Two clans at war, an injured enemy who turns out to be the enemy heir? Be still my beating heart. I very much enjoyed the characters in this novel - Rhian and Leith really pulled at my heartstrings! Can’t wait for more from this author.

This is the second book of The Three Sisters MacBeith series. Rhian is a healer and nurturer and steps in whenever and wherever she is needed. When an enemy soldier of the MacLeod clan is wounded and she comes across him in the battlefield, she cannot possibly turn away. Even after tending to his wounds, she cant bring herself to turn him in. Despite the turmoil and feuding that surrounds them, they are undoubtedly drawn to each other, which complicates things since their families are sworn enemies.
With unique and interesting characters and a storyline that kept me engaged from start to finish, this was a story that I could not put down. A lovely, standalone novel that comes to a heartwarming conclusion. Looking forward to reading the next one!
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Book: Keeper of the Hearth
Author: Laura Strickland
Series: The Three sisters, MacBeath, Book #2
Publisher: Dragonblade
Book Length: 308 pages
Overall Rating: 5/5 Stars
Blog Rating: 5/5 Saltire Flags

Scotland, 1620

This book centers on the middle sister Rhian MacBeath who has been the keeper of her mothers hearth since her mothers death and is also the lead healer of the MacBeith clan. She is also the daughter whose father was the former beloved chieftain Iain MacBeith, who was slain by a MacLeod warrior as was her elder brother Arrran was before him. This all happened after the previous Camraith MacLeod clan chief died, but his greedy son Rory was obsessed with taking all of the MacBeith’s lands and holdings.

Rory MacLeod thought it would be an easy claim with thinking they were a weak small clan Except he was mistaken, Rory has been losing the last couple of battles with the eldest and their fey youngest sister with supernatural abilities. These women are also warriors who fight alongside all the MacBeith warriors in the battlefields. Plus the fact that the clan’s lead healer Rhian MacBeith, has saved Leith MacLeod’s life who at first thinks she is his merciful angel.

However even when Leith realizes Rhian is a very special and beautiful woman he immediately starts to fall in love with this MacBeith healer. Leith’s heart has never been in the battle. He would rather enjoy life with laughter and love than killing people for a parcel of land if he was to be honest, He is an enemy of Rhian’s clan and cousin of their chieftain Rory MacLeod. Rory already feels betrayed by his best friend Farlan who is now an outcast of the MacLeod clan. Will Rory be able to deal with another betrayal this time with one who is related to him?

Chieftain Rory MacLeod is absolutely enraged and now more determined than ever to take over all of Glen Bronach including the MacBeith lands and holdings! Furthermore it has become personal, and he is still raging over the fact that his best friend has betrayed him choosing his enemy the MacBeith woman over his loyalty to him and his clan! Now the MacBeiths have his cousin Leith MacLeod sitting in their prison.

Rory now fears he just might lose another member of his brotherhood as Leith, Farlan and Rory were like brothers and the best of friends since childhood. Rory has no idea that Rhian has been keeping his cousin alive who had saved him not realizing what clan he was from at first. Yet even when she did know she did not yell to her clan warriors to finish him off and soon romantic feelings are starting to develop between the two from enemy clans. As another enemy to lovers story continues in the second installment of The Three Sisters MacBeith series.

Laura Strickland is a writer I have been reading for many years and she never disappoints. I am always swept into her intriguing plot twists with her swoon worthy heroes and feisty heroines, that always have me gasping for air not knowing what is going to happen next. I have absolutely loved this series so very much. A series readers do not want to miss. You can read any book as a stand alone but I highly recommend the entire series.

The Three Sisters, MacBeith
Keeper of the Gate
Keeper of the Hearth
Keeper of the Light


Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy and an advance reader copy from Dragonblade publishers. I voluntarily agreed to do a fair review and blog through netgalley. All thoughts, ideas and words are my own.

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Keeper-Hearth-Three-Sisters-MacBeith-ebook/dp/B0CP6Z6HQ9

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/keeper-of-the-heart-laura-strickland/1144512756?ean=9781961275881

A strong sassy heroine is not always necessary in order to create a meaningful and memorable story. Sometimes it’s beneficial to see a character who is confident and sure in herself, in a more natural and relaxed way. It was very evident of the way that was present within the story.

While her sisters may have been more assertive in their confidence, Rhian had a more gentle nature to her. However, she was in no way inferior to her sisters. The moments she chose to speak, were intentional and with merit. Rhian made for a very refreshing character, while remaining in her own version of confidence. The struggles she faced, brought a sense of authenticity to her character, as she grappled with decisions and actions that left her with a sense of conflicting feelings, of great emotion.

The story was very enjoyable to say the least. Every character was unique in their own merits, and created a dimension in the story that enhanced the experience of the reader. The relationships between characters were raw and poignant, while intriguing and engaging. It made for a great story, and an even better romance. Thank you Laura, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this magical story.

Truly a book you need to pick up and experience the world of historical Scotland in all its beauty.

Loving the Enemy

The MacBeiths and MacLeods are mortal enemies. When Rhian finds Leith on the battlefield with a horrific wound, she binds it, but when it comes time to call the men so they can kill him, she cannot do it. She lets him go, but she does not know if he will survive the journey to his clan. He does survive, but just barely. The men of her clan find him and nearly kill him. They bring him back, and it is up to Rhian to heal him. She certainly does not plan to lose her heart, but lose it she does. She is the second sister to fall in love with a MacLeod. How will this story end? Their clans are bitter enemies, and the odds are not in their favor.

What will it take for these two clans to make peace? The MacLeod chief is bitter and hellbent on war. His two best friends fall in love with the enemy. What will it take for him to change his destructive path? Many men, on both sides, have died senselessly. What is the feud about, and is it worth all the lives lost? I loved this story and could not put it down. I recommend it to lovers of Scottish medieval romance. I look forward to the next book in this unputdownable series.

Magic, conflict & life altering, mind blowing love!

Through the carnage of battle, hatred and fear, compassion raises it head and sparks something so much more powerful and magical.
Rhian, weary in heart and soul, can no longer stand the turmoil and relentless suffering of war, with the neighbouring clan and finally comes to see the struggles and trepidation her sister Moira went through - in book one - as her heart too begins to pine and long for her enemy.
In this heart pounding enemy to lovers tale, fueled by the angst of history repeating itself, as destiny, once again, dances with fate to bring together two forbidden lovers.
This time will this all consuming love have the power to set in motion the end of a feud of such long torturous standing? Or, will it painfully pull apart their worlds and break their tender hearts? As loyalties crumble and shift, betrayal simmers and burns hot with vengeful rage and misguided retribution, while tensions, suspicions and mistrust feed unstable Clan politics, sharpen tensions to a knife's point and forever rip their lifes asunder. I cried and ached in the finding out!
The tenderness, uncertainty and unstoppable connection between healer, Rhian and dangerously wounded hostage, Leith, pulls you in as I was once again left with a smile and a trail of freshly shed tears on my face, eagerly awaiting the concluding chapter in this well written (must be read in order) saga about the rightful ownership of a much fought over glen, between the clans MacBeith and MacLeod, as they desperately fight for ultimate supremacy.
Therefore, the lingering, swirling doubt of suspicion coupled with an intense pull to be closer, nearer between the pair, creates this vortex of jeopardy laced, high raging tension of 'will they, won't they' succumb proportions. Clashing so bittersweetly with their passion infused attraction and blistering connection, as perspectives change to see love fight so hard to trump hate and seed this desperate need to stop the vicious cycle of hatred as they strive for the semblance of peace. A tale build on trekking the harder, obstacle thwart, road, as your put through the emotional ringer and internally mangled with burning anguish as you come to hope animosity can be cooled and altered against the odds. As Strickland laces the joy of heartpounding romance with this bittersweet sting of resounding angst and turmoil, that swirls within the glimmer of the promise of hope and slaps it in the cast iron shackles of the unattainable. Becoming, addictively gripped with a need to solve the impossible, seek answers and solutions that seem just too big to overcome.
Can't wait to see where the future leads these two clans next. Will the mystical Saerla, be able to change Rory's long sort after ambitions and obsession for domination? Or, is pride and hatred steeped too deeply to ever change his cold driven heart?
I can't wait to find out...great story telling!

A Healer, A Warrior, Their Destiny
First off this is such a wonderful all engrossing story I hated to see it come to an end. I would love to give this story more than 5 stars.
The second book of this amazing series brings us Rhian a healer for her clan as she searches the battlefield for the injured after the enemy hightailed it out of there or so it seems, until she spy's a wounded warrior and being a healer, she vows to help him even though he is an enemy to her clan. Leith is in critical shape and near death. Fate steps in and their connection starts now and grows into a beautiful emotionally charged romance story I could not put down.
There is more than romance in this magical tale of love and battles. The pages are filled with anguish, revenge, visions, Seer, mystic happenings, attraction, and so much more.
The characters are extremely fascinating. The traumatic battles, the mystic powers, the enemy to lovers continues from the previous book in the series, yet this is a standalone story that carries the three sisters, so each has her own story to tell.
I didn't need a lady's fan for this romance but that doesn't mean there isn't enough desirous passion and swoon worthy kisses to make my heart and tummy flutter more than once.
I truly loved and enjoyed this story, and I am anxious to read about Saerla romance.

This historical romance is part of a series that I think should be read in order. Each book concerns one of the three sisters. Because they are at war with an other Clan and the books follow each other in a close timeline, the stories are strongly linked. I found this one, perhaps a little too similar to the previous one. They are emotional and full of danger for all involved. The third book is a must to find a true ending.
Entertaining read.

Keeper of the Hearth by Laura Strickland is by a new-to-me author and I thoroughly enjoyed the read. It is a complicated story about the feud between the MacBeith clan and the MacLeod clan over the right to place where they both lived. The MacBeiths had been there first and for many years there had been peace. Then both clan leaders died and new ones took their places. Moira, the eldest daughter of MacBeith assumed leadership, despite being a woman, and Rory assumed leadership of the MacLeods and he did not want peace so he had mounted several full scale attacks, always walking away the loser. The MacBeiths seem to have magical protection. Moira had two younger sisters, Rhian and Saerla. Rhian was a healer and Saerla had the sight. Things were complicated because Moira had fallen in love with Farlan, a MacLeod, and he had left his clan to be with her and they planned to wed. This caused complications with the high council over the leadership of the clan. While in the battlefield, dressing wounds, Rhian came upon a severely wounded man and after tending him realized he was a MacLeod. Things were out of balance.

An intriguing story of medieval Scotland and the idiocy a feud can bring about. The MacBeith women were all special and as sisters were a solid unit. Rhian had always viewed herself as a spinster, a woman no man would have, but Leith MacLeod touched her in a way no man had, and she began to understand her sister’s conundrum. She was a strong character as were her sisters. Leith was a happy-go-lucky man who never planned to marry. He was a love ’em and leave ‘em sort. He thought Rhian was an angel, both when he was semi-conscious and when he was well. It was really a wonderful story filled with love, betrayal, war, death, and so much more. What a good read!

I was I invited to read a free e-ARC of Keeper of the Hearth by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #LauraStrickland #KeeperOfTheHearth

Second book in the series of the clash between the clans of Macbeith and Macleod.
Rhian is a healer for her clan but when she comes across Leith Macleod after a battle, she decides to use her gifts to do what she can for him even though he is her enemy.
Rhian and Leith begin to fall in love despite the obstacles.
But the battles continue with tough decisions being made on life and death.
I had to back and get the first book so I could know what happened before this encounter.
Looking forward to the next story in the series.

Healing and destiny

The second book in the Three Sister’s MacBeith kept me on the edge of my seat. This story starts immediately following the conclusion of the first book ‘Keeper of the Gate’. Rhian the middle daughter of the slain MacBeith chief is a healer in the clan. She finds a wounded warrior following a battle and helps him before realizing he is a MacLeod. Leith is the cousin to the chief of the enemy clan MacLeod and heir to the chiefdom. He is captured and reinjured. Rhian takes over his healing and with them being together so much they can’t help but fall in love.

This book has hate, love, strength, and loyalty, with the added component of clan intrigue and rule. Rhian’s sister Moira’s leadership of the clan is questioned, and the three sisters must band even closer together to maintain their father’s legacy. I loved the all-encompassing love between Rhian and Leith even though they know it’s wrong seeing how Moria and her love Farland have been treated. The difficult decisions that will completely change their lives. The emotion, action, love, hate, and loyalty. You'll need to read in order to get the most enjoyment from this series. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing, and this is my honest review.

This is a novel that kept me on the edge of my seat from its tension-filled opening passages to the conclusion. I found the writing style easy to follow despite it being written in olde Scottish dialect and although it was suspenseful and at times gruesome, I did not want to miss one word of the plot. The attraction between Rhian and Leith MacLeod was painful and yet the power of love brought them together in an inconvenient love story as their two clans battled for supremacy in the glen. Leith's Laird is ambitious to the point of being obsessed with power, and yet the MacBeith sisters have the power in their unity to hold him back as he tries to destroy them. Leith is the Laird's heir and second in command, but as Rhian tends to his wounds he finds that he no longer wants to be part of the destruction of the MacBeith clan that has nipped at the MacLeod's heels for so long. Despite there being no resolution to the long drawn-out battle between the two clans, the novel is a standalone and comes to a tender and heart-warming conclusion. I received a copy of this book as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

One to lead them, one to heal them…

Mists swirl around the MacBeith’s lands in Glen Bronach. Land they’d held for generations, raided and harried by the MacLeods who claimed the other end of the Glen across the river.
Over the years the groups had reived and harassed each other, but not escalating much beyond that. When both old chiefs died, Rory MacLeod decided to bring to fruition his plans of conquering the MacBeith’s, claiming their holdings.
Rory’s plans hit a roadblock when his best friend Farlan became MacBeith’s Chief, Moria’ MacBeith’s lieman. Despite being banished from his clan, and the fierce opposition and continuing denigration from her people, Farlan stayed by Moira’s side. Now it seems Rory’s other boyhood friend Leith has been wounded and captured. That Rory cannot allow.
Severely wounded, Leith opens his eyes in the aftermath of the battlefield and beholds an angel. Not an angel but the one of the MacBeith’s healers and sister to their chief, Rhian.
What starts out as caring for the wounded escalates into something rich and strong. Under dire circumstances the two find solace and magic in each others arms.
When Leith is taken back to his people, each feels the desolation. Theirs has been a magical and mystical union, founded in the reality of their love and desire.
What happens, what leads them to this place is a fascinating tale with an otherworldly overarching flavor.
Quite a story!

A Dragonblade ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Book two is just as fabulous as book one. This is Rhian's story the middle sister who is a healer. As her clan fights valiantly the clan MacLeod, she comes across the wounded Leith. As a healer she helps him but can't seem to stay separated. Both of them must face challenge, decisions on loyalty, love, family and honor. It's not easy, yet the story itself is filled with both their strong personalities, struggles, passions and decisions. Great writing, in depth and fantastic characters. Not a story to miss.