I recieved this book as an arc from netgalley in return for an honest review.

Trope: friends to lovers

Kirsty has been in love with Brodie since the age of five. They've been best friend since childhood, relying on eachother for advice, giving praise, and they even meet once a day in their secret spot.

Now she is 20 and they still meet in their secret spot. She has been waiting for Brodie almost her entire life to return her affections, not as a friend but as a man towards a woman. When other men are around her, he gets a tightness in his chest. He starts to feel jealousy but still doesn't understand. There was one heated incident where he felt yearning for her. He felt the beginning strings of excitement. He never viewed her in that way and felt weird about so he brushes the feelings away thinking he was just too hungry. Everyone around them knows, and can see kirsty loves him but he is blind to all of her. One day she takes matters into her hands and kisses him. Those feelings he felt earlier and brushed off returns and from there on he can not push them aside.

Finally he's courting her and yet she still waits for him to purpose. Finally after a few months of waiting he finally proposes. She accepted and says yes. Then she waits again. He kept postponing and drawing out the dates. I felt like he was too comfortable with her, and thought she would be there for him whenever he needed her. I started to feel a bit irritated because then I felt like I was now waiting forever too. What about her feelings? Why couldn't he just man up and marry her? She has always been there for him, and yet he's still not ready?

Finally he marries her after a scare. Why did it take that to marry her? And why did it take so long? I was just happy they finally got married!

This book started off really good and strong. I really liked the characters. They're both strong and have good hearts. What made me turned off by this book was the waiting game. It dragged on and on. After that I was just reading to finish it. But the writing was good I will admit. This book has alot of potential but the story wasn't for me but I encourage everyone to try it.

Brodie MacNaughton has a girl for a best friend, and has most of his life. He returns after being gone for months and when he returns he sees that she has grown into a beautiful woman. Kirstine MacDunn has been in love with Brodie as more then just a friend for many years. She decides to wait until Brodie finally admits that his feelings for Kirstine have changed. Brodie propose but, Kirstine finds out about wager between he and his sister and Kirstine believes the proposal is the result of that wager. There was some miscommunications regarding the wager. There is part in the book that has abusive father who beats his wife and daughter. The father decides to take revenge on the MacNaughton's and ends up getting a big gash in his stomach and he grabs Kirstine and forces her fix him up. He does end up disappearing and nobody hears from him. Want to know how things go with Brodie, Kirstine and the rest of the story?? Well to find out you need to read this book. I truly loved it!!

Brodie MacNaughton has returned home with a mission in mind. He must convince his grandfather he’s the right man to lead Clan MacNaughton after his grandfather retires, not his elder brother Lachlan. His head is muddled so he goes in search of his best friend, Kirstine. She always helps him figure things out. But when he finds her, strange feelings well up in his chest. For the first time, he sees her as an attractive woman. When he kisses her, it’s like the heavens opened and everything righted itself. She confesses her love to him, but can he love her in return? The longer he waits, the more love alludes him. Will he finally realize how much he loves her when an enemy takes his revenge on Brodie and the whole clan?

An Allusive Love is a sweeping historical romance you won’t soon forget. In this twist on friends-to-lovers romance, Aubrey Wynne pens a charming hero who needs help in the love department. He’s adorable in realizing almost too late the beautiful heroine, Kirstine, is his perfect match. The romance starts off unrequited, but with one kiss, turns into an inferno of passion. The plot moves at a great pace and it was so much fun to reunite with characters from the series. The timeline in the beginning confused me until I realized it overlapped with book one. What makes this such an enjoyable read is the historical accuracy used by Aubrey Wynne. Her common to the era slang is peppered throughout the story and adds a new dimension to the reader’s experience. Aubrey Wynne is a gifted storyteller who writes romances that whisk a reader away. If you’re looking for a book to take away your troubles, you’ll want to read An Allusive Love. Even though this is book two, it can be read as a standalone. Highly recommend!

My Rating: 5 stars

Poor Kirstine MacDunn is a woman in love; however, Brodie MacNaughton cannot see beyond the friendship he feels for her. They have been best friends and confidantes for years; since childhood. Brodie’s main concern is proving to his grandfather that he could lead the clan. When Brodie and his brothers try to demonstrate to his Grandfather that tradition is not always the best, he asks Kristy for her support. I like the characters in this series, as they are well developed, the plots are perfectly written and interesting to read. I love Scottish stories and this one does not disappoint.

Kirsty has loved Brodie since they were children. Brodie has always taken it for granted that she would always be his best friend. Kirsty wants so much more that to be his friend but getting it through the thick skull of a highlander might take some doing. This was a wonderful fun read.

An enchanting story of two young friends, who had a strong friendship growing up. Then one day Brodie saw Kirstine and whispered "For the love of saints, When did ye become so lovely?"

Kirstine has loved Brodie forever it seems and she has always been there to listen to him and be his friend. But now she wants more and it seems like Brodie is finally taking notice. But will see be a passing fancy as all his prior affection for ladies have been? Then he gets bored?

Simply delightful to watch these two try to make their way to a happy ending!

Kirstine MacDunn has loved Brodie MacNaughton forever. He returns her affection—as his best friend and confidante. When all of a sudden Brodie returns home and starts to notice his good friend Kirstine and beginning to notice her as a young woman and his desire for her flares as never before. I love Kirstine she makes him work for her affections and plays hard to get to make him realize they are perfect for each other. I have voluntarily read and reviewed this excellent book.

More Than Friends

Kirstine had always loved Brodie, so what would it take for her to convince him that they were destined to be together? He had always thought of her as his best friend, but could he see what was always in front of him? This is a historical romance story, but there is a bit of tragedy, as this was a time of unrest. There is also a bit of suspense. An evil man has murder on his mind, and Kirstine just might get caught in the crossfire. If you like historical romance, you might enjoy this story.

An Allusive Love by Aubrey Wynne is the nest in her MacNaughton series and tells of the loves of the youngest son, Brodie. Brodie and Lachlan have decided amongst themselves that Brodie should be the laird after Calum, their grandfather. He is more suited to it and Lachlan is not interested. They are having trouble convincing Calum and it is on Brodie's mind so he does what he always does to solve a problem: he seeks out his best friend, Kirstine. He had argued with his brother long ago that a girl could not be his best friend, but here she was. Of course, she had the right solution: don't try to tell him, show him. All of a sudden Brodie saw more than his best friend of many years, he saw a woman, a woman he wanted. Everyone but her had known it for years. Now they were all on board to get Brodie and Kirstine together.

This was a fun book, with everyone ganging up against Brodie. It didn't take much for him to notice the situation. It took everything to get him to act on it. Brodie is perfect to be the next laird: he's calm and patient; he thinks things through and never acts on impulse. The people like and respect him. Kirstine is getting sick of waiting. She adores Brodie but wants a home and family of her own and if she can't have it with him, well . . . They are both terrific characters who are a little more mature than they might have been if they had gotten together sooner. This is a fun romance and a fun story that ends happily ever after. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of An Allusive Love by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #anallusivelove

Another great read from Aubrey Wynne, in her MacNaughton series. An Allusive Love follows Brodie MacNaughton and his long-time friend Kirstine MacDune. When Brodie and his brother, Lachlan decide that Brodie should be the laird after Calum, their grandfather. Brodie struggles to convince his grandfather and turns to Kirstine to help him solve this problem. However Kirstine’s feelings for him have developed and it seems as if finally, Brodie has realised that Kirstine is more than just a friend.

This was a lovely story, and at times, quite amusing with family members appearing to intervene in the romance between Brodie and Kirstine. I enjoyed both characters, finding Kirstine to be decisive and Brodie, to be so loveable despite his indecisiveness. This is a relationship that has benefited from its gradual development, with both characters maturing as they wait for a love, that was destined to be.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is an entertaining story about two people who have been friends all their lives. Now as they are becoming adults, they are finding they are attracted to each other as more than friends. Another part of the story involves Brodie being the best suited brother to be groomed to be the head of the clan, even though he is the youngest. Kirstine helps him see how he can go about helping his grandda to see this.

You pretty much get what is promised in the synopsis here, my fellow Scottish romance book loving friends. This boisterous bunch of MacNaughton men and their well bonded family made me think of The Waltons living it up in a castle in the Highlands. All amicable and teasing each other good naturedly, they seem to not only get along with everybody but are the peacemakers, as well.

It’s no surprise that Kirstine, the heroine, who has been a family friend for years, fits right in as Brodie’s potential future wife and soulmate. He’s been so steadfast valuing their friendship, he’s been blind to her childhood crush. Finally seeing her as the verra bonny, grown up lass she is now, those blinders are off, and he’s ready to take the plunge. Well, sort of … after some things are settled.

The bulk of the theme does center around these two perfect for each other lovebirds becoming a couple, but plenty of side time is spent on in the day and life of this particular large cast of sub-characters. You feel like you are walking among them in good times and bad, especially when tragedy and evil rears its ugly head at practically the same time.

Some steamy, hands on, smexy scenes do heat up the pages on this couple’s road to romance. There are a few bumps along the way, but I honestly wasn’t worried for a single second. This new to me author has me intrigued enough I'm considering reading Lachlan's story (Book 2) via Kindle Unlimited.

Book . 5 - A Merry MacNaughton Mishap (published in Stars Are Brightly Shining: A Magical Holiday Collection)
Book 1 – Deception and Desire
Book 2 - An Allusive Love
Book 3 - A Bonny Pretender

Title: An Allusive Love, MacNaughton Castle Romance (Book 2), Author: Aubrey Wynne, Pages: 246, stand-alone but part of a series, best friends to in love, some very steamy scenes, some violence, large cast of subcharacters, virgin heroine, past fickle hearted hero, OM is interested in her, no specific details about OP.

(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. There is no affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author, publisher, NetGalley, or PR firm.)

Kristine has loved Brodie her entire life. Unfortunately, he only sees her as a best friend. Brodie is happy to return to the Keep and to his friend, Kristine. She is the only one that is the constant in his life. When they meet on this return, something has changed-Brodie realizes that she is beautiful and that he is attracted to her. But the fates must play their games with the two of them before they allow their happily ever after. Kristy and Brodie struggle through the miscommunications of the result of a bet, does he love her forever or just for now, and will they ever find their way back to one another.

Sometimes one needs a little distance to appreciate what you have. Having been away from home for some weeks, Brody discovers unexpected feelings when he sees Kirstine again after his absence. This friends-to-lovers romance concentrated more on the friendship between the main characters, and I was a little disappointed that Brodie took so long to finally commit to the one person who made him whole. The setting of this novel is idyllic, but as always there is a serpent in the garden, and I suspect we haven't seen the last of him. There were a few editing problems, but they didn't interfere with reading pleasure. Although part of a series, the novel is nevertheless a standalone and comes to a good conclusion. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

I enjoyed this book because it was a complete novel, with beginning, story, plot, and end. The story was about a heroine and hero that were childhood best friends, including and up to the telling of the story. The heroine is the daughter of a local healer whose clan has joined with the hero's clan a few generations ago. The pair had always been hard to seperate as children, but the heroine had always loved the hero and wished to marry when they were older. The hero is a strong, braw, handsome Scot. He is in line to become the next Laird and is capable of running the clan and the clan's industries. My problem with the hero, is that he is immature and had to be forced into telling his best friend for life that he lives her more than a sister. She has been turning down suitors for a few years and her mom gives her until the end of summer and if her doesn't propose, he never will. And she is right. He doesn't want to marry. I was disappointed in the hero. He is supposed to put clan matters first and be this wonderful leader, and he can't even admit he loves the heroine. I really think he will cheat on her in the future. But that's another story. Otherwise, this story was very well written, concise and transporting. I enjoyed how all the characters worked in the story (except you-know-who). I give this story 4 stars and a reco.mendation to read with open eyes.

An Allusive Love is written concurrently with the first book in the McNaughton Castle series, Deception and Desire. I appreciated the overlapping aspect and a different perspective on family events. There is a bit of domestic violence, so be careful if this is difficult for you.

I loved the friends to lovers between Brodie and Kirstine. She has waited long enough for him to ‘wake up.’ A trip away helps. He balks a bit but comes through with a little help from family and with Kirsty’s teasing and ‘deadline.’

The villain is the domestic abuser who causes trouble and tension for his wife, daughter and other villagers. He wreaks havoc with his desire to achieve vengeance but not for long.

You will love the secondary characters and their ‘interference’ in Kirsty and Brodie’s HEA. Although a stand-alone, great read in series.

This is a 2nd in a Series, but definitely a terrific stand-alone! The MacNaughton Clan are a wonderful example of a family united and they stand for justice & honor,
Brodie may have been a flirt and not as confident of himself, but he is truly starting to think like a leader.
Kirstine has always been there for him as a friend and confidante, but she wants to be seen as a woman who is in love with him. But like a man he is clueless!

So, the author takes us on a Highland trek of misadventures and intrigue that will keep you turning the pages! I am looking forward to the next book!

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

Was it just me or did Brodie's feelings came out of the woodwork? Everything happened so fast. One moment he's away for two months and then the next the highlander is having these near 'uncontrollable urges' for his best friend, Kristine. Fast forward what… a few days and he's already proclaiming his undying love. Give me a break. That's not love honey, that's hormones.

In my opinion, Kristine and Brodie friendship—top notch but when it came to the romance aspect of their relationship. It was not believable and overall, their relationship just didn't feel right. I felt as though Kristine had more of a connection with the widower, Liam MacDougal and his son Junior—who I am hoping is the lead on the next installment of this series but that will most likely fall on Brigid, Brodie's sister.

On top of the whole romance bit, the typical drama that slowly unfolds in any romance novel was non-existent and I wasn't able to find anything noteworthy. Seriously, nothing at all.

The read, for the most part, was meh.

That's all it was.

Meh.

4.5 Stars
Kirstine MacDunn has loved Brodie MacNaughton forever. He returns her affection—as his best friend and confidante. Brodie’s knows it is his destiny to lead Clan MacNaughton, but his grandfather insists the honour goes to the oldest. When Brodie and his brothers struggle to convince the chief that tradition is not always the best path, he turns to Kirsty for support. She surprises him with more than advice. A kiss that sends unexpected fire through his veins.
The second book in the series that’s easily read on its own but it’s in the same time frame as the first book & some events overlap. I loved Kirstine & she had the patience of a saint waiting for barnpot Brodie to realise that he loved her. They were aided & abetted by his family, especially his sister Brigid (who I hope has her story). A lovely romance of best friends to lovers. Well written with strong characters & I was engrossed from cover to cover
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋

Loved this book and it’s part of an excellent series.
A Highland adventure that ticks all the boxes and has a little of everything.
Romance
Tension
Love
Tragedy

A full five stars for this one, the characters are wonderful and have a great relationship from very young, it’s awesome to see how they move that forward to the adult phase.

It’s written very well and addictive to read, I’m beginning to become a firm fan of Aubrey’s and looking forward to more in the series

It also has a very aggressive father who beats both wife and daughter, if this upsets you, you’ve now been warned.

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review