The Devil of Dunakin Castle by Heather McCollum – a Review

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Description:
Englishwoman, Grace Ellington, has made a home in Scotland, but to escape from the meddling people around her who seem to think she needs to wed right away—because women need saving, right? —she volunteers to journey north to aid a friend in childbirth. 

Keir MacKinnon, the younger brother of the MacKinnon clan chief, has been raised to strike fear in people, on and off the battlefield. Trained to uphold MacKinnon law, he has hardened into a lethal warrior. Caught in a Highland blizzard with the feisty Grace, Keir realizes the beautiful woman who saved him can also save his nephew’s life. 

Sparks fly when he takes her against her will to his home, and Grace’s courage is put to the ultimate test. Is Keir MacKinnon the passionate, kind man she saved in the Highland blizzard, or is he truly the cruel executioner who seeks to solve all issues by the sword? 

Each book in the Highland Isles series is a STANDALONE story that can be enjoyed out of order. 
* The Beast of Aros Castle
* The Rogue of Islay Isle
* The Wolf of Kisimul Castle
* The Devil of Dunakin Castle

Review:

I’ve read and enjoyed the previous book “Wolf of Kisimul Castle.” So I was looking forward to reading The Devil of Dunakin Castle by Heather McCollum, and I wasn’t disappointed.  They are all standalone books, so don’t need to be read in order (but I may just have to go back and read the other two) 🙂

Grace is a feisty and independent woman (we meet her in book 1), she needs no man to complete her life (even though other people seem to want to marry her off). She goes to help her friend (Miari )to give birth. Along the way she meets “The Devil”,  Kier MacKinnon

People wear masks to hide their true selves and Kier is no exception, brought up from an early age, he was taught to be a warrior and then the sword hand of his brother, his job is to uphold the law (even if Keir doesn’t like it) he’s done things he hasn’t liked, and so it’s hardened this man into an unfeeling monster, but like beauty and the beast, the beast is tamed by beauty. 

Kier has been told he needs to bring back a great healer Miari (from book 3) to help his ill nephew, but gets caught in a storm and ends up rescuing a woman from wolves. 

The feelings that both Grace and Kier feel for each other are soon over shadowed when he realizes that he can’t take the pregnant Miari, but Grace could save his nephew, and with that, he takes her against her will to the castle. It doesn’t go down well with Grace

Once Grace helps the clan, other things start to happen and she wonders if the illness wasn’t an illness! 

As with the previous book, Heather McCollum brings the characters to life. The scenes were very well written and I could imagine myself easily in Scotland . 

Reviewed by Julie B.

Copy provided by Publisher