Title: The Highlander’s Promise
Author: Lynsay Sands
Series: Highland Brides #6
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance, Scottish romance
Dates read: 15th – 23rd April 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Avon
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: Aulay spent all of his time with her once Mavis had helped her with her ablutions and such and left the room.

In a spellbinding new Highlands story from New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands, the laird of the Buchanans finds the one womann who is his equal in passion and courage

Aulay Buchanan has retreated to his clan’s hunting lodge for a few days of relaxation. But the raven-haired beauty he pulls from the ocean puts an end to any chance of rest. Though he christens her Jetta, she knows nothing of her real identity, save that someone is trying to kill her. As she recovers, it will not be easy for Aulay to protect her and keep her honor intact when she mistakenly believes they are man and wife…

Jetta sees beyond Aulay’s scars to the brave, loyal warrior she’s proud to call her own. But as the attempts on her life grow more brazen, Jetta realizes that not all is as she believes. And if Aulay is not her husband, can she trust the desire flaring in his eyes, or his promise to defend her with his life?

I’ve been waiting for the story about Aulay since he was first mentioned. After all, he’s probably the most unique of all the Buchanan brothers – he has a whopping great scar cleaving down his face. I didn’t realise that I would enjoy meeting him just this much though. He’s so dark and broody compared to the rest of the brothers, and I definitely much prefer that persona to the happy go lucky versions… although I do love them too…

Memory loss does seem to be a bit of a common trope in storylines – after all, if someone doesn’t remember who and what they are, then they can be anything. It’s actually kind of liberating in some ways. Yet, Jetta’s memory loss feels like the most genuine version I’ve so far had the pleasure of reading. Parts and fragments return to her as time passes, but nothing intense and lightning bolt-like. Well, that is until someone from her past comes to visit. But you’ll have to read the book to find that moment for yourself. The little parts of a person that are left even when the memory is gone work really well in this story and, honestly, I found Jetta’s memory loss to be the most believable version I have thus far come across.

This is a great story on what it actually means to love someone. On what you really need in a relationship – love, acceptance and a lot of laughter. I absolutely adored how Jetta fell for Aulay (and Aulay her, but men falling in love don’t enthral me so much). I love that it’s her continuous acceptance of him and her need to make him happy that highlights her feelings. I also love the very many funny moments in which she attempts to act like a wife… whilst Aulay tries to keep her at bay and be a gentleman… I was definitely laughing out loud at those moments. This is yet another great, easy and intriguing read. Another one of Sands’ books that I find beautiful and unforgettable. I absolutely adored this story and didn’t want to put it down. But, once I finished it. I managed to feel like it had completed and everything had ended beautifully well. It always makes me so excited to pick up her next book…

Image source: Goodreads

Title: Surrender to the Highlander
Author: Lynsay Sands
Series: Highland Brides #5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance, Scottish romance
Dates read: 29th March – 11th April 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Avon
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: The mud was sucking at her feet, sapping her strength.

In New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands’ captivating romance, a lass targeted by an unknown foe is saved – and seduced – by a bold Highlander

Edith Drummond owes her life to Niels Buchanan and his brothers. Waking after an illness to a castle overrun by rugged Highlanders is disconcerting, but so is learning that she’s slowly being poisoned. Niels insists on staying by her side, and Edith soon discovers that even more dangerous is her wild attraction to the fierce warrior.

Niels has never met a more courageous – or enticing – woman than Lady Edith. The idea of such a bonny lass being forced to enter a nunnery is more than any red-blooded Scotsman could bear. He’ll gladly marry her himself. But while sweeping her off her feet is easy, it’ll take all his skill to defeat her family’s relentless enemies and convince her to surrender to his sweet embrace…

Each time I pick up one of the Highland Brides books, I just fall a little more in love with the writing. It’s amazing. It’s beautiful. And they’re just so damn cute and sweet. Plus, I just love the interactions between the Buchanan brothers. Starting this story with Saidh being ridiculously pregnant and sending her brothers to check up on one of her best friends was just brilliant. Not only did I get to revisit characters that I kind of loved, but it just continued to tie in everything so damn neatly. It’s a great universe that Sands has created here.

Niels and Edith have had the least difficult and insane courtship of all the relationships so far in this series. Really, although there was danger to Edith, there was nothing in the way of them getting married. There was no attempts at love, difficulties in the formation of their attachment or really anyone trying to argue against their marriage (themselves included). It was kind of nice to not have to worry about one or the other making stupid decisions in an attempt to be “good”. After all, that does get a little old after a while.

From the beginning, I guessed that the villain in this story was probably going to be a woman. After all, it starts off with Edith being poisoned, and that tends to be a woman’s method of murder generally. Yet, it was really difficult to figure out exactly who that was going to be. Particularly when the red herring was so obviously a red herring and I just couldn’t figure out who else would have a motive… it was intriguing. And I seriously loved the moment of big reveal at the end of the story.

One of the things about this series that I love the most is that the person who is normally being horrible, running around killing everyone isn’t inherently evil. They’re jealous, or prejudiced, or in the case of the villain in this… kind of insane and seriously selfish. Actually, they’ve all been selfish so far. It’s a little bit more human and makes the final moments when the good guys win not such a great, amazing moment of joy, but just a little bit tragic and all the more intense.

Image source: Goodreads