ARC provided by the Publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest opinion.
This book moved too slow for my taste. I'm only giving the book 2 stars. I finished the book eventually.

Unfortunately I was sidetracked by the spelling of Jyne Campbell’s name. Jyne, How on earth to pronounce this was my first challenge? After several goes I thought I had it. On seeking advice from the male in my family he got it in one. I was too busy looking for secret pronunciations.
The storyline has little that’s secret though. Send one decent yet bullied son out to make war, one feisty highlander lass leading the opponent’s challenge, and of cause there’s a clash that’s going to happen both physically and romantically.

A NetGalley ARC

My Highland Rebel by Amanda Forester was a bit slow to get into for me. The plot was decent and the dialogue seemed fairly normal, but it didn't capture my attention the way other historical books have. I do recommend this book to anyone reader of romance who don't mind a slow start.

This is the first I have read by Ms Forester, and I can say without a doubt that it will not be the last. This is utterly wonderful. I was hooked by this gritty, fun and romantic story from page one. The writing is solid, it flows and takes the reader on a thrilling journey. This is an enchanting, exciting and wonderfully romantic story that will keep the reader glued from page one. Wonderful!!

Cormac MacLead snuck out of the monastery. Aristotle in one hand and Marcus Graecus scrolls in the other. He wasn’t stealing just borrowing the scrolls until it was convenient to return them. If the monks had let him read the scrolls at St. Finan’s Monestary he would not have had to take the scrolls. Lady Jyne Campbell had always wanted adventure- her first mistake, Lady Jyne wanted some privacy - her second mistake. Lady Jyne ended up getting lost in the fog. Jyne had fourteen siblings and they all bossed her around. Jyne was born a little too soon and had been sickly so she wasn’t allowed to go on any adventures. Then Jyne got sucked into the bog and she yelled for help. Then a stranger pulled her out of the bog. Jyne was shivering and the stranger pulled her to him and covered her with his plaid and was also using her body heat to warm her up. Then her brother Davis showed up who was Laird of their clan But Jyne explained the man was actually helping her. and told the stranger to unhand his sister. Then David said they were turning around as a warlord had struck south of them but her brother Rab stepped in and said he would take Jyne to Kinoch Abbey her dower lands. Then Rab and Jyne would return home. Cormac had no choice but to return to the band of thieves as one of the monks still chased Cormac and since he had stopped to help Jyne the monk got closer yet. He put Aristotle aside for some light bedtime reading and unrolled a scroll of Graecus. He was sure it contained the information he needed to succeed. Cormac had worked a long time on his experiments. Scanning the scroll he found a new piece of information. This might be the missing piece of information he needed to make his experiment work. Red Rex wanted to see Cormac and that could not mean anything good. Red Rex was Cormac’s father and he had decided Cormac was to be his heir. But Cormac wanted to break away from his father. Jyne finds out some people from another clan - McNab clan. Is squatting on her land and Jyne is now responsible for them as the people swore loyalty to the Campbell clan. Now Cormac has to steal a treasure from Kinoh Abbey which is Jyne’s to keep the monks alive. Also Cormac starts to fall for Lady Jyne and she him but she doesn’t know who he is. This was the first time Jyne had control to manage a household. Also the first time people looked to Jyne to make decisions. But then things change to fear when the abbey is taken over by a fearsome group led by a man called the “Fire Lord” who is really Cormac. He has to assume two roles The Fire Lord and himself to protect the Abbey and the people in it including Jyne. His father sent about twenty men with Cormac to make sure he didn’t run off. Jyne and Cormac work together to rid the Abbey of the intruders.
I enjoyed this story. I found it to be funny and sexy read. The humor in it made me chuckle . There was a lot in this this story: danger, thieves, chemistry, possible treasure, scrolls, clans, warlord, double roles, lies, secrets, and so much more. This had a good plot with a good pace. I liked Jyne and Cormac together. I liked the characters a lot and the ins and outs of this story and I recommend.

When “The World is too much with…” me, I escape in a book. This time I go to the Highlands of Scotland, where the heroine is lost in a fog and stuck in a bog. I identify with her immediately and go on an amazing adventure. I invite your to do the same.

Jyne Campbell is dragged from the bog by the Rebel who is running from a monk. The errant rescuer holds her close to warm her until her powerful, threatening brother, Laird of the Campbell clan arrives. Jyne never expects to see her unknown rescuer again—how mistaken she is. He shows up at her Kinoch Abbey in a dual way that changes Jyne’s life. She changes from the naïve, sheltered “runt of the litter” of the sixteen Campbell children to a woman claiming her rights against her powerful brother.

This, her very first adventure, is rather like a rite of passage that had me totally involved reading like mad to see what-on-earth would happen next.

Cormac MacLean, the Rebel, has no claim to a title. He is a survivor who has a checkered past that is incredible. His father Red Rex is despicable beyond belief. Cormac feels there is no way to escape him. He knows how evil his father is; yet, with his intelligence, he strives to become someone his father recognizes as worthy. When he is finally forced to make a choice between his father and the life he wants, the reader is favored with an ominous scene that sends the heart racing.

Cormac’s duel relationship with Jyne gives the reader’s senses a feast. Whether in a totally dark, caved in tunnel or working in cahoots to control the actions of Red Rex’s men, these two grow from strength to strength.

The sub plots in the story enrich the main plot and fit in perfectly, with some intriguing surprises.

Amanda Forester’s writing style is so smooth and captivating that one feels as if he or she is in the moment with the characters. A thread of humor runs through the often-scary story; yet she also, quite subtly, offers life lessons that have rung true through the ages, such as “Heaven is not for the good but for the forgiven.” and “God grants grace to the penitent.” Highly recommended.

I tried, I really tried, over and over again but somehow I never got into the book. I like historicals romances, I like books by Amanda Forester, it is well written but this book and I - nope. No match.
Somehow the hero got on my nerves and I was upset with him and I, well, like I said, we didn't get along, not at all.

A sympathetic hero can make all the difference in a book. For instance, my absolute least favorite trope in romance is The Big Secret. And that is the underlying thread in this book. However, I found I enjoyed the story anyway because it had a hero I could not help but to root for. So kudos to Amanda Forester for that.

Cormac is the son of the most fierce and vicious warlord in the Highlands. He wasn’t raised by his father. He was actually brought up by monks. He loves to read. He wants to be a scribe. But his father has other ideas. Red Rex wants to toughen him up, to remake him in his image. And it doesn’t matter that Cormac dreams of something different. It is conform or die.

Our heroine is Jyne. I have to say that the spelling of her name threw me and reading it constantly felt like I was seeing a typo, but I digress. Anyway, Jyne is the so-called runt of her family. Her brother is the laird of the Cambell clan. She grew up in a castle and because she was a sickly child, she has never had the opportunity to have an adventure. Until now.

Jyne is going to the keep that her brother has prepared as her dower land. On the way, she falls into a bog and needs rescuing. Cormac is the man on hand. She doesn’t know it, but he is on the run from a monk who is chasing him for stealing scrolls from a monastery. He has to read in secret because his father basically thinks reading is for sissies. Anyway the whole theft of the scrolls causes major trouble for Cormac with his dad. It gets even worse when the pursuing the monk stumbles into the camp after him and Cormac has to make up a giant lie to save the monk’s life and keep his father from burning down the monastery. He says the scrolls were not just for reading; they were actually treasure maps and he was trying to get the treasure for his father.

Of course, there is no treasure, but Cormac has to keep up with the lie in order to save everyone that he put in danger. The location of the imaginary treasure just happens to be Jyne’s new keep. So they meet again. Actually they meet a couple of times. First she sees him in a helmet that covers his face as the warlord who is taking over her land. Then she sees him as Cormac, the friendly helpful man who is going to protect her from said warlord. Obviously, it gets a little complicated because Cormac is playing two parts in the story. And the whole time you are waiting for her to figure out his whopper of a lie.

The thing is, I wanted poor Cormac to get away with it all. He didn’t have very many options and his heart was good, even if he made some ill advised choices. Jyne was a pretty standard virginal heroine. At least she wasn’t stupid. She, at worst, may have been a bit naïve, but I liked her OK.

This is a gentle romance. It is essentially a few kisses and a little bit of sensual touching. In fact, it took a while to get past kisses on the cheek here. But it’s sweet.

The book is not full of twists and turns necessarily, but I did find myself interested in seeing how Cormac was going to get out of the mess that he made. And he entertained me every time he took on the mantle of the fire lord.

There were some rather convenient developments, but overall I enjoyed the story fairly well. It moved quickly and it gave me an ending that satisfied.

Rating: B

The best thing about reading an Amanda Forester story is the way she can transport one to the place of long ago land and plant you right in the middle of her tale. She has a knack of mixing historical facts with fiction that is so seamless and authentic, you’ll be able to see and feel the world she takes you into.

Our couple, Jyne and Cormac, are so well written that I yearned for their friendship! They were that likable and real. Everything in this story just clicked to perfection, from plot to pace; from characterization to the sweet romance.

This tale is timeless and no matter if you’re a into Highlander tales or not, I have no doubt you’ll love this witty, sweet and tender romance.

Melanie for b2b

Cormac "FireLord" Mclean is an unusual Highlander who instead of leading a battle, he'd rather stay in a library, read books and study alchemy.

He might not be the strong and wicked Highlander we usually know who craved for war and death, but I love how Amanda Forrester introduced a different kind of a hero! Cormac is indeed one of a kind with his passion, kindness and intelligence.

Lady Jyne Campbell is a proper lady who never experienced adventure in all her life so when a supposedly a dowry land was given to her, for the first time she would do anything to protect her castle.

What I like with this historical romance is a win-win situation for all. Both Cormac and Jyne shows that they are more than meet the eyes.

My Highland Rebel was a very unique novel for me. The hero, Cormac, wasn’t a perfect gentleman. He has a colorful past, and an even more colorful father. Cormac’s father is doing everything in his power to turn his son into a warlord, incapable of emotions, especially love. Cormac bends the rules, doesn’t always do the right thing, and isn’t terribly honest. With that being said, I still ended up falling for him. He is a work in progress, and does finally come around to making the right choices. Of course the heroine, Jyne has always been protected and sheltered. We get the pleasure of watching her develop into a strong and capable young woman. There was one drawback to this tale. There is a deception that is played out during the story, and in my opinion, it goes on far past its feasibility. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed My Highland Rebel, and look forward to reading more of Amanda Forester’s books.

I am hoping this was a very rough draft because there were numerous grammatical errors, awkward transitioning and other basic errors. This really affected my ability to enjoy the story of Jyne and Cormac. If I could overlook the issues mentioned I think I would have enjoyed the comedy of Cormac having to play so many different roles while keeping his story straight of hero/villian. His attempts to hide the fact that he was Red Rex' s son reminded me of Captain Jack Sparrow' s antics in Pirates of the Carribean. If the entire premise wasn't clearly meant to be comical I would have felt the conclusion to be cheesy but it did fit with the over-the-top storyline.

My Rebel Highlander (Highland Adventure Book 6) - Amazon.comThe Rebel Highlander by Amanda Forester
Book Review: by Barb Massabrook blogger and book reviewer
Heat Rating: hot
Overall Rating:5 stars


Highlands, 1362
In this story it is about the youngest family member of of Lady Jyne Campbell and Cormac MacLean.

Amazon.com: Amanda Forester: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks ...In this book, Lady Jyne Campbell was always considered the runt of the litter as she was always sickly and weak. The thing is the rest of the Campbell's were men were that were tall, brave and very formidable force. The Campbell women were statuesque brave and bold, all but Jyne. As Jyne was the frail, who was born too soon in childhood.

Cormac MacLean is a man who want to break away from his evil , brutal war lord father. He who considers Cormack weak and unimportant. Then one day unknown to her he saves a lass in distress from drowning in a murky bog. Jyne goes to visit her dower lands and finds out she is now in charge of a lost McNab clan. Due to this clans dire situation they open to her with open arms, until they find out they have more problems!

As the horrendous, warlord, Red Rex now is threatening all the brothers of the Monastery lives. From the Monastery, that Cormack recently stole from. If Cormac doesn't come through with his decision, it will be with disastrous results!

To go steal a treasure from the abandoned Kinoch Abbey that he doesn't even know exists. Also the problem is it is Lady Jyne’s dower lands that he was not aware of . Also to conceal his true identity he has to wear this hideous helmet to hide his true identity. Plus using an alchemy to blow things up with amazing results!

Meanwhile he also starts to fall in love with Lady Jayne and she with him, except she does not know who he truly is? Will it add to more complications or a happily ever after ending?My Highland Rebel: Amazon.ca: Amanda Forester: Bookstore You will have to see how this story concludes!

Amanda Forester does it again with another fabulous story you won't be able to put down! I absolutely enjoyed this book from start to finish! I absolutely know you will too!

***I was given this book through netgalley from the publisher but all words and ideas are my own. I just loved it! I know you will fall in love as I did. Even the secondary characters are wonderful! The plotting, setting and anticipation is all so fabulous! Enjoy this book as I did as it's just wonderful and amazing!!

Cormac Maclean has been the subject of his father’s disapproval his whole life. His father gives himself one last time to prove that he can be a ruthless warlord. Core invents a story about an abbey that holds treasure. His father sends him to retrieve the treasure. Core is determined to get this right so when he arrives at the abbey, he has to find something there to bring back to his father.

Jyne’s family allows her to go visit the abbey. She is excited to finally be on her own. She has never been on an adventure this big and she loves it. The abbey is invaded by a handsome that saves her life and Jyne’s big adventure turns into so much more.

Core didn’t expect to find Jyne at the abbey. He wants to protect the sweet woman that he has grown affections for. She doesn’t know that he is the son of Red Rex. He is struggling between keeping his secret, protecting Jyne and the abbey and proving himself to his father.

I liked the story. Jyne and Cormac are both enjoyable characters that eventually grow by the end of the book. I’m not really sure if I buy the looking for the fake storyline of looking for a treasure but it helped put the two leads in the same place.

Cormac is playing dual roles as the enemy and the man she is falling in love with. It is a hard juggling act and I wondered how it will all end. Will Jyne be furious at him for misleading her? A little more than halfway through the book, the story and how it will unfold is predictable but doesn’t take away from it being enjoyable.

The secondary characters and their side romance are a bonus to the story. This is the second book in the series and while I didn’t read the first book, I was not lost in the story and what transpired. I look forward to going back and reading the first book.

~ Samantha

Delightfully shocked is all I can say about this well plotted and executed story. I never suspected the way this story would unfold and I enjoyed Cormac's unfortunate chain of events that lead to him taking Jyne's castle and later his heart.

This is a story that is entertaining and though Jayne is very naive in many ways it was intriguing watching her become a confidant women through all the trials and tribulations. Her character is a prime example of how one can become more then what others think they are or allow them to be because of fear and/or love.

Cormac was a little harder to figure out because he spent his whole life hiding his feelings so he became a puzzle to me that I needed to put together. The further one gets into the story the more of the puzzle pieces fall into place. This author's strategic plotting allows for unsettledness in the reader because they are not sure how this can possibly be resolved without death. Thus, I sat on the end of my seat to the last page.

The secondary characters of Luke and Isabelle added another dimension to the story. Luke's history was quite a surprise and feisty Isabelle added a little extra spark to this already interesting story.

I give this 4 STARS for how Cormac and Jyne evolve throughout the story.

Cormac was a man seeking knowledge and not like his father who is feared only by his people that he rules with an iron hand. No matter how hard Cormac tried, he is and would never be the son that his father wanted him to be. So, to outsmart his father he chose to take over what he presumed was a dilapidated Abbey.

These two characters had so much in common I think that is the reason these two was certainly mint for each other. Whereas, Cormac had to prove that even though he seeks knowledge that he was capable of defending himself and others. Jyne had to prove that she had the ability to be strong like her other siblings. But together they went on to prove that presumption of others could and would always lead man to their downfall.

My Highland Rebel could be read as a stand-alone, it had a steady pace and well-developed and likable characters. This is one title that all lover of Scottish romance will certainly enjoy.

This was a great, fun historical romance! I loved the chemistry between Cormac and Jyne! I will definitely be reading more from Amanda Forester!