May Mcgoldrick had done it again. Another book that completely captures you from beginning to end.
This is book 4 in the Pennington family series. It's the story of Phoebe Pennington and Captain Ian Bell. They have known each other for a while. His sister, Sarah, being Phoebe's best friend. When Sarah is murdered, they both react in different ways.
Ian becomes obsessed with finding his sister's killer, taking him to the place she was killed, the Vaults.
Phoebe turns to her writing, becoming a columnist for the newspaper. Her reporting also takes her to the Vaults.
Here Ian saves her as she's being attacked by the man who killed Sarah. The killer gets away but knows who Phoebe is, just as he knew who Sarah was. And just like Sarah, Phoebe must die.
So the adventure begins bringing Ian and Phoebe together. Once you start this book, you will not want to put it down.
I look forward to Millie's story.

The Pennington Series is just continuing to get better and better. Phoebe and her sisters were very lucky to have the parents they did for the time period the lived in. Each of the girls give back to the people who are less fortunate. It makes the books have so much more depth. Each woman has a unique way of going about helping others. Phoebe has always loved reading so her writing a column in the paper is not surprising. What is surprising is she has to do it using a mans name because a women could never get published. At her age it seems she will never find a suitable husband so she puts herself into her calling. While trying to get some information to help with her next column she hires an ex-police officer,Ducan to help her. Dressed as a man she goes to a part of town with an underground nightlife to meet up with the man that says he has proof of the corruption in the local poor houses. While trying to meet up with him she gets separated from Duncan. A young man is being attacked and she goes to help him and gets exposed not only as a woman, but the man believes she saw his face. She
is rescued by Ian the brother of her best friend, who as killed a few years ago. She only tells him half to the truth of why she was there. Because she doesn't want him to go to one of her brother or even her father with the information of what she's been doing. Phoebe and Ian have changed a lot grown older and wiser they think. But both are drawn to each other,and the book takes off from here. There are so many interesting things going on intrigue, attraction a search for justice. This flows and never loses its hold on you. I highly recommend this as a great period romance.

May McGoldrick has written a book with suspense, drama and romance all in one book that.Will keep you turning the page.to see what happens next.

Ian is filled with grief and guilt over the loss of his sister whom was murdered. He is determined to uncover her killer and becomes Deputy Lieutenant in order to search. On night while on patrol he comes across Phoebe Pennington who was his sisters Best friend and saves her from an attack.

Phoebe writes for the newspaper and is searching for documents on the cities higher ups to write her article. As Phoebe and Ian spend more time together Ian starts to heal and their feelings start to grow.

This is a book full of emotions and a great read.

I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

Sleepless in Scotland by May McGoldrick is book Three in The Pennington Family series. This is the story of Captain Ian Bell and Phoebe Pennington.
Phoebe is working for the Edinburgh newspaper under a false identity to help her get information and acquire documents towards the city’s political leaders to expose their bad dealings. Which for this assignment has put in life in danger when entering the 'Vaults' in the underground world.
Ian has been dealing with the quilt of his sister death that happened a few years ago, now working as a Deputy Lieutenant of Fife he is moving forward with saving others and finding his sister's killer. But what he didn't expect was to find his sister's best friend Phoebe in the middle of dangerous situations.
I love the writing of this author...and try to read all of her books! Enjoying this series so much!

The book Sleepless in Scotland is the third book in the Pennington Family Series . It is story of Phoebe Pennington and Captain Ian Bell.
Captain Bell is a former soldier who has a tragic history. His younger sister was murdered three years ago and her murderer has never been captured . He has been on the hunt for the killer who has continued murdering victims . Phoebe is a young woman from a titled family who is independent ,intelligent and impulsive . She is a gifted writer and writes under a pen name (male) for a respected publication . She focuses on injustices between the classes in society.
While researching a story Phoebe enters the dangerous underground world known as "The Vault " and was saved from an assailant by Captain Bell . So starts their story .
This is a mystery with a serial killer and a romance ! What a unique book. The POV of the killer was fascinating and kept me on edge. The slow burning romance between Phoebe and Captain Ian was enthralling. He is is protective of Phoebe but he also respects her independent nature
This is the third book in the series and I have not read the first two but it read fine and I did not feel that I was missing anything . I enjoyed May McGoldrick's writing which I found to be engaging and entertaining and will go and read the previous books and also read the next in the series.
This book was received from Netgalley for review.**

“Hope is the flower on shrubs we plant. What else can we do but start them and nurture them and pray they will produce . . . for your mother, for our families, for the less fortunate in Scotland . . . only the sweetest of flowers.”

Slow to read, I can read a book in under a day and this I’ve been trying for half a week, it does have parts that run on and on, on not important things.
A brother seeks justice for 3 years finding the person who killed his young sister. A woman who seeks the truths of the underground world of Edinburgh and to shear the truths in the news papers with her article. But the night she was to get the papers that she needed was the night her life became limited, by trying to save a young street urchin and saved him from the evil was when her life was targeted. But it was also the night she only crush, the only man she would ever love from afar, Ian is there to save her from the evil. Ian still looking for information would bring his world crumbling down around him when he save a women that who happens to his departed sister best friend and co accomplice in trouble. Evil is lurking with a face of ‘goodness’ but his heart is black as coal and his target keeps living after his attempts of her death, Will Ian get his revenge or will he loss the second women he has cared to love?
Provided by Netgalley.

Captain Ian Bell is a tortured with grief and guilt over the loss of his sister, she went missing three years ago and her bodily remains were found at a laboratory. He regular walks the Vault, an underground den of iniquity. One night he finds a crumpled form lying at bottom of a staircase and he rushes her to his carriage when he realizes it’s Lady Phoebe Pennington, daughter of the Earl of Aytoun and his deceased sister’s best friend. Ian has made it his mission as the Deputy Lieutenant of the Night Watch to save others from the same fate as his sister. Now her friend has been attacked and he’ll do anything to keep her safe, even from herself. Lady Phoebe becomes the target of a violent attacker when she’s the only one who has seen the face of the killer in the sinister shadows of evil of the Vaults. This is intriguing, suspenseful romance story with strong characters you can’t help but fall in love with and cheer for the good guys to defeat the evil lurking in the shadows. This is my honest opinions after I voluntarily read a copy of this book that was provided to me with no requirements for a review.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

It was hard to wait for Phoebe's story when we got the little teaser at the end of Jo's story. We finally find out what she needed the mens clothing for and meet Ian.

I enjoy the books in this series as we get a bit of intrigue along with the romance. We know that Phoebe is investigating for a newspaper article, her friend Sarah's murder is unsolved, and Phoebe has been attacked so it is fun to see the plot play out and see who murdered Sarah and the motive.

Phoebe had a crush on Ian for years so it was kind of disappointing that Ian really didn't look at her that way until recent events occurred. Probably more true to life as Ian probably didn't want two young giggling girls around!

I loved how Millie was there to give Phoebe some perspective because she did tend to go off without thinking sometimes. I really look forward to Millie's story!

It was also fun to hear little bits and pieces of the previous couples included in the story and keep us updated on their lives. I didn't really realize that this book was slightly overlapping with Jo's (book #2) until I went back skimmed parts of book 2.

While I have read book 2, I have not read the first book in the series, and I do look forward to reading it but it is not necessary to read the previous books as this can be read as a stand alone book.

Book: Sleepless in Scotland
by May McGoldrick

Series: ( The Pennington Family, Book #3 )

Reviewed by: Barb Massabrook of Tartan Book Reviews, Purple Tulip Book Reviews and Celtic Barb's Tartan Book Review Blog

Heat Rating: Sizzling hot🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Overall Rating: 5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

June 1818
Edinburgh

Captain Ian Bell feels he is at the end of his rope, broken hearted, depressed over the loss of his sister Sarah. On top of that he cares for his sick mother. Sarah had been missing and then he found her remains horrifically. Yet for the past three years he has been looking for her murdered and the trail is cold. This frustrates Ian to no end as at least he could find his sisters killer and make him pay for his crime. Plus he is now been promoted to the Deputy Lieutenant of Fife. He wants vengenance but is also on a mission to help other young women placed in the same dangerous circumstances. Kind of like an avenging angel.

Now Lady Phoebe Pennington who used to fancy Ian Bell being a close friend of his deceased sister. She is now a secret reporter penning article on corrupt political officials who have been evicting the sick from poorhouses. Unfortunately she has to go in a criminal area known as the Vaults. As Phoebe having a good heart see a young a poor waif being abused so she saves the little girl. The only problem is she becomes the next victim the attacker goes after. Only issue is she is saved by the man she has wanted forever the heroic, Ian Bell.

In the past he only saw Phoebe as his sisters mate, now as they spend time together he sees her in a new light. Will it last, or is it only due to their attachment to Sarah. Will this shatter one of their hearts even more?

Another fabulous May McGoldrick book with murder, treachery, suspense, mystery, drama and love. This book has non-stop action from start to finish.

I have been reading May McGoldrick novels for decades and I am always hooked with all the elements readers love. The setting, dialogue, plotting and characters are pure perfection! I am looking forward to her next release!

I absolutely and unequivocally recommend Sleepless in Scotland by May McGoldrick!




Amazon Buy Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Sleepless-Scotland-Pennington-Family-McGoldrick-ebook/dp/B07D2BQ87H/ref=nodl_

I received this book from Swerve-SMP publishers for a fair and honest review. I voluntarily agreed to read, review, blog and promote through netgalley. All words, ideas and thoughts are my own.

Due to it’s Jack the Ripper, whodunnit type theme, I must admit the slowly unfolding, sweet romantic plot between Ian and Phoebe, the main couple, felt secondary at times to that suspenseful subplot. Not that it was a particularly bad thing, folks. It was simply unexpected.

Ian was the perfect, alpha protective, caring type hero, who has pretty much dedicated his entire life to others. As a battle scarred, former soldier of war, now laird of the manor, protector/provider to his fragile mother, and determined avenger of his sister’s senseless murder, this guy wears a lot of hats, folks. Fate seems to have picked the perfect time to put Phoebe right where she needed to be to help him find love, healing, and a place to rest his weary soul. Unfortunately, the timing also put her in the crosshairs of a psycho killer.

As usual, this author’s writing flowed seamlessly, and I stayed fully engaged. The danger then frequent rescue aspect had me wanting to look over my own shoulder at the same time falling even more for Ian’s heroic character. With some twists and turns, I was thrown off for a time on who the actual murderous culprit was. Since I like it when an author catches me off guard, that was also a good thing.

With more of an English manners that Scottish feel, it was pleasing to see these two fall into love, despite the sad, sorrowful circumstances that precipitated their romance.
Romance Safety Gang: <spoiler> Virgin heroine. No mention of the hero’s previous sex life/OW, but it is implied he was never a womanizing manho. Romance safe. </spoiler>

Title: Sleepless in Scotland, Series: The Pennington Family (Book 3), Author: May McGoldrick, Pages: NL, stand-alone but part of a series, alpha protective good guy hero, journalist heroine, Jack the Ripper subplot, heroine is in danger/injured, HEA, no OW/OM drama, no love triangle, romance safe.

Book 1 - Romancing the Scot
Book 1.5 - Sweet Home Highland Christmas
Book 2 - It Happened in the Highlands
Book 3 - Sleepless in Scotland

(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review, nor is there any affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author/publisher/NetGalley.)

For some reason I keep forgetting I like this writer. This is part of a series, but stands well alone. I especially liked the last book, and this one is good. But I look forward to the next one, too. If I can just remember I like these books! The story involves a lovely 27 yo heroine who writes articles for a newspaper in Edinburgh and lovely man she has known for several years, a hero veteran and police officer.
She encounters a murderer in the underground area of Edinburgh, he saved her life, then they begin a friendship of sorts.
His sister was murdered in the underground area 3 years prior, and was our h’s bff. He is seeking answers to her murder.
One of the things I like about these writers ( it’s a couple), is their attention to detail. I would never have known this area existed, so it’s intriguing to learn about it, as well as the subjects of our h’s articles. Of course the pair becomes involved, but dangerous situations arise, and a murderer must be found. Definitely recommend this book. I received a free arc in exchange for an honest review.

Captain Ian Bell feels guilty over the death of his sister and won’t rest until he finds her killer. He has saved countless others from the same fate as her but the killer is still on the loose. One night he rescues his sister’s best friend. Phoebe is writing newspaper articles regarding orphanage reform and is worried Ian will tell her parents. Will Ian be able to keep Phoebe safe from the killer who took his sister? I liked this historical read. An intriguing story with lots of drama and suspense. The characters have great chemistry and plenty of depth. A good read.

In this story we venture into the Vaults of Edinburgh as Lady Phoebe who is secretly a journalist writing about corruption in the government is led their by her investigations and is in turn in the path of a killer, she is attacked and left for dead when Captain Ian Bell who was the brother of her best friend who was killed, and is searching for her murderer, finds and saved her.
This is a fast paced story, which will keep you on your toes, I loved it

the latest book in the pennington series, sleepless in scotland, follows the adventures of younger sister phoebe. she's a woman ahead of her time, and is fiercely independent and strong-willed. she has been secretly working as a journalist and ends up in the vaults of edinburgh looking for a source. there she encounters a murderer. and there she is saved by captain ian bell.

she has admired him for years, he was the older brother of her dearest friend who never noticed she existed. but he does now. from her close call he becomes obsessed with her safety. he's already experienced one loss that he feels to blame for, he cannot handle another. and the more time he spends with phoebe, the more he really sees her. enough to know that the loss of her would be devastating.

of the pennington siblings, only millie has a significant presence. i can only imagine that at some point we'll get a proper story for her. but as it is, phoebe's story is really enjoyable. and i particularly enjoyed the moments where the characters confronted mortal danger. there were also enough red herrings so as to keep the murderer somewhat of a surprise. i had figured it out before the big reveal, but did spend some time suspecting the wrong character.

**sleepless in scotland will publish on august 7, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/st. martin's press (swerve) in exchange for my honest review.

Sleepless In Scotland was my first book by May McGoldrick. It was just okay for me. Over 75% of the book was too slow for me. I felt like it dragged on and on. It took me two days to read this book and I can read through a book in 8/10 hours on a good day. I just kept finding reasons to put it down. I would get bored and go wash dishes or start laundry. That's never a good thing when reading a book. The fact of the matter is I felt there was a lot of filler that bogged the read down. I liked Ian a lot and I liked Phoebe as well. I would have like it better if it would have focused more on their relationship then on the killer's thoughts and Ian's mom's non acceptance of the death of her daughter. Overall It was an okay read but I don't think I will read any more in this series, but I would be willing to try the author again.

When a woman, who does not wish to remain alienated from everything that goes on around her, and in the desire to expose a plot of corruption and fear, ends up being the victim of an attack and is saved by no less, the man for whom she always loved.

Cap Ian Bell is the 'Night Watch', an avenger whose aim is to help other people, especially women, in danger, just as happened to his sister three years ago, and at that time he was not there to protect her.

The meeting of Ian and Phoebe takes place in an unexpected, exciting and shocking way.
Now, when Phoebe is so close to discovering the truth, she must make a difficult decision about exposing the whole truth or protecting the one she has learned to love.
3,5 stars

May McGoldrick excels in weaving suspense, drama and romance together for a nonstop ride to the last page of this wonderful story. Captain Ian Bell is a tortured soul from the grief and guilt over the loss of his sister Sarah who was murdered. He is determined to hunt for her killer as he becomes the Deputy Lieutenant and scours the underworld of Edinburgh as part of the "Night Watch". In his rounds,he saves others as he continues his search and one night comes upon Lady Phoebe Pennington, once best friend to his sister and saves her from a violent attack. Phoebe is on a mission to find documents that may involve the city's higher ups to report in her newspaper articles. Phoebe brings Ian back to life as they spend time together and begin to build a wonderful romance. The atmosphere and surroundings come to life in the descriptions as do the characters of Ian and Phoebe who seem meant for each other. The story is full of emotions throughout and I could not wait to see what happened at the end.

Publisher's Description:
From USA Today bestselling author May McGoldrick, Sleepless in Scotland is a charming tale of loss, justice, and passion.

Captain Ian Bell is a tortured man fighting through grief and guilt over the loss of his sister. When she went missing, he searched for months until he found her remains. Now, three years later as the Deputy Lieutenant of Fife, Ian still hunts for her murderer in the dangerous criminal underworld of Edinburgh. He is the ‘Night Watch’ bent on revenge even as he saves others from the same violent fate that claimed his sister. Then one night, a young woman narrowly escapes death and lands at his feet...his late sister’s best friend, Phoebe Pennington.

Lady Phoebe Pennington—dreamer and storyteller to her family—is a committed reformer writing articles anonymously for an Edinburgh newspaper. One night, in an effort to acquire documents embarrassing to the city’s political leaders, Phoebe descends into the corrupt and seething netherworld known as the Vaults. When she tries to save a street urchin from an assailant, she becomes the target of a violent attack, only to be saved by the one man she has desired for years.

Ian’s attraction to Phoebe is as undeniable as it is unexpected, and she awakens in him passions he thought long dead. Fearful that she doesn’t understand the dangers of this criminal world, he is determined to save her from the risks she takes. Phoebe’s blood burns for Ian, but when she learns that he may be implicated in the scandal she is set on exposing, she finds herself torn between love and truth. But even as they strive to find the meaning of trust, fate is taking a hand. For Phoebe is the only one who has seen the face of the killer, and the sinister shadows of evil are closer than they imagine.

My Thoughts:
I absolutely love this series, but that being said you do not have to read the whole series to love this book. The McGoldrick husband and wife writing team have once again written a seamless story without a doubt.
Sometimes you read a book co-authored by more than one person and feel it is lacking in some way. This is not so with any book I have read by this duo.
I recommend reading this whole series from book #1 but if you don't have the time you can easily start with this one and not be lost or disappointed.
Sleepless in Scotland will draw you in and if you start reading late in the day it will most assuredly leave you sleepless. With love and mystery, a villainous character and heroes there is never a dull moment and reading deep into the night will be the ultimate result.
I gave this book 4.95 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization and a sensual rating of 3 of 5 flames. There is no need for overt intimacy for this book to be a winner. There is though a bit of intimacy that can not be denied.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read and review. This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

4.5 stars

Lady Phoebe Pennington is keeping a big secret, she is investigating corruption in the government and writing about her findings under an assumed name for the newspaper. Her current investigation has lead her to the infamous "Vaults" under Edinburgh's streets. But her quest for information quickly turns into a nightmare when she tries to stop a young man from being attacked and barely escapes with her own life.

Captain Ian Bell is a on a quest of his own, he has spent the last three years trying to find out what lead to his sister, Sarah's murder. Sarah disappeared without a trace while shopping with a friend, it took Ian 3 months to find her remains. Her body had been found in the Vaults and sold to a medical school. He returns to the Vaults night after night, hoping to find answers. On this visit a young man falls at his feet, he quickly realizes that it is actually a woman and takes her to his carriage, once in the light, he recognizes Phoebe, his sister's dearest friend. When she regains consciousness, he demands answers. Answers Phoebe is not willing to give. The interchange doesn't give Ian the answers he wants, but it does give the killer enough information to learn who Phoebe is and where she can be found.

Phoebe is frantic that Ian will reveal her doings to her parents, she tells him that she was going to meet her lover, but has learned that he is not the man she thought and promises that it is over and she will never return to the Vaults. This does not pacify Ian and he tells her he will see her at her families summer ball. Phoebe has long carried a torch for Ian, as her friend's older brother, they have known each other for years, but to her dismay, he never seemed to notice her. But he notices her now and could potentially ruin everything she has been working for!

At the ball, she tries to keep him from talking to her father and asks him to meet her in the garden. She gives him a bit of truth and hopes he will keep her secret. Their interlude turns heated and Ian kisses her and leaves without promising to keep her secret. They meet again in Edinburgh, when once again she is trying to collect information, she tries to get him to leave before her guard returns, but she doesn't want to push him away. She invites him to call on her and her sister and he agrees. When they meet again, Phoebe comes clean and tells him the entire truth, he is accepting and supportive and again proves his character to her. They talk about Sarah and she asks if she might visit his mother. Turns out Phoebe is not the only one keeping secrets from their parents.

They visit his mother and Phoebe promises to keep Ian's secret. Being at his home brings up many memories of time spent there with Sarah and she revisits many places they used to explore. Alone and pondering her feelings for Ian and missing Sarah, she doesn't realize she was followed and the killer has left her for dead.

This book is a well written, fast paced romance with a thrilling mystery and a smidge of paranormal. The mystery is an intricate part of the novel and features a truly evil villain, but I was able to discern his identity relatively early in the book and the mystery never overshadowed the romance between Phoebe and Ian, if anything, it enhanced it. Be prepared for some chills, nail-biting moments, some heartache, some laughs and a couple of warmish love scenes before the killer is exposed and our lovers get the HEA they almost lost.

This is book is part of the Pennington Family series, but it could easily be read as a stand alone title. I am happy to recommend this book and am looking forward to the final installment!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review of an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the Publisher*

I’ve enjoyed every book in this series so far and this was no exception. Interesting characters in Phoebe and Ian, graphic descriptions of the places such as the Vaults, that evoke the atmosphere and menace found there. Phoebe was a character who had a strong moral sense, who tended to act first and think later. Although she wasn’t slow to admit her faults. She had a loving relationship with her siblings. Ian was a strong character, who was on a mission. They had known each other for many years but now became more aware of each other. Their growing relationship was a joy to read. There is danger and an unknown assassin to discover. This was an engaging read, I hope the last sister, Millie has her story. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Although, I have purchased a copy.