3.5 stars rounded up to 4

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is a fun and flirty historical fiction romance set in 1550 Scotland. This is book 3 of the series, but it is a stand alone story. I haven't read the first 2 books, but there was enough background that I didn't feel like I missed too much. Gideon Sinclair is one of four sons raised by their father to be the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in their clan. Gideon is Justice and has spent his life learning the law and dispensing justice to the members of his clan.

When Gideon meets young widow Christina MacKay, he's enchanted. She has spent her life helping children that have been orphaned. But she is without means to care for them and occasionally resorts to stealing to put food on the table. When such an incident goes wrong and she finds herself at the mercy of Gideon's justice, he finds himself hesitating at dispensing judgment for the first time in his life. He is lenient with her, but she is eventually accused of stealing from King James and imprisoned. Gideon must decide which is more important, the law or his heart.

This was a fun, quick read. I liked Gideon and Christina and think they made a cute couple. I liked how flirty they were. I also loved that Christina was strong, smart and capable, and that Gideon loved her even more because of these qualities. I thought the whole treason thing with King James was a bit overdone and out of place. It seemed to be included just to create a misunderstanding between Gideon and Christina so they could realize they were in love. This is common in romance books and I get why authors do it, but I still don't like it. Overall, however, this was a minor annoyance and didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC. All opinions are my own.

Highland Justice tells the story of Gideon Sinclair and Cait MacKay. Gideon and his other 3 brothers were brought up by the clearly mad dad (now deceased) as the Four men of the Apocalypse. Gideon is the Horseman of Justice and laird and takes his job very seriously. He however chances and meets Cait Mackay, a local widow who takes in orphans to raise and everything he thought he knew about himself gets turned on its head.

Okay, first this is the 3rd book in a series. I had no idea, but I am happy to say it doesn’t affect this story at all. The first 2 brothers feature with their spouses, but there are no lingering mysteries from the previous books that come in here. The introduction to Gideon gave me abit of a pause and I am really impressed that by the end of the book, I was actively rooting for him and his love. He grew on me as the book went on and I saw his layers and how he was just a good man with a messed-up childhood.

And Cait! I loved her. Loved her story and her unusual skill! That was a very delightful surprise in the book. I enjoyed all her interactions with her family and Gideon. I enjoyed watching them fall in love with each other indeed.

In conclusion, this book turned out better than I thought going in and I am very grateful to Entangled Publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Heather McCollum weaves a magical spell over her readers with her latest Scottish historical romance, Highland Justice.

Maintaining order and discipline is of paramount importance to the new chief of Clan MacKay, Gideon Sinclair. Keeping everybody in line and ensuring that his orders are obeyed is proving to be an onerous ordeal for Gideon who cannot afford to let anyone or anything disrupt the peace. Justice must be meted out to dissenters who put in jeopardy everything he is working so hard towards, however, when Gideon meets Cait MacKay, his resolve begins to waver and his judgement compromised by the sweet, courageous and intelligent lass whom he cannot stop himself from kissing…

There is simply nothing in this world that Cait MacKay will not do for the children in her care. When desperate times called for desperate measures, Cait had no choice but to pick pockets to ensure that the children didn’t go hungry. Cait thought that picking Gideon’s pockets was foolhardy enough, but that quickly pales into insignificance when she finds herself giving into temptation and kissing the handsome and brooding Highland chief. With her attraction towards Gideon heating up and their feelings for one another reaching fever pitch, it quickly becomes abundantly clear that one kiss is nowhere near enough!

Gideon has always put his obligation and responsibility to his clan first, but when Cait is accused of treason he finds himself having to choose between duty and the woman who has come to mean everything to him.

Heather McCollum’s Highland Justice is an evocative and emotional historical romance laced with passion, wit, intensity and emotion that is perfect for Outlander fans. Heather McCollum’s love of Scotland is evident in her exquisite rendering of this beautiful part of the world that makes readers feel as if they are living the story alongside her protagonists.

Gideon and Cait are two fabulous characters readers will be charmed by. Cait is valiant, irrepressible and strong and Gideon is a gorgeous Highlander whose honor, humanity and passion will make readers fall in love with him.

Heather McCollum’s Highland Justice is a highly-charged Scottish historical romance that is simply enchanting.

When I read Historical Romance, I typically gravitate towards Regency England so this was a bit outside my normal read. It took me a bit to get into, but once I grasped the dynamics of the Sinclair clan, I was hooked! This is book 3 on the series and, while you don’t *have* to read the first two, I think it helps with background info on the brothers.

Gideon Sinclair has taken over Clan Mackay and, as the Horseman of Justice, has always been driven by rules and laws. His harsh but fair judgments have made the Mackay villagers wary of Clan Sinclair.

Cait Mackay is a widow of an arranged marriage who heads up the local orphanage. These are her children who she would do anything to protect. After an accidental run-in with Gideon, she finds he’s not quite the brute everyone fears.

I enjoyed the dynamic between Gideon and Cait. I appreciated how fearless Cait was and loved “seeing” her special talent. The King’s surprise scene was brilliant! I give the author an A+ in leading me down my own rabbit hole of first footing, Hogmanay, and other traditional Scottish elements.

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled for an advanced copy!

Well! What a happy little accident this was. When I requested this book, it was because I THOUGHT I had read the first two. Turns out I had not. So, I can truthfully tell you that you can easily read and follow this book without having read the others. I can also tell you that this book seems to have something for everyone – steamy romance, traitors, a bit of humor, a strait-laced unsmiling hero who learns what love and justice really are, a delightful heroine who has a highly unique talent as well as a heart as big as the Highlands, vile villains, and biblical wrath (as in the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse). I loved the story, but I thought the 4 Horsemen part was a bit . . . well, maybe silly isn’t the right word, but I find it a bit hard to buy four strong, intelligent men who buy into that no matter how they were raised. Anyway – that didn’t keep me from loving the story.

Gideon Sinclair is the third brother and the third Horseman of the Apocalypse. He is the Horseman of Justice. For him, everything is either good or evil – there is no middle ground. His judgment is swift and definitely not merciful. The Sinclairs have vanquished the MacKay clan and with their secret alliances with other clans around them, they are the strongest clan in Scotland. If they were not loyal to King James, they could easily defeat the Stuart and rule Scotland themselves.

It is Gideon’s assignment to assimilate the MacKay clan into the Sinclair clan, but he’s not having a lot of luck doing it. The people cower from him and do their best to avoid him. Why? He has been very benevolent – he’s ordered they be given food, clothing, even shillings – why do they look at him in fear? When a wee slip of a young woman boldly begins to show him the error of his ways, can he bend enough to begin to see things from the people’s point of view?

At only fifteen years of age, Cait Gunn MacKay was sold into an abusive marriage by her greedy uncle. Cait endured several years of torture and abuse at the hands of her husband before he, thankfully, died. Since then, she’s encouraged everyone to think of her as the Ice Queen so none of the men will approach her. She never wants anything to do with any man again. She does, however, wish she had children of her own. Even though she has little enough for herself, she has begun taking in lost and abandoned children and raising them. She’ll do whatever she has to do to keep those children safe, fed, clothed, and loved. She’ll even steal from the man who just helped rescue her sister.

Gideon must sit in judgment of Cait and it just doesn’t sit well with him – and he shocks everyone – including himself – when he is lenient with her. Ah – do we have the beginning of the Ice Queen melting and the Horsman of Justice beginning to see shades of gray?

This was a wonderful read. The writing was excellent, the plotting and timing were perfect, and some of the villains might surprise you. I can definitely recommend the book. OH! And lest I forget – be sure to read the author's notes about the laws that are at the beginning of each chapter. They are REAL. It sort of made me wonder what some historian a thousand years from now will think of some of our laws.

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

A story set in the year 1590, I can just wonder what life could have been like back then to be precise. It’s hard to imagine whatever freedom or lifestyle we are living is just too much for that generation. It’s good to see Scotland through the eyes of the characters. The book is written well with characters improving from behaving like a tyrant to becoming a softie by heart. By reading this book I got an overview of the first two books in the series too.

I’m intrigued by the titles of the Sinclair brothers and each one describes perfectly their own. Gideon is to establish a clan from scratch and earning the trust of the people is never easy, especially when things have already gone south ways irrespective of circumstances. The story got the edge from the politics involved and the romance became the sweetness on the cake with glimpses of what a tough person’s heart can be.

Cait is a woman who is fierce, intelligent, compassionate, not bullshit kind with one goal, that she can do anything for her children. I love her character the most and the rising banter between Cait and Gideon was a perfect blend with the story. As the story progresses we get to see emotions, conspiracy, a madman, and vulnerability in the main leads. The journey of Gideon is impeccable in this book.

Highland Justice by Heather McCollum
Sons of Sinclair #3

The tale of the four horsemen of Revelation returns with the third son, Gideon Sinclair, as lead of the story. Raised as the Horseman of Justice, he has always put the law first and made judgements accordingly. When he meets Cait Mackay he begins to question some of the rules he has held so dear and wonder if perhaps his father was not 100% correct in all that he told his sons. This is the story of Gideon and Cait and how they come together and in coming together learn and grow as people and as a couple.

What I liked:
* The Sinclair brothers and their backstory’s ability to form them into the men they become
* Seeing how the brothers are doing and what has happened with the ones who have married already
* Gideon: rigid, rule bound, focused, unyielding, bound to his brothers and their purpose, prefers order, there for his family, more open to change than he realized he was
* Cait: widow, cares for several orphans, has a difficult backstory, agile, works hard to keep her “children” and neighbors safe and cared for, has much to learn as she gets to know Gideon
* The orphans and the part they played in the story
* The leaves…crunchy leaves…smiling thinking of them as I type
* Learning more about Hogmany feasts
* The gentle way Cait helped Gideon improve his relationship with the clan
* The location in time and place, the plot, and the resolution at the end
* Believing that Gideon and Cait were well suited and a believable couple
* The way the village supported Cait
* Hoping that the evil doers would be determined and dealt with
* Realizing that this era is easier to live in than the one this book was set in
* The animals
* That the supporting characters provided color and fleshed out the overall story
* That it was easy to dislike the bad guys
* The taste of history

What I didn’t like:
* Knowing how difficult it must have been to live back then
* Realizing how harsh many of the punishments were back then
* All that I was meant not to like

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing-Amara – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

This was a brutal time to live in and Gideon was considered the one to provide judgement when needed. He had made a comprehensive study of law through the ages. However, thanks to his father’s guidance, he hadn’t considered bringing compassion into his judgement. Cait had experienced difficulties in her life but she was a caring and kindhearted person. I enjoyed the way Cait brought her influence upon Gideon to make him more approachable to his new clan and to temper his judgements with mercy. There were interesting customs around Hogmanay, plotting and some exciting action (towards the end). I found this to be an entertaining read and a priest with a sense of humour! I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book 3 in the Sons of Sinclair series. I do have to say they seem to get better as we go along. This was well done and looking forward to the conclusion.

Raised on books and tangible knowledge, Gideon Sinclair has always embraced his role as dispenser of justice for his clan. He sees things in terms of right and wrong with no room for deviation in between. His prowess at cultivating allies has led to his role as master of Varrich Castle, working to integrate the violence-prone MacKay clan with the Sinclairs. He’s working to make improvements and dole out punishments where necessary and one of his first judgments is of Cait MacKay, a young widow to whom he's instantly attracted, and who stole a valuable ring from him.

Cait MacKay spends her time caring for the clan’s orphans but with the poor conditions they’ve faced in the past few years that has often meant stealing to keep them fed and clothed. She’s been stealing to help others in the clan as well, but when she’s caught, she must suffer Gideon’s punishment.

Upon learning Cait’s identity, Gideon finds himself hesitant to punish someone for the first time in his life. He knows he can’t let her get away with it completely, but comes up with a light punishment, only to have her land in even more trouble when King James comes for a surprise Hogmanay visit, suspicious of treason everywhere. Gideon is faced with the impossible choice of following his heart by breaking the law or adhering to it and seeing his love come to harm.

I’ll admit, I didn’t care much for Gideon or Cait at first, but I don’t think I was supposed to. To begin with Gideon is stern, rigid, unyielding in his beliefs that right versus wrong is an immutable fact with no gray areas. He acts only on facts with little thought for the feelings or emotions of others. Meanwhile, Cait acted with perhaps too much emotion, without giving much thought to potential consequences. These two had much to learn about themselves and the things they valued in life and in that respect, they brought out the best in each other. Cait had to learn to trust someone else to look out for her best interests, something that was very difficult for her after having been forced to be independent for a long time. Gideon had to learn to compromise and see the world through a less judgmental veil. They were both the better for having met one another and I enjoyed the side characters and the dose of intrigue in the plot, even if it was a bit more angst than I had expected. All in all, I enjoyed the pacing of this story and Gideon’s standing up for what was right, even when that meant changing up his own views and standing against his king to follow his heart. I will be looking forward to Bas’ story now.

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

Ah, it feels good to be adding another book to my favorites list for 2022! And for it to be a beautiful enemies-to-lovers, grump/sunshine book set in the Scottish Highlands? It's a dream come true. Truly, the only thing that would have made this even more perfect would have been forced proximity...and we even get a taste of that. Heather McCollum has a pleasing way of writing that draws you in, and her characters are so genuine and relatable. I felt so attached to several of them that I felt my heart racing whenever someone was in danger. I didn't want to leave them when the book ended, which is the ultimate sign of a good book, wouldn't you agree?

Gideon Sinclair is the third Horseman of the Sinclair family, raised to be Justice and maintain rule over his people. After conquering the Mackay Clan alongside his brothers, he has moved into Varrich Castle to keep the peace and establish order to the unruly people. They're resistant though, and his methods are without mercy or willingness to bend. When he meets Cait Mackay, she is mesmerizing to him, and after saving her sister from the icy waters of a nearby river, they grow all the closer. But as a young widow caring for the orphaned children of the clan, she is at the mercy of their bellies. They need food, and to get food, they need coin. She steals from him and is caught, and so Justice must be cast upon her. Shockingly, Gideon is moved to show mercy and gives her a lenient sentence that requires her to be in his presence often in the coming weeks as they prepare for the Hogmanay Festival. Things get even more interesting when the King comes to visit, and soon there is more at stake than their budding romance...treason is afoot and Cait is caught in the middle of the plot. Now Gideon must decide if rules are meant to be broken if the breaking protects the one you love.

Gideon is gruff and logical, making him the quintessential grumpy hero with a soft gooey center just waiting to be found. Cait is sunshine with a backbone of steel and the power to bring emotion into the hard heart of Justice. She teaches him to smile more. He gives her super sweet, thoughtful gifts that made my heart melt. The pairing was heavenly. Speaking of Heaven, be aware that there is quite a bit of religious influence in this book, and while it isn't overbearing by any means, it's important to note in case that's not your thing. I found it an interesting play on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, particularly when you think about how things would be if one of them found humanity when they came to ground. Everyone has a weakness, even a Horseman, if the right person presses the right buttons. Cait found the buttons. All of them. So as time passed, the reader saw Gideon transform from someone with a strict code of morals to seeing things in the shades of grey needed to get through life sane. Poor thing was so wrapped up in his past, when he had a father who wasn't what a young boy needs growing up, that he didn't even realize how much healing he had to do. Cait had her own healing as well, which was beautifully done in the bedroom, might I add. I give the steam an A+. Very nice.

I look forward to reading the next book in the series. Death comes next. But I have a feeling he'll actually learn to live, as his brother did. Exciting times ahead.

This is book 3 in the series, but I jumped in right here because it sounded really good. And it was! You can totally read this and not be lost without reading the first two books. Watching Gideon learn that he doesn't have to see things in only black and white was fantastic! And Cait learning to trust him and herself was just as wonderful. While I felt it was a little slow at the beginning, the action there towards the end more than made up for it. A really enjoyable story!

Highland Justice

Gideon Sinclair's clan has taken control over the McKays and he leads with a strict sense of judgement for right and wrong. He sees good or bad and nothing in-between.

Cait has made it her path in life to take care of the orphans of her clan. She's does everything she can to care for them and sometimes that resorts to stealing a few coins. However, she has taken those coins from Gideon and he doesn't have much leniency for crime of any sort. This throws a wrench in their new budding attraction to each other. Together they need to overcome this conflict and realize what is best for the clan and each other.

This novel was well written with romance, action, emotion and drama. I really enjoyed Cait's personality and the selflessness she portrayed in the book. I did not read the other books in the series and I was able to enjoy this book as a standalone. Overall, I liked this book and think the author did a good job.

I received an advanced review copy from Netgalley/Entangled Publishing and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

FANTASTIC!!! Highland Justice by Heather McCollum is book 3 in the Sons of Sinclair series and though in a series this can be read as a standalone. What can I say about this book other than I could not put it down. The 4 brothers are also the 4 Horseman; The Horseman of Conquest, The Horseman of Warrior, The Horseman of Justice and The Horseman of Death. What an incredible story. This book is so well written and easy to read. The slow burn between Gideon and Cait just sizzled. This story has the true feeling of the medieval era and is oh so original. I just loved this story! Heather is one of the best authors of today and has a great gift for storytelling. Amazing!!! This story has a thief that runs an orphanage, a man of justice, being caught returning stolen coins and a ring, guilt, attempted rape, having to go into an icy river twice, wanting what is right for the people, a father’s hunting word, protection, a king’s visit, a festival, being accused of being a traitor and falling in love. This book has it all and I am highly recommending you read it. As I said it is FANTASTIC!!!!

***This book was gifted to me and I am voluntarily reviewing.

Highland Justice is the third book in the Sons of Sinclair series by Heather McCollum. This third book in the series is an adventure filled with memorable characters, steamy love scenes, and great secondary characters. While this is the third book in the series, it could be read as a standalone. I would recommend reading the series in order. I recommend this book & the entire series; if you enjoy medieval highlander romance-- you will love this series.

This third installment in the Sons of Sinclair series is lively, sensual and warm hearted. Heather McCollum's writing is fast paced, entertaining and has a nice balance of character and plot driven moments. I love that each chapter opens with ancient and medieval laws that were in place before and throughout the time that this novel takes place. It was really interesting to see that insight and watch the way Heather uses her characters to test these laws and open the hero up to seeing the world in a new light.

The hero, Gideon upholds the law and is tasked as the horseman who upholds justice. When he and Christina, the heroine first meet he is deeply intrigued by her. Christina is a widow and has dedicated her life to the running of a small orphanage, each child she watches she sees as a child of her body. Christina also has a secret, She is an agile thief who uses the cloak of night to steal from the rich and distribute the wealth amongst the poor, but when she is caught her fate lies in the hands of Gideon, and will he be willing to risk his honor as a justice in favor of the woman who is quickly stealing his heart?

This novel is so fun! I absolutely loved the heroine, Christina has a heart of gold and will do anything for the people she loves. I love how Christina and Gideon both challenge each other to see the world in a new light. I love that Gideon, who has in the past been a strict law upholder, learn to understand that laws sometimes need to have a flexibility to them to truly uphold justice and protect the innocent. Gideon learns that flexibility, understanding and testings of laws and rules to grow with the world and the understanding of people is the only way to truly uphold justice. I love that Christine and Gideon both easily fall into a rhythm with each other. They both really compliment the other in a really nice way and watching their chemistry grow and develop put a smile on my face. This novel also has a really nice heat level for a historical, there a multiple intimate scenes between the couple that all have fun and unique in their own way.

If you love a highlander romance this is a fantastic one. The characters are fun and well rounded, the plot is interesting, and there is a really beautiful level of growth and understanding of how the world can change and grown when it comes to how we uphold the law and how we parcel out judgements for crimes. I would highly recommend this series and Heather McCollum, this can be read as a stand alone if desired, but it is also delightful in its series!

This is the 3rd book in this series but it can be read as a standalone. Gideon is the new chief on the Clan Mackay and feels it is important to maintain order but when he meets Cait sparks fly. What will happen when he is required to pass judgement on her for stealing and even committing a crime to keep her and the children, she loves safe? Fast-paced read with plenty of drama, suspense and emotion. Great characters with lots of depth and great world building. An entertaining historical read. I liked it.

Thank you @entangled_publishing @netgalley for my review copy!

Happy pub day! I absolutely loved this book so much. It’s the third book in the Sons of Sinclair series and let me tell you they are amazing. If you’re a fan of historical and steamy romance then you need to add these books to your cart! Anytime I pick up one of these books I seriously binge it. Stealing any minutes away from my family that I can to get a few pages in 😆

📚Read this if you’re a romance lover who wants to escape to historic Scotland with some big, sexy warriors 🔥😉

✍️How I rated other books by this author:
Highland Conquest- 4⭐️
Highland Warrior- 5⭐️

Really loved Cait and Gideon. They had great chemistry. And I don't think I've read anything with an aerialist heroine. They also use this in the bedroom and that was interesting.

For Gideon Sinclair there is good and there is evil, no in-between and he efficiently passes judgment without mercy. He's trying to integrate the Mackays into the Sinclair clan. His plan is to sort of the bad and punish them and to help the good people lead better lives. Until he meets Cait MacKay.

Cait is a young widow caring for her younger sister and the orphans of the clan. But putting food on the table isn't easy, so she's resorted to taking a few coins from Gideon. When she realizes that the pouch contained more than she thought, she tries to return it but she's caught.

Now she has to face Gideon. He arrests her and she spends the night in the dungeon. Not that he really wants to put her there. The next morning villagers show up to vouch for her and he gets a glimpse of what the MacKays really think about him. So he changes her punishment and puts her in charge of preparing for the Hogmanay festivities for the village.

Thanks so much to the author, Entangled and NetGalley for this ARC to review.

Highly Entertaining.
To Gideon there are no greys, only black and white but almost from his first meeting with Cait and her family of orphans he starts to behave out of character. He tempers justice with mercy, bends rules and covers for her when she gets into trouble. It is amusing to see him try and please Cait, including changing laws and there were some laugh out loud moments in his interactions with the children. Highly recommended read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.