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A review by champ81
Highland Treasure by Lynsay Sands
3.0
If you like the other Highland Brides books, you'll want to read this to find out how Rory gets his happily ever after.
I admit, I was getting Highland Brides fatigue after the 8th book in this series; many of the plots hit the same beats (imperiled women, dodging villains while traipsing over the Highlands, a handful of female villains driven mad from jealousy) and the stories were becoming predictable. Then, I learned Rory would be the hero of this one and I figured I had to read it. He's made an appearance in most of the other novels as a healer--his absence notably setting the plot of another of the novels into action--and I wondered how his story might turn out.
It was a nice change of pace that Rory was not here solely in healer capacity, despite the heroine having been badly beaten just before the story begins. (Major warning: if you find violence on the scale of Game of Thrones's Red Wedding distasteful, this book is probably not for you.) Instead, he is tasked with escorting Elysande safely to the Highlands from England while dodging treasonous barons and their armies. Along the way, they fall in love, mostly by sleeping in close proximity.
It's obvious why he love her: she's brave, determined, loyal, and clever. She makes friends with unscrupulous alewives and random shopkeepers. And--catnip for Rory--she has her own healing talents. Other than being slightly more handsome than his brother Alick (also along for this adventure), Rory doesn't seem to bring quite as much to the table. This is a shame, because in each of his other appearances, he really does save the day with his healing skills and unflappable calm. Perhaps this far into the series, readers are expected to just know why Rory is so loveable.
I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley for an honest review.
I admit, I was getting Highland Brides fatigue after the 8th book in this series; many of the plots hit the same beats (imperiled women, dodging villains while traipsing over the Highlands, a handful of female villains driven mad from jealousy) and the stories were becoming predictable. Then, I learned Rory would be the hero of this one and I figured I had to read it. He's made an appearance in most of the other novels as a healer--his absence notably setting the plot of another of the novels into action--and I wondered how his story might turn out.
It was a nice change of pace that Rory was not here solely in healer capacity, despite the heroine having been badly beaten just before the story begins. (Major warning: if you find violence on the scale of Game of Thrones's Red Wedding distasteful, this book is probably not for you.) Instead, he is tasked with escorting Elysande safely to the Highlands from England while dodging treasonous barons and their armies. Along the way, they fall in love, mostly by sleeping in close proximity.
It's obvious why he love her: she's brave, determined, loyal, and clever. She makes friends with unscrupulous alewives and random shopkeepers. And--catnip for Rory--she has her own healing talents. Other than being slightly more handsome than his brother Alick (also along for this adventure), Rory doesn't seem to bring quite as much to the table. This is a shame, because in each of his other appearances, he really does save the day with his healing skills and unflappable calm. Perhaps this far into the series, readers are expected to just know why Rory is so loveable.
I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley for an honest review.