Tag Archives: Scottish romance

Magick in the Mist by Debbie Mazzuca

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of scottish romance book cover

Title: Magick in the Mist
Author: Debbie Mazzuca
In: The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance, Scottish romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: He crossed his arms over his chest, his muscles flexing, and gave her a look that had caused many a man to quiver in his boots.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

Isobel knows that Ewan is fated to be her one true love, but a series of betrothals and mistakes could be a serious threat to her happily ever after.

Thoughts

The theme of fate and love is always something that suckers me in. The fact that these themes are based within the Scottish highlands in a time long gone… believe me, I was drawn into this story almost immediately. Especially since Isobel is obviously a woman with an amazing brain, and one who isn’t happy to just take what is convenient, but rather what is going to give her her happily ever after.

One of the things that kind of annoyed me about this is how much of a douche Ewan is. Alright, he kind of has a good reason… but mostly he just frustrates me and makes me feel like he’s being pigheaded for no purpose. Luckily, there is a happy ending for Isobel, otherwise I think I would have tried to reach through the pages of the book to smack the silly highlander around the face…

 <- At Last ReviewThe Rebel Review ->
Image source: Hachette Australia

Curse Me Wicked by Elle Jasper

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of scottish romance book cover

Title: Curse Me Wicked
Author: Elle Jasper
In: The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Romance,
Scottish romance, Werewolves
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: Skin burning.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

She’s been set out to the moors of Scotland to deal with a client and a curse. What she finds will not only endanger her life, but change it completely.

Thoughts

I enjoyed the werewolf theme in this story. It was fairly typical but set amongst the gorgeous moors of Scotland. I also didn’t find it all that romantic, even though it was in a romantic collection of short stories. Lucien is a werewolf, finds his mate and just turns her. There is no courting, no anything. He just recognises the woman who is supposed to be his soulmate and decides to change her entire life.

The outset of this story was incredibly promising. Written in first person, with a background of the magical law enforcement. It’s exactly the kind of voice and story that I like. Then there was the fact that they were finding their mysterious client on the moors of Scotland, and the job had something to do with curses. Completely drew me in. But then they met the man, and things just rapidly got… average. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a good story. But with such a promising beginning, I was expecting a much more intense ending.

 <- Forever Knight ReviewAt Last Review ->
Image source: Hachette Australia

Forever Knight by Jackie Ivie

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of scottish romance book cover

Title: Forever Knight
Author: Jackie Ivie
In: The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Romance,
Scottish romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: Very little made it through to men aware only of the thump of heartbeat in their ears.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

In a misguided attempt to save his brother, a rough Highlander takes a Lowlander woman as his ransom. As their story unfolds, he quickly realises that he has fallen into a cleverly laid trap. And one that he’s quite happy to be stuck in.

Thoughts

This story took a number of unexpected turns. The only part that really went as expected to be honest, was the fact that the lead male and female ended up together. After all, this is in a collection of romance stories (I wonder if I’ll ever read a romance that ends… not so romantic…??)

This is the fourth short story in the collection, The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance, and I’m already beginning to notice a bit of a trend… timid, gentlewomen (English or other), falling for a rough, tumble and brawny Highlander. Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy this trope, but this is why I only read a few short stories in a month. Yet, there was something a little more sassy within the Lady of this story – she is literally put in a dungeon for her sharp and voracious tongue.

I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns throughout this. Primarily, whenever I thought that the story was going in one direction (they were about to have a night of passion for example), it takes a new turn that not only lengthens the story beautifully, but also enables it to surprise me. And even though they may not be earth-shattering surprises, they’re ones that made it impossible to put down… I actually walked into the wall while I was reading this tale…

 <- Wolfish in Sheep’s Clothing ReviewCurse Me Wicked Review ->
Image source: Hachette Australia

The Pagan Bride by Patricia Grasso

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of scottish romance book cover

Title: The Pagan Bride
Author: Patricia Grasso
In: The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5:  5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Politics, Romance,
Scottish romance
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: Avril could have throttled her brother.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

Avril is on her way to meet the man she married when she was five years-old. Luckily, for her, he might be the man of her dreams, not so luckily, there are deadly politics of play as she holds court with Mary, Queen of the Scots.

Thoughts

I was honestly annoyed at the beginning of this story. Avril was married to a man ten years her senior when she was five years-old. Now, as an adult she is returning to his estate and taking her place as a wife. And he’s quite rude from the very beginning – leaving her waiting, assuming that he gets his “husbandly rights”… he’s kind of a douche. But, he gets better, and even though I don’t actually like him at the end of the story, I do like their relationship.

It took me a little longer than I would have liked to realise that this story featured Queen Mary of the Scots (or something like that), the woman who was imprisoned and executed in England after being one of Henry’s infamous wives (I believe). Even this, I’m not 100% sure of. But I loved the way in which a touch of the “other” (in the form of the Sight), works its way seamlessly into the machinations of a political court that was completely real.

The marrying of real life political intrigue and events with a fantastical romance worked really well here. I loved being able to imagine that this actually did happen way back when… that Avril’s descendants are happy and healthy somewhere in the world.

 <- Highland Heart ReviewWolfish in Sheep’s Clothing Review ->
Image source: Hachette Australia

Highland Heart by Heather McCollum

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of scottish romance book cover

Title: Highland Heart
Author: Heather McCollum
In: The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance, Romance,
Scottish romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: Prisoners doona fair well in the dungeons.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

Rachel is a young Engliswoman travelling with her father through the Highlands of Scotland. What starts out as a typical journey for the secret-wielding young woman quickly turns into a fast paced tale of romance, passion and subterfuge.

Thoughts

This is the very first book in a new collection of stories that I’ve found on my shelf – The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance. And it is a fantastic way to start it off. I haven’t read much Scottish-themed anything, but this straight away threw me into the subgenre and made me hungry for more. Between the roughness of the highlanders, the cultural and social aspects entrenched in the story, and the glorious setting, Highland Heart is a great way to start and pull you straight into the novel.

Rachel is a great lead character – she rescues herself, bitches at the man she’s obviously attracted to for not really helping her and constantly shows her own strong backbone. I don’t really enjoy any tales that have wilting females as the leads – I just can’t relate, so even though the love story is very quick in this (what do you expect, it’s a short story), Rachel doesn’t wilt. She even manages to save herself in the end when she’s at risk of being killed. Really, her male counterpart is just there to give her a happily ever after and a love that she hasn’t experienced before…

 <- The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance ReviewThe Pagan Bride Review ->
Image source: Hachette Australia