ARC Review: The Taming of Malcolm Grant by Paula Quinn

The Taming of Malcolm Grant is book four of Paula Quinn’s The MacGregors: Highland Heirs series. It can be read as a stand-alone, I was not aware of the series when I picked up this book and it was just fine reading it. I really enjoyed it. There are mentions of the previous books but not enough to get you lost in the large family but just enough to tease you and tempt you into reading the others or to just refresh your memory if you have read them. Paula Quinn is an excellent writer she really knows how to play with the heart strings. The characters are down to earth and very human; you can really feel for them and their pain and the touch of humor and suspense makes this a very well rounded read.

Emmaline Grey was blinded as a child by a fever that killed her parents and caused her older brother Harry to abandon her in France. Emma was adopted by an old woman who knew the healing herbs and taught Emma. When Emma was grown the old woman was accused of being a witch and killed by the same villagers who she worked so hard to take care of. She was left alone with her seeing-eye dog, Gascon, she decides to leave France and tracks down her brother Harry Grey. She found out he sold the old family house and bought a brothel. As much as it hurt her to be left behind she forgives her brother and wants to work to fix their relationship. After a couple of months living at the brothel taking care of the girls Emma wonders if she made the right choice and tries to come up with a plan to leave.

Malcolm Grant, despite common belief, has given up his wild life style, after seeing his family fall in love and settle down he is ready to find that for himself but before he does he has agreed to take his young brother, Cailean to his favorite brothel to lose his virginity. Cailean is taken with a young woman there, and when the man who purchased her for the night starts to abuse the young woman Cailean steps up to her rescue, and of course to protect his brother Malcolm jumps into the fray. Unfortunately the older brother of the trouble maker is a vicious and heartless and when his brother ends up dead after the fight at the brothel he seeks vengeance. Harry warned Malcolm about messing with the Winther clan but it’s too late.

Malcolm and Cailean are seriously wounded and Harry scared even more of the MacGregors clan than of Winther begs Emma to keep Malcolm and Cailean alive. Malcolm spotted Emma almost as soon as he got there was taken by her beauty and impressed with her ability to do things without the benefit of sight. Even though he dislikes being injured and his brother is not healing as quickly as he should Malcolm likes being the center of Emma’s attention. Winther isn’t willing to believe the lies that Harry told about the highlanders who killed his brother are dead and gone Winther sends his other brother, Sebastian, to the brothel as a spy. Sebastian befriends everyone and gains their trust. Much to Harry’s dismay Malcolm and Emma become very close and Malcolm tells Harry he will be taking Emma with him when he leaves. But as usual there is a betrayal and Emma is kidnapped (twice really) by Winther, can Malcolm make it in time to save her?

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, really any book with a dog as cool as Gascon is going to be a great read. I just may have to look into getting the others; I am definitely looking forward to Cailean’s story next.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: The Scandalous Secret of Abigail MacGregor by Paula Quinn

The MacGregors and the Grants have been a part of my life for many years now. I've been following them for three generations through Paula Quinn's exceptional storytelling. The third generation's stories are told in the Highland Heirs series, the third book of which is The Scandalous Secret of Abigail MacGregor.

First, a bit of historical background is in order. The early 18th century was a turbulent era for Scotland. The exiled Catholic King James II had much support among the Catholic Scots. Known as Jacobites, they viewed James as the true king. This group of Scots were essentially at war with England and with the rest of their own country. At the time of Abigail's story, England was ruled by Anne, James' second daughter. Anne was widowed and childless, and the future of the throne was in question. This only added fuel to the rebelling Scots cause.

Now, a bit of fictional background can be added. In the second generation of MacGregor stories, there was Ravished by a Highlander - my personal favorite of all the MacGregor sagas. If you have not read Ravished, a slight spoiler follows. It tells the tail of Rob MacGregor and Davina Montgomery. As a babe, Davina was hidden away in an abbey to be raised Catholic by the nuns there. Hidden by her father King James II. Her existence was kept a secret in a time when Protestantism was on the rise and taking over the monarchy. In the story, Davina ends up with Rob MacGregor after he rescues her from her enemies. Davina turns her back on any claim to the throne, thereby giving them a lovely HEA. In the meantime Anne, the third daughter of James, grew up unaware of Davina's existence.

But, but by the time Abigail's story takes place, Anne has learned of Davina and the story begins with a letter from the Queen demanding Davina present herself in London, under threat of sending her soldiers. As Davina's daughter, Abigail is worried and anxious to protector her mother, so she plans to go to London instead. Abigail, who plans to be the next chief of clan MacGregor, has mad a bold decision and will not be talked out of it even by her father. She must do her part to keep her mother's secret safe and safeguard her family.

Abigail is escorted to London by General Daniel Marlow. Daniel is Queen Anne's right hand and her favorite. He is staunchly loyal to the queen and has proved himself in this regard by defending her against James' supporter. In fact, he is also known as the Jacobite killer. Is it even possible that the Jacobite killer and a Jacobite can travel all the way to London without doing injury to each other?

But Abigail and Daniel are both able to overlook their enmity, at least for the duration of their travel. So, even though Abigail is overly bold and outspoken and even though Daniel has nothing but contempt for her beliefs, the two get to know each other and become friends. Slowly. It begins as a lot of insults and bantering, but leads to more serious conversations and that is sweet and heartwarming. Their friendship deepens, but the constant reminder of their ideological and geographical differences prevents them from fully acknowledging their feelings. There are far too many obstacles to overcome and secrets to keep.

But isn't that what makes such a great story? I read this book knowing that Abigail and Daniel were destined for each other, but unable to fathom how it could possible work out. Maybe, if they both left everything behind and ran off to Spain. But then, that would not have been in keeping with their characters of a future clan leader and Queen Anne's defender. So, I was 'forced' to read the entire book to find out what would happen the way the author envisioned it.

It was not a hardship to finish the book, but rather a delight. There is so much more than a romance going on in The Scandalous Secret of Abigail MacGregor. There is betrayal on the road to London and treason in London. These are opportunities for Daniel and Abigail to display their bravery and honor. The Queen herself is the object of terrible treachery. The result of that treachery lands her in with a group of barbaric, uncivilized highlanders in a scene that is humorous but, at the same time, bittersweet for the Queen.

For those that are stickers for historical accuracy, I would say that The Scandalous Secret of Abigail MacGregor is fiction. Dancing around a few facts does not rewrite history but it does add depth and relevance to the story. And in my case, spurred me to read more about the real Queen Anne. For example, I found out that, in real life, she did like to drive her one-horse carriage in a reckless manner, just like she did in her fictional life.

I was thrilled to be able to read and review The Scandalous Secret of Abigail MacGregor. As always, Paula Quinn writes a truly fabulous tale filled with adventure and intrigue and mostly with romance. Her characters are profound and her writing is passionate. This books stands alone, but is also part of a wonderful group of three series of books spanning the generations of an extraordinary group of highlanders. (MacGregor, Children of the Mist, and Highland Heirs) If you want to start on the series, The Scandalous Secret of Abigail MacGregor is a great place to begin. Or if you've already enjoyed any of the books in these series, The Scandalous Secret of Abigail MacGregor is one you will want read soon!

**ARC provide by Publisher**

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ARC Review: The Seduction of Miss Amelia Bell by Paula Quinn

This was my first time reading Paula Quinn. She is a very enjoyable author. I think she was masterfully able to keep different elements of the story in play at the same time and keep them all interesting. One element is the romance between Amelia Bell and Edmund McGregor. Edmund is determined to stop the signing of the Act of Union between Scotland and England. Edmund, along with his clan believe that this treaty will strip them of their rights and their identities as Scotsman. Edmund and his clan come up with an idea on how to stop the signing. He decides that he will kidnap the niece of the Duke of Queensberry who is a big advocate of this union. Amelia is promised to the Chancellor of Scotland. Everyone knows that it is not a love match but an advantageous political step for her father.

The night of her betrothal dinner she meets Edmund and she falls in love with him immediately. She knows that she is promised to the Chancellor and that her parents are depending on her to fulfill their dreams but she finds Edmund attractive and irresistible at the same time. While they share a kiss he covers her mouth with a cloth and kidnaps her. Obviously this changes her feelings a little bit towards his trustworthiness. Edmund for his part begins to regret his decision once he meets Amelia and also begins to fall in love with her but he also feels responsible for his duty to his clan and his home Scotland. Although Edmund is raised in Scotland and adopted at the age of 4 by his clan he is really from England.

In the midst of this romance lies the tension between England and Scotland. I personally found that more interesting than the romance between Edmund and Amelia. Although I liked both Amelia and Edmund I found them to be boring… I know they are caught in the middle of this big conflict but they basically make googly eyes at each other throughout most of the story. I personally was more interested in Saran and Lucan’s romantic story more. I loved that they were complete opposites. Sarah is Amelia’s best friend but their friendship is banned by Amelia’s mom since Sarah is a servant. Sarah and Amelia are completely different. While Amelia is a devoted and virginal Sarah is adventurous and very experienced with the opposite sex. Sarah is also naturally drawn to the wrong men. Lucan, Edmund’s cousin, is definitely the right type of man. He is a knight in shining armor sans the shining armor with a kilt. I loved seeing them fall in love and Lucan’s unwavering patience with Sarah. Although they were secondary characters I liked them best.

If you’re looking sweet romances, intriguing history and sexy men in quilts you won’t go wrong. Amelia and Edmund have many obstacles standing in their way, both of them are torn between their devotion to their country, family and to each other. I loved learning about Scotland and its history and the fast pace adventures along the way made this a great read!

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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The Great Scot Blog Tour with Sue-Ellen Welfonder and Paula Quinn

Meet Sue-Ellen Welfonder, author of To Love A Highlander. 

Sue-Ellen Welfonder is a Scotophile whose burning wish to make frequent trips to the land of her dreams led her to a twenty-year career with the airlines.

Now a full-time writer, she's quick to admit that she much prefers wielding a pen to pushing tea and coffee. She makes annual visits to Scotland, insisting they are a necessity, as each trip gives her inspiration for new books.

Proud of her own Hebridean ancestry, she belongs to two clan societies: the MacFie Clan Society and the Clan MacAlpine Society. In addition to Scotland, her greatest passions are medieval history, the paranormal, and dogs. She never watches television, loves haggis, and writes at a 450-year-old desk that once stood in a Bavarian castle.

Sue-Ellen is married and currently resides with her husband and Jack Russell terrier in Florida

Find Sue-Ellen at:

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