A fight to save a castle not worth saving

Lady Elspet is trying to hang on to the clan and castle left to her 18 year old daughter, the only descendent of the late laird. Valan and his soldiers were sent by Elspet's cousin, the wife of Valan's liege, to assist in the castle's defense. Valan is stunned to find a widow so young, and their love story is as hot and as instantly combustible as a crate of firecrackers.

The threat comes from not only marauding English soldiers but also the late laird's villainous brother, who seeks to follow as the new clan leader. The atrocities Valan, Elspet, and her daughter, Beitris, have to endure will break anyone's heart, and their final victory, while very satisfying on most levels, is ultimately a hollow one.

As with the earlier books in this series, the main characters are vibrant, compelling, and instantly likable. This book really makes you feel every little thing about living in 1277 Scotland. The writing is superb throughout, and the secondary romance was every bit as charming and emotionally satisfying as the featured one. The HEA was exquisite, like spring following the worst of winters. Highly recommended. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Greyson’s brave highland warriors never disappoint! The McDougall brothers are a breed above the rest. Strong, loyal and courageous with hearts of gold. They will always be there to protect any woman & child in need. Valan didn’t stand a chance against the matchmaking endeavours of Lady Christiana, all Galloglaigh assignments come with strings attached. In this case, those strings come in the form of the Lady of the Keep he is sent to assist. Elspet has had to stand strong her entire life, family loyalty has never been something she had. But she will soon acquire all that and more with the McDougall clan.
The desire to protect made the speed of their devotion more believable. Valan is bred to protect, combined with their fierce attraction, he was bound to fall hard & fast. The plots they must overcome are written so intensely you can’t help but feel every emotion. Add to that the strength and suffering endured by Lady Beitris, which truly breaks your heart, mended by her own love match. Another fantastic story with all the feels and intensity we’ve come to appreciate from Maeve Greyson.

A short read but with lots of fast paced action. There is some quite intense brutal scene's with a horrible villain but also lots of heat and passion. The character's were interesting with some great banter. I haven't read the other books but didn't feel I needed to. I was hooked from the start and couldn't put it the down until the villain got his comeuppance. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Sent to quell the attack on Caerlaverock Castle, Valan and his accompanying warriors are taken aback when they discover that the widowed Lady Maxwell and her daughter are leading their army against the British who have plagued them for an extended period. When Lady Elspet's arrow connects with Valan's shoulder, he is surprised by his immediate attraction to the lady. This novel is fairly short but certainly packs a punch and kept me totally engrossed as Valan discovers that Lady Elspet is facing more than one set of challenges, and her enemies abound. The closing chapters took me a bit by surprise, but the conclusion is a good one. I received a copy of this fast-paced novel as a gift from Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

I have never read a Maeve Greyson book, so this was a definite treat. "A Scot to Love and Protect" centers around Valan and Lady Elspet. Valan is sent to end an attack on Caerlaverock Castle, and there he meets Elspet Maxwell there. Their chemistry intensifies quickly, and Valan gets more than he can handle. On the other hand, Elspet will do anything to protect her castle, which she believes is rightfully hers. As sparks fly, the danger coming for them becomes imminent as Valan and Elspet battle to stay together.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Commander Valan MacDougall and his men are sent to end an extended attack on Caerlaverock Castle, stronghold of Clan Maxwell. The warriors fully expect the reportedly aged widow of the keep to swoon with relief when they arrive. The English have plagued the fortress and surrounding village for weeks. The warriors from Argyll mean to end the siege in a day or less. However, they discover that widowed Lady Elspet Maxwell is old at all. In fact her beauty is capable of bringing men to their knees. Enemies outside the castle walls. Unknown enemies within. Make life difficult for Elspet & her daughter Beitris.
The third book in the series & it could easily be read on its own. Both Elspet & Beitris were strong women & boy did they need to be. My heart went out to Elspet who’d worked tirelessly for the clan only for said clan to turn its back on her & her daughter in favour of a man even though he was a cruel, cowardly, treacherous abuser. The author didn’t hold any punches with some scenes I did wonder how Valan & Elspet would find their HEA. A very well written book, which although had me squirming at times I found I couldn’t put it down.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
A Scot To Love And Protect is an engaging, exciting medieval romance. Full of sensual passion, this story also has page-turning action. I do have a trigger warning for a brief but vividly described sexual assault and violence. I immensely enjoyed this passion-filled romance during a seize of the castle.

Elspet cares for and fights for her deceased husband’s clan. Elspet is fierce when defending her people and her daughter. Valan has been tasked to help end the attack on Elspet’s home. Sparks fly and intrigue abound when Valan and Elspet meet.

I enjoyed the action that occurred consistently with the burgeoning romance. The plot was full of passion and intrigue. I did feel slightly uncomfortable when Elspet described the circumstances of her first marriage and the young age she was when forced to marry. I did feel the storyline moved well, and the passion and action flowed together seamlessly. The characters were fierce and vivid.

A Scot To Love And Protect is the third book in the Once Upon A Scot series. Maeve Greyson has created characters and a story I could invest in and enjoy. For lovers of medieval romance, I recommend this series. I was engaged with the plot, characters, and non-stop intrigue. Maeve Greyson is an author whose books I will look out for, a good read for those who enjoy this genre.

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

It's always a treat when I can read a Maeve Greyson book and this one is no exception. Her characters are always strong, the storylines full of interesting plots and the romance part is always full of heated passions.

When Valan is sent to end an attack on Caerlaverock Castle and meets Lady Elspet Maxwell, he gets more than he bargained for! Not only is she not elderly, she will do anything to defend her castle and village. My heart went out to Elspet because no matter what she does to protect the villagers, many would rather have the enemy as Laird instead of her. While passions rise and danger becomes imminent, Valan and Elspet are left to wonder if they have a future together. Some scenes are quite brutal but you can't help but cheer them on!

I was given an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Mighty Warriors, Beautiful Ladies, Thrilling Romance:
Many reviewers have told you about this story. My review might be a bit different.
I'll tell you what I liked or didn't like. I loved Elspet courage and Valan's strength.
Their humorous banter had me from the start, sweet enticing pillow talk, their genuine heartfelt caring for each other had my heart swooning.
Same goes for the secondary characters who were very much a part of this fast-paced story.
The villain was horrible and some of the things he did gave me shivers and made me anxious for his just reward at the end. I even had a shout out "Yahoo & OMG!"
The intimate scenes had me looking for my lady's fan more than once.
This story has intelligent characters, many exciting and terrifying situations, battles, escapes, betrayals galore.
I was truly captured by this story and hated to see it end. It was a bit short yet packed with action.
This can be a standalone story, but it was good to see some previous characters again.
This author always seems to have a lot of depth to the characters and excellent plots
Adult Advisory:
5 Stars.Cover is beautiful. Helps me visualize the characters and feel connected to the story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Commander Valan MacDougall and his men have been sent to end an attack on the seat of Clan Maxwell. Their Laird died a few months before leaving his widow and daughter to hold the lands. They are very surprised by what they find.

Lady Elspet Maxwell and her daughter are well used to fighting to protect the Clan. However since the Laird's death there are rumblings among the people about who should be in control.

An action packed historical romance with incredibly strong characters. It starts with a battle that doesn't really stop until the last few pages. The danger has been building for our heroines for a while . Help is hard to come by.

Very exciting reading.

I loved it.

This book was great, unexpected and alluring! Easy to read and I enjoyed every minute of it! Really good, easy to follow story line! Great characters! Definitely worth reading!.

Greyson’s Once Upon a Scot series continues…

Traitors and treachery, fighting the English and some Scotsmen. Lady Elspet Maxwell, widowed and alone except for her daughter Beitris, has been forced to stand against all since her husband died. Now she’s no longer alone. Constable Valan MacDougall, a leader of the Gallóglaigh, has been sent by the king to Caerlaverock Castle to protect the Lady Maxwell and her concerns. Mind you, Valan did think that the Lady might be somewhat elderly and infirm. Hmm! Not so! Opinionated, sprightly and stubborn, more like.
Nothing is easy. When treachery driven by greed and lust comes in the form of Elspet’s brother-in-law all might be lost. Call me squeamish, but I did find the assault on Beitris just too visceral.
I finished this but it was a near run thing. At times, too predictable.

A Dragonblade ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

While it did take me a little while to get into the story as I felt some of the exposition dumps could have been done better I did enjoy the story. Personally I would have preferred a little more time to pass within the story, especially more banter between Elspet and Valan before the sparks really started flying. In essence I wish the book was longer as I enjoyed the characters enough to want to know more about them before the spice and hardships hit.
It felt like the author was rushing a bit to get these two together, but then the spicy scenes were a bit tame. Which is another reason I would have enjoyed more time with the characters over all.
I don't know if she plans having the daughters pov as a different story, but I would have enjoyed more from her as well as she was a strong character.

So I guess when it comes down to it I enjoyed the book, but it could use a little more meat to the story.

I'll give it a 4, but it is closer to 3.5.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this book and how quickly I fell in love with the characters. This historical fiction book had all the aspects of romance that I look for and find myself enjoying. While this was book three, it feels like it can be read as a standalone which also had a huge appeal to me. Valan comes off as a chivalrous character throughout the entirety of the book and Lady Elspet was a really strong lead in this book. Despite its historical tie ins, Elspet was written as a heroine who was actually strong and independent outside of the tragedies in her life. I genuinely enjoyed this book and plan to read so much more from Maeve!

The Plot
Lady Elspet was basically sold by her father at the age of twelve and thankfully a kind, but older man, agreed to marry her. He was gentle and saved her from a much worse fate. They had one child together before died fighting in a battle months ago leaving her and her daughter to fight off the English alone.

That is until Valan MacDougall is sent to assist her and her clan. Valan and Elspet have an instant attraction that only grows for the next few days as he helps to defend her land from the British. But Elspet is facing more than just the British; her late husband's brother is coming to claim the lairdship, her daughter and he is a cruel man! Valan and his second in command William are determined to help Elspet and her daughter.

This was a quick read, but I was enthralled the whole time! There is more intense drama in this book than the previous two; I fell in love with Valan and Elspet and seeing what Elspet went through had me crying towards the end. And it was great to watch, not one, but two happy ever after's come together!

Tropes
Historical Romance, Medieval Era, Scotland, Gamma Hero, Highland Warrior Hero, Protective Hero, Titled Hero, Dresses as Male Heroine, Experienced Heroine, Independent Heroine, Knife-Wielding Heroine, Single Mother Heroine, Widowed Heroine, Fling to Love, Suspense/Danger/Murder

Stunning cover and fast paced plot were the winning bits of this novel, and it's safe to say it was the only things I really liked about this. Storyline was lackluster and Elspet and Valen, the main characters, relationship got hot and heavy-quick! Nothing was drawing me to this historical romance or characters. All in all, the read that left much to be desired.

I enjoyed this book as much as book one and two. It can definitely be read alone. Valan was full of chivalry and passion. Lady Elspet was courageous and full of passion as well. The story was quite interesting and I had a hard time putting it down. It was nice for the MacDougall brothers and their wives to make an appearance. I've really enjoyed the series and hope this book wasn't the last.