Thursday, July 30, 2020

A Laird And A Gentleman by Gerri Russell. Series: All The King’s Men, book #4. 5 star review. Loved this series so much,



Book: A Laird and A Gentleman 

By Gerri Russell


Series: All the Kings Men, #4


Reviewed by: Barb Massabrook of

1.Tartan Book Reviews

2. Purple Tulip Book Reviews

3. Celtic World of Historical Book Reviews

4.Celtic Barb’s Tartan Book Review Blog 


Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥


Overall Rating: 5 Stars and 5 Kilts



Notes: In true history it was a zealous, fanatical time in Scotland during the rabid witch hunts and trials under King James VI of Scotland. He was the most notorious royal witch hunter in true history. The year 1590 witnessed the largest and most high-profile witch trials in Scottish history. No fewer than 70 suspects were rounded up in North Berwick, on suspicion of raising a storm to destroy King James’s fleet as he conveyed his new bride, Anne of Denmark, across the North Sea. Convinced the tempest that had almost cost his life had been summoned by witchcraft, James was intent upon bringing the perpetrators to justice.


Most of the suspects soon confessed – under torture – to concocting a host of bizarre and gruesome spells and rituals in order to whip up the storm. These included binding the severed genitalia and limbs of a dead man to the legs of a cat, then tossing the bundle into the waves, whereupon “there did arise such a tempest in the sea, as a greater hath not been seen”. On another occasion, Satan himself was said to have appeared to the witches and “promised to raise a mist, and cast the king into England, for which purpose he threw into the sea a thing like a foot-ball”. King James was so appalled when he heard such tales that he decided to personally superintend the interrogations. 


North Berwick, Scotland 

August, 1592



In this book it was a horrible time in Scotland during the popular witch hunts trials under King James VI of Scotland, but even worse for Mariam Swindon, whose father John Swindon, is the King’s witch pricker. Condemning mostly innocent women and some men of witchcraft. Just to blame innocent people of events they had absolutely nothing to do with. Many would confess to do anything just to stop the unbearable, excruciating, painful, torture! Unfortunately that would only cause their ultimate death by being burned by the stake. 


John Swindon had been abusing his own daughter all her life to keep her so called magic at bay. It is hard to hide your special gifts when your own father is the Kings witch pricker, causing so much death and destruction of innocent souls. Now for her own protection the King has ordered Mariam as the ward of Laird Cameron Sinclair. He is one of the King’s elite warriors who is well known for his superb fighting skills on the battlefield. As Mariam’s life is in danger by the relatives of the people her father has tortured and put to death. Cameron realizes her father is wicked and cruel, knows a big part is of her fear is of her father, this brutal witch pricker! He feels Mariam’s life doesn’t have a chance unless she is away from her father. He is sworn to guard and safeguard her as his ward, yet lately he is developing feelings that a guardian should not feel for his ward! 


It is even worse for Mariam Swindon, whose father John Swinton is the King’s witch pricker! The black hearted John Swinton accuses mostly innocent woman and some men of witchcraft, just to blame people of events they had nothing to do with. He pricks their flesh with his painful torture device his excruciating needle that any would confess to anything just to stop the the torture. Unfortunately that would only cause their ultimate death by being burned by the stake. Yet Mariam was so afraid of her own father, as he had been abusing his own daughter all her life, to keep her so-called darkness at bay. It was hard for Mariam to hide her special gifts when her own father is the King’s witch pricker! He is causing so much death and destruction of innocent souls. Marium knew if she protected any of these innocent people like her guardian’s friend and fellow brother-in-arms,  Lachlan Douglas who was m8being accused of witchcraft, while at her guardians Laird Cameron Sinclair’s home at Ravenscraig castle. She was being forced to lie or suffer by her father’s own againizing needle herself, in the end she uses her special gifts and to save Lachlan. Of course no one will know she was Lachlan’s savior. Now she fears her guardian will send her away! It has been the best year of her life being the ward of Laird Cameron Sinclair. As not having to worry about beatings and physical abuse every day. Though she fears she has her father’s darkness-she has her dead mother’s goodness too. A woman she suspects might have been murdered by her own father’s hand!


Cameron is the first person to see her as a good person even though she is scared she might have darkness and be something evil. She tries so hard to hide her gifts. Yet there are many that are afraid of her gifts like the way animals respond to her. Plus many spies are reporting to her father too and some that want to murder Mariam. This is to get revenge against her witchpricker father for the damage he has done to their families! Not realizing he has no nurturing feelings for his own daughter. Yet now some unnatural disasters have occurred and the villagers are blaming Mariam and feel burning her is their best option for saving themselves! Naturally this is when Cameron is away bringing her father back to the King, after he had attacked Mariam in his own castle. A place the King’s pricker was forbidden to go to!


Mariam is very attracted to her guardian but feels he might want to punish her for not defending his friend verbally or send her back to her abusive father. The shell necklace she has is the only thing of her mother she has, yet it breaks which shatters Marium’s heart. Yet there is a message inside the broken pieces claiming to show Marium her destiny in a matter of days.


Cameron is the first person to see her as a good person even though she is scared she might have her father’s darkness and be something evil. She tries so hard to hide her gifts. Yet there are many that are afraid of her gifts like the way animals respond to her. Plus many spies are reporting to her father too, some that want to murder Mariam as this might be the villagers perfect opportunity! Not realizing John has no nurturing feelings for his own daughter as her death will only bring this disturbed man joy. Yet now a pandemic is happening, including some unnatural disasters have occurred and the villagers are blaming Mariam,  they feel burning her is their best option for saving themselves! Naturally this is when Cameron is away bring her father back to the King, after he had attacked Mariam in his own castle. A place the Kings pricker was forbidden to go to. Will Cameron act on his feelings or send Marium away? When he realizes his beloved might be murdered or something even worse what till this man in kilted armor do? Read and find out in this fourth and powerful book in the best selling All The King’s Men series by Gerri Russell.


Gerri Russell has been a favorite author of mine for a very long time and each one of her historical books have been a shelf keeper. She is an incredible author that I can’t recommend enough. I love how she puts true history in her wonderful fictional romances. It is done with so much passion and flare with absolute brilliance. I love this strong forgiving warrior and this magical young woman who had a lot of self esteem issues and confidence issues due to be living in an abusive father/daughter relationship. This story absolutely touched my heart. I have loved every book in this wonderful series. Me being a Scottish history geek, I know a lot of this history about King James VI with his obsession about witches and in this horrible time in North Berwick. This was Mary Queen of Scots only heir with her second husband, Lord Darnley. 


Again Gerri Russell blows me away with another book I could not put down from start to finish. It has all the elements Scottish historical romance readers like myself love. My absolute favorite ingredient of factual history and a fictional romance. I love it includes real people from Scottish history like King James VI with his sick obsession with witchcraft. It is heartbreaking since this is real and did happen in history where real people are being tortured and burned for witchcraft which was very prominent during his reign as King. He even wrote a book on his reflections and how to deal with witchcraft in 1591 called Daemonologie. So again Ms. Russell knocks another book out of the park! As this book is absolutely phenomenal.




You can read this as a stand alone book or in book order. I recommend you read each one as I have loved them all.



All the King’s Men Series by Gerri Russell


1)Seven Nights with a Scot

2)Romancing the Laird

3)A Temptress in Tartan

4)A Laird and a Gentleman


Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC copy from the publisher. I voluntarily agreed to read, review and blog an advance copy of this book. All thoughts, ideas and opinions are my own.






















Book Links:


https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-laird-and-a-gentleman/id1505399850


https://tulepublishing.com/books/a-laird-and-a-gentleman/#order


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086L6LXRF/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=sl1&tag=tulepubli-20&linkId=d4577734d1fedcdee3bf1daa0bec00f0&language=en_US


https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-laird-and-a-gentleman/id1505399850



https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-laird-and-a-gentleman


https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-laird-and-a-gentleman-gerri-russell/1136767883?


https://play.google.com/store/books/details?pcampaignid=books_read_action&id=92HdDwAAQBAJ


https://www.amazon.com/Laird-Gentleman-All-Kings-Book-ebook/dp/B086L6LXRF








Thursday, July 9, 2020

The Rebel Wears Plaid by Eliza Knight. Series: Prince Charlie’s Angels Book #1. 5 stars




















Book: The Rebel Wears Plaid 

By Eliza Knight

 

Series:Prince Charlie’s Angels, #1

By Eliza Knight


Release Date: June 30, 2020


Reviewed by: Barb Massabrook of

1. Tartan Book Reviews
2. Purple Tulip Book Reviews
3. Celtic World of Historical Book Reviews
4.Celtic Barb’s Tartan Book Review Blog 


Heat Rating: 🔥


Overall Rating: 5 Star & 5 Kilts




1745 Inverness, Scotland


Toran Fraser had been influenced by his Uncle known as the Fox. He is a big deceiver and fabricator and is known as a traitor. He switches sides between the Scottish Jacobite rebels and the Sassenach English Loyalists for the upcoming rising. He was one of those traitors who sided against his own people, the ones his relatives and clan fought against. His Uncle had told him Scottish Rebels had murdered his mother viciously. He had been working with the vicious Sassenach Redcoat Captain Thomas Boyd at their garrison. It was only to get information and no one was supposed to get hurt. He finds out Boyd is a horrendous liar and plans to murder all the Fraser’s which is Toran’s clan! He suddenly saw his own cousin Archie was about to be murdered by this black guard Sassenach Captain! Toran couldn’t allow his own cousin to be murdered! Though Archie didn’t want to be saved by his traitorous cousin Toran who sided with English swine! Especially when so many Fraser’s would be executed. Toran knew they would  both now be wanted by the Sassanach since it would be obvious Toran escaped with a Scottish Fraser prisoner!


This is where Toran meets the heroine of this story Jenny Mackintosh, known to Jacobites as Mistress J.. Toran wants revenge and thinks the rebels are responsible for Toran’s mother’s brutal death. As her name, Mistress J.  was pinned to his mother’s  naked battered body when returned to the Fraser clan in a pine box. Toran is now responsible and his younger siblings, his sister Isla and his brother Camdyn, both are orphans now. He had to care for them and knew Captain Boyd, leader of the English Garrison, would use his siblings to get to him. So he asked if he could get them to protect them, surprising him that she allowed it, to bring them to her castle, Cnàmhan Broch. It was obvious she did not trust him but was she kind and caring to his younger siblings. Yet this was the rebel he knew he had to murder to get his revenge for killing his sweet mother. 


Yet soon Toran realizes how evil his Uncle is and his cousin Simon are where they were putting himself and his siblings in mortal danger. He soon puts his thoughts of revenge to questions, seeing how Jenny cares for everyone. Now realizing his heroic mother was a Jacobite hero sacrificing herself to keep the rebels safe! This was  including her best friend who was Jenny’s mother. A woman Jenny admired greatly, yet feels so betrayed when she realized Toran wanted to kill her and her Rebels. He has a lot to prove even though they had been so attracted to each other and he had greatly admired Jenny even before he knew the truth. Though Jenny’s second in command and cousin Dirk can see right through him and swears he will tell Jenny. Yet Toran makes the ultimate sacrifice to prove his loyalty and love and now knows he is a true Jacobite rebel and on the right side to put The Bonnie Royal Stuart’s on the throne, and send that German King back where he came from!


On top of this Jenny’s two best girl friends Annie Macpherson is a healer of the rebels and her other friend Fiona MacBean is a spy. All on the rebel side to help the Jacobite cause. Another huge problem is Jenny’s brother Hamish, who is a huge disappointment and big traitor. He is on the side of the English loyalists, siding with King George and Captain Boyd. He is betraying their father and grandfather’s memories who were both executed years ago protecting their country and lands from the English! Jenny knows one day she might have to kill her own brother being on opposite sides of this war. However, the Sassenach’s have been hunting Mistress J. for the past two years with no success. She has been getting weapons and funds and finding more soldiers for the Jacobite cause. This even included her mother who had been Moire Fraser’s best friend before her wicked execution. 


Yet she tried to back away from her feelings for Toran as they both knew they were falling in love. Yet they also knew both their lives might be ended by a Sassenach’s sword or pistol. Jenny felt responsible for so many and wanting to aid her Bonnie Prince in any way possible. Now she had news he was on Scottish soil and was doubly excited, will she ever meet her royal savior? Plus will she ever make a choice between duty and love? Now Toran no longer living on a double edged sword and knew his true path was by this woman’s side. Yet will she ever truly accept and forgive his past mistakes? Will the English ever find and capture Mistress J.? Will the Mackintosh siblings ever have the ultimate battle? Can she bring her brother in on the Jacobite’s side? Will Toran’s Uncle ever pay for his previous crimes? Will his Uncle’s son live or pay the price for his father’s crimes? Will Toran and Jenny ever let their guards down and let love in? Read and find out so much more in this reading masterpiece!


On a personal note I am just thrilled that Sourcebook publishers discovered author Eliza Knight’s amazing talent! As I found her myself ten years ago as an independent author at a New Jersey Romance Writers of American book signing. Eliza was very kind and gracious and was the first independent book I ever read. I fell in love with every book and character after that, as she became one of my most favorite authors. As she writes romantic and awe-inspiring stories about strong, braw, swoon-worthy heroes, and their beautiful, independent, brave, warrior, heroines. It has been an absolute delight and pleasure to get swept up in these powerful reads! As I can’t wait for the next installment in this “Prince Charlie’s Angels” series that I absolutely love!


This book is absolutely phenomenal as it checks all the boxes that historical romance readers love! If you are like me and love true historic figures in your fictional romance novels, then you will definitely love this book! Even Jenny and her two best friends Annie and Fiona are based on three important women in Scottish history, Lady Anne ( Farquharson) Mackintosh, Jenny Cameron and Lady Margaret Ogilvy. Of course this is all the author’s fictional story but it’s my favorite ingredients in a historical romance novel too. It just makes it that much more fun. Now you can read this as a stand alone book, but for me it makes me look forward to future stories in this powerful series. 


The setting was absolutely unbelievable and perfect. The multi dimensional characters were absolutely brilliant. Even the clever secondary characters like Dirk was brilliant. I do hope this special cousin gets his own book in the future, as I really enjoyed him. The dialogue was fabulous and the many plots had my heart racing and gasping for air! I could never tell what was going to happen next with so many twists and turns in this magnificent book, a total nail biter in my opinion! 


“The Rebel Wears Plaid”  is a riveting, page turning, romantic suspense, mystery and adventure. It is also a historical journey that readers will absolutely love. It is filled with all the elements historical romance readers enjoy. From betrayal, disloyalty , politics, torture, murder, hatred, war, battle, death, treachery, deceiver, forgiveness, trust, faith and of course love. It is the type of book you will want to read again and again. A definite shelf keeper and future best seller in my opinion.


“The Rebel Wears Plaid” by Eliza Knight is one of my favorite reads for 2020! I absolutely and unequivocally loved this book so much! I can’t recommend it enough!


Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy and an advance reader copy from the publisher. I voluntarily agreed to do a fair review and blog through netgalley. All thoughts, ideas and words are my own.



BUY LINKS:

Amazon: http://bit.ly/RebelWearsPlaid



B&N: http://bit.ly/EKRebel



Apple: http://bit.ly/EKRebelWearsPlaid



Audible: http://bit.ly/ListentoRebel



Kobo: https://bit.ly/KoboRebel