I received with thanks an ARC copy of The Laird’s Vow from Kensington Books and Netgalley.

This is my review of The Laird’s Vow by Heather Grothaus. This was published on 17th September 2019
I will start by saying I love Highlander romances and this one definitely fits what I am looking for. This is my first book by this author and will not be the last. I enjoyed the authors writing style. I will be definitely will be continuing on with the series.

Would recommend if you love a Historical Romance

A rags to riches hero and the girl who's life that he is able to flip upside down, what's not to love? After reading the book blurb, I thought that I knew exactly what kind of book I was in for but the prologue threw me for a loop. The level of mystery and intrigue that Grothaus setup, with a twist that I didn't see coming, was a much added bonus to this historical romance..

The dynamic between Tavis and Glenna is full of tension from their first meeting and I could not help but to root for them to realize how much they wanted each other. The side characters only added to the story for me and I cannot wait to read more books in this world that Grothaus set up, that had just enough historical accuracy to make my history loving heart soar. I cannot wait to read the other books in the series. I just hope that I get to read more about Tavis and Glenna and Tom of course.

I would recommend this book to anyone that loves great historical romance, with a slow build,

Book: The Laird’s Vow
By Heather Grothaus

Series: Sons of Scotland, Book #1

Reviewed by: Barb Massabrook of
1. Tartan Book Reviews
2. Purple Tulip Book Reviews
3. Celtic World of Historical Book Reviews
4.Celtic Barb’s Tartan Book Review Blog

Heat Rating: 🔥

Overall Rating: 5 Star & 5 Kilts

#Special Sale: This fabulous book is on sale for a limited time for only .99 cents. This is a full 310 page book.


Edinburgh, Scotland
March 1458

This story starts thirty one years earlier, Thomas Annesley, Lord of Darlyrede, he is running from the devil a man who killed his own daughter Cordelia Hargrave the night before she and Thomas Annsley were to wed. Now he was after Thomas.

This story’s hero is Tavish Cameron a man that killed his step-father from being horribly abusive to his mother. He has always been treated horribly by the gentry due to him being illegitimate. The nobility always looked down to him even though he was a successful Edinburgh merchant. He soon finds out he is the illegitimate son of a titled murdering Baron, which entitles him to inherit a castle, with a title as Laird. Yet all he has to do is evict the people living in the castle.

However King James must approve his new title and castle. As he has the legal paperwork to prove it his inheritance of Tower Roscraig, its village and industries. Yet when he gets there he sees a deserted village plagued by illness and death, a castle falling to pieces. Plus a beautiful Princess dressed like servant the suffering Glenna Douglas, the current Laird Iain Douglas’s daughter.

At first Tavish is very arrogant and sure of himself. He seems to want revenge as how he was poorly treated as a merchant. Yet he is acting toward Glenna and others treating Glenna and the servants unc He finally sees the error of his ways as most just want to use him. Glenna is really fcthe only one who is open and honest with him. Yet there is danger at every corner. One who wants to make him suffer for his fathers deeds and use the woman he loves. He soon realizes acquiring this property and title is not as easy as he thought. Plus he might follow his father to the gallows for trickery and set up of others. Will Tavish and Glenna ever have a chance at love? Read this action-filled, awe-inspiring, delightful tale and find out!

Another Heather Grothaus book I absolutely loved! As I have been reading her books for years which I always love.

In this book, “The Laird’s Vow it is the first In Heather Grothaus new series Son’s of Scotland. In addition it has all the elements historical romance readers love. It’s a fast-paced, riveting, adventure, filled with suspense, mystery, treachery, false evidence and testimony, murder, jealousy, hatred, forgiveness, faith, love and more. An action filled phenomenal novel from start to finish!

The setting was breathtaking, magnificent dialogue, and the plotting was absolutely brilliant! Plus the both the main characters and secondary characters were so spectacular!

I am so excited to read the next book in this series The Highlanders Promise!

I can’t recommend this book enough, it was absolutely magnificent! A book readers won’t be able to put down, but will want to read again. One certainly for the keeper shelf!

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

Buy Links:

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Set in 1458 Scotland. The writing was nice and the Historical details were well done. This book was full of descriptive writing, which at times made the reading and the story quite slow going for the greater part of the book. Unfortunately I found myself speed reading over sections, just to get to the point. I'm used to reading dialogue driven books, but if you love immersing yourself with beautiful words, then this Historical romance has them in spades. The romance didn't really grab me, but the ending did. Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

A twist of fate and a romance to forever wish for, this book had me in it's grasps from start to finish. I highly recommend this highland romance to all readers of the romance genre.

This book was a good start for a new series! The romance was great and there was a mystery also. The author left some things open at the end and I hope they will be addressed in the next book.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Edinburgh merchant Tavish Cameron has no choice but to pay outrageous tolls to the nobility, until fate gives him an unexpected opportunity for advancement. To claim Tower Roscraig, all he has to do is admit that he is the bastard son of a murdering baron…and evict the proud, impoverished Lady Glenna Douglas from her crumbling castle. With her father ailing and her village devastated by illness, Glenna has lost almost everything except her home. Now a ruggedly handsome stranger intends to take that too. Until the king himself arrives to determine the rightful laird, Glenna and Tavish Cameron must share Tower Roscraig—resulting in a scandalous bargain. But something deeper than passion ignites as they realize that Roscraig has been targeted by enemies. And only by uniting can they evade the traps set for them both.
When this book started, it had promise. However, I really didn’t like Tavish or Glenna, making it hard to want to finish the book.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Last page...oh no! I need more. This story captured my attention right from the first paragraph. So much going on. So much subterfuge! Tavish and Glenna's storyis great...I won't spoil it for you), but there are other storys intertwined, and then it was the end! I can only hope Heather Grothaus is working on the next story. Tommy deserves it!

Tavish and Glenna, the main couple, want the same thing, folks. The right to call a certain castle they feel is rightfully theirs...home. When one of them is eventually declared the winner, that means the other has to be the loser. Right? What you get here is mostly these two adversaries to in love knuckleheads dancing around each other while bickering until they finally realize they’ve won each other’s hearts in the process.

The writing did flow, and I grew invested in how their conflict would be resolved. However, I did on occasion have to shrug off some not so flattering to themselves conduct. You see, I was rather taken aback by how nasty both of these two were towards each other at times. Fortunately, their anger simmers down enough they start to get to know one another and see the positive sides of their personality.

The wrap up ending splintered in a couple different directions in order to cover all the subplot bases. I believe a total of four were connected/unfolding, including an explanation to what happened to a key central figure who basically started this whole situation but only makes an appearance in the very beginning. It seemed like a lot to cram in, folks. I’m not sure I completely followed all of it accurately, especially the fella I just mentioned. But, hey, the main couple got their HEA, and that’s what I’m all about, my fellow romance book loving friends.

Title: The Laird’s Vow, Series: Sons of Scotland (Book 1), Author: Heather Grothaus, Pages: 310, stand-alone, adversaries to in love, some gory murder details, HEA, some OW drama but no hanky panky between them, HEA, complex wrap up, not overly Scottish brogue/feel to it.

Book 1 - The Laird’s Vow
Book 2 - The Highlander’s Promise

(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.)

The Laird's Vow by Heather Grothaus is an interesting tale with a cast of characters that the reader either will love or hate but keeps the reader hooked throughout the story. Book 1 of this author's new series, "Sons of Scotland ". Set in1427 Northumberland, England and Medieval Scotland. This is the story of Tavish Cameron and Glenna Douglas. Set with a backdrop of the Tower of Roscraig.

Tavish is arrogant, he had to scramble for everything he's earned, due to his illegitimacy, but he is an Edinburgh merchant. He learns his father left him an estate, the Tower of Roscraig. He would have to evict the beautiful, but impoverished, and proud, Lady Glenna Douglas, whose father is dying, from the crumbling castle.
Steady paced, but a bit slow at times, Tavish and Glenna are hard to connect to, but at the end they redeem themselves. There are secrets, challenges, drama, betrayal, killings, lies, deceit, enemies and finding love, at last. A slow burn love-hate relationship, with surprises, twists and turns. I look forward to Book 2 of this series. I think this story is either a you like or you are disappointed, either way, it is an enjoyable story.

"I voluntarily received a complimentary copy, however,  these are my honest opinions. I was in no way required nor compensated to write a review."
#NetGalley, #TheLairdsVow

Rating: 4
Heat rating: Mild
Reviewer: AprilR

Tavish travels with his mam to what he is hoping to be his home. When he arrives he finds a complication, Glenna Douglas. She thinks the keep is hers and her father's. A couple of villians cause mischief. I really didn't like the hero the beginning. I was half way through before I started liking him. Check it out

I really wanted to like this one...I liked the write up and thought that it would be an interesting read, But I didn't like Tavish at all...he was an ass. Now there have been stories that I've read were I didn't like the hero and then he started changing his ways and he grew on me. But unfortunately, Tavish was an ass throughout most of the story and redeemed himself too late...I just wasn't feeling this one.

1427 Northumberland, England The beginning of this story had Thomas Annesley, barely alive, trying to get away from the man who killed his bethrothed and was trying to finish him off. This really grabbed my interest and I could not wait to read further.
Then the story jumps to 31 years later in Edinburgh, Scotland to Tavish Cameron, who owns his own merchant shop an successful with his mother working with him. Regardless he is still a working class man and much beneath a lady he is attracted to and she to him. But the most unusual thing happens and he finds out he inherits a property in Scotland and is a Laird!
But what he finds is Lady Glenna Douglas and her ill father living in the property and things turn terribly frustrating for both of them. Both claiming the property and I cannot say it was good how Tavish acted or Glenna.
It is a very long and trying journey to find their happiness but also full of surprises and suspense. I did enjoy this story and only want to find out more so looking forward to the next story in this series!

In medieval Scotland, Edinburgh merchant Tavish Cameron is shocked to discover he’s the heir to Roscraig Castle. No longer beholden to the burgess who has tried to cripple his business with massive tolls, Tavish heads to Roscraig to claim his birthright, only to find Lady Glenna Douglas already in residence, and claiming her father is the rightful laird.

There are an awful lot of plot threads in this book, beginning with a murder, continuing through poison, plague, kidnapping and much more, and a lot of them actually don’t get tied off because this is apparently the first in a series about the illegitimate children of a notorious criminal (who we learn in this book was innocent of the crimes he was accused of). If you feel able to deal with the mastermind of most of the Bad Stuff not remotely getting his comeuppance, you might enjoy this, but I just ended it feeling frustrated.

Glenna had to put up with a great deal, being the victim of an unseen puppeteer controlling her strings to torment her for her entire life, and then getting stuck with Tavish who frankly behaved absolutely abominably towards her, starting with actual physical violence and proceeding through bullying, humiliation and more. Why she would feel any affection for him whatsoever was absolutely beyond me. Tavish was a jerk, to both Glenna and the ‘other woman’ in the story, Audrey Keane, daughter of a wealthy merchant he was desperate to marry when in Edinburgh, but as soon as he gained some status he basically dumped her like yesterday's news. Frankly, I thought he was despicable.

I thought I’d already reached the bottom of the barrel with this story with the violent, bullying Tavish being sold as a romantic hero, but when (spoiler) the only person of colour in the story turned out to be a bad guy, I was definitely done with it. I was actually commending the author up to that point for writing a believable PoC in medieval Scotland, and then… well, I nearly threw my ebook reader out the window with rage.

I’m still mad a day after finishing this book. Angry the main villain didn’t get his comeuppance, angry at the bad representation, angry at Tavish being such a jerk. There’s no way I’ll be back for more in this series. One star.

The Laird's Vow by Heather Grothaus is book One in the Sons of Scotland Series. This is the story of Tavish Cameron and Glenna Douglas.
Tavish has learned he has inherited the Tower Roscraig but of course it won't go easy when he learns he has to solve a mystery and possible evict Glenna.
This was a enjoyable read

The first part of the book was very slow which made it hard for me to continue reading. It speeds up towards the middle of the book and was easier to read. Tavish Cameron has inherited a castle but to claim it he must get the lady living there to leave. Also, he must solve the mystery of who the castle should belong to, prove it to the king, and find a killer. The relationship between Tavish and Gleena seem to go from one extreme to another. They went from immediate enemies to being co-conspirators with nothing leading up to the change. There were lots of twists and turns, but I didn’t feel like the mystery was ever solved.

This is my fair and honest review in exchange for this ARC. A LOT going on in this tale. Dishonor, revenge, deceit, love and uncertainty. Well written and told

Eighteen-year-old Thomas Annesley, third Baron of Darlyrede, was running for his life. He had been shot and had two arrows in his shoulder. He was having trouble breathing and knew his right lung was damaged.
March 1458 Edinburgh-
Tavish Cameron was a merchant with a boat and did quite well for himself and his mother. A knight came to see them, asked some questions. Sir Lucan Montague, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter of His Majesty King Henry of England, brought a parchment with him. It said that Tavish was the bastard son of one Thomas Annesley and he inherited Tower Roscraig. Now the bad part, he becomes a real jerk. He is rude to all at his tower.
Glenna Douglas was destitute and her father was very ill. They had little if any food. No one was left even in the village. Her clothes were rags hanging on her thin frame. Her father was Iain Douglas and he was the Laird here.
I loved the novel. His mother took over care of Iain and he seemed to be getting a little better. The separated little tales, the mystery, the evil and all seemed to be waiting on the visit from the king who had to decide if Tavish got his inheritance. There are some surprises that will shock you but it is so worth the read
I received the ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

3.5 Stars
Edinburgh merchant Tavish Cameron has no choice but to pay outrageous tolls to the nobility, until fate gives him an unexpected opportunity for advancement. To claim Tower Roscraig, all he has to do is admit that he is the bastard son of a murdering baron…and evict the proud, impoverished Lady Glenna Douglas from her crumbling castle.
With her father ailing and her village devastated by illness, Glenna has lost almost everything except her home. Now a ruggedly handsome stranger intends to take that too. Until the king himself arrives to determine the rightful laird, Glenna and Tavish Cameron must share Tower Roscraig—resulting in a scandalous bargain.
I had conflicting feelings about this book on the one hand I really enjoyed the mystery surrounding Tommy & look forward to the next instalment, on the other hand I found it hard to believe the romance between Tavish & Glenna. I felt there was no spark between them & their feelings for each other seemed contrived. I didn’t like Glenna at all & found the way she looked down her nose at everyone annoying. I liked Tavish but didn't love him. Whilst the book was well written I ploughed through the first half until the pace increased & by the final 10% the pages were really turning & was agreeably surprised by some of the revelations
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Although the first half of the story had a hard time keeping my interest, the second half was much better. Lots of intrigue and some twists and turns. I was a bit disappointed that there didn't seem to be much connection between Tavish and Glenna, most of the book they hated each other and then bam, they were in love! I just didn't feel the heat between them. Otherwise, the plot of the story was a good one and there are a couple of surprises at the end.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.