Friday, October 21, 2016

Review - - Wicked Highland Wishes

Wicked Highland Wishes
Entangled Hearts - Book 2
By Julie Johnstone
Release Date: October 10, 2016
  


Desire tempted them. Honor forbade them. Love ensnared them. 

Legendary warrior Lachlan MacLeod has never encountered anything or anyone he could not conquer. But when his younger brother confesses his love for Bridgette MacLean—the only woman Lachlan has ever wanted—Lachlan turns away from the beautiful Scottish lass, vowing to be no more than her friend. Yet his need for Bridgette enslaves him and may well prove to be the one thing he cannot defeat.

Fiercely independent Bridgette longs to be treated as an equal to the men. She always imagined great battles in her future, not great love. Then Lachlan saw her as no one ever had and captured her heart, awakening new cravings inside her without realizing it. But when Lachlan’s younger brother suffers a grave injury while saving her life, she feels unable to deny his plea for her heart. However, it is impossible to give what belongs to another…

Torn between their own desire and their loyalties, Bridgette and Lachlan must find the courage to grasp the passion awaiting them and face the pain their choice will cause. Yet even as they confront their future and love finally seems within their grasp, a fight for the Scottish throne divides the Highland clans and Bridgette becomes a pawn in a political game that threatens to tear her and Lachlan apart forever.




Johnstone’s ability to create a sense of time and place brings an authenticity to her 14th century Scottish setting but it’s her vibrant, multi-faceted characters who bring this story to life and draw the reader into the heart of the action. I was captivated by When a Laird Loves a Lady, the first book in Johnstone’s Entangled Hearts series. By the time I reached the conclusion, I was invested in all of the characters and eagerly anticipating future stories, especially Bridgette and Lachlan's. Wicked Highland Wishes takes Johnstone's writing to a new level and Lachlan and Bridgette’s story straight to my keeper shelf.

Lachlan and Bridgette’s journey to a happy ending isn’t an easy one. The times in which they lived were often brutal and, as I said earlier, Johnstone brings an undeniable authenticity to her writing. Without venturing into spoiler territory, something happens in this story that left my heart shattered. In the hands of a less skilled writer, I might have thrown the book against the wall and stopped reading at that point. In Johnstone’s hands, what follows the incident strengthens the story, the characters, and a deep, enduring love, and does so in a realistic way. No overnight, magic solutions here. It also strengthened my love and admiration for Lachlan. I hadn't expected him to capture my heart but wow, what a remarkable hero. I can't stop thinking about him or about Bridgette who has more than earned her place in my personal historical romance heroines hall of honor. Thank you, Ms. Johnstone, for creating these characters and giving them a story that will linger in my mind - and my heart - for some time to come. I closed the final page confident that, together, they will have the strength and courage to withstand any obstacle life chooses to place in their path.

As with the first book in the series, now that I have finished reading Wicked Highland Wishes, I am eagerly anticipating future books from Ms. Johnstone. Secondary characters have evolved, new characters have been introduced, and the story potential is limitless. I cannot wait to find out what she has planned for us next!

I highly recommend both When a Laird Loves a Lady and Wicked Highland Wishes. While each book will stand on its own, for maximum enjoyment, I suggest they be read in order.  

~PJ


Have you read Julie Johnstone yet?

Do you enjoy historical romance set in Medieval times?

Do you swoon for Scottish heroes like I do?

What's the last book that lingered in your mind long after you turned that final page?

One randomly chosen person who leaves a comment before 11:00 PM, October 22, 2016 will receive a signed copy of The Dangerous Duke of Dinnisfree that I bought at the recent Historical Romance Retreat. 



5 comments:

  1. I've not read her as yet but historicals are my favorite and especially Medieval times. Sue-Ellen Welfonder has quite a few books that I've enjoyed in this time period. To Desire a Highlander was the one I read last that stayed with me!

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  2. PJ,

    Thank you for the lovely review! I'm honored that the book made your keeper shelf!

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  3. There's something about that Scottish burr that just gets to me in a good way!! I'm pretty sure that has something to do with my love of Scottish heroes. 😉

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  4. I love Scottish romance. I enjoy the story setting and can't wait for the next one.

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  5. I enjoy a good medieval times book especially with a Scottish burr. I have read a couple of her books but not this series. As for a book that has stayed with me is The Prize by Julie Garwood. I read this book once a year.

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