I would like to thank the Netgalley website and the CreateSpace independent publishing platform for allowing me to read this book.

I was immediately attracted by the nice cover of the book, which features the beautiful Jesse.

It is immediately obvious that Jesse is the personal assistant to Cameron McCallum who has taken over from his father as Laird in their Scottish estate. Jesse with experience in this field feels discouraged about his work. She is attracted to Cameron, and it is reciprocal for him, or so she thinks. Except that Alexandra is coming and she's an old college friend of Cameron's. And her father wants his son to be in a relationship with a Laird. Will Cameron follow her heart?

I immediately got hooked on the story which is so captivating, addictive, full of suspense and twists and turns with very endearing characters.

Chapman's "The Laird's Right Hand Lady" has a few well loved tropes with the Boss/ Employee trope as the main emphasis as Jess, the MC, upon seeing a picture on a website of one Cameron McCullum, she decides to apply to be his personal assistant, starting a whirlwind of changes in her life.

That's not the only whirlwind as the instant attraction between Jess and Cameron burns quick and hot and while the author teases us with long glances, witty conversations and kisses, their budding romance is instantly tested by family, friends, and even an unannounced rival which is always a fun twist.

Chapman wrote a book that once I got into it after a few pages was a quick and enjoyable read. All the characters, even the unlikable ones fit into their places and within the known tropes involved. I did find myself wanting a bit more back story on the characters as it felt a bit rushed at times and this is more of a personal preference, as I like a bit more background on the characters, but it works within the instalove that the book conveys.
The other thing I realized after, and way after, is how Jesse just moved to Scotland with little to no knowledge and this was ok by all - for purposes of the book this works but, again preference talking, a little hesitation or argument would have been nice and added some reality to the situation as this is a big thing especially moving across the world in a spur of the moment to work for a stranger, a hot stranger but still, a stranger but again this is my hangup about the situation.

Overall I really liked the flow of the book and the characters stayed true to how depicted and while I was able to depict some moments, it was nice to read how Chapman depicted them.

Note: I received an advance review copy for free in exchange for an honest review and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

After seeing a picture of Cameron McCallum, Jessica Fielding gives up her life in London. Under the auspices of wanting the job of personal assistant to the future Laird of Osprey she sends a video and is hired. Within days of meeting the two seem off to a whirlwind romance.

The story is fast paced throughout, though sometimes a little to fast. Things fall apart when Cameron’s father attempts to manipulate him into an engagement with an appropriate spouse for a Laird’s wife.

In my opinion both main characters border on immaturity. But if you like whirlwind romances and like an easy read there are many redeeming qualities. The secondary characters all have an interesting dynamic. And the story gets better as you get deeper into it.

So, even with the maturity level of the main characters I do recommend The Laird’s Right-Hand Lady.

Catherine E. Chapman’s The Laird’s Right-Hand Lady is one of those books where deciding upon a final rating was difficult. It’s a solid three-point-five-star rating, and I had a huge debate as to whether I rounded this rating up or down. In the end, I opted with down, but mostly because I’m very picky with my reads. There’s no doubt this is a fun little read, a perfect read for anyone wanting a quick story, but personal preference had me deciding to round my rating down.

With The Laird’s Right-Hand Lady we have a favourite trope: the boss romance. It’s a favourite for a reason, done so often because people adore such stories. Add in the setting of Scotland, and people are even more attracted because the accent does something wonderful to us. Thus, I was eager for this one.

From the start, I was pulled into the story. It hooked me quickly and I was unable to put it down. I enjoyed the characters and there was plenty in the story to keep me turning the pages, leaving me with a smile on my face at regular points. However, this book included something I’m not crazy about. It’s a case of instalove. I know a lot of people really enjoy instalove, but it’s something I’m not crazy about. I much prefer a slow burn to the instant attraction, and I feel like a lot of the choices made in this one were made without the characters having enough knowledge.

As I said, however, that’s just personal preference. It’s why I rounded down instead of up, but I know plenty of people will go the other way. It’s a well-written story with all the necessary romance drama included, ensuring readers will power through the book in no time at all.

The Laird's Right-Hand Lady by Catherine E. Chapman is a contemporary romance. Jess Fielding is Cameron McCallum’s newly-appointed personal assistant. He is due to take over from his father as Laird on their Scottish Highland estate. Used to the corporate world, Jess finds that, whilst the professional demands of her new role are straightforward, the domestic and family dynamics in Cameron’s stately home leave her feeling daunted. Instantly attracted to Cameron, Jess begins to suspect that her feelings are reciprocated. But the appearance of Alexandra, an old university friend of Cameron’s, upsets their blossoming romance. Cameron’s father is determined that his son should make a match fit for a Laird. Will Cameron live up to his father’s expectations or follow his heart?

The Laird's Right-Hand Lady is a good romance. I liked the set of characters, and even the most unlikable were written to be so. Cameron's father is exactly who he is supposed to be, and only made me love Cameron's mother that much more in contrast. Jess is a smart and capable woman, and Cameron is a sweet but strong man. The conversation and connection between the two was nice, and kept me reading. I thought the secondary characters were as well done as the main characters, and I would not mind having read a little more about them.I found the staff and family dynamics to be on point, and enjoyed seeing some of those friendships and connections grow throughout the book. My only real issue with the book is that no one really ever discusses or ponders the moral or ethical implications about the relationship- at least not until it is really no longer an issue. I know the boss/assistant trope is a thing- but in all the romances I have that that use it include the dilemma of whether it is wrong or odd and here that is just completely ignored. However, maybe that it just my hang up, so it might not even come up on anyone else's radar.

The Laird's Right-Hand Lady is a solid romance with no explicit scenes (for those that care about such things). The characters are well done, and the read engaging. I am glad I gave it a chance.

I didn't really enjoy this romance. I liked Jess well enough, although why she wanted to go from working in London to working in the Scottish countryside wasn't made clear and that's a pretty big change to make without motivation. Cameron I wasn't so sure about - clearly he's emotionally abused by his father Piers and desperately hoping to earn his approval as his heir, but I found him rather indecisive when it came to acting. Running off to Australia without a word to Jess, what was that about? All in all, I just couldn't quite get behind why the characters did what they did, which left their romance rather unconvincing.

Overall, not a bad book, but felt like it could have been stronger. Reads more like a novella, and therefore felt like parts could have been explained more in detail. Never really saw why Cam's father was so opposed to Jess, and kept pushing Alexandra onto him, whereas no one else liked her. Also, more on the brother would have been nice as well, as he is not really seen until the end. A quick easy read, with a predictable story, but that also means it is an easy summer read. Would recommend.