A review by sandywich89
Swept Into the Storm by Louise Mayberry

adventurous emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️,75/5
Steam: 🌶️🌶️,5/5

Tropes:
  • cinnamon roll mmc
  • BIPOC fmc 
  • Scottish mmc
  • They are both virgins!
  • Set in Central America and Scotland
  • Boat trip! 
  • Taking care of sick MC (twice!) 
  • Diverse cast of characters (lgbtq+ rep) 

Criminy! The second book in the darnalay castle series is here! And I was lucky enough to get to read the ARC and I was again enchanted by this lovely story that seems to be diving in between historical fiction and historical romance with on page steam.

This time around the story begins not in the Highlands or even in the UK, but in Mexico, where Cameron is stranded on a beach after being shipwrecked. Luckily for him the Scottish/Mayan Letty finds him on her way back home.
This setting took some getting used to for me and it focuses on the slavery in Central America at the time. Letty is a strong fighter for immediate abolition and no matter what, she will sacrifice everything to get it, even her own happiness.

Cameron (who we already met in Roses in red wax) is a big (virgin!!!) cinnamon roll ginger Scottish laird and falls head over heels with Letty. And he makes sure she knows it. And I just adored him. (Except: how many times can a person say ‘criminy!’) He is so swoony and I loved his struggle with wanting ‘to care’ for everything and everyone, but not seeing how that became toxic to his relationship with Letty. 

I had issues with Letty, and that is saying it mildly. She made me want to give her a thorough scolding and I just wanted to shake her. Running away, in stead of confronting her family and business partner, and just leaving a note. If you want to be a fighter for immediate abolition, constantly advocating it, you don’t run away when things get tough and you’re afraid about other people’s reactions. 
I think she had a lot of growing to do and the end of the book really saved my feelings about her. 

It took me a while to get into this one and around the 35% mark the book just takes off and sucked me in. It’s not your regular histrom, it’s treading the line with historical fiction, but it still has its HEA and spicy goodness. The beginning and the end really focuses on the slavery and in between it suddenly focuses on the romance, which at times made the story feel a bit disconnected, but I enjoyed this a lot nonetheless. I mean I read almost in 1 sitting after the 40% mark 😅.

Thank you so much Louise for the eARC and the lovely chats while I was reading the book.