This was such a sweet book! But not in the sense “sweet” is sometimes used in romance, because this has some interesting and very emotional lovemaking scenes, but because both main characters bear emotional scars from their pasts and their relationship is full of sweet moments in which they get to know each other and overcome their difficulties. It’s a marriage of convenience, which is my favorite trope, so I may be a little biased, but I really loved it. This is the first book of this author for me and her second book, I gather. She’s a very talented writer who can flesh out very beautiful characters and mix a good dose of angst with some humor. I really hope to read more of her!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First this cover is everything cute I never knew I needed. I am such a fan of Scottish romances. I was not sure I would love this one as much as the first but boy did I. Silas is my new book boyfriend. I just love Ellen. She is the sweet heart who takes care of everyone and still is so protective of those she cares for. I hope there will be more in the series. I highly recommend this one. Thank you to NetGalley and Eridani Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

When their father's arrange their marriage, neither Ellen or Silas are happy about the union.

Len stopped talking years ago, punishes herself for the trouble she believes she causes others, and seems to just not like herself. Si believes he hurts anything he touches and doesn't believe himself worthy of the title. Yet her shows her tenderness and kindness that builds her bravery and self-confidence, while she isn't afraid of him like others and welcomes his touch.

From the thistles at the beginning, Si won me over with his kindness and how quickly he falls for Len. I was proud of Len finding her place and her voice, and learning to fight for what she wants instead of running away. Unfortunately, they must contend with pride, fear of rejection, and a villain amongst them.

Overall, a fast-paced read (which is good because our leads did frustrate me) with an enjoyable romance full of yearning.

Thank you to netgalley and Eridani Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Feat: marriage of convenience, protective hero

CW: self-harm (on-page)

3 stars
1.5 spice

Ahhhhh omg this book was swoony af, I loved the slow burn and the pining 😭 it also had a lovely theme of the FMC finally becoming confident about herself and her worth, and the MMC finally accepting and stepping into his role as a leader and a person who's worth the space he occupies (I specifically mention this because he has a lot of internalized self-hate about the fact that people are intimidated by him because of his big size; in actuality he's the sweetest ever). The third act resolution was the bestest, and I'll happily read like a 100 pages more of the MCs 😭

TWs - repeated self-harm as a self punishment, death of parent at childbirth (past), violence and an accident in the present (1-2 scenes), a scene where a man tries to force himself on the FMC (but the MMC shows up in time), sexual assault of a kid (past, but mentioned on page)

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I picked this one up solely because of the cute cover and it turned out to be a really entertaining historical romance set in 1700s Scotland.

'Lady Len' is forced into a marriage of convenience by her father when what she wanted was to join a convent. Luckily for her, her husband is a gentle man set on keeping things platonic, having lived with the guilt that his birth caused his mother's death and not wanting to put any other woman through that.

I liked that there was a secret identity/pen pal element to this story that helped the couple unknowingly get to know one another better. This was a sweet (and a bit spicy) romance and I'll definitely read more by Rose Prendeville. Good on audio too! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Neither Silas nor Ellen are ready for this marriage of convenience arranged by their fathers. Each has their own demons as to why they don’t feel good enough for each other, and this voyage of discovery of each other and themselves is a delight to be immersed in.

REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
👩🏼‍❤️‍👨🏼👩🏼‍❤️‍👨🏼
I fell in love with the cover, title, and storyline, and I was not disappointed. The writing is very good and I couldn't stop after starting. I loved the depth of the characters; Ellen and Silas. Both of them thought they were different, but they're actually similar. I've never read of characters like them. I loved reading and how they found themselves.
👩🏼‍❤️‍👨🏼👩🏼‍❤️‍👨🏼
I liked this book, but the MCs were a little bit annoying. I just hated the way they kept going round each other without communicating with each other, they would have found themselves earlier. I wanted the book to be longer, too. I wanted them to be more lovey-dovey after discovering their love
👩🏼‍❤️‍👨🏼👩🏼‍❤️‍👨🏼
This is the kind of book I'd like to reread. It was wonderful and I'm sure you'll like it.

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

Publication date: September 5, 2023

This is the second book in The Brides of Chattan series by Rose Prendeville. This is a rom-com series set in historic highland Scotland (Think Outlander vibes).

Wee Ellen Mackintosh has been quiet and sickly her whole life, betrothed to Silas MacKenzie heir to the Lairdship and a beast of a man, it seems a mismatched relationship.

Neither Si or Ellen seem to be able to communicate with each other and spend most of their time assuming how the other will feel or react in certain situations. The few times they seem to come to an understanding, they really do seem to have a spark, there is definitely something there.

While Si tries to learn all he can about leading a clan while his sickly father still has breath, Ellen tries to make herself useful in any way possible.

Will Ellen find her voice and be able to let her husband know she loves him? And will Si slow down and listen long enough to hear the truth?

I wanted to love this one so so much! I love Scottish history and nothing is sexier than a highlander but the lack of communication between these two was beyond the usual trope. I wouldn’t even call it miscommunication, more like no communication at all. The reader spends more time in their heads hearing ridiculous thoughts and assumptions about the other one. So much so it frustrated me in a way that distracted from the story.

This is a 3 star for me. The begging and probably the last 20-30 pages were good, everything in between was extremely frustrating. If you’re into miscommunication or lack of communication tropes, this one’s for you!

#NetGalley #ladylenandthemysteriousmac #roseprendeville

This book unfortunately wasn't for me, I'm a huge fan of historical romance but this book just left me feeling underwhelmed. I wanted to enjoy this as the premise of the book was intriguing, however the characters just didn't rise up to the potential they initially showcased they shared at the beginning of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

Great couple and story! It's slow burn, and I like things to move a little more quickly. However, it was a pleasure to see this story unfold.

This book was super cute and adorable! Honestly one of my favourite fall time reads!

The characters were cute, funny, and overall fairly interesting . The plot was really well thought out as I read it, right up until the end and I couldn't put it down. This was really cute and the characters both being shy and sweet with each other really topped the cake for me because they were so darn adorable.

This was a fun and light read, I loved every minute of it! Definitely the perfect fall romance for the historical romance readers!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I used to be in love with historical romance but somehow I just left them behind. When I saw this cute cover I could not resist to request it after reading the synopsis.

The main characters are shy and fit well, but I somehow got confused about how the MC acted sometimes. And there were elements I did not expect in a historical romance. Although written well, it was unfortunately not for me. It did stand well on its own as it is book 2.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

Thanks to BookSprout and NetGalley for a copy of this novel and this is my freely given opinion.

This is the second book in the series, but likely can be read as a stand alone, though Jory and Finn do make several appearances in this story, as well as references to their story in book one are made.

Wee Ellen Mackintosh, the frail, sickly, quiet mouse of a cousin of Jory, is contracted into a marriage of convenience to the MacKenzies by her ambitious father. This is against her wishes to join a nunnery in France, which is what she has wanted to do since childhood. She has suffered a childhood trauma that has silenced her for years as she holds the secret deep inside herself, and after years of being treated as weak, frail, and sickly, she feels she is more suitable to be a bride of God than a bride to a future laird of a clan.

But it's not as though she was given a choice.

Silas Mackenzie is the future laird of the MacKenzie clan. This was a role he never wanted and did not expect other than for other family circumstances. He feels he is more a scholar than a leader, having spent many years studying in Aberdeen, but was called back by his father to take up his duties to the clan. It does not help that his father was also in exile for a number of years, and also recently quite ill. Silas is feeling the mounting pressure of his expected duties, including wedding a wee little fairy of a lass whom he does not know, and is scared of hurting. He is a big giant of a man, who carries deep in his heart the guilt of killing his mother in childbirth, and deeply fears breaking all that he touches, including wee little Ellen.

This is a rather sweet story of two strangers with deeply held fears and hurts who end up married and learning to communicate and navigate in their new roles as husband and wife, as well as leaders in the clan. They explore their shy, growing feelings for each other, but still hide behind shells to protect themselves, but also with the added stress and burden of the scrutiny of their clan, and the conspiracy of those working against them.

I found Silas and 'Len (as he calls her) are two very sweet characters whom I really enjoyed reading about and I especially enjoyed how Ellen overcame her fears to become more strong, after being stifled by her family and their lack of expectations from her.

A really sweet love story. But there was a conspiracy story woven in as well with a faction working against Silas and his father, but I found that to be tepid and unsatisfactory as it was not fleshed out fully enough and lacked sufficient build up and tension.

3.5 stars out of 5

I enjoyed reading this book so much that I also sought out a copy of the first installment. I appreciated that both books reminded me of a combination of Outlander and Disney's Brave.

This was okay. I was drawn by the cover and title, though it left a bit to be desired. Maybe it was the slow burn of it, but I would've wanted the mysterious Mac of it all to come into the story sooner or have a bigger effect on the story. The romance was sweet but I would really love more moments and tension between the two.

I found this an interesting book to read. The writing style was very solid; it was engaging and light, and there was some really pretty writing in it. It’s a fairly simple story but it kept moving the whole time and I never felt like the story dragged or the pacing was off.

The dynamic of the relationship between Ellen and Si was very appealing to me. They had a sweet sort of chemistry and I liked how their relationship played out. That said, I struggled to warm to either of them as characters. I felt like their respective characterisations were reduced, more or less, to their respective flaws and hang-ups. I’d also like to have seen more scenes with them getting to know one another, as I felt this was something the story lacked. I also thought their final conflict felt a little jarring; it felt very sudden and I found Si very unpleasant during it. It really came out of nowhere for me, and I think it needed more development. I also personally wasn’t sure where the letters subplot fit into the book – again the idea intrigued me but I didn’t think it entirely worked.

I think this was something I found throughout the book, which was that I felt it needed more development in general. The side plot involving Si’s father felt a little underwhelming to me, although it was an interesting idea. Likewise, the self-harm storyline was interesting, and not something I’ve seen covered in a historical romance before. However, I felt like it was brushed away as soon as it came out. I think it needed more exploration as it was such a serious topic to introduce.

This book had a lot of interesting and clever ideas, and the concept really appealed to me. I just think some of the storylines needed developing further and that the characters of Ellen and Si needed fleshing out a little bit more. Overall, though, this was a very sweet book that had some really charming moments. I would recommend it if you’re looking for a historical romance with an arranged marriage. I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.

Content Notes: Violence, attempted sexual assault (on page), implied sexual violence (in past), implied child sexual abuse (in past), death of a parent (in past), death in childbirth (in past), seriously ill parent (on-page), poisoning, scenes of a carriage accident, head injuries, blood, ableism, self-harm, on-page sex, virgin FMC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Lady Len And The Mysterious Mac is the second book in the Brides Of Chattan series by Rose Prendeville. I enjoyed the first book in this series; this one catapulted the series into one I love! The characters were more vivid, the plot more engaging, and the romance sweeter. This story pulled at my heartstrings and left me smiling.

This is a story of two outcasts and misfits. Quiet as a mouse and just as tiny, Lady Ellen has no desire to be a Laird’s wife. Silas is large, gangly, and would much rather read a book than guide a clan. One look at the beautiful, fragile Ellen and Silas falls in love and vows never to touch Ellen in fear of breaking her.

All Ellen has heard is how inadequate “wee Ellen” is. She fights insecurity and doubt. But Ellen finds her voice and purpose in her new husband’s clan. I loved watching Ellen blossom and become the strong, loving woman she was destined to be. Silas is a gentle giant afraid he breaks everything he touches. He has no faith in himself. That is until he meets this fierce mouse of a girl. Ellen makes Silas want to be the man he was destined to be.

The couple’s romance is rocky; however, with letters and slow wooing, the couple grows into developing a burgeoning romance. Silas and Ellen’s romantic journey was so sweet to read! The plot was engaging, and I cared and was invested in Silas and Ellen. This is a story of facing your fears and finding your purpose; if you find support and love along the way, even better! Rose Prendeville has written a captivating, engrossing romance that had me cheering for the couple. The author finds her pace and rhythm in this second book. This is a lovely romance not to be missed!

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

I really enjoyed this book!

It is an arranged marriage romance set in the Scottish highlands. It has some awesome side characters and a lovely romance that develops over the course of the book!

**4.5 rounded up**

I was a little anxious about this one because of the cover, but I ended up really liking it!
It was a little slow in the beginning, and there was basically a 3rd act breakup, which is pretty much the only reason I rated lower; I will say that all of the explanation in the beginning about the laird, Si taking over his place, etc. was necessary to the storyline, just a little bland for my tastes. Once the story picked up, though, it was very enjoyable!

I really liked the character arcs of both Silas (Si) and Ellen (Lady Len). They both had a lot of growing up to do, and there were several plot points that moved them in that direction, both apart and together. I loved the setting in Scotland, it is on my travel bucket list. It felt a little bit "Outlander", a little bit "Brave", and the main characters were very likable and easy to read.

For me, reading a romance book is like eating comfort food. I usually know what I will get, it's always roughly the same, but it hits all the right places. That being said, I also like my comfort food to be simple. I'm not looking for a five hours recipe with layers upon layers of flavors. Just give me pasta with some extra spicy sauce.
Where am I going with this? Well, I was expecting some comfort while reading this book and didn't get it. I really had to concentrate to follow the story. The writing was heavy, and there were so many characters to get used to so quickly into the story. This might explain why I didn't really get hooked. Instead of diving into the story, I ended up emotionally disconnected from the book, and spent most of the time overanalysing it.