Loved the Highlands, not so much the romance.
This book is set in 1745 during the Jacobite rebellion of Bonnie Prince Charlie, which was something I really enjoyed. Usually Historical Romance is set during the Regency period or sometimes the Middle Ages, but I have never before read one about the Jacobines. I always like reading new things, so that was really great! However, this book did have some problem areas which took away from the great setting.
👍 What I Liked 👍
Setting: Like I said, the setting of the Jacobite rebellion was really interesting and new to me. Sure, if you're a fan out Outlander this might not feel like such an original thing, and I see other reviewers complaining about just that. But still, I liked how different it was from usual HRs who focus more on balls and social calls.
Jenny: Our female main character, Jenny, was interesting and engaging. She was very different from usual HR heroines - she was a fighter, a rebel leader as well as a laird. She fought for a cause she believed in (perhaps a little too blindly, but that's a side note) and she had ambitions for herself and her people. I found her very admirable.
👎 What I Disliked 👎
Romance: Toran, our male protagonist, has been collaborating with the English but flees from them to save his cousin's life and it is during this flight that he runs into Jenny. The romance that blossoms between them could have been dynamite, but it was just... weird. It seemed to grow out of nothing, it was just suddenly there. It was lust brought on by nothing, turned into love brought on by lust. It just felt... wrong.
Writing: I cannot say exactly what went wrong for me with the writing, but all too often it felt clumsy, stilted and awkward.
Read it if you like: Outlander, sexy highlanders, women who can fight
⭐⭐⭐
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review