Such an exciting ending to May McGoldrick's Royal Highlander series! Highland Sword, book #3 in the series, is Morrigan Drummond's story. She ended up with her stepmother Isabella at Dalmigavie Castle in the Scottish Highlands after the death of her surgeon father. There she meets and falls in love with Edinburgh barrister Aiden Grant. Aiden Grant works to represent the unjustly accused. I loved these two characters and enjoyed reading about them as they traveled the path to their Happily Ever After!

Cinaed is the son of Caroline of Bruswick, Queen of England and Ireland. She has some regrets like leaving her four-year-old son in Scotland. She has to leave early in the morning and she hates leaving her son with strangers.. He is cast out at the age of nine and becomes a ship boy. He felt very unwanted and lonely but he was the grandson of Tearlach and the son of Scotland. Queen Caroline wants Cinaed to take the throne but he won't. He refuses to spill blood like on the Culloden Moor.
Morrigan Drummond is a reformist just like her father. He was killed when he tried to protect the patients in the sitting room of his office. Aidan Grant is a very good Barrister. Sebastion his brother, is a Solicitor and protects Aidan was also a soldier and was at Waterloo. He has helped a traitor escape from the English who are looking for him. He wanted to quit spying. He was the cause of many reformers being caught, tried and then hanged. Aidan was going to trial because the Chattan Brothers had been caught the same way and were awaiting their trial Robert Sparrow was his name but they had to keep him alive long enough to testify. He had Cancer of the lung.

This book, like the entire series, is filled with historical knowledge. The strong women and men that make up the cast of characters are strong fighters for the freedom and independence of Scotland. They fight injustice as hard as the love their family, clan and spouses. Morrigan has a demon in in her past that has driven her to fight harder than any of the others. It takes a very strong and confident man in the form of Aiden, to breakdown her barriers and gain her trust and love. This is an epic series that will be a great addition to any readers library.

Wow what a dynamic end to A Royal Highlander Novel Series! This book went beyond my expectations creating an action-packed story that weaves through a series of twists and turn to create a flawless ending to the series.

I can't say enough about this series or for this last book of the series. The author May McGoldrick does extensive research and this book is no different. The reader will learn a lot about what was occurring during the time that this book was written with vivid imagery and well scripted dialog.

Fiery Morrigan is the main female character in this book and her character is finally brought to light for the reader. In previous books she seemed to be in the shadows and what comes out throughout the book will bring draw the reader compassionately in, so they want to hold her and take her troubles away. I want to be like her fiery, feisty and a warrior.

Aidan and his brother, Sebastian are a great team and their interactions with each other will make you smile. Though Sebastian is. secondary character I sure would love to read a book where he is the primary character. Aiden is one of those men that makes you feel safe and loved. He is quick on his feet and sharp in his mind. In fact, he is the perfect match for Morrigan.

The ending to this book made me cry in a good and sad way. The way it was tied up at the end brought me great satisfaction.

5 +++ STARS for the flawless emotional ending to the series.

4.5 Stars
Fleeing to the Highlands after her father’s murder, fiery Morrigan Drummond has a score to settle with Sir Rupert Burney, the English spymaster responsible for his death. Aidan Grant has never encountered another woman like dangerous beauty Morrigan and he has the bruises to prove it. Yet she could be the key to defending two innocent men, as well as striking a death blow to the reprehensible Burney.
This is the final book in the series & it could be read on its own but I’d recommend reading the books in order. I found it to be a very well written book, which was harrowing at times, so if you’re looking for a frothy romance then this certainly isn't it. It is however a captivating, engrossing read, which doesn’t gloss over the hardships, conflicts & machinations that were very real at the start of the nineteenth century. Strong characters with lots of depth added to my enjoyment. I loved Aidan, a strong successful man but who also lived with survivor’s guilt. Whilst I liked Morrigan I didn't love her but did admire her. I've loved the whole series & this was an enthralling finale
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Rating: 3 Stars ⭐️

Blurb: Fleeing to the Highlands after her father’s murder, fiery Morrigan Drummond has a score to settle with Sir Rupert Burney, the English spymaster responsible for his death. Trained to fight alongside the other rebels determined to break Britain’s hold on Scotland, she swears to avenge her father’s death until a chance encounter with a barrister as proud and principled as she is presents her with a hard choice and a bittersweet temptation. Aidan Grant has never encountered another woman like dangerous beauty Morrigan and he has the bruises to prove it. Yet she could be the key to defending two innocent men, as well as striking a death blow to the reprehensible Burney. Convincing Morrigan to help him will take time, but Aidan is willing to wait if it means victory over corrupt government forces and freedom for his people and Morrigan’s hand in marriage.

Enemies to lovers is my favorite trope. However, I had a hard time with this story. I found myself skimming and putting it down! I was missing the feels and the romance. A good effort but not quite my cuppa tea.

Thank you to the publisher for providing the ARC via netgalley.

I read the first two books in this series and couldn't wait for the third to be released because I needed to Morrigan's story. Wow, did she get a story! We've read about Morrigan in the first two books, but didn't know much about her. Her backstory is revealed and explains some of her actions in the other books. Aiden is a strong man that fits with our strong heroine Morrigan so well, they are just meant to be. I'm sad that this is the last story in the series, I might need to go and find some of May McGoldrick's other books to read.

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Morrigan Drummond follows her greatest enemy into an alley with murder in her heart, but before she can act, she meets Aidan Grant who is protecting the man she wants dead. Morrigan makes it clear that she is not to be underestimated. She gives him a through thrashing and manages to escape, but not without losing her blade and taking a couple of knocks herself.

They meet again days later when Isabella is called to tend a sick man brought to Dalmigavie by barrister Aidan Grant and his solicitor brother, Sebastian. Isabella asked Morrigan to accompany her and she is shocked when she realizes the man she fought is the man Isabella is meeting. She hopes he will not tell Isabella of their first introduction – she also learns that the man she hates more than anyone is the man Aidan is trying to have Isabella save. She is grateful that he keeps her secret and thinks that they will have no further contact – but that thought is blown away when his witness sees Morrigan and tells everyone that he is her uncle.

Aidan needs the man’s testimony and approaches Morrigan for help. They soon start an unlikely friendship and gradually they fall in love, but there are secrets that Morrigan hasn’t shared and when a common enemy threatens to reveal her secrets, Morrigan will have to make a choice – share her fears and shame or lose the man she has come to love.

This was a well written, intense story with a lot of emotion and sensitivity triggers – parts of the story are truly heartbreaking and difficult to read, but Aidan manages to keep the story from becoming oppressive. I feel a little torn in this review, I liked the story and felt the romance suited the storyline, but I also felt that some parts dragged and the romance was really downplayed. Considering the subject material, the story was executed perfectly, but I still wished for more. This is the third book in the series and I recommend reading the books in order – this installment ties up all the loose ends and provides both closure and comeuppance| I enjoyed the book and would be happy to recommend it!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provide to me by NetGalley and the Publisher.*

3.5 rounded to 4.

I really enjoyed Aiden and Morrigan's story. In the beginning they seemed to be an unlikely couple but the author pulled it off beautifully. I loved them.
This story has quite a bit going for it. Political intrigue, a strong brilliant hero and a feisty intelligent heroine. On the downside it's a bit on the slow side but still well written.

Highland Sword is the third and last installment in the Royal Highlander series by May McGoldrick. I enjoyed the first two books and was looking forward to reading Morrigan's book. I liked Morrigan's and Aiden's story but found it a little slow. My favorite couple is Isabella and Cinaed, and I was happy that they still had a big part in this book. Overall, I enjoyed this trilogy about three strong women and the men who love them, steeped in Scottish history and politics, and I would recommend it to historical romance readers.

Highland Sword
Royal Highlander #3
May McGoldrick
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Corrigan Drummond has run to the Highlands after her father's murder. She has a big score to settle with Sir Rupert Burney the man who's also an English spymaster.Trained to fight alongside with the other rebels who want to break Britain's hold on Scotland, she swears that she will avenge her father's death, but sometimes things are easier said then done.

Aiden Grant has never met another woman like the beautiful Morrigan and he has the injuries that she inflicted on him to prove it. Now he only has to convince Morrigan to help him could take time, but Aiden is willing to wait if it means victory over the corrupt government forces and freedom for his people and Morrigan's hand in marriage.

Can these two warriors who undoubtedly committed to a cause stop fighting long enough to open their hearts for love? Or will they fight on past the feeling and never know that kind of love?

May McGoldrick has ended this series in this wonderful story to sum it all up. Aiden is the perfect hero as he goes about Scotland defending all of those that are falsely accused of treason. And Morrigan is a totally different kind of woman who can hold her own. As these are dangerous times in Scotland it is really nice to see these two find such love. As a couple these two were wonderful. Almost like a heart that was split in two and made whole again. Everyone basically get their just desserts as well. May McGoldrick has such talent. Everytime I read one of their books I'm carted off to a different time and place and in my opinion that is the best part. Thank you for writing such a lovely book.

A good ending to the series, you get some drama, politics, mystery and of course, romance.
This story did start a bit slow for me so it took me some time to get hooked but it's worth to stick by it. I continue to really like how the author takes historical events and weaves them into the story, there are also some interesting twists and combined with well developed characters who share great chemistry, and the result is that you have a very exciting story.
It can be read as a standalone but I do recommend reading the previous books to enrich the experience. I look forward to reading more from May McGoldrick.

VENGEANCE against the spymaster who caused her father's murder, fiery Morrigan Drummond could only keep that one thought in her mind as she fled to the Scottish Highlands. She had a score to settle with Sir Robert Burney, whom she held responsible for his death. But oftentimes, chance meetings can steer one offtrack when she meets up with a barrister, Aiden Grant, who is as proud and principled as she - and who is ready to take the proud beauty on never realizing that despite her small feminine stature, she would give him a fight and bruises he could never have expected.

Unfortunately, once they were formally introduced Aiden discovered that Morrigan was the key to the defense of two innocent men he’d been brought to the Highlands to defend. Beneath the warrior heart and her plans for vengeance, Aiden knew he must convince her to do the right thing in helping him with the defense of these men who would be the next victims of Sir Rupert Burney’s vengeance. But most of all convince her to open her heart to him so that he could marry her!

As usual, this was another fast-paced and complicated adventure set in the Highlands to thwart the English from murdering more innocent men and women who only wanted their freedom. Aiden and Morrigan both had the same warrior hearts and believed in the same causes, but Morrigan’s past was something that she had to overcome, and only Aiden with his compassion and understanding would be able to help her to overcome and bury her past so that they could begin a new future!

Definitely a wonderful new book by the dynamic writing team of May McGoldrick that fans and new readers should get to know!

i read the book overnight. In the beginning the book did catch my attention with a lot action, however as I continued to read the book, political talk over shadowed the romance of the book. If the book discussed more of the Romance between the two characters, I would be able to be in tune to the book. This my review as a reviewer for Net Galley
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4.5*

Morrigan, a feisty, battle trained rebel hell bent on revenging the death of her beloved father is torn and tempted when she meets the handsome barrister, Aiden.

After almost killing Aiden, an unexpected alliance is formed as well as feelings that neither of them can seem to quell.

When Morrigan's past rears its ugly head, she distances herself from Aiden to protect his future.

The Royal Highlander series is wonderful!

I really enjoyed Morrigan and Aidan as characters. I enjoyed the storyline but think I would have understood it better if I'd read the preceding books.

Many thanks to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I always enjoy a book that has an exciting plot, with accurate historical detail, and a believable romance between interesting characters, and I really enjoyed this one.

This book is the third in a series, which started with Isabella and Cinead’s story, which was my favourite in the series, the second book was her sister Maisie and Niall’s story, this third book is about Morrigan Drummond, Isabella’s step daughter.

Morrigan is happy living with the Macintosh clan at Dalmigavie Keep, and training with Searc and Blair and the other warriors of clan macintosh. She is working with the rebels and reformers to battle the false propaganda generated by Sir Rupert Burney, and his collaborators in Scotland. In Inverness in 1820, she is collecting caricatures blackening the name of Cinaed and the other highlanders, and she is determined to find the artist and stop them.

As she makes her way through the city, she spots her uncle Robert Wemys, who she hates, and she follows him into an alley intending to kill him for his sins. Wemys is an informer and a thief, who has connived and lied and entrapped many people for opposing the clearances and English rule, at Rupert Burneys behest.

Aidan Grant is a Scottish barrister, due to defend two brother accused of treason against the crown. Together with his solicitor brother Sebastian they are trying to negotiate with Wemys for his testimony to win the freedom of a couple of rebels in court in a couple of months time. As they try and follow him to broker a deal, Aiden spots Morrigan trying to attack him, he disarms her of her weapon, but she fights him, they are both injured, and she manages to escape.

When Aiden, Sebastian and Wemys all turn up at Dalmigavie, Morrigan is first angry and worried that Aiden will betray her, and secondly profoundly unhappy with Wemys being there.

Aiden was drawn to her from their first violent meeting in the alley, and he finds himself ever more fascinated by her at Dalmigavie. Morrigan puts up a spirited resistance to his pursuit, but eventually she also recognises she has feelings for him. As Aidan is groomed to enter politics to support the Highland cause, supported by clan Macintosh, and Aiden works to win his trial using Wemys, Morrigan is also busy trying to track down the artist of the flyers and posters she collected in Inverness.

When her investigations lead her to a women’s refuge, she comes to the attention of Burney who tries to blackmail her for his own ends. Can Morrigan outsmart Burney, and overcome her fear of her secret being discovered. Can she find the strength to confide in her family, and face up to Wemys. As Aidan, Morrigan and Clan Macintosh work together to liberate the artist, and deal with Burney,.the backdrop to all this is the intrigue around the succession of the English throne. We see the aftermath of the Regents divorce of Queen Caroline, and her subsequent death in suspicious circumstances. We hear of her desire to see her secret son Cinaed make a claim on the throne, and Cinaed’s desire to protect and preserve the lives of the Highlanders in a different way.

Can Aiden convince Morrigan that he can have his successful political career and marry her too, or will her secret come between them. I really enjoyed this, and loved Morrigan’s fierce character. I found the intrigue in this book not quite as exciting as Highland Crown and Highland Jewel, but I did enjoy it very much. Aiden wasn’t quite as well drawn as Morrigan, but I felt he was a good foil to her.

Recommended

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

Also posted on Goodreads

This is my fair and honest ,voluntarily given review, in my own words for this ARC I do enjoy May McGoldrick books. She has such an involved writing style swimming in history. Two people who are seemingly so different and yet pulled, with great reluctance, together to what is a common cause. Not sexually graphic if you are concerned about that but well written.

Another strong entry in the Royal Highlander series, “Highland Sword” tells the story of Morrigan and Aidan. If you have read the first books in the series, you will enjoy getting to know these characters better, and to watch Cinaed and Isabella’s story develop. If you haven’t, this is still a entertaining romance, and a fascinating historical.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

From start to finish the writing duo that is May McGoldrick has provided a thrilling story with strong historical overtones. Whenever I read one of their books I spend a lot of time researching the historical accuracy. I learned in 'Highland Sword' there is no new thing under the sun with political intrigue. Lies, made up stories, all of it has been around for ages. So this book was both a Regency and at the same time completely current. I just loved it. I highly recommend the entire series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.