Book Review: The Sinclair Hound by Caroline Lee

Author: Caroline Lee

Title: The Sinclair Hound

(The Sinclair Jewels #1)

Genre: Historical Romance

Format: ebook

Published: May 16th 2019

Where I Got It: Amazon Freebie

Summary: 

The Sinclair Hound doesn’t speak…

Hanged as a lad for stealing food, Gregor, the notorious Sinclair Hound, was spared by a merciful laird. Although emotionally damaged and forever scarred and very silent, his devotion to Clan Sinclair, and especially the laird, is unwavering... until one of the Sinclair Jewels, the youngest daughter, Pearl, challenges that devotion and forces the Hound to make a fateful choice.

Pearl is a priceless lass…

As the youngest of the Sinclair Jewels, Pearl has made a place for herself among her clan, serving her people and doing her best to care for those who need help. Unlike her sisters, she has no interest in ever leaving her family. But when she’s forced to choose between an unwanted marriage or taking holy vows, she makes a fateful mistake.

If she can’t stay with her clan, she’ll become a nun.

But once her sire tasks the Hound to escort her to the abbey, Pearl is forced to admit two things: she never really wanted to take holy vows and her fascination with the Hound can no longer be denied.

Review:

I've enjoyed some other books by this author, so I seen this as a freebie and had to grab it. 

We follow Gregor who was nearly executed as a lad when the laird of the Clan Sinclair saved him and took him under his wing. Gregor would become the notorious and silent Sinclair Hound. He is asked to travel and protect Sinclair's youngest daughter on her voyage to take her holy vows. Pearl is given the choice...marry or become a nun. She elects to take her vows, but she wants to stay with her clan. While on the journey, Pearl is forced to admit that she is in love with the Hound. 

This was a quick read and it was cute overall. 

I do wish this had been longer so I could've had more time to connect with this couple. Maybe if the beginning was stretched out more and the journey longer? I just felt like they were so 2D but I KNOW there was more under the surface for both of them. I loved the fact that the Hound didn't really speak for the majority of the time. When he did speak it meant something. I needed more time and I think they needed more time to be fleshed out a bit. 

Other than that, I had no issues. It was cute and quick and they were perfect together. I just wanted more time with the couple to really get to learn more about them and see their chemistry more. I'll give this 3 stars. 

Book Review: A Scot Mess by Caroline Lee

Author: Caroline Lee 

Title: A Scot Mess

(The Hots for Scots #1)

Genre: Historical Romance, Novella

Format: ebook

Published: April 9th 2020

Where I Got It: My shelf - Amazon

Summary: 

Laird Oliphant's sons have to get married. Without an heir, he's gathered his sons—his six illegitimate sons, all born in the same year—and declared whoever presents him with a grandson first will become the next Highland laird.

Reactions are...mixed.

But to Finn Oliphant, this is exactly the news he's been waiting for. He's already chosen his wifely candidate: his love, the vivacious and intelligent Fiona MacIan. And since she loves him in return, this whole "marriage ultimatum" thing should be easy-peasy. He'll invite her to the Oliphant keep to sign all the betrothal contracts, and Bam! Done! They can get on with the babies!

Except...

It's not that Fiona is getting cold feet, exactly. She's fairly certain she loves Finn. Mostly. Well, verra likely, at least. But she's never been the most self-confident of women, especially compared to her sister. Her identical twin sister, whom Finn mistakes for her upon arrival, which is super-awkward all around.

The idea of marrying Finn makes her warm and giddy—hopefully that's just lust, not the ague—but how can she be certain he wants her? It's hard enough to be certain of anything on Oliphant land, what with mad Aunt Agatha spreading rumors, five potential brothers-in-law offering terrible advice, and a mysterious ghostly drummer keeping them awake at all hours.

And mayhap Finn should've mentioned his identical twin brother, too? That would have saved everyone a lot of headache...and heartbreak.

Finn and Fiona have plenty to learn about themselves and one another before they can be certain this marriage is a good idea. But unfortunately, they're running out of time

Review:

Seen this for really cheap so I picked it up and I've enjoyed a different series (so far) by this author. Plus....Highlanders and whatnot ;)

Laird Oliphant's sons have to get married. Without an heir, he's gathered his only sons—his six illegitimate sons, all born in the same year—and declared whoever presents him with a grandson first will become the next Highland laird. The reactions are mixed. Finn is excited. He has the perfect candidate for a bride but he accidently mistakes her for her identical twin and maybe should've mentioned he too has a twin brother. Lots of confusion, headache, and potential heartbreak. 

This did get a few chuckles out of me. Esp the scenes with Finn and his brothers. They were a hoot. I was also hoping for errors and twin mistakes though. 

I wish there had more....conflict? It felt very...short? Yes, yes, I know this is a novella, but I felt like this was a rough outline. I think there was a potential but it needed more. Not a crazy amount more...just a hair more. 

Honestly, I feel like Finn needed to fight more for her. Fiona, also, needed to make him earn her more. It was all insta-love but I didn't buy it. A hair too short for me to really connect with these two. I seen the lust, but I didn't buy the love between them.

Overall, I did enjoy this. It was quick and it had me chuckle a few times. I do wish it had more. Maybe some more scenes between them. I didn't buy their love. Lust...yes....love? Nope. It needed more, but it was still entertaining overall. I wouldn't mind reading book 2, but only if I find it at the library or free. But yes, I'll give this 2. I wanted more overall.

Book Review: The Thief's Angel by Caroline Lee

Author: Caroline Lee

Title: The Thief's Angel (The Highland Angels #3)

Genre: Historical Romance, Mystery
Format: ebook

Pages: 266

Published:  February 17th 2020

Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

Lady Rosalind Forbes is an integral member of the Queen’s Angels—an elite trio of spies disguised as ladies-in-waiting—as the brains of the group. However, she’s keeping two secrets from her teammates; one which will endanger this mission, and one which will jeopardize her very place as an Angel. Her teammates don’t know, can’t know, that she’s given herself to the very man who is now their prime suspect in the plot against the Crown.

Cam Fraser used to be the son of a laird, a man with a place. Now he’s just a thief, and a leader of cutpurses. But his mission to find the woman he’s betrayed leads him to his ancestral home, where he encounters Rosa, the dark beauty whose touch he hasn’t been able to forget.

With the help of a matchmaking six-year-old, and a chance attack by bandits, Cam and Rosa have the opportunity to set things right. But that’s not going to help Rosa’s mission, not when Cam doesn’t even realize he’s a suspect. And she can’t give her heart to a traitor…can she?

A brilliant Angel and a charming thief are going to have to work together to discover the truth about the plot against Robert the Bruce, if they want any chance of a future together.

Review:

Third book in the series. This has been the one I have been waiting on. Everything is coming together and we are finally getting Rosa's HEA!

We follow Rosa who is sent to follow Cam Fraser who is now suspected of wanting to overthrow the King and Queen. Cam used to be the son of a laird who ran away as a youth and joined a gang of thieves. He is now their leader, but he gave that up to find his beloved adopted sister, Court, who he betrayed. He wants to make it right and make sure she is happy wherever she is. With the help of a matchmaking six-year-old and an attack by bandits, Cam and Rosa have a chance to set things right and get to know each other. A brilliant Angel and a charming thief will have to work together to prove Cam is innocent and find out who really is behind the plot. 

I've been waiting to get Rosa's story and for Cam to finally find peace. I knew he was innocent from the last book. There is NO way he could've done it. I had my suspicion and I was right. HAHA! BUT the WHY was what was throwing me off and not being confident on the who. Ooooo the why was good and added an extra layer to the story. 

I liked Cam from the moment we met him. He is simply adorable! I liked Rosa too. However....I wasn't 100% convinced I liked these two together. I did warm up to them eventually, but at first, I was not feeling the chemistry. Near the end, I was finally okay with it and it finally clicked for me.

The big twist/why had me on the floor! I totally did NOT see that coming. Like I said earlier...it really added a nice layer of complexity to the story. Perfecto!

Oooo that was a good ending. We shall have more Angels! I am excited. It totally makes sense that the Queen would have more secret Angels to watch over her and Robert the Bruce. Yayy I am excited for more. 

Overall, I enjoyed this. This was a nice way to end this arch of the mystery. It took me 'til near the end to really click with Rosa and Cam as a couple, but when it did click for me...it clicked and I was happy for them. I also LOVED the reveal. I had the who, but not the why. Fun! I am really adoring this series and I am glad there shall be more. Huzzah! I'll give this 4 stars. 

 

 

Challenge(s):

- #11 on THE BAD BOYS OF ROMANCE challenge

Book Review: The Laird's Angel by Caroline Lee

Author: Caroline Lee
Title: The Laird's Angel

(The Highland Angels #2)

Genre: Historical Romance
Format: ebook

Pages: 241 
Published: January 27th 2020
Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary:As a member of the Queen's Angels—an elite trio of secret agents, masquerading as ladies-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth Bruce—Melisandre Lamond has a most useful skill: Seduction. Mayhap 'tis her ability to understand others' desires, or mayhap a yearning for acceptance; whatever the root, Mellie has become skilled in the art of love, and knows all the right ways to get a man to spill all his...secrets.

After an assassination attempt on the Queen, all evidence points to the Frasers of Lovat, surely under orders from their new laird, the deceptively handsome Lachlan Fraser. But even Mellie is surprised when the Queen announces the seductive Angel's betrothal to the traitor, wondering how far her loyalty to the Crown really extends. Can Mellie tempt Lachlan into revealing his treasonous plans, before she's forced to actually marry the man?

After the Scottish War for Independence, all Lachlan Fraser wants for his clan is peace. He's happy working with his hands, building a strong future for his family and his beloved daughter. But duty calls him to Scone, where he's surprised to learn of his betrothal to one of the Queen's ladies...the very knife-wielding wench who'd so recently saved him from a cut purse's attack!

He'll marry her, aye, but Lachlan vows to unravel Lady Melisandre's riddles first! Because once he gets her home, and sees the way she effortlessly wins over his daughter and the rest of the Frasers, he begins to suspect she's not really the cold and haughty lady she's pretending to be.

Can this mis-matched betrothed pair learn each other's secrets before the assassin strikes again? 

Review:

This has been the one I've been itching to read BUT I wanted to be a good egg and read the series in order. LE SIGH. BUT I am glad I did. They may follow different gals but the story and mystery continue in each book. 

This one follows Lady Melisandre who uses a special trick to get info from the men. After an assassination attempt on the Queen, all the evidence seems to point to the Frasers of Lovat and their new laird. Melisander, aka Mellie, is asked  to pretend to be the laird's Queen-ordered betrothal to find out the truth. Lachlan Fraser just wants peace and happiness. He accepts the Queen's command since Mellie intrigues him and...well...it IS a command from the Queen. 

I adored this romance between these two. They do not seem at all compatible...on the surface. As we learn more and more about them, we soon realize they NEED each other and are simply perfect for each other. I am so glad there was more to both of them especially Mellie. She acts like a cold-hearted wench who is willing to do ANYTHING to get info...she has a huge and sensitive heart and she really deserved happiness. 

Lachlan deserves happiness too but he has a decent family and a sweet kid so I didn't feel AS bad for him as I did Mellie. She had a crappy family. Poor thing...especially when we find out what her ex did to her. GRRRR. I wanted to find him and feed him to the Loch Ness Monster. Gah. Hopefully karma finds him soon and quick. Lachlan's ex was a piece of work too. Grrr. 

I really did like this much more than book 1. Maybe it was because we got to spend more time with these characters? Or maybe I just loved the chemistry and story between these two. Or both?  BUT yes...I did really enjoy this one.

I guessed the little twist. I wasn't being serious when I guessed it, but I was right and I was shocked I was right. Wish I can say..........

Anyways.....

Overall, I liked this better than book 1 and the prequel. I adored the couple here and their story. They were a fun couple with a lot of hurdles to finally get the HEA they needed. I'll give this a 4. 

Book Review: The Highlander's Angel by Caroline Lee

Author: Caroline Lee
Title: The Highlander's Angel

(The Highland Angels #1)

Genre: Historical Romance
Format: ebook

Pages: 184
Published: January 5th 2020
Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: When Robert the Bruce's queen formed the Angels, an elite group of spies masquerading as her ladies in waiting, she probably didn't imagine they'd be called on to save her life. But that's what happens when Queen Elizabeth is entertaining the Ross delegation.

Luckily, her lady Courtney is deadly with a bow and recognizes the assassin. Court's history with the band of thieves and murderers who raised her means she has a very different skill set than most women in the queen's retinue, and she's not afraid to employ it. But she is used to working alone, and the idea of being saddled with an unwanted partner—particularly when that man is gorgeous, dangerous, and a suspect—is galling.

Malcolm Ross, the queen's longtime bodyguard, can't believe one of his kinsmen could be involved in this dastardly plot. He'll do everything in his power to prove his clan is innocent of treason, even if it means partnering with a testy and deadly thief-turned-spy... One who holds his heart in her hands after that single night they spent together years ago.

Malcolm must choose between his loyalty to his laird and his loyalty to his heart, as Court's "family" proves she doesn't even understand what loyalty is. When metal hits meat, can this unlikely duo learn to trust each other, or will the plot to bring down the Scottish monarchy succeed?

Review: 

A while back I had read the little prequel short story and it had made me curious about the other Angels. This was really cheap on Amazon so I went ahead and grabbed it

The story follows lady Courtney who is deadly with the bow and had been raised with a band of thieves and murderers. With her different skills, it is without a doubt a great idea to have her be an Angel for the Queen. After an attempt on the Queen's life, Courtney has a mission to follow a lead. However, she will not be going alone. She is saddled with Malcolm Ross who had been a longtime bodyguard and can't believe one of his kinsmen might be involved in the plot. He will have to make a choice between loyalty to his laird and his loyalty to his heart. 

Courtney kicks ass. I wish we could've seen more of her skills in other battles. She's a fun character and I wish we had more time with her. I liked Ross too. Especially with how much he loves his dang dog. So cute! Ross and Court were very cute together and they fit each other well. Ross has his heart on his sleeve and Court is a little cold and reserved. 

Oo that baddie certainly was a baddie. However, I feel like there is more going on. I do not think that baddie is the main one we will be seeing. We'll have to read book 2 I guess to see what happens next ;) ! 

Honestly....I wish we had had more time with Court and Ross. I feel like there was more we could've seen. They had hook-ups in the past and obviously had feelings for each other for years, but I felt like I was missing something with these two. We needed more time to see them fall in love. 

All-in-all this was a fun story with a fun cast of characters. I am curious to read more about the other angels. Hopefully, we get more time with them. Maybe we'll see more of Ross and Court in those. I'll give this 3 stars. 

Challenge(s):

-#18 Highlander

Book Review: The Bruce's Angel by Caroline Lee

Author: Caroline Lee 
Title: The Bruce's Angel
(The Highland Angels #0.5)
Genre: Historical Romance, Novella, Short stories
Format: ebook
Pages: 112 
Published:  December 26th 2019
Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon Freebie)



Lady Charlotte MacLeod is desperate to escape marriage to a traitor, so she turns pirate. As the notorious Black Banner, she's able to capture the Queen's ship, and finally get someone to hear her evidence. But she doesn't expect the Queen to be guarded by the man who once stole her innocence and her heart.

Liam Bruce has spent years serving his royal cousin. While he doesn't begrudge this latest guard duty, he does regret that it's keeping him from returning to MacLeod land and the fiery angel he can't forget. But when he unmasks a dangerous pirate in the middle of a desperate battle, 'tis his Charlotte spitting curses at him!

Now it's up to Liam to protect his love from charges of royal treason. Can he convince Charlotte to trust him again?

I randomly found this on Amazon. They have so many freebies going on right now. I for sure recommend heading that way! 

The story follows Lady Charlotte is being forced to marry a traitor to Scotland and King Robert. No one at court will allow her to speak to the King about this man. In order to escape and save the King, she turns pirate and captures the Queen's ship in order to force them to listen to hear. Liam is the cousin of King Robert and is also the bodyguard of the Queen. He regrets having to leave Charlotte behind for an entire year, but duty calls. Can he save Charlotte from her treasonous acts and convince her to even forgive and trust him again?

This is a prequel to what seems like an interesting series. We get a little introduction to how this girl spy group is formed. Spoiler, no spoiler, but Charlotte's actions will unknowingly set in motion the Queen to create her own little spy group. How fun! I am intrigued to read about the other girls. 

This was a fun read. For sure something different and I was worried about Charlotte. GURL kidnapping the Queen is such a bad idea. BUT it worked....ish. LOL. However, desperate times call for desperate measures I guess. 

I liked Liam even though he was a bone-head. DUH she thinks you abandoned her. I would've thought the same thing! Sighs. Big, hot, dumb-dumb. 

This was short and fun. I am intrigued to read the next full book. I'll stamp this with 4 stars.