This was a most entertaining read that moved along at a good pace. I enjoyed the banter between both sets of siblings. There was so much to love about this story, the attraction between Emily and Ian, the dispute about regaining their name and possibly their lands and how this would affect Emily and her sisters and to discover who is trying to kill Emily. The latter will keep you guessing. There is also the back ground story as to why Emily and her sisters have ventured North and Ian and his brother’s background. I’m looking forward to reading more about their families. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Such a great slow burn with plenty of mystery to keep you entertained. 

Emily the Dowager Countess of Woodhaven is travelling to Scotland with her sisters after the death of her husband to make a fresh start. 

Ian MacGregor is prepared to make the dowager countess's visit as unpleasant as possible in order to send her packing back to London. He never imagined a beautiful young widow.

Emily sets out to learn how the estate is run, offer advice on how to improve operations and to gain the clan's members trust. She wants to work with them and not just take over. Weird things start to happen. She wakes in the middle of the night and thinks she saw a ghost. But the flash of steel was too real. And now it's certain someone is out to harm the Dowager Countess.

Thank you so much to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

I enjoyed this story. Ian is a true man of honor. Emily is a determined young woman who has walked into a situation that could find her homeless. I enjoyed the brothers and sisters and foresee some great tales!

I loved this story, but then I am a sucker for Highlanders, this is a new author to me and I really enjoyed reading this, the Characters are wonderful and captivating.

Thank you Entangled Publishing , LLC for providing me with an ARC in return of an honest review.
After the death of her husband, Emily, the Dowager Countess of Woodhaven, receives title to lands owned by the MacGregors for centuries in the Highlands of Scotland. So, she decides to move along with her sisters, Lorelei and Juliana, to the MacGregor castle in the Highlands.
Ian MacGregor, the laird of the MacGregor clan is less than pleased to learn that the English countess is coming for a visit. Set in 1774, when the Scotts and the English were not in the best of terms, Ian and his brothers do not welcome the idea of the visit of the Countess. They decide to scare the old widow away by not providing her with enough aristocracy.
On the arrival of the Sassenachs, the MacGregors are surprised to find a young widow with two younger sisters and become even more displeased to learn that their castle and lands are now owned by the English Countess.
Ian along with his brothers is determined to reclaim their lands and restore their name as the clan’s protection and well being is his responsibility. But when Emily starts to take matters of the castle into her hands, Ian finds that she is not a regular English Countess, rather an independent, skilled and clever woman. Even though Ian has the best interest of his clan, he finds himself attracted towards Emily and soon learns, like him, Emily is also trying to protect her sisters.
While Emily firmly resolves to make a place for her and her sisters in the castle among the MacGregors by trying to help them restore their name and property, Ian tries to balance out the quarrels between both the families. The plot takes a turn when someone attempts to kill Emily multiple times.
By helping to restore the MacGregors properties, will Emily be able to provide shelter to her sisters or will she return to London homeless?
Overall, I loved Highland Renegade for its plot setup, characters, mystery, romance and the silly quarrels between the MacGregors and the Sassenachs. It is a highly engrossing and captivating story. I loved the characters of Ian and Emily for their family values and responsibilities. The story being set over 200 years back, Emily being a woman earned my respect for her ardent will to support her family. Also, Ian greatly managed his responsibilities as a laird and understood Emily for her decisions.
But the only reason I am rating this book 3 stars is because when Emily falls down the stairs and hit her head hard enough to be almost out of sense, Ian takes advantage of the situation to kiss her, which is unlikely of the character he evolves into in the book and this was quite unsettling for me.
I definitely am looking forward to reading more works of Cynthia Breeding.

1774
An English Countess is petitioned land titled to
a forfeited holding in Scotland by King George and Parliament. Her only means of supporting herself and her two sisters, she must stand firm in staying. No matter what Emily does the people of McGregor don't want to accept her. They don't trust Sassanachs. Yet, the (Laird) is very attracted to Emily who becomes more important to him than his clan, especially when someone is trying to kill her. A romantic fasted paced who done it with complex situations. Book 1 in the series. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Emily, the Dowager Countess of Woodhaven, has received title to lands in the Highlands, MacGregor lands,and after surviving an abusive marriage, she’s determined to make a new start with her two younger sisters. She just has to win over the handsome Scottish laird whose family has lived there for centuries. When Ian MacGregor heard that the Sassenach countess was actually laying claim to his lands, he figured to scare the aging widow away by showing her the hardships of living in the Highlands. She’d leave before the first snowflake fell. But he never imagined that the widow was young and beautiful and more territorial than a she-wolf. No matter, he’ll prove that a fragile, London woman like her would never survive life in the Highlands.
This is the first in a new series & it certainly got off to an engaging, captivating start. I loved everything about it, strong characters, a romance to warm your heart & someone out to murder the interloper. I loved the MacGregor siblings & hope they all have their HEAs, each one was very different & unique in their own way. Emily was feisty, straight talking & had certainly done her homework so often blindsided Ian. The chemistry between the pair was there from their first meeting & only grew with time. A well written engrossing read that ticked all the boxes for me
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

This was a fun light hearted read. Plenty of great banter, some heat and a dash of action. The fantastic group of supporting characters made this an enjoyable story. Emily & Ian definitely don’t get off in the right foot and I was happy to see them get their HEA.

I’d never heard of Cynthia Breeding before receiving an ARC of Highland Renegade but I’ll certainly be looking out for her books from now on. Set in Scotland in 1774, the story is planted firmly in a time and place where the English and the Scots were not on the best of terms and where the arrival of Emily, Countess Woodhaven and her two younger sisters was not welcomed.
Laird Ian MacGregor and his brothers are less than impressed to learn that Emily has been given their castle and lands by King George and it is fair to say that resentment is rife.
This book felt authentic to me. There is just enough highland brogue to keep you in the moment and just enough missish behaviour from Emily’s youngest sister Lorelei to remind readers of the family’s aristocratic upbringing. These three are most definitely fish out of water yet Emily’s no nonsense approach to dealing with Ian and his clan earned my respect. While Ian is clearly unsure how to cope with these three English ladies, he was also a character to like and respect. He obviously cares for his family and his clan and I liked the way he managed affairs. The romance that developed between Ian and Emily was also a nice touch, offering enough sexual tension to keep readers interested but with physical passion reigned back to a level appropriate to that era.
Overall I loved this story, not just for the romance or the setting but also for the strong family values that are evident throughout. Well that and Emily’s smart dialogue as she flummoxes Ian. Again and again I smiled and cheered for her.

This book is very hard to put down. It's so well-written and has so many interesting characters that you simply don't wish it to end. Such an interesting story, which is not a simple romance novel, but also has a hint of mystery, intrigue, and family drama set in the Highlands. In any case, I absolutely loved it!
The MacGregor clan wants to restore their name and reclaim their lands. So it comes as a shock when three English women show up out of the blue with the deed to their lands. Now they must tolerate these women and find a way to make them leave. Ian is in the middle of everything since he is the laird and he must ensure his clan's protection and well-being. The only problem is that Emily isn't someone he can resist. She isn't the usual English lady. She is capable, independent, and fiercely loyal. He is having a hard time keeping his clan first.
The real problem starts when someone tries to kill Emily. She had to leave England. Now, she is determined to make her home in the Highlands. However, it seems that the Scots are not ready to give her and her sisters a chance. They are prejudiced and to them, they will always be the outsiders. At least, one of the MacGregor brothers isn't that bad. Ian is trying everything he can to ensure her safety. Maybe that's why her feelings for him are changing. Will she ever be able to start a new life here or will she be forced to return to London once again?
Overall, an interesting historical fiction that kept me thoroughly entertained. I loved every character and the story is very well-written. I'd definitely recommend it to all historical fiction fans. This book is not to be missed. ;)
P.S. I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley.

This is my fair and honest review, voluntarily given and in my own words. Well written tale about getting past prejudices and making a new life despite trials and tribulations and finding a way to let go.

After the death of her abusive husband Emily, the dowager Countess of Woodhaven takes her two younger sisters with her to claim her lands in the highlands of Scotland. She has no intention of turning out the Clan that have lived on the land for centuries but she needs to live there.
The last thing Laird Ian MacGregor or his Clan need is for the new owner of their confiscated lands turning up. They will just have to make her too uncomfortable to want to stay.
Both our lead characters have good reason for needing the land and castle, and each has a plan to win.
This story is really good fun with lots of great characters that are easy to love. There is also a lot of danger about, but just who is behind it??
I loved it.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a story of a woman that is wanting to make a new life for her and her sisters. However, the family that owns the lands she has been given don’t like outsiders. I enjoyed the story.

I wanted to like this book. But there was a part in the middle where the main character falls down a flight of stairs. The highlander she's set up to love comes running and instead of making sure she's ok and getting help he steals a kiss. She's literally unconscious, why would this be a time for a kiss. It creeped me out and I had to put the book down.

Voluntarily reviewing an ARC of this. All opinions are objective and my own.

Unfortunately I do not have much to say about this. While this wasn’t a bad book, this wasn’t a good book. I found it hard to connect with the characters - for me, they were just their. Their budding romance was not one jumping off the pages at me.

Emily has taken her sisters and moved to the Highlands. Ian and his brothers are trying to convince her to return to London. It’s a battle of wills as they attempt to see who will break first. There is also the matter of someone trying to kill Emily as well as the simmering heat between her and Ian. The fiery tempered ladies keep the gentlemen on their toes throughout the entire story to the happy end.

Emily, the Dowager Countess of Woodhaven, is glad her abusive husband is gone. After his death, she was given a title to some lands in the Highlands. Emily takes her younger sisters there meaning to embark on a whole new life. Unfortunately, the MacGregors aren't happy with them laying claim to their lands.

Ian MacGregor isn't letting what rightfully belongs to his family be taken away by a Sassenach woman. He and his family come up with a plan to get rid of the aging widow quick, or so they think. Imagine Ian's shock when he sees Emily for the first time. Turns out that she isn't an aging widow, she's a young beauty as are her two younger sisters who have accompanied her there. Suddenly, his world is flipped upside down.

HIGHLAND RENEGADE is phenomenal. I couldn't put it down. Emily and her sisters are about to make a huge difference in the MacGregor household. Emily and Ian are perfect together. He helps her grow and heal, and she changes his views on a lot of things. I really enjoyed their story and look forward to reading more about their family members.

Rating: 🍷🍷/5
🥂
Pairs perfectly with Scotch, however, the booze is waaaaay better than this book
🥂
Worth the Hangover: Nope, not even a little
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Tasting Notes:

Where to even begin? Highland Renegade is not a great book, it’s not even really a good book. This is the story of Emily Woodhaven, a young English widow who, because of her financial circumstance, is forced to move to the Scottish Highlands. Of course, she is not well received but she has nowhere else to go so she must stick it out in Scotland or return to London destitute. It should come as no surprise that she meets and falls in love with the laird of the land that she’s received from the crown.

All of this would be fine if there was more to the story, but that is literally it. In fact, I was 84% into the book when it was finally revealed that she had some sort of feelings for this man, Ian MacGregor, but that’s not even acted on until almost the end of the book--which is all fine except that nothing else even goes on in this book. I figured, well maybe what it lacks in substance it will make up for in romance...I was so wrong--this book lacked both.

I would not recommend this book to anyone. Good thing it was a quick read because if it wasn’t I wouldn’t have finished. So glad I got to read this for free and didn’t have to pay for it.


**Advance Reader Copy provided by @netgalley in return for an honest review**

I really liked the start of this book, but it dragged a little too much for me. The couple was cute and great together but their relationship didn't really progress until 80% in. I would definitely recommend this book to someone who likes slow burn romances.

I've previously really enjoyed Cynthia Breeding's romances, but this one fell a little short for me. Sadly, I struggled to connect to either the hero or the heroine, partly because we got so little time with them! There's a huge cast of characters, so a lot of group dialogue, and a lot of action, so we rarely got to see the actual couple by themselves - they barely talked to one another except about specific events. Their thoughts were secondary to the plot in the narration, so I never really got a good picture of their feelings or saw them falling in love. Their chemistry seemed to just sort of happen off page - I didn't end up invested in them as a couple, which is the main thing you need in a romance!

I also found the phonetic Scottish accents rather cringeworthy, and noticed inaccuracies in the writing (several modern Americanisms as well as a couple of grammatical and historical inaccuracies.)

Unfortunately, I just didn't connect with this one; it was sweet, but not memorable. Two and a half stars.