To Scotland, With Love

MacLean Curse #2

by Karen Hawkins

In this saucy battle of the sexes, bestseller Karen Hawkins pits a hard-headed Scottish lord with an unusual family curse against a headstrong heiress who has a solution for every problem...except her own wayward heart.

When Lord Gregor MacLean learns his childhood friend, Venetia Oglivie, has been abducted by a fortune hunter, he rides off to Scotland in hot -- and very annoyed -- pursuit. Venetia's soft heart has gotten her in major trouble this time: if he doesn't rescue her swiftly, the scandal will ostracize the provocative wench!

The only sensible member of her family, Venetia is sure she can fix any problem, even this one. So when an irate Gregor catches up with her, arrogantly expecting a hero's welcome, the sparks between them begin to fly. Then an unexpected snowstorm traps them at an inn, and Gregor discovers his feelings for the lovely Venetia are far warmer than he realized -- fiery enough to burn down the inn! Now if he can only convince Venetia that his motive for marriage isn't duty... but desire.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Scotland, Regency, Fiction

357 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Hawkins writes novels that have been praised as touching, witty, charming, and heartwarming. A native Southerner who grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee where storytelling is a way of life, Karen recently moved to frosty New England with her beloved husband and multiple foster dogs. The Dove Pond books are a nod to the thousands of books that opened doors to more adventures, places, and discoveries than she ever imagined possible. To find out more about Karen, follow her at:
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Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been awhile since I read book 1 but I remembered Gregeor. Gregeor, along with his family, is cursed. When angry the weather begins to rain, but Gregeor is the only one who can make it snow.

His childhood best friend, Venetia, has been tricked by a suitor who intends to elope. In his angry, he causes a snowstorm that traps them all at an inn, along with some other kooky characters.

I was a little disappointed. While the story was sweet and funny it was missing something. Also why does this series have to have such old h? Their personalities didn't fit with adults in their 30s.

This was a cute story but that's it! It's not meant to be anything more.

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a tale of two long-time best friends suddenly noticing one another while snowbound at an inn for several days. On its surface, not a bad plot line. Trouble is, it was a completely unconvincing quest for the three magic words.

Here's the thing that struck me: They met when she was 5 and he 8. TWENTY-NINE (29) years later...they suddenly find they can't keep their hands off each other.

Look, I love stories of long-time friends finally discovering they were meant to be all along. The thing is, you can't just write it the same way you write a story of sudden flaring passion between strangers. It's not going to be the same, and it cheapens love, confusing it hopelessly with lust. It's as if 29 years of friendship mattered far less than a few days of heated glances and kisses.

Plus, I was supremely unconvinced by the reasons they suddenly saw one another as attractive members of the opposite sex. She gets duped and essentially kidnapped by an idiot man who wants to elope with her and he goes after her. Well, that much I buy. A good friend would do that. But, upon finding her, he realizes she's not the little girl he had been thinking of her as all this time....

Um....she's 34, not 17. She's had breasts during the vast majority of your years of friendship, even if she was a late bloomer.

Her noticing him was a but more believable, since the essential premise is she'd noticed him all along and buried it until he suddenly started looking at her "that way." On the other hand, she doesn't seem to think that nearly three decades of friendship and an intense physical attraction are good enough reasons to get married. How can they base a marriage on such paltry things? "I love you" is a much more powerful formula for a successful marriage.

Excuse me while I gag....

[Lady Gabriella of Awesomeness (SLOW) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Dissapointed stars.

“His eyes narrowed, and his voice was low and fierce, almost a growl. “You arrogant woman.”
She blinked at him, shocked. “Arrogant?”
“Arrogant,” he repeated, looking at her with…distaste?
“What do you mean by that?”
He gave a harsh laugh, then shook his head. “Your tendency to get involved in everyone’s life, even at the expense of your own—it’s not about helping other people. It’s about your desire to prove that you’re better than they are, that you are smarter and more capable. You don’t believe they can help themselves, do you?”



To be honest ARROGENT and FOOLISH was exactly how the heroine came across half the time in this book. At first I found the scenarios her character created mildly amusing..until it just wasn't.

This book had so MUCH POTENTIAL ! With so many amazing secondary characters and a good plot story ! But Alas,the whole thing just didn't come across.I found the ending to be too unsatisfactory and abrupt. :( Would not recommend.

Overall,a 2 star.

[ᴥ Irena ᴥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I probably wouldn't have liked this as much if I didn't like Georgette Heyer's stories. Her fans will understand why when they read this one. A lot of it, except for their lust and sex, is exactly the type of story Heyer would have written. Since I enjoyed Heyer's stories (most of it, anyway), I found this one entertaining as well.

To Scotland, With Love is a friends-to-lovers story. I didn't have to suspend my disbelief because these two were so comfortable with each other that they couldn't see what's in front of them until it was almost taken away. Actually, this was more his case rather than hers. She saw him, all right. She was smart enough not to dwell too much on it, though. Until she had to.
It's a fun, entertaining story. Since there's this curse in it, don't take it too seriously.

[Darbella · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars Veneta and Gregor. I might have rated this higher if the hero and heroine were not so old in this story, but acted much younger. Kwim? The heroine is 34 the hero 37. They have known and been friends with each other since she was 5 and he 8 and it is now 29 years later. With Gregor knowing her for 29 years (16 years as adults) it was kind of weird that it took almost the whole story for him to fall in love with her. With her being 34 it was strange to me that so much of the story centered around her being ruined. I also found it strange that he suddenly liked her figure and looks after knowing Veneta who has been an adult for 16 years now. I did enjoy the side characters antics and the curse parts.

[Ursula · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, it was not a bad book but I speed-read the second half. The writing in this story was fine although there was a rather large cast of characters with lots of little subplots going on that got a bit tedious, but I like my stories with more Angst, I think. I want complex, even a bit tortured, with the prospect of dramatic events leading to dramatic change. The writing in this story was fine although there was a rather large cast of characters with lots of little subplots going on that got a bit tedious.

The H/h: I found the relationship between our lovers curious. Great friends for 29 years (she was, by my calculations, now 34 to his 37) they suddenly discovered themselves to be in lust with each other. Venetia was a blushing- albeit, weirdly, older- virgin, he a very experienced man who had gone through a string of women over the years of their friendship. Nice one, Gregor. You clearly have strong feelings for the h- not. It got so that I didn't really care who it was, I just wished a massive wonderful orgasm for the poor woman!

He did not believe he loved her until, quite suddenly, he did. They felt like siblings when they were together, suddenly it was OMG he/she is so hot. WTF?

Venetia was a pleasant enough character with a kind heart. I saw Gregor as cold, arrogant, conceited and selfish. Did he have an epiphany, then? Was he spectacularly humbled and changed for the better? No. Was she too good for him? Probably. If a bloke wants to have sex with you but bangs on about not believing in love, I reckon you tell him to push off. A little emotional investment is not too much to ask, is it? It is just me, I guess, but I did not like his lack of commitment. The coup de grace was the wager he made regarding women and their desire to be wooed with gifts and poetry (he thought Venetia would not need this stuff- basically because he couldn't be arsed making the effort). This was just cheap and nasty. Kick him to the curb, ladies. 2.5 stars because it was nicely written.

Guess I will not be revisiting this author any time soon.

[Sandra Moreira · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a funny read and a very light one. To my taste I think this serie it's a too light reading.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

let’s say 1 star for helping my reading goal and 1 star for the fact that i thrifted this for legit $1

[Lynette Caulkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haha! Grand romantic fun with a sprinkling of Shakespearean comedy and a kiss of Austin flavor mixed in with Hawkins' fun storytelling and sexy bits. Terrific regency era getaway read. :) Would work just fine as a stand-alone read.

[Netha · Rating 3 out of 5]

hhhhhhhhh nih buku ga seperti yg ku harapkan setelah membaca buku 1 - nya.
tadinya mo ku kasih 2 bintang aja tapi halaman awal & akhirnya menarik jd oke - lah ku kasih 3, lagian aq ga tega karen hawkins ku kasih bintang 2 >_<

di buku 1 fiona sempat menyebutkan ttg venetia nah ini cerita ttg Miss Venetia Oglivie & Gregor MacLean.

Venetia Oglivie & Gregor MacLean sudah berteman sejak kecil, mereka suka berkuda bersama.
Venetia - lah - selain fiona - dimana gregor menjalin hubungan lebih dari 3 bulan.
gregor tidak pernah memandang venetia secara romantis.
well, sampe saat dia harus menyelamatkan venetia dari namanya yg terancam tercemar.

Venetia entah naive or terlalu percaya or terlalu terburu2 or terlalu polos tiada terkira or ga pernah berpikir panjang tiba2 saja percaya pada Ravenscroft yg melambai2kan surat dari ayah venetia secara dramatis & meminta venetia mewakili sang ayah merawat ibu venetia, Mrs. Viola Oglivie, yg sedang sakit.
venetia tanpa pikir panjang langsung gitu aja mengikuti ravenscroft tanpa menyadari apa rencana ravenscroft yg sebenarnya.

menurutku venetia ini B-E-G-O...please deh lha wong bokapnya ada dirumah mbok ya dia nanya dulu yg jelas ke sang ayah apa benar ayahnya menyuruh venetia merawat ibu venetia yg sedang sakit & sekarang ada di rumah nenek ventia di stirling. mbok ya pinter dikit.... bukannya langsung mengikuti orang yg tergolong masih asing baginya dengan hanya meninggalkan sepucuk surat.
duh..........

Gregor yg mengetahui venetia pergi dengan ravenscroft tanpa tau akal licik ravencroft langsung murka - tau sendiri kalo salah 1 maclean udah marah bakal gimana, nah gregor lebih parah lagi...badai salju langsung turun.
jadilah gregor berusaha menembus badai salju yg diciptakannya sendiri, wakakakakaka.

untungnya, karna badai salju juga karna ravencroft yg terlalu memaksa kuda memaju ditengah badai salju jadilah kereta salju mereka rusak & ravencroft terluka yg akhirnya mengharuskan mereka harus beristirahat dulu.
yg akhirnya gregor berhasil menyusul.

sebenarnya sampai dengan gregor berhasil menyusul venetia & ravencroft cerita masih lumayanlah.....
mulai dari mereka terperangkap di penginapan karna badai salju, nah cerita mulai membosankan & terlalu dipanjang2kan.

heran semua orang yg nongol di buku ini aneh semua.

mulai dari ravencroft yg terlibat utang & duel - yg dia hindari - makanya mau melarikan diri ke eropa. dia mendengar ayah venetia yg ingin memberi mas kawin yg besar pada venetia makanya ravencroft langsung ijo & ingin menikahi venetia.
lha dia ingin mengajak venetia ke eropa tp ga ada biaya sama sekali, ampun2 deh
di eropa dia mengharapkan venetia yg mengerjakan semua pekerjaan rumah tangga plus memberi pelajaran inggris sementara dia mencari inspirasi & menulis buku.
ya ampun nih orang polos or dodol tho!!???
udah gitu ga ngerasa kalo gregor sebenarnya menyindir dia, eh malah dia tambah semangat bercerita.

lalu ada miss pratt yg ribut berkicau kayak burung kutilang. ga tau terima kasih sama sekali dengan orang yg udah bantu dia & adiknya segitu banyaknya. hhhhhhh.
ini juga salahnya venetia yg terlalu ikut campur.

lalu ada miss elizabeth yg manja & ingin bersatu dengan kekasih hatinya ga perduli apapun & ga bisa melihat maksud baik sang ayah.

ketambahan venetia yg udah keras kepala, tukang ikut campur & merasa dirinya bisa membantu semua orang padahal belum tentu apa yg dia lakukan baik untuk orang tersebut.
kalo orang jawa bilang sok teu & sok keminter.

duh kalo aq jadi gregor dah langsung sakit kepala.
aq yg baca aja sakit kepala plus geleng2, duh ini karen hawkins hebat amat ya bisa menciptakan karakter2 ajaib begini.

nih buku dari skala 1 - 10 kukasih nilai nya 5.5

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I wrote about it in my LJ, and I’m just going to copy/paste that to save me time.

… was actually pretty good, and I picked it up because I thought it would be one of those ridiculous Scottish romances with the och ayes and I cannae luv ye, sweetings in it. There was even a woman who appeared to be wearing a half-slip and a teal tartan on the cover and the stepback had surprisingly tanned people on it. As in it looked like their armpits were probably tan. How do you end up with a tanned armpit? You don’t.

What book is this? To Scotland, With Love by Karen Hawkins, a Regency. Venetia (silly name, yes, but her parents are very silly people) is tricked into accompanying one of her suitors to Scotland, from where she is staying in her family’s London house, because her suitor is in desperate straits and thinks that abducting her and forcing her to marry him at Gretna Green will bring some financial calm. He does this by flat out lying to her about her mother being close to death at her grandmother’s castle in Scotland. Never fear! This is not the hero of the book. The hero of the book, Gregor, who has been her best friend since childhood, races after their coach, in order to avert ruin. Only his family is cursed in such a way that when they get angry, it storms. (Yes, I know, very silly.) And he’s pissed at what this suitor has done! Because it’s really kind of uncouth! So there’s a blizzard. And the coach crashes and they are all stranded at a country inn under assumed names to avoid scandal. Things proceed from there, with Gregor going, “I will marry you to save your honor, because I am just so damned noble” and Venetia responding, “Who cares about my honor? Marry me for me, you dolt.” Paraphrased, of course.

It was fun and quirky and just a touch silly. I really appreciated that the heroine was in her 30s (yes, her 30s!) and that this didn’t take place in the London season. Nice friends to lovers story, more character driven than plot driven. Nobody wrapped their hands around their lover’s neck, which was a big relief, as this is something that has been popping up a lot in my reading lately.

OK, and maybe I liked it a lot because the heroine looks a lot like I do. Short, plump, dark brown hair that curls in humidity and shows red in the sun? Occasionally opens her big mouth when she ought not? I’m a trifle ashamed, but a part of me crowed inside as each detail was revealed. Hooray for short, fat heroines!

Of course, neither the girl on the cover nor on the stepback matches the description given in the book. They’re both decidedly thin, and I’m pretty sure the hero would describe them as scrawny.

Or maybe I just liked it a lot because none of these Scottish people used outlandish accents? And neither did the lower class characters. Not an och aye among them!

[Monique Takens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik heb de Nederlands talige uitgave gelezen : Heb mij lief - Candlelight Historische roman 920 .
De bekende K. Hawkins humor red dit verhaal want het is zeker niet haar beste , ik zou het 2 en een half sterren geven wanneer dat kon . Dit verhaal over twee jeugd vrienden - beide inmiddels rond de 30 jaar oud - die wel erg plotseling toch iets meer in elkaar zien kon mij niet overtuigen .
Verhaallijn van achterkaft boek : Als Venetia Oglivie wordt meegelokt door een fortuinjager , gaat lord Gregor MacLean woedend achter het tweetal aan . Hij denkt zijn goede vriendin te behoeden voor een schandaal , maar de eigenzinnige Venetia reageert niet enthousiast op zijn interventie .
Als ze vervolgens ingesneeuwd raken in een herberg , beseft Gregor dat zijn gevoelens voor Venetia verder gaan dan vriendschap . Om haar reputatie te redden wil hij zelfs met haar trouwen . Dat is voor Venetia echter een brug te ver , zij acht haar beste vriend namelijk niet in staat om lief te hebben ...

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tend to read fluffy historicals between my "serious reads" and this was the next one on my list. By no means a difficult or particularly unanticipated plotline, I could basically predict the entire book within the first 20 or so pages. That's not to say, however that I didn't enjoy it anyways.

Hawkins characters are charming and just a little bit silly, which makes the read a funny one (I can say that I giggled out loud on multiple occasions). Her hero and heroine, Gregor and Venetia respectively, fit well together and have genuine chemistry that many historical protagonists lack.

This is neither an intense nor a thought-provoking read. But it's engaging and fun. In my opinion, this makes it worth reading.

[Çisem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Her zamanki Karen Hawkins kitaplari gibi esprili ve güzeldi ama sonu çok çabuk oldu. Bana göre bu kitabın sonunu güzel bağlayamamış. Yorum yazmayı planlıyorum buna (tabi inşallah :D) ama şunu söyleyeyim çok ortalama bir kitaptı ki puanı da ona göre zaten.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

another enjoyable romance by Karen Hawkins pits a Scottish Laird and an English lass who are besy friends and suddenly find out that there may be more to their friendship,

[Paraphrodite · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The story is familiar but still quite a fun read.

[Paula · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm so glad that I read all of the other books in this series before reading this one... This book is such a mess that I wouldn't know where to start with it. In general, everything in it seemed to be more important than the two main characters and that was soooo annoying. The secondary characters were stupid ad maximum, the plot was chaos, the romance was inexistent.... what happened with this book? all of the other books are 3 stars and above!

[Ays · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uzun zamandır daha kötüsünü okumamıştım.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bananas in plot but not in spirit.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had some fun farce peppered in, but wrapped up WAY too fast. I don't believe him.

[Songül · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 başlarda gayet keyifli gelen kitap , sonradan sıkmaya başladı diyebilirim. Bana göre gereksiz karakter yoğunluğu kullanılmış. Almadıysanız , durumunuz stabil kalsın , eğer aldıysanız okuyun boşuna bekletmeyin :))))

[Videlastro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eh.. Ternyata Saya salah... yg bikin Saya tidur jam 2 itu bukan buku ini.. hahhha.. [image error]

tp gw akan sedikit bercerita yg ini...

Buku k2 si keluarga yg di kutuk ini adalah tentang Gregor... gw lupa Gregor ini anak keberapa... tp yg pasti. kutukan yg dy dapat adalah seputar Badai dan Salju.. hmpffth.. [image error]

Gregor punya temen kecil... Namanya Venetia... Venetia Oglivie.. waktu Gregor menjemput Venetia di rumahnya, karna telah berjanji akan berkuda siang itu, Gregor malah menemukan Venetia telah meninggalkan rumah.. karena.. diculik.. (konteksnya siih begitu.. tp sebenernya kagak.. hahha) [image error]

Karna merasa Venetia melakukan kebodohan, maka Gregor pun bergegas menyusul Venetia.. dan berhubung kejadian ini bikin si Gregor keki.. alhasil perjalanan dia diiringi dengan Badai Salju, yg di buat sendiri tanpa dapat dia kendalikan.. [image error]

di sisi lain?? Venetia pun ternyata terjebak di sebuah penginapan bersama 'penculik'nya... Venetia merasa badai Salju ni adalah perbuatan Gregor.. karna Venetia terlalu mengenal Gregor.. eh Instingnya bener.. Gregor ga lama sampe di penginapan tersebut.. hahhha... [image error]

Karna belakangan (setelah merasa Venetia ninggalin dirinya).. Gregor ga bisa nata hatinya untuk sementara.. yg mana mengakibatkan mereka terjebak lebih lama di penginapan tersebut... halaaahh... [image error]

bersama beberapa orang pengunjung (Tamu Penginapan) yg sama - sama terjebak... Gregor dan Venetia mulai melihat satu sama lain dengan cara yg berbeda, bukan lagi sebagai teman kecil.. tapi mulai sebagai Wanita dan pria Dewasa.. DAN!! Bulir-bulir Cinta itu pun tumbuh!! Ihiiiyyy... [image error]

Tapi mereka tetep ga mau saling ngakuin.. zzZZzzz.. =__= [image error]

Maka.. Dengan ke KEPO.an (Ikut campur urusan orang) si Venetia dan Sifat Arrogant Gregor.. Buku ini pun jadi Hiburan.. hahahha... [image error]

Ceritanya lebih 'baik' dari yg pertama... tapi seperti buku pertama.. Endingnya ga GREGET!! I WANT MORE!! ga ada Epilog.. dan terkesan seperti berakhir begitu ajah... [image error]

Ohh.. iyaa... Bahkan sejak buku pertama.. ga ada adegan HOT nya.. palingan cuma kisu2 doank.. hahahha... [image error]

===PecintaPriaNakalBersaksi...Gregor memang cuma bs nakal sama Venetia.. [image error] ===

[Maureen Feeney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lord Gregor MacLean(37) learns his best friend for 29 years, Venetia Oglivie(34) has being tricked to elope with the immature but harmless Ravensroft(22), He follows to try and save her from scandal, but he is angry and starts a snowstorm (thanks to his family curse that changes the weather when they are angry). Because of the snow Venetia is stranded in an inn with Ravenscroft, Gregor, and 4 more people.

Gregor and Venetia are unlikely best friends, he is selfish and believes you only help yourself, while Venetia is always intervering and aiding people, not always with good results. Stranded together Gregor starts seeing her different and they feel a sensual attraction. Gregor proposes to Venetia to save her from scandal but she refuses because she is afraid of the changes to their friendship and believing he is proposing out of duty.

After lying about their identitys to the other guests, Gregors brothers on their tail and Venetia trying to solve everyones problems, they eventually have to face the fact they can fall in love without losing their friendship.

I liked this book a bit better than the first. The story is nearly entirely set in the Inn which is a nice change from ballrooms, partys etc. The H/H are likeable enough and there is some humour in the story. Its an easy fluffy light book, not great but not bad either, just average. I am a sucker for a curse so will finish the series.

[Cam · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2 1/2 stars*

I like Venetia, but she IS a bit too kind and trusting and being a little dense is something she shares with hero, her best friend of 25 yrs, Gregor Maclean. How these two have been able to resist each other for so long is a tad unbelievable, it seems Venetia has admitted to always knowing that Gregor is an extremely handsome man but being a man, Gregor only realizes her 'charms' when he ends up stranded in an inn with her...?? Really Gregor? REALLY? She's attractive, intelligent and kind but you don't see her as a woman until years and years after puberty LOL

That is hard to believe. Also, Fiona's insistence that 'he's just Gregor' while somewhat irritating is obviously her mantra to keep from jumping on the gorgeous Scot lol So far I'm enjoying it more than the first but I agree with all the reviews about the secondary (and a little unnecessary) characters.

---

I'm a little disappointed since I wanted to love this book- Gregor and Venetia have wonderful chemistry if they weren't so dense! The romance technically happened in the last 2 chapters and Gregor's 'I love you' came so suddenly after she declares her love for him (which I believe cause she realized it a while back) it seemed like a spur of the moment decision that said 'maybe if I tell her I love her she'll marry me like I planned'.

[BJ Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really a 4* read, but so much more than a mere 3*, this book starts out strong, with Gregor's best friend Venetia the victim of an apparent abduction, which angers Gregor so much that he causes a blizzard in April - that MacLean Family Curse, you know. When he finds out that she's been tricked into a mad dash to Gretna Green (she thinks she's going to her very sick Mama), the blizzard gets even worse, which actually makes it possible for him to catch the erstwhile lover, but prevents him from returning Venetia to London before gossip can ruin her reputation. Now begins the conflict between these very different personalities: Gregor is orderly and organized, self-contained and usually even-tempered - well, look what happens when he loses his temper! Venetia has grown up with the emotionalism and chaos of her parents' home, and has developed a stron propensity for getting involved in solving the emotional and chaotic problems of others. Not exactly the clash of titans, but sparks and snowflakes fly while they're discovering what's really important. All very predictable, but the minor characters turn it into a comedy of errors with an all's-well-that-ends-well conclusion.

[MasterSal · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book … 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱

It started with a cute premise - a hero and heroine who had been friends for a long time but realise that there is more between them. Throw in a botched kidnapping, some fun bumbling side characters and a weather-witch hero (something about a curse which made it snow when he got angry - or something something weather-witch) and I thought I was in a for a fun rom-com historical.

Unfortunately, my interest petered out quite quickly because the romance between the leads was highly anemic. Halfway through the book the leads had spent more time sniping with each other instead of talking / romancing / generally acting like human beings (take your pick). It made me questions why these two people were friends in the first place. It made the entire premise fall down which didn’t leave me rooting for the romance at all.

I was thoroughly annoyed by the leads 75% in and only read till the end because I wanted to make sure they ended up together. They deserve the misery that will be sure to visit their heads.

I’ve had this book on my TBR since May 2018 - I should have just left it there. Not fun - give it a pass.

I didn't like this - 1 star for annoying me

[Chanelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am disappointed by this. I really thought Hawkins would give me that "Oh I wish that happened to me feeling" when I read a great story, but she definitely misses the mark with me.

"Why?" you may ask. It's because despite having a great concept for the series and this story, this work as a whole fails to convince of the characters travails and inevitable triumphs.

Her writing fails at times to cement the personalities of her major characters Venetia and Gregor, especially with regard to their history. Also, I find it difficult to believe Venetia is 34-35 years old. I have no problem with her age and I believe that adds to the overall aim of the story of two childhood friends falling in love, but her voice sounds much younger, as if she's the young but sensible Elizabeth Bennet-ish type of heroine.

Honestly, the fool Ravenscroft was more realistic. And it was quite funny how the couple (one knowingly and the other unknowingly) reveal the faults in his plans.

At the end, I believe this could be better.

Maybe the other books will redeem this one.

[Celina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't like this as much as the first book, How to Abduct a Highland Lord.

It features Gregor MacLean and his childhood friend, Venetia Oglivie. The ton has seen them grow up and spend time together so much that they stopped commenting about it. That was how close they were. But suddenly, when Venetia is abducted by a suitor, Gregor suddenly finds her attractive. Then the book revolves around the little inn where Gregor and Venetia fall in love.

What I didn't like so much is how Gregor finally said he loved her.

Gregor was said to be very handsome but I hoped more descriptions that made him more attractive.

Venetia was a unique heroine. She tends to "help" people when she's just plainly interfering. I like how she proves Gregor right when it blows up in her face.

The other characters surrounding them are preposterous, chaotic, frustrating and funny.

Overall, it's a pretty nice book.

[Gamruk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kitaba dün başladım ve bugün bitti. Tamam kabul kitap akıcıydı, olaylar ve karakterler de hoştu ama benim beklediğim kitap bu değildi. Arka kapakta yazan konuyu okuyunca ilk olarak, kar nedeniyle bir handa mahsur kaldıkları ve "YALNIZ" başlarına romantik anlarla dolu bir macera beklemistim ama kitap tam tersiydi.

Yan karakterler dolup taştı resmen. Hanın ici "yol gecen hanı" tabirini dogrular cinstendi. Asıl karakterlerin doğru düzgün sahnesi yok, olanlarda bana yetmedi. Devamli yan karakterlerin cenesini dertlerini entrikalarını dinledik durduk... Zaten kitap 342 sayfa bunun yarısı yan karakter sahnesi, kalanın yarısı asıl karakterlerimizin kavgaları kalan ufak kısım da aşk itirafı. Yeter mi bu benim gibi aşk manyagina tabiki yetmezzz:))))

Tamam ikilinin biraraya geldikleri sahneler hostu ve cocukluklarina dayalı olan arkadasliklari falan da yüzde gülümseme bırakıyordu ama yaniiii ne desem bilemiyorum. Güzel bir kitaptı sadece beklentimi karşılamadı o kadar. Ne öneriyorum ne de okumayın diyorum. Ortada kaldım cidden -_-

[Thenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Old friends turned lovers after a rescue mission from a failed kidnapping and forced marriage attempt.

Venetia and Gregor have been best friends for years, but nothing more than that despite Venetia's suppressed attraction to Gregor, who is clueless. He is forced to look a bit closer at Venetia when somebody goes to great lengths to get her to marry him and what the attraction and possessiveness he feels for her when he finally looks at her as a woman surprises both of them.

Most of the story takes place on the road to and from Scotland where Venetia was being dragged before Gregor came to her rescue, but apart from that and Gregor's Scottish roots, the story doesn't have a strong Scottish element, more's the pity.

Next in the series comes To Catch a Highlander and Dougal's story.