Book Review: It's Getting Scot in Here by Suzanne Enoch

Series: Wild Wicked Highlanders Book #1

Format: ebook

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟/5

How I Got It: NetGalley

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: St. Martin's

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

London socialite Amelia-Rose Baxter is nobody’s fool. Her parents may want her to catch a title, but she will never change who she is for the promise of marriage. Her husband will be a man who can appreciate her sharp mind as well as her body. A sophisticated man who loves life in London. A man who considers her his equal―and won’t try to tame her wild heart...

Rough, rugged Highlander Niall MacTaggert and his brothers know the rules: the eldest must marry or lose the ancestral estate, period. But Niall’s eldest brother just isn’t interested in the lady his mother selected. Is it because Amelia-Rose is just too. . . Free-spirited? Yes. Brazen? Aye. Surely Niall can find a way to soften up the whip-smart lass and make her the perfect match for his brother for the sake of the family.

Instead it’s Niall who tempts Amelia-Rose, despite her reservations about barbarian Highlanders. Niall finds the lass nigh irresistible as well, but he won’t make the mistake his father did in marrying an Englishwoman who doesn’t like the Highlands. Does he have what it takes to win her heart? There is only one way to find out.

Review

***I received this book via NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***

The big picture: this was a fine book and I would read more books in the series when they are released, but am not dying for them.

The first half of the book felt very slow. The second half felt rushed. I guess that would average out to good pacing, but that's not how it works. The romance was fairly interesting-I liked that the characters built a friendship first. But, again, the ending was a little rushed.

I was more intrigued by the guys' mother. I'm hoping her relationships with her husband and sons will continue to be explored. Ms. Enoch could've easily made her a one-dimensional villain character and I'm glad she didn't. Family dynamics are always interesting to read.

If you like historical romance feel free to check this out, but maybe pick it up from the library.

Thanks for reading!

Holly

Review: London’s Perfect Scoundrel by Lorraine Heath

Series: Lessons in Love #2

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Pages: 372

Rating: 4 Stars

How I Got It: Purchased

I’ve been a fan of Ms. Enoch for a while and this did not disappoint. It was full of the things I look for in a good historical romance. Except an epilogue. Why no epilogue Ms. Enoch? They’re basically my favorite part.

Now, let’s get down to business. The reason it gets four stars instead of five is because of the beginning. The first 75 or so pages kind of dragged and I almost put the book down. But I didn’t. And once this book got going it was amazing.

Saint is basically the typical moody rake, but I like that kind of character. And I liked that he didn’t fight his feelings for Evelyn. Oh, I love every time he calls her Evelyn Marie. My favorite scene was when he had a break down. I won’t spoil what happened to cause it, but Ms. Enoch does a fantastic job of showing how this moment really changes him.

I like Evelyn, but she isn’t quite as interesting. She appealed to me more when she would stand up for herself. But I was missing a bit of her back story and that makes it hard for me to understand her relationship with her brother and mother.

The tension and romance really makes this story. And I enjoyed their banter and exchanges. Except for the first time they had sex-that was kind of weird.

If you like fairly standard historical romances I think you would like this one.

Thanks for reading!

Review: The Devil Wears Kilts by Suzanne Enoch

Series: Scandalous Highlanders (Book 1)

Format: Paperback

Pages: 325 pages

Rating: 3 Stars

How I Got It: Purchased

                Honestly, this book was pretty “meh” for me. And it’s kind of forgettable. I definitely preferred the second book in pretty much all things: the characters, the romance, and the larger plot/conflict.

                When it came to the characters, I couldn’t connect with Ranulf or Charlotte. I found them both kind of bland and lacking in any real depth. And they basically kept having the same conversations with themselves and each other.

                I also thought the romance was pretty weak, too. Before they decided they liked each other they had no chemistry. And then it was as if they were like “we’re characters in a romance novel and must love each other.” For example: the first time he kissed her it seemed to come out of nowhere.

                The larger family plot also fell flat for me. The conflict with the other families is just executed better in the second book. Plus, Ranulf’s main issue seemed to be deciding if he should change everything about himself for a woman. That just kind of rubbed me the wrong way. And the ending was ridiculously abrupt. That seems to be a trend for this series.

                I will say I liked seeing the MacLawry family interactions. You get to see how each one fits into their family dynamic. Arran is my favorite, but I’m curious to see if Bear gets a book and what the storyline will be.

                I respect that Ms. Enoch wanted to be authentic, but sometimes the Scottish dialogue was too much. It would pull me out of the story because I had to stop and really think about the dialogue and what it was saying.

~Thanks for reading!

Holly