The Highland Rogue (Lords of the Highlands #7). By Amy Jareki.

The Highland Rogue (Lords of the Highlands #7). By Amy Jareki. 2020. Forever (ARC eBook).

Left by her clan on the desolate Scottish isle of Hyskier, Divana Campbell has survived the last two years on her own by digging up clams and pelting birds with rocks. Now there is an injured man on her beach and she has seen too much of death to not help him.

Sir Kennan Cameron’s ship and crew were set upon by the notorious pirate Jackson Vane and Kennan would not have survived the aftermath if not for the fiery and compassionate Divana. Kennan knows they must leave the isle. Divana deserves a real home within the safety of his clan, and he has every notion to set sail after Vane to get his revenge. As the heir to a powerful chieftan, Divana knows Sir Kennan can not marry someone of her lower station. But she can’t stand to part from him, so she find herself taking to the high seas with Kennan on an adventure full of dangerous pirates and powerful desire.

Looking for a well-crafted Scottish historical romance with a capable and endearingly flirtatious heroine and a rugged Highlander, then look no more. An entertaining read and another great installment in the Lords of the Highlands world! 

352 pages

Scot Under the Covers (Wild Wicked Highlanders #2). By Suzanne Enoch.

Scot Under the Covers (Wild Wicked Highlanders #2). By Suzanne Enoch. 2020. St. Martin’s Paperbacks (ARC ebook).
 

Miranda Harris is known for her charm and good-standing in London society. She is also, as Aden MacTaggert quickly learns, strongly opinionated on gamblers--quite frankly, they are a blight. But when she should be celebrating with her family over her brother’s engagement to Eloise MacTaggert, she is instead horrified to learn that her brother, Mathew, has incurred a devastating debt to Captain Robert Vale, and has promised her hand to the vile man in order to negate the debt. Up til now, Miranda has been able to solve any problem she has encountered, but she is going to need help in order to save her brother’s future happiness, her family’s reputation, and herself..

Miranda approaches the elusive and crafty Aden MacTaggert, her future brother-in-law, and proposes a partnership—she will teach him how to navigate the ton in exchange for him teaching her everything he knows about wagering and how the gambling mind works. With Miranda and Mathew’s secret, Aden has a way to prevent his sister from marrying and thereby escaping his mother’s manipulation, but the more time he spends with Miranda, the more determined he becomes to make her his Sassenach bride.

The first chapter will snare and reel you in with rowdy kilt-wearing, boot-throwing brothers, a scruffy mutt, and a stuffed deer in the foyer collecting ascots and ear bobbers. Scot Under the Covers delivers an engaging pairing with Aden, who is slow to let his heart trust, and Miranda, who always follows the rules. And the plot that plants three highlanders in the midst of London society produces a lively secondary cast and a nice mix of both Regency and Scottish romance elements. Sexiness, charm, and entertaining brogue abound in this fun read by Enoch.

352 pages

"Snowy Night with a Stranger" by Jane Feather, Sabrina Jeffries, and Julia London

This anthology of short historical romances takes place at Christmas.  "A Holiday Gamble" by Jane Feather finds Ned Vasey, the new Viscount Allenton, stranded at a neighbor's estate after being caught in a blizzard on his way to his familial manor.  His host's ward and niece, Lady Georgiana Carey, beguiles him at once, but she is engaged to a large, insensitive brute who is really only interested in the land she's set to inherit.  She and Ned fall in love but can they escape her fiance and uncle and find happiness?  This story plodded along and was full of unnecessary details and not enough action.  I've read a book by this author and enjoyed it, so I was surprised to be unhappy with this one.

"When Sparks Fly" by Sabrina Jeffries was much more interesting and had faster pacing.  Ellie Bancroft, her aunt, niece, and nephews are stranded at the home of Martin Thorncliff after a carriage accident on an icy road.  Known as the Black Baron, Martin is tormented by the death of his older brother in an explosion, and society believes that he was responsible.  He does, too, and is now obsessed with developing a slow burning fuse for use in his coal mines.  Ellie and her relatives have intruded on his lonely life, but will that make him see what he's been missing since his brother's death?  I really enjoyed this story and its unusual characters.

"Snowy Night with a Highlander" by Julia London was also a well written and interesting story.  Duncan Buchanan, the Laird of Blackwood, was disfigured and disabled in a devastating fire three years ago.  Before that, he was a self-centered man who cared little for the feelings of others.  Lady Fiona Haines is journeying back to her homeland of Scotland in search of her rakehell brother.  She had a crush on Duncan eight years ago when she came out in society, but his insults to her at the time caused her to move to London with her brother.  Now she is back and needs help finding him, but she doesn't recognize Duncan as the scarred, stoic man helping her get to her family estate.  Duncan soon begins to fall for her, and she him, but can she forgive him for his past behavior once she realizes who he is?

Overall, I'd recommend this book for two of the three stories.  404 pages.

"Moonlight Warrior" by Janet Chapman

This book is different from anything I'd read because it is full of time-traveling Highlanders.  It has some very funny dialog and appealing lead characters, but I didn't like it as much as most of the other paranormal romances that I've read.  I chose this book because its follow-up had a good review in "Library Journal."  355 pages.