Michele Sinclair pulls you back into the lives of the McTiernays. The close knit brothers and friends that make up a very powerful highland clan. Shinae is a healer that has devoted her life to caring for others but the priory where she lived was attacked and burned by the English. After defending herself and the others there she meets a messenger from the King who sets her on a mission to save her sister. But best laid plans don’t always take the path we expect and she finds herself married to a guard for the McTiernays. Finding the traitor and starting a new life with a husband takes on the fascinating journey. Awesome book My only complaint is they don’t come fast enough

This romance between Shinae, a former nun, and Brodie, a man trying to find his way, takes place in the McTiernay world. I loved their relationship. They're one of those couples who truly need each other and appreciate finding love. They have some obstacles to overcome but those hurdles are mostly outside of their relationship. Watching their love unfold was heartwarming. My only wish is that the novel focused on their relationship more and the McTiernays less. While it was nice to catch on the lives of the characters from the other books in the series, I wanted to read about Shinae and Brodie, not every child from every McTiernay relationship. I applaud the writer for having a fully developed story at a time when most writers cut their stories short and drop plot points. I just wanted to hear more about the lovely couple that she created.

3 stars

In the Arms of a Highlander by Michele Sinclair is the ninth book in the The McTiernays series. This story focuses on former nun and skilled knife thrower, Shinae Mayboill and Brodie Dunstan, a commander who now isn’t sure of his career path.

What I really liked about this book was that the plot centered around a mystery not the happily ever after of a couple. Usually, romance novels focus on the characters finding each other and falling in love. Shinae and Brodie fall in love easily. The plot shows them working together to solve a mystery, which felt original. I also like the central story line. There were a lot of things that I didn’t expect and I enjoy being surprised when so much of the romance genre feels predictable.

The only thing that I didn’t like was that the book really had a lot going on. It was hard to keep track of all the characters. I haven’t read any of the other books in this series. Maybe it would have been better if I was more familiar with the other books. That way, it would have felt more like visiting old friends instead of names that I had to keep track of. Additionally, the book was very very descriptive. Almost overly so.

I was invited to read an ARC of In the Arms of a Highlander by Michele Sinclair. #IntheArmsofaHighlander #NetGalley

I love a book with a strong female lead and an open-minded male lead. This book really makes you want to cry at how much the two main characters grow together. This book had me going through so many good emotions. The M-rated scenes were top tier. This book kept it exciting, funny, and relatable with family arguments and relationship disagreements. I really like how well Brodie was to hearing out Shinae's thoughts. I loved this book and would re-read this book over and over again.