<i>She could feel the warmth of Ainslie's breath on her skin. It must be fear, Jane thought. This must be what it is to be terrified.

But it was unlike any fear she'd ever known. Not really, she realised, much like fear at all.</i>

I'm giving this what I consider to be a pretty generous rating because I can't deny that a lot of research went into it, and some parts made me laugh out loud, and some parts were super sexy, and the basic premise appeals to my lesbian lizard brain so viscerally I have to stan. (I said YES out loud when I first read the summary.) Basically, this book is about a 19th century scientist in Edinburgh who travels back in time to the 13th century and meets and falls in love with a highlander warrior woman. It had the potential to be SO much better than it actually is.

And there are good things about it, make no mistake. The writing was fine; really good at times. I adore that this is a time travel book about someone from before our time going back even further in time. It lays the ground for a dynamic that's really interesting. Especially because of the ways that Ainslie's clan is more 'modern' than what Jane expects. Jane and Ainslie's chemistry was really good, extremely hot (although I really didn't buy them falling in love as quickly as they did; more on that later). There were a fair few interesting historical titbits. Interesting to me at least, who knows nothing about Scottish history and can't say much on the accuracy here.

As for the not so great stuff. Where to begin...

(SOME STORY SPOILERS.)

- Unlike a lot of time travel romance, where someone ends up in a another time because of magic, in this book the main character actually builds a time machine. But don't let that fool you; this book is not science fiction. Jane builds a time machine in 1888. How does she build a time machine in 1888? None of our damned business, I assume, because Hoff literally never lets us know. Part of me begrudgingly respects that; I don't think the author really cared about the science-y bits, and so she just did not include them. But it also felt so weird to have the whole premise of the book built around time travel, to have Jane be a literal scientist and the person who created the machine, and yet give us absolutely nothing about the technical aspects of that.
- This book needed editing. Or a better editor. A lot of research went into this, as I said, and the author has a lot of interesting notes at the end (I only skimmed them, because by the time I got to the end I was just ready to be done) but it seems like very little thought was put into historical fidelity with regard to language? And I don't mean the Gaelic/Scottish, which again, I can't comment on. A lot of modern words and phrasing were continuously used, and it was really counterproductive in terms of setting up that historical atmosphere and vibe. Which is something that I really enjoy in historical novels. It was a pedant's nightmare (or a pedant's dream, if you're the annoying type who <i>likes</i> to nitpick stuff). The POV character used words like 'cheer-leading' which didn't really come into use until 1904; 'submarine' which wasn't used in the sense of underwater vehicle until 1899; 'snow-globes' which were invented until the 1900s. And a lot more. At some point I had to stop taking note of these because again, it really didn't seem like something Hoff had bothered to care about. One of the 13th century characters actually cracked a pun-based joke that was so clearly modern (something about fog and mist) that I just threw my hands up.
- With regard to the Scottish language though, I will say... the decision was made to phonetically spell out a LOT of the brogue and. I really wish Hoff hadn't done that LOL. It was more distracting than anything, made for a more difficult read.
- I liked the aspect of Ainslie's clan being more advanced and accepting than would be expected, but the ease with which they just accepted that Jane was a time traveller was laughable.
- The tone of this was all over the place. Sometimes serious, sometimes light, sometimes sombre, sometimes... ??? This obviously isn't to say that a book can't strike different tones as needed, but it just felt off-kilter in a way IDK how to explain. A couple times, the author says something like "because, you see, she knew all along". And like. There's a specific tone that a book needs to strike to get away with directly addressing the reader, and this was NOT IT. Part of me wishes that the book had leaned all the way into the whimsy and the humour, and been a bit lighter and sillier, and then I definitely would not have noticed all the word choice issues. It would have been like, stylistic, and in keeping with the humour.
- This was way too insta-lovey for my tastes. In the notes at the end, the author says that Jane is demi-romantic and demi-sexual, which is great, I love seeing ace rep in books but... it definitely didn't feel like she was. She and Ainslie did not build any kind of deep connection before they fell into bed and bombastic declarations were being thrown all over the place. Also, the way Ainslie lost emotional control because of Jane just didn't feel authentic to me. I thought this would have been a way slower burn.
- The sex scenes were pretty steamy, and there was a D/s element to them which I mean, BLESS, I'll never complain about that but also... it was all kinda sudden and un-negotiated, and. You hate to see it. Jane loved it and consented to it, but it got a little over the top, and the scenes where Ainslie got uber-possessive and almost abusive were too much. Jane called her out on it, and she apologised, but not enough imo. It was just kinda uncomfortable to me.
- The plot was a little garbled and confused, especially when it came to the clan rivalry, and Jane being a Campbell (which I didn't even realise until it became a thing). I got kind of bored with it.

I would love to see this book get edited for coherency and plot and language, because as far as I'm concerned, the world DESERVES good time travel Scottish lesbian romance. And this is that, just... not so much with the 'good'.

2.5 stars.

I adore historical fiction/romance. I always have. I have found, though, that sometimes it can be hard to find good lesbian-centered historical fiction. There are some authors out there who have written some great novels in this genre, but not that many. Thankfully I’ve now found another author I can add to that list.

My Heart’s in the Highlands by Amy Hoff is a wonderful historical fiction novel set in two different time periods in Scotland. The main character, Lady Jane Crichton, one of the Edinburgh Seven uses a time machine that she has invented to travel back in time to the year 1292. She winds up in the Scottish Highlands where she meets Ainslie nic Domhnaill, the future chief of her clan. Thus begins an adventure that could possibly change the world and history as well.

Ms. Hoff has woven a beautiful story perfectly into the history of Scotland and especially the Highlands for both of these time periods. While the romance and the story of Jane and Ainslie are fictional, there is much historical fact here as well. For instance, The Edinburgh Seven really existed. This was a group of women who were the first women to be educated as doctors in Great Britain only to be denied their rightful degrees by the University of Edinburgh. In real life those degrees were finally awarded to the Group of Seven in the 1990’s, long after they had passed away. Also, several of the secondary characters in the novel are people who actually existed in real life. Much of the plot is based on what would be normal for the two time periods. The author is also kind enough to give a brief history lesson at the end of the novel with information about the two time periods as well as information on the languages you will see and hear in the story. Don’t worry, you can figure out much of the Gaelic words by how they are used in sentences, but there is help at the end of the book if you want more info.
I totally immersed myself in this tale. I loved the characters and the settings. Everything felt so real. Even the time travel from one time to another fit right into the story. It is in my favorites list, and I will be looking for much more from this author.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections: http://rainbowreflections.home.blog/

I have never read from author Amy Hoff before and man does she have a fan in me. I loved this book and being a fan of Outlander I loved it even more. This is definitely one I will read again and again.

I received this Arc copy via NetGalley and publisher. Many Thanks!

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more into crime/thriller books and even psychological thrillers too so I am extremely pleased and grateful to them for opening up my mind to something totally different.

I hate to say it but this is without a doubt one of the weakest novels I've read in a long time. Everything and everyone is over-described, leaving no gap for the reader's imagination to bridge, meaning the characters are flat and unengaging. The (American) author's fetish for all things Scottish is entirely overwhelming and overpowers any semblance of a plot with nostalgia and phonetic spelling of slang and characters' accents. Finally the sex scenes read like they were written by someone who either isn't very familiar with wlw sex, or isn't appealing to a wlw audience. It's more in the teenage boy style of 'lesbian sex'.

An odd one from the usually stellar Bella Books. Avoid.

OVERALL REVIEW:
This book starts off with humor and a pace that effortlessly melds time period difference with universality of human emotion, which for me established a connection with the main character who is my proxy into the deeper past and yet is not from my actual time period. It also does a wonderful job of correcting the misconceptions of history and the myth of English-dominated and spread civilization:

“Jane had thought there would be a small hamlet of some kind, the sort of rude gathering of buildings she imagined when she encountered one of the poor Highlanders begging on the Edinburgh streets […] Instead, a busy metropolis of sorts met her eyes… The streets were thronged with people, laughing and hauling things, leading cattle here and there, sewing and knitting and doing all the sorts of things people find necessary to life.”

The way the tables get turned and Jane’s supposedly advanced society is revealed to be the less civilized one? Not just with big issues like sexism, but also in small issues like “bathing monthly” which horrifies Ainslie? Transcendent. This is my kind of historical fiction.

ASPECTS I GREATLY ENJOYED
Large lady who is decidedly not skinny meets a woman who can only be described by the comparison “if Jane was tall and stocky, this woman was absolutely huge” and who is “incredibly muscular”—look y'all this is lesbian rep we deserve.

I feel like the fact that Scots Gaelic exists as a language distinct from Irish Gaelic is not widely known and might confuse readers, but I for one welcome that, because more people should know and, in my opinion, should stop referring to the Irish language as Gaelic as if it is the only Gaelic in existence.

I love the way it subtly calls out the sexism of the present day (as well as racism, although that’s a quieter call-out that non-English readers might not pick up on as readily).

THERE’S ONLY ONE BED, which leads in to the fact that: This book is EXACTLY what I expected from it (and then some), and I think that’s wonderful. Why would I ever punish a book for being exactly what I hoped it would be? Tropes often exist because they’re good and enjoyable, and they help define and characterize the genre that they’re in. Is this a romance book? Hell yeah. Does it have tropes? Well, there’s only one bed, so that answers that.

The historical overview at the end is wonderful. I love that this book was written by a historian who knew her shit. As a (baby) historian, I found it immersive and, though this is not my specialization in history, no anachronisms pulled me away from the narrative flow at any point.

CRITICISMS:
I dislike the way intellect is paired with asexuality in the main character’s viewpoint. I understand that she is an unreliable narrator and that the story itself takes pains to make the reader aware of this fact; however, as an asexual person, I feel like it perpetuated if not harmful stereotypes, then at least unhelpful ones. The fact that she’s not actually asexual—or at least explicitly asexual, although I wouldn’t say it would be wrong for some readers to interpret her as on the asexual spectrum of identities, as she states she has never experienced attraction to anyone before Ainslie—also plays into this, as it felt to me as a reader like the kind of story where an aromantic, asexual person just needed to “find the right person” all along and treats love like a necessity to happiness. I get it—it’s the romance genre—but I think it perpetuated harmful stereotypes in this way and I have that gripe with it.

Additional criticism, but more a matter of personal taste: the last third of the book felt less compelling than the rest. It felt unnecessary as I was reading it, and though it did tie together in the end, I feel I would have enjoyed this story more had it ended before the Caimbeul plot.


CONTENT WARNINGS:
Dubious consent. “Tell me no” met with silence is not the same thing as a vocal and sincere “yes,” and while Ainslie is fully aware of this (whether Jane is or not is beside the point), she still presses forward. The sex scene has an element of fantastic wish-fulfillment to it, and far be it from me to be dissuade any reader who may enjoy the beautiful Highlander ravishing the Victorian lady… but the consent is dubious, and potentially triggering for the unsuspecting reader, and it should be acknowledged.

Racism of the English variety, wherein the character who has been raised in an English-dominated civilization refers to the native highlanders as “savages” frequently. Although this is in keeping with the beliefs of her time and accurate to historical representation, and is not glorified by the narrative, it feels worth mentioning when one considers the impact of England’s colonization and later imperial efforts.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Jane been called eccentric all her life she doesn’t follow the rules all she wants is to study science and medicine and be a equal to men. She gets a opportunity to follow her dreams when she marries a closeted gay man name David who has dreams to be in politics they both thinks it’s great idea because they both get want they want.

Jane build a time machine that actually works but she winds up in the thirteen century where she rescued by a warrior woman name Ainslie who is heir to throne of the Sea Kingdom of the Isles. When Ainslie bring her to clan Jane is shock to see that woman and men are equal and she wonders what happen in the sixteen years to change this. As Jane get to know the clan while trying to fix her time machine she is shock to find herself falling for Ainslie she never really had attraction to either sex so this throws her as for Ainslie although she had lovers she never felt this way for anyone.

This was a good read it remind me of my favorite show Outlander. I love period drama with romance I wish they do more with LGBTQ as leafs though.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

The premise of this book offered a lot of promise—I was sort of hoping for a f/f version of Outlander. Unfortunately, the prose styling made it difficult to get through and the characters were a bit thin. Overall, I would recommend this book to people desperate for more f/f fiction in their lives but would not offer a general recommendation.