for a political alliance to the naive seventeen year-old Avaline - who is the OW and not the heroine, incidentally attracted to someone else anyway. Bernadette, her governess and maid, is the capable heroine with her own damaged past.
The first half of the book quickly revealed their respective damaged backstories. I found myself getting sympathy fatigue early on, thinking Rabbie could very well just be dead to the world. Also, since he doesn’t care, he can follow through with the marriage since it would be better than him living in the past anyway. There wasn’t really a story there. I didn’t feel natural chemistry between Rabbie and Bernadette either other than out-of-character behaviours for Bernadette. As a 29 year old grown woman, she was petulant and immature.
The ensemble cast and their problems occupied much of the book and the author’s attention, with scant actual interaction or real dialogue or dynamism between the H/h. There were so many cheerleaders or third wheels swarming about the first 50% of this book, and even they were the catalyst for change, informing h of H’s backstory. Even Avaline seemed to be falling in love with Aulay and that seemed filled with more actual emotion.
The story really lacked a natural emotional attraction between Rabbie and Bernadette - she just seemed like a person who was there at the time and they were both motivated by their bodies. R and B find a physical attraction and that’s about it.
I found myself hoping the book would finally establish a proper romantic hero and plot direction instead of wherever this book was taking me. That’s not ideal at all. It bears mentioning that the flashbacks of Rabbie and Seona was a story that I’d read and probably enjoy (and still entertain some hope of a HEA).
Rabbie is a damaged and miserable hero whose past is a constant reminder, as the events are etched on local landscape. He is in the throes of depression and is barely functioning. Reality calls and he is needed for a political alliance to the naive seventeen year-old Avaline - who is the OW and not the heroine, incidentally attracted to someone else anyway. Bernadette, her governess and maid, is the capable heroine with her own damaged past.
The first half of the book quickly revealed their respective damaged backstories. I found myself getting sympathy fatigue early on, thinking Rabbie could very well just be dead to the world. Also, since he doesn’t care, he can follow through with the marriage since it would be better than him living in the past anyway. There wasn’t really a story there. I didn’t feel natural chemistry between Rabbie and Bernadette either other than out-of-character behaviours for Bernadette. As a 29 year old grown woman, she was petulant and immature.
The ensemble cast and their problems occupied much of the book and the author’s attention, with scant actual interaction or real dialogue or dynamism between the H/h. There were so many cheerleaders or third wheels swarming about the first 50% of this book, and even they were the catalyst for change, informing h of H’s backstory. Even Avaline seemed to be falling in love with Aulay and that seemed filled with more actual emotion.
The story really lacked a natural emotional attraction between Rabbie and Bernadette - she just seemed like a person who was there at the time and they were both motivated by their bodies. R and B find a physical attraction and that’s about it.
I found myself hoping the book would finally establish a proper romantic hero and plot direction instead of wherever this book was taking me. That’s not ideal at all. It bears mentioning that the flashbacks of Rabbie and Seona was a story that I’d read and probably enjoy (and still entertain some hope of a HEA).
August 9, 2019
Rabbie MacKenzie ini hero yg bikin saya darting, pengen banget gebuk kepalanya pake panci deh...
Author malah bikin karakter Rabbie makin menyek-menyek dgn banyak flashback masa lalunya dgn kekasihnya yg udah mati. Ya bener saudara-saudari, si Rabbie ini gagal move on dan semangat hidupnya juga gone with the wind. Jadi saat dia dijodohkan dgn Avelina, gadis Sassenach (gadis bangsa Inggris) yg masih 17 thn (sedangkan Rabbie sudah 35 thn), Rabbie mengiyakan aja.
Bernadette Holly adalah governess Avelina. Dia tadinya tidak menyukai Rabbie yg dianggapnya gak sopan. Tapi sejak dicium Rabbie, Bernadette langsung luluh seperti lilin yg dipanaskan. Jreng..jreng..jreng... benar saudara-saudari, si Bernadette ini "pagar makan tanaman".
Dan puncak semuanya adalah ketololan, kebodohan dan super bebal yg sangat hakiki dari seorang lady Inggris... juaranya adalah AVELINA. Sudah dungunya luar biasa, pengecut pula. Avelina tidak menyukai Rabbie, dan sebaliknya juga. Tapi Avelina tidak berani menentang ayahnya yg bajingan tsb. Dan diintimidasi oleh Rabbie, tetap aja nurut-nurut aja.... Puncaknya Avelina malah dipergoki saat berciuman dgn Aulay, kakak Rabbie. Saya gak pernah menemukan kombinasi yg begitu mematikan dari semua hal bodoh seorang lady.
Ini buku ketiga dari seri Highland Grooms, dan nyaris semuanya mengecewakan saya. Duh GPU, kalau terjemahkan HR, cari cerita yg bagus napa... jangan yg kelewat mendramatisir semacam novel ini. Penyelesaian ceritanya juga rada konyol menurut saya dan MAKSA.
Saya masih berpegang pd buku ke-4. Entah makin ANCUR atau (semoga) KAGAK spt 2 novel ini.
Author malah bikin karakter Rabbie makin menyek-menyek dgn banyak flashback masa lalunya dgn kekasihnya yg udah mati. Ya bener saudara-saudari, si Rabbie ini gagal move on dan semangat hidupnya juga gone with the wind. Jadi saat dia dijodohkan dgn Avelina, gadis Sassenach (gadis bangsa Inggris) yg masih 17 thn (sedangkan Rabbie sudah 35 thn), Rabbie mengiyakan aja.
Bernadette Holly adalah governess Avelina. Dia tadinya tidak menyukai Rabbie yg dianggapnya gak sopan. Tapi sejak dicium Rabbie, Bernadette langsung luluh seperti lilin yg dipanaskan. Jreng..jreng..jreng... benar saudara-saudari, si Bernadette ini "pagar makan tanaman".
Dan puncak semuanya adalah ketololan, kebodohan dan super bebal yg sangat hakiki dari seorang lady Inggris... juaranya adalah AVELINA. Sudah dungunya luar biasa, pengecut pula. Avelina tidak menyukai Rabbie, dan sebaliknya juga. Tapi Avelina tidak berani menentang ayahnya yg bajingan tsb. Dan diintimidasi oleh Rabbie, tetap aja nurut-nurut aja.... Puncaknya Avelina malah dipergoki saat berciuman dgn Aulay, kakak Rabbie. Saya gak pernah menemukan kombinasi yg begitu mematikan dari semua hal bodoh seorang lady.
Ini buku ketiga dari seri Highland Grooms, dan nyaris semuanya mengecewakan saya. Duh GPU, kalau terjemahkan HR, cari cerita yg bagus napa... jangan yg kelewat mendramatisir semacam novel ini. Penyelesaian ceritanya juga rada konyol menurut saya dan MAKSA.
Saya masih berpegang pd buku ke-4. Entah makin ANCUR atau (semoga) KAGAK spt 2 novel ini.
Read
May 21, 2017Miniseries: The Highland Grooms
April 24, 2017
London has out done her self with this and especially with Rabbie, she has created a highly complex and scarred man and I think that he is the best of London’s heroes to date. This story is heart wrenching, you go through so many emotions while reading this there are highs and lows that keep you on the edge of your seat.
This is an absolute masterpiece from Julia London, I don’t have enough good words to say about it. This has to be read, it is definitely a five out of five. Just amazing!
Full Review at Chicks Rogues and Scandals
https://chicksroguesandscandals.wordp...
This is an absolute masterpiece from Julia London, I don’t have enough good words to say about it. This has to be read, it is definitely a five out of five. Just amazing!
Full Review at Chicks Rogues and Scandals
https://chicksroguesandscandals.wordp...
April 30, 2017
Rabbie Mackenzie longs for the days before the Scots and English were at war, a time before his beloved was murdered and worse. Nearly suicidal: he doesn’t want to live, but doesn’t have the courage to die. Set to fulfill a family obligation by marrying a very young English bride, he finds little joy except when in the company of Bernadette Holly.
Miss Bernadette Holly has her own secrets and cross to bare. She works for Lord Kent, serving his daughter, Avaline as her maid and confidant. Torn between saving Avaline from a horrible marriage to Laird Mackenzie and her own haunted past, Bernadette finds solace on her long walks and surprisingly, in conversation with Rabbie.
Hard-Hearted Highlander starts a couple years after the conclusion of the previous title in the Highland Grooms series. We discover that life as a Highlander has become rough and even dangerous, as the war with England is not going well. The Mackenzies are struggling and many of their neighbors have fled to safer lands. In order to protect their interests, they strike a marriage bargain with Lord Kent. However, his younger daughter (17, to Rabbie’s 35) is a selfish child and Lord Kent is a monster, and this causes a lot of difficult and awkward interactions.
Both Rabbie and Bernadette are jaded survivors. Their backstories are similar, both losing much. Yet when Rabbie turned inward and contemplated death, Bernadette dove into her work and pushed the past away. Both live each day with holes in their souls, and it isn’t until they see past the surface into one another that they finally begin to heal.
While Rabbie and Bernadette are perfect for one another, I struggled with the story and romance between the pair. The first quarter of the book was slow moving and confusing as it was full of political maneuvering. Additionally, it took at least that long before the pair even had a civil conversation. However, the largest hurdle that I struggled with was the simple fact that Rabbie is engaged to Bernadette’s charge and friend, regardless that it is an arranged marriage and neither party wants to go through with it. Bernadette experiences tremendous guilt over her feelings and actions, which really dampened any of the butterflies she feels from her attraction to Rabbie.
Once the wedding was finally called off, the book was nearly over. Yet Rabbie still had the work of winning over Bernadette, and honestly by then, it was hard for me to stay interested in the pair. I was bothered by Bernadette’s reactions. She was so strong throughout the entire book, and then when her chance for love was in front of her, she reacted counter to what I would have thought. And the way Rabbie won her over was a bit questionable to me.
In the end, while I simply adored the couple, I didn't care much for the story behind their romance. First they involved themselves when Rabbie has committed to wed another. I understand things were different back then, but I couldn't support their actions because Bernadette felt guilty the entire time. Then when they had the chance to be together, Bernadette fell apart. Hard-Hearted Highlander may work for others, but I struggled with the romance and story.
My Rating: C+ Liked It, but I had issues
Review copy provided by NetGalley
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About
Miss Bernadette Holly has her own secrets and cross to bare. She works for Lord Kent, serving his daughter, Avaline as her maid and confidant. Torn between saving Avaline from a horrible marriage to Laird Mackenzie and her own haunted past, Bernadette finds solace on her long walks and surprisingly, in conversation with Rabbie.
Hard-Hearted Highlander starts a couple years after the conclusion of the previous title in the Highland Grooms series. We discover that life as a Highlander has become rough and even dangerous, as the war with England is not going well. The Mackenzies are struggling and many of their neighbors have fled to safer lands. In order to protect their interests, they strike a marriage bargain with Lord Kent. However, his younger daughter (17, to Rabbie’s 35) is a selfish child and Lord Kent is a monster, and this causes a lot of difficult and awkward interactions.
Both Rabbie and Bernadette are jaded survivors. Their backstories are similar, both losing much. Yet when Rabbie turned inward and contemplated death, Bernadette dove into her work and pushed the past away. Both live each day with holes in their souls, and it isn’t until they see past the surface into one another that they finally begin to heal.
While Rabbie and Bernadette are perfect for one another, I struggled with the story and romance between the pair. The first quarter of the book was slow moving and confusing as it was full of political maneuvering. Additionally, it took at least that long before the pair even had a civil conversation. However, the largest hurdle that I struggled with was the simple fact that Rabbie is engaged to Bernadette’s charge and friend, regardless that it is an arranged marriage and neither party wants to go through with it. Bernadette experiences tremendous guilt over her feelings and actions, which really dampened any of the butterflies she feels from her attraction to Rabbie.
Once the wedding was finally called off, the book was nearly over. Yet Rabbie still had the work of winning over Bernadette, and honestly by then, it was hard for me to stay interested in the pair. I was bothered by Bernadette’s reactions. She was so strong throughout the entire book, and then when her chance for love was in front of her, she reacted counter to what I would have thought. And the way Rabbie won her over was a bit questionable to me.
In the end, while I simply adored the couple, I didn't care much for the story behind their romance. First they involved themselves when Rabbie has committed to wed another. I understand things were different back then, but I couldn't support their actions because Bernadette felt guilty the entire time. Then when they had the chance to be together, Bernadette fell apart. Hard-Hearted Highlander may work for others, but I struggled with the romance and story.
My Rating: C+ Liked It, but I had issues
Review copy provided by NetGalley
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About
April 25, 2017
Marriage and more in the wild Highlands!
Bernadette Holly has taken up the life as a governess after her scandalous elopement became salacious gossip for polite society. Her charge is Avaline is the daughter of an English Baron, Baron Kent. Kent is determined to marry his daughter off to Rabbie Mackenzie. The Baron wants access to the sea for trading from the dispossessed lands of Killeaven he's bought from the crown that surround the Mackenzie stronghold of Belhaire. Marriage with the Mackenzie will give him that. In a world post Culloden and the Jacobite uprising, 1750 Scotland leaves little choice for anyone. 'Scotland [was] drowning under the weight of taxes and excises.' Rabbie will marry the Sassenach for his family and their survival.
Rabbie's heart has been broken from the day he found out his one true love Seona, was missing after the English had taken their revenge. Seona had never returned.
Avaline is a flighty, set upon young girl with a head full of dreams and an unwillingness to face reality. But given her situation why should she? She is being married off to bring about her father's plans. Perhaps her fantasy world, her drifting through things kept her sane.
You can't help but be dismayed at treatment of women as property. Both Bernadette and Avaline are badly treated by their fathers. What happened to Bernadette when she was dragged away from her husband and her marriage annulled was truly wicked.
Of course Rabbie and Bernadette rub each other up the wrong way from the very beginning. Bernadette is trying to protect Avaline, to show her she can make choices. Avaline has other ideas. Her fear of her father doesn't help.
There were real moments of tenderness in this story between Bernadette and her nemesis Rabbie Mackenzie. Indeed, I surprised myself by my near tearful response when Rabbie comes to understand Bernadette and her story.
I did enjoy this look at two haunted people who find each other.
A NetGalley ARC
Bernadette Holly has taken up the life as a governess after her scandalous elopement became salacious gossip for polite society. Her charge is Avaline is the daughter of an English Baron, Baron Kent. Kent is determined to marry his daughter off to Rabbie Mackenzie. The Baron wants access to the sea for trading from the dispossessed lands of Killeaven he's bought from the crown that surround the Mackenzie stronghold of Belhaire. Marriage with the Mackenzie will give him that. In a world post Culloden and the Jacobite uprising, 1750 Scotland leaves little choice for anyone. 'Scotland [was] drowning under the weight of taxes and excises.' Rabbie will marry the Sassenach for his family and their survival.
Rabbie's heart has been broken from the day he found out his one true love Seona, was missing after the English had taken their revenge. Seona had never returned.
Avaline is a flighty, set upon young girl with a head full of dreams and an unwillingness to face reality. But given her situation why should she? She is being married off to bring about her father's plans. Perhaps her fantasy world, her drifting through things kept her sane.
You can't help but be dismayed at treatment of women as property. Both Bernadette and Avaline are badly treated by their fathers. What happened to Bernadette when she was dragged away from her husband and her marriage annulled was truly wicked.
Of course Rabbie and Bernadette rub each other up the wrong way from the very beginning. Bernadette is trying to protect Avaline, to show her she can make choices. Avaline has other ideas. Her fear of her father doesn't help.
There were real moments of tenderness in this story between Bernadette and her nemesis Rabbie Mackenzie. Indeed, I surprised myself by my near tearful response when Rabbie comes to understand Bernadette and her story.
I did enjoy this look at two haunted people who find each other.
A NetGalley ARC
April 22, 2017
Hard Hearted Highlander moved me to tears. The third in Julia London's Highland Grooms series, this story deals with heartache, loss and grief but it balances that with hope and healing. It can be read and enjoyed either as a stand-alone or as part of the series though my recommendation is to read books one and two first both for context and because they're such good stories.
Set in the Scottish highlands four years after the battle of Culloden, this story highlights the loss of so many Scots in that battle and the desecration of the highlands that followed. Julia London doesn't stop at the ransacking and confiscation of property by the English but also highlights the impact on families ripped apart by war.
This is a complex story yet it is a story of love in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. The characters were wonderfully alive and felt very real to me. Despite the heartache that both Bernadette and Rabbie carried I couldn't help but feel for them. I desperately wanted things to be made right.
I have said before of a Julia London book that I think it's the best she's ever written but I have no qualms about saying it again. This book is superb! I loved it.
Set in the Scottish highlands four years after the battle of Culloden, this story highlights the loss of so many Scots in that battle and the desecration of the highlands that followed. Julia London doesn't stop at the ransacking and confiscation of property by the English but also highlights the impact on families ripped apart by war.
This is a complex story yet it is a story of love in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. The characters were wonderfully alive and felt very real to me. Despite the heartache that both Bernadette and Rabbie carried I couldn't help but feel for them. I desperately wanted things to be made right.
I have said before of a Julia London book that I think it's the best she's ever written but I have no qualms about saying it again. This book is superb! I loved it.
April 13, 2017
Can't get enough of this family.
Rabbie's and Bernadette's story is about two very wounded individuals who are able to help each other heal. A rocky start for sure, but you start to see the sun come out and then...
I highly recommend this book.
Rabbie's and Bernadette's story is about two very wounded individuals who are able to help each other heal. A rocky start for sure, but you start to see the sun come out and then...
I highly recommend this book.
dnf
May 3, 2017DNF
So far I have been wishy-washy on this series. However, I had to DNF this one pretty early on. I couldn't make myself like the characters or the situation they were put in. I was also very put off by Arran from the first book telling his son, Rabbie, to marry the 17 year old and take a mistress on the side. That seemed so far from his character who is still supposed to be so in love with his wife after all these years. I'm not sure if I will continue with this series.
So far I have been wishy-washy on this series. However, I had to DNF this one pretty early on. I couldn't make myself like the characters or the situation they were put in. I was also very put off by Arran from the first book telling his son, Rabbie, to marry the 17 year old and take a mistress on the side. That seemed so far from his character who is still supposed to be so in love with his wife after all these years. I'm not sure if I will continue with this series.
May 7, 2018
c'était un peu long à démarrer, surtout qu'au début j'imaginais pas vraiment de quoi serait faite l'intrigue, mais vers le milieu les choses sérieuses commencent et là, ça s'enchaîne à un bon rythme... après il se passe pas grand chose niveau intrigues*, on a l'impression que tout le monde passe son temps à manger et se promener dans la nature -_- , l'histoire des deux petits orphelins arrive un peu comme un "miracle" (oui oui) qui solutionne un truc... ya eu mieux.
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July 7, 2017I adore Scottish romances, so I’ve been attempting to make my way through this list of them. I’m currently reading through Julia London’s Highland Grooms series, and I’ve just begun the third installment. So far I’m loving watching Bernadette and Rabbie fight the attraction they both feel for each other. —Stephanie (https://www.bookish.com/articles/staf...)
April 25, 2017
I loved Rabbie!! This book was awesome! Rabbie is the perfect broody highland hero, who knows what he wants and goes after it. Rabbie and Bernadette travel a long twisty road to their HEA, but the journey is entertaining and heart-warming. This third book in the Highland Grooms series is my favorite. It definitely left me wanting to read more about the Mackenzie Clan.
January 20, 2018
Let me start by saying I have read other books by Julia London and have enjoyed them. I say that so you know it’s nothing I have against the author when I say how abysmal I found this book. This is the story of Rabby MacKenzie, a Scotsman being forced into marriage with a young English miss, then falling for her governess. I hated every minute of it.
Let me tell you about Rabbie. He is the most morose, maudlin, douchebag of a “hero” I’ve read in ages. To be fair, the love of his life was killed in the Jacobite rebellion. He’s got a reason to be sad and to hate the English, but this guy is miserable for the entire book. Not only that, he is thoroughly awful to everyone around him. He only agreed to marry Aveline because of some convoluted land issue that would allow his family to keep smuggling. OK. But good grief, he is constantly contemplating suicide. He is a boor, not only to his betrothed, but his entire family. And when he falls for the governess, Bernadette, he becomes no more likable.
Let’s talk about the heroine now. Bernadette was cast from society after she eloped against her father’s wishes. Her husband was forced into the navy and died at sea. Now, taking care of Aveline is all she has left. She was a governess to the girl who 12 years her junior, and now that Aveline is 17 and about to wed, Bernadette has become her ladies maid. (Sidebar — Yes, the 35 year old hero is supposed to marry a 17 year old girl. **shudder**) Anyway, Bernadette claims to care for the girl, but then proceeds to suck face and get horizontal with her fiancé because they have some enemies to lovers thing happening that I never believed beyond lust.
And while we are the subject of Aveline, you might expect that at least she is a sympathetic character, but you would be wrong. She is immature beyond measure and a self-involved twit. She has virtually no backbone and no concept of reality. Her mother is a scared mouse and her father is an even bigger dick than Rabbie (which is saying a lot.)
So, yeah, all the players are completely unlikable. The romance is both unbelievable and uninspiring. The pacing was uneven. There was too much political stuff. And the ending. What was supposed to be the set up for the HEA was trite and made me a little rage-y.
This book was just not for me on so many levels.
*ARC provided by publisher
Let me tell you about Rabbie. He is the most morose, maudlin, douchebag of a “hero” I’ve read in ages. To be fair, the love of his life was killed in the Jacobite rebellion. He’s got a reason to be sad and to hate the English, but this guy is miserable for the entire book. Not only that, he is thoroughly awful to everyone around him. He only agreed to marry Aveline because of some convoluted land issue that would allow his family to keep smuggling. OK. But good grief, he is constantly contemplating suicide. He is a boor, not only to his betrothed, but his entire family. And when he falls for the governess, Bernadette, he becomes no more likable.
Let’s talk about the heroine now. Bernadette was cast from society after she eloped against her father’s wishes. Her husband was forced into the navy and died at sea. Now, taking care of Aveline is all she has left. She was a governess to the girl who 12 years her junior, and now that Aveline is 17 and about to wed, Bernadette has become her ladies maid. (Sidebar — Yes, the 35 year old hero is supposed to marry a 17 year old girl. **shudder**) Anyway, Bernadette claims to care for the girl, but then proceeds to suck face and get horizontal with her fiancé because they have some enemies to lovers thing happening that I never believed beyond lust.
And while we are the subject of Aveline, you might expect that at least she is a sympathetic character, but you would be wrong. She is immature beyond measure and a self-involved twit. She has virtually no backbone and no concept of reality. Her mother is a scared mouse and her father is an even bigger dick than Rabbie (which is saying a lot.)
So, yeah, all the players are completely unlikable. The romance is both unbelievable and uninspiring. The pacing was uneven. There was too much political stuff. And the ending. What was supposed to be the set up for the HEA was trite and made me a little rage-y.
This book was just not for me on so many levels.
*ARC provided by publisher
October 30, 2017
Read this review and more on my blog.The Book Return Blog
The Highland Grooms series centers around the Mackenzie clan. Each novel revolves around the relationship of one of the male members of the family.
Robbie's love is killed while he was in exile. Bernadette is the governess of the women Rabbie's family has arranged for him to marry. Almost immediately both Rabbie and his intended, Avaline, know that they are not a good match. Avaline is smitten with one of Rabbie's brothers and Rabbie is drawn to Bernadette. It turns out that Bernadette has a tragic past of her own.
I am not a big romance reader. I can honestly say that I only occasionally read a romances . When 'Hard-Hearted Highlander' came as surprise book mail, I wasn't sure I was going to read it.
'Hard-Hearted Highlander' takes place eighteen century Scotland just after the Jacobite Rebellion . The historical information in 'Hard-Hearted Highlander' is amazing. I learned so much about Scottish and English relations during this time period. I also was enthralled by the descriptions of the landscapes of Scotland. (While we were at the library sale in Gainesville last weekend, I heard two women having a discussion about how much history is covered in many romance novels. If 'Hard-Hearted Highlander is any indication, I would strongly agree.)
I really love the romance between Bernadette and Rabbie. I liked that it was not an insta-love but one that developed over the course of the book. The building tension of whether Rabbie and Bernadette with end up together kept the story moving forward and built a high level of suspense.
'Hard-Hearted Highlander' was and educational read. It definitely was not what I imagined the typical romance novel to be. I now want to read the rest of the Highland Grooms series. I am really interested in what happens with the other Mackenzie brothers.This review was originally posted on The Book return...
The Highland Grooms series centers around the Mackenzie clan. Each novel revolves around the relationship of one of the male members of the family.
Robbie's love is killed while he was in exile. Bernadette is the governess of the women Rabbie's family has arranged for him to marry. Almost immediately both Rabbie and his intended, Avaline, know that they are not a good match. Avaline is smitten with one of Rabbie's brothers and Rabbie is drawn to Bernadette. It turns out that Bernadette has a tragic past of her own.
I am not a big romance reader. I can honestly say that I only occasionally read a romances . When 'Hard-Hearted Highlander' came as surprise book mail, I wasn't sure I was going to read it.
'Hard-Hearted Highlander' takes place eighteen century Scotland just after the Jacobite Rebellion . The historical information in 'Hard-Hearted Highlander' is amazing. I learned so much about Scottish and English relations during this time period. I also was enthralled by the descriptions of the landscapes of Scotland. (While we were at the library sale in Gainesville last weekend, I heard two women having a discussion about how much history is covered in many romance novels. If 'Hard-Hearted Highlander is any indication, I would strongly agree.)
I really love the romance between Bernadette and Rabbie. I liked that it was not an insta-love but one that developed over the course of the book. The building tension of whether Rabbie and Bernadette with end up together kept the story moving forward and built a high level of suspense.
'Hard-Hearted Highlander' was and educational read. It definitely was not what I imagined the typical romance novel to be. I now want to read the rest of the Highland Grooms series. I am really interested in what happens with the other Mackenzie brothers.This review was originally posted on The Book return...
April 25, 2017
3.75*
I've received an eARC in exchange for an honest review
Review in Portuguese:http://pepitamagica.blogspot.co.uk/20...
Hard-Hearted Highlander brings us the story of another one of Arran and Margot McKenzie’s sons, Rabbie McKenzie.
To protect his family and re-gain lost lands, Rabbie agrees to marry an English girl, even though he doesn’t like English people (*cof* but loves his mother, who IS English *cof*).
Rabbie is a character that has suffered a lot. With a past filled with loss, he spends a great part of the book sad and sorrowful, something his own nephews (children) notice. Rabbie lost his bride during the war between the Scots and the English (and this could have been a more explored, explaining a bit more what really happened to her), and he’s been… broken, let’s say, since then. And his parents think that this marriage might be, besides economically favourable, a way to help him heal and appreciate life again.
But Rabbie doesn’t want the 17 year old English girl who is practically afraid of her own shadow. Now, Bernadette, her companion and lady’s maid, is much more interesting. Like Rabbie, Bernadette has also a painful background story that makes become afraid of what might happen when she and Rabbie start falling in love.
I liked the way Rabbie and Bernadette heel each other, creating new happy bonds. Some things could have been improved, like the orphans being practically thrown at Bernadette by Rabbie, but besides some small details, it was a pleasant book, although a bit gloomier than the previous ones, but it kept the same quality.
I've received an eARC in exchange for an honest review
Review in Portuguese:http://pepitamagica.blogspot.co.uk/20...
Hard-Hearted Highlander brings us the story of another one of Arran and Margot McKenzie’s sons, Rabbie McKenzie.
To protect his family and re-gain lost lands, Rabbie agrees to marry an English girl, even though he doesn’t like English people (*cof* but loves his mother, who IS English *cof*).
Rabbie is a character that has suffered a lot. With a past filled with loss, he spends a great part of the book sad and sorrowful, something his own nephews (children) notice. Rabbie lost his bride during the war between the Scots and the English (and this could have been a more explored, explaining a bit more what really happened to her), and he’s been… broken, let’s say, since then. And his parents think that this marriage might be, besides economically favourable, a way to help him heal and appreciate life again.
But Rabbie doesn’t want the 17 year old English girl who is practically afraid of her own shadow. Now, Bernadette, her companion and lady’s maid, is much more interesting. Like Rabbie, Bernadette has also a painful background story that makes become afraid of what might happen when she and Rabbie start falling in love.
I liked the way Rabbie and Bernadette heel each other, creating new happy bonds. Some things could have been improved, like the orphans being practically thrown at Bernadette by Rabbie, but besides some small details, it was a pleasant book, although a bit gloomier than the previous ones, but it kept the same quality.
April 10, 2017
This is the third installment in Julia London’s Highlander Grooms series. As with the first two, Hard-Hearted Highlander is a bit different from the usual Julia London romances in that, at least to me, it is less light hearted and jovial. In this series she is dealing with Scotland at the time of the Jacobite uprising where The Highlanders lost just about everything and their people to the English plundering.
Rabbie Mackenzie is the “hero” for this book. The love of his life, Seona, has disappeared and feared dead at the hands of the pillaging English. Heartbroken and full of despair, he sees no reason to go on, except that his family has arranged a marriage of convenience for him with an English girl. This arrangement will hopefully make the Mackenzie clan prosperous once again. However, Avaline, his intended, is so young and timid. In fact, neither one wants this marriage, but there is nothing to be done, the deal has been struck. Instead of his intended, Rabbie is very attracted to Avaline’s governess, Holly and she to him. Oh, but Holly has her own problems as well.
I totally enjoyed this tormented tale of hopeless love. Once again, Julia London creates characters and a plot that are believable and interesting. She never disappoints me with her knowledge of the time period she is writing about. A solid 4 stars!
Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for this advanced copy.
Rabbie Mackenzie is the “hero” for this book. The love of his life, Seona, has disappeared and feared dead at the hands of the pillaging English. Heartbroken and full of despair, he sees no reason to go on, except that his family has arranged a marriage of convenience for him with an English girl. This arrangement will hopefully make the Mackenzie clan prosperous once again. However, Avaline, his intended, is so young and timid. In fact, neither one wants this marriage, but there is nothing to be done, the deal has been struck. Instead of his intended, Rabbie is very attracted to Avaline’s governess, Holly and she to him. Oh, but Holly has her own problems as well.
I totally enjoyed this tormented tale of hopeless love. Once again, Julia London creates characters and a plot that are believable and interesting. She never disappoints me with her knowledge of the time period she is writing about. A solid 4 stars!
Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for this advanced copy.
April 4, 2017
For all highlander lovers this is a terrific story. We have a naïve teenager, a worldly governess and a handsome highlander. The makings of a really satisfying read. Rabbie is still mourning his first love and is fighting a severe depression when he agrees to help his family and clan by marrying an English debutante who lives on the adjoining land. Avaline wants no part of the brooding, unlikable Rabbie but is being forced to marry. Bernadette at first dislikes Rabbie but eventually understands his despondency and falls madly in love with him. This is a triangle that seems totally without a happy outcome. That the author, Julia “fantastic” London, pulls off a HEA is because of her superb storytelling skill.
I guarantee you will like this one and come back for more from this author. All books in the series are connected by cameos of previous characters but can definitely standalone. Read them all, you’ll thank me.
The Highland Grooms Series:
1. Wild wicked Scot
2. Sinful Scottish Laird
3. Hard-Hearted Highlander
I received this book free for review from the publisher.
http://ladeetdareads.wordpress.com
I guarantee you will like this one and come back for more from this author. All books in the series are connected by cameos of previous characters but can definitely standalone. Read them all, you’ll thank me.
The Highland Grooms Series:
1. Wild wicked Scot
2. Sinful Scottish Laird
3. Hard-Hearted Highlander
I received this book free for review from the publisher.
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