I don’t read many romance books outside of ‘chick lit’ and ‘women’s fiction’, but I thought I’d give this a try as it reminded me a little of outlander, a show that I loved until they moved to France in series two. I have a bit of an obsession with Scotland and Scottish culture, so this book sparked my interest.

All that I can say about it was that it wasn’t bad. It was kind of ‘meh’ the whole way through. I didn’t DNF the book, but I didn’t really enjoy it either. I am not actually sure what kept me reading. It is the third book in the series, but it didn’t seem to be connected to the books before it in any way until the end, so it made it good to read as a one-off at least.

I did like Isla as a character though, and I think she might have been the reason I kept reading. I didn’t really care much for Cal’s story at all though. However, Isla is blind, and it really made me happy to see a protagonist with a disability in a romance novel. So I have to give Allison credit there, and she wrote Isla’s situation and experiences with being blind really well. She gave us a good insight into what it might be like to live blind.

However, I can’t give this book more than two stars. The start is really slow, I didn’t like the ending and the only part I did like reading was the scenes when they were travelling. I am grateful for the fact that I did watch the first series of Outlander, as a lot of the speech is written in Scots, which I can imagine would be hard for a lot of people to read, especially if English isn’t your first language and you have never been to Scotland or seen a show like Outlander. I like that Allison put some historical accuracy into the book, but this did take away from the enjoyment a little as it made everything that little bit harder to read.

I did like that this book wasn’t overly explicit for a romance book, but at the same time, it really seemed to lack chemistry for me. The love between Isla and Cal didn’t give me butterflies and I wasn’t all that bothered by the ‘will they won’t they’ that this book contains as the ending was a little too obvious for me to be convinced by it.

And the ending was really strange. It seemed like a whole chapter was added unnecessarily just to try and make it a sequel to the other two books before it. It didn’t really work with the rest of the story, and it just seemed like it was added because it had to be in order to make it a sequel instead of a standalone.

All in all, this book was just a bit average all around really and it won’t be a series I will be tempted to continue.

The Saint by Allison Butler is an enjoyable story. The main characters are Callum and Isla. They make this an interesting story as they are not a typical romantic couple. The novel flows slowly but smoothly and is well developed as it contains romance, as well as danger as they make their journey together. It is an interesting story. I recommend it and look forward to reading more from this author.

He has chosen a chaste life, but he's never been tempted like this...
Callum has two childhood memories: a stone cross, and the wanton behaviour of his mother,
At the tender age of six, Isla Beaton learned a hard lesson about never giving up despite the challenges and grief that might come her way.
Blindness has changed the course of Isla's life. Will Callum's life be changed also by this young woman headed to a priory to also serve God?
Although this book isn't what I had come to expect from this author it isn't bad. It just wan't my cup of tea.
A hero who vows to remain celibate and a heroine who is blind, both determined to serve God in their own way.
Not the usual hero and heroine I have come to expect from this or any historical Romance author.
I gave this book 3.25 of 5.0 stars for storyline and character development.
I received a complimentary ARC of this title to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Callum of Clan Elliott, has left with two of his friends, who are also orphans. They wonder who they are and do they belong to anyone. They have been looking for a year. Callum is helping to care for some lepers. During his short time there he cares of Thane who is near death and makes it known what his last wish is. His beloved daughter is all alone and needs to be protected long enough to get her to Restenneth Priory. Isla is the daughter of the Thane and she has slowly gone blind. She loved her father greatly, but now that he had died, she had to go to the Priory, where her uncle lived. She felt she had no choice.
I enjoyed this tale very much, there is fighting, escaping, and danger. It was a sweet romantic story thru all the action. She trusts him and does as he asks. The author has done a great job keeping the novel flowing smoothly and it is well written, the characters are well developed and the descriptions help fill in the the rest. I highly recommend this book and hope you like it as much as I do.

I received this ARC from Net Galley and I voluntarily

Callum takes the final request of a dying man, who wants his daughter taken safely to her uncle. He agrees, and goes to find her, when she is attacked by a group of men trying to kill her. Callum protects her, and they make their escape. Isla is frightened, and learning of her father's death she is sad as well. Also, a big impediment is that she is basically blind. Back in the late 1400's it was harder than now, but overall she does ok. A good story, and one I enjoyed, but did find it easy to skim a bit. Some description is not needed, and made it easier to skip some of the words. Overall though, I would still highly recommend this book and author.

Callum and Isla have an interesting story. On his deathbed, Isla's father asks Callum to take her to a priory. Being a good man he agrees.

The road they travel is filled with danger. You will truly enjoy his short .

The Saint is book three in the Highland Brides series. Callum is a man without a family or much of a past. He spends a year searching to discover his origin. While on his search, he encounters a young woman who needs his help. Isla Beaton is dependent upon a stranger when her father dies. Callum vows to see her safely to Restenneth Priory where her last remaining relative lives. Isla is intent on serving God, but one kiss from Callum threatens to destroy her resolve.
This is a very well written story and one of my favorite Butler books. I thought Butler told Isla’s point of view masterfully. Although this book is in a series, it truly can be read as a stand alone. Looking forward to reading more from this author. I was gifted a copy of this book from Netgalley.

In an attempt to make up for the sins of his mother, Callum has lived a life of chastity and is considering devoting his life to the church, but he truly has no idea where he belongs or what will bring him peace. While he is working in a leper house he winds up inadvertently making a promise to a dying man to escort his daughter, Isla, to a priory in the south where her uncle is the abbot. Callum decides he will fulfill this duty and then give up on his search for the iron cross that is his only clue from his childhood memories that could help him piece together his origins. Upon his arrival at Isla's home, he finds he is not the only one who has come for her and the two find themselves on the run from Isla's betrothed. Callum is determined to keep to his chaste ways and be nothing like his mother, (who he remembers beckoned many men into her bed), but he feels immediately protective of Isla in a way that is more intense than his usual need to protect the defenseless. It's not long before Callum is wondering just what he's gotten himself into, nevertheless, he won't go back on his work to protect Isla. Callum is surprised to find that Isla stirs feelings of desire in him that he'd long been able to bury and tries to keep his distance from her as much as possible, beyond what is necessary to protect her. Remembering nothing of his mother but her loose ways and striving to not be like her and to make up for her behavior, Callum is ashamed of his inability to control his body's desirous reaction to Isla. Isla is headed for a life of devotion to God and Callum has set his course for a life of celibacy, never to have his own family, but that doesn't stop either one of them longing for the touch of the other. Soon both begin to question what the proper course for their lives really is and if perhaps they belong together instead.

This was an enjoyable read for me, if a bit of a slow burn. It does lag a bit in the latter-middle of the book, but powers through to a satisfying end that left me wanting to read the other two installments of this series.

I received a complimentary ARC via NetGalley. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.