Review by Ronny

Series Name: Highland Brides, # 2 

To Marry a Scottish Laird is an addictive and lusty Highland romance that is hard to put down.

Favourite Quote:

Cam’s thoughts died abruptly as the last of the bandages fell away and two rather generous breasts popped into view. Shocked to the core, he tried to accept what his eyes were telling him. Jonas, the fine young chap he liked and respected, was a girl.

Book Synopsis:

Highlander Campbell Sinclair is no stranger to battle, so when he sees a lad attacked by bandits, he jumps into the fray. He didn’t count on being stabbed. Grateful to the boy for nursing him back to health, Cam offers to accompany Jo safely to his destination. But when he accidentally comes across the lad bathing in the river, Cam discovers that Jo is actually Joan…with the most sinful of curves.
Joan promised her mother that she would deliver a scroll to the clan MacKay. But traveling alone is dangerous, even disguised as a boy. When a Scottish warrior lends his aid, she is more than relieved…until he surprises her with lingering kisses and caresses that prove her disguise hasn’t fooled him. As their passion ignites, will the secrets of the scroll force a wedding…and lead to a love she’s never known?

Review: 

I adored the first book in this series, An English Bride in Scotland, so I was excited to dive into the second book in the series. This book takes place 20ish years after the first book and follows Joan and Cam. Joan, aka Jo, has been tasked with carrying a letter from her mom to Lady Annabel MacKay (the heroine from the first book). Jo has no idea what is in the letter, only that her mother insists that she deliver it while on her deathbed. On her way to Scotland, Jo is attacked by bandits and Cam steps in to tell her, only to be injured himself. Jo heals Cam, who believes she is a young lad, and Cam promises to get her to Laird and Lady MacKay. I love a good road trip/journey romance because it forces the two MCs to spend all their time together, and usually, when it comes to Highland romances, there is an element of unexpected danger thrown in. 

I thought this book was fabulous. It has two parts: the first is Jo and Cam’s journey to MacKay’s land, and the second part is Jo coming to live at Cam’s keep. Both parts are incredibly fun, swoony, and entertaining. They also contain surprising twists that even I wasn’t expecting. The bombshell dropped in the first part of this book had me saying, “No way!” and I fell more in love with Lynsay’s storytelling and her ability to connect these threads that really join all of her books together in the most interesting way. This is definitely a more spicy romance because what are two MCs to do on the road but have lusty sex. They do have to stay warm at night, so it just makes sense. I am not going to talk too much about the second part of the book just because I don’t want to give any spoilers away. But I will say there is lots of drama and danger, and Lynsay introduces us to future heroines. I like the book as a whole and thought everything worked well together. 

I enjoyed Jo and Cam’s characters. Jo isn’t a Lady. She has been raised to be a healer and finds herself at a crossroads in her life. She has no family, and her home has been taken away. She feels lost, alone, and unsure of what her future will hold. Jo was a great character; she is this great blend of sureness and vulnerability. She knows she can survive and knows she is a great healer, but when she is thrown into the unexpected role in the book’s second half, she shows a side that is afraid of disappointing others because she knows she doesn’t quite fit in. Cam is a fun, brash Highland hero. As much as I love my broody, alpha male heroes, it is nice to change it up with a hero who isn’t afraid to have some fun and joke around. He was a great fit for Jo’s character. The chemistry between these two was delicious, and I just ate up every moment when these two were on the page together. 

To Marry a Scottish Laird is a swoony, spicy Highland read that is sure to capture your attention right from the first chapter.