Overall: 2.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Romance: 💞💞
Emotional Depth:💔💔💔
Sexual Tension:⚡️⚡️
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 - I debated between a 2 and 3. They are not long. Maybe 2.5
Number of Sex Scenes: 🍆🍆🍆

Safety warnings attached at end.

This is my first Mary Wine. This book was fine as a stand alone, though characters from book 1 are in this story. So you probably get a slightly better character build reading book 1. I’m not sure how much this heroine is in the first story.

Cora has been betrothed since she was a child, but he’s shown no interest in her and she’s wondering if she should marry someone else. She’s outside the safety of her walls when a storm separates her from her company.

Faolan was born a bastard and lives in the rocky edge of Highlands. When Cora is swept to him, he does what he can to save her. When he realizes who she is, he works to get her to safety.

Give this story a try if you are in the mood for:
- Highland backdrop
- Plenty of obstacles for the couple to overcome for their HEA
- Moderate steam – a few kisses, a few sex scenes. They are open door but not extremely long.
- Lots of action and intrigue – including violence, murder, death, betrayals, and plotting

When Cora and Faolan were together, I absolutely loved it. Loved it! But, they are hardly together. Just the two of them. There is so much outside drama and forces working against them in this book. I think those that like a busy plot and action will enjoy this book more than me. I just wanted to feel the romance and it kept getting overshadowed by the latest danger or manipulation.

Safety warnings (possible spoilers)
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Violence, death, attempted murder, death of child (age 16)

I love Mary Wine's romances. She always has strong,epic couples along with fantastic plots. The angst, action and non-stop adventure make this difficult to put down.

The Highlander's Destiny by Mary Wine is the second in her Highland Rogues series, although neither of the heroes is a rogue in my mind. This story is about Cora, Buchanan Mackenzie's sister. She has never met or ever heard from the man to whom her father betrothed her 17 years earlier and she is getting sick of waiting. To keep her calm, he allows her to ride of to the keep of Rolfe Munro, ostensibly to deliver a letter, but really to see if she connected with him. He would like to see her settled in a marriage of her choosing. Sadly, there was no connection. It started storming the way back to the Mackenzie keep. There were plenty of injuries and two lost. One of those was Cora. Cora, meanwhile, has washed up on the shore downstream, right in front of a man, Faolan McKay, who, along with his men, was living in a tower and constructing a second. It was a desolate place, in need of security, which he was providing. He took Cora back to his keep, got her warmed, basically saving her life. The next day she tried to repay he and his men by cooking for them. She discovered the kitchen to be a disgusting mess. She spent the day cleaning and well as cooking. Faolan did the right thing by taking her to the McKay keep so she could be returned home. Things went south from there.

This is the second terrific book in this series. Fairly realistic (within reason) and Cora proves her strength. She has gotten a reputation in the Highlands as wild and undisciplined but she is anything but. She is fearsome, courageous, lonely, and ready to do her share. Faolan is gruff, taciturn, and bossy. He is big enough to get away with being bossy and his men respect him, but they are all the lowest, turned out from society, as is he. The plot was excellent, with plenty of ups and downs, as well as subplots and personalities. Sometimes it was a little hard to keep track of who was who, but they cam back into focus quickly. This was quite a book. Full of falling love and plenty of hot sex, but there was also a solid story of deceit, violence, and strength as well as respect. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of The Highlander's Destiny by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #thehighlandersdestiny

I enjoyed this one a lot more than the first one. All angst between the love interests was gold. Thought the story was very well paced and the plot was filled out nicely.

Loved this book. Mary Wine had a way of telling a story. You can see and feel the storm, the wind, the thunder, the raging river. Her description makes it come alive. I can picture the castle in my mind. A good author transports you like that and Mary Wine does.
The Heroine in this story, Cora, we met in the previous book. She comes into her own in this story. She has been promised in marriage for years. Her fiancee has ignored her. So she goes to see if she could make a match with another. On her way home, a great storm rises up and Cora is swept away down river. She is rescued by Faolan.
Faolan is the bastard son of a Laird. When his father dies, his half brother becomes Laird and banishes him to an outpost by the water. Here is where he rescues a Selkie.
Can you say it is fate. This was a beautiful love story, each helping the other to come into their own.
5 stars
I want to thank Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

Frustrated with being side-lined by her betrothed, Cora throws herself into participating fully in the life of the clan, and if that means riding out with the Mackenzie Retainers, learning to wield a knife, and participating in every facet of life in the keep, then so be it. Thinking to broaden her options, her brother sends her with a party to Rolfe Munro, a trip that does not achieve its goal. Instead, the Mackenzies encounter a severe storm, resulting in Cora being washed away in a flash flood that delivers her to the feet of Faolan McKay. For the first time in her life, the unbridled Cora Mackenzie finds herself confronted by a man who not only sets out to protect her but challenges her at every level. Cast out by his clan through jealous rivalry, Faolan prides himself on the building of a fortress that will be the first line of defence for his clan. Not everyone sees it that way, but those that stand by his side respect him and protect his back. Having the siren wash up on their rocks is a blessing for all of them, as Cora sets about putting order into their tower and meals on their table, but Faolan knows that the idyll cannot last. Taking her to the McKay keep puts Faolan on guard, especially when his half-brother eyes Cora speculatively and incites the jealousy of the Laird's wife. One would expect a novel of this genre to be intensely romantic with a fast-paced plot, but this book took my breath away. The suspense drives the story as both Faolan and Cora encounter plots, intrigue, and manipulation at the hands of the McKays. As the story escalates, so do the threats against both of them. This well-written novel kept me intrigued from start to finish and despite overcoming impossible odds, does come to a successful conclusion. Wit and humour are intertwined in the storyline, as well as the growing attraction between the main characters, not to mention being an intensely enjoyable read. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.

After waiting years for Cormac Grant, her betrothed to claim her, Cora Mackenzie is restless and jumps at the chance to ride out with her brother’s men to deliver a message to Rolfe Munro. She is aware by doing so, her brother is letting her know that she is free to follow her heart rather than marry Cormac. Cora likes Rolfe, but he doesn’t inspire feelings anything deeper than friendship. She and the party are returning to Mackenzie land when a vicious storm breaks and Cora is washed away. She fights for her life and amazingly survives, but drenched and freezing, she won’t last long, so it is nothing short of miraculous that she sees a man standing just a few feet away.

Faolan McKay is stunned to see a beautiful woman cursing the sky, but he quickly realizes that she is not a mythical siren, but a flesh and blood woman in danger of freezing to death. He helps her to the tower and gets her out of her wet clothes, tucks her into bed and climbs in to share his heat. When she wakes, he is gone. She dresses and ventures out of the tower. She soon discovers that the tower is part the construction of a look out for the McKay clan. There are no women at the site and she rolls up her sleeves and cleans the kitchen and prepares a meal. She is intrigued by Faolan and feels the spark that she has been hoping for, she can see that he returns her regard, but he holds himself at bay and when a maid named Brynna shows up from the McKay Keep, Faolan immediately has her act as chaperone and takes Cora to the Keep.

Things at the McKay Keep are tense and Cora soon learns that Faolan is the half-brother of Malcolm, the laird of the McKays and that he used to court Malcolm’s wife Noreen – who happens to be the half-sister of her betrothed. Tensions escalate and Faolan and Cora end up married, but when Faolan fails to consummate the marriage, believing he will seek an annulment to free Cora, Malcolm gets involved and things turn deadly. Soon Faolan and Cora find themselves as Laird and Lady of the clan with the possibility of HEA within reach, but plots to destroy them abound and they will have to root out a traitor before they can even think about their future.

This was a very good, well written, fast-paced story with very likable characters. The book has action, betrayal, warm to steamyish love scenes, multiple villains, accusations of witchery, traitors, some amusing banter, great secondary characters, a very sweet, romantic declaration of love and finally a very, very, very hard won HEA. As much as I enjoyed this book, there were some things that left me baffled and some minor inconsistencies and typos, that didn’t ruin the book for me, but that did rob it of a five-star rating. This is the second book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone title with no problems. Overall, I did enjoy this book, I am happy to recommend it and I will definitely be looking forward to the next installment in the series.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested from NetGalley and the Publisher. All opinions are my own.*

ARC received for review

Cora got swept away by a storm straight into an adventure she expecting. Faolon finds her, protects her, marries her, and falls in love. Lots of people are not happy about him or them together, and try to cause drama.

Poor Rolfe and Cormac. First they lost Rhedyn The Highlander's Demand as a bride, and now Cora. I wonder who's going to come across their path in their quest for a bride.

Cora and Faolan really shine together. Both have grown up not quite fitting the usual mold. Faolan is a strong man who holds to his ethics and principles even to his detriment and Cora is a strong heroine who has been looking for a strong purpose in her life. Fate and a storm bring them together. The passion between them is electric.

Extremely excited to see how the stories of the other characters introduced in this book unfold.

I was given an ARC from Netgalley for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
💋💋

Mary Wine is an author with a special gift, and this series proves it, Brilliant!

Faolan and Cora are wonderful together, they generate energy and passion in every page, wether it’s towards each other or for the clan.
We also meet some old and new characters, Cora’s brother Buchanan, Cormac Grant her Betrothed and a neighbouring Laird Rolfe Munro.

I adored this book which is full of adventure that’s addictive and very satisfying, if you in the market for a good read you need look no further.
Don’t miss out on this series.
Outstanding reading!

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

Two kindred spirits have learned to fight the elements and obstacles, but yet they are still fighting forces within themselves and people around them!

Faolan McKay is a half-brother to the Laird, but one on the wrong side of the blanket even though his mother was married to his father, but their were stronger power plays in the works and all evidence disappeared after his father died.

Cora MacKenzie is the sister to the Laird and she has been pretty much on her own and has done her best to follow the rules, but she is a free spirit and likes to ride and hunt. Her betrothed has never made an effort to make his position known so she is going to look at some of the other men in the area and hopefully that will either get him to come forward or she will fall in love with someone else.

But, a terrible storm comes and she is ravaged by flowing waters and she lands on the beach where Faolan has been banned to secure and rebuild for his Laird brother.

The adventures the two are about to begin are extraordinary and you will not believe what is truly going to happen next! The author does such a great job with the twists and turns that you truly don’t see a couple things coming!


I can’t wait for the next book because she has to have at least two more if not three!! Great read!

I would recommend this book to anyone.

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

I was given an ARC from Netgalley for my honest review.

Oh Mary Wine, how you weave an amazing story. I have fallen in love with this family, and knew at the end of your first book that Cora was going to be a strong heroine and you didn't let me down. If you are looking for a great heroine and hero look no farther then The Highlander's Destiny. The story between Faolan and Cora is a wondering tale with great twist and turns. I am honestly already so excited for either story of Cormac Grant or Rolfe Munro, through I am really hoping for Grant's first.

I found this to be such an exciting story to read and I absolutely loved Faolan and Cora's characters. Two strong willed people who have to learn that it's ok to sometimes give in to the other. Everything you'd want in a historical romance is in this story. Danger, traitors, clashes and heated passions, it's all there.

Cora has always been left to do as she wants and her spirit refuses to be broken, even when she almost loses her life. Faolan is a man who has been raised not caring what others think of him and when he suddenly finds himself in a situation he's unprepared for, he dives right in and that's when we see the strength of his character.

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