Scotland Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Travelling Book Nerd

Posted on October 30, 2020December 13, 2020 by Emily — 1 Comment

Review: Highland Lover by Hannah Howell

Review of Highland Lover by Hannah Howell, an historical romance novel set in medieval Scotland.

Highland Lover by Hannah Howell cover — **Save Me on Pinterest!!**

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Synopsis

Alana Murray is kidnapped and is imprisoned in a very dark hole with Gregor MacFingal Cameron. After a trying escape, Alana becomes fevered and Gregor has to find a safe shelter and nurse her back to health. In her delirium, she reveals more about herself than she had wanted to, including that she was searching for her sister, Keira.

Once she’s recovered, the two of them set off to find her sister, whose home just happens to be in the same direction as Gregor’s family. When they reach Gregor’s home, they are both stunned to find Mavis, the woman Gregor had courted, and her father already there and claiming that they were betrothed.

In the meantime, Gregor has realised which woman he wants to marry but he doesn’t want to speak of his feelings to Alana until he has dealt with Mavis. This has left Alana hurt and unsure if she can trust him.

Review

Highland Lover has to be the worst book I have read by this author. While the first half had action, it was unoriginal. Once they arrived at the monastery, there were all these references to Keira’s story that made no sense and kind of overshadowed Alana and Gregor for a bit. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t as good as Hannah Howell’s other books.

It seemed a bit strange that the cabin Gregor found to hide in immediately after the escape was so safe for so long. Why would such a nice cottage be so convenient? Surely the Gowans would have known that it was there and checked it for their runaways.

The fact that the cottage had a sturdy wooden door should have alerted him to the possibility that this was no mere cottar’s hut, he realized. Opening one of the thick shutters on one of the three windows, he found glass panes, a true luxury. Although the mattress upon the bed was stuffed with straw, it was thick and clean. A poor man would have taken such a fine mattress with him. Gregor then recalled how the cottage was tucked deep within the woods with no area cleared for farming or the raising of animals. He began to think he had stumbled upon some laird’s retreat, perhaps even a place where he housed his lemans out of sight and reach of his wife. It was pure luck that the man was between lovers at the moment, Gregor mused.

I loved the way Artan and Lucas were so protective over Alana, and how Gregor responded to their behaviour. It was so entertaining but realistic. I can easily imagine protective elder brothers from any era acting the same way over the man who beds their little sister.

By the end of the book, I found myself with quite a disliking for Gregor. I can understand why he didn’t tell Alana about Mavis (after all, he justifies himself repeatedly). But then it turns out that he has two illegitimate sons that he never so much as thought about while he was with Alana.

Conclusion

Have you read Highland Lover? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

Posted on September 4, 2020May 6, 2023 by Emily — 2 Comments

Review: The Tartan MP3 Player by C. A. Szarek

Review of The Tartan MP3 Player by C. A. Szarek, a time-travelling historical romance set in 17th century Scotland.

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Synopsis

Claire McGowan finds herself running naked along a cold beach. At first, she thinks she is having a particularly vivid dream, but when she meets Duncan MacLeod it becomes apparent that she is in the Scottish Highlands in the 1600s.

Duncan’s brother, Alex, was captured by the Fae King Fillan six months earlier. Since then, Duncan has been searching for the Faery Stones so that he can enter the Fae Realm and rescue Alex. Now, he has found a strange woman who looks to have come through the very same Stones that he has been looking for. He takes her in, hoping that she knows something that will help him.

After a week of fighting to keep their attraction to each other under control, Duncan insists that they marry. By the time they find the stones and begin their attempt to save Alex, both Duncan and Claire are struggling with their feelings and eminent separation.

Review

The Tartan MP3 Player looks a lot like it started as Outlander fanfiction, especially at the start. A woman is transported back in time through stones where she marries a man that she then falls in love with and stays in the past for. Very Outlander. However, the style is very different and as the story progresses the fantasy element comes out more, the differences become more obvious.

Usually, I don’t like books with a lot of magic or a strong fantasy element. However, the way it was dealt with in this book was quite believable and I found that it didn’t feel strange or unusual. The author managed to weave the Faery world and the real world together in a very convincing manner.

“The Fae might be in stories, but they’re very real, Claire.”

She scoffed, and the water shifted in the tub with her movements, splashing against the side of the tub.

“Ye’ve come through time, yet ye doubt?”

Claire paused, her green eyes boring into him. “True. I was still hoping this is all a dream.”

Duncan smirked. “Nay, lass.”

“So the Fae are real?” Her tone was a combination of curiosity and disbelief.

“Aye, and they hold my brother captive.”

There were a couple of erotic scenes in the middle of the book that were excessively explicit. It wouldn’t have been too hard to tone them down a notch. We don’t need to know that much!

I wonder why Alana, the Fae Princess that Alex married, didn’t leave the Fae realm earlier, perhaps when she first married, or when she had Angus. Of course, if she had there would be no story and this book would be absolutely rubbish. Perhaps she loved the Fae and didn’t want to leave them, but she obviously loves her son and husband.

The writing style is a bit abrupt. There are a lot of short sentences and one-line paragraphs that make it feel jumpy or startling (I’m not entirely sure what word would best convey what I’m thinking). There are also a couple of bits where the author explains things that happened earlier, which seems a bit amateurish.

Despite the above comments (most of which appear to be negative), I got hooked into this book, read it several times in a row, and want to read the other books in the series.

Conclusion

Have you read The Tartan MP3 Player? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

If you haven’t, it can be bought at the following stores:

Waterstones

Wordery

Posted on July 10, 2020December 13, 2020 by Emily — 2 Comments

Review: Highland Hearts by Hannah Howell

Review of Highland Hearts, an historical romance by Hannah Howell set in medieval Scotland

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Synopsis

Moments after Tessa Delgado frees Sir Revan Halyard from her uncle’s dungeon, Revan kidnaps her. Revan suspects that Tessa’s uncle is involved in a plot to overthrow King James II and she just happens to have the information that he needs. Suddenly they are on the run, trying to reach the King before Uncle Thurkettle and the treacherous Douglases can track them down.

Forced together, Revan and Tessa find themselves increasingly attracted to each other and before long have begun a “no strings attached” affair. This is complicated when Tessa’s other uncle, Sir Silvio Delgado Comyn, demands that Revan marry her. Knowing how Revan feels about the land and money she has inherited, Tessa determines that she must find a way to release him despite how much she has come to love him.

Review

Highland Hearts was fast-paced with lots of action. Revan and Tessa are constantly running from some sort of danger or trying to get their various bits of information to the king. Even once they’ve passed their information on, they quickly uncover more information, making their flight to the king even more urgent.

These two have sex far too soon for my liking. I get that they’ve been alone in a cave together for days on end and there is this immediate connection between them. However, it is the 15^th century and Tessa is an obviously virtuous young woman. There is no way they would have done anything like this so quickly in real life.

Despite all the trouble she was in, she knew sleep would come quickly. It was just weighting her body when she felt Revan slip under the blanket and lay down beside her. Wide-eyed with shock, suddenly alert, she turned to stare at his broad back.

“What are you doing?” she squeaked.

“Going to sleep.”

“Ye canna sleep here.”

“’Tis the only place to sleep there is. Wheesht, I am too weary to bother with some fool lass’s outrage. I am also too weary to be any threat to any female. So ye can just calm yourself down and go to sleep.”

It was interesting to see how the characters dealt with Tessa having money while Revan had none. Usually the man has the money while the woman may have a small dowry (and not much more). Revan seems to be the only one who sees any problem with him not having any money to contribute to his potential marriage.

Conclusion

Have you read Highland Hearts? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

Posted on June 26, 2020December 13, 2020 by Emily — Leave a comment

Review: White Rose Rebel by Janet Paisley

Review of White Rose Rebel, historical fiction by Janet Paisley set in 18th century Scotland

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Synopsis

Anne Farquharson, lady McIntosh, is a staunch Jacobite. When her husband, Aeneas, is forced to join the government forces to put down the ’45 rising, she raises the men of the clan herself. Throughout the conflict Anne and Aeneas constantly find themselves coming up against each other.

Following the end of the rising at Culloden, Anne is given to Aeneas as a virtual prisoner. Together, they must rebuild their relationship and come to terms with the end of Scottish culture. Meanwhile, Anne does all in her power to secure the freedom of those Jacobite supporters who are being kept prisoner. Aeneas tries to help her but must maintain the appearance of supporting the crown and keeping Anne controlled.

Review

White Rose Rebel is a well-researched book, told primarily from a woman’s point of view. Three aspects of the major characters’ lives (war, politics, and love) are beautifully woven together to create an emotional adventure. The love triangle between Aeneas, Anne, and MacGillivray is realistic and heart-breaking.

I loved how the English were portrayed as barbarians while the Scottish were forward thinking and civilised, particularly in how they treat their women. It was an interesting look at what makes a culture civilised (such as equality) and the English inclination to conquer and “civilise” everyone else.

Meg went to the woman’s horse, running her hands expertly over its back leg. The man stirred in his saddle, clearly uncomfortable.

“Move, Helen,” he insisted. “These northern tribes are savages.”

As Cath arrived beside them, Meg looked up from her examination of the horse. “Tha e crùbach,” she said, in her own Gaelic tongue. “It’s lame.”

Anne grabbed hold of the bridle on the man’s mount.

“Among savages,” she said, “wives don’t walk while husbands ride.”

I liked how the story continued well past Culloden. Many books in this kind of setting use Culloden as either a starting or ending point. It was nice to see how such a major event changed things. That being said, I’m a tad disappointed that neither Anne nor Aeneas was actually at Culloden during the battle.

The very end of the story felt a bit rushed. Even though Anne and Aeneas had been becoming closer to each other again after Culloden, and they did magnificently at the Duke of Cumberland’s ball (such a fantastic scene), their final reconciliation happens a bit suddenly.

Conclusion

Have you read this book? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

Posted on June 12, 2020December 13, 2020 by Emily — 1 Comment

Review: Highland Sinner by Hannah Howell

Review of Highland Sinner, historical romance set in 15th century Scotland by Hannah Howell

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Synopsis

Women are being brutally murdered and butchered. Sir Tormand Murray has had affairs with all of them. Before long, rumours are circulating that he is responsible for the deaths and Tormand’s life is threatened by fearful locals intent on justice. His friend, Simon, soon arrives to investigate.

With more women dying and no leads to follow, Simon and Tormand meet with Morainn, a young woman who has visions. Morainn agrees to help but doing so quickly lands her in danger from the killers, and she moves to Tormand’s house so that his relatives can protect them.

Tormand fights his attraction to Morainn, fearing what she means for his future. However, constantly being in the same house makes it impossible to avoid her, and before long he finds himself trying to woo her.

Review

Highland Sinner is just as much mystery as it is romance. Who is murdering all these women? Why are they framing Tormand? Will Morainn ever find out where Walin came from? The ‘Tormand and Morainn relationship’ storyline seems to be secondary to the mystery a lot of the time.

I was pleased by how Tormand had already started getting over his “leaping from one bed to another like some demented toad” before meeting Morainn. There are too many books out there already where the hero acts horribly at the beginning and the heroine changes him.

I absolutely loved Tormand’s relationship with his family. They obviously care for each other and would do anything to save Tormand from suffering. Yet, there’s constant complaining about each other and teasing among them (especially about Tormand’s reputation and attempts to woo Morainn).

I didn’t like how much the relationship between Tormand and Morainn was analysed. There are way too many instances where Tormand ponders his feelings and future, or Morainn weighs the consequences of becoming his lover. It’s an effective way of showing how their relationship progresses, but it feels overdone.

Conclusion

Have you read Highland Sinner? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? What about other books by Hannah Howell? Let me know in the comments.

If you haven’t, it can be bought at Book Depository (they have free worldwide shipping!).

Posted on July 11, 2019December 13, 2020 by Emily — Leave a comment

Review: Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon

Cross Stitch is the first book in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series; historical fiction set in 18th century Scotland. Cross Stitch is also known as Outlander (it’s the same story, but published in the UK instead of the US).

Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon cover — **Save Me on Pinterest!!**

Synopsis

Claire is on holiday with her husband, Frank, in Scotland following World War 2. She walks through a circle of standing stones one day while picking flowers and finds herself in the 18^th century.

To keep herself safe from her husband’s sadistic ancestor, she has to marry Jamie, a young highlander with an interesting history. Despite trying to keep some emotional distance between them, she finds herself falling for him, so much so that when she finally has a chance to return to Frank she decides to stay with Jamie.

They return together to Jamie’s family home but don’t get to spend much time as a happy married couple before Jamie is taken by the black watch. Claire has to search all over Scotland for him and save him from Frank’s sadistic ancestor.

Review

Love, love, love this book. I read it and re-read it and read my favourite bits over and over again and again. It was so engrossing. My first copy fell to pieces and my mum had to buy me a new one.

I was 15 when I first read Cross Stitch and Mum was unsure whether to let me. At first, it was because she remembered it having a lot of magic and witchcraft. After she read it again before giving it to me, her objection was based on the amount of sex portrayed. I didn’t have a problem with it; it wasn’t overly explicit and focused on feelings rather than actions.

The beginning was a bit slow (the first day of reading, I only made it to page 132 and had no trouble putting the book down). However, I learned a lot about Claire early in the book and there were scenes later on that were so much more interesting because I could link back to something that had happened earlier.

I loved how the traditional relationship roles are reversed in Jamie and Claire’s romance. Usually, the woman is the inexperienced virgin. However, here, Jamie is the inexperienced virgin and Claire is the experienced one. Also, Claire is four years older than Jamie, where men are usually older than their wife or girlfriend.

“Does it bother you that I’m not a virgin?” He hesitated a moment before answering.

“Well, no,” he said slowly, “so long as it doesna bother you that I am.” He grinned at my drop-jawed expression, and backed towards the door.

“Reckon one of us should know what they’re doing,” he said. The door closed softly behind him; clearly the courtship was over.

I absolutely loved the wedding, particularly the walk up to the chapel. ‘“I can’t marry you! I don’t even know your last name!”’ I found it hilarious that Claire ends up marrying Jamie in the same church she married Frank in. It’s one of those little things that isn’t crucial to the story but makes the reading experience so much more enjoyable.

While some characters did things that are completely unacceptable to a modern audience, they were still essentially good people and were acting as someone in that time and place would have acted. The exception to this is Captain Randall – he’s nasty, I hate him, but then we’re supposed to hate him. The only person (real or imaginary) I can think of who’s more sadistic than Randall is the Marquis of Sade, and sadism is named after him.

Conclusion

Have you read this Cross Stitch/Outlander? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said? Let me know in the comments.

Posted on May 27, 2019April 23, 2021 by Emily — Leave a comment

Review: Bride of Lochbarr by Margaret Moore

Review of Bride of Lochbarr, an historical romance set in medieval Scotland by Margaret Moore

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Synopsis

Marianne’s brother has demanded that she live with him on his new lands in Scotland while he arranges a marriage for her with an old, senile, but rich Scotsman. While she’s working on an escape, the son of a local chieftain interferes and “rescues” her.

This ruins her reputation in the eyes of her fellow Normans and Marianne demands that Adair marry her. He reluctantly complies, and their marriage gets off to a rocky start. Whispers about Adair’s behaviour and suitability as future leader of the clan eventually force his father to step-in and get the relationship back on track.

They don’t get to spend much time being happy together before his father dies. Adair’s rise to leadership is marred by an overthrow planned by his brother and cousin.

Review

Bride of Lochbarr was a good book. I would recommend it for anyone who likes romances set in Scotland or the middle ages. It uses a standard romance formula with several twists that make it unique, such as the damsel-in-destress turning the hero away.

Marianne and Adair were so perfect for each other. They had an initial misunderstanding but once they sorted it out, I think their relationship was stronger for it. They try better to communicate with each other and once they spend more time together, they really come to like and trust one another. By the end, they are able to work through issues together, not just issues between them but also issues with the clan.

I enjoyed the clashes between the Scots and Normans/English, and the differences in culture. The Scots are clearly resentful of the Normans, and the Normans don’t like anything to do with the Scots’ way of life.

“It’s uisge beatha – the water of life. We Scots make it, and it’s better than wine.”

She curled her lip at that fulsome praise for the horrific beverage.

“I should have guessed you wouldn’t appreciate that, either,” he muttered as he went back to his task.

“Your drink is terrible, and anyone who appreciates good wine would think so, too.”

I liked how Marianne didn’t let her prejudices against Scots get in the way of endearing herself to the clan. She sees that for good or for bad, she is stuck in Scotland and there is nothing to be gained by acting superior and disdainful.

The baddies of the story are varied and generally well explained. Cormag is just plain evil and I hold no qualms about hating him; I was pleased when he died. Lachlann was an unlikely baddie, but he wasn’t really bad, just weak. Nicholas is bad at the beginning but turns good by the end.

The ending felt a little cut short. It was leading up to a huge showdown between Adair and Lachlann, maybe a battle. Instead, the rebels surrender. The tension was released a wee bit quickly, leaving me feeling mildly dissatisfied.

Conclusion

Have you read Bride of Lochbarr by Margaret Moore? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

Posted on May 24, 2019October 6, 2020 by Emily — Leave a comment

Review: Claiming the Highlander by Kinley MacGregor

Review of Claiming the Highlander, an historical romance set in medieval Scotland by Kinley MacGregor

Claiming the Highlander by Kinley MacGregory cover (review by the Travelling Book Nerd)

Synopsis

Maggie masterminds a rebellion amongst the women in an attempt to bring a feud between two clans to an end (a la Lysistrata). Braden McAllister, shameless womaniser and brother of the Laird, arrives home after checking his southern lands and finds himself in the middle of a standoff between the women and the men.

Ever the peacemaker, Braden attempts to negotiate with Maggie before the men attack their women. Maggie decides she’s going to talk to the Laird of the other clan and try to get peace. Believing that this plan of hers will never work, Braden insists on accompanying Maggie along with his English older brother, Sin.

While they travel, Maggie struggles with the feelings she has had for Braden since childhood. Braden finds himself unexpectedly attracted to Maggie and is torn between this and his disinclination to hurt her.

Review

Overall, this was a good book. It was a light, quick read; very entertaining. The dialogue is humorous and flows naturally. The major characters are realistic and likeable, and the two main characters develop nicely. None of the scenes seemed overly drawn-out or skipped-over.

The opening scene shows Braden having fun with three women. This and other early scenes show him as shallow and intent purely on pleasure – just a pretty face. I really liked how Maggie could see that there is more to Braden. She sees how caring he is, his dreams, and how much deeper his personality is. While his brother, especially Sin, seem to see this too, none of the other women do; I think it might be one of the reasons that Braden had to fall in love with Maggie.

It was nice to see the glimpses of Braden and Maggie’s childhood friendship. This was revealed in several well-placed flashback scenes throughout the book. These scenes helped me to understand the two characters and, more importantly, their relationship to each other.

I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Sin. He obviously had a very bad start to life. These experiences have made him hard, distrustful, and full of hate. From what we see of him in this book, he has used this to become a rich and powerful man (which is good but I still felt sorry for him). Apparently there is a separate book about Sin; I would like to read it one day.

I didn’t like how easily the feud between the clans was resolved. The men of both clans had been at each others throats for years. Sure, making Robby MacDouglas realise how much he cared for his wife was a good plan, and ending the feud after Sin saved her life was plausible, but it just seemed too easy and over too quickly.

Conclusion

Have you read this Claiming the Highlander? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

Posted on May 14, 2019February 15, 2021 by Emily — Leave a comment

Review: On A Highland Shore by Kathleen Givens

Review of On a Highland Shore, historical fiction set in medieval Scotland by Kathleen Givens

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Synopsis

Margaret MacDonald, daughter of the Laird of Somerstrath, has just discovered that the man she is to marry has been unfaithful to her with her best friend. Because of her family’s refusal to cancel the betrothal, she travels to court to ask King Alexander to release her from it.

Returning home, she and her escort find that Norsemen have destroyed Somerstrath and massacred the inhabitants. While cleaning up the bodies, they find that several young boys are missing, including one of Margaret’s younger brothers.

They are joined by several relatives and allies, including Gannon MacMagnus, a young Irish warrior with a Norse father. Together they start recovering from the invasion and track down the attackers.

Review

The beginning seemed to get off to a bit of a slow start. However, once the Norsemen attack Somerstrath the story takes off. As the book continues, it is intense and suspenseful, especially during the battle scenes (warning: they were a bit graphic).

I enjoyed the brief appearances of real historical people, such as King Alexander. This ties the story in to the real historical setting. The book does a great job of showing the beauty of this time along with the brutality.

I struggled to care about Davy, the brother who was abducted. I just hadn’t seen enough of him to become attached to him before he was taken. I was more concerned about whether they would find and stop the Norse invasions or not.

There was a tease about Nell’s story. She meets a man called Liam and it seems obvious that eventually they’ll get together. Apparently the author planned to write another book featuring Nell, but died before she could do so. That’s a shame, because I want to understand that reference.

The author did a really good job of showing Margaret’s emotions; I could really feel her helplessness, loss, and betrayal.

‘Margaret stumbled down the hill behind Rignor. They checked every house. They found no one alive.

Don’t think, don’t think, don’t think.

They stopped before what had once been the gatehouse, staring at the still-smoldering roof of the keep. Don’t think, don’t think, don’t think. The chant ran through her mind, but thought was already very difficult. There was a roaring in her ears, almost like the sea. She no longer even saw the bodies of the men who had died here, simply stepped over the fallen who lay strewn across the stone courtyard and in the storeroom that had been the ground floor.’

The relationship between Margaret and Ganon adds a bit of romance to the story, but not enough to make it a romance novel rather than historical fiction. It also seems a bit shallow; I think the author hasn’t done a very good job of the “show don’t tell” thing with regards to this part of the story.

Margaret and Ganon were both strong people. I liked them much more than weaker characters such as Rignor. While I didn’t want Rignor to die, I was glad that his death allowed Margaret to become the clan leader; she always looked like a better leader than him.

The Norseman (main baddie) is pure evil. Rignor and Lachlan are shown as bad, they certainly do bad things, but they aren’t evil at heart. They are understandable given the setting and context.

Conclusion

Have you read On a Highland Shore? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

If you haven’t, it can be bought at Book Depository (they have free worldwide shipping!).

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