Another masterpiece by one of my newly discovered favorite historical romance authors kicks off with a womanizer finally meeting his match in a feisty and fiery female he just cannot woo. The Highland Heroes series revolves around the MacCoinnich Clan and their friends as they navigate the political and messy world of medieval Scotland and try to find love and happiness. I stumbled upon this series a bit late and just had to go back to the beginning, but have been waiting for Sutherland’s story for a long time and was definitely not let down a bit when I finally got to read it. Sutherland is a true ladies’ man, a scoundrel who knows that his greatest skill is his charm and he uses it to lethal means with the ladies, but when he makes the mistake of going up against Sorcha Greyloch he never imagined he had met his match. Sorcha knows the type of man that Sutherland is and though the attraction to him is beyond intense, she can’t trust him to be the man she needs to help lead her clan by her side. When Sutherland is ordered by his Clan chief to make peace and a match with Sorcha he knows he has his work cut out for him, but he is determined to tame the fiery lass and make her his own. Sorcha is just as determined to bring him to heel and prove to him that she is the only woman he needs by his side and in his bed, but there are dangers lurking around every corner and if they don’t find a way to trust and overcome those foes they will never have that chance for their happy future together. Sorcha was my favorite heroine of this series to date, sassy, sweet, and compassionate, but also strong, determined, and willing to stand up to all the men in her life to do what she knows is best not only for herself but also her clan. She truly could have led the clan herself, with no need for a man, which makes her a woman to be reckoned with, but at the same time she knows that she needs the man she loves by her side to truly be the best leader she could be. That level of self-awareness is rare in female leads for historical romance and I love the way Ms. Greyson always manages to bring out the best in her characters. Sutherland was an ass in the beginning of this story, making me more apt to want to slap him silly than sympathize with him, but as he slowly opened his eyes to the gift that Sorcha’s love truly was I began to like him again. He was loving, resilient, unwavering and willing to do whatever it took to protect the woman he was falling in love with. Once he opened his eyes and heart he became the man he was truly always meant to be, Sorcha making him a better man and showing that he could be a Clan leader just like his cousin. The spark of fire these two set off in one another was clear for everyone around them to see and it only got hotter the deeper their connection got, to the point I needed water sometimes just reading their story. I am dying for the last book in this series after that last chapter, but I know it will bring a lot of tears at the same time, however I know Ms. Greyson will handle it all with grace and dignity and not a little panache. Well played, Maeve, well played.

The Bard
By Maeve Greyson

Series: Highland Heroes, Book #5

Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing

Overall Rating: 5/5 Stars

Scottish Highlands
Clan Greyloch’s Keep
March 1704

Sutherland MacCoinnich is every inch of being a ladies man and can win anyone’s heart. Yet even when he tires of each lass, they all seem to know what to expect and non of them fell like a woman scorned, ot filled with anger from his rejection. Nae each lass knows what to expect and just appreciate the time Sutherland did spend with each lucky lady. They all worship except one lass who dies not seem to know Sutherland even exists. That lass is of course the Chieiftain Greyloch’s daughter who is absolutely gorgeous put only gives Sutherland insults and even intimidates his livelihood stating she will shoot him if he ever comes on her land again! This spitfire has already hurt his purse from a wager. She is everything he wants in woman, she is funny, smart, gorgeous and full of fire. Sutherland can win any woman over except the one he truly desires and would cherish her forever.

Now the truth of the matter is Sorcha Greyloch has loved Sutherland MacCoinnich forever. As her father has wants to marry her off and of he does not he is sure to put him in an early grave. He has paraded many handsome men in from of Sorcha, but she has refused them all. Plus the Chieftain needs his daughter to marry, which hopefully will be from a strong clan which will only make their clan stronger. He only wants his daughter to marry a strong, brave man who can handle clan business yet wield a sword too plus handle his willful, independent daughter. She knows exactly who she wants but she’s not about to tell this womanizer that! A bit of “Taming the Shrew” in reverse, but it is the big libertine that must be tamed . However just when she has this Highlander where she wants him everything that they are hoping for is in jeopardy and at risk! What choice will these young star-crossed lovers have? Read and find out.

Another wonderful Maeve Greyson read that was absolutely exhilarating. I loved the cat and mouse feud between these two star crossed lovers. It was like taming the shrew but in reverse - with the man needing to be tamed. A truly enjoyable read I absolutely loved from start to finish. I highly recommend this book. You can read as a stand alone book if you have not read all the books it this series. Of course I recommend all of them , with the upcoming book The Ghost, which I can’t wait to read this too. I have been reading Maeve Greyson books for years and always have me glued to my seat and never disappointed. Another favorite author of mine.

Again another novel historical romance readers will love the breathtaking descriptions, brilliant dialogue, fabulous multidimensional characters and the plotting that just took my breath away!


Highland Heroes
By Maeve Greyson
Book 1 - The Guardian
Book 2 - The Warrior
Book 3 - The Judge
Book 4 - The Dreamer
Book 5 - The Bard
Book 6 - The Ghost - TBR

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy and an advance reader copy from Dragonblade publishers. I voluntarily agreed to do a fair review and blog through netgalley. All thoughts, ideas and words are my own.

What a kiss! "She inflamed him more than any woman had before.... If she didn't kill him with a pistol, she would surely kill him with the sheer obsession to possess her." Indeed Sutherland was caught by Sorcha!

If there were two who were ever meant for each other, it is this pair. Sutherland, handsome and a little too full of himself with all his conquest with the ladies, had finally met his match. Usually the lasses fell all over him, but not her and that intrigued him even more!

Sorcha knew after that kiss that he was the one for her. Fortunately, she realized it could not be made easy for him but had to be a challenge to win her hand. Let the games begin!

Filled with suspense, intrigue, humor and sparks flying off the page with the banter back and forth, this was a fantastic read!

Set in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland this is the story of a flirt Sutherland MacCoinnich. He loves them and leaves them behind and the ladies still adore him. All but one. Sorcha Greyloch, daughter of Chieftain Greyloch
barely knows that he is alive. There is no love lost between them. However, Sorcha does have a problem that if she does not marry soon, her father will be terribly upset with her. This is a marvelous story of highland warriors and the women that try to tame them. A delightful read and I will re-read it again.

With each book that I read by Maeve Greyson, I love them more and more. This is book #5 in her Highlands Heroes series. I really liked the characters in the preceding books, but I loved Sorcha and Sutherland and their story. It is a tale featuring a feisty woman and a strong warrior who come together with a powerful love. Ha! But their is a wretch to mar their happiness. Someone is trying very hard to kill or least badly maim Sutherland. Unfortunately, Sorcha also becomes a target a time or two. Just who knows s behind all these "accidents""? Will they ever be able to fill safe? This story moves quickly from one incident to another, making it my kind of read, fast-paced with a lot of action. Of course, the author always teases us with the next tale in the epilogue. That one sounds really good as well.

While this book is definitely a romance - it is also something of a Highland Mystery! Normally I'm pretty good at guessing the villain - but this one did keep me guessing! This book is also the fifth in a series - but it is really a standalone. While characters from the other books do make appearances, you don't have to read those books to enjoy this one. Sutherland MacCoinnich is the youngest of the the MacCoinnich brothers. He is also, pretty much, a player. He and Sorcha Greyloch met the prior summer when he pretty loudly boasted he was going to bed her within a week of knowing her and she threatened to shoot him as a result. Their meet cute - is pretty much meet-hate.

Beneath it all Sutherland really does pretty much immediately fall for Sorcha - and when they meet again he doesn't hesistate to apologize and take every step he can to make Sorcha his. Sorcha is a firecracker and doesn't take sh*t from anyone! She is very independent and could easily lead her clan herself.

From the minute Sutherland and Sorcha find each other - someone starts trying to tear them apart by hurting one or the other. It is a serious mystery as to who is the villain.

Overall - I enjoyed this book a lot and it definitely kept me guessing and interested throughout! If you like old school Highland romances this is a definite must read for you - as well as the rest of the series! I'm looking forward to reading more about Magnus next!

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

This only referenced once as a past Bard like hero (Sutherland) slowly but surely started telling a different tale and singing a different tune when he freely and fully let love for the heroine conquer his long standing, self imposed fear of matrimony. Yeah, once this brawny, Casanova, handsome lad got over his butterflies in the stomach, scaredy cat, allergic to relationship, commitment phobia, he was all in for what fate and love had in store for him with Sorcha, the sassy heroine. He had actually been carrying a secret torch for her for some time. I have my doubts though whether that light was bright enough to keep him celibate during the off screen, past previous year they had not seen each other and were not a couple yet.

This leading lady wasn’t one to beat around the bush. In fact, she seemed quite ready to put this ladies man out of his own misery. So it rather surprised me Sorcha had a game plan of her own. Fortunately for Sutherland, it ended up working in his favor, even though he didn’t know a single thing about it.

The sub-characters seemed to play their roles well. I couldn’t help but picture the character Noah from The Village as the not all there, non-relation that was treated like family. I did stay fully engaged despite the almost too numerous murderous attempts.

We were reminded on occasion of Sutherland’s past manho history. Even he admits it comes back to haunt him in such a way he deeply regrets having earned it.

In addition to this book, I’ve only read “The Dreamer” so far, folks. You can bet your bottom dollar though I am verra interested in backtracking and reading the whole series. I believe at the time on this review posting they are available on Kindle Unlimited. But don’t stop there! I highly recommend Ms. Greyson’s Highland Heart series, as well (My Highland Lover, My Highland Bride, and My Tempting Highlander). I enjoyed those books, too.

Title: The Bard, Series: Highland Heroes (Book 5), Author: Maeve Greyson, Pages: 245, pub date: 11/17/20, stand-alone but part of a series, attempted murder, perilous situations, very steamy scenes, some violence, sassy heroine, a tad reluctant at first Casanova hero who reforms himself, HEA, not a couple after brief meeting a year ago, romance safe enough for me.

Prequel - The Chieftain
Book 1 - The Guardian
Book 2 - The Warrior
Book 3 - The Judge
Book 4 - The Dreamer
Book 5 - The Bard

(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 any PR firm.)

Scottish Historical Romance with Mystery and Suspense

It starts with Sutherland groveling to beg forgiveness for a bet he made. Sorcha might forgive him. after all, she intends to trap him in her web. The two might find romance, but someone is intent on separating them. Their lives are in peril. Who is intent on murder, and will they succeed? I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to those who enjoy Scottish historical romance with mystery and suspense. Who is the killer in their midst?

The Bard by Maeve Greyson is book five in the Highland Heroes series. Don't love the cover tut he story was quite good and very stressful to read. Lady Sorcha Greyloch and Sutherland MacCoinnich had met the summer before. She was convinced; he was attracted but not of a mind to marry. They came together again as Sutherland arrived to work out an agreement with her father about pasturing horses on their land. The MacCoinnichs could no longer grow their business without new pastureland. Lord Greyloch was unsure about this arrangement. The MacCoinnichs seemed to eager to absorb smaller clans with whom they had dealings. He didn't want it to happen to his. The only problem seemed that someone wanted Sutherland dead. When they failed, they tried again.

The Bard is as engaging as Greyson's other books. The characters are well-written and force the reader to like them. The navigation of the danger surrounding them was well thought out and easy to read and understand. The story was compelling and kept me worrying, although the outcome is virtually ensured. It was a thrilling journey to get to a place of peace and happiness. I recommend it as I do all the books in this series.

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

Sutherland MacCoinnich flirts his way into the hardest hearts has met his match and found his mate for life the infuriating Chieftain Greyloch’s daughter who has intrigued from the first sight. Sorcha Greyloch has tormented poor Sutherland and she’s led him on a merry chase. She’s decided he’s the only highlander for her, but he’s a womanizer and women come easy for him. Her father needs her to marry for the good of the Clan, marry a strong man, one who not only handle Clan business but his strong independent daughter. I loved this great adventure story of two strong characters battling each other and then together against a common enemy as danger awaits them at every turn in the story. I have voluntarily read and reviewed these excellent story.

Aah the chemistry and the sparks that fly between Sorcha and Sutherland! The heat between them is blazing in intensity and they fit so well together! Sorcha knows Sutherland is the man for her, but she makes him work for what he wants.
Loved this story, as I did the others in the series! Can't wait to read Magnus's story next!

Well, this was a surprise as The Bard may be the best of the series! Maeve Greyson’s Highland Heroes series has been great. I loved how Sorcha made Sutherland work for her attention. Not only did he enjoy the challenge, he fell in more love with Sorcha along the way. Stubborn and warriors were apt descriptions for both Sorcha and Sutherland. They belong together.

Interestingly, the secondary characters had a bigger part of the book than you would have thought at first; childhood friends, the clan healer, Sorcha’s father, keep visitors and the keep inhabitants. One of them is involved in the ‘accidents’ against Sutherland and Sorcha. They begin and continue too much to be accidents. There were hints if you pay close attention.

The appearance of characters from previous books in the series helps keep the family connections familiar. Hopefully, Magnus is next? Thank you, Net Galley for sharing this book in exchange for an honest review.

From the opening chapter of this Highland romance, I fell in love with Sutherland. He's been an idiot and is quite willing to admit it if he can get past the pistol-wielding Sorcha Greylock. Sorcha's feisty demeanor and managing ways have put the backs up of some of the older men in the clan who still adhere to the belief that women should be seen and not heard. However, that is not the kind of wife that Sutherland wants or needs. Winning Sorcha over takes some doing and sacrificing his bachelorhood for the right to call her his own seems a small sacrifice. It would seem that not everyone is happy and when seemingly inconsequential accidents start to happen with increasing frequency, Sutherland discovers that his feelings for Sorcha run far deeper than he originally thought. The suspense in this plot gathers momentum as the story unfolds until it would seem that all is lost. I found I was unable to put this book down once I started reading and was fully engrossed throughout. Although part of a series this novel is nevertheless a standalone and comes to a very satisfactory close. I received a copy of this book as a gift through NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Just like the previous books in the series, this book was great. I have loved the characters in this series. Sutherland has always been a favorite. Finally Sutherland found a woman to settle him down. Sorcha was the perfect mate for Sutherland. There was a lot happening and it kept the book interesting and flowing at a good pace. I am now ready for Magnus's story.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋

Long awaited , Sutherland’s Story and we all knew it would be Sorcha. The fireworks fly with this pair.

These two have a wonderful chemistry together, almost explosive, their relationship is brilliant and so enjoyable to read about.
A great book that fits so well with the rest of the series. We see old and new characters. The brothers obviously, but Sorcha’s family too.

Set in the Scottish Highlands it an enjoyable adventure that’s a real page turner, constantly keeping you on your toes.
Can’t wait for Magnus’s book next .

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

Taming a Highland warrior is not an easy task especially when he is a love them and leave them type! Sorcha Greyloch, however has already put her plan into play and Sutherland MacCoinnich doesn’t know what has hit him until it’s to late. The trap was set and he was snared!

Now it’s just reeling him in, but it’s the opposing forces around them coming from several directions that could stop this alliance!

The author is remarkable in keeping the storyline fresh and enjoyable that at times it’s laugh out loud moments and twists and turns. The characters are brash and bold and you can’t help, but like them!

I am willing to pay money now for the preorder for a sequel of these characters because they all were that impressed and fixed in the mind type! Bring on book 2!

Yes, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun and enjoyable read!

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

I just love seeing a strong and braw Highlander brought down to his knees by love:) I really enjoyed Sutherland and Sorcha's story, it's filled with passion and mystery, with a great cast of characters. I love Maeve Greyson's way of writing and am never disappointed with her books.

Sutherland has enjoyed the charms of many a woman but when he first sets eyes on Sorcha, it's love at first sight. It's the same for Sorcha but she certainly won't tell him that, she needs him to work for her trust and know that he will never wander. In most romance books, the hero and heroine don't declare their love until the end of the story but in this one, it's different, they declare their love halfway through and you cannot help but feel the passion they have for each other. When their lives are threatened, both will do everything they can to find out who is trying to kill them. There's a few twists and turns that will keep you on your toes!! Loved it!!

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