Tag: tales from the highlands

Book Review: The Enemy and Miss Innes (Tales from the Highlands #2) by Martha Keyes

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 311 pages
Author: Martha Keyes
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: June 2nd, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

All that stands between him and freedom? Turning her hatred to love.

Elizabeth Innes has a tongue too sharp for her own good, and she is never more ready to employ it than when faced with the MacKinnons. With just one piece of evidence connecting their clan to a near-deadly attack, she is determined to prove the laird guilty and see him brought to justice. So, when chance throws her in the company of one of the MacKinnon men, she resolves to take advantage of the opportunity to glean more information.

Malcolm MacKinnon has long lived under the thumb of his cousin and laird, Angus, who keeps a secret with the power to ruin him. With his mother and siblings entirely dependent upon Angus’s capricious generosity, he cannot afford to offend his cousin. When Angus proposes a way for him to finally be free of his shackles, Malcolm is more than ready to oblige. All he must do is help Angus seek revenge upon the rival, neighboring clan. The way to do it? Gain the trust—and love—of one of their young women.

As Malcolm and Elizabeth pursue their goals, they find their tasks much more difficult than anticipated, with challenges to their loyalties at every turn. Both must decide how far they are willing to go for revenge—and love.

A GOOD E2L.

I snagged this on audio and devoured it in a day! I love the way Martha Keyes tells stories and this was no different. I really appreciate that this felt true to the enemies to lovers trope and gave me all that angsty banter I love so well.

The storyline was good and moved at a steady pace. I liked the rebuilding aspects (which I felt was an overall illusion to more) and that we got to see the couple from the previous book too! There’s a good dose of drama that doesn’t go over the top and seeing the villain shut down is always one of my favorite parts of a book.

It’s an easy read and I love picking up books in this genre when the mood strikes.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: medium
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: fires, assault, physical altercations, mentions of past domestic abuse, extortion, animal injury

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Book Review: The Widow and the Highlander (Tales from the Highlands #1) by Martha Keyes

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 290 pages
Author: Martha Keyes
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: February 27th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She needs to be protected. He’ll take on the job…for a price.

Christina MacKinnon is secretly relieved to be a widow. She is equally desperate to distance herself from the clan of her dead husband, but as the heir to his estate—one she needs in order to support her siblings—she must first stave off both the advances and threats of the man next in line to inherit. It seems the only person she can turn to is a nearby stranger who seems inclined to help her. But he has a request…

Freshly returned from the war, Lachlan Kincaid has one aim: to see justice served to the MacKinnons for betraying his family years ago and depriving him of his inheritance. While biding his time at a nearby inn, he discovers the death of the MacKinnon laird—whose widow has inherited everything. The way to accomplish his goal is becoming more evident, but the path is murkier than he could have foreseen.

As Christina’s and Lachlan’s lives intersect, it becomes clear that their separate aims may well only be achievable if they join forces. But to do so is to court more danger, and it requires a sacrifice Christina isn’t sure she’s prepared to make.

DRAWN TO THE HIGHLANDS.

Really though, put a book in a Scottish setting and I am drawn like a moth to a flame. I love how well written and put together this novel was.

There was a tender, unmitigated romance that I found myself getting wrapped up into. I adored the two strong leads, Christina and Lachlan. Both with vastly different backgrounds that came together in a marriage of convenience (MY FAV) to outwit some unruly family members. I even found myself okay with another trope (which has a spoilery nature so I won’t say here) that I’m generally not a fan of. Keyes wrote both characters with passion and thoughts that made sense and I could get behind even when they were upset or frustrated.

I felt transported to the highlands and saw the set-up for book two that I know I’m going to love. These characters made the story and I love the pacing and how in depth it was even at a shorter page length (under 300).

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses to closed door
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: kidnapping, mentions and recounting of past spousal abuse (physical), near drowning, war injuries

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