Publisher's Weekly Review
London's third Highland Grooms installment (after Sinful Scottish Laird) takes the reader on a journey to mid-18th-century Scotland, where there is much distrust between Highlanders and the English. Bernadette Holly is a governess and lady's maid to young Avaline Kent, daughter of Lord Kent, who has agreed to wed Avaline to Rabbie Mackenzie, son of Laird Mackenzie. Rabbie is reluctant to wed, but if he doesn't agree to the marriage, Lord Kent will buy up all the land that the Mackenzie clan depends on for crops and livestock. Rabbie remains distant from the young Avaline after meeting her, put off by her shy manner. Though he initially spars with Bernadette, he admires the governess's forthright nature. After Rabbie encounters Bernadette on one of her walks by the sea, the two engage in a passionate interlude, and their initial contentiousness turns into intense sensual attraction. London's multidimensional characters are not at all who they appear to be at first glance. The fascinating love triangle, set amid the wilds of Scotland, creates a page-turning read that will resonate with fans of Highland romance. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Rabbie Mackenzie has nothing left to live for, so he might as well marry Avaline Kent. Not only did the English destroy so many of Rabbie's clansmen's homes and livelihoods after their failed attempt at rebellion, Rabbie's beloved fiancée, Seona MacBee, disappeared as well. So if marrying meek English heiress Avaline Kent will help secure his family's future, Rabbie is prepared to bite the matrimonial bullet. As far as Bernadette Holly, Avaline's maid, is concerned, Rabbie Mackenzie is the rudest man in Scotland. There is absolutely no way her mistress can marry a hard-hearted man like Rabbie, which means Bernadette must now find a way to get the sexy Scottish brute to dump Avaline without falling for him herself! The third in London's masterfully written Highland Grooms series, following Sinful Scottish Laird (2017) is another captivating combination of richly layered characters, a vividly etched Scottish setting, and plenty of red-hot passion.--Charles, John Copyright 2017 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Having fled to Norway to escape the Jacobites, Highlander Rabbie Mackenzie, second son to laird Arran (Wild Wicked Scot), returns to Balhaire to find his village ravaged and his intended assumed dead. Wishing for death himself, he agrees to marry Avaline Kent of Bothing, England, to appease her land-hungry father, Baron Kent, and protect what's left of his family's centuries-old property. Enter Bernadette Holly, Avaline's impenetrable governess, who, like Rabbie, is living as a mere shadow of her former self, having been involved in a scandal that banished her from polite society and sent husband Albert to sea, never to return. Forced to interact because of the impending marriage, Bernadette and Rabbie initially clash but soon find they have more in common than not. If Bernadette can convince Avaline to cry off, then perhaps they can all go home and forget about their differences. Yet fate has something very different in store for these two who believe they have nothing to live for. Verdict London's enchanting third book (after Sinful Scottish Laird) featuring the Mackenzie men and the women who love them, faults and all, combines a moody, majestic Highlands setting and an appealing couple whose path to healing and renewed purpose is as rocky as the hillside, yet worth every step.-Annalisa Pesek, Library Journal © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
