Tag Archives: Return of the Highlanders

The Highlander Burns for Vengeance by Julie Johnstone-review

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The Highlander Burns for Vengeance (Return of the Highlanders) by Julie Johnstone-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 30, 2024

Divided by treachery, bound by an edict, they must decide their to love or to hate.

After years of captivity, Graeme Stewart has returned home with a burning desire for vengeance, and it’s all directed at the Campbell clan. They attacked his home, killed his parents, and imprisoned him for eighteen long years. So when the king demands Graeme handfast with his enemy’s sister to end the warring of their clans, he intends to use her to get the revenge he yearns for. But Maisie’s courage and character surprise him at every turn, conjuring admiration and stirring desire. Now, with revenge within his grasp, he must make a choice before it’s too either cling to the malice that kept him alive or release it for the chance at love.

The vengeful and unreasonable Highlander intends to destroy her family, and Maisie Campbell is bound to him for a year and a day. She hates everything about Graeme, except the way he kisses, which is a force that nearly brings her to her knees. But lust does not a marriage make, and the man is hell-bent on proving her brother a traitor and herself treacherous, so she sets out to prove otherwise. Yet, as questions of her brother’s character arise in her own mind and Graeme displays an honorable, fiercely protective nature, Maisie faces a seek a truth that will doom the brother she adores or remain blindly loyal to those she’s always held dear and lose the man she has come to love with all her heart.

••••

REVIEW: Revenge/passion/deceit and loyalty all in one book? sign me up.

Graeme Stewart returns home after being held captive for many years! He’s seeking revenge against the ones who held him! But fate has a different plan…..

Being commanded by the King to marry (handfast) his bitter enemies sister to retain peace between his clan and the Campbell’s has Graeme firstly refusing, then realising he can access the clan through his bride, he can use to her get his revenge. Bitterly he agrees…..

Maisie has no option but to tie herself to the bully Graeme Stewart, thank goodness it’s not forever. It’s going to be a hellish year, but Maisie is a Scot of her word. But if he’s expecting a meek and mild woman, he’s surely mistaken.

Both are extremely hostile towards one another, distrust is easier to maintain than trust. Both are seeking the truth, but what happens when Graeme’s truth muddies Maisie’s? She’s sure her brother is a just and good man, he’s the leader of their clan. But doubts begin to creep in…..

I love this series. I’ve read the previous two books (but not necessary to enjoy this book.) The characters are brought to life with this author, as is her descriptions of the scenery and feelings these two have towards one another. I really like how fact and fiction are woven together to create something so compelling, that I didn’t stop reading until the last page was done.

This book’s full of intrigue and mystery, and a few twists. We see Graeme’s love for his nursemaid/nanny (she was captured with him) we learn of his distrust and immense dislike for the Campbell clan. And we begin to put pieces together of what really happened on the day Graeme was taken prisoner….

Maisie is a great character, she’s no wallflower, she knows her own mind and speaks it. But she’s only a woman, and they were used to broker deals, and form alliances.

Graeme is part of a clan that as children were separated to keep them safe. Their parents were murdered and the children were scattered to keep them safe. So technically Graeme doesn’t know his clan, it’s only what his beloved Eppie has told him through the years. But he’s loyal and he will have his revenge!

Other characters we see are added to the story, and there are a few you need to keep your eyes on 🤐

As time passes distrust turns to trust, and the characters begin to like one another, love isn’t far away, but how can they put aside their differences and doubts to be with one another? Can Graeme really trust a Campbell? And if Maisie finds out her clan had something to do with her husband’s imprisonment, can she turn her back on them?

Another fantastic story from this author. I’m not going to spoil the rest of the book.

But I think you’re going to love this book if you’re a fan of historical romance. If you like your book full of action and suspense then this one I highly recommend.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Secrets of a Highlander’s Heart
Tangled Up with the Highlander

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie B 🦋

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Author Julie Johnstone first fell in love with romance fifteen years ago when she picked up her first romance novel in an airport gift shop on the way to Conroe, Texas for a family reunion and spent her whole weekend reading rather than water skiing, which up until then was one of her favorite things to do.

Julie is staying up way too late and typing furiously on her keyboard to finish her next book or blog with her fellow authors at Ladyscribes. Julie is married to an amazing lawyer and when she is not running her two precocious children to one activity or another she is trying to seek out some time to stay in shape and see her dearest friends.

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Tangled Up with the Highlander by Julie Johnstone-review

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Tangled Up with the Highlander (Return of the Highlanders Book 2) by Julie Johnstone

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 30, 2024

He thought he would never love again… Then he fell for the lass he must give up to save his clan.

Desperate to keep his children and clan from starving, Laird Alasdair MacLachlan joins the ranks of mercenaries searching for the missing lass of a powerful clan. The mission seems simple—find the lass, return her to her family, and claim the hefty reward. But when fate throws bow and arrow wielding Sorcha MacGregor in his path, he’s about to discover how complicated one mule-headed, beguiling beauty can make things. For a man who has lost and loved and has no interest in doing either ever again, he’s confounded by the desire the opinionated woman awakens in him, and he’s shocked to discover his heart might not be permanently frozen after all. But his duty to his family and clan must come before all else, and that means sticking to the plan. Or is that just an excuse to avoid burying his painful past and taking a risk on a new future? One thing is certain—if he doesn’t figure it out soon, Sorcha will be lost to him forever.

Life has taught Sorcha MacGregor that only a harebrained fool would wish to wed and become a man’s chattel to control. So when she’s kidnapped by a Highlander who intends to deliver her like a trussed pig to a family she’s never known, she instantly decides he’s a selfish barbarian like all other men. Her opinion becomes harder to maintain, though, when the devilishly handsome warrior risks his life for hers. Still, she has no intention of lowering her well-placed guard and making herself vulnerable. But with each act of kindness Alasdair shows her, every moving interaction between him and his children, and the simmering way he looks at her, not to mention the toe-curling kisses, she comes to see the gentle, brokenhearted man behind the hardened exterior, and she does the one thing she swore she’d never do: falls in love. When the time comes for Alasdair to make the ultimate sacrifice for her, for love, will he prove he’s really the man of her dreams or just a fantasy that is too good to be true?

••••••••

REVIEW: Although second book in the series, and a slight continuation from book one, this book can be read without reading the first one.

With this author you can be assured of a great story. Set in beautifully written backdrops, this historical romance will have you on the edge of your seat with the drama/suspense and romance.

Widower Laird Alasdair MacLachlan is at his wits end! His clan is starving! He sees no other option than to join a band of mercenaries ordered to find a missing woman of another clan. The reward will feed his clan. Sorcha is sick and tired of her life! Her mother 💀 leaving her and her sister to a father who likes to drink and use his fists! Entering a competition will ensure both her future and her sister a dowry to marry the man she loves.

The thing I love the most about this author’s storytelling is her attention to detail. The sights and sounds of the highland can transport you there. Both Alistair and Sorcha have no intentions of marrying, his heart is hardened after losing his wife to childbirth, and she has seen what marriage can do to a woman. But as they spend more and more time together, it brings the best out in both of them, they also see a side to one another that makes them stop and think!

So will Alistair do the right thing? Will he hand over the woman who has made him see the good around him? To become a better father to his own children. Or will he take this opportunity of happiness?

Click HERE for Julie’s review of book one SECRETS OF A HIGHLANDER’S HEART

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie B 🦋

Follow: Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Newsletter

Author Julie Johnstone first fell in love with romance fifteen years ago when she picked up her first romance novel in an airport gift shop on the way to Conroe, Texas for a family reunion and spent her whole weekend reading rather than water skiing, which up until then was one of her favorite things to do.

Julie is staying up way too late and typing furiously on her keyboard to finish her next book or blog with her fellow authors at Ladyscribes. Julie is married to an amazing lawyer and when she is not running her two precocious children to one activity or another she is trying to seek out some time to stay in shape and see her dearest friends.

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Secrets of a Highlander’s Heart by Julie Johnstone-review

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Secrets of a Highlander’s Heart (Return of the Highlanders 1) by Julie Johnstone-review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 25, 2024

Will the truth of the past destroy the hope of their future?

How far will he go for vengeance?

Brus Stone remembers nothing of his life before he was rescued at the age of five summers and brought to live as part of the Northern Watch. Having been told his mother abandoned him, he’s about as willing to give his trust to a woman as he is to hand his sword to his enemy during battle. So when he’s tasked with accompanying a group of highlanders through the treacherous lands he helps patrol and he encounters a bonny lass who proves to be as brave as any warrior he’s ever met, he’s surprised by his pull to the lass and more than wary because of it. He steels himself against lowering his guard, but her open nature bemuses him, and her caring heart entices him. Each time he touches her he finds himself further drawn to the warmth she exudes and the possibility that believing in her will not result in betrayal. But a shocking revelation about his past obliterates everything he holds true and leaves him with a choice—give unwavering faith to the daughter of the enemy he didn’t know he had or raise his guard once more and secure the ultimate revenge.

How much will she lose for love?

Grace MacDonald is starting to wonder whether she’ll ever meet a man who sees her as an equal and not simply a potential wife to do as he bids. To complicate matters, her father wishes her to wed her childhood friend and fortify an important alliance between their clans. Though she wants to please her beloved father, her friend does not stir her heart or her desire, so she’s reluctant to accept his offer of marriage. When the party she’s travelling with is attacked and a Scottish warrior rescues her, she’s immediately drawn to the powerfully compelling man. Not only does he display a gentle caring side, but he also listens to what she says and seems to value her opinions. His every look, touch, and kiss ignite her in the way she’s been waiting for all her life. But Brus will not completely let her in. He has erected a barrier between them, and the harder she tries to breach it, the more withdrawn he becomes. She’s determined to prove to him that he can count on her, so they can grasp the glorious love she’s sure awaits them. Yet when a devastating secret comes to light, she must decide whether her loyalty remains with the father she’s always trusted or whether it belongs with the man she’s certain is her destiny.

••••••

REVIEW:With Julie Johnstone, you can always rely that a good story waits for you. And this one did not disappoint.

Brus has a huge grudge where women are concerned! Well, I suppose you can’t really blame him.(His mother abandoned him as a baby.) So trust with women doesn’t come easily. And when he’s given the job of guarding a group of highlanders as they pass through this patrol area…..

Grace isn’t a meek and mild young lady! She knows her own mind! But that doesn’t mean a thing in this era! And to top it off, her father wants her to marry her friend! What Grace wants is an equal, she’s wanting passion and fire, and she doesn’t see her friend in that way!

There is an attraction between Brus and Grace, but he’s not going to fall, he’s adamant that it’s a job, and once she’s out of his sight, he won’t think about her again…..Grace is soooooo frustrated with Brus! She knows they would be good together, he just won’t let her in!

And the secret that is brewing between them? (I guessed it practically straight away 😉) it’s going to test both of them!

Can Brus really overcome his hate? Will Grace be the one to help him? Or will it all end on heartbreak?

Good plot, great main characters, and really great secondary characters. Which I’m hoping will get books 😉 the descriptions of the lands had me clearly seeing them, the castle in all its majestic glory. This could have been a series/film. And I would have watched it.

Think Poldark or Outlander (without the time travel)

Another really good historical read. 👍🏻

Copy  supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie B🦋

Follow: Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Newsletter

Author Julie Johnstone first fell in love with romance fifteen years ago when she picked up her first romance novel in an airport gift shop on the way to Conroe, Texas for a family reunion and spent her whole weekend reading rather than water skiing, which up until then was one of her favorite things to do.

Julie is staying up way too late and typing furiously on her keyboard to finish her next book or blog with her fellow authors at Ladyscribes. Julie is married to an amazing lawyer and when she is not running her two precocious children to one activity or another she is trying to seek out some time to stay in shape and see her dearest friends.

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