How to Lose a Laird by Anna Bradley

 

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Rumors have filled the local village after Freya MacLeod’s father’s death.  Some rumors think her late father left a treasure to be found.  This rumor has caused treasure hunters to swarm the area.  Other rumors state that she and her sisters are witches.  When Freya and her sister Sorcha are accused of murder, her brother-in-law’s friend, Callum, whisks her away to his castle to save her.  Will the two find love?  Will Freya be able to return home?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This is a historical romance set in Scotland in the 18^th century.  I love reading stories set in Scotland and in this time period!

·       I liked the back story of Callum’s father fighting in Culloden and how it impacted their family.  Callum finds himself betrothed to a woman he admires but does not love as one of the consequences.

·       This is the second book in the Cairncross Castle book series.  I did not read the first book in the series about the first sister, Cat, but this book worked fine as a standalone.  I do think the first book probably gave more details on the treasure hunt and would be worth going back to read.

·       This is the second MacLeod daughter, Freya’s, story.

·       This story had plenty of adventure and some mystery.

·       There was a lot of chaos at the start of the story, and I had to figure out what was going on.  Freya seemed to hide in the shadows, but she had a lot of great growth throughout the story.

·       Freya and Callum had great chemistry.

·       This was a forced proximity story.

·       The story was mostly slow burn, but there are a couple of open-door scenes towards the end of the novel.

·       There are miscommunications as part of the romance, which always annoys me in stories.

·       I am interested to read the next book in the series and get Sorcha’s story.

Overall, How to Lose a Laird by Anna Bradley was a fun historical romance.

Book Source:  Thank-you @kensingtonbooks @btc_books @annabradleyauthor @tlcbooktours for a review copy of the novel as part of the TLC Book Tour.

The Highlander’s Kilted Bride by Vanessa Kelly (TLC Book Tour)

 

Do you play an instrument?  I used to play the piano and clarinet, but I haven’t played in quite some time.  Now I enjoy listening to my children play the piano and their other instruments. 

Music plays a key role in The Highlander’s Kilted Bride.  In 1828, Kade of the Klan Kendrick has recently returned home to Scotland after a worldwide tour playing his music and also spying for his country.  He is annoyed at being roped into attending a wedding and perhaps playing a concert of his music rather than getting to spend his time working on his latest piece that has been commissioned by the king.  While on the way to the wedding, his carriage is nearly crashed into by a feisty lady riding a white horse, Charlotte “Charlie” Stewart.  The two met as children and have a shared love of music.  Charlie is meant to marry another, but will Kade and Charlie forge their own path?

I thought The Highlander’s Kilted Bride was a delightful escapism read.  It’s been a very busy week at work and in life and it was fun to be able to settle down each evening and read this novel.  I loved the characters in this novel.  The story starts with a prologue where Charlie and Kade meet as children and Charlie defends Kade by punching another boy in the nose.  This sets the tone for their relationship, and I loved it.  I loved Charlie’s spunky personality and also enjoyed their shared love of music.  All of the other characters were great, but I think I would have loved them even more if I had read the first five novels in this series and knew their back stories.  I always enjoy a Scottish setting and loved the highland setting of this book.

The story was very fun with a wedding, a loss of a family heirloom, and the search for a treasure all with love blooming in the midst.  I enjoyed the mysteries.  I especially loved feisty Grandpa Angus.  He has great love for his family and hilarious anger towards other families for past historic misdeeds.  The book had great humor and had me chuckling often.  I loved all of the family interactions.

Favorite Quote:  “One need not trick oneself out in the latest styles or simper about as a ninny to be a woman, and a lovely one at that.”  I loved the message of being yourself in this novel.

Book Source: Review Copy from author Vanessa Kelly and NetGalley.   Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of the TLC Book Tour.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.  

About The Highlander’s Kilted Bride

Publisher: Zebra (August 22, 2023)
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages

The youngest brother in Clan Kendrick has become a charismatic force in his own right—especially when the perfect woman gallops into his life—in the latest novel in USA Today bestselling author Vanessa Kelly’s sparkling Scottish Regency series.

Charlotte “Charlie” Stewart would rather don a kilt and ride her horse than simper in a ballroom. But with her younger sister about to be wed, she can’t escape the pressure to be next. A husband has been chosen, and Charlie’s fate seems set. Until an afternoon gallop sends her horse colliding with Kade Kendrick, the broad-shouldered Highlander who was once her childhood pal . . .

As a youth, Kade felt overshadowed by his older siblings. Now he’s a renowned musician whose fame provides cover for his other work—as a spy. Home from his latest mission, he’s annoyed to be roped into attending the wedding of a family friend—until it reunites him with the fearless tomboy who has become a breathtaking beauty. And though his thoughts should be on a new concerto, Kade is soon distracted by rival suitors, a dangerous quest—and the unconventional woman who fills his soul with music and his body with desire . . .

About the Author

Vanessa Kelly is the award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of The Improper Princesses series, the Clan Kendrick, The Renegade Royals and The Stanton Family series, in addition to other historical romances. Named by Booklist as one of the “Stars of Historical Romance,” her books have been translated into nine languages and published internationally. In graduate school, Vanessa specialized in the study of eighteenth-century British fiction and is known for developing vibrant Regency settings, appealing characters, and witty story lines that captivate readers. She lives with her husband in Ontario, Canada. Visit her at VanessaKellyAuthor.com or join the Clan Kendrick Facebook Group at Facebook.com/groups/ClanKendrick.

 

The Blackhouse by Carole Johnstone

 

Title:  The Blackhouse

Author:  Carole Johnstone

Narrated by:  Joe McFadden and Eilidh Beaton

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 13 hours and 41 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank you @simonandschuster #BookClubFavorites for the free books!

 Do you believe in reincarnation?  If you could be reincarnated, what would you like to come back as next time?  I’ve always thought it is an interesting concept and love to read books about it.  

Maggie Mackay has moved back to Kilmeray in Scotland to try to solve a mystery from her past.  When she was five years old, she announced that she was a reincarnated man who had been murdered on Kilmeray. "I am Andrew McNeil, and I was murdered." The problem was, no one of that name had died on the island.  As Maggie investigates, she starts to uncover many secrets on the island.  Will she find what she is looking for?

In the 1990’s, Robert Reid and his family have moved to Kilmeray to make a fresh start.  Robert grew up on the island, but after his father’s death at sea, he has decided to be a farmer and to forget the past.  The past hasn’t forgotten him though.  What will his fate be?

I liked this dark and gothic novel.  It had many twists in the storyline.  Maggie and Robert were both narrators of different chapters and both were unreliable narrators.  I loved the atmosphere of this novel and the terrific setting.  I also enjoyed getting to know the community and all of the characters in town.  The buildup of the way of life on Kilmeray is a large part of the story and the reveal which I don’t want to spoil.  This book had a bit of everything – romance, thriller, suspense, grief, revenge, and a bit of the supernatural.  I enjoyed it.

The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

 

 

Title: The Christmas Bookshop

Author:  Jenny Colgan

Narrated by:  Eilidh Beaton

Publisher: Harper Audio

Length: Approximately 11 hours and 23 minutes

Source: Checked out from the Kewaunee Public Library through Overdrive.  Thank-yo

Have you ever shopped at a Christmas shop?  What about a Christmas Book Shop?

I’ve been to Frankenmuth Michigan over twenty years ago and it was filled with beautiful Christmas stores. I need to go back someday.  I’ve never been to a Christmas Book Shop, but I would love it.

In The Christmas Bookshop, Carmen has lost her job working in retail when the store she works at closes for good.  With no prospects in her town, she goes to live with her sister Sofia and her children in Edinburgh.  Sofia is a lawyer with a client who owns a book shop that is going to close.  Sofia hopes that Carmen can help the shop to make a profit over the Christmas season.  Carmen is not sure she can do it, but she decides to give it a try.  Along the way she meets two potential suitors.  What will Carmen do with life and which suitor will she chose?

Jenny Colgan is one of my favorite authors and I love her Christmas stories. I love that her stories often involve a woman down on her luck who manages to find out what her passions in life are and make a fresh start.  I love bookstores so reading about how Carmen is able to spruce up the store and reinvent it as a Christmas Bookshop was delightful.  I was also intrigued by the vivid descriptions of Edinburgh.  It made me really want to visit this city and see the architecture.  It sounds like a beautiful place to visit at Christmas.

I also loved that Carmen and Sofia were two very different sisters that didn’t really get along, but they are able to really understand each other and have a better relationship in this story.  I also loved Carmen’s relationship with her nieces and nephew.  I also loved the bookshop owner, Mr. McCredie.  I loved how his story slowly came together piece by piece. 

Eilidh Beaton was a soothing narrator who gave the characters a good voice.  Each character had a different voice from her, which I enjoy.  This overall was a very enjoyable and charming Christmas story.