Tag: Scottish

Tackled by Trouble: An Enemies-to-Lovers Rugby Romance (Scottish Rugby Rebels Book 1) by Beatrice Bradshaw

5 Stars

Stirling Rebels Rugby

Our two main characters, both 26, are Charlie Harrington, head of a new sports management company and Brodie MacRae, professional Rugby player with a gambling problem.  Charlie has left her father’s firm after finding her former boyfriend cheating on her and her father defending him and his actions to Charlie.  She has as her first client Brodie, whom the former boyfriend has accused of betting against his former team.  Now traded to a new team in the league, he needs an improved image.   These two get along like oil and water, with Brodie doing everything wrong. 

With this the setup for the start of the book, the author Beatrice Bradshaw takes us through the workings of both a professional rugby team and a startup sports management company.  This proved very helpful as most US readers might understand the management part of the book, but rugby play isn’t well known or understood here.  Her care of the two main characters is detailed and insightful and helps the reader understand the challenges both are facing.  I felt the story slowed down a bit in the middle of the book but overall was an enjoyable read.  Well written with extremely well-developed characters and a storyline that kept my attention, Tackled by Trouble deserves 5 Stars.  Looking forward to the next book in the series. 

I was given an ARC by the author, and this is my honest opinion. 

Some Like It Scot by Pepper Basham

5 Stars

Enjoyable read

I love stories that are set in Scotland, such a beautiful country with wonderful people.  So, when I saw this book, I really wanted to read it.  And I wasn’t disappointed.  Our main female character is Katie Campbell, and American travel writer with no definite home.  She has parents but her only sister has passed a few years prior.  Katie is given an assignment to cover a 3-week Edwardian Experience at a Scottish home named Craighill House.  Here she meets Graeme MacKerrow, whose family owns the house.  He’s not very friendly and is overworked and is also raising his young nephew.  Graeme does have a wonderful family who have large parts in this slow burn romance.  Both characters are well developed and show honest emotions and are very real to life.  I would hope that Pepper Basham would add additional books set here in the small village that Craighill House is located.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Death at a Scottish Christmas (A Scottish Isle Mystery Book 3) by Lucy Connelly

5 Stars

Great Series set in Scotland

In this well written series set in Sea Isle, Scotland we continue to follow former Seattle Emergency Room Doctor Emilia McRoy as she continues to become comfortable with her new position of Town Doctor and Coroner.  This 3rd book is set a few months after she’s arrived and is now settling into her position and the home and office provided by the Laird and Town Constable Ewan Campbell in a former church.  A complete cast of characters is now present with well created backstories.  A tension between Emilia and Ewan is secondary still to the mystery of the death of a Sea Isle born Rock star.  This enjoyable series only has gotten better and better with each book written by Lucy Connelly.  Wonderful details of the town and its inhabitants combine with the American born Doctor and Scottish Laird who are both trying to do just what the small-town needs.  Each book builds upon the previous one, so for the best experience read from the beginning.  Death at a Scottish Christmas could be read as a standalone but will give the reader a few What? and How? and Why? if read that way.  I’m looking forward to additional books by Ms. Connelly.

I was given an ARC of the book by NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Reign (Kindred: The Fated, Book 3) by Donna Grant

5 Stars

Finally!

Donna Grant has finally gotten to Malene and Armir’s story.  This is a continuation from book Everspell (Kindred series by Donna Grant) which gave us questions about whether she was killed or if something else happened to her.  In Reign Armir has not given up his search for her after the battle that finished Everspell.  But it’s been a year, and he is starting to doubt he’ll find her….and Donna starts an interesting, suspenseful, and surprising story.  I did think that the start was a bit slow, but it did pick up at about a quarter in.  Well worth reading, with no grammatical or plotting errors.  The two main characters are well developed and give us a good understanding of their minds.   It can be read as a stand-alone but will make better sense in the story if read from book 1 in this series, Rage.  An exceptional series, the Kindred starts the entire storyline, and is an enjoyable set of books that will give the reader the best experience.

  I was given an ARC from the author, through BookFunnel, and this is my honest opinion. 

Two Scandals and a Scot (Duchess Society Book 5) by Tracy Sumner

5 Stars

More Duchess Society fun

This book is fun, but not nearly as compelling as the prior books.  Our story starts out with Theodosia Astley, who is the Duke of Leighton’s (from Book 2) sister.  She’s about to marry, when she finds out the bridegroom isn’t what she wants.  She runs, but not too far, into a waiting coach.  The coach belongs to Dashiell Campbell, a self-made man and former pickpocket and current card sharp, author, and friend and partner in the gaming hell of Xander Macauley (from Book 3).  Though the book is well written, it doesn’t have the sharpness and details of the prior books.  Both of the characters could have been more developed, and the overall plotting is not as detailed as in the other books.  Still, it is a very enjoyable book that I enjoyed reading.  I’m looking forward to additional books in the Duchess Society.  I was given and ARC of the book through BookSirens and this is my honest opinion. 

An American in Scotland (A Scottish Isle Mystery) by Lucy Connelly

5 Stars

Hopefully the first book

This is my first book by Lucy Connelly and she gives us a really fun and intriguing story with our main character an American named Dr. Emilla McRoy.  Having spent years as an Emergency Room doctor, and had a recent death in her family, she takes a doctor position on a small island off the coast of Scotland to hopefully move past the trauma she’s endured.  She was hired by Ewan Campbell, who is the Deputy Chief Constable, Mayor, and Laird of Sea Isle.  She settles into her new living quarters/office which is located in an old church.  And she is also the Coroner for the island.  Her first night on the Isle, as she’s heading back to the church, she’s caught in a rainstorm and takes shelter in an outbuilding on the church grounds.  And that’s where she finds a dead man.  I really enjoyed the characters in this book, Lucy Connelly has done a great job of describing the island and developed both her main and secondary characters well.  The ensuing mystery is well written-any one of the characters could be the murderer as each has motive and opportunity.  Even Ewan, who could become/is becoming Em’s romantic interest, crosses her mind as a suspect.    I wanted to read this book because the title and blurb caught my interest and I’m very glad I did.  I want to know more about the people and the places on Sea Isle and hope for a second book in this series.  I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion. 

Shoulder the Skye (Skye Druids #2) by Donna Grant

4 Stars

Enemies to friends

Picking up from book 1, we meet Bronwyn Stewart a Druid who has become drough (dark) and has chosen to use Blood Magic to strengthen her magic.  She draws the attention of Elias MacLean while leaving a small shop.  They have a connection dating back to when they were children on Skye, before Elias made the choice to leave.  He has since joined a group of Druids calling themselves Knights who are trying to find out who and why are killing Druids worldwide.  Donna Grant has woven several plotlines into this story, not just the one between Bronwyn and Elias.  While we do find out a little more about what is happening on Skye there is a much broader picture being painted.  It’s best if you’ve read the previous book, Iron Ember, before this one.  Donna Grant has also brought in characters who were introduced in her Reapers series.  All of these, plus her other Dark World/Universe books are exceptional reading and worth the time.  If you love to read a complete book that is part of a larger series, you can’t go wrong with Ms. Grant’s works.  I was given an ARC by the author through BookFunnel and this is my honest opinion. 

The Notorious Dr. MacT: A Hot Scots Prequel by Anna Durand

3.5 Stars

A prequel to Notorious in a Kilt

This is the first book that I’ve read in this larger world series by Anna Durand.  Notorious in a Kilt is Book 5, so this short book gives the back story for Dr. Iain MacTaggart and Rae Evehart.  The story was well-written, with no grammatical errors that I could see, but took a long time to get to the point of the story.  But it did not explain why Iain has the label of Notorious.  If you haven’t started the series, this would be a good place to start, which is why I wanted to read this before the others.  I am looking forward to reading the rest of Iain and Rae’s story.  I was given an ARC of this book from the author through Booksprout and this is my honest opinion.