Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Review - - When a Laird Loves a Lady


When a Laird Loves a Lady
Highlander Vows:Entangled Hearts - Book 1
By Julie Johnstone
Release Date: March 22, 2016




An Outlander 
Raised by a tyrannical father, Marion de Lacy yearns for the comfort of belonging to a loving family. So when her father announces her betrothal to an evil knight in exchange for his help to overthrow the king, she concocts a desperate scheme to avoid the marriage: feigning her own death and then fleeing England. But when her plan goes terribly awry and she’s captured by the knight, not even her careful preparations could ready her for the Scottish barbarian who rescues her and then informs her that he’s to marry her by edict of her king. Certain her father will defy the king’s orders and wed her to the knight if she refuses the Highlander’s hand, Marion agrees to marry the strangely compelling but obstinate laird of the MacLeod clan. 

A Highlander 
After the death of his beloved wife, Iain MacLeod has no desire to marry ever again. Yet when he finds himself obliged to do so to secure the freedom of his childhood friend and king, he reluctantly travels across England to collect his unwanted bride, expecting to find a cold Englishwoman. Instead, he discovers a fiery, bold beauty who is fiercely loyal, protective of those she loves, and defies him at every turn, challenging his certainty that his heart is dead. 

Ensnared 
Following a hasty marriage and perilous journey to Scotland, Marion harbors no illusions that her new husband loves her. Still, her heart cannot resist the noble, brave warrior, and she cannot suppress the hope that she has finally found where she belongs. However, the harder she tries to fit in with the clan and gain Iain’s love, the farther away her dreams drift. Iain is more than willing to give his respect to his courageous wife—her kisses and caresses even ignite his blood and demand his passion—but he refuses to give up his heart. That is, until enemies near and far threaten to take Marion from him. Now the demons that haunt him can only be conquered by surrendering body and soul to Marion, if only it’s not too late… 

This was my first book by Julie Johnstone. I have no idea how her books have escaped my attention up to now but I can assure you it won't happen again. Set in medieval Scotland, When a Laird Loves a Lady is a fast-paced, action-packed story filled with intrigue and betrayal. It's also a passionate, poignant romance between a bold, loyal, and loving young Englishwoman who yearns for a family that will love her and not view her only as a political pawn and an honorable Scottish laird who buried his heart with his late wife and has no intention of ever loving again. Put it all together and you have a story that grabbed me from the beginning and kept me flipping pages until I reached the final, sigh-worthy, conclusion, long past my bedtime.

Ms. Johnstone has a gift for bringing her characters and the time in which they lived to life in vivid detail, immersing readers into a world filled with joy, despair, and danger. The intrigue, the battles, the deep emotion; I experienced it all right along with the characters. Johnstone has assembled a rich cast including many supporting characters who are fairly begging for their own stories to be told. I don't know how many books Ms. Johnstone has planned for her Highlander Vows series but I can assure you that however many she writes, I'll be first in line to buy them! 


~PJ 

Do you enjoy medieval romances? What's your favorite historical romance era? I'm gifting one randomly chosen person who leaves a comment a Kindle copy of When a Laird Loves a Lady

6 comments:

  1. I do like medieval romances, and this one sounds particularly good. Thanks for the review and recommendation.

    I think my favorite time period is the Regency period, but I do enjoy other eras like medieval and the old American west.

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  2. My favorite time period is Regency, followed by Medieval then Victorian.

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  3. I just came by to read your review and to say I love Julie's work but would love to win! I love Medieval romance but I have to say my favorite historical is regency :)
    Joanna M

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  4. I don't know that I have an absolute favorite, but I seem to be reading a lot of Victorian lately.

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  5. Medieval Highland stories were the first romances I read and are still my favorite. It is a rugged land and was a difficult time in their history. It took strong, resilient people to survive and thrive. Intrigue abounded. All in all, a great setting for good stories.

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