Grant and Kathleen's story is quite delightful. We get to spend time in Scotland with the Kendricks. They are quite a rowdy, loyal family and I enjoyed how much they all care about each other. Kathleen has planned on being a spinster and going home to Ireland (thanks in part to her mean stepmother who always told her she wasn't good enough). Grant is solid and quiet. When they get together, sparks fly. I do not write spoilers, so you will have to read this book to experience the troubles and the joys that these two experienced. I have not read the Clan Kendrick books from Ms. Kelly, but because I loved this story, I'm going to go back and read the first three!

In exchange for an honest review, I received a complimentary copy from Net Galley. My honest review is that it's a really good story and well written.

Wow! This book is SO AMAZING! It is romantic, entertaining, heartfelt, and so much more! Whenever I picked up "The Highlander's Irish Bride", I was whisked back in time to the Regency Era, and went on quite a journey with this story!

This is the fourth book in Vanessa Kelly's "Clan Kendrick" series, and I think it can work as a stand-alone novel as well! Ms. Kelly's writing style is incredibly visceral and beautiful! Her books feel so well-thought out; each and every detail adds something to the story. Her characters all feel like such real people with distinct personalities, and as the reader, I could truly feel their wants, fears, desires, and needs.

Kathleen is such a strong, intelligent, caring, loving, and spunky woman with a heart of gold. She truly loves so deeply, and you can feel from the first moment how much she cares for her step-sister Jeannie, and her friend Gillian. Never could she have imagined what meeting Grant will lead to, and how it might change the future she never had thought of.

Grant is such a hard-working, kind, smart, and a bit more on the quiet side compared to his family. He also usually puts work first. Never could he have imagined what would happen upon meeting Kathleen, and how it will change his life going forward.

(Possible Spoilers!)
I found myself pulling for Grant and Kathleen from their first meeting. You can truly feel their chemistry, and they balance one another out so well. Opposites in many ways, they are still drawn to each other, and their passion is amazing. I so love them together, and their happy-ever-after...YAY!

Also, I so love the Kendrick family. You can truly feel how much they love and care for one another. Their loving teasing, banter, and strong support is so amazing to read. I truly feel like I am a part of the family, and I loved seeing many characters from previous books.

If you enjoy Regency Romance, I highly recommend this book! It had me turning the pages, chapter after chapter, and I hope there will be more books in this incredible series! I so hope we see many of these characters again, and see their stories continue!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kensington Books (Zebra) for the ARC of this book, I loved it! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed this book, but I'm not comfortable reviewing it on other sites unless the publisher specifically requests I do that. The reason for my reluctance is that I didn't like it enough to rate it higher than 3 stars. If the author is receiving 5-star reviews, I hate to be the review that drops her average and makes her feel bad. She should NOT feel bad.

With that said, I want to make it very clear that I enjoyed this book. What I enjoyed most was the relationship with Katherine and Jeannie. I really enjoyed the authentic love and respect they shared as step-siblings. I also really liked Grant. I've always been a sucker for the quiet hero.

Then why the "only" 3 stars? The truth is that, while I enjoyed this book, I didn''t fall in love with it. I reserve 5 stars for those books that leave me feeling gobsmacked. 4 stars for books that I enjoyed and would quickly recommend to a friend. 3 stars are for books I enjoyed, but didn't knock me out of the ballpark. It was a wonderful escape, but I won't remember much about it in a few days.

I'm sorry...I really did enjoy it and I'd certainly read more by this author, but maybe it wasn't what I was needing in that moment in time.

Ms. Kelly pens an intriguing historical romance, containing humor, intrigue along with a sweet romance, anf=d that sweet romance heats up with some sensual passages near the end. Her cast of characters are interesting with human traits. I found myself thinking ‘Slap her’ or “kick him in the jewels’ more than once. The story draws one in that much. I highly recommend it.
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC and enjoyed it immensely.

This book was a complete delight from beginning to end. Very well written with wonderfully entertaining characters. Fun adventure with a nice blend of humor and lovely romance. This one is a winner!

This is book 4 in the Clan Kendrick series. It can be read as a stand alone but is better read in the series.
This is the story of Grant. He and his twin brother in the beginning of the series are as wild as wild can be. But now Grant has matured and become quite serious.
Kathleen is being sent to Scotland to curb her outlandish behavior. She is to visit her cousin Sabrina who is married to Graeme, Grant's twin.
When Kathleen and Grant meet, there is an instant attraction. But she finds Grant a little boring.
I thought for 2 people who both had reputations for doing outlandish things, they were both pretty tame in this story.
I also thought there was too many story lines and not enough romance. It wasn't until the 64% mark in my kindle that they finally kissed. Way too long and too many other distractions.
I really did like the book but It had the potential for soo much more.
4 stars.
I want to thank Netgalley for the chance to review this book.
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The Highlander's Irish Bride, by Vanessa Kelly, continues the adventures (and misadventures) of the Kendrick men as they find love and a degree of stability. Here we have the story of Grant, the "boring" twin, and Kathleen, Irish wild child and cousin of Grant's twin's wife Sabrina. Kathleen has been sent to Scotland to ride out the storm she created in London (chariot racing, anyone?).

Kathleen meets Grant in Glasgow, the first stop of her journey. Grant is immediately taken with her, and she with him somewhat. However, they keep misreading each other; she thinks he thinks she's flighty and foolish, and he thinks she thinks he's a bore. Everyone else in the Kendrick clan sees a perfect match, and they start pushing the two together, as Kendricks tend to do. When it's time to head further north to Graeme and Sabrina's home, Grant is enlisted to go along to ensure her safety. Angus (Grandda) goes to because what Scottish romp is complete without an outrageous Scottish-to-the-bone senior citizen there to meddle?

In Lochnagar, Grant and Kathleen continue to dance around each other amiably while the story's action comes from other sources. Specifically, someone has been causing increasingly dangerous problems. Grant stays on to help Graeme untangle the mystery, which also gives him time to woo Kathleen.

I really like both Grant and Kathleen, but it did seem a little bit slow between them. While it was easy to see why they liked each other, it was hard to see why they fell in love. Even so, I found myself rooting for them. I also found myself itching to reread the Kendrick stories that I enjoyed in the past and to pick up the ones that I missed.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks!

I love this series. The Kendrick brothers, survived the death of their parents with the help of their Grandda Angus and the oldest brother Nick. So far the oldest four brothers have found their HEA, and this is Grants story.
Grant Kendrick has become a man who works to much. He’s taken it upon himself to make sure the Glasgow office of the family business runs as efficiently as it can. He will be taking over when Royal moves with his family. Grant has been out of sorts and bored with his life. He didn’t know just how much until he met Kathleen Calvert.
The last thing Kathleen wants is to spend the winter in Scotland, but with the possible scandal looming she’s given no choice. She longs to return to Ireland and spend her days gardening and with her horses. She certainly does not need the likes of Grant Kendrick to mess with her thoughts and think he can tell her what she is to do.
With ruffians on the loose and and a stowaway, Kathleen and Grant must work together to stay safe and manage to not fall for each other.
This is not a standalone book and should be read in order of the series. Be prepared to laugh, cry and route for the Kendrick brothers HEA!

Fun book with a little mystery and a lot of family issues. I love the Kendrick family. The men are loyal and love each other thru all of the problems a family has. This book has Grant and Kathleen and their rocky start to hea I recommend starting with the first book and reading your way thru them all. They are worth it

Vanessa Kelly continues her Clan Kendrick series with middle brother Grant, the former hellion who's now a responsible man of business--and maybe a little bored. When free-spirited Kathleen is sent to visit his family in Glasgow to avoid scandal in London, he's intrigued but determined to stay away. Somehow he ends up accompanying her and her stepsister to the Highlands, as she goes to stay with her cousin and his twin brother, and trouble finds them on the road.

Overall I enjoyed this, although I found Kathleen much less of a troublemaker than she's supposed to be, and Grant less stuffy than everyone keeps saying he is. Kathleen's teenage stepsister Jeannie is a well-written teenage girl--that is to say, extremely annoying, impulsive, and boy-crazy. (Kelly will have to mature her a lot if she ever gets her own book.)

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Grant Kendrick is Graeme's twin, whose story we got in book #3 of the Clan Kendrick series. Grant is the other half of the twosome that were always getting in trouble. Now that Grant is all nearing thirty, he is much more serious and reserved, especially compared to most of the people in his crazy family! Grant is convinced that he will never settle down, and will just spend his time making money with the family's shipping business.

Miss Kathleen Calvert is the daughter of and Irish aristocrat but doesn't like to act the part. She would rather be footloose and fancy free and having fun instead. When her latest escapade lands her in hot water with her stepmother, she is ready to ship her off when Gillian Penley, the Duchess of Leverton shows up offering to help. (We met the sassy, loud mouthed Gillian in My Fair Princess.) Gillian offers to take Kathleen to Scotland to visit Victoria Kendrick, Countess of Arnprior who is also Gillian's cousin, along with the rest of the Kendrick Clan, and then on to Graeme and Sabrina's. Along their journey, they discover Kathleen's half-sister, Jeannie, has stowed away.

The three of them arrive at the Kendrick's and Kathleen is instantly smitten by Grant but the stories she hears about him she thinks he is dull and boring. The more time they spend together, Kathleen starts to wonder if there is more to Grant than she first thought. When Grant is roped into escorting the women to Graeme and Sabrina's he is secretly happy to spend more time with Kathleen. Just before they arrive to their destination, their carriage is robbed. This brings out a different side to Grant that has Kathleen very interested!

When Grant decides to stay at Graeme's longer to help with all the trouble that is going on, he and Kathleen start spending a lot more time together. Of course this helps Kathleen realize that there is a lot more to Grant than she first thought and that she really likes what she sees. Kathleen is torn between living alone in Ireland like she has always dreamed of, or staying in Scotland with Grant and building a life she never really dreamed of. She does end up getting the perfect happy ending that she never really knew she needed!

I just adored Grant. He was an honorable, nice man with a little wild side that he usually kept hidden. I really enjoyed Kathleen too. She is like a Gillian, Jr.! Together these two have a great balance of life and I just adored their happy ending! I sure hope there will be more Clan Kendrick books! I really love this fun and crazy family!

The Kendrick clan is definitely one of the most eccentric and interesting families in romancelandia. They have a complex family dynamic that is grounded by a great love of each other. Grant is one of the younger members of the family - and a twin to Graeme. Grant and his twin were wild in their younger days - but have since settled down significantly. Graeme is married and serves as magistrate for this community. Grant runs the day-to-day operations of the family's shipping enterprises in Glasgow.

One of the things I liked most about this book is that almost none of it is set in London. It is set in Glasgow and a remote community in the Scottish Highlands. I also loved how unconventional Kathleen was as a heroine. Kathleen is Irish and a bit of a wild child herself. She isn't interested in settling down to the same pursuits as other young ladies - including marriage. She really just wants to return to Ireland and live a quiet life on her own. But one escapade too far - has her family send her north to Scotland to visit her cousin Sabrina and Sabrina's family by marriage - the Clan Kendrick.

Kathleen and Grant are immediately drawn to each other - but Kathleen feels Grant is too boring and staid. Grant wants to get to know Kathleen better, but senses she isn't interested in him. As the story progresses into the Highlands, someone is behind a dangerous crime wave in the small town and Grant, Kathleen, and Kathleen's feckless younger sister Jeannie are all very much involved in figuring things out.

So - here's the thing. I love the Kendrick's and I adore Vanessa Kelly's writing - but this wasn't a total win for me. I was frustrated with how often Grant was described as boring. Grant is a hard working man who is dedicated to his family. He's definitely a workaholic - but also clearly a very good man. I felt like that issue also went on far far far too long. So much so - that the first 1/3 of the book dragged a bit for me. I also wanted more time between Grant and Kathleen.

I think it definitely helped Kathleen to develop as a character to see how her younger sister's actions impacted everyone around her. It definitely gave her perspective - but maybe we could have seen a little less of her.

Overall - this was just like for me!

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

I loved reading Grant Kendrick's story! The Kendricks are always good for a laugh in the midst of whatever adventure they are facing. Kathleen is a strong independent woman. I loved how her opinion of Grant changed as they began to know each other more. And it was very entertaining to see all the infatuations going on with the secondary characters. It was a great read!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Kathleen was sent to Scotland after she was involved in a scandal. Grant had the honor of escorting her to Scotland. Kathleen initially thought that Grant was a bore until they were attacked. I enjoyed the chemistry between Kathleen and Grant

When the possibility of scandal looms, Kathleen’s parents, hoping to preserve her reputation, send her to Scotland until the rumors die down. There she meets and is welcomed into the wonderful Kendrick family. Her constant escort is the handsome but dull Grant Kendrick, a serious businessman who has no time for Kathleen and her shenanigans.

Kathleen and Grant have an interesting, slow-building romance. At first, Kathleen is not overly impressed by Grant and finds him rather dull. Once she gets to know the man underneath the cool and detached exterior, however, her feelings change. The only problem is that Kathleen has her future planned out, and it involves a move to Ireland, not a relationship with a Scottish man. Grant has to work hard to prove that Kathleen’s future should include him.

Though he’s not thrilled to be tasked with the care of Kathleen and her younger sister, Grant can’t resist his feelings. He loves Kathleen’s energy and passion and her adventurous spirit, even if she is a bit accident and scandal-prone. Though he was much more like her in his youth, a tragedy changed Grant, and his more serious nature came with that change. He is strong and steady, with a calmness that contrasts with Kathleen’s vivaciousness and exuberance. They are total opposites, and you know what they say…These opposites attract!

Kathleen and Grant often struggle to read each other, but I think once they learn more about each other, they understand each other better and come to realize that they are not so different. Grant is very perceptive and understands why Kathleen acts the way she does. He sees Kathleen for the intelligent and complex woman that she is, and he loves her for it. Kathleen, in turn, can’t remember why she ever thought Grant dull, as he intrigues and excites her more than anyone else ever has. They share many experiences, both in the present and the past, and the way that they accept each other strengthens their bond. Both characters grow and change as they learn more about themselves and each other.

I love that characters from past books in the series have roles in this book. Sabrina and Graeme, in particular, are at the forefront of the story, as Kathleen and Grant spend time at the couple’s manor. Grant’s bond with his twin brother Graeme is wonderful, and it is clear that they have a strong connection. They know each other so well that they can communicate without speaking, and they are always there for each other. Their relationship, as well as all of the Kendricks, highlight the strength and importance of family. They love each other unconditionally and are unfailingly supportive of each other, which is shown throughout the series.

My favorite secondary character is Angus, Grant and Graeme’s grandfather. Funny, meddlesome, and deeply loving, Angus brings joy and levity to the story. I often found myself chuckling at Angus’ antics and his bumbling explanations. He is a family man who wears his heart on his sleeve and is always there to help, even though his help is usually more of a comical hindrance. He is an absolute delight!

Of the new characters in the book, I did not care for Kathleen’s younger sister Jeannie. She caused such unnecessary conflict and rarely changed, even when she knew she was being disrespectful or obstinate. Kathleen wavers in her discipline of Jeannie due to guilt and other things, which doesn’t help. I found her character to be very frustrating, though her actions progressed the plot and added to the obstacles Kathleen and Grant faced.

Grant and Kathleen face problems concerning stolen valuables, hijacked carriages, trying to control an obstinate teenager, attempted burglaries, and another man interested in Kathleen. As they try to figure out who is committing these crimes and deal with the other obstacles that stand in their way, the pair runs into more trouble and potential scandal. This all makes for a captivating and immersive read!

This is a great addition to the Clan Kendrick series and will appeal to readers who like historical romance with independent and slightly accident-prone heroines, swoon-worthy heroes, and an interesting story-line. Thanks so much to NetGalley, Zebra, and Vanessa Kelly for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Note: I will post the review closer to the publication date.

ARC received for review

It's me again. The person who starts a series with book 4. I was in no way lost from not reading the previous books, but I do want to. The pricing on the first three is just weird (book 1 - 1.99, book 2 - 5.31, book 3 - 5.69 plus book 4 - 7.99).

This was a little slow to start and then at times didn't move along a quickly as I wanted it to. Kathleen gets in trouble, again, and is sent to Ireland by way of Scotland. While in Scotland she's robbed, finds a stowaway, gets kidnapped, tries to fend off a suitor she doesn't want, falls in love...not necessarily in that order. Grant is great, even if he starts out boring, but quickly realizes with Kathleen he's not that boring. Lots of previous peeps are present to help the couple out. The bad guy drama was meh in the end.

The Highlander’s Irish Bride by Vanessa Kelly is an excellent historical fiction romance novel that is the fourth book in the amazing series: Clan Kendrick.

I have enjoyed all of the previous books in this successful series, however I feel that this could still easily be a stand alone.

I love the way that Ms. Kelly is always able to create such richly drawn characters that have such sparkling and sassy personalities. There is always wit, banter, passion, fire, and drive. Even though each book is unique in its own right, those classic concepts are presented in each one.

I really liked Kathleen Calvert. She is smart, sassy, fiery, unique, and a woman before her time. I liked the premise, and the combustion that resonated between her and one of her Highlander escorts, Grant Kendrick. I love the play of the opposites attract relationship. Both compliment each other well, and I really enjoyed their interactions, dialogue, and chemistry.

I also enjoyed the mystery that added complexity to the overall story and that helped unite the two main characters into a single quest.

I really enjoyed this book and really didn’t want it to end. I hope this series continues, and I look forward to the next book.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

Erstwhile tomboy and confirmed spinster Kathleen Calvert has a problem: she’s triggered yet another London scandal, which threatens to damage her family’s reputation. At her stepmother’s urging, Kathleen's father passes sentence: social exile, which means several months rusticating in the country. That's perfectly fine with Kathleen, as long as exile means her family’s estate in Ireland, her beloved childhood home. Unfortunately, her stepmother deems otherwise, and Kathleen is soon on her way to Scotland—to a remote corner of the Highlands, no less. Kathleen then unexpectedly finds herself saddled with her sweet but rambunctious little stepsister, who thinks an adventure with her big sis would be just the ticket to fun.

Continuing the adventures of Clan Kendrick, THE HIGHLANDER’S IRISH BRIDE is also Grant’s story. One of the calmer, more serious-minded brothers, Grant has his hands full with the bonny Kathleen, her little sister, his riotously interfering family—and bandits running amok on his twin's Highland estate. THE HIGHLANDER’S IRISH BRIDE is funny, heart-warming, and romantic, and has a good dash of suspense to spice up the plot.

While this is part of a series it can easily be read as a stand alone. That said, I recommend snapping up the other books in the series.

If you haven't yet experienced Kelly's well-developed, loveable, and unforgettable characters or witty banter then you are in for a serious treat!

Five stars.

Scandal causing Kathleen is hoping to be banished to her childhood home in Ireland. Instead, she is sent to the wilds of highland Scotland with Grant and Angus Kendrick as her escorts. While they both try to deny their attraction to each other, Kathleen and Grant try to find the thieves that are preying on the locals. I did find the younger sister in the story extremely annoying. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Kensington Books for my honest review.