This was an interesting historical romance. I didn't realize it was part of a series until I was about halfway through and was having trouble following along. Once I realized that I was missing some context, I enjoyed the story for what it was.

There was a lot of political intrigue, a lot of angst, and a great found family.

Historical romances are my jam. They are good and bring a bit of romance and loved it. this one was a good one.

This is book #4 and I recommend reading the first three books to understand the events that lead to the conclusion of this one. They will clarify the interconnecting characters in more detail and a better understanding of all the lose ends resolved at the end of the book. Greed and revenge are two motivators through out the book, but the only one that stands out the strongest is justice. Justice for the murder of family and the theft of birthrights.
Romance, some sex and violence are included.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book

3.75 Stars
The evil legacy of a cursed Northumberland manor ensnares Effie Annesley when her young son is kidnapped from ravaged Darlyrede House. To save him, Effie must fulfill a King’s decree: bring in her fugitive father, Thomas Annesley, to face execution for his alleged crimes. It’s a search fraught with emotion as Effie races to Scotland, homeland of her warrior half-brothers, accompanied by a colourful band of thieves—and one determined knight. Sir Lucan Montague has never been closer to delivering Annesley and reclaiming his inheritance. But his victory turns hollow as he comes to see strong, resilient Effie for who she truly is. Returning to court to make the ultimate sacrifice, will love and loyalty conquer a maze of lies and treachery that threatens to destroy them all?
This is the fourth book in the series & questions from the previous three books are answered. I thoroughly enjoyed the climax to the series & the climax to the book had me holding my breath would Thomas survive? The characters have depth, I really liked the good guys & loathed the villains. The pace is good & the book kept my interest all the way through. This book starts immediately after book three & I feel that this series should be read in order & this book would be difficult to read by itself. I loved the mystery & how it unfolded & was resolved, I didn't buy the romance, as it felt wrong. I felt that Effie was committing adultery & I was uncomfortable with her developing relationship with Lucan is just seemed wrong to me. This left me with a dilemma as to how to rate the book as the climax to a mystery it was a 4.5 star but as a romance a 3 Star
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

**To be clear - I am giving this 4 stars for the MYSTERY - the ROMANCE is a 0 star for me, and be warned, this review is slightly spoilerish**

Picking up shortly after the end of the previous book and still suffering from the injury he sustained from the outlaw Effie, Sir Lucan Montague finds himself once again in her presence. This time she wants him to take her to London to see the King and doesn’t intend on taking “No” for an answer.

Effie Annesley was raised as Euphemia Hargrave, a distant relative to Vaugh and Caris Hargrave, but when she learns the truth of her birth and the evil of the Hargraves, she bolts and tries to get Lucan to go with her to the King. But lost in his own grief, Lucan is cruel to Effie and turns her away. With nowhere to go, Effie forges her own path and falls in with a group of outlaws. Now 15 years later, Effie has denounced her noble upbringing and lived a new life, one where she falls in love has a son, and diligently works to right the wrongs the Hargraves have wrought. But when the enemy she thought she conquered rises from the dead and takes her son, Effie will do whatever is necessary to get him back – even work with Lucan. But once they meet with the King, they learn getting her son back won’t be as easy as they hoped – If Effie wants her son back and if Lucan has any hope of regaining his title and lands from the crown, then they will have to do as King Henry ordered and work together to bring in her father and wanted man, Thomas Annesley.

This is the final installment of the Sons of Scotland Series, which follows Thomas, Lord Annesley, and his flight after the death of his betrothed, Cordelia Hargrave, the night before their wedding. Each book in the series has furthered the mystery of what happened that fateful night and has introduced the reader to the children he fathered during his life as a fugitive. In this story, we learn that Cordelia was actually with child when she died – Effie – who is delivered by Caris via cesarean. This book will finally give readers the truth of what happened the night Cordelia died and will also deliver a mind-blowing twist. And while the mystery was well-done and wraps up with a very satisfying ending, the romance was a complete wall-banger for me. I cannot believe that Effie and Lucan are in love, especially when she is professing her love to the father of her child at the 90% mark of this book – a man she professed to love earlier in the book, right before she slept with him – yeah – nothing says romance like a heroine who sleeps with a man who is not the hero. So, two things to know; one – you should not read this book as a standalone title, you will be confused and frustrated and two – do not read this as a romance, read it as a mystery, it will make your reading experience much better if you do.

*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.*

I really enjoyed this book by one of my favorite authors. MS Grothaus knows how write those fabulous hottie highlanders who know how to charm the ladies. The characters were fully developed with thoughts and feelings of their own. This book is the third in a series, but can be read as a stand alone. Lots of adventure with racing against time to get a man who is a wanted by the King, but somehow escapes.
The daughter of the man they seek is Effie Annesley who''s son was kidnapped by the King. She must get her father to turn himself in and her son returned. But things don't always go as planned. She soon finds herself a prisoner of the man who she counted on years ago and doesn't believe anything she says.
Effie want's to hate Lucan Montage, who is a knight under King Henry. She knows that if she gets to Scotland where her half brothers are, they can help her reclaim her son. Lucan and Effie have to work through issues concerning past events, but there is a fierce attraction that turns to love.
I appreciate Net Galley for this ARC title in which I gave an honest review.

Book:The Knight’s Pledge
Author: Heather Grothaus
Series: Sons of Scotland, Book #4
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Amount of Page: 317
Release Date: March 1, 2022
Overall Rating: 5 Stars
Blog Rating: 5 Saltire Flags

This story starts thirty years earlier:

Thomas Annesley, Lord of Darlyrede, is running from the devil, a monster who killed his own pregnant daughter, Cordelia Hargrave. Tommy did not know her insane parents cut the baby out of her body. It was the night before Cordelia and Thomas Annsley were to wed. Now Vaughn and Caris Hargrave wants to also murder Thomas, their only witness and set him up for their daughters murder! This saga continues in the fourth and final installment of the Son of Scotland series.

1459, England
This story is centered around Tommy Annesley’s daughter, a daughter he has never met or is even aware of. As Tommy’s daughter had been told she was Vaughn and Caris Hargrave’s niece, in truth she was really their granddaughter. Euphemia Hargrave, who now calls herself Effie Annesley. She had been held in a prison by her depraved Uncle Vaughn and Aunt Caris, so as a teenager she runs to Dare Castle for help and to warn them. Except it was too late as Lucan and Iris Montague parents were already dead and their home was in an inferno. To escape the people she thought were her aunt and uncle she disguised herself as a servant, so she wouldn’t be recognized. However, when she goes to Lucan Montague for protection and he hits her and threatens to kill her thinking she is a servant. Not realizing who Effie was, but she had her last taste of nobility thinking all nobility was wicked! Effie knew she would never forgive fifteen year old Lucan Montague for his cruelty and abuse! Now she was headed for the woods and changed her name and would never ever be at the mercy of any nobleman ever again!

1459, Northumberland

Lucan Montague, continues to apprehend Tommy Annesley for King Henry with no success.

Lucan Montage, the knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter of His Majesty King Henry of England. He had been trying to apprehend Tommy Annesley to get his beloved family’s home-Castle Dare rewarded back to him. The only way King Henry will allow it is if he apprehends Tommy Annesley, so he can execute him and hang him from the neck until he is dead. Except now things are absolutely a bit more complicated, Lucan is starting to believe in Annesley’s innocence, plus his sister Iris recently married Tommy’s illegitimate son Padraig Boyd Annesley.

Now Effie lives in a cave, in a place called The Warren and the others all look like a band of thieves. Some might call them her Robin Hood and these criminals where they rob from the rich and give to the helpless and suffering. Of course Lucan is not aware of their true backgrounds they look like a band of dirty, starving thieves to him except for the beautiful Effie except things are not what they look like at all.

On top of that Effie has a six year old son who has been abducted by someone everyone thought was dead, the King takes custody of him and uses the boy as leverage. King Henry tells her she must apprehend her father so he can execute him or she will never see her precious boy again! A father, Effie has never even met, but feels guilty just the same to pick between her father and her son. Lucan Montague would be escorting them so he could apprehend Tommy. Except Lucan and his sister Iris had their own hidden agenda as his sister had been in the Hargrave’s household Lucan and Effie start falling for each on this journey though they post feel guilty too, plus she still had not forgiven him for his horrible treatment of her when she was a teenager. It is a love/ hate relationship that both of them don’t understand. Effie also desires him but with a lot of guilt. As she is still with her son’ s fathers Gorman Littlebrook though they never married, whose father Rolfe happens to work for Lucan. Lucan also feels guilty as Gorman was the first to offer friendship in this band of thieves as he calls them. In truth each person has had a hardship in this group whether it be the clergyman with shaved eyebrows, a mute healer and the beautiful Asian Kit Katey (Qu QiangTing) who looked like a child but was a grown woman. Of course Effie’s son George Thomas, who is full of curiosity and wonder the mute healer. The most important thing was they were a family who really loves each other and cares when most of the world didn’t!

Can Lucan and Effie ever overcome the past and find a future together without hurting others? Will the true villains of these crimes ever pay?Shall Effie be able to save her son and her father? As she between a rock and a hard place! Read and find out in the dramatic and breathtaking conclusion in the Sons of Scotland series.

An extraordinary take of high adventure Heather Grothaus has written a choice story filled with compassion with a special understanding of human motivation and love. All I can say is wow I have been reading this phenomenal author for over sixteen years and I can see why. This book is my favorite of the four although I have loved them all. Actually I think this is my favorite Heather Grothaus novel period! Another riveting page turner that I could not put down! Yes I have read everyone and you can read it as a stand alone book too. I highly recommend all four as they are the type of novels you can really sink your teeth into! I absolutely recommend this marvelous a book I absolutely loved!

I expecially loved all the characters from The Warren love all the character from The Warren, the clergyman with no eyebrows, Kit Katey, the beautiful Asian woman, the mute healer, and of course her adorable son George Thomas too. I loved all their horrid back stories too and how they overcame past miseries too. It is definitely emotional page turner too, as I definitely shed a few tears at some of these stories too. This book will both make you laugh and cry as that is the magic of Grothaus’s talent as a writer and of course George Thomas was absolutely adorable any mother will love! A phenomenal masterpiece readers definitely don’t want to miss!

Son’s of Scotland Series by Heather Grothaus
1)The Laird’s Vow
2)The Highlander’s Promise
3)The Scot’s Oath
4.)The Knight’s Pledge

I received this book from the publishers for a fair and honest review. I voluntarily agreed to read, review, blog and promote through netgalley. All words, ideas, thoughts and opinions are my own.


#TheKnightsPledge #netGalley

I'm so sorry. I DNF this book. I got about halfway through but truly couldn't follow anything. Thank you for the opportunity to review your book!

The Knight's Pledge is a part of a series "Sons of Scotland". I requested this unaware of this.

Since I hadn't read the previous books, I couldn't connect with the book. However, the writing felt good.

So this one was the first one that I've read in the series and I'm so confused. I stopped at 54% as I have no idea what is going on. A lot of characters and plot. The blurb sounded really good, I was hoping this was a standalone and it doesn't seem to be the case. Sadly, I can't continue.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Frankly, I would not read this book as a standalone. Unfortunately, that was the way that I read it and it left me confused about a lot of characters and plot developments, as well as more interested in what came before the events of this book, rather than what was currently happening. There are obvious influences from Robin Hood that show up in this, but the whole crew in this was just not super appealing or one that you would want to be a part of. Instead of the hero being taken in and shown kindness from this crew, basically he is constantly insulted and undervalued even to the very last page.

Maybe this wouldn't have been such a bother if it wasn't for the lack of central romance between the two main characters. The heroine holds such a grudge against the hero for being rude to her on the worst night of his life when they were both teenagers and it's so petty that the fact that this grudge lasts for so long is honestly a little ridiculous. It also doesn't help that the heroine doesn't know her own mind enough to make the choice to be with the hero but rather has to be told by literally every single person around her to do it. Overall, this book was just not for me.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Having read the other books in this series, I was really happy to get an arc of The Knights Pledge. After the way the last book ended I couldn't wait to pick this one up to see how everything was going to finally come together.

We follow Effie and Lucan are on a journey to finally find and bring Thomas Annesley to the King. Lucan has been trying for the last 3 books to apprehend Thomas but he always manages to get away. This time the King has found himself some leverage that will guarantee Effie and Lucas will do whatever it takes to finally bring Thomas in for good. Lucan and Effie are pretty true enemies to lovers.. Especially since she shot him in the foot with an arrow the last time they saw each other.
This story is full of high stakes moments that have you questioning how everyone is going to come out of this in one piece. I did really like how it ended though. Everything was finally revealed, most if not all of our questions from the whole series are answered, and like any good romance, eveyone ended up with their happily ever after.

A band of friends and finding out lost family along the journey gave this book an interesting plot.

I really liked the setting of how much travel went on in this book. The book is set up nicely at the beginning to establish details to help in seeking proper justice at the end.

What I struggled with in this book was the sheer number of characters. It would have been fine it some of the ancillary characters and family members hadn't been included. That would have brought more focus to Effie and Lucan. Caris was the main villan in this book, but I found Henry equally bad since a glimpse of humility wasn't really shown in him.

Once I got past figuring out the huge cast of characters, I really enjoyed the suspense during the last third of the book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

This is a delightful romp in medieval Britain and Scotland that is rich in history and the culture of the time. This is my first introduction to this author and this series so it took me a while to figure out some of the twists and turns but once into the story, I could not put it down. I love reading about this period in history but I have no desire to time travel back to it. I don't think I would last five minutes. But reading about it is a delicious experience.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.