3.5 stars

I love a good Highlander romance story. Guys in kilts are my weakness. You've seen the pics, you get what I'm talking about ;) So, when I saw this up for review I knew I had to grab it.

The Campbell and MacGregor clans have been enemies for centuries and now that the MacGregors are back in favor with the King, he's tired of the Campbells raiding their lands. Malcolm MacGregor, Laird of Glenlyon, goes to King Charles to have him put a stop to it. But the Laird of the Campbells is there too to try to do the same thing. King Charles orders Malcolm to marry Sorcha Campbell, figuring their marriage would put a stop to the feud. However, neither Malcolm nor Sorcha are happy about having to marry the other and vow to make each others lives as miserable as possible in an effort to put an end to the marriage.

Thankfully Sorcha was really a kind-hearted caring heroine or I wouldn't have liked her at all LOL She was attracted to Malcolm but was a raving witch in hopes that he'd leave her. Then when he ignored her or left her at the keep to tend to his tenants, she was mad that he was doing exactly what she set out to do. It got on my nerves a bit. But she really was kind and good and her interactions with the people of Glenlyon was awesome! Watching her soften towards Malcolm and come to care for him was perfect.

Malcolm was kind and gruff and everything you'd expect from a Highland warrior. He had a bit of a sense of humor and was quick and easy to show his affection.

This was my first by Michelle McLean and won't be my last :)

*thanks to Tasty Book Tours for sharing a copy of this with me*

Sorcha Campbell is going to be presented to King Charles. Her father is having trouble with a neighboring clan and has asked for the king's help in fixing it. He is hoping her pretty face will help sway him in their favour.
Malcolm MacGregor the Laird of Glenlyon is a friend of King Charles and hopes that will help when it comes to settling the dispute with his neighbour. He can't have his clan at war anymore.
The king's answer is inevitable, and makes both parties even angrier.
This is quite the adventure. Our protagonists are both strong and stubborn but also genuinely good people. There are lots of laughs at their behaviour. Very interesting characters and fabulous story line. I loved it and look forward to reading the next in the series.

A unique take on the movie How To Lose a Guy in Ten Days, this lighthearted romance will entertain and engage readers with all the ways Sorcha and Malcolm try to have their marriage annulled without causing a war. It's funny and definitely sexy. It's a short, witty and engaging story that is a definite page turner.

With a B.S. in History, M.A. in English, a sense of humor by a woman who loves a happy ever after, Author Michelle McLean pens an entertaining tale.

Taking a feud of long-standing between the Campbells and the MacGregors, she weaves a tale which will keep you laughing, if for nothing more than the heated banter between Sorcha Campbell and Malcolm MacGregor.

King Charles II is tired of this feud. He wants it to end, therefore commands this marriage to take place. Malcolm doesn’t want to displease the king, for he is a friend and he’s been good with the MacGregor clan. He cares not to have the king’s wrath and lose his standing. However, it isn’t below him to think of ways to get this marriage annulled, particularly since his new wife makes him wish he didn’t have ears. His plan is to have her proclaimed insane. He feels a bit guilty about it, but values his freedom above all.

As Malcolm wants his freedom, so does Sorcha Campbell. To be wedded to the enemy? Never!! She and her maid, Berta, work up a scheme which backfires a wee bit. Well, maybe a lot! Her plan is to ask for an annulment on the grounds of her new husband unable to consummate the union.

When I wasn’t laughing, I was rolling my eyes--scenes very cleverly written. These two totally deserve each other! Malcolm just wants to go back to the Highlands – alone. But it doesn’t work out that way. Sorcha’s duplicity very nearly gets herself imprisoned. Malcolm saves Sorcha from herself thereby sealing his fate -- at least for the near future.

Malcolm is honorable to the end, although it may just kill him. Sorcha has a change of heart. Maybe she could live with Malcolm, but her maid has a poor influence on her, making her doubt Malcolm’s intentions. Malcolm has little faith in his new bride and easily thinks the worst of her. Can these two ever move forward, already?

Outside forces create more havoc. This adds up to one fast-paced battle between Sorcha and Malcolm. Eventually, both hearts are ensnared, giving the reader a most satisfying happy ever after.

Review copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley for a fair review.

I love a story that has the two, main characters at odds with each other as they unwittingly fall in love, all the while digging in their heels and trying to resist their pull towards each other. This delightful theme always provides lots of laughs and plenty of sparks, and this book and its characters were no exception.

The chemistry between Sorcha and Malcolm was palpable and simply electric. The banter between them kept me laughing out loud. It was endlessly entertaining "watching" the two of them antagonize and try to repel each other so as to cause one of them to ask for an annulment. The harder they fought to put a wedge between themselves the more they seemed to be drawn together, which was maddeningly frustrating for both of them. But, once they capitulate and surrender to their burgeoning feelings all bets are off!

I think this is the start to a very intriguing and promising series, and I am very eager to read more in this line.

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley & Entangled Publishing, LLC in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

Fun and entertaining historical read. To end a feud the King has ordered Malcolm and Sorcha to marry and both devise plans to escape their marriage bonds. I really liked this read. The story is fast paced, the characters are really fun and the story held my interest throughout. A good read.

i always love a scottish highland novel, even though i'm kind of iffy on men in kilts. regardless, malcolm macgregor from how to lose a highlander is super dreamy. even though he is trying his best to be an irritating tyrannical husband in order to drive the wife he didn't ask for away. he wants to make her so crazy that she'll demand an annulment.

unfortunately, sorcha campbell is made of stronger stuff. this marriage was demanded by the king to cease the constant complaints and border raids between their two families. she might have spent more time in the royal courts at edinburgh, but it doesn't mean she can't hold her own in a highlander holding. besides, she also plans to make life miserable for malcolm, by being a shrew of a wife.

except he keeps charming her and proving that maybe the hatred for the macgregors instilled in her at birth might be misguided. and as the macgregor clan accepts her as their laird's wife, she begins to feel like she's finally found the home she never knew she was looking for with the most unexpected man.

as sorcha and malcolm let down their guards and reveal their true selves to one another, the bonds between them grow stronger. and when things between their two clans come to a head, the true test of their marriage will be whether or not that bond is unbreakable. they have a lot of reasons not to trust each other, but maybe what they have is something real and true and lasting.

Forced into marriage by their king in order to stop years of inter-clan feuding, Sorcha Campbell and Malcolm MacGregor are each determined to drive the other away. Malcolm knows he can never trust his new shrewish wife, despite the fact that everything he observes seems to prove that she’s not only trustworthy, but utterly perfect for him. Sorcha knows she can never let her guard down around the man she believes betrayed her father, yet the longer she’s with him, the more she discovers he is nothing like she was led to believe. They’ll have to fight their way through past prejudices and their own determination to destroy their union in order to gain their perfect HEA in this Taming of the Shrew meets How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days tale.





Review:




Forced marriages never start out well...




This holds true for Sorcha and Malcolm. They meet not knowing who the other is at a masquerade ball and the attraction is quickly acted upon by each. That attraction is put to the test when forced to marry by King Charles to stop feuding between rival clans, theirs is not an easy start to marriage. Both try to manipulate the other into getting an annulment to the marriage with some fun and disastrous effects. Once they reach Malcolm's castle they both come to respect the other and the distrust and dislike starts to crumble. That is until trouble comes calling.




I loved this fun story! Both characters made me laugh and love them. I know it is a romance and we are almost always guaranteed a HEA, but I was still rooting for them because they were so perfect for each other. The book was engaging and had a little bit of action, romance, history, drama and sexiness to appeal to all. I have read this Author before, but it was a 1920's historical romance. I think she did an excellent job of switching time periods, everything made sense for the place and time of this book. This is the first in a new series, so I am very excited to see what comes next.




4.5Stars




*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*

Love the cover, loved the book. I read this in one afternoon. Despite coming from warring clans Sorc­ha and Malcolm are forced to marry by the King. I was laughi­ng during each of th­eir plans to try and get out of becoming husband and wife.

They were both such big personalities, that when they finally fell, you knew it was going to be big. And it was. They had to overcome precon­ceived ideas about each other and their clans to reach their happily-ever-after.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and look forward to discovering more by Michelle McLean!

5 - "I thank you for the adventure." Stars!

The first book in Michelle McLean’s The MacGregor Lairds series; How to Lose a Highlander, was a joy to read from start to finish.

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I was grabbed from the first chapter of this story and pretty much read Malcolm and Sorcha’s story in one sitting. There were laughs, as few tears and pretty much every emotion in between for this pairing, from the two weeks they spend on the road together travelling back to Scotland to Sorcha then integrating with the rest of the Glenlyon residents. Especially after basically being forced to marry Malcolm by King Charles II, in an attempt to reduce the ill-will and blood shed between the Campbell and MacGregor clans.

"I have no intention of making your life convenient…

"Nay worries, my wife. Convenient ye are not."

Sorcha isn’t your usual simpering, coquettish lady of the court, and she gives as much as she takes in the way of verbal sparring with the rough and ready Laird of Glenlyon, but the sexual tension and attraction that simmers between them right from their first meeting gives everything a sensual undertone, and the escapades they get up to in the telling of the story deepens the bond forming between them.

"Someday you’ll have to explain to me how trying to drive you away won your love."

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, I don’t read a huge amount of Historical Fiction, but Michelle has added herself to my auto-read list with the first book in this series, I hope that there are many more books to come, and we don’t have to wait too long, as I cannot wait to read more from these characters.

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, and it was my pleasure to provide the above honest review.

What a wonderful, fun read this was. I’ve gotten away from historical romances somewhat but the blurb on this one just called to me and I’m so glad I responded.

Sorcha and Malcolm’s clans have been waging attacks against each other for quite a while now. They are definitely each other’s enemy. When the king demands the clan unite by joining them in marriage neither one of them wants to accept the decree. What follows is a tale of two people who try to chase the other off by their unfavorable behavior. I found this to be filled with humor at their actions and quite entertaining.

I have not read anything by this author before but I will most definitely be looking for more from her. I suspect some of the characters from this book will be receiving their own stories soon. If so, I can’t wait!

Dual POV
Safe
No Triggers

Received an ARC for a fair review

Aye, I enjoyed this Highlander Romance verra verra much.

Sorcha Campbell and Malcolm MacGregor are the protagonist in this very lovely historical romance. Their families have been sworn enemies for who knows how long so the new King arranges a marriage between the two of them in hopes of putting an end to the feud. Sorcha and Malcolm had briefly met at court and been drawn to each other but that was before they knew they were flirting with the enemy. They both try to trick each other into asking for an annulment. Plenty of sparks and other objects were flying between them. It wasn't long until they realize that they both may have been wrong about a few things. It took a while for them to give in to their feelings. There was some tension when someone from Sorcha's clan showed up to stir up trouble and sow the inevitable seeds of dissent.

I loved this great book from Michelle McLean. ! It is a series starter for The MacGregor Lairds Series. Readers are introduced to the hero who will be in the next book so I can't wait for that one. I recommend this book to everyone. Happy Reading !

'How to Lose a Highlander' by Michelle McLean is book One in "The MacGregor Lairds" series. This is the story of Sorcha Campbell and Malcolm MacGregor Laird OF Glenlyon.
Sorcha and Malcolm first meet at a masquerade ball where Sorcha father is trying to get the King's attention with the feud that has been going on with the Campbell's and the MacGregor's. Malcolm to is at the ball to talk to the King also about the feud. When Sorcha and Malcolm first meet under their disguises they find they are both attracted to the other. King Charles settles the matter of the feud by Marrying Sorcha and Malcolm. Both now are very upset by this and fight their attraction that they started when they didn't know the other. So they both go into trying to get out of this marriage.
I so loved how they bantered between each other, it made for a lot of funny spots.
I could not put this book down! I have to have more books by Ms. McLean!
"My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."
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Since it is hard for this NetGalley reviewer to say no to a highlander romantic tale, it was an easy decision to take a chance on this one, folks. Sure, Malcolm, the laird hero, had some knucklehead moments that had me grinding my teeth at times. But since Sorcha, the sweet, sassy heroine, forgave him, I decided to do the same. Through a big part of it, she definitely squared her shoulders, held her mostly English head high, and gave as good as she got. Eventually this enemies to lovers/forced arranged marriage couple did start to overlook their clan prejudices, warm up to one another, and let love takes its course. Well, one of them did so more than the other, that is.

The writing flowed, stayed engaging, and though somewhat predictable, I did enjoy this couple’s chemistry and the author’s version of this commonly done plot.

Romance Safety Gang: <spoiler> At the wedding feast, the hero deliberately acts like a womanizing drunk (kisses another woman, pinches the bottom of two OW as he walks to his table. At one point he makes accusations against her right after they finally are intimate. It felt like a slap to Sorcha’s face as she finally accepted him as her husband. </spoiler>

Title: How to Lose a Highlander, Series: The MacGregor Lairds (Book 1), Author: Michelle McLean, Pages: 215, stand-alone but part of a series, good guy laird hero, sweet/sassy heroine, opposing clans, forced arranged marriage, lots of bickering at first, quick to distrust/blame, no cheating, no love triangle, no OW/OM drama, shouldn’t have said that moment, heroine is injured, virgin heroine, Scottish brogue.

(I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for a fair review which was distributed via NetGalley. No compensation was provided to me, nor do I have any affiliation with the author/publisher/NetGalley. This review will be posted on Amazon, Goodreads, NetGalley, and Barnes & Noble.)

I was gifted an early release in exchange for a fair review. Sorcha and Malcolm are sworn enemies because of their name but the King wants to see an end to the feuding and orders them wed. Both set upon a way to have the marriage annulled but constant fighting of each other and raiders prevents such a break up. Soon Sorcha realizes not all MacGregor's are as bad as she once thought and has feelings for her husband and longs to be a wife in more than just name. beautiful story and well told.

Sorcha Campbell and Malcolm MacGregor have been forced to wed by King Charles to stop the feud between the two clans. Both decide to end their wedding by trying to get the other to leave so they can have an annulment on the grounds of non consummation. Things don't go exactly to plan.

I've not read anything by Michelle McLean before and I was really pleased I did. This was a wonderful story and I look forward to reading more from her.

I received an advanced readers copy through Netgalley and I voluntarily leave my honest opinion.

Well, though the h was wee bit annoying, when they got to the castle, she cleaned up her act, so eventually came to like her. And since the H was hardly better behaved, he redeemed himself in the end as well. There was a wee bit of romance, but not spectacular passion, and the story was well written and interesting, with a few, not unexpected twists. If you like Highlander romance, this is a sweet, quick read for summer. I think it will be part of a series, though this is my first read with this author.

How to Lose a Highlander, by Michelle McLean is a captivating historical romance, which is the first book in The MacGregor Lairds series.

Even though Sorcha Campbell has grown up in the English court and never traveled north of Edinburgh, her father is Laird Campbell from the highlands. Due to a feud between the Campbell and MacGregor clans, the king decrees a marriage between Sorcha and Laird Malcolm MacGregor.

Neither Sorcha nor Malcolm are in favor of the marriage, yet they are both attracted to each other. At the beginning of their marriage, Malcolm and Sorcha attempt to make each other miserable in favor of an annulment. As the story unfolds, they're forced to deal with family complications and issues from the previous prejudices affecting their future.

How to Lose a Highlander is a humorous and very enjoyable story, which is geared towards those who enjoy reading historical romances. This book is highly recommended, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.


Note: I received this book from NetGalley, which is a program designed for bloggers to write book reviews in exchange for books, yet the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

5+ Stars!! This was such a cute book that had me smiling as I read it! I enjoyed reading the easy banter between Malcolm & Sorcha & how they seemed to feed off each other during their arguments! This book had a little bit of mystery, some sweet romance & some funny parts. I was kept very entertained while reading Malcolm & Sorcha's love story! (Now I'd like to read about Malcolm's cousin John!) I think I'm going to have to travel to the Highlands-I want a Malcolm of my own!! Haha!! This is the first book I've read by this author & it won't be my last!! Very well written! I highly recommend this book, especially if you love historical Scottish romance! You won't be disappointed!!
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!*

This is the first time I have read this author.

The story was good and I did read it quick. It didn't bog down, but their plotting against each other got a tad dumb.

I like that he was for the most part pretty nice to her and really didn't get mean unless she was over the top. She was a definite pain and I would have choked the life out of her. I do have to give it to her though she accepted her plight and did make the best of it. The underlying plot though got pushed under the rug and we skipped over what happened when her father got there. We just went straight to epilogue. Didn't like that.

This is rated pretty much PG-13. So if you are looking for some hot highlander loving, it is not here.

Received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. (less)