Review: Death of a Hussy

Death of a Hussy by M.C. Beaton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The more things change, the more they stay the same. And Hamish changes least of all.

Hamish and Towser, recently relegated to Strathbane after Lochdubh's police station has been closed due to lack of crime. The people of Lochdubh are crafty and make up a bunch of crimes to get Hamish back. Hurray! He returns home to meet newcomers Maggie and her niece, Allison. Maggie is overbearing, conniving, and a bit awful with an insecure center. Allison is a shrinking violet who falls for Hamish. Hoping to light a bit of a fire under Pricilla, I'll allow it.

Maggie is rich, you see, and lords that money over little orphan Allison and four of her former lovers/honeypots. And she's writing quite the risqué account of her sexcapades. Saucy! Then she ends of dead, of course, and Hamish is on the scent to find the killer. No one believes him, but he gets his man, or woman, in the end. He's lazy, but smart, after all. And he gets 3 stars for continuing to bring me back to Lochdubh.


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Review: Changeless

Changeless by Gail Carriger
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Lord and Lady Maccon continue their odd life of paranormal bliss. But something is causing the pack to stop changing, and it isn't Alexia for a change. More sass, more bickering, and suddenly Alexia is off to Scotland in a dirigible to track down her husband at his ancestral home.

We get the expected steampunk elements tied neatly to the paranormal. Good stuff! Danger, deception, and plot twists abound. And we get a surprise ending that will get you to move book 3 up your TBR list, so well played, Carriger, well played. 3.5 stars because I didn't love it quite as much as book 1, but still very enjoyable.

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Review: An American in Scotland

An American in Scotland by Karen Ranney
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Once upon a time, I accidentally started with the third book in a series. You see, I needed a book with someone wearing a kilt on the cover, and this fit the bill. So off I went.

We hit the right notes here. Strong, smart, independent heroine. She travels from America to strike a deal with MacIain. He is taken with her right away. Not looking for love, he stumbles into her. They are like puzzle pieces. Cue violins. And then there are misunderstandings, danger, and kisses. And they finally get their HEA. Not a spoiler, just the genre, folks. Calm down. You don't read historical romance for any other reason, and you know it.

I liked it enough to read books 1 and 2. I'm giving in 3 1/2 stars, but rounding down because I may not read it again, and I reserve 4 stars for books I will re-read.

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Review: Highlander's Bride

Highlander's Bride by Lexy Timms
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Nothing remarkable here. The story winds around, not making a ton of sense, but the MCs hit it off sexually and get well acquainted VERY quickly. Barely any time travel and no explanations, but I'm not interested enough to continue the series to find out. Lame. Insta-love and lots of historical tropes in this one. 2 stars.

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Review: The Highlander Takes a Bride

The Highlander Takes a Bride by Lynsay Sands
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm a sucker for a kick-ass heroine. No wilting flowers for me, thanks.

Meet Saidh Buchanan. She rides well, shoots well, and talks like a pirate. Sometimes. But sometimes she's a lady. What a paradox! Now meet Greer. Strong, sexy. A big heart under all of those big muscles. He falls for Saidh. She falls for him. But she isn't looking to be strapped to anyone, and I liked that about her. I also love her rowdy brothers, and thought it added a layer of fun to the story. They are ridiculous.

Mystery and intrigue are afoot, and Greer and Saidh look to figure out what is happening in the castle before it's too late. Will they solve the crime? Will they live HEA? You can guess the answer to both questions, and then read to find out if you are right. (Spoiler...you are). 3 stars. I'll go back and read books 1 & 2 as well.

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Review: Forevermore

Forevermore by Lauren Royal
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Cameron Leslie, I love you. Clarice is one lucky lady.  I love this series.  Stop judging me.

Sweet, short novella told from Clarice and Cameron's point of view after Cait and Jason's wedding. I want more of their story, but this will have to do.  Are you expecting a HEA?  Yes, you are.  Are you going to sigh a little at the end?  Yes, you are.

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Review: When a Scot Ties the Knot (Castles Ever After #3)

When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm a sucker for a historical romance. Especially one with a smart, unconventional heroine. This one was good stuff. Funny and sweet.

Madeline grew up shy and more interested in drawing than in men. To avoid being paraded throughout the London season, she made up a lover. A Scottish Officer, no less. And wrote herself fake letters and sent them to this fake person. But, wait! He's real. And he's gotten her letters over the years, and comes to find her after the war ends. What's a girl to do? Well, since he's handsome and sexy and brave, she falls for him. He falls for her. And they all lived happily ever after. Or did they? Read it yourself to find out--I'm no book spoiler!

If you like smart female leads with spirit, you will like this book. Enjoy.



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Review: The Bride (Lairds' Fiancées #1)

The Bride by Julie Garwood

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What can I say? I like my heroines smart and sassy and my men strong and bossy. I like fire in my relationships. Shut up.

I may have found another guilty pleasure book. This time, it's not pirates like you would expect, but a Highlander. Not an immortal one, but a Laird. A sexy, brooding Laird used to getting his own way from everyone. Enter the arranged marriage of a young English woman. She's spirited, doesn't take his rank seriously, and sparks ensure. Good stuff!

This book hit all of the right notes for me. Historical? Check. Overbearing, bossy man? Check. Smart, mostly fearless, independent woman? Check. Happily Ever After? Of course! I wouldn't read it otherwise. Can't wait to read book 2.



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Review: Death of a Perfect Wife (Hamish Macbeth #4)

Death of a Perfect Wife by M.C. Beaton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Ah, Hamish. You are such a simple man. Priscilla doesn't deserve you.

More murder and mayhem in Lochdubh. For such a small, quiet village lots of people get murdered. I grew up in a small town of 2700 people and we rarely had these shenanigans go on. The one cop on duty was resigned to setting up speed traps (in the same place!!) to get some action. We didn't even have any stoplights, so I feel like I'm a bit of an expert in small town life. Hamish would have fit in perfectly. Anyway, a busybody newcomer is killed, with a long list of suspects. She was pretty terrible, so anyone could have been the culprit. But Hamish solves the case like we would expect, with no resolution to his relationship with Priscilla. Looking forward to book 5.



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Review: Call the Nurse: True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle

Call the Nurse: True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle by Mary J. Macleod

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Quaint, interesting anecdotes about a family who moves to the remote Hebrides of Scotland. Mary J, the country nurse, sees the islanders through good times and bad. Some stories are funny, some are quite sad, and some will make you shake your head.

An interesting look into the culture of rural Scotland and the life of a woman devoted to helping others.



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Love in the Highlands

02 Love in the Highlands by Barbara Cartland

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars


More eye-rolling nonsense from Dame Barbara, this time with a battle royale between a Prince and a Marquis. Oh, calamity! Suspend your disbelief for a moment and imagine a plot where Queen Victoria (the Queen with a capital "Q") sets up a marriage with English lady and a Balkan Prince. And Lady Lavina thinks this is ridiculous, so she sets up a fake relationship with a Marquis. Hilarity ensures, because Dame Barbara is the master at contrivance and fake relationships that turn real.

And they all lived happily ever after, except the Prince, because he was a bad person who really needed a bath. The end.



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Death of an Outsider (Hamish Macbeth #3)

Death of an Outsider by M.C. Beaton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Oh Hamish. What have you gotten yourself into this time?

We find ourselves exiled with Hamish to Cnothan to cover the local Constable's three month vacation. We step away from our regular band of locals to a more hostile crowd. But gangly Hamish, with his red hair and easy smile, wins them over in the end. Or at least most of them. The crime in this one wasn't one you could look back and solve. Lots of clues were missing, and even when it was explained you didn't know it was coming. But Hamish is fun and it was nice to get to see him in a new environment. I'm hoping we've seen the last of Blair--he's incredibly two-dimensional. And in the end our boy returns home to the life he knows best. A quick read and an average mystery, but still three stars. Hey, what can I say, Hamish has grown on me.



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Death of a Gossip (Hamish MacBeth #1)

Death of a Gossip by M.C. Beaton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Another one to add to my "quick read cozy" shelves. First book in the series, and nothing too objectionable here.

Hamish MacBeth is a constable in the Scottish village of Lochdubh. He seems slow, dim, and lazy, but that helps him to solve crimes when others underestimate him. In this first book, murder comes to Lochdubh, and it happens on Hamish's watch. A fly fishing school. A group of strangers. And a dead body. Hamish is pushed aside by the city cops who come in to solve the murder. As it is a cozy, and Hamish is the star, you know he will get his man, or woman, in the end.

Humorous and old fashioned (it was written in 1985), it is interesting to see how much things have changed over 30 years. You might find yourself laughing at some of the outdated ideas and silly character choices, but the mystery is fun and I didn't guess the killer until the very end. Reminiscent of Agatha Christie but not as smartly done, you might enjoy the plotting, setting, and Hamish himself. He grew on me enough by the end to move on to book 2.



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Amber (Jewel #3 / Chase Family Series #4)

Amber by Lauren Royal

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Amber is the third book in the Jewel trilogy, and instead of following one of the Chase brothers on their search for love, we get to follow Kendra. Spirited Kendra, with her long red hair, refusing her brothers' chosen suitors at every turn. Since this is set during the Restoration, she is required to stop living with her big brother and find a husband. Heaven forbid this girl run off and manage her own life. She's smarter than the rest of them put together.

However, she stumbles upon an outlaw / Duke who she can't seem to stay away from, and hilarity and drama ensue. Another decent installment in the Chase Family historical romance series. Not my favorite, but still enjoyable.



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Emerald (Jewel #2)

Emerald by Lauren Royal

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


More adventures with the Chase Family in Restoration-age England. This time we journey with Jason Chase, the Marquess of Cainewood.

For some reason I can't quite put my finger on, I didn't like this one as much as I loved Amethyst. It's the same formula (almost exactly) but I didn't love Jason as much as Colin. Cait is charming and strong. Jason is a bit bland in ways Colin was not. Still, the historical aspects are extremely interesting and the overall it is a solid historical romance read. I will continue on in the series.



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The Winter Sea (Slains #1)

The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I loved this book! My mom and sister both read it and recommended it to me. Gorgeous writing, gorgeous setting, and a unique plot winding historical fiction and the present into one beautiful package, with some romance thrown in to make the past come alive.

Carrie is a writer (I just love books about books, don't you?) and she finds herself drawn to the ruins of a castle in Scotland. She decides her book should be set there, and as she writes she finds her story becoming reality. Is she dealing with ancestral memories guiding her story? And will she be able to handle the truth she is uncovering?

Smartly plotted, I really enjoyed exploring a part of history not often written about in historical novels. I will definitely read the next book in the series.



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Some Enchanted Evening (Lost Princesses #1)

Some Enchanted Evening by Christina Dodd
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The first book in a trilogy. Fairly enjoyable; I might read the others.

Clarice is a princess without a country. She is exile with her little sister, hiding from those intent on taking her country and removing her grandmother from power. She is the second sister of three, and travels around peddling beauty products to young ladies throughout the UK. Undercover (so to speak), she calls herself a princess but doesn't say where she is from, which seems strange to me, but I will let it go. Classic historical romance hero Robert not only ferrets out who she really is, but also falls madly, deeply in love with her. Nothing new with the storyline from other novels of the type, but I did find it an amusing way to pass the afternoon.

What saved it for me was the last chapter and the epilogue. It took it from "meh" to "maybe I will read the other two." What can I say, I'm a sucker for "happily ever after."

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The Shadowy Horses

The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I loved the archaeological and historical tie-ins, but I didn't love this book as much as The Winter Sea and The Rose Garden. If you haven't read Susanna Kearsley before, you can start here, but you might be a bit disappointed if you have read some of her other novels first. Don't get me wrong, it's not a terrible book. I did feel the relationships were underdeveloped and she barely scratched the surface of what she could have tied in historically. Overall an enjoyable read.

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