Second chance romance featuring multiple take-no-prisoners female characters searching for a treasure that should be returned to Scotland. Never underestimate the power of a group of determined women.

The idea of a second chance romance paired with a heist is something I’m probably never going to pass up. Sadly, this didn’t hold up for me.

Anne and Will are decent enough MCs. Their history is given out in snippets and it was sort of annoying to know they had a past, but not to know why they were apart. Especially when it seemed like lust and not love. I enjoyed the other ladies in the league and could have done with a million more scenes of them.

Plot wise, it’s more about the heist than the romance and even then, it’s not very exciting. I expected loads of tension, longing filled glances, and maybe some sassy banter. Instead it was long passages of inner monologues, snapping at each other, and maybe two honest conversations.

Overall, I loved the idea but wanted a lot more from this story and the characters.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

The plot was intriguing, but the romance was alright. It was a perfectly fine Scottish romance.

Got an ARC from Avon and Netgalley (and a paperback ARC) in return for my honest review.

3/5 stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

I enjoyed this book, the beginning had my complete attention. I was enjoying the characters and the plot. As we got closer to the middle, everything slowed down and I found myself wanting to put down the book and not pick it back up. There just wasn't anything really holding my attention. The romance overall lacked something for me, I'm unsure if there were just too many expectations on the romance but it just wasn't my favorite. I did enjoy the writing so I will be checking out other books by this author. Overall it was a very middle-of-the-road romance for me.

When I saw this book become available for review request, I was intrigued by the premise and thought the cover lovely. This was my first book by Conkle, and, unfortunately, I am unlikely to pick another one up. It didn’t deliver on the promise and didn’t work on multiple fronts.

Central to this book is a scheme to steal back Jacobite gold and distribute it among the Highlander survivors, who are suffering. Ann, the heroine, is leader of a women’s group planning the heist. They are at a critical stage and now need the help of Ann’s one-time lover, Will, to gain the needed access to the gold. What could have been an interesting story filled with delicious tension combining a heist and second-chance tropes was bogged down by metaphor-ridden purple prose. In short, this story had a focus and flow problem.

I am a big fan of a well-executed second chance story. This was not that. Part of why I like a second chance story is because it is so difficult to pull off. It needs to be convincing on why it didn’t work the first time and convincing on why the two lovers should trust and try again. It should be filled with angst and anguish and tension. Ann and Will come to know each other originally when Will escorts Ann to her betrothed, a man she hasn’t met and Will’s clansman. They embark in an affair and plan to runaway together, while Will plans to join the Jacobite uprising. This is a very one-sided love story. Ann gives, Will takes. Ann makes sacrifices for clan and family, Will looks out for himself and does what he wants. Ann keeps tabs on Will during their 8-year separation, Will doesn’t keep tabs on Ann. Ann is a bit too good to be true, but, while Will is presented as an honorable Highlander, his actions and choices point to a very self-centered character.

I didn’t find this to be an easy read. It took me more than a week to get through, but I did hold out hope until late in the book that it would click in the end. It did seem to do a decent job at historical context and details, which I did appreciate. However, resolutions were too easy and tension buildup often lost focus. Ultimately, it was a disappointing and unsatisfying read.

<I>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book. Views are my own.

This second chance romance reunites two lovers that were torn appart on the cusp of the Jacobite revolution. Coincidentally the same cause, the return of Jacobite gold to the Highlands promos their reunion.

Anne Fletcher’s heart was broken when her love never waited for her to reach their meeting point before they were to run away together, instead he choose the fight with the Jacobites. Now, she has put all of herself into the same fight as she does everything in her power to restore Scotland to its former glory… and right now that’s stealing back Jacobite gold with the help of her former lover!

Will MacDonald was also heartbroken when Anne wasn’t there to meet him years ago, so he hurried his feelings in the war effort… now she has come for him and needs his help. He still loves her and will do what she asks, even if its treason!

This story has high on details, but not ones I flet necessary to the story or the romance. I was hoping for more real information on the plight of the Scottish, since this time was so volatile. I had also hoped for more on this reunion romance. There was a lot of talk about how intense their romance was as youths… but 8 years later there was a lot of yearning that left me yearning for more!

The ensable cast of characters added a lot to this book, especially Celelia and I would return to this series to see her character get her HEA.

The Scot Who Loved Me by Gina Conkle was released May 25th, 2021.

I won a complimentary copy of this book from HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books that was provided through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#TheScotWhoLovedMe #GinaConkle #Netgalley #pinkcowlandreads

Anne Neville and a group of women are tasked with the return of stolen gold sent from France to Scotland. She rescues from prison and recruits Will MacDonald, the former enforcer of his clan, to help her. Will reluctantly agrees. He and Anne have some history before her two marriages and the rebellion. They have never stopped loving each other, but beginning again may be hard, even impossible. This is an intense story with great characters. The women in the league are smart as whips and quite good at planning for their goal. The story is full of danger, mystery, and intrigue. It is also a love story, and although there is great chemistry between Will and Anne, one that takes a while to unfold. Interesting and engaging. A good read.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

2.5 stars rounded up.

The devastating loss at Culloden hasn’t made Will MacDonald any less the proud Highlander and that obstinance has landed him in prison for wearing his kilt. He has plans to leave England and search for his father in Virginia when he’s released but that idea is foiled when a woman buys his freedom and asks for his help in exchange.

Anne Neville had thought never to see her former love again. She left Will eight years ago and doesn’t expect he’s forgiven her, but she and her league need his help to accomplish their mission. She’s determined to steal back thieved Jacobite gold and return it to its rightful place in the Highlands and she believes they’ll succeed with Will’s help, even though spending time with him again is equal parts pain and pleasure.

Reunited with Anne after such a long separation, Will won’t leave her again, even if their mission could result in their deaths. As they work together toward a common goal, Will and Anne must decide if they’ll return to their lonely half-lives when it’s over or take the risk that a relationship between them could work this time around.

This book was heavily plot driven and featured strong writing, but the romance definitely took a backseat here. The mission to steal back the gold and the formation of the league was the main focus and it then lost momentum as well and I just wound up not caring about it. I was never a fan of Anne and she and Will never really had much civil conversation. There were times that some sexual tension built between them, but she’d usually say something awful to him to ruin it. I thought Will deserved better than he got and while Anne may have done a couple of nice things for him, mainly she was just using him. The heist was her priority, and she didn’t realize his true worth until much too late for me to find it satisfying.

As always with second chance stories, I had a hard time not focusing on the wasted time when the MCs weren’t together, but that was especially true of this story as Will has the same struggle and Anne knew where to find him for years but didn’t reveal herself because she put the league and its goals first. The reason for their initial separation eight years ago was as tragic as it was flimsy, and the poignance of it was a bit lost on me and buried in angst. In fact, the tone of the entire book was gnawingly ominous, so I struggled to read much of it in one sitting. The somewhat vague descriptions made parts of the book a bit difficult to follow, though that may have been down to my waning interest in the plot. I think I would’ve liked it more if Anne had been a character I could really root for, but she was unnecessarily snappish and mean, preoccupied with Will telling her what to do, unable or unwilling to acknowledge his attempts to protect her and his guilt for his perceived failure in the past.

There was a strong build-up here that sadly fizzled out for me, especially given the painfully slow burn and the fact that we never saw much on-page communication between Will and Anne. It left me feeling like they may part again in the near future when some other issue arises. The frequent hints of the past backstory before the full revelation became a bit repetitive for me and rather than pique my interest, it lost my attention. This made the story’s flow seem a bit jerky and once that momentum was lost, we never got it back. I know there was a bit to be done to set up the future books of the series, but the romance never really came to fruition here and the characters never grabbed me so I’m not sure I’ll continue the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There were a lot of things that I liked about this book. The premise is that a league of Scottish women plan to steal back lost gold that was originally sent from France to aid Scotland in order to help their fellow Scots. The leader of this team, the twice-widowed Anne, is practical, strong, and a master planner. The best way for them to steal the gold is to enlist Anne’s former lover (and love of her life), Will, who she had been separated from for the past eight years. I loved the adventure and, of course, a female heist gang. The aunts and Cecilia were delightful and I look forward to seeing them more as this series continues. Will was also thoughtful, kind, protective, and absolutely in love with the heroine from the start, which is something I always enjoy seeing. Both of these main characters also lived difficult lives, through the political upheaval of Scotland and personal hardships, which is refreshing to see when oftentimes historicals can focus on the privileged aristocracy.

Unfortunately, though, the book sort of fell apart from me in terms of the romance. Will’s love for Anne was there from the beginning, but their separation and what separated them wasn’t dealt with in a way that felt authentic to me. We also don’t get much of Anne’s feelings until the end when it is revealed that she has loved him all along. That the two were not together until the very end then made the romance not feel particularly satisfying as it just felt that the only reason they hadn’t been together the whole time was that they just didn’t have a chance to really talk about it. It felt to me that the author was trying to do a bit too much – starting a series and laying a lot of groundwork for it, detailing a lot of Scottish history, planning and carrying out a heist, and a love story. I think the rest of the story did well, but the romance faltered for me.

I am interested in reading further books in the series, though, as I think there’s a lot of potential here.

I really wanted to love this book. As a romance reader, the Highlander trope is 100% my catnip. But I just was never able to settle into this book enough to enjoy it.

I honestly think it is the writing style, that was the deal breaker for me. This book for lack of a better description is a telling book, versus a showing book. The constant alluding and hinting to events of the pasts without fully revealing them, just pulled me out of the current action of the book too much and slowed the forward pace of what should have been an exciting heist romance to a crawl and took away from the chemistry the author was trying to create.

If slow burning with, lots of intrigue and detail is your jam, this will likely not be a hamperance to your enjoyment, but it just wasn’t for me.

I do want to thank NetGalley for providing me the opportunity and the ARC and review. No matter what it is always a joy to try new things and be able to provide my thoughts and feedback.

I was so excited to get an ARC of Gina Conkle’s The Scot Who Loved Me from Avon. I’m a sucker for Scottish history (the highlands were home to my ancestors), and this new romance series, set in the aftermath of the Jacobite uprising of 1745, was PERFECT. Fans of Outlander and Scottish history will love The Scot Who Loved Me.

It’s a second chance romance for two young lovers separated by war and years. Eight years after they were separated, Will is rescued from an English prison by his former lover and recruited to her cause, searching London for stolen Jacobite gold. Their reunion is supposed to be a business arrangement, but their shared history and the love they found together refuses to stay in the past.

Past mystery, part heist, and completely swoon-worthy, The Scot Who Loved Me had me wishing I had a braw blond-haired highlander trying to win my heart. (I guess my sweet husband of 13 years will have to do.)

This was my time reading this author's books. Ms Conkle has a gift of giving the reader lots of exciting tales of treasure and romance in the start of a new series. I just love those brawny guys who wear their kilts so well. Especially Will McDonald who sits in prison for wearing one. Even though he's in a English jail, he will serve out his sentence and leave.
Then a mysterious lady arrives with plans to let Will escape with promises of money. What does a fellow do? Well, he goes with the woman, what else. Anne Fletcher has finally found someone who can help her get a treasure and return it to the rightful place. But Anne who once loved Will, has got to prove that her loyalty is with him, not the English.
There are a lot of twist and turns that make for a lively and thrilling read for those who want Will and Anne to have their happy ever after. The key is love, of course.
I appreciate Net Galley for this ARC title in which I gave an honest review.

New author to me, the first book in her new series. The plot is very good and easy to follow. I loved Anne and Will story. They both been tested with hardships. Now they are working together to return treasure that belongs to Scotland. Great characters and easy to read story, a really enjoyable read!

Book: The Scot Who loved me
By Gina Conkle

Series: Scottish Treasures, Book #1

Publisher: Avon and Harper Voyager

Release Date: 5/25/2021

Overall Rating: 5 Gold Stars

Overall Blog Rating: 5 Saltire Flags

Marshalsea Prison
22 August 1753
London, England

This is a second chance romance about the one woman, Ann Fletcher, who deserted Will MacDonald eight years earlier…

Marshalsea Prison
22 August 1753
London, England

Will MacDonald is the former enforcer of Clan MacDonald of Clanranold, including a braw, swoon worthy Jacobite who is a brave, strong, protective, honest and honorable man. He was also recently arrested for going against the Sassenach Highland clearances and wearing his kilt. Then the last person he ever expected to ever see in his life again walks into his cell! He intended to get out of filthy London as soon as possible, yet his plan goes astray when a woman from his past just drops in his cell out of thin air with promises of escape and coin!Unfortunately it is also the woman who also tore his heart out of his chest eight years earlier!

Anne Fletcher MacDonald Neville, knows Will has not forgiven her for the biggest mistake of her life so many years earlier and no one regrets it more than she. Yet to succeed in this special assignment she needs Will’s help-except how is she to convince him? As she is positively desperate and needs him to help her steal this special treasure of Loch Arkaig also known as the missing Jacobite gold. It is not for herself, but to return it to its rightful home to the Scottish highlands! Anne desperately needs Wills expertise to succeed in this pursuit even though she knows it will be like sticking pins in her heart again! Plus this assignment is very dangerous and if caught they will both most likely be executed. She only hopes on her previous Jacobite lover will do it especially since it belongs to Scotland and not only the country but the Jacobite’s too

This dangerous journey will open old wounds and reveal secrets the former lovers were not aware of . So will Anne and Will be capable to parting again once this missions ends? Will they return to their miserable empty lives again? Will they part forever with shattered and broken hearts again? Will these former lovers take a chance on a love that might possibly last forever? Read and find out.

Ah it's been many years since I read a Gina Conkle book as I am a huge fan of her Viking books and her gift for historical research in absolutely phenomenal! It is a book readers definitely don’t want to miss! It will is a riveting, fast paced page turner with a second change at romance. Of course it is filled with deception, betrayal, This books was absolutely marvelous and captivating on so many levels! Now for one it called out to my Jacobite heart, a second chance romance which I always love and a mystery surrounding Jacobite gold! Now what’s not to love!now I can’t wait for book #2 in this me

Disclaimer: I received an advance reader’s copy from Avon and HarperCollins Publishing. I voluntarily agreed to do an honest, fair review and blog through Netgalley. All thoughts, ideas and words are my own.

Buy Links

https://www.amazon.com/Scot-Who-Loved-Me-Treasures-ebook/dp/B08GKPT98V

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-scot-who-loved-me-gina-conkle?variant=32291831349282

https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-scot-who-loved-me-a-scottish-treasures-novel-scottish-treasures-1-gina-conkle?variant=39351057186894

https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-scot-who-loved-me/id1528946989

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-scot-who-loved-me-gina-conkle/1138730855

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-scot-who-loved-me

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Gina_Conkle_The_Scot_Who_Loved_Me?id=3i35DwAAQBAJ

Just beautiful! Anne and Will are a couple whose love is forged and tested by the fire of time and hardships. Anne and her band of women are a force to be reckoned with as they plot to recover what belongs to Scotland. They are idealistic and focused on the job to be done. Will plays the supporting role to these women and does so graciously. The author does a magnificent job with the characters of Anne and the Countess by showing how different they are in their desires for the gold and Will. It is truly a beautiful story that I greatly enjoyed reading.

The Scot Who Loved Me is the first book in the Scottish Treasures series by Gina Conkle. A steamy historical romance that is sure to keep you turning the pages and leave you wanting more. The things they have to go thru to try to accomplish their final vow for Scotland. I highly recommend this marvelous novel and found it very enjoyable.

We get a league of women who want to take gold back that they say belongs to Scotland after the battle of Culloden. They need the help of one man who happens to be in prison. This leads to Will and Anne meeting once again. A story of a second chance romance with the thrill of stealing gold. My favorite part of this is that Anne is independent and Will seems to understand that. He wants to help but knows when Anne is able to do things on her own. I think there is just too much going on in this story. The romance, the gold, the past stories, many side characters, a past lover, an interfering lady. It was dragging in some places. Low steam, one main scene but it does discuss sex from the past. I was frustrated when Anne lost some of her drive once Will was in the picture. I think it is okay but it just didn't make me want to reread right after I was finished that I have with other historical romances.

Anne has just paid to release her old lover from prison and now has to convince him to help her steal some gold. A second chance romance with a heist - I’m all in.
Will and Anne have a past to get over and I felt that some of their past took too long to come to light. Will has to confront a lot of his past to help Anne with the heist. The heist was the best part making me think of some of the fun heist movies out there. Overall It was a fun and quick read with some great supporting characters.

i wanted to like this book more than I was able. I’ve read other books but this author that I’ve liked much better, so I’ll consider this a one off. t started out much too slowly for me, and the plot just didn’t really develop into much for a long time. Unfortunately, the author used more “tell,” than “show,” so it added to the dragging nature of the set-up. Then once it got going, it got good and things really happened fast and furious. The plot was a bit predictable, but there were a couple of twists and turns that kept the story more exciting. All in all, a solid three stars. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher. This is my freely given, honest review.

The Scot Who Loved Me is the first book in Gina Conkle's Scottish Treasures series. I have some of her prior books but haven't read them yet, so her work was new to me. The beautiful cover caught my eye. Gorgeous purple sky...pretty woman in a lovely gown...oh, who am I kidding? The hot guy in the kilt was front and center and totally captured my attention; I'm woman enough to admit it! It took a while for this story to draw me in, but I'm glad I stuck with it, as I ended up really enjoying it.

Scotsman Will MacDonald sits in prison, where he's been since getting caught wearing his kilt in public. It's 1753, eight years since the Uprising, and that's now a punishable offense. He plans on leaving England as soon as he's released...that is, until a beautiful woman comes to the prison for him, promising to get him released and giving him gold in exchange for helping her and her league on their mission to steal back stolen Jacobite gold to return it to Scotland. As if that wasn't shocking enough, the woman just happens to be Anne Fletcher, his former love that left him in Scotland. There's bitterness there, as they both believe they were wronged by the other in that past event. But feelings still run deep, and Will swears he will do everything he can to help Anne and her friends and to keep them safe, even though they must part when their mission is accomplished.

I did worry about this story for a bit, as it moved rather slowly for me. They were both very hurt by the past and each other, so it seemed like they didn't care for one another very much and it was a bit gloomy. However, as they discovered more of what had happened and reconnected, I began to get into it more. And then, as their heist plans began to come together and then took off, I was riveted. They knew they were still in love, but Anne planned to return the gold to Scotland, while Will wanted to see his father in Virginia and make amends with him. I despaired of them getting their HEA. Anne was a strong heroine, having dealt with so much after she parted from Will but not ever thinking of shirking her duty to return the gold. Will was all man, big and brawny and protective, yet he seemed to have a gentle soul. There was much attraction between the two, though there was only one intimate scene besides kissing. I really enjoyed the supporting characters, especially Will's dear Aunt Flora and his saucy cousin. Also, Ancilla, the widowed Countess of Denton, made a great villain. I'm looking forward to discovering which of the league's women stars in the next book.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.