I’ve read all of the 9 previous books in this series and I loved them! While I enjoyed this highland romance, I do wish Claray and Conall had a few more conversations before the water excursion. I felt like they didn’t have much of a relationship, but she was ready to give it all to him, it didn’t fit her character. I was also strange how much she slept, it felt like she was sleeping most of the book. I did love the animals!

Overall enjoyed their story and how their relationship evolved. However, as a fan of the series it didn’t seem to fit with the 1st 9 books.

Overall for me it was a 3.5 stars (rounded to 4)

Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Author Lynsay Sands brings another of her jovial and exciting Highland romances to life with all the verve and expert narrative I’ve come to expect since first reading the author’s novel The Key of which I still retain my original purchased paperback version. Sands historicals never fail to entertain the reader putting them into the story for many hours of immersive reading pleasure.
Highland Wolf is no exception to the author’s consistently riveting prose and crafting of two perfect leads this time with Lady Claray MacFarlane and Mercenary Conall, aptly named “The Wolf” bringing their tender-hearted well written story to the page.
There follow delightfully funny scenes between Conall and Claray after the Wolf and his men ride into her uncle’s keep and rescue Claray from an impending unwanted arranged marriage.
This is a marvelous tale of adventure and passion, deceptions and hidden secrets that will surely please all lovers of the Historical Romance genre.

This installment in Sands' historical highlander series takes one step away from the Buchanan brothers, but we are still in their overall social circle and within the world first established in An English Bride in Scotland. This has all the tropes that this author likes to play with, so if you are a fan of the series, you will definitely enjoy this installment, as I did. This also has an additional element with the animals that the heroine has tamed, which added to the overall comedic tone. It made me feel like I was watching Disney's Enchanted sometimes!

All in all, I think it's a solid installment in this world and this series, and I enjoyed the characters of Claray and Conall, and I could truly believe in their situation and romance.

I just love Lynsay's writing. Her characters and story always hit the spot when I'm looking for a fun read on a. day I don't want to get out of bed.

The way she writes always enthralls me to every story. The humor, the side characters, the descriptions keep me coming back for more.

You can never go wrong with this amazing author, and I can't wait to dive into the next book!

I have yet to read a book from this author that disappointed me. I love all her books and this is no different! So action packed! I love the kidnapped bride/rescued bride trope lol 4⭐

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely loved, loved, loved this smart and sexy read! Highland Wolf delivered a sensual romance and intriguing mystery sprinkled with just enough humor to make me smile. Conall and Claray’s story was the perfect fusion of passion and fun to keep me turning the page.

Conall rescues Claray from an unwanted, forced engagement on her wedding day. Claray is instantly intrigued and attracted to Conall. I loved Claray! I loved her propensity to attract wounded animals, and Conall’s reaction to her growing menagerie was priceless. Although exasperated, instead of being angry, Conall was patient and understanding to the sensitive, big-hearted Claray. Conall is a fierce soldier for hire yet tender-hearted to the lass who unbelievingly falls asleep while he rescues her. I enjoyed Claray’s spirit; she was caring, compassionate, and open-minded. It was so sweet to read about Conall’s gentle coaxing of Claray to introduce her to sensuality and love.

The unfolding of Conall and Claray’s love story was paced perfectly. Once his mind is decided, Conall doesn’t hesitate to claim Claray and won’t let her go. Their burgeoning passion is cute and sensual at the same time. The mystery kept me guessing. I enoyed how the couple became this loving, hard-working unit that worked together to bring Conall’s home back to its former glory.

The plot flowed and was fast-paced. The dialogue was intelligent and humorous. The characters were believable and lovable. I adored everything about this novel. Highland Wolf is the tenth book in the Highland Brides series. Lynsay Sands has delivered an intelligent plot filled with passion and romance that still left enough room to make me laugh. This was a sunny, effervescent, action-packed story. There was a perfect balance between the elements of the novel. Highland Wolf is a fascinating story full of intensity, power, and sensuality. Lynsay Sands never disappoints, and Highland Wolf is a shining star in her Highland Brides series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am a huge Lynsay Sands fan - but I just didn't love this one. In some ways - it maybe felt too historically accurate? Is that even a thing? Claray was betrothed since birth to the son of a family ally. Tragically, that son (and his entire family) was murdered. As a result - Claray has been left without a path forward. No one wanted to marry her - and marriage was all she had ever wanted. When a pretty nasty guy tried to force her into marriage - a mercenary appears and steals her away. That man, the Wolf, is the betrothed everyone has thought dead for all those years.

The storyline of the book is interesting and well written - but hearing about how terrified Claray was of going to hell because she liked the sex she and her husband were having - was...hard. I know that is accurate for the time - and is a big plot point in the book - but it felt pretty awful to read about.

Overall - the book is well written sand keeps the pages turning - but I just didn't love a lot of the plot.

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

A classic bodice highway robbery bride story. I love this trope, and I loved these characters. I had a great time getting to know Cleary and her Scottish Laird fiancee.

The book opens with Claray MacFarlane being dragged to the chapel to marry. She was visiting her cousin when her uncle proceeded to force her to marry her father’s neighbor Laird MacNaughton, in a plan to obtain her father’s estate. But thankfully she is saved from that fate when she is rescued by the warrior known as the Wolf – Conall MacDonald. He tells her he has been sent by her father to bring her home. And they set out immediately to avoid a confrontation with the MacNaughton. What Claray doesn’t know is Conall is actually Bryson MacDonald – her betrothed, whom she has been led to believe died 22 years ago. Something that is a bit a tender subject, since her father has refused to consider any other suitors for her.

When his entire family and most of his clan were murdered, he escaped and made his way to his uncle Ross MacKay who changed his name and sent him to be raised by the Sinclairs. For years he has been working as a mercenary, intending to return to his family home Deagh Fhortan. Only a handful of people know he didn’t die with his family, Claray’s father among them. For years he has been asking Conall to marry Claray, and for years Conall has put him off. But now that she is in danger, he knows the time has come. During their travels back to her father’s house, he has come to know her and is very attracted to her, which is evidenced by the heated kisses they share. But he also admires her and is amused by her and her proclivity to find wounded/abandoned animals.

They reach her father’s home and they are met by the MacKay and two of her Buchanan cousins. They marry and set off to reclaim Deagh Fhortan. They arrive and have their work cut out for them, but things are going well between them and it seems like they will have their HEA. But it is soon clear that someone is still trying to kill them – but is it the MacNaughton or the person who killed Conall’s family?

This was a fun addition to the series and the book was classic Lynsay Sands. The book is chock full of humor, steamy love scenes, wonderful characters, more than one deranged lunatic, a great supporting cast, several rescued animals, a couple of surprising twists, and finally a well-deserved HEA. I will admit that book did have a bit of a “Disney Princess” feel to it, but with steamy love scenes instead of bursts of spontaneous song. But it was fun and I enjoyed it. It is the tenth book in the series, but this book is very loosely connected and can easily be read as a standalone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

This is the 10th book in the Highland Brides series. This is the story of Bryce “Wolf” MacDonald and Claray MacFarlane. Wolf is the nephew of Ross and Annabel MacKay (Highland Brides #1) and also Claray’s betrothed that she thought was dead all these years but has been in hiding. After saving her from a forced marriage by her uncle, Wolf has fallen for her and now will do anything to protect her.
The heroin was fun, innocent and quirky while the hero was dark and serious. They balanced each other. This was an exciting, laugh-out adventure romance and steamy love scenes. I am never disappointed with this author. I love this series and hope it never ends 😊.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

This latest historical from Lynsay Sands while not directly featuring the Buchanans, does still feature some familiar characters from the Highland Bride series. Although it can be read as a stand-alone romance, I do recommend reading the series, simply because they are all highly enjoyable! When a novel opens with a forced marriage and is followed by a kidnapping, you know you're in for quite a ride. Overall, a very enjoyable story featuring an unsolved mystery, more than a few murders and plenty of romance, Essentially, the perfect escape from reality that we're all looking for these days.

Lynsay Sands has added another great chapter to her amazing Highland Brides series. Highland Wolf is a wonderful story reuniting readers to beloved characters while introducing a new couple and their entertaining journey to happily ever after. Highland Wolf provides the usual twists, mayhem and murder we’ve come to expect and enjoy from Lynsay Sands. Highland Wolf is a pleasurable read, and only whets the appetite for more Highland Brides books in the future.

Book:Highland Wolf
By Lynsay Sands
Series: Highland Brides, Book #10
Number of Pages: 384
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: January 25, 2022
Overall Rating: 5 Stars
Blog Rating: 5 Saltire Flags


Scotland

Lady Claray MacFarlane’s Uncle who is also Laird Gilchrist Kerr, has abducted his own niece! Kerr is now forcing his niece to marry a man that her father, Laird MacFarlane, has refused on several occasions! As they all know this man Maldouen MacNaughton, is a vile and malicious man with a violent streak! In addition he is only interested in filling his pockets with gold and financial gain. Yet her greedy Uncle does not care about her feelings or welfare at all and is threatening her entire family to get his way. Except as he is dragging her to the alter they get blocked by the handsome Laird Wolf and his three men who grab Claray and takes off meeting his three hundred mercenary warriors in a secluded area. What surprises him the most she isn’t frightened but falls asleep like a kitten in his lap.

This Wolf is a man who was a mercenary who belonged to no clan but an honorable one who always was on the right side of the law and would win. Even the local bards and troubadour’s would tell stories or sing songs about his winnings in highly romantic light. Something he did not enjoy of his overnight popularity since getting his spurs so young. This Laird Wolf had gotten a message from Claray’s father to rescue his daughter plus this was also the Wolf’s betrothed! Except Claray thinks he’s been dead since he was six years old as they havre been betrothed since infancy. Except Claray think is he is dead as his real name is Bryson MacDonald whose parents were the Laird Bean and Lady Giorsal MacDonald of castle Deagh Fhortan. As they were all murdered through poison when he was six years old. Bryson who they renamed Conall to hide his identity from the true killers who murdered his clan and the few survivors were hidden by the his Aunt Annabel and Uncle Ross MacKays ( An English Bride in Scotland, book #1). Claray’s parents also knew his real identity as they all were protecting and hiding him.

As Conall got older he felt most of the MacDonald’s that survived knew his real name due that he looked so much like his father. His friends still called him Conall, even knowing his real name and os Laird Wolf was his mercenary name. Of course more followed him knowing his real identity too and became mercenaries with him as they knew he had been saving money to rebuild his clan and his people. Many of the survivors are with him and he knows the only way to save this Claray is to marry her. Before he never knew her and knew her father was going to break their betrothal arrangement if he didn’t marry Claray. Well he didn’t even know who she was and would of agreed, but now that he knows this beautiful wee woman he wasn’t going to let anyone else have her. He was jealous when his cousin flirted with her. So he does exactly which happens early on in this adventure. He finds this woman who is also a vengitarian and the savior of orphaned and abused and defenseless animals she finds in the forest. A habit he knows he must stop but doesn’t have the heart to, yet soon this attraction turns to love. Except both of them have targets on their backs, as their lives are in danger from the man she never married who is obsessed with her inheritance and also the muderer of his parents and clan has never been found and they have had a couple close calls. For Conall/ Bryson his biggest surprise was this woman who he craves had found a soft spot in the center of his heart.

Get swept aways in Conall and Claray’s adventure and read another magnificent Lynsay Sands novel from start to finish. A book I couldn’t put down and highly recommend. You can read this as stand alone book even if you haven’t read the other books in the series. Of course I love connecting the character dots myself like seeing an older version of ee'Annabel and Ross MacKay who was the very first book in this series

This is the tenth Lynsay Sands book I have read in her wonderful Highland Brides series, it absolutely blew me aways and touched my heart. Me being a. Big animal love and a collector of strays I understood exactly how Claray felt and she made me laugh and smile a lot too, I loved that she her the strong silent hero wrapped around her finger too. This perfect was written in a unique and special way that just draws readers in and o can’t recommend this beautiful enough .

Highland Bride Series by Lynsay Sands
An English Bride In Scotland-Book #1
To Marry A Scottish Laird-Book #2
The Highlander Takes A Bride-Book #3
Falling For The Highlander-Book #4
Surrender to the Highlander-Book #5
The Highlander’s Promise-Book #6
The Wrong Highlander-Book #7
Hunting For The Highlander-Book #8
Highland Treasure-Book #9
Highland Wolf-Book #10

Disclaimer: I received an advance readers copy of this book from Avon/ HarperCollins Publishers and I voluntarily agreed to do an honest , fair, review and blog through netgalley, All thoughts, ideals and words are my own,

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093H4RWZ7/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/highland-wolf-lynsay-sands/1140344545?ean=9780062855435


https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Lynsay_Sands_Highland_Wolf?id=WngsEAAAQBAJ

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/highland-wolf-9

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/highland-wolf-lynsay-sands?variant=39331652468770

https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/highland-wolf/id1590590094

I usually like Lynsay Sands highland books but I just couldn't get into this one. I like a little more tension between the main characters to start with. The lady is so a super animal person and I just am not so it was hard to relate.

This one didn’t work as well for me as previous installments of Sands’ Highlander series. It might be because I tend to be a mood reader and I just wasn’t in the right headspace, but this one felt off to me.

Claray is to be wed to her archenemy, who will surely murder her for access to her clan and lands. She’s kidnapped the day of her wedding by Conall, also known as The Wolf, a mercenary known for his bravery and cunning.

Turns out that he is her former betrothed, thought to be dead for many years after everyone is his clan was murdered.

Look, there’s gonna be a lot of murderers in this book to mull over. And a lot of animals because apparently Claray is a red headed, pescatarian one-woman animal rescue.

The couple will have to figure out if the attacks on them are coming for Conall, Claray, or them both, all while restoring Conall’s abandoned home to its former glory.

This was a potato chip read: light, not particularly filling, but it was enough to entertain. 3.5 stars out of 5.

After looking at the various reviews for this book, I’ve come to the conclusion that you just need to read the book to decide what you think about it. Personally, I enjoyed this book and all of the previous books in the series. I always enjoy this author’s books because there is always a witty side to the story along with a serious fight-for-your-life side. In this book, the witty (lighthearted) side is the female lead’s affinity for finding, rescuing, and healing animals – while the male lead growls, but helps care for them. Picture the old Walt Disney version of Cinderella – only with Cinderella helping the animals instead of them helping her.

Bryson MacDonald was betrothed when he was but a babe (as was the custom in that time period). However, at the age of six, his parents and most of his clan were poisoned and died a horrible death. Bryson was meant to have consumed that poison as well, but he didn’t. He’d snuck downstairs to observe the adults and witnessed the deaths. He managed to escape to his uncle’s home where the rescue included them convincing the rest of the world that he had also died. Otherwise, the villain would keep trying until they succeeded in finishing Bryson off. So, his uncle changed his name to Conall, and fostered him out to The Sinclair. Bryson/Conall grew to be a fearsome warrior and earned his spurs at the very early age of sixteen. He has been hiring himself and his warriors out as mercenaries for the past twelve years. His only goal has been to earn enough money to return to his home, Castle Deagh Fhortan, and restore it – turning it into the happy home it once was.

Claray MacFarlane’s uncle has absconded with her and is forcing her to marry Maldouen MacNaughton. She has no choice because there is no way to escape. Just as her uncle is dragging her to the chapel for the wedding, three riders approach. She recognizes one of them as The Wolf who is one of the most fearsome warriors in Scotland. What is he doing here? He approaches her uncle and hands him a scroll – while reaching down and scooping her up onto his horse with him. RESCUED! The Wolf had rescued her – and for some reason – she isn’t fearful of him – just grateful. Her father had sent him and they were on their way back to her home.

Claray had always wondered why her father hadn’t arranged another marriage for her after her betrothed had died. Yet, every time she brought it up, he got angry with her and stopped the conversation. She’d given up on her dreams of a husband and family long ago and accepted that she’d live in her father’s keep and be its mistress for the rest of her days.

Claray and Conall spend days and days together during the long trek to her father’s home and they become close. When he tells her who he really is, she has little time to digest the information before he and her father have her standing before the priest and then whisk her off to Castle Deagh Fhortan. The haste is to keep her free from MacNaughton who isn’t one to give up easily. The danger is two-fold – MacNaughton giving chase AND the murderer who killed his entire clan twenty-two years ago.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story and admired both Claray and Conall. I would have rated it 5-stars except I thought one of the antagonists was dealt with far too easily. The other, however, kept you guessing to the end and parts of it were more than surprising. I would have liked seeing Conall and his warriors taking a more proactive approach to finding out who the murderer was rather than just sitting back and waiting for things to happen. Yes, I know it had been twenty-two years, but most of the surviving members of the clan were right there – it would have been easy enough to at least question them about what they remember.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5⭐

This was my first Lynsay Sands book, and even though it was the 10th book in a series I've never read, I was able to read this without feeling like I was missing something.

Pros:
- Characters were likable
- I felt like I was in the Scottish Highlands with them
- Good plot and slow burn romance

Cons:
- Female leads actions sometimes were a bit childish for a 22 yr old (which in those times was pretty much middle aged)

Now that I'm aware that there is 10 other books and one of the stories is of the Aunt, who was almost a nun... I will be reading another Lynsay Sands book 😄

Thank you Net Galley in exchange of this book for an honest review.


𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 (𝗶𝗻 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀):⁣

They call him the Wolf. The mercenary's courage and prowess in battle are known throughout the Highlands, and with his handsome face and black-as-sin hair, he was as intelligent and deadly as the wolf he was named for...

But the Wolf is also Claray's betrothed. Thought to have been killed as a child, he'd been in hiding all these years. Now, he's determined to earn enough coin to rebuild his home, reclaim his birthright, and honor his marriage contract to Claray. For he's fallen for the tender-hearted lass...and he will do anything to protect her and their future together.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗜 𝘃𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵:⁣

•Claray and her ability to find and rescue all sorts of helpless and adorable animals.

•Squeak, Lovey, and Stubborn Bastard.

•The first half of the story, including Clarays rescue and subsequent adventure.

•The smexy stuff.


𝗜 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻… 𝗼𝗸𝗮𝘆 𝗜 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀:⁣

•The dialogue. Did it drag for me in some parts? Yes. Am I mad about it? Not particularly. The truth is that it's not my favorite style to read but it's true to the country and the dialect of the time and area. So I can't be mad, I just found I was focusing on that more than what they were saying.


𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗲, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂: ⁣

•The end felt choppy in parts. Specifically, where we figure out the who done it and the why. It made sense.... sure. But didnt feel diabolical enough to justify killing an entire clan. It just lost me.


𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗲𝘁?⁣

•3.5 high fives.

Lost 1 for the choppy ending

Lost .5 foe the dialogue


Final thoughts:

I love Lynsay Sands. Her Highland romances always tickle me and make me feel good. They're easy, enjoyable escapes.

From my understanding this is part of a series. I have not read the rest of this series. I had no trouble with jumping in with this book. There was no feeling of being lost or confused of what was going on. The book was enjoyable and explained much with out going in info dump area. It was a nice flow. Once I was a few pages in and knew who was who and what was what, the story picked up. There was some nail biting moments for sure. A few unanswered questions about the ending. I was hoping for a sweet epilogue, but sadly it wasn’t there. Maybe another installment for this couple, as I fear their journey is just begun. Overall I really enjoyed this read and can’t wait to read more.

I was really looking forward to a highlander romance, but this one didn't work. I don't know if it was the complicated story line or all of the characters or how the accents were written, but it was very hard to follow and stay engaged in. Thanks for letting me give it a try.