Vanessa Kelly has written another fabulous historical romance. Superb plot. Loved it!

This is book three in The Improper Princesses Series but can be read as a stand-alone story that will delight and enchant you. I am a big fan of Vanessa's books and have all of her Historical Romances. Another great bonus of her books are they are full-length novels, this one is 423 pages long.

Victoria Knight is the illegitimate daughter of the Prince Regent and an Innkeeper. She is determined to earn her own way and make a life for herself. As a Governess, she can indulge her love of teaching. When she accidentally kills her employer's son while defending herself from his sexual advances she must make herself scarce, so that her cousin and his friends can ensure that she will not be charged with murder. Now she is on her way to Scottish Highlands to teach a pack of young wild highlander males.
When she arrives and sees what she will have to deal with she will not be just a governess but will be trying to teach manners and etiquette to the aforementioned men. The only saving grace of the job is that she will be mentoring a 14yr old prodigy in music. Oh, and she will have to fight her attraction to the head of the family, Nick the Earl of Arnprior, a big beautiful Highlander.

Nick, the Earl of Arnprior can't believe his eyes, this beautiful young lady will never last a week in this house with his family. He needs someone who can whip his brothers into shape and also teach his sensitive younger brother. His household has been in a state of chaos for so long.

They both have secrets they want to keep and Nick is still grieving for the son he lost. There is a banished brother and a grandfather who wants nothing to do with Sassenachs. Nick cannot seem to help himself, she is an amazing woman and he wants her with a passion that he has never experienced before. Can they overcome all the problems and obstacles that will try to pull them apart?

I enjoyed this book immensely. I love the originality and intelligence that makes Vanessa's stories a must read. I love her characters too. They are not perfect but they complete each other. You also have lots of adventures and a really bad villain. I highly recommend this book and cannot wait for the next one in the series.

Victoria isn't really a princess. Her father is Prince Regent and her mother was a barmaid. Victoria works as governess and she's very good at what she does. But while working her employers brother tried to force himself on Victoria and no one was home, there was tussle and he fell to his death. Victoria is rescued by some relatives and now has another position helping some rambunctious Scottish boys become fit for society, in a drafty old castle.

Nicholas, The Earl of Arnprior, is shocked at the transformation Victoria has done on his younger siblings. He's just a surprised that his grandfather has come to respect and like Victoria (he hates the English). Nicholas has lived and endured a lot in his life and just wants a peaceful existence but finds that there is something about Victoria that draws him but yet he knows that she is hiding some secrets.

The two try and deflect their attraction as well as fighting the growing feelings that they have for each other. Nicholas has his own set of secrets. Of course the truth of Victoria's dilemma and the accusations come out and now Nicholas has to fight for her and their future.

I found both characters to be okay/average but not real likable or memorable. The situations with the the younger boys and grandpa were cute and funny at times and all the castle escapades as well. The pacing was a little slow for me and found it did drag at times. There are some sensitive issues and are dealt with in a tasteful and respectful manner.

An okay read to pass the time.

For some reason this story did not "click' for me. The story fell flat and did not give the escape I enjoy when reading historical romance. I felt I was "just reading".

I am enthralled with this story! Absolutely mad about the Earl, Nic! I like Victoria, she is kind, loving, loyal, hardworking, never complains, and oh, she committed murder! Hum! I love the Earl's brothers, trouble makers, rude, constant worry for Nick, and I adore them all! This is now my Number One Book for 2017! I now have 16 out of 20!
I highly recommend this book Today! Thanks! Enjoy!
carolintallahassee 👒

The Highlander's Princess Bride is both a charming Regency romp and a searing indictment of male attitudes towards women's rights in the period, and I absolutely loved every word of it. It has everything you might want from a Highlander romance; a sexy, brooding Scotsman - in fact, a whole family of seven brothers - a clan laird, a castle, and more kilts than you could shake a skean dhu at.

Where things get interesting with this novel is with the princess in question, because Victoria isn't really a princess. She is, in fact, an illegitimate daughter of the Prince Regent and a Brighton barmaid, and being of such dubious background, she knows very well that she will spend her whole life fighting an uphill battle to gain any kind of respectability.

Nevertheless, Victoria is absolutely no quitter. She's a professional governess and she's very, very good at what she does. When her employer's rakish brother tries to force himself on her, she has no compunctions about defending herself.

She really didn't intend for him to end up dead. Now, accused of murder, she turns for help to some of her powerful relations, who promptly find her another position safely out of the way while things quiet down. Beggars can't be choosers, though, and instead of two or three nice young ladies to teach piano and French to, she's shipped off to a drafty Scottish castle to try and educate a whole gang of barbarian Scots to fit into polite society.

Nicholas Kendrick, Earl of Arnprior, has too much tragedy and disaster in his background to want any more trouble on his doorstep. When Victoria manages against all the odds to not only tame his brothers, but win the respect of his Sassenach-hating grandfather, he finds himself hopelessly in love with her even though he knows she's keeping secrets. He's the most wonderful hero I've ever read in a Regency romance; there's an amazing line where he tells her that he knows she has her secrets (right after he just confessed all of his) but that it's all fine. He doesn't need to know all her secrets to love her, and maybe one day she'll trust him enough to share.

Of course, finding out she's accused of murder is a rather large secret, and he has a brief moment of shock, but to his credit he gets over himself within moments, knowing very well that she's not capable of what she's accused of. The loyalty he and his brothers show Victoria is utterly wonderful; I find myself hoping that Vanessa Kelly starts a whole new series of 7 Brides for the Kendrick Brothers, because believe me, they all deserved them.

There was a large cast of characters in this book, some of them who have obviously featured in previous novels. It wasn't necessary to be familiar with them, though, as everyone got their own neat little introduction. Fans of Ms. Kelly's prior works will enjoy revisiting with former favorites, and those new to her work will, as I was, be inspired to go and hunt down all her other books!

This is a fabulous book and I wish I could give it more than 5 stars, but 5 will have to do.

I would rate this book a solid four stars! This book reminds me of the 50s movie Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. This story had all the elements needed in a good romance novel. ... Romance, humour and a bit of suspense to tie it all together. I enjoyed Ms. Kelly's style of writing... there was a nice flow to her her work. I would definitely look for more of her books in the future. I would like to thank the author, the publicist and NetGalley for an advance copy in return for an honest review

This is the story of Laird Nicholas and his prim governess Victoria. It is a stand alone book in a wonderful series, and this book was just terrific! Victoria has a few secrets, not small ones, but some real whoppers. Nick has a few of his own as well, he's not had it easy in life. Victoria's siblings assist her in evading a potential negative situation by recommending her for a position as a governess for a Scottish laird. It will remove her from London, putting her out in the Scottish highlands during a long snowy winter, and may result in her receiving a character reference in the future for the girls school she dreams of starting some day.
What Victoria doesn't know is that Nick has a problem. He does have a young brother who needs a tutor, but he has several brothers older than the first who need some "refinement", and a grandfather who is a bit on the odd side. Nick needs a "lady" like Victoria to help him whip his brothers into shape- well good luck with that!
The characters are colorful and heartwarming, the plot was interesting and held intrigue for everyone, and there was humor and heat between these two that made this tale a thoroughly entertaining ride.
I highly recommend this book, and the entire series as well, to romance readers everywhere.

She was only defending herself from the attack of a sexual abuser when Victoria had thrown her employer’s only brother down the stairs, a fall so bad that it caused his death. Quickly, the young governess went to her own brother by blood seeking advice and protection and then the head of her strange family set things to rights… but the young man’s family wants her hanged for his murder. Until gossip died down in London both her brother and Sir Dominic send her to a new position in Scotland, after making her promise that she won’t tell anyone what had happened in London and who she really is. Because Victoria Knight is one of the prince Regent’s natural children.

That is how Victoria gets to meet the Kendrick family, a rather chaotic family of Highland men who live in a castle a day or so away from Glasgow. There are seven of them. Nick, the laird of the Kendrick lands, Logan, the estranged brother who’s just back from Canada, and their step-brothers, Royal, the twins and mischief-makers Grant and Graeme, Braden the good student who wants to be a doctor, and young Kade, the sweetest of them all, not yet sixteen. And of course there’s grumpy Grandpa Macdonald… and his bagpipes in the middle of the night... Soon enough Victoria will find that it will take a great deal of strength and stubbornness to handle these rascals and make decent gentlemen out of them. But she will find herself a new family that will protect her, love her, and give their lives for her if needed be. And Victoria will help them heal these wounds and make amends if not peace, that would be too much to ask.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story of this family that stick together despite the many sadness and tragedies that happened in the past, despite the fights that happened between them and to them. I loved all the men in the Kendrick family, their personalities are so well described that even if they have similarities, as all brothers and sisters do, they are completely different entities, even the twins. And their personalities are so loveable, because even the one who seems the most hateful (that would be grandpa Angus) has something good inside, they’re not totally mean and each of them end up a little bit in love with the heroine, she conquers them all, one step at a time, because she sees good in them as does the reader.

The story has as much drama as it has fun. It’s so engaging that once you start reading you can’t stop because there’s never a moment of dull in that castle, you just want to know what kind of mischief are Graeme, Grant and their grandpa Angus are up to, because they’re always up to something. You want young Kade’s health fully restored, you want Royal to get over his moods and win the heart of that lady he always fights with, you want everyone supporting Braden’s ambitions of being a physician in order to cure his little brother and you want Nick and Logan making amends. And of course if there is one who can give you what you want, or at least die trying, that’s Victoria. And only for that, you want her to have her happily ever after with Nick.

There was one thing that I didn’t like very much and that is the fact that in two occasions one of the brothers appears out of thin air to save the day. When all hope is lost he happened to be around as if by smelling trouble. The ‘Deus ex machina’ kind of narrative was never my cup of tea, but it might work well for someone else. Yet these two concrete scenes don’t spoil the novel at all as one of them is to no consequence (or so it seems in that moment) and the second brings something good… and that is not the fact that the character saves the day, but what happens after that.

This book was a good read its more serious than i thought and touches on so many things but none the less i enjoyed it and want to read the others in this series.

Ms. Kelly is one of my favorite historical romance authors and this book does not disappoint. The reader is plunged into a situation involving governess Victoria Knight that will change the course of her life and not for the better. When she is shipped off to the Highlands of Scotland to be a music teacher to a young Kendrick boy, she can't imagine accepting the post. His oldest brother, Nick Kendrick is a solemn and scowling Earl and there's nothing inviting about Castle Kinglas. Victoria has worked for difficult employers in the past, but nothing can prepare her for the rowdy household of so many undisciplined Kendrick brothers.

There were so many twists and turns in this book that propels the reader to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next. There is plenty of mystery, witty dialogue and smoldering looks in this story. It was my favorite book of the series so far. I hope Ms. Kelly gives Royal Kendrick his own story. He's another Kendrick brother who is hiding so many secrets of his own!

I read romance genre. But, not a really fan of it. Mainly because the heroine is always an irritating character.
But, this time, its quite different. Victoria is a very different character. She is already deep in trouble at the starting of the story. But, her family rallies around her.
And once she moves into the Kendrick Clan, the story started to get more interesting. All the members of the clan are delightful to read.
Hoping to see Royal and Lady Ainsley's story next...

There's something about a guy with an accent that makes him swoon worthy. Add in the brooding attitude, scandalous behavior and a wildfire in the making and you get a hotblooded romance that wickedly entertains. The Highlander's Princess Bride is a journey into the past where titles are key and illegitimacy is a curse. Victoria is a source of courage to women from any age. She doesn't let the burden of her birth or the opinions of others take away her strength of character. She always stays true to herself, even in the worst of times. Vanessa Kelly continues to create courageous characters that tempt the imagination as they claw their way into the soul.

Governess Victoria Knight must flee to Scotland to escape a scandal from a previous position. Her family cautions her to keep secret the events of her last position. That she is, in fact, the illegitimate daughter of the Prince Regent is also hidden . Desperate she is willing to accept any position, even one as unusual as the Kendrick brothers.

Nicholas Kendrick, Earl of Arnprior, is at his wit's end. Since his return from war, he has been trying to control his unruly brothers. He is hoping a governess will give them the polish they need to attract suitable wives. Hindering his attempts are his quarrelsome grandfather anxious to keep to the Highlander ways,

The Highlander's Princess Bride is the third instalment of Vanessa Kelly's series, The Improper Princesses. I have not read any works by Ms Kelly before despite the fact she is regularly recommended to me. This was a big mistake on my part. I loved this book.

There are some minor tweaks I would recommend to the beginning of the book. the book begins with Victoria and her family discussing the fallout from the scandal. I felt like I had missed the first chapter and was confused by what I was reading. The chapter where Victoria is travelling to Scotland would have been a better place to start, in my opinion.

Once you get past the confusing start, you are drawn into the lives of the characters. I particularly loved Angus. He refused to conform to "English" laws and standards. He has determined that his grandsons continue Scottish ways even if it leads them into trouble. He seems to particularly enjoy when there is trouble.

There is a particular scene that reminds me of the film "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", which is my favourite old movie. I could picture the scene so vividly and it added a moment of hilarity to a time when the H/h are struggling with potential catastrophe.

The angst and drama are well balanced with moments of laughter and love. As a reader, I want to be invested in the lives of characters and feel their emotions. I want to be able to imagine myself in the various settings and at the end be sad to let them go. It is a rare talent to achieve this but Ms Kelly's writing surpasses those in her field.
I hope the Kendrick brothers get a series of their own. The brief snippets we get of each brother leaves me anxious for more.

I received a copy from the publishers in via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is part of Vanessa Kelly’s series about the illegitimate children of various royal princes, the sons of George III. These children don’t know each other but feel a connection for being fathered by such reprobate, careless princes who then ignored them. That’s a fine premise, but I have trouble getting past the fact that all these young men and women are extremely good-looking. I just can’t buy that. Go google pictures of any of those royal princes. They’re all ugly and . But if you can suspend disbelief and pretend that such unattractive men would father a series of gorgeous children, you can enjoy this twist on Regency novels.

This book involves the daughter of the Prince Regent’s quickie with the daughter of a coaching inn’s proprietors. He never paid any attention to Victoria, but she has been making her living as a governess until she ended up killing the son of her employers when he tried to rape her. Now she has to go to the Highlands to help an earl there with his younger brothers. It turns out that she’s supposed to be teaching music to the teenage youngest brother while teaching manners to the older brothers. There are seven brothers and, of course, the earl is a grim, intimidating but gorgeous man.

He falls for Victoria. She falls for him. They overcome their difficulties and find their HEA. The book is humorous, but there is a lot of suspension of disbelief. But it’s a fun read if you enjoy unlikely romances with a Scottish hero wearing a kilt.

I was given a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. Governess Victoria Knight never expected to find herself facing possible murder chargers, but finds herself in that exact circumstance after being forced to fend off her employer's brother after he falls down the steps. Luckily, Victoria has help in the form of her half-brother and fellow royal bastard and Sir Dominic Hunter. Determined to continue to make her own way in the world, Sir Dominic recommends a position in Scotland as governess to the Earl of Arnprior's brothers. Arnprior's brothers aren't what Victoria is expecting - the youngest is 15 and suffering from delicate help, but the other 4 are grown men in need of civilizing. Although Victoria is decides to decline the job, after meeting Kade and seeing how much he needs her, she agrees to stay. Arnprior is at his wits end with his grandfather's and brothers' behavior and hopes Victoria's presence will help settle his younger brothers. Victoria finds herself falling for Arnprior, but is keeping two secrets from him - that her father is the Prince Regent and that she might be facing charges of murder. Arnprior finds himself drawn to Victoria as well, but is reluctant to let her close due to past experiences. I loved Victoria and found her to be such a relatable character and enjoyed her relationship with Kade and all the brothers. I liked Arnprior but found his attitude toward one of his brothers a little frustrating. Readers looking for a sweet romance where the leads are given an opportunity to get to know each other before falling in love will need to look no farther than this book. The interactions between Victoria and Arnprior helped establish a relationship that didn't happen too fast and allowed the relationship to develop at a natural pace. I am hoping that Royal and Lady Ainsley will get their own book in the future.

I read the first two books in this series and really liked them and when I saw the cover for this one…who can resistant a Highlander? Not me! In my opinion, this is the best book of the series. Bringing a whole family of basically uncouth men into a story makes it hilarious. I love when families are an integral part of a story. These men definitely needed some training and came through when needed. It is a story that draws you in and had me laughing (the dogs running in at the beginning) and crying for a little while (Kade), frustrated (Angus, bless his heart) and falling love with them. How Victoria manages to not run screaming I have no idea, but she is strong enough to endure these loveable Highlanders and all that comes with them. Nick tries to hold it all together but barely hangs on and is protective to no end. I absolutely loved this story.

Hopefully we will see the Kendrick men in their own stories (Royal, Logan, Graeme, Grant, Braden and Kade – oh yeah, all of them are book-worthy).

I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. The title made it seem like it would be overly complicated, but I found the book to be enjoyable. I think I would read another book by this author.

Illegitimate daughter of the Prince Regent, doomed to be a governess because of her commoner mother and scandalous origins, ends up in the Highlands as the music tutor and social coach for a rambunctious and dysfunctional lairdly family. The seduction is hot, there's some manufactured danger from which she needs to be rescued, and a happy ending.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I am not sure why I asked to review this book as I had read the first book in the series and did not love it. Whatever the reason, I am glad I did because I adored most of this book. I loved the entire Kendrick clan and could read a series just about the brothers. The only thing I did not love is the madcap last quarter of the book filled with unnecessary (in my opinion) hi-jinks. I will now go back and read the second book in the series to see if I love it as much.