Member Reviews
To Wed a Wild Scot is Anna Bradley's second book in her Besotted Scots series. If you haven't read the first yet, you'll get along just fine jumping in here. However, since Juliana appeared in the previous book and was important in that storyline, I recommend reading that first.
Lady Juliana Bernard is going to lose custody of her beloved niece Grace unless she gets married, and quickly. She has written to her best friend Fitzwilliam, the Duke of Blackmore, to whom she has been betrothed since childhood to ask him to marry her; however, she never heard back from him. So she heads to Scotland to find him. Who she does find, however, is Logan Blair, the (former) Laird of Clan Kinross, and twin of Fitzwilliam. Apparently Logan has been intercepting Juliana and Fitz's mail and destroying it to keep them apart. Logan's heart is in the right place...after witnessing the Scottish Clearances, he is doing everything he can to save his clan. Since Fitz is now unavailable to marry Juliana, she demands that Logan do the honorable thing and marry her.
Though Juliana and Logan do not like each other, their chemistry is off the charts. Juliana is a strong, stubborn woman. The well-being of her niece is the most important thing in her life. Logan, too, is a strong, stubborn person. His clan means everything to him. The more time they spend together, the closer they become and their feelings intensify. They marry and head to Juliana's home, hopefully before her severely ill father dies. Juliana struggles with her feelings toward her father, while Logan does everything he can to stop the man who threatens Juliana's custody of Grace. I really enjoyed this book, but not as much as the previous book. Though their chemistry is intense, the distrust between them began to irritate me. Still, this series and author are not to be missed.
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.
I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. To Wed a Wild Scot by Anna Bradley is the second book in her very enjoyable Besotted Scots Series. I recommend reading the first book as well because it fills in some of the background to this story and I enjoyed it immensely but you could read this one as a stand-alone if need be. Lady Juliana Bernard has come into her own, when faced with insurmountable problems she is going to solve them and if that means riding halfway across Scotland while covered in vomit to find a husband then that is just what she will do, without moaning or whining or complaint. Logan Blair was raised to be the Laird of Clan Kinross and although that title belongs to the twin brother he never knew the Duke of Blackthorne he’s going to do his best to ensure that his brother does right by the clan and if that means making sure his brother does not receive letters from his English betrothed, Lady Juliana and even marrying the woman himself then that is what he will do. The story of how these two strong willed people find their HEA together is one of adventure and danger with a nasty villain and just the right amount of steam. Publishing Date September 17, 2019
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I was provided with an ARC of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was an engaging historical romance with a feisty heroine and a brooding hero. The passion between them was evident from their first meeting, but the relationship evolved realistically before their feelings were declared. The plot twists were unconventional enough to be unpredictable.
Juliana is determined to bring her wayward fiance to heel - there is too much at stake. He is her dearest friend and she needs his support and protection from her nefarious family. She embarks on a journey to Scotland with a vague idea of his whereabouts.
After an unfortunate carriage incident that results in her gown bearing the stains of her maid's upset stomach, she meets Logan. He is dismayed by her audacity, and though aware of her bedraggled appearance and odorous person, is inexplicably drawn to her.
He becomes her unknowing quarry, and leads her to his brother, her errant suitor. But Fitzwilliam is betrothed to someone else, and all of the correspondence she sent him went unacknowledged and unanswered.
She is in dire straits and needs a husband posthaste. Fitzwilliam decides that Logan can rescue the damsel in distress. The union between Juliana and Logan is based on mistrust and manipulation, but they become invested in making it real and true.
We met Lady Juliana Bernard in The Wayward Bride, book one in this series. I really liked her in that book because she was intelligent, caring, and seemed to have her act together. In this book, Juliana seems to be a tale of two people. In the Scottish portion of the book, she is strong, intelligent, caring – stubborn and determined. In the English portion of the book, she seems to shrink as a person. I did enjoy both locations, but the Lady Juliana that we meet and get to know in Scotland is much more relatable than the one we meet in England.
Logan Blair loves Scotland and his clan above all else. He is devastated by the clearances that are happening all over Scotland and does everything in his power to help the people – especially those on his lands. Well, technically they aren’t his lands and technically he isn’t laird, but he was raised to act as laird and to care for the people of the land. Logan has a twin brother who is eighteen minutes older than him and it is that brother who owns the lands and the lairdship. That could all be well and good, but the two brothers were separated shortly after birth – the older brother was raised by his uncle in England and the other was raised in Scotland. Logan’s brother is the heir to his uncle’s dukedom and they haven’t seen each other in all that time.
When I mentioned that Logan would do everything in his power to help his people – that is literally true – and what he does causes harm to others without his meaning for it to do so. When the person who was harmed turns up at his door, he doesn’t feel guilty at all because what he did was for the good of his clan. But then, he comes to understand the real harm he’s caused – not that he is inclined, at first, to remedy the situation.
Lady Juliana is as dedicated to her young niece, Grace, as Logan is to Scotland and his clan. When she acted nobly – in The Wayward Bride – she thought she had another alternative. However, she hasn’t heard from that alternative in months and her time is running out. If she isn’t married soon, before her father dies, she’ll lose custody of Grace to a really despicable character. She absolutely cannot allow that to happen and takes off for Scotland to track down her betrothed.
This story is well-written and well-plotted but I did have a little trouble understanding how Juliana came to Love Logan so quickly. He’d done something that could ruin not only her life, but her niece’s as well, and he showed no remorse for it nor any real intention of making amends. Yes, don’t get me wrong – I LOVED Logan – I just didn’t get how she could become so enamored of him so quickly. On the other hand – I can easily see why he’d come to care for her – she was honest, brave and strong.
I couldn’t give a 5-star rating because there was just too much – misconception, jumping to conclusions, and total lack of communication. They spent more time angry and not speaking than they did actually speaking which is why I came to question the true romance.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Lately, if the word “Scot” appears in the title of a romance novel, I run the other way. It usually means loads of stereotypes, brawniness, and not much else. Luckily, To Wed a Wild Scot is an exception. Anna Bradley’s second book in the Besotted Scots series features an English lady in desperate need of a husband and a Scottish laird who has just ruined her last hope of marriage. It rises above the Scottish stereotypes plaguing Romancelandia and gives the reader a fun, if flawed, romance.
Lady Juliana Bernard is rushing to Scotland to find her childhood friend Fitzwilliam Vaughn, the Duke of Blackmore. Unofficially betrothed to Fitz for years, Juliana is desperate to find and marry him. Her father, in failing health and with diminishing mental faculties, has declared that Juliana can only be named as guardian to her beloved niece Grace if she marries before he dies. But Juliana and Fitz’s childhood ‘friend’ (read evil villain) has convinced Juliana’s father that he would be a better guardian of Grace (and her fortune). Juliana has written to Fitz to make him aware of the dire situation but he has not replied.
Fitz is the older twin brother of Logan Blair, acting Laird of the Clan Kinross. Logan was raised with the clan in Scotland but Fitz was raised in England as the Duke of Blackmore’s heir. Logan experienced first-hand the devastation of the Highland Clearances (kudos to Ms. Bradley for her research and excellent depiction of these horrific events) and will do anything to protect his clan from similar atrocities. Fitz is the legal laird of the clan and Logan has to make sure Fitz’s loyalties stay in Scotland, so when he sees Fitz falling in love with a lass from the clan, he is thrilled. He is going to make sure the romance proceeds quickly and smoothly by stealing and burning the letters Fitz is receiving from an English lady.
Through a series of events, Juliana discovers Logan in Scotland and secretly follows him to Fitz. When she explains the situation to Fitz, he is devastated that he cannot help her (he is now engaged and expecting a child). Fitz wonders why Juliana never wrote to him and the truth of Logan’s actions come out. Fitz demands that Logan fixes the situation he inadvertently caused by marrying Juliana himself.
Logan thinks not! He is not at all fond of the English and especially not of the aristocracy. Fitz and Juliana push and Logan resists until he has the opportunity to see how strong and intriguing Juliana really is. When they finally start talking to each other, Logan sees a different side of her.
“I’m afraid if I ask for help too often, I’ll forget how to help myself. It wouldn’t be so surprising, really. I was raised to be decorative, not useful.”
Logan stared down at her, too astounded to say a word. Decorative? Is that all she thought she was? He’d never known a more determined, independent woman in his life. He’d also never known a more obstinate, willful, maddening one, but one thing Lady Juliiana Bernard was not was useless.
He agrees to the marriage and he and Juliana wed and set off for England to claim Grace before Juliana’s father passes.
To Wed a Wild Scot is a fast-moving, fun read with interesting plot twists and turns. The villain is more villainous that we initially think, and dealing with him takes up a large part of the second half of the book. Juliana and Logan find themselves drawn to each other pretty early on in their marriage. Both will do anything for family or clan, both are stubborn, and both want to make a success of their marriage. They have a passion for each other that rings true.
Logan makes a strong hero, totally dedicated to the welfare of his clan, making sure they all have options in the changing Scottish landscape of the time. I loved that even though he knew Juliana’s father was involved in the Highland clearances, he never holds it against Juliana (or even tells her of it). Juliana is a likeable heroine although often at odds with her own character - sometimes strong and sure of herself, sometimes doubting her own value.
My main quibble with the book is that while it seemed early on that Logan and Juliana would communicate openly with each other, as the book progresses they both start jumping to conclusions and not giving each other the benefit of the doubt. It would have been a stronger story if they had continued to talk with each other and trusted each other’s words and actions. Together they could have quickly bested the villain and concentrated on becoming a family, but instead, we almost reach the end of the book, long after the villain is ousted, before they speak openly to each other about some of their misunderstandings. There are also some loose ends that are not tied up, but I’m giving the author the benefit of the doubt and assuming they’ll be addressed in the next book.
I haven’t read the first book in the series, The Wayward Bride, but I was able to keep up just fine with this second book. Fans of the series, Ms. Bradley, and Scottish romances will enjoy To Wed a Wild Scot. I’m giving it a recommendation because the writing is strong and the storyline is interesting in spite of the communication issues between the hero and heroine.
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One her way to finding the answer to saving her niece, Juliana Bernard is thrown for a loop when her salvation ends up already in love and engaged to someone else. Her plight is dire, and she reaches for the only hope she has, the brother of her best friend. The only problem is, he does not wish to marry her, as he has his clan to think about instead. However, the fates favor love and he cannot resist the lovely, wee, stubborn English woman and her determination.
I found this book to be a wonderful romance story, which drew me in and let me see the hearts of the characters. The conflict was mostly within the characters, though the threat of Juliana’s niece going to a malicious neighbor at the death of her father, does add to the strife. I felt the secondary characters added to the depth of the plot without overwhelming the major storyline.
Though the story did have some scenes that were not chaste, they were not overly done, and were appropriate to the continuation of the romance. The title says this is book 2 in the series, but there is no need to have read the first one at all, as the story stands on its own. However, as this story took me on a wonderful romantic ride, I am sure I will read the others in her repertoire.
4.5 stars rounded up
After two betrothals that didn't actually end in marriage, Lady Juliana Bernard is rather desperate for a husband. If she doesn't find one soon she'll lose guardianship of her beloved niece to a greedy, dangerous neighbor when her ailing father succumbs to his illness. Her friend since childhood, Fitzwilliam Vaughn, the Duke of Blackmore, is her best hope. Juliana hies off to Scotland after him only to be shocked upon her arrival to find that Fitz has fallen in love and become betrothed to someone else. Not only that, Fitz has a twin brother, Logan Blair, who had a large hand in keeping Fitz and Juliana from corresponding, thus leading to Juliana's detrimentally single state. With no betrothed, Juliana's best option is to marry Logan, recognized by his people as Laird of Clan Kinross.
Logan has no desire to marry a highborn Englishwoman who'd take him away from his people, but the more time he spends with her the more he comes to truly care for her and she for him. But just as these two begin to find their way, secrets and misunderstandings come between them again and each has to find a way to make things right.
I got so frustrated with these two! It's like they continually took two steps forward and one step back. So much of their issue could've been avoided if they'd simply communicated with each other better, but given the circumstances of their marriage and how quickly it came about, their struggles were realistic and so relatable. Plus they ultimately worked for the good of one another and overcame some serious insecurities together and I loved them as a couple. I'm itching for the next book in this series already.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I could not wait to read the latest in the Besotted Scots series, by one of my favourite authors, Anna Bradley. This book lived up to all my expectations, with two great main characters.
Lady Juliana Bernard finds herself in the wilds of Scotland, to find her best friend, Fitzwilliam Vaughan, the Duke of Blackmore. Desperate to marry to protect her niece Grace, she searches for Fitz, as they have been betrothed since childhood. However, he is soon to marry and will soon become a father. With no other option, she decides that Logan Blair, Fitzwilliam's brother, should marry her as he has prevented her from finding Fitz. Logan in wanting to keep his brother in Scotland, to ensure that he ensure that the clan will be cared for, has stalled Juliana’s attempts to seek out his brother. In doing so, he feels guilty and agrees to marry Juliana. However, both Logan and Juliana are instantly attracted to each other, and the thought of marriage, is not as difficult as initially believed.
As with all of the books written by Anna Bradley, great detail goes into the historical events of the time; however, the destruction of the clans, is vividly told and underlies the personal difficulties faced by Logan. Both characters whilst both strong in nature, show their insecurities and fragilities throughout the book. I was captivated from the beginning to the very end, and what an ending it was. I can’t wait to read the next instalment in this series. Whilst this is part of a series, this book can be read as a stand-alone novel but do yourself a favour and read all that you can by this author.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I read an advanced reader's copy of To Wed a Wild Scot.
Lady Juliana Bernard is a heroine that is willing to take risks to protect her niece. Logan is also willing to do what he needs to do to protect his clan.
The story takes place mostly in the highlands and the author has done her research of the area and the time period.
I love that the characters are protective of their loved ones. There is some friction between the brothers but it's understandable due to the circumstances surrounding them.
One thing that wasn't clear to me was why the person who was to get guardianship of the niece was chosen instead of the more appropriate blood relative. I was also bothered a bit by Logan's brother, the Duke of Blackmore, who claims to be a man of honor and yet some of the actions he was willing to take for Juliana's sake seemed less than honorable.
I enjoyed this story and thought Logan and Juliana were well-matched for each other.
From the previous book in the series, I knew I would love Lady Juliana Bernard. She singlehandedly rescued the hero from that book with her strength and boldness. Unfortunately, that decision put her life in turmoil but like the strong woman she is, she sets out to Scotland fix the situation. She needs a husband, fast, and her best friend from childhood is just her ticket out of a dire predicament with a longtime foe. Unfortunately, the Duke of Blackmore, has found love while in Scotland and is not able to save her. Down, but not out, Juliana, turns her attention to the duke's trouble making brother, Logan, Laird of Clan Kinross,
I loved that in this story, the hero and heroine were so evenly matched. Each had their weaknesses but also were able to hold their own. I thought Logan took a bit longer than needed to fall for Juliana but later if was clear that she had him from the very start. The angst level was perfect, just enough without being drawn out unnecessarily or created out of miscommunication. I do wish the villain got what was coming to him but it did work with the storyline. Great story!
I love a strong heroine and you get that and then some with Lady Julianna. The hero is nothing to sneeze at either. Probably most gratifying, beyond the HEA, is the richness of the story. It’s evident that the author did the research necessary to produce a romance enhanced by facts and real-life accounts. I’d easily recommend this to a friend who enjoys Scottish historical romances.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
To Wed a Wild
I loved this book. LOVED. This was one of those books I just couldn't put down.
Juliana has some things she must accomplish. She must find a husband to protect the guardianship of her beloved niece, Grace. Unfortunately for her, two of her betrothels have failed and she is quickly running out time. She pins the blame on Logan, who she demands to fix the situation.
The first half of this book takes place in Scotland and it is just wonderful. I could so clearly experience the scenery. I quickly fell in love with Juliana. I read usually for the hero, but there was just something about her gumption and personality I couldn't help but love. Logan has behaved despicably before the book really even gets going. As time goes on, you understand what drove him to do what he does. The time in Scotland is just so precious to me. Feeling each other out, learning each other's personality. Being totally surprised by what the other becomes after the initial assumptions. The butterflies and beginnings of love. I adored the entire scene leading up to their first kiss and the kiss itself. I think they both take each other completely by surprise.
Logan is a wonderful hero. He cares so much about Scotland and his people. He doesn't really know what to make of Juliana. He knows her through letters he was never supposed to read and has made wrong assumptions about her. As he watches her determination and fierce stubbornness, you can feel his confusion and pull towards her. I adored feeling him fall in love.
The second half of the book takes you back to London. This time is angst filled and riddled with miscommunications. Jealousy, uncertainty about each other, they must learn to trust each other. Juliana does something that makes me ever so sad. This book just felt real to me. Real mistakes, doubts, the pain of hurting someone and trying to fix it. I thought they were both flawed characters that persevered through to find the gift of true love.
There is a lot of Gaelic in this book. She does include a guide at the end, so you can glance at that to decipher. I didn't know it was there until I finished haha. This book also touches on the Highland Clearances, which I've never heard anything about. Absolutely heartbreaking history. I love books that take place in Scotland, and to see the breakdown of the clan systems after so much time, it's so sad. The book feels well researched and of course I adore Bradley's writing style. Her characters fly off the page to me, full bodied and real.
I really enjoyed this book! The whole story was good. I recommend it. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.
I totally loved the marriage of convenience situation in this one. This is the first I have read Anna Bradley book and I am totally going to read her books in the future. I am happy to have discovered another amazing author. I would highly recommend this book. It was a book I could not put down once I started reading.
I was blessed with an ARC of this book and I truly loved it. Logan and Juliana are wonderful characters, I immediately felt as if I knew them. This series has proven to be quite fun and I can't wait for the next installment.
The Scottish clearances were real and to say the least horrible for Scots. This book's prologue describes one of the terrible instances, giving the reader a look into Logan Blair's actions several years later. Lady Juliana is a woman with a dilemma. She needs to be married in order to gain custody of her niece, Grace. Her time is running out since her father is very ill and has named Lord Benedict Bowden as Grace's guardian. Although Juliana knows Lord Cowden's true nature, her father does not. She will do anything to save her niece from being raised by a cold, calculating villain. And so we find Juliana traveling to Scotland to find and marry her best friend and long time betrothed, Fitzwilliam. Only she did not know Fitz had an identical twin, from whom he was separated from birth unaware of his existence until a short while ago. Logan, the Scot twin brother is all about the clan, and saving them from the clearances. To this end he has destroyed most of Juliana and Fitz's letters to each other. Desperation has Juliana following Logan after a chance meeting all the way to Castle Kinross and Fitz. What happens when she finally meet up with Fits and finds he is now unavailable? Will she be able to get a replacement husband quickly? And when she does, will she make it back to her father in time to seal Grace's future? I read several of Anna Bradley's books. I must say this is my favorite so far and I really enjoyed several of the others. This read has some unexpected twists here and there, along with a little character danger here and there.
Logan, Laird of Clan Kinross, will do anything to protect his clan from suffering the fate of Highland Clearing and that includes stealing letters from his twin brother, Fitzwilliam Vaughn, the Duke of Blackmore and Lady Julianna Bernard. While his brother was raised in England as the future heir, Logan was raised by his father in Scotland and he feels his brother doesn't understand what it means to look out for the best interests of the clan and that includes, not clearing out the tenants from the land so sheep can graze. What Logan doesn't know is Julianna is desperate to marry Fitzwilliam, her childhood friend and betrothed, to save her niece from being sent away.
I really enjoy Ms. Bradley's books, but this one was just one continuous misunderstanding after another. Logan is responsible for Julianna's predicament and Fitzwilliam (who is engaged to another) is furious with him and tells him to do the right thing and marry her, but Logan is hesitant. I liked that Julianna is bold, fierce, but other times self-doubt nearly cripples her. I thought Logan was quite arrogant stealing letters, even if he did it for a good reason. He does redeem himself, but there's a lot of back and forth and more misunderstandings. If these two just sat down and had a conversation, most of their problems could be cleared up. All and all, I think romance fans will enjoy this one. I look forward to Ms. Bradley's next book.
To Wed a Wild Scot finds Lady Juliana Bernard desperately in search of a husband. With her father's failing health, Juliana needs a husband fast to keep guardianship of the niece she has raised. Chasing down an old childhood friend the Duke of Blackmore, Juliana trapses across Scotland to find out that his twin brother threw away all of her letters and pleas to the Duke. The Duke is newly engaged and that only leaves one option for Juliana's husband. Logan, Laird of Clan Kinross and brother of the Duke of Blackmore, will do whatever it takes to protect his clan even marry a sassy English miss. A marriage of convenience quickly leads to true love in the entertaining story that is sometimes sweet and sometimes smoking hot with a satisfying HEA. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy form Netgalley.
I loved reading this book, usually the storyline with Highlanders are not my cup of tea. Lady Juliana had a couple problems. One, she needed a husband so that she could have custody of her niece. Lady Juliana's father placed in his will that if she was not married then custody would go to a very bad man. Two, she tried to get married to two different guys, but both happened to fall in love with another person. Lady Juliana felt that these two men should go and marry the love of their life. Third, Lady Juliana's letters seem to not be getting to the Duke. Therefore, she had to go to Scotland to try to get the Duke (2nd man) to marry her and find out why he did not answer her letters.
Enter Logan, the Duke's twin, he is all about protecting his clan at all costs. One of his problems was Lady Juliana sending letters to the Duke about getting married. Logan could not allow the Duke to marry Lady Juliana, because apparently the Duke was going to be marrying a woman that was part of the clan and said lady was pregnant. Logan knew the Duke would pick duty over love so he did what he had to do to protect his clan.
I liked how the author laid out the problems that both Lady Juliana and Logan were going through between the clearances and Lady Juliana's niece going to a nasty man. Lady Juliana is a strong woman, but a very loving heroine. She was willing to allow two different gentleman to marry for love to someone else, even though she was in a bind and had to get married.
I was not liking Logan at first, because what he did was not very nice. After a few chapters he grew on me. Both characters seemed to become more open then in the beginning, especially Logan. They hero and heroine were given lemons and they made lemonade out of it.
I would highly recommend this book. It was a book I could not put down once I started reading.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Lady Juliana Bernard needs Fitzwilliam Vaughn desperately and follows him to Scotland. She needs his help to retain custody of her niece and doesn't know who else to turn to. She doesn't know he's really Gavin Blair and went to Scotland to find his 'real' family.
On arrival at the castle... the journey is another story, she finds out he's betrothed and expecting, there's no way he can help...but his brother Logan is another story. She can lay part of her trials at his feet. Logan does agree to help...eventually.
The pair battle attraction, squabble and make peace, as well as love..eventually in more than a few steamy scenes. This historical has a determined 'wee' English lass, an alpha Scotsman, angst, humor and an evil foe for the family. There is a happy ever after in the end, but the couple has to work for it. There are vivid descriptions of the characters, scenes and clothing.
I requested the NetGalley ARC and was thrilled to receive it. I offer my opinion freely.