Review by Ronny

Series Name: The Montgomerys and Armstrongs, # 2

 Highlander Most Wanted is a gorgeous story about courage, survival, and believing that love can get you through even our darkest times.  

Favourite Quote: 

It felt as though someone had punched him solidly in the gut, for he could not draw breath. His men were no less affected as they gaped at the sheer perfection before them. 

Why on earth had she taken such pains to hide her beauty?

Then she turned to face him, her mouth set into a firm line, her eyes wounded and guarded, as though preparing herself for further reaction.

Another gasp– this time in horror– echoed harshly through the air. Bowen recoiled, as though he’d been struck and he hadn’t been prepared for the blow. 

The other side of the lass’s face was….ruined.

Book Synopsis: 

Genevieve McInnes is locked behind the fortified walls of McHugh Keep, captive of a cruel laird who takes great pleasure in ruining her for any other man. Yet when Bowen Montgomery storms the gates on a mission of clan warfare, Genevieve finds that her spirit is bent but not broken. Still, her path toward freedom remains uncertain. Unable to bear the shame of returning to a family that believes her dead or to abandon others at the keep to an imposing new laird, Genevieve opts for the peaceful life of an abbess. But Bowen’s rugged sensuality stirs something deep inside her that longs to be awakened by his patient, gentle caress—something warm, wicked, and tempting.
 
Bowen seizes his enemy’s keep, unprepared for the brooding and reclusive woman who captures his heart. He’s enchanted by her fierce determination, her unusual beauty, and her quiet, unfailing strength. But wooing her will take more than a seasoned seducer’s skill. For loving Genevieve, he discovers, means giving her back the freedom that was stolen from her—even if it means losing her forever.

Review: 

Before I dive into reviewing this book, I feel like I should talk about trigger warnings, which is not something I would normally do, but this book deals with some heavy topics. Genevieve’s character is a survivor of abuse, physical, sexual, and emotional. Now, a lot of times when a character has experienced abuse, the author may just mention it or touch upon the topic briefly. That is not the case in this story; Genevieve’s horrific time spent as Laird McHugh’s son’s captor is talked about in detail. We learned what happened to her and what she had to endure at the hands of Laird McHugh’s son. Genevieve also experiences another assault at the hands of another man that could be triggering for some. Maya is incredibly thoughtful and careful when it comes to talking about Genevieve and her experiences. She also does a great job at talking about survivor’s guilt and how difficult it is for those to cope with and live a normal life after experiencing such traumatic experiences. Genevieve feels like she doesn’t deserve or will ever experience happiness again, and the only thing she wishes for is a place where she can be safe. Her story and journey are heartbreaking and not easy, but she gets her HEA with Bowen.

As you can imagine, this is a more serious Highland romance from all the things I just talked about above. There are no real comedic moments, and the story is beautiful and heartbreaking. But despite the story’s heaviness, Bowen and Genevieve’s journey is filled with sweet, tender, and, yes, lusty moments. This book picks up shortly after the previous book in the series, Never Seduce a Scot. He met Bowen in the previous book; he is Graeme’s brother and has been sent to McHugh’s castle to finish reaping justice for the kidnapping of Eveline. This book can be read as a stand-alone, but I would recommend reading the previous book that way; you have a better understanding of the past events that have led up to the beginning of this book. The story itself was enjoyable; I loved the direction Maya has taken the series in with this story. Genevieve and Bowen must overcome many hurdles before getting their HEA. You have Genevieve’s emotional trauma, secrets and betrayals, and some bigger issues that threaten to tear these two apart. I really enjoyed this story. It doesn’t have a whole heck of a lot of action, which I thought was fitting because this story really should be about Genevieve and her journey of healing. 

Both Genevieve and Bowen are likeable characters, and it is easy to see that they have some real chemistry going on between them. For obvious reasons, Genevieve may be skittish about entertaining a relationship with a man, and I was curious to see how Maya would approach their relationship. Do I think that maybe they entered a physical relationship faster than what would be considered believable, considering Genevieve’s history and the fact that not much time had passed since she was free from her tormentor? Yes, I do. But besides them jumping into bed together sooner than I was expecting, I liked their relationship. Bowen was sweet and kind to Genevieve, offered to be her protector, and did stick by her through thick and thin. 

Highlander Most Wanted is a romance with a deep and rich story that will surely evoke strong emotions from its readers.