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War is a time for glory, but there is no greater glory than love.
Sarah, a timid handmaiden, is forced to pretend to be someone she's not in order to avoid death at the hands of the cruel Lord Flynn. Pretending that she's his bride, the wedding draws closer and she knows the truth will be revealed, bringing humiliation for Lord Flynn and death to her.
Up in the Highlands, Drew is forced to try and placate growing discontent as the people around him grumble about his brother's relationship with Rosemary, the English girl he saved. Drew himself is unsure of her intentions and vows never to trust the English.
Yet both Sarah and Drew are on an inexorable path.
Forces out of their control are moving to bring the English and the Highlanders to war. On the eve of her wedding, Sarah is brought to the front lines of the war and sees him as her only chance for escape. Drew sees the war as the chance to end the English threat once and for all.
When the two of them meet under unexpected circumstances will Sarah's fear of the Highlanders prevent her from helping a man in need? They are the people who killed her parents, after all. And will Drew's hatred of the English prevent him from recognizing Sarah's beauty?
"Drew is a historical Scottish highlander warrior romance novel of approximately 70,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
Page Count: around 420+ pages
Sarah, a timid handmaiden, is forced to pretend to be someone she's not in order to avoid death at the hands of the cruel Lord Flynn. Pretending that she's his bride, the wedding draws closer and she knows the truth will be revealed, bringing humiliation for Lord Flynn and death to her.
Up in the Highlands, Drew is forced to try and placate growing discontent as the people around him grumble about his brother's relationship with Rosemary, the English girl he saved. Drew himself is unsure of her intentions and vows never to trust the English.
Yet both Sarah and Drew are on an inexorable path.
Forces out of their control are moving to bring the English and the Highlanders to war. On the eve of her wedding, Sarah is brought to the front lines of the war and sees him as her only chance for escape. Drew sees the war as the chance to end the English threat once and for all.
When the two of them meet under unexpected circumstances will Sarah's fear of the Highlanders prevent her from helping a man in need? They are the people who killed her parents, after all. And will Drew's hatred of the English prevent him from recognizing Sarah's beauty?
"Drew is a historical Scottish highlander warrior romance novel of approximately 70,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
Page Count: around 420+ pages
442 pages, Paperback
Published June 24, 2018
217 people are currently reading
165 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Bard
88 books286 followersBarbara Bard was born in the Highlands of Scotland but moved to the United States and was raised in the sweltering heat of New Orleans. She studied at Emory University in Atlanta and has worked as a journalist for a small press.
Barbara’s partner is descended from Scottish ancestors and she has been fascinated with all things Scottish for many years. That interest has also helped to propel a blossoming writing career and she is now working on novels with a historical Scottish romance flavor.
The first in her series follows the exploits of the Baird and McCall clans and is full of the type of brave warrior heroes that are romanticized of that era, while her books about the MacDougal clan have a more magic and paranormal feel to them.
When she isn’t working or writing her next book, Barbara enjoys yoga and traveling to new and exciting places. She loves nothing better than immersing herself in the culture of another country and getting to know some of the locals.
Barbara hopes that her novels will soon become self-sustaining and provide her with the full-time career she has always wanted.
Barbara’s partner is descended from Scottish ancestors and she has been fascinated with all things Scottish for many years. That interest has also helped to propel a blossoming writing career and she is now working on novels with a historical Scottish romance flavor.
The first in her series follows the exploits of the Baird and McCall clans and is full of the type of brave warrior heroes that are romanticized of that era, while her books about the MacDougal clan have a more magic and paranormal feel to them.
When she isn’t working or writing her next book, Barbara enjoys yoga and traveling to new and exciting places. She loves nothing better than immersing herself in the culture of another country and getting to know some of the locals.
Barbara hopes that her novels will soon become self-sustaining and provide her with the full-time career she has always wanted.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
July 1, 2018
Drew (Highlanders Warriors Clan McClair #1)
by Barbara Bard
GENRE: Historical Romance
NARRATION: Narrative
BOOK DETAILS: Book #1 In the Highland Warriors Clan McClair Series
AUDIO AVAILABLE? No
THE STORY:
An English noble born Rosemary, has been betrothed to Lord Harold Flynn. On her but she journeys to his estate she discovered his true nature, he is cruel and callous. Frightened, Rosemary flees in fear of what her life will become, leaving her hand maiden Sarah behind.
Sarah afraid and alone pretends to be Rosemary in her absence but quickly discovers Lord Flynn is not the man she first thought and if he was to discover her true identity he would indeed kill her.
When the battle between the Scots and the English begins Sarah uses the opportunity and escapes into the woods only to come face to face with a wounded Scottish highlander named Drew.
Sarah is angry as afraid of the Scots due to her traumatic experience with them as a small child. In the last war they brutally murdered her parents when they raided her village. Despite her trepidation she helps the highlander, she is unexplainably drawn to him and cannot leave him to die in good conscience.
Drew McCall is the younger brother to the Scottish Laird Blair McClair who is a leader in the battle that is currently taking place. He is a fierce strong warrior dedicated to his clan and their cause against the English, his preconceived notions and hatred towards the English are put to the ultimate test when a beautiful English rose saves his life.
Whilst Sarah tends to Drew’s wound and nurses him to strength again, they learn together of their adversities and form a new found love.
War is a time for glory, but there is no greater glory than love
MY THOUGHTS:
Who can refuse a handsome Scottish Highlander? This is an enemy to lover’s story rich in history, action and passion. The authors use of Scottish brogue throughout the book gave it a realistic and authentic feel to the story, the descriptions were vivid and I could picture some of the amazing scenes in my mind as I read them.
Soundly written and well researched, Barbara had me engaged from the very beginning and I could not put the book down. It is a fast paced story, but maybe a little too fast paced though, I would have liked to read more of Sarah and Drew’s growing romance. They went from enemies to lovers too easily, it was almost unconvincing. Considering the time, it took in the book to get to them actually meeting, I was a little disappointed when the instant love was hasty and seemingly effortless.
This is not a typical read for me, I tend to stick to stories written in the first person rather than narrative style and in this instance I really think that it would have enhanced the story if written so. I feel It would have given a more in-depth view to her character’s emotions and provided a better connection to their motives and intent. In saying that though I still really enjoyed this story, and would actually love to see this played out on the big screen. I can picture it now with the hot highland warriors entering into battle in their kilts. Hmmm insert dream cloud.
MY RATINGS: (All ratings are out of 5)
HERO RATING: 5
HEROINE RATING: 4
BLUSH RATING: 3
ROMANCE RATING:4
PLOT RATING: 4
OVERALL: 4 Blushing Stars
DO I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK?
Yes, if you like historical romances set in England/Scotland. This book contains graphic battle scenes and hot highlanders so you have been warned!
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June 30, 2018
“He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior.” –Confucius
Rating: MA: mature audience: adult themes: violence in battle scenes: trigger warnings: abusive behavior, an attack with violent intent [unsuccessful], graphic sex scenes [between consenting adults].
This was a free offer on Amazon: Historical Scottish Highlander Romance: Highlanders Warriors Clan McCall: The author also offered a free download for her prequel Blair. It is a good thing because, when I started reading Drew, I was as lost as Hansel and Gretel were without their bread crumbs. It was quickly obvious that the story Blair had background information that I needed. I stopped reading Drew and picked up Blair. As it turns out… that was a good plan as it answered many of my burning questions. It was a quick read and also 2.5 stars. When I picked Drew back up, it made a whole lot more sense.
What I liked: anyone who reads historical romance wants a love story, a good love story. If it is a Scottish Highlander Romance, then they want to read about a larger than life Highlander who has a heart of gold for his clan, his family, and his love. That is the heart of a good romance.
In Barbara Bard’s stories… we have the sons of Laird Aife, Blair and Drew, trying to come to grips with the failing health of their aging father. Blair, as the eldest, is not ready to assume leadership of the clan as Laird. Drew is trying to understand his brother and how Blair could give his heart to an English Lady.
“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” –G.K. Chesterton
What I didn’t like: This story moved way too quickly and felt rushed. At times the era lines were somewhat blurred and it felt modern with certain phrases that would bring me out of the text. Would a servant say… ‘the show must continue?’ The use of house vs manor vs castle vs palace flipped back and forth. Many of the scenes weren’t set up properly in order to prepare the reader for the transition from one scene to another. It jumped about. There was still a lot I didn’t understand.
The story was simplistic and our hero didn’t come across as a hero at all. For most of the story he was longing for war, wanted war, needed to prove himself in war, talked about the honor of war… said the word war way too many times. He came across as a petulant child who didn’t get his war. Yes… he was a spoiled brat. Oh, when the war was on… he was magnificent… but… really? The whole thing was stilted and forced. There needed to be an excuse for a battle and when one was produced, they went at it. But was that really a war? And… was it really necessary?
Our couples: Lust quickly turned/jumped/vaulted into love so quickly I nearly sustained whiplash. I imagine it was so we could have those sex scenes that weren’t romantic at all. It was sex, pure and simple. I speed read through most of them. This story was a bam, bam, thank you ma’am sort of story. It moved quickly and then it was over [no pun intended]. It felt like scenes created so the author could write a sex scene. No thank you.
We were left with several threads that were not dealt with. I suppose there will be other books. There was a free offer for another story titled ‘Willem’… I’m not sure I care enough to even read it. He wasn’t introduced in this story so I assume it is a stand-a-lone. I downloaded it and will think about it. I doubt I will read it. [2.5-stars rounded to 3-stars]
Rating: MA: mature audience: adult themes: violence in battle scenes: trigger warnings: abusive behavior, an attack with violent intent [unsuccessful], graphic sex scenes [between consenting adults].
This was a free offer on Amazon: Historical Scottish Highlander Romance: Highlanders Warriors Clan McCall: The author also offered a free download for her prequel Blair. It is a good thing because, when I started reading Drew, I was as lost as Hansel and Gretel were without their bread crumbs. It was quickly obvious that the story Blair had background information that I needed. I stopped reading Drew and picked up Blair. As it turns out… that was a good plan as it answered many of my burning questions. It was a quick read and also 2.5 stars. When I picked Drew back up, it made a whole lot more sense.
What I liked: anyone who reads historical romance wants a love story, a good love story. If it is a Scottish Highlander Romance, then they want to read about a larger than life Highlander who has a heart of gold for his clan, his family, and his love. That is the heart of a good romance.
In Barbara Bard’s stories… we have the sons of Laird Aife, Blair and Drew, trying to come to grips with the failing health of their aging father. Blair, as the eldest, is not ready to assume leadership of the clan as Laird. Drew is trying to understand his brother and how Blair could give his heart to an English Lady.
“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” –G.K. Chesterton
What I didn’t like: This story moved way too quickly and felt rushed. At times the era lines were somewhat blurred and it felt modern with certain phrases that would bring me out of the text. Would a servant say… ‘the show must continue?’ The use of house vs manor vs castle vs palace flipped back and forth. Many of the scenes weren’t set up properly in order to prepare the reader for the transition from one scene to another. It jumped about. There was still a lot I didn’t understand.
The story was simplistic and our hero didn’t come across as a hero at all. For most of the story he was longing for war, wanted war, needed to prove himself in war, talked about the honor of war… said the word war way too many times. He came across as a petulant child who didn’t get his war. Yes… he was a spoiled brat. Oh, when the war was on… he was magnificent… but… really? The whole thing was stilted and forced. There needed to be an excuse for a battle and when one was produced, they went at it. But was that really a war? And… was it really necessary?
Our couples: Lust quickly turned/jumped/vaulted into love so quickly I nearly sustained whiplash. I imagine it was so we could have those sex scenes that weren’t romantic at all. It was sex, pure and simple. I speed read through most of them. This story was a bam, bam, thank you ma’am sort of story. It moved quickly and then it was over [no pun intended]. It felt like scenes created so the author could write a sex scene. No thank you.
We were left with several threads that were not dealt with. I suppose there will be other books. There was a free offer for another story titled ‘Willem’… I’m not sure I care enough to even read it. He wasn’t introduced in this story so I assume it is a stand-a-lone. I downloaded it and will think about it. I doubt I will read it. [2.5-stars rounded to 3-stars]
November 2, 2025
The story isn’t bad — actually quite interesting.
I listened to it as an audiobook and was surprised by the narrator’s British accent. It might have been an AI voice, but at least it wasn’t as terrible as some others I’ve come across.
I listened to it as an audiobook and was surprised by the narrator’s British accent. It might have been an AI voice, but at least it wasn’t as terrible as some others I’ve come across.
Want to read
December 4, 2022🎁 FREE on Amazon today (10/20/2020)! 🎁
July 19, 2018
Fast paced, action packed Scottish Romance with with-rounded, engaging and believable characters. The storyline is powerful, suspenseful, mysterious and intriguing. I enjoyed the hero/heroine, their challenges and struggles and watching their attraction blossom into love was powerful. Secrets, betrayal, danger and emotional turmoil added to this powerful and compelling story. This was my first time reading this author but will not be my last. A must read for fans of Highlanders, feisty lasses, Scottish Romance and compelling storlines.
Reviewer: AprilR
Reviewer: AprilR
July 3, 2018
Drew isn’t happy about his brother Blair’s new English wife nor is he happy about going to war. However, Drew is loyal to Blair, the new Laird, so he rides to fight and finds true love in the middle of a bloody battle!
Love at first sight is hard for me to swallow, but I still enjoyed this Romance novel. The characters are fully realized and realistic, and the plot is reasonable. The good guys are heroic and the villain is hateful and cowardly.
Love at first sight is hard for me to swallow, but I still enjoyed this Romance novel. The characters are fully realized and realistic, and the plot is reasonable. The good guys are heroic and the villain is hateful and cowardly.
May 27, 2019
My rating: 3.5 *
Good historical romance but foreshadowing was too blatantly obvious so there was no suspense and you could see everything unfolding as it did a mile away.
Short summary:
An English noblewoman was on her way to her future husband and their wedding but one night she witnessed his soldiers carrying out his cruel commands and decided to run away which left her handmaiden and her male servant in a rather stranded situation (pun intended). Servant claimed that the handmaiden was actually the noblewoman so she would be left unharmed and that's how Sarah the handmaiden's troubles began. She had to pretend for a few days to be Rosemary, the noblewoman and that went well at the very start but then she began to witness her future husband's not to be cruelty and craziness and decided she needed to run away.
An opportunity presented itself when he took her with him and his sister along with the soldiers to the battlefield because he was so convinced he was going to win that he wanted to marry Sarah right after winning, on the very bloody battlefield itself. There, she saw on opportunity and ran into the forest where she encountered Drew, wounded Scottish warrior, and she helped him recover and on the first glance they fell for each other and the rest you can pretty much figure out from there on.
My thoughts:
I first read this author's latest novel and that swept me off my feet. So I decided to go ahead and read the rest of her work. I can now see that in this book she was still honing her craft. Although this book is very well written, it has all the elements a historical romance should have and the characters are intriguing... there is still a lot missing, or better said, everything is handed to us so that we don't really have to think or worry which is not good for keeping us tied to the story.
One of the things that immediately surprised me was the whole story missing about the English noblewoman Rosemary's disappearance. I felt like I was missing crucial information about what happened and got thrown in the middle of the story so I went to research online and found out that there is a 0.5 book in this series called Blair and I did not have that on my Amazon Kindle which contains the Rosemary story. I wish there would have been a notice or a remark about this story being directly involved with the previous one so I would first go to that one. I would recommend doing that to people reading this before getting to this series.
My greatest remark of them all is the lack of suspense and mystery. Like I mentioned before, author does not really foreshadow the events here, she puts them on a big freakin' billboard surrounded by flashing lights and puts you right in front of it. Within first two chapters, I knew exactly how the book will play out. One event let me down completely (heroes meeting for the first time) even though I knew how things will go from there on. I won't go into spoilers on every event that failed to be a surprise but suffice it to say that I knew how things will end with the cruel Lord's sister even though it was the last chapter or second last where her fate is resolved.
With all the critique I have given you might think I did not really like the book or that I would not recommend it. That is not true. I did like how it was written, the style used, the elements it possessed, I was just a bit disappointed with the execution itself. I would recommend it to historical romance lovers but as a happy light read, not as a gripping hold onto your chair and read till wee hours of the morning kind of story. As long as you know what you are getting into, you won't be disappointed.
I like Barbara Bard, I think she has huge potential and I will continue reading her books. I hope you also give her a chance, if with nothing else then with her latest novel Highlander's Honor: A Historical Scottish Highlander Romance Novel, now that is amazing. Her true colours shining through. All the best, dear author, keep them coming.
Good historical romance but foreshadowing was too blatantly obvious so there was no suspense and you could see everything unfolding as it did a mile away.
Short summary:
An English noblewoman was on her way to her future husband and their wedding but one night she witnessed his soldiers carrying out his cruel commands and decided to run away which left her handmaiden and her male servant in a rather stranded situation (pun intended). Servant claimed that the handmaiden was actually the noblewoman so she would be left unharmed and that's how Sarah the handmaiden's troubles began. She had to pretend for a few days to be Rosemary, the noblewoman and that went well at the very start but then she began to witness her future husband's not to be cruelty and craziness and decided she needed to run away.
An opportunity presented itself when he took her with him and his sister along with the soldiers to the battlefield because he was so convinced he was going to win that he wanted to marry Sarah right after winning, on the very bloody battlefield itself. There, she saw on opportunity and ran into the forest where she encountered Drew, wounded Scottish warrior, and she helped him recover and on the first glance they fell for each other and the rest you can pretty much figure out from there on.
My thoughts:
I first read this author's latest novel and that swept me off my feet. So I decided to go ahead and read the rest of her work. I can now see that in this book she was still honing her craft. Although this book is very well written, it has all the elements a historical romance should have and the characters are intriguing... there is still a lot missing, or better said, everything is handed to us so that we don't really have to think or worry which is not good for keeping us tied to the story.
One of the things that immediately surprised me was the whole story missing about the English noblewoman Rosemary's disappearance. I felt like I was missing crucial information about what happened and got thrown in the middle of the story so I went to research online and found out that there is a 0.5 book in this series called Blair and I did not have that on my Amazon Kindle which contains the Rosemary story. I wish there would have been a notice or a remark about this story being directly involved with the previous one so I would first go to that one. I would recommend doing that to people reading this before getting to this series.
My greatest remark of them all is the lack of suspense and mystery. Like I mentioned before, author does not really foreshadow the events here, she puts them on a big freakin' billboard surrounded by flashing lights and puts you right in front of it. Within first two chapters, I knew exactly how the book will play out. One event let me down completely (heroes meeting for the first time) even though I knew how things will go from there on. I won't go into spoilers on every event that failed to be a surprise but suffice it to say that I knew how things will end with the cruel Lord's sister even though it was the last chapter or second last where her fate is resolved.
With all the critique I have given you might think I did not really like the book or that I would not recommend it. That is not true. I did like how it was written, the style used, the elements it possessed, I was just a bit disappointed with the execution itself. I would recommend it to historical romance lovers but as a happy light read, not as a gripping hold onto your chair and read till wee hours of the morning kind of story. As long as you know what you are getting into, you won't be disappointed.
I like Barbara Bard, I think she has huge potential and I will continue reading her books. I hope you also give her a chance, if with nothing else then with her latest novel Highlander's Honor: A Historical Scottish Highlander Romance Novel, now that is amazing. Her true colours shining through. All the best, dear author, keep them coming.
June 26, 2018
Aye, this is a good book. I loved it. It was easy to hear the Scottish brogue because of the way the author wrote it. She used terms in the way Highlanders would and spelled it that way. At the back of the book there is a very small dictionary of sorts. Aye = yes. aboot = about, bairn = child. This story is about the life of two English young women. Sarah was a commoner. She was orphaned a very young age by rogue Highlanders. Sarah now hated the Highlanders. She was found by the English Lord Brambly. Lord Brambly took her in and made her a handmaiden for his daughter Rosemary. The two girls grew up like sisters and Lord Brambly loved them both. Rosemary had been promised in marriage by her father to Lord Harold Flynn. She traveled to his estate with Sarah. On the way, late one night, Rosemary came to know the cruelty of Lord Flynn and ran away. She left poor Sarah behind. Upon arrival at Lord Flynn's estate, George the driver, fearing for his and Sarah's life, told the guards that Sarah was Rosemary. Sarah did not know what to do but to continue the lie. Sarah was a kind, gentle person. She was truthful and it pained her to have to lie but she understood that it was better than the wrath of Lord Flynn. Sarah constantly feared she would be found out. She was a nervous wreck. It was good that Lord Flynn had never met Rosemary so he just assumed that Sarah was her. While Sarah was at Lord Flynn's estate, she found him cruel. He often would belittle her and humiliate her. He was self centered and needed everyone to sing his praises. He had a younger sister Catherine. She befriended Sarah. Sarah tried to remember how Rosemary acted and adjusted accordingly. She did not know how to be a noble woman. Through her fear, Sarah was determined to survive and hopefully escape. But this was only the beginning of her trials and tribulations. This book is full of emotions and action. Will Sarah escape from Lord Flynn? Will she find out what happened to Rosemary? All Sarah ever wanted was a peaceful life. To settle down with a loving man. Have children, a family. Will she get her heart's desire? This truly is worth reading.
June 3, 2019
Another exciting story that takes place during the fighting between the English and the Scottish. Drew, brother of the Laird of the McCall clan, is upset with his brother because he's married an English lass and that doesn't sit well with him and some others! He vows to never fall in love with a Sassenach but of course, love doesn't give you a choice when it happens!!! Sarah is an English handmaiden who is forced to pretend to be Lord Flynn's betrothed and finds out he's a very cruel man. When he starts a war with a group of border Highlanders which includes Drew's clan, he forces Sarah to the front lines and makes her watch. She suddenly finds herself being able to escape and while running through the woods, who should she stumble upon but a hurt Drew who was wounded in the fighting. She just doesn't have the heart to leave him so she helps him and before you know it, they've fallen in love.
Drew is now determined to help her but at the same time wonders if she'll be accepted by his clan, especially since he had vowed never to do as his brother had done! He is also determined to bring down the cruel Lord Flynn!! Both Drew and Sarah have so much to overcome but love is a very powerful emotion.
I love an author who can write the "Scottish brogue" in the story so well and Barbara Bard is wonderful at it, I could just imagine hearing it in my mind while reading. I definitely recommend this book, it truly is a wonderful story.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Drew is now determined to help her but at the same time wonders if she'll be accepted by his clan, especially since he had vowed never to do as his brother had done! He is also determined to bring down the cruel Lord Flynn!! Both Drew and Sarah have so much to overcome but love is a very powerful emotion.
I love an author who can write the "Scottish brogue" in the story so well and Barbara Bard is wonderful at it, I could just imagine hearing it in my mind while reading. I definitely recommend this book, it truly is a wonderful story.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
June 27, 2018
A GOOD romance set in the time when the CLANS ruled the Scottish Highlands!
I was asked to read/review an ARC copy of “DREW” by Barbara Bard, and I have to be honest. While the plot was GREAT, and the Scottish brogue was GREAT, it started out slow. This reader found the wordiness and repetition in the first part of the novel to be tedious even though the suspense of discovering the truth of Sarah’s situation kept me reading. Don't let a slow start fool you . . . there were some amazing scenes that were so well described I suspect I will see them again in my dreams. Additionally, the pace of the book increased with the advent of the Scottish side of the story. So much so, that I plan to purchase a copy of Barbara Bard’s future work. “DREW” is a Great story, and it’s a weighty novel for a writer’s first foray. The brogue alone is daunting for a seasoned writer, and it was done well if my born and bred Scottish friends are to be believed. Keep writing, Barbara Bard! You have the innate gift of storytelling and it will be fun to watch how you improve your craft. Readers, if you like stories about the Scottish clans, get your copy of “DREW” today. Happy pages! 😉
I was asked to read/review an ARC copy of “DREW” by Barbara Bard, and I have to be honest. While the plot was GREAT, and the Scottish brogue was GREAT, it started out slow. This reader found the wordiness and repetition in the first part of the novel to be tedious even though the suspense of discovering the truth of Sarah’s situation kept me reading. Don't let a slow start fool you . . . there were some amazing scenes that were so well described I suspect I will see them again in my dreams. Additionally, the pace of the book increased with the advent of the Scottish side of the story. So much so, that I plan to purchase a copy of Barbara Bard’s future work. “DREW” is a Great story, and it’s a weighty novel for a writer’s first foray. The brogue alone is daunting for a seasoned writer, and it was done well if my born and bred Scottish friends are to be believed. Keep writing, Barbara Bard! You have the innate gift of storytelling and it will be fun to watch how you improve your craft. Readers, if you like stories about the Scottish clans, get your copy of “DREW” today. Happy pages! 😉
July 5, 2018
I absolutely loved it! It was the first book I read from Ms. Bard, but definitely not my last!
It was fun to see the growing number of English lasses who end up living with the clan, despite the clan's animosity towards the English...
Ms. Bard uses the Scottish brogue throughout the book and does that stronger than various other authors in this genre. It drew me more in the story and made me feel as if I was in Scotland myself.
There were a few sex-scenes, and some profanity.
I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.
As my name already suggests, I'm not a native speaker, so I apologize for any mistakes in my writing.
It was fun to see the growing number of English lasses who end up living with the clan, despite the clan's animosity towards the English...
Ms. Bard uses the Scottish brogue throughout the book and does that stronger than various other authors in this genre. It drew me more in the story and made me feel as if I was in Scotland myself.
There were a few sex-scenes, and some profanity.
I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.
As my name already suggests, I'm not a native speaker, so I apologize for any mistakes in my writing.
June 29, 2018
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Drew is an adventure romance novel that takes place during the time of the Highlanders. It follows Sarah, an Englishwoman posing as a member of nobility and caught up in an arranged marriage with a deranged nobleman, and Drew, a member of clan McClair who is caught in an ongoing battle with the English over territory whose latest skirmish happens to be lead by the English noble Sarah is promised to. Drew and Sarah cross paths during the battle as Sarah runs from her life with Flynn and Drew nurses a battle wound. They wind up falling hopelessly in love in a matter of days. Drew is so in love with Sarah after spending this short amount of time with her that he's willing to do just about anything for her, to include killing for her. This was really the only part of the story that didn't jive with me. Unfortunately, this was a major part of the storyline. I felt the author did a fairly decent job of capturing the conflict between the Scottish and the English. Pace was just okay because the romance aspects of it seemed a bit rushed. It did tell a complete story and there were no cliffhangers, so it would work as a standalone.
Drew is an adventure romance novel that takes place during the time of the Highlanders. It follows Sarah, an Englishwoman posing as a member of nobility and caught up in an arranged marriage with a deranged nobleman, and Drew, a member of clan McClair who is caught in an ongoing battle with the English over territory whose latest skirmish happens to be lead by the English noble Sarah is promised to. Drew and Sarah cross paths during the battle as Sarah runs from her life with Flynn and Drew nurses a battle wound. They wind up falling hopelessly in love in a matter of days. Drew is so in love with Sarah after spending this short amount of time with her that he's willing to do just about anything for her, to include killing for her. This was really the only part of the story that didn't jive with me. Unfortunately, this was a major part of the storyline. I felt the author did a fairly decent job of capturing the conflict between the Scottish and the English. Pace was just okay because the romance aspects of it seemed a bit rushed. It did tell a complete story and there were no cliffhangers, so it would work as a standalone.
June 29, 2018
I enjoy stories about the Scottish Highlanders. Sara's parents were killed by Highlanders when she was very young. She is taken in by an English Lord and becomes handmaiden to his daughter Rosemary. Rosemary has been promised to Lord Flynn. Rosemary and Sara are on their way to Lord Flynn's estate. On the way she discovers how cruel the man is and runs away leaving Sara behind. Sara ends up pretending to be Rosemary. What happened to cause Rosemary to run away? Will Sara ever see her again? Will Sara actually marry Lord Flynn? Or will she be found out?
What is going on between Blair and Drew? Their father has recently passed on and Blair is to take over the leadership of their clan. Drew thinks he would do a better job of it. But he is the younger brother. War is about to break out between England and Scotland. How is this going to affect Blair's household? He is Scottish and his wife is English. Drew hates the English. Sara and Drew meet. Will their hatred keep them apart? Will they get to know each other? Will they listen to their feelings?
This story is well thought out and well written. Characters are fleshed out. Kept my interest from page one. A book you don't want to put down until you reach the end.
What is going on between Blair and Drew? Their father has recently passed on and Blair is to take over the leadership of their clan. Drew thinks he would do a better job of it. But he is the younger brother. War is about to break out between England and Scotland. How is this going to affect Blair's household? He is Scottish and his wife is English. Drew hates the English. Sara and Drew meet. Will their hatred keep them apart? Will they get to know each other? Will they listen to their feelings?
This story is well thought out and well written. Characters are fleshed out. Kept my interest from page one. A book you don't want to put down until you reach the end.
June 29, 2018
Great love story!
Oh I loved this book. I recommend reading the first book “Blair” as I did. I could not wait to see what happened next so I dived right into “Drew” and loved every minute. And again, I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Drew was angry at his brother Blair for ending up with an English woman and definitely suspicious of that woman’s motives. Deirdra is a woman scorned as she believes because of a long ago innocent kiss with Blair, that they were going to end up together. Now she’s stirring trouble within the clan and causing some of them to express their anger and disagreement with Blair’s decision and questioning his loyalty to the clan and his ability to lead them as Laird.
Drew expressed his worry to Blair who told him that one day when love hits him, only then will he understand. And he was right.
It was beautiful to watch love unfold between Drew and Sarah.
I’m anxious to see what happens with Catherine, if Declan cools his heals, what trouble Deirdra will cause next and I’m very hopeful that the silent hero will get his HEA - George. He suffered at the hands of the cruel Lord Flynn just for being caught showing compassion to a distraught woman. He deserves his HEA.
I truly love this series. ❤️
Oh I loved this book. I recommend reading the first book “Blair” as I did. I could not wait to see what happened next so I dived right into “Drew” and loved every minute. And again, I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Drew was angry at his brother Blair for ending up with an English woman and definitely suspicious of that woman’s motives. Deirdra is a woman scorned as she believes because of a long ago innocent kiss with Blair, that they were going to end up together. Now she’s stirring trouble within the clan and causing some of them to express their anger and disagreement with Blair’s decision and questioning his loyalty to the clan and his ability to lead them as Laird.
Drew expressed his worry to Blair who told him that one day when love hits him, only then will he understand. And he was right.
It was beautiful to watch love unfold between Drew and Sarah.
I’m anxious to see what happens with Catherine, if Declan cools his heals, what trouble Deirdra will cause next and I’m very hopeful that the silent hero will get his HEA - George. He suffered at the hands of the cruel Lord Flynn just for being caught showing compassion to a distraught woman. He deserves his HEA.
I truly love this series. ❤️
July 2, 2018
Loved it
I loved this book because it is a look at what it must have been like to be in the midst of battle and what it was like during this period for both Scots and English and the deep seated anger and hate on both sides of the wars with greed and freedom so important. That two people who have ever reason to hate one another can find happiness and for how long. Sarah a simple handmaiden having to pretend to be someone of noble birth and hating every minute of it for her fiance is vile and cruel she can see why her Lady ran from there impending marriage. Drew loves his family but disagrees with his brothers choice in wife and his need to have revenge on the English for the death of a fellow highlander. And with a woman scorned and others plotting against his brother he has his work cut out for him with a battle coming and in the midst of it all he meets Sarah his enemy but maybe not for long I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more about this family of Scots. This is my honest review.
I loved this book because it is a look at what it must have been like to be in the midst of battle and what it was like during this period for both Scots and English and the deep seated anger and hate on both sides of the wars with greed and freedom so important. That two people who have ever reason to hate one another can find happiness and for how long. Sarah a simple handmaiden having to pretend to be someone of noble birth and hating every minute of it for her fiance is vile and cruel she can see why her Lady ran from there impending marriage. Drew loves his family but disagrees with his brothers choice in wife and his need to have revenge on the English for the death of a fellow highlander. And with a woman scorned and others plotting against his brother he has his work cut out for him with a battle coming and in the midst of it all he meets Sarah his enemy but maybe not for long I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more about this family of Scots. This is my honest review.
July 3, 2018
Sarah is the maid of Rosemary, they were traveling together, as Rosemary was to marry Lord Harold Floyd. A cruel, unkind man, who thinks he is something special and scares Sarah to death. She had been mistaken for rosemary, instead of who she was. Drew McClain was the youngest son. His brother was the Laird. He had found an English woman and married her. There was a huge war to come with the Highlanders against the English along the border.
I really loved these crazy highlanders. Some of the English were nice but they were beaten. Lord Floyd felt servants were put there to serve only him, no talking, just do your job or else. The plot was a little complicated especially with the battle. The characters were great, the descriptions were marvelous and how the author kept all of it together was surprising. I loved reading it and felt sad when nice people died or were hurt.I look forward to reading the next story from the author.
I received this ARC from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.
I really loved these crazy highlanders. Some of the English were nice but they were beaten. Lord Floyd felt servants were put there to serve only him, no talking, just do your job or else. The plot was a little complicated especially with the battle. The characters were great, the descriptions were marvelous and how the author kept all of it together was surprising. I loved reading it and felt sad when nice people died or were hurt.I look forward to reading the next story from the author.
I received this ARC from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.
July 12, 2018
Love and war. Sarah is pretending to be Rosemary, after Rosemary toke off. Now she is to marry a man that is brutal. War is coming between the English and the highlanders. Sarah has always hated the highlanders after her parents death, but she wants to get away from this marriage too. When Lord Harold Flynn decides that Sarah will marry him after he wins the war on the battle field, she makes her plan to escape. Can she escape?what happens when she comes upon Drew? Will she help him? Will she stay with him? What about Rosemary? Will she accept what she did? Will Lord Flynn’s sister accept the truth of what she did? Can she come to terms with living with the highlanders? Can the highlanders accept these English women?
June 26, 2018
Quick paced
It was a quick story about how preconceived prejudices can be changed with love and an open mind. Of course there will be hardships in the future, but it seems they started with getting the biggest one out of the way. I really enjoyed it, although I wish Sarah had been a tad bit more feisty, but yet was understandably not given her position and a handmaiden. Drew was more seasoned/wizened but both were weary of war and all that encompasses it but both did what they had to do to stand up for their lives and the people in it. Good story, and will be reading more in the future from this author.
It was a quick story about how preconceived prejudices can be changed with love and an open mind. Of course there will be hardships in the future, but it seems they started with getting the biggest one out of the way. I really enjoyed it, although I wish Sarah had been a tad bit more feisty, but yet was understandably not given her position and a handmaiden. Drew was more seasoned/wizened but both were weary of war and all that encompasses it but both did what they had to do to stand up for their lives and the people in it. Good story, and will be reading more in the future from this author.
June 28, 2018
🍃A servant girl gets caught up in war and is tempted to change sides😱
A good plot, with intrigue, action, romance and passion. A fine standalone romance, even though it is the second in a series (see Blair) and some secondary characters have unresolved futures that will obviously be developed in a future book. The main protagonists, Drew and Sarah, eventually find their way to each other and make it to their HEA.
The Scottish brogue dialogue was a little distracting, but overall the story really kept me involved and caring about the couple right through to the end. I love stories set in Scotland, either historical or contemporary. This story did not disappoint.
A good plot, with intrigue, action, romance and passion. A fine standalone romance, even though it is the second in a series (see Blair) and some secondary characters have unresolved futures that will obviously be developed in a future book. The main protagonists, Drew and Sarah, eventually find their way to each other and make it to their HEA.
The Scottish brogue dialogue was a little distracting, but overall the story really kept me involved and caring about the couple right through to the end. I love stories set in Scotland, either historical or contemporary. This story did not disappoint.
June 4, 2019
The book I read was titled the Highlander’s Saviour and was to be a 2019 ARC. However, I’m unable to find that title to review, and this book completely matches the story description. I’m now unclear if the version I read is perhaps altered in someway from the 2018 Drew version and rebranded under a new name?
I found this to be an enjoyable historical fiction romance story. Sarah, Rosemary, Blair, Drew, Lord Flynn, and Catherine were all interesting characters that contributed to the plot. Based on the time of English and Scottish unrest, the outbreak of war to preserve family and political position seemed realistic. I found some of the words used (ie kids instead of children) did not fit.... an editing glitch? As well, there were several places where characters engaged in the same “self reflection “ using previously used phrases. This made me wonder if I had skipped back in the novel to a previous section. While not very deep or profound, the plot was generally ok. Overall, a good read
I found this to be an enjoyable historical fiction romance story. Sarah, Rosemary, Blair, Drew, Lord Flynn, and Catherine were all interesting characters that contributed to the plot. Based on the time of English and Scottish unrest, the outbreak of war to preserve family and political position seemed realistic. I found some of the words used (ie kids instead of children) did not fit.... an editing glitch? As well, there were several places where characters engaged in the same “self reflection “ using previously used phrases. This made me wonder if I had skipped back in the novel to a previous section. While not very deep or profound, the plot was generally ok. Overall, a good read
June 29, 2018
Rosemary is on her way to Lord Flynn’s castle to be married and along the way she discovers her future husband is a vicious man and she then disappears. Sarah, her handmaiden, is forced to pretend to be her when they get to Flynn’s castle. Unknown to Sarah, Rosemary has been taken by highlander Blair and she then married him. There is a war between the Highlander’s and the English along the border and Drew is seriously injured and this is where he meets Sarah. The story is a good read that involves kidnapping and a marriage, a war, and a new found love.
July 2, 2018
One can not help with whom one falls in love with. This is the theme of the cleverly crafted romances of Sarah and Rosemary, two young girls who follow their hearts and are forced to make choices. From the opulent home of Lord Flynn to Blair and Drew's Scottish highlands the reader is thrust to another time- one of hostility between the English and the Scottish clansman. The battle scenes are very well written, as is the use of the Scottish brogues. I recommend spending an afternoon with this lovely Scottish romance-aye!
July 24, 2018
Another exciting story in this Highland Warrior series. Lots of battle action, revenge, fear, danger, prejudice, surprises and romance. Drew and Sarah are from two different worlds, each prejudiced against the other. When danger finds them, can they forget their pasts and work together? A well-written storyline, strong characters both main and secondary, help to make this book difficult to put down once you start. I enjoyed this book very much.
I purchased a copy of this book from Amazon and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I purchased a copy of this book from Amazon and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 27, 2018
Warrior finds love on the battlefield
This story picks up where "Blair" leaves off. Blair and his brother Drew go to war to defend the death of a friend. During this battle Drew is injured and Sarah who is posing as Rosemary saved him. Letting go of her past maybe the hardest thing Sarah will ever have to do. Will Drew 's love for her allow her to move past events that happened when she was a child? Read "Drew" and see for yourself.
This story picks up where "Blair" leaves off. Blair and his brother Drew go to war to defend the death of a friend. During this battle Drew is injured and Sarah who is posing as Rosemary saved him. Letting go of her past maybe the hardest thing Sarah will ever have to do. Will Drew 's love for her allow her to move past events that happened when she was a child? Read "Drew" and see for yourself.
June 28, 2018
Sarah is pretending to be Rosemary it’s the only way she can stay alive. Tells of the harsh life that women had in those times and arrogant lords and who thoughts of themselves as privileged ones. Rosemary has married Blair and there is a large celebration of life and those who they lost. Really good love stories a continuation of Bair and Rosemary and the start fro Drew and Sarah. I really loved the ending, it was like YEA!!!
July 12, 2018
Drew and Sara are from two totally different worlds. Can they love one another or will their heritage keep them apart?
I gave this book a 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating because the author writes with such details that you feel you're right there with the characters. Drew, a Highlalander tried to talk his older brother, Blair, from going to war. Even though he did feel the English must be held responsible for the hanging of one of their clansman.
Sarah, a handmadien had taken the identity of Princess Rosemary because on the way to her intended groom, Lord Flynn's castle, Rosemary had disappeared in the woods. As Sarah came to realize how brutal Lord Flynn was, she knew she must escape.
Lord Flynn declared it was time to go to war on the Highlalanders at the same time the Highlalanders had decided to hold the English responsible for the death of a clansman.
During the battle Drew was wounded and his horse took him into the woods. Sarah had taken the chance to escape her fate and came upon Drew. Her kindness wouldn't allow her to just leave a wounded man so she administered care to him.
Will Drew and Sarah found love? Can they get past their different heritages? What happens when Drew and Lord Flynn meet on the battlefield?
I received this book to read and write an honest review. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys when the heroine and hero both are very energetic and spirited people. The landscape is delightfully explicit.
I gave this book a 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating because the author writes with such details that you feel you're right there with the characters. Drew, a Highlalander tried to talk his older brother, Blair, from going to war. Even though he did feel the English must be held responsible for the hanging of one of their clansman.
Sarah, a handmadien had taken the identity of Princess Rosemary because on the way to her intended groom, Lord Flynn's castle, Rosemary had disappeared in the woods. As Sarah came to realize how brutal Lord Flynn was, she knew she must escape.
Lord Flynn declared it was time to go to war on the Highlalanders at the same time the Highlalanders had decided to hold the English responsible for the death of a clansman.
During the battle Drew was wounded and his horse took him into the woods. Sarah had taken the chance to escape her fate and came upon Drew. Her kindness wouldn't allow her to just leave a wounded man so she administered care to him.
Will Drew and Sarah found love? Can they get past their different heritages? What happens when Drew and Lord Flynn meet on the battlefield?
I received this book to read and write an honest review. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys when the heroine and hero both are very energetic and spirited people. The landscape is delightfully explicit.
July 16, 2018
It was just ok to me, it all came together eventually. It seemed to drag until about halfway then the pace picked up. I try not to read the blurbs because they sometimes reveal too much and I prefer to be surprised & this was a little more gory & violent than I was expecting :). I always have a problem following plots that have more than one main couple and this plot made that a little more difficult and kind of broke the flow for me as I tried to figure out who is who.
June 27, 2018
Epic
"Drew" is very well written. It showed both sides of the enemies. I love how Drew and Sarah came together. I would have liked a little less of the English side of the story but as I got to the end I realized that it was needed.
Thank you for this great story. I now need to read about Blair .
"Drew" is very well written. It showed both sides of the enemies. I love how Drew and Sarah came together. I would have liked a little less of the English side of the story but as I got to the end I realized that it was needed.
Thank you for this great story. I now need to read about Blair .
July 1, 2018
Sexy Scottish Highlander and English Lass
I have it a four star because I thought it a little slow at first and because of the sex scenes i would of preferred it did not have. After the first three or four chapters the book got interesting i enjoyed reading it i quickly read last the sex scenes.
I have it a four star because I thought it a little slow at first and because of the sex scenes i would of preferred it did not have. After the first three or four chapters the book got interesting i enjoyed reading it i quickly read last the sex scenes.
July 1, 2018
I didn't finish this book, mostly because I felt like I couldn't really get into it, but also because the layout in kindle was horrendous, not a single space between paragraphs, so it became really hard to read. I felt like the story had promise, but there were a few places where the language didn't really fit (modern words/expressions)..
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