IIsabella Drummond is a rare woman -- beautiful, intelligent and a trained physician. She is wanted by both the government and the Scottish rebels. Her only hope lies in hiding in the highlands until she can get passage to Canada.

Cinaed Mackintosh was rejected by his family as a child and has made his reputation and fortune at sea. When bad weather and injury casts him ashore, Isabella saves his life and entwins their fate.

Now a race in on to hide Isabella and Cinaed will do anything to protect her, including returning to Dalmigavie Castle and the Mackintosh kin who cast him off as a child.

Highland Crown is an exciting historical novel. The highlands of Scotland are always a big draw for readers and an intelligent female physician is a compelling element. Throw in a handsome, mysterious and dangerous Scot and you’ve got the makings of a great read.

The story mostly delivers. After an awkward prologue in the form of a letter from Robert Burns, Isabella’s story begins to unfold. The beginning action is dark and exciting. As Cinaed and Isabella travel and try to find sanctuary there is plenty of drama and tension. The last third of the novel falters a little bit. Some of the plotting seems unrealistic and the rapidness that endangered Isabella develops trust is not believable.

The story was bit long but I was cheering for a happily ever after and it was quite the surprise to discover there was a sequel. The story felt a little unfinished to me.

Overall, Highland Crown was an enjoyable read and is sure to appeal to fans of Scottish historical romances and the Outlander series by Gaboldon.. A solid story I would recommend. 4 Stars.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Highland Crown is the first in a planned series telling the story of a female physician in post-Culloden Scotland.
This story is in line with another series about a female healer involved in Scotland’s fight for freedom. It’s just missing the time travel aspect. Both series open with a history lesson to set the stage. Then, our heroine finds herself in unfamiliar terrain trying to outrun a sadistic British officer. Along the way, she meets up with a Scot whom she needs to save and ends up saving her..

For full disclosure, I have trouble not comparing the 2 stories. The other series is a favorite of mine. So, to me this one pales in comparison. This story on its own is a good read., it’s just not Outlander-good.

This book is centered against the backdrop of the Scottish rebellion and there are a number of scenes involving protests and similar events. In addition to scenes focused on the rebels, there are also a number involving the British authorities charged with dispelling the rebellion. I have personally never read a book that focused on these events and I have to say it was quite interesting. The romance not so much, I wanted to see more connection between the characters.

This was my first book by May McGoldrick. I must have more! Oh, this was such a romantic, exciting story. Heartbreaking, too. I was not that familiar with Scottish history until I became a huge Outlander fan. The battle of Culloden was beyond brutal. However, I didn't realize how horrendously the Scots were treated in the years after that tragedy. I loved the blend of history, romance and adventure that was all rolled together in this one book. And I musn't forget the inclusion of some of the beautiful works by Sir Walter Scott that were quoted herein.

Isabella was a trained physician who helped her husband in his practice. After he was murdered in a clash between the British army and the Scots, she had to go into hiding because both sides put a bounty on her head. She was staying with an old woman named Jean, whose nephew was going to reunite her with her family. One night there was a shipwreck, and the locals went to the beach to recover whatever bounty they could. When the ship's captain destroyed the cargo, they were furious. The captain, Cinaed Mackintosh, was shot and seriously wounded. Isabella found him on the beach and dragged him to safety and saved his life. Thus begins an exciting journey for Isabella, Cinaed and Jean.

I just adored both of our brave leads. Isabella was a very strong woman and a talented physician in a time when very few women could practice medicine. Then there's Cinaed.....sigh. The man was totally swoon worthy. He didn't know Isabella, but his heart knew he must help her reach safety and meet up with her family. I loved that he didn't fight his feelings for Isabella, as happens in so many romance stories. He followed the call of his heart. A number of supporting characters really stood out, such as Jean, Cinaed's kinsman Searc and British officer Hudson. Though the story doesn't end here for Isabella and Cinaed, the book stood alone and didn't end in a cliffhanger. This was simply a stunning story.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Great debut to the Royal Highlander series by new-to-me authors May McGoldrick with complex characters and a visually descriptive story that made me feel like I had traveled back to 1820 Scotland and was right in the middle of the fast-paced, conflict-filled drama. I loved the strength and determination of Doctor Isabella Murray Drummond and enjoyed her dynamic with the other characters, especially sea captain Cinaed Mackintosh. "Highland Crown" is a must read for anyone who enjoys well-crafted historical romance and I can't wait to see what happens next in book two.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.

Highland Crown is an action-packed Scotland-set historical romance which manages to pack quite some characterisation in between all the peril….

This book is a lot more historical-contexty and political than much of the historical romance I read, which was cool – it’s deeply seated in its particular period and the particular tensions between Scotland and England at that time. Isabella, our heroine, was part of Sir Walter Scott’s set (and the chapters all begin with quotes from Scott), but is fleeing for her life after her husband was killed in the Peterloo massacre. Labelled a radical, she is hiding out in Scotland when she comes across a wounded man in a shipwreck – and as a doctor, she feels she has to save him. This may turn out to be the best decision of her life, because this man turns out to be Cinead Mackintosh, arms-smuggler, fellow radical, and all around hunk…

Isabella, while an obvious wish-fulfilment character in her strength, education and sass, is a joy to read, and the sparks that fly between her and Cinead are very fun. He’s a thoughtful and emotional hero, for all his derring-do and brawn, and I liked him a lot. Between the two of them, it’s clear that there’s an overload of work ethic and strength in this relationship, but there’s also a lot of openness – Isabella’s been married before, and of course there’s a lot of backstory to unfold for both of them. I liked how clear both parties were about their emotions and their plans – there’s no misunderstanding for the sake of misunderstanding.

One small note (and I don’t know if this is an ARC formatting issue or not) – the perspective often switches in the middle of the page, where I would expect a starred break or other signal that we were going to cut to something else. It made some passages, especially when the hero and heroine were apart, a little tricky to read, but I think that this is probably something that will be fixed in the final copy. Having different sections from the two viewpoints is pretty usual for historical romance, and they weren’t muddled in with each other, so it seemed more like the page break had been lost than anything else.

Overall, this is an enjoyable romance with a bit more meat on its bones than some! It sits about halfway between straight fluffy romance and something more historical like Outlander, so I think it should gain a lot of fans. Four out of five stars!

HIGHLAND CROWN by May McGoldrick is an engaging historical story with strong characters and plenty of drama which quickly became addictive.

Isabella Drummond is unlike other women of her time and is wanted by both the British and the Scottish for their own reasons. Determined to flee, Isabella unexpectedly ends up saving the life of Cinaed Mackintosh who has his own demons and secrets lurking in the dark, and their instant connection is unexplainable but fierce. He will keep Isabella safe any way he can and his family castle seems like the only place they can turn. But there is danger around every corner threatening to tear them apart ...

​Adventurous, energetic, and compelling throughout, I thoroughly enjoyed HIGHLAND CROWN by May McGoldrick and look forward to the next instalment in this new series. The characters are well-developed and I enjoyed Isabella's grit and strong spirit as she faces every challenge and the love between her and Cinaed made my heart flutter. The historical time period comes alive on the page and I felt fully immersed in it all from start to finish. It has been a while since I read historical romance but I won't let the time lapse again.

HIGHLAND CROWN by May McGoldrick is perfect for historical romance fans and I highly recommend it .

"Highland Crown" was undeniably a well-written book, and I liked that there were aspects of real Scottish history interwoven with the story. Unfortunately, the pace of the book seemed kind of slow to me, especially in the first half. It didn't seem like very much happened aside from a few key events, and the main plotline didn't advance much at all. The second half of the book seemed better paced and I found it to be somewhat more interesting, but the end of the book really irritated me. There was a lot of foreshadowing leading up to the "big reveal" of Cinaed's parentage, but I hate that it didn't take place until so late in the story. There wasn't enough time left in the book for much of a reaction from the characters, and in the end, that made this entire first book seem like it was just an extended prologue for the next two books in the trilogy.

The other thing that bothered me about the "secret" of Cinaed's parentage is that it seemed like basically everyone else he met in Scotland knew about it before Cinaed did. How is it possible that no one ever mentioned his supposed "parents" to him before his uncle told him the story? If they didn't know, what exactly was it about Cinaed that everyone found compelling enough to earn him the nickname "Son of Scotland"? Sure, he was a handsome guy, but he wasn't rich or powerful, and his belief that he had earned their respect just for smuggling weapons into Scotland for the anti-English resistance fighters was flimsy, at best.

In addition, I was really not a fan of the "insta-love" between Isabella and Cinaed. How could they possibly have developed feelings for each other before they had even known each other for 12 hours? Finally, Cinaed's recovery after his fever was nothing short of miraculous. Somehow he was up and around almost immediately after waking up, and later that same day he was able to make love to Isabella too. How is it possible that he was physically capable of those feats? Shouldn't he have been weak after being unconscious and not eating through four or so days of fever? As for Isabella, as his doctor shouldn't she have advised him to rest and recover, not exert himself with strenuous activity?

At any rate, I was kind of disappointed with this book overall, but I am still giving it 3 stars because, as noted above, it was very well-written, and the aspects based in actual Scottish history were interesting. I'm not sure at this point if I will continue with the series.

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Enter a world of intrigue, danger and growing love with Cinaed and Isabella as their paths cross to the resulting journey together. Enjoyed the storyline and characters. Looking forward to the next book of the series.

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

This is the first book in the new Royal Highland series.
Isabella is escaping through Scotland to a new life in Canada. Her husband was killed regarded as a radical by the British. Isabella is chased through the Highlands by British Officer Hudson who wants information on all the other radicals. She saves the life of Cinaed Mackintosh and you follow the start of there journey of love and finding the real heritage of Cinaed. Isabella is a strong character been one of the first women surgeons of this time period. She is well matched by Cinaed who has been using his ship to bring weapons and explosives for the Highlands cause. The story of Cinaed’s parentage will continue in Highland Jewel and will be worth the wait.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Highland Crown by May McGoldrick is book One in the Royal Highlander Series. This is the story of Cinaed Mackintosh and Isabella Drummond.
Isabella is a very bright women who learned the skills to become a trained physician who worked in her husband's office. But her husband had a double life where he worked as a DR during the day but a radical reformer at night. This lead to his death and put a price on Isabella's head. Of course she is on the run now but ends up meeting Cinaed, a sea captain who she ends up saving his life. Cinaed is a smuggler of arms into Scotland from Canada. On this run he ends up having to do some dangerous action to prevent his loot from falling into the wrong hands.
Of course Isabella and Cinaed are caught in their attraction but both have danger following them...can they have a happy ending?
Great start this this series!!

do not finish at 50%............................

This book was more historical than a romance. I am a romance reader so this is a killer for me. I also can't figure out where the plot is going. They are on the run but where is this story going. I just couldn't stay interested.

I have nothing against the talent or editing I just do not think this author is for me.

Isabella Drummond is an unusual combination of strength and intelligence, caught up in the machinations of politics.

Circumstances and luck, along with people who want justice for those caught, have given Isabella safehaven with Jean, an old wizened brusque woman. I enjoyed the character building the author did for this secondary character. At first, she’s concerned for her own skin, regrets helping her nephew by providing a hiding place for Isabella. But soon her priorities change as the story flies off the page.

The old woman is part of a community which lives off what the sea cough up.

One night a ship carrying weapons for the rebels in Scotland crashes against the rocks. Villagers are eager to grab what they can, killing the survivors of the shipwreck. Cinaed, captain of the ship is almost killed by a bullet, but miraculously, he makes it to shore. As the villagers scan the shore for wreckage and survivors, Isabella takes it upon herself to try to save them man. Just one more body for the old woman to hide in her wee cottage.

She hauls him to the cottage under cover of darkness with the help of the old woman Her actions of compassionate as a doctor to heal puts both herself and the old woman at peril. Even when Cinaed is close to death he's concerned for the women. He's a man of fine qualities. His actions go beyond his physical capacities, yet, his will makes him a survivor. The journey these three take together is one filled with honor, justice and determination to save each other and do what is right. To live they must escape the cottage...

You won’t be disappointed in this adventurous, fast-paced, character-driven story. From the first chapter you are hooked through the events and kind of people who make this story zip along. The best and worst of man is portrayed. Cinaed truly finds himself in the Highlands among family which surprise him.

In Iverness, Scotland, in 1820, physician Isabella Drummond is wanted by the British for information regarding the whereabouts of the rebels fighting for Scottish rights. Though she never really actively participated in any of her husband's meetings, she knew of them and had treated them in their shared practice. Things go further downhill when the rebels post a bounty for her as well. She has to hide separately from her younger sister and stepdaughter in the Highlands, and can't fight her instincts to heal when a ship crashes in the midst of a storm. It turns out she saved the ship's captain, Cinaed Mackintosh, who has ties to separate rebellions and a history all of his own. The only way to secure their futures is to work together.

Honestly, this book would work well without the prologue at all. Other than Sir Walter Scott's name mentioned once or twice in passing through the text of the novel, he really doesn't have a tie to Isabella's story. It isn't necessary to know that he introduced her to the man helping her hide in the Highlands, because that isn't really part of Isabella's story. It really begins in the middle of the storm that crashes Cinaed's ship, the Highland Crown. We can tell right away by the instant physical attraction that Isabella and Cinaed are meant to be together, despite the differences in their backgrounds and motives to move forward. Isabella just wants to survive and keep her family safe, and Cinaed wants to remain independent and prove to his distant family members that he is worthy.

There are a lot of action sequences, as our hero and heroine meet with the British soldiers several times, as well as opportunistic Scots. Even Cinaed's family at first is suspect, given that he works with both sides of the conflict at Iverness. Isabella is definitely caught by the situation, and then with the added fake marriage trope to ensure her safety and attempt to hide her identity. For the longest time, the two don't even kiss, but their attraction is remarked upon several times in the text and they do get along well outside of the physical. Their fears for the future as well as their past, and then the climactic sequence that helps to close the book. My only complaint is that we don't actually see Isabella be badass at defending herself, even after we're explicitly shown the beginnings of training, and we know how competent she is as a physician and surgeon. At the close of this novel, we finally see Isabella's stepdaughter and sister. There is a clear set up for further novels after this one, and it will be great to see their stories as well.

Excellent blend of history and fiction along with a fantastic romance. It is unusual to find a Regency-era novel that doesn't deal mainly with the English nobility and their high society lives. In this book, we have a female Scottish physician and surgeon with a price on her head and the independent Scottish sea captain who came to her rescue. I was sucked into this book from the first pages and didn't put it down until I read the last page.

It opened with some musings supposedly by Sir Walter Scott, who felt guilty over what he saw as his unintended influence on what has happened to the Scottish people. It was a time of social unrest throughout Great Britain. Life is especially hard in Scotland which still suffered from the consequences of the Jacobite Rebellion. In Edinburgh, Isabella Drummond is a trained doctor and surgeon who is called to treat everyone, no matter their status. Her husband, who is also a doctor, is an activist with those pushing for reform. When protests turned deadly, her husband was killed, her younger sister and stepdaughter were spirited to safety, while Isabella was taken to a small fishing village to hide. Both the British and the Scottish rebels have put a price on her head, the first wanting to find out what she knows and the second to prevent her from talking.

I liked Isabella from the beginning. She was smart, stubborn, and driven. She had no trouble speaking her mind and standing up for what she believed was right. Jean, her "hostess" is something of a curmudgeon. When they witness a shipwreck on the reef, Isabella was horrified to see the villagers shoot a man on one of the lifeboats, angry that the ship exploded before they could recover any of the cargo. The argument between Isabella and Jean over Isabella's determination to save the man was intense, and I loved seeing Isabella out-stubborn Jean. The description of Isabella's efforts was so vivid I felt as though I was there.

Cinead was a self-made man. He was cast from his family and sent to sea at the age of twelve, and has created a life where his only loyalty is to himself - or so he likes to believe. However, it was clear from his first appearance that he is protective of his crew, and of those he sees as needing help. Even as severely injured as he was, he found the strength to protect Isabella and Jean when they were threatened. He was drawn to Isabella, though he also sensed that she had secrets that were dangerous to her and any who tried to help her.

The intrigue and drama that followed Cinead, Isabella, and Jean from the seaside village to Inverness to his former home at Dalmigavie Castle had me glued to the pages from beginning to end. The price on Isabella's head brought the attention of a British soldier that would give Outlander's Black Jack Randall a run for his money. The only way that Cinead could think of to keep her safe was to take her to his Uncle Searc, a man of questionable values and morals. And the best way to protect her from Searc was to pretend that they were married. I loved seeing Cinead and Isabella grow closer. It was clear that Cinead was quite happy to have Isabella as his wife, and he would like nothing more than to make it real. Isabella was a bit warier. Because of the price on her head, she was determined to retrieve her sister and stepdaughter and emigrate to Canada, but she also could not deny her growing feelings for Cinead.

To complicate matters, the Scottish protests against British tyranny were spreading from Edinburgh and Glasgow to Inverness. Cinead found his love for his homeland growing and was caught up in the intensifying unrest. Meanwhile, Isabella's concern for the people of the town had her taking risks in her efforts to treat their illnesses and injuries. When the peoples' peaceful protests ran up against the British army's determination to maintain their iron-fisted control, the results were predictably inflammatory. I was on the edge of my seat as Isabella came face-to-face with her nemesis. The encounter was a nail-biter, and I loved how it turned out.

Once peace was restored, it was time for Cinead and Isabella to go to Dalmigavie Castle. Cinead had to face his past, starting with a confrontation with the uncle who threw him out. There were some unexpected revelations that came out of this conversation. Cinead discovered that not everything was as black-and-white as he remembered it. He was shocked by the things he learned, which put a whole new spin on his plans. All he needed to do was convince Isabella of his love. Isabella had some eye-opening conversations herself. The sister and stepdaughter that she thought were anxious to leave Scotland had undergone some changes while they were apart. I loved seeing these two young women stand up for their futures, which in turn freed Isabella to go after what she wanted. I can't wait to read the next book to see what is in store for Cinead and Isabella, as well as Maisie and Morrigan.

This is the first book in the new series Royal Highlanders and it started the series off wonderfully. The prologue itself draws you into the story and you never want to put the book down! The story is full of political suspense, history, romance, and adventure. It was well written and fast paced. The authors research and knowledge of history in that time period shows in the writing of the story. The descriptions were so wonderful and full of detail. I loved all the suspense and was drawn in by the characters. Isabella and Cinaed were so courageous and brave. I can’t wait to read more about them in the next book of the series. I received a digital ARC of this novel courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

Isabella is a physician and in hiding. Cinaed is a sea captain and when Isabella finds him wounded, she cares for him. What will happen when sparks fly? This is a fast-paced historical romance with plenty of twists and turns. Cinaed and Isabella have great chemistry and their story really draws you in. I liked it.

A good Highland romance is like comfort food for the soul and let's just say mine is super cozy right now.

Highland Crown took a little bit of coaxing for me to get into it, but once it started getting good....it was almost impossible to put down. You can tell that the author put a lot of work and research into this book and the historical accuracies made it all the more enjoyable.

I'll look forward to the next in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and ST. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give my honest opinion.

When you pick up a book written by the author, you know it will be a good one. I enjoyed reading this wonderful historical romance by Ms McGoldrick. The story line held my interest from page one to the end. The characters were well developed with thoughts and feelings of their own. I just love the feel of Scotland through eyes that know how to write a canvas of dreams.
I felt for Isabella Drummond when she had to leave her home being destroyed along with her husband. She is a trained doctor who worked on many different people who sought their services. The British government is after her as well as Scottish rebels. She flees from Edinburgh with her step daughter and sister with only the clothes on her back. Her main concern is them with the help of friends who see them to safety. But Isabella is not with her family and must do what she must to survive in the village of Duff Head.
Cinead Mackintosh is a sea Captain whose ship has sunk and he was shot by unknown persons. He desperately swims to land and finds himself in the Duff Head with wounds. He meets Isabella who saves his life and the adventure begins with two lost souls who come together with love.
I really really enjoyed this heart stopping book and can't wail til the next one. Hooray!
I appreciate Net Galley and St Martin's Press for this book to read and review.

Once you begin this story, I warn that you will not be able to stop until the end. The prologue set the stage for Scotland in 1820's when there was the Radical Uprising and Scotland was in turmoil. The time is June 1820 on the Northeast highland coast and thus begins an adventure that will take you on a journey like never before! Brimming with history and such three dimensional characters you feel you are there with them. The emotions and intensity will leave you almost breathless as this fast paced story pulls you into a world and time in history full of danger and intrigue that starts with the heroine, Isabella Murray Drummond.
May McGoldrick have outdone themselves with the start of this new series. The heroine Isabella is on the run. A brilliant doctor whose deceased husband was deemed a rebal and traitor, so she was as well. The Crown wanted her and her husband's rebellious allies, who were scared she knew information to inform on them, wanted her and there was a hugh price on her head. She had to protect her sister and stepdaughter that were in danger and she would do whatever it took!
Fate walks in by the name of Captain Cinaed Mackintosh and if you were not captured before, you will be now as the story continues.
I highly recommend this book and cannot wait until the next in this series!! Amazing and love the cover!