Series: The Clan Sinclair Legacy, #1
Traits & Tropes: instant attraction; heroine in trouble; non-rakish hero; class difference; travel; external conflict
Publication Date: 02.08.22
Genre/Setting: Historical; Medieval; Orkney Islands, Highlands, Scotland ~1336
Heat Level: 4.5
Rating: 4.5/5
As his grandfather’s representative on Orkney, Liam Mackay is tasked with ensuring a smooth transfer of power from Norse rule to that of Scotland under the leadership of Laird Liam Sinclair, the Earl of Caithness. Liam is determined to uphold the honor of the man he was named for and prove that he is a true man now and a leader in his own right. Liam didn’t anticipate a warm welcome from everyone in the Orkneys, but he is still caught off guard to find himself smack in the middle of an Orcadian woman’s struggle to keep herself and her younger siblings from being kidnapped away from their home and either killed or sold into slavery.
With her father gone and her mother overly fond of drink, Elene Isbister has had the raising of her younger siblings and the working of their small farm. She’s made do with her lot as best she can, but when her mother announces plans to remarry a Norse trader, Elene knows she’ll be forced to Norway along with her siblings, as little more than property of the Norseman. Elene is desperate and Liam seems like the only potential for rescue from their situation and the key to a new life in Scotland, but she’s unprepared for her reaction to him or the challenges such a change will bring.
The attraction between Liam and Elene is almost immediate when they first set eyes on one another. When they officially meet, it becomes readily apparent that their connection is something much deeper than mere physical attraction. Elene feels safe and protected for the first time since her late father’s passing and Liam feels a fierce need to keep her with him always, though he is torn by his perceived duty to make a strong marriage alliance for his clan. There’s also Elene’s scorned would-be lover to contend with, but the element of threat and looming danger made this book a real page turner. I loved the mature manner in which Elene and Liam went about their relationship with lots of honesty and open communication, and it was pretty adorable that the nature of their attachment and feelings for one another was blatantly obvious to those around them even before it was clear to them. Even with the elements of danger, this book held my attention without overwhelming me with angst and nerves, which I was a little afraid it might at first, and I’m so happy that Celeste was able to toe that line so perfectly. Liam was also one of the most delightfully and openly affectionate heroes I’ve read in some time, and I was so here for it. The growth of their relationship felt very natural, despite the pressure they were under and the rapidity of their connection. I haven’t read the original series that this book is a spinoff from, so I did struggle to keep all the characters straight, but I don’t think that detracted from my enjoyment of Liam and Elene’s story, and I loved the clan and Sinclair and Mackay families coming together to rally around Elene and make her and her siblings feel welcome. I usually am not much of a fan of spinoffs, but I really enjoyed this story and I’m hopeful for a strong series to follow.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1272896008
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4562779240
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