Series: Colors of Scandal, #7
Traits & Tropes: compromised into marriage; titled hero
Publication Date: 03.16.21
Genre/Setting: Historical; Scottish Highlands, 1818
Heat Level: 3
Rating: 4/5
Lady Cecilia Holmes has come to Scotland with her family for a house party celebrating her friend’s wedding. She’d rather be back in London studying nursing with the nuns there who help the less fortunate. Nonetheless, she makes the best of her time away, enjoying long hikes through the Highlands. She’s unfazed when she almost immediately becomes lost and uses the solitude to do a little soul searching only to have her peace shattered by an energetic dog and his handsome master.
Mathias Stahley, the Earl of Huxington, was a contented second son pursuing a career as a barrister when his brother’s death thrust the unwanted title upon him. He doesn’t care about making connections within the Ton and being pursued by marriage minded ladies and their mamas at a house party is certainly not something he wants to do, but he can’t avoid it since his cousin is the one getting married. A walk through the glen to get away from the guests brings him face to face with a lovely woman who soon has him questioning his staunch stance against marriage.
Cecilia and Mathias slip away from group activities to explore the hills together often, developing a friendship that soon seems to hold the potential for more. When outside forces see them forced into a betrothal, a rift springs up between them, fueled by mistrust and meddling family members. With odds stacked against them, their fledgling relationship could easily be destroyed or find strength in the magic of the Highlands.
This was quite an enjoyable story with descriptions that really sought to do justice to the indescribable whimsey of the Highlands. Cecilia and Mathias were both older than the typical hero and heroine and as such brought a depth of experience and maturity to the story that I enjoyed. They both had dreams they were fighting for and carried emotional burdens that made them afraid to begin a new relationship. The emotional development of these two is fairly strong, though Cecilia does undergo a bit of a regression near the end, which she thankfully realizes and addresses. They both annoyed me a bit when they almost forgot all about their budding friendship in the face of the scandal that was forced upon them. Seeing Cecilia and Mathias learn how to have a loving relationship and become each other’s confidante made this a lovely read especially as they came together to face obstacles placed before them by their own families. This was my first read from this author and I’ll be checking out more of her work later.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3873096112
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/607895215
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