I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one that this author writes. The storyline was simple, enjoyable, and entertaining.

Note: I received this as an ARC ages ago through NetGalley prior to really understanding how it worked. I have since acquired a copy.

While I can’t say what possessed me to acquire the ARC of The Reluctant Highlander to begin with, I have since become acquainted with Amanda Scott’s reputation as a prolific writer of Highlander romance who really knows her stuff. And while the subgenre is still not my favorite, I liked Scott’s style, especially in the way she entrenches her stories within the context of fifteenth century Scottish politics without alienating the reader.

While I wasn’t sure about Adham at first, I quickly warmed to him as a hero. He has faced darkness in his past, but is a fairly solid person who shows tenderness to his wife, in spite of the fact that the marriage wasn’t initially in his plans. And Fiona was also quite lovely, and I admired her inner strength.

It is a bit too history-heavy, and at times it does detract from the relationship arc. But for what page time the relationship had, I really liked it, and the stakes were really grounded in the wider historical/political stuff too, so it does kind of all work together.

This is a wonderful historical that has further endeared me to a subgenre I’ve long had mixed feelings about. I will definitely be reading more Amanda Scott in the near future. And if you love Highlander or medieval romance, but haven’t read Amanda Scott yet, I recommend giving her a try.

The beginning of Amanda Scott's Highland Nights series introduces readers to Sir Adham McFinlagh and young Lady Fiona Ormiston. It's a meeting by chance as Lady Fiona takes a midnight swim when Sir Adham walks by the river on his way to find accommodations.

There is political upheaval in Scotland. Fiona's father is a close advisor to King James and there are ones who would threaten Fiona to get to him. One of Adham's uncles, Sir Robert Graham, is strictly against the King and tries to persuade Adham to choose his side. Adham's integrity and loyalty to the King is put through the ringer throughout the novel. In light of the unrest King James tasks Adham with keeping eyes and ears on various clans and using a tactical marriage to support his efforts.

The Reluctant Highlander is a plot full of political intrigue. I thought maybe the romance was pushed to the side, much more than I expected. I had to push myself to get through it because I really wanted to see Adham and Fiona's story to the end. Their characters were the biggest draw for me. I most likely won't continue reading the series.
*ARC provided in consideration for review*

I have to say that I didn't like this book as much as I have the books in Scott's other series. We get all the great historical facts that we love with Scott's work, but the romance in this one just didn't do it for me. I'm hopeful that the next book in the series is better...

I'll admit it, I do have a bit of a fascination with Scottish-highlander romances. Not so much a preference, but a fascination at how wildly this niche interest has blown up to be its own sub-category. My mom bought Outlander back in the 90s when it was first published and before I was old enough to really be reading such things, I'd made my way through it, equal parts bored, fascinated, embarrassed, and confused. A highlander man in the romance genre is touted as this grand example of honor and masculinity, so when I saw a tale go live on NetGalley, I thought I'd give it a try, see what was up. I love romances and history!

(A digital copy was given to me for free by NetGalley to review; but that impacts nothing of my opinion, I promise)

Well, I got about 50% in (I stopped at chapter 11) and my interest wasn't really kept. The author focused really heavily on some of the more mundane elements that didn't immerse me, let alone entertain me. That isn't to say this is AWFUL, but it just didn't strike a chord with me personally. Adham and Fiona weren't bad characters, in fact I rather like Fiona and I think Adham presents well, not abusive or cruel or anything bad like that, but something I can't really nail down was lacking for me. I didn't get that spark where I really cared for them or had much interest in what I perceived was going to be the conflict of the tale. And that wedding night scene? It was... bland. Maybe the erotic aspect improves as their relationship develops, but the idea of continuing on with the story when the first half just wasn't doing much for me wasn't appealing. I feel like a romance shouldn't focus on so much else for the first half. It's one thing if the romance is incidental, not the point, but this book clearly makes itself out to be a romance novel first and foremost.

I will say that overall, the writing is nice and the author seems to have done research and knows her subject and history fairly well, but the story itself just wasn't working for me. If you're interested, I'd say give it a shot! You might click better with it.

Lady Fiona Ormiston has been forced by the king to wed Sir Adham MacFinlagh. While neither of them wants to get married, they do what they must. What they didn’t expect was to experience real feelings for each other.
This was a pretty good book. The characters were very well written. I really enjoyed the plot. It was steeped in history, but a little light on romance, which isn’t always a bad thing. I recommend.

A most unusual read with rich historical detail and wording appropriate for its era.

Adham is the main male character who is presented as a man full of integrity, superb warrior abilities and is embedded with a hidden caring that continues to present itself throughout the book. His dealings with Lady Fiona Ormiston and her father caused me to think that there were two extreme sides to his personality. The hardened warrior he presents to all people and the caring side that he rarely shows but those close to him know. Because of this he caught my interest early.

Lady Fiona as the main female character drove me a little batty at times. I wanted to shake her because of her carelessness in certain aspects of her life. But this part of her character is indeed her strength at the end of the book and I could see how no other woman would of been the one to be there for Adham in the manner he needed.

Seriously, I got wrapped up in the history that is throughout this book and I could feel myself going back in time. It was well done.

I give this 3.75 STARS only because I had trouble following the story at times because of the old language that was used and most of us are not familiar with.

This is a gentle romance. It's tender and fairly realistic. The two meet in a strange way and are paired together by the king.
However the book too much politics and war. There isn't enough of the relationship. It's rushed and missed the sweet ways their relationship grew. He's gone too much . Most of what we see is that he's gone, comes home, couples ( and leaves again. How does the relationship grow? Where is the tension between them?

Anyway it's a quick read and part of an ongoing story line of characters. It does not suffer from a lack of detail or world building. It's thick with history and hillsides.

Rich Historical Backdrop, Tender Romance Makes for an Enthralling Read!

I received an advanced reader copy (ARC) from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

RTC

I really didn't like this book, unfortunately. I didn't like how most the language seemed Scottish, instead of English and how slow it seemed. It was a DNF for me at around 40%. I'd be interested to read more of Amanda Scott's books, though.

I went into this book expecting nothing out of it. I honestly thought I would roll my eyes and skim through it, but I requested it because it's a Highland romance, and Outlander has me craving more of those. Plus customers at the store who are hardcore romance fans <i>rave</i> about Amanda Scott!

I was pleasantly surprised by this novel! It made me laugh out loud at parts, our female lead was strong and fierce, and kind of a feminist in some ways which was a nice addition in and of itself!

I would say the strongest aspect of this book was the depth. It was full of history and setting and atmosphere - I'm thinking this is why those romance customers love Amanda Scott so much, because she knows her shit! She included so much specific history with names and places and events, I couldn't believe it! Personally, I was overwhelmed by it because I am not super familiar with Scottish history or geography. But if you are, then I think you will really enjoy this.

I liked the pairing of Fiona and Adham - they balanced each other well and they were able to learn from each other while remaining true to themselves. I also liked their extended family & friends - this was a pretty solid cast of supporting characters.

The weakest part of this book unfortunately was the romance itself. It focuses so so so much on the history and like the politics between everybody and the impending war, and not enough time is spent with those romantic moments. I was expecting much more romance and sexy times! I mean, it's a romance book! So that knocked it down quite a few stars for me.

The writing wasn't the best I've ever read, but it was still fun and had me interested enough to finish it in a day so no heavy complaints there. Overall I would recommend this if your looking for something very Scottish! But if you want romance from it, you may be disappointed.

This book by Ms. Amanda Scott was a bit of a surprise for me because I did enjoy reading it even though I have read many Scottish historical romances before. Yes the story started off slow but in actuality the lush descriptive way that Ms. Scott writes is beautifully done. The story not only captivated me as a reader but the characters were quite developed and you couldn’t help but like them. Ms. Scott not only paid attention to detail but the amount of research really shows in her writing. I could not only see each place quite well in my head even though I have never been to Scotland and everything about Scotland the flavor the way people dressed or carried themselves was so well done that I couldn’t help but get pulled into the story too.
Sir Adham MacFinlagh one starless night while in the North Inch of Perth noted the beautiful young Lady Fiona Ormiston taking a midnight swim in the river Tay. Adham couldn’t help but be entranced by Fiona and instantly becomes her known protector. Fiona’s father and King James offers Adham Fiona’s hand in marriage. Adham is at first reluctant with being Fiona’s husband but marries her not only to protect her but couldn’t really refuse her hand when offered by Fiona’s father and the King. Adham does everything he can to protect Fiona but can he protect her when politics, unfriendly highlanders and warring clans are always at the forefront attempting to tear them apart.
When I first started reading about Adham I just couldn’t help but like him from the get go. His wary protective nature and willingness to help save Fiona even when she didn’t need saving just made me smile. Well all of that and the fact that he was this handsome brawny chivalrous highlander didn’t hurt either. Fiona did kind of annoy me a little at first she was ignorant of what could happen to her especially in taking a midnight swim luckily Adham was such a gentleman and didn’t want to defile her virtue. As the story progressed though Fiona did grow up and didn’t seem as selfish caring about others and even learned the ways of highlanders even though she thought of them as barbarians. I just ended up liking them both Fiona and Adham not only individually but together. The minor characters Gilli Roy, Catriona, Fin, Rory and even Caithness also came alive for me plus made me love everyone in the book too. I know I would gladly read another of Ms. Scott’s stories and can recommend the book to anyone that wants a good descriptive historical Scottish romance.

I really enjoy Amanda Scott's Highland romances...very emotional stories....

As an avid Amanda Scott fan, I’m always excited to see when she has a new Scottish highlander romance hitting the bookshelves. If you don’t mind a hefty serving of historical details/politics/very descriptive writing about pretty much everything in general (i.e., clothes, the landscape, whose related to who, etc.), and lengthy conversations in your romantic reads, you may want to considering checking into this one. For me, I reluctantly admit this highlander romance didn’t quite meet my expectations.

You see, I’m all about the romance so the aspects I just mentioned felt like they were taking up more of the storyline than I have patience for. In fact, I started, stopped, and restarted reading this book so many times I struggled to remember the last part I read. The 20% mark seems to be the point where I would always want to put it down.

By 35%, when I should have been happy the main couple were actually going to start spending time together, I reflected on the hard to understand at times dialect and the fact it was taking overly long for anything to happen, and I once again started questioning why I wasn’t calling it quits again.

But, hey, I pushed on until the 60% point. Even after escaping a perilous situation, I still felt the writing was too verbose and taking too long to tell the tale. That is when I reluctantly did finally throw in the towel, which is a dang shame because I did really enjoy the sweet romance between this couple. I simply needed more of it and less politics.

I wish this author continued success in all her literary endeavors and sincerely hope others enjoy this book. I’m chalking this up to hopefully it’s just me and won’t be you, folks. Honestly, I gave it several tries. It just wasn’t meant to be.

Title: Reluctant Highlander, Author: Amanda Scott, Pages: 350, stand-alone, heavy on historical details/lengthy conversations/overly descriptive writing, good guy hero, sweet heroine, some violence, a few steamy scenes, arranged marriage, did not finish after 60%.

(This review is based on an advanced reader copy distributed via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. No compensation was provided to this reviewer, nor is there any affiliation between the reviewer and author/publisher/NetGalley.)

A moonlight meeting, a marriage and a battle!___3.5 stars

1420's Scotland. Lady Fiona Ormiston is a winsome stubborn lass and Sir Àdham MacFinlagh a thoughtful highlands warrior.
The opening scenes are amusing. Fiona has a penchant for swimming where she shouldn't at a time that's definitely suspect. As a knight, Àdham sees it as his duty to rescue a damsel whom it seems doesn't think she needs rescuing.
King James is bent on encouraging 'tactical marriages' where former enemies might be brought together, strengthening the kingdom. Fiona and Àdham fit into that category. But will taking Fiona back into the highland wilds be a blessing or a curse?
Of course there are plots within plots and Fiona and Àdham Rae going to have their hands full in dealing with each other and the dangers that lurk beyond their horizon.
The thing is Fiona doesn't have too good a sense of direction. This is a mixed blessing at times.
The story flows well. An enjoyable romantic historical highland novel.

A NetGalley ARC
(June 2017)

Sir Adham MacFinlagh is a Highland warrior who’s just been requested to marry Lady Fiona Ormiston by King Jaime. Adham is intrigued by the beautiful Fiona he found her swimming in the Loch and tried to save her when he felt she was drowning. She at first feels he’s a brazen barbarian stranger and outsider unlike anyone she has met before. They both agree to marry as requested and slowly learn about the other as their days go. At first Adham goes to the marriage bed as a sense of duty, but it’s his powerful feelings for his beautiful, willful wife that will be his undoing. Fiona’s newly formed bond will be tested; will she trust her new husband to remain loyal to the King or will her new husband’s family ties may lie with an enemy of the king. A captivating story with Scottish history and a new budding romance between two strangers who must learn to love and trust each other with their very lives if they are to survive these troubles times.
I voluntarily read the ARC copy from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

I don't believe I've missed a book by Ms. Scott. As my tastes have moved away from historical romance and some of the authors I once read have dropped away, Ms. Scott still remains on my list of authors I enjoy reading. Against a back drop of warring highland clans and alliances made and broken, Ms. Scott brings us a tender romance between a highland man and a low land lass.

As Lady-in-waiting to the queen, Fiona Ormiston has always shied away from the fierce looking highlanders with their shaggy facial hair and kilts. A night escapade swimming in the loch brings her up close and personal to Adham MacFinlay when he saves her from what he thought was drowning. Matters proceed rapidly from that night and before she knows it she's wedded, bedded and packed off to the highlands.

Adham has a very interesting history straddling both sides of the highland conflict. His father is chief of a clan that is loyal to the Lord Of the Isles, enemy to the King. He was fostered in a clan who's name he bears which is loyal to the king. He was once in the position of being able to turn the tide of war in favor of the King by making his father's clan change their allegiance. With his connections to some of the noble houses in the country he travels, gathering information and passing confidential messages.

As their romance heats up, Fiona is not content sitting in a lonely castle in the Scottish Highlands while Adham continues to venture far and away. Surprisingly Adham finds it harder and harder to be away from home and hearth as well. Ms. Scott gives us a historically accurate backdrop of war and mayhem while the two lovers find their way to a happily ever after.

I enjoyed the book very much and look forward to reading more stories set in the Scottish Highlands with Ms. Scott.

I loved that it was a Historical Romance, which is why I wanted to read. I loved Lady Fiona, but Adham got on my nerves. Lady Fiona deserved better than him! I felt Adham had way too many issues for being a love interest and took away from story.

I said it before and I'll say it again. Amanda Scott is welcome to pull me out of my regency world anytime she damn well pleases. With her meticulous research and wonderful prose, she brings Highland's history and politics to life and immerses me into her tales of intrigue and romance with an ease.

There’s a lot to like about this story, aside of being well written and researched. I found the story sweet and heartwarming. The couple was engaging and their story compelling. Fiona was sweet as much as she was strong and adventurous. She was a perfect match for Adham, an Alpha male warrior with shades of Beta hero tendencies.

What I found fascinating was the political plot to this story. I loved the history and intrigue of the setting and if you're into that sort of thing, I think you'll gobble it up.

I really liked this story and highly recommend it for its history and suspense as much as for action and romance.

Melanie for b2b

The reader is drawn into the time of intrigue in Scotland of olde with this tale of Adham and Fiona as they find a pathway of their hearts truth. This author creates interesting characters and interactions for family that keep the readers attention from the first pages to the last. Enjoyed this story and looking forward to her next book.

Ebook from netgalley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.