Sophie Reads YA: Suzanne Enoch

Waiting on Wednesday: Something in the Heir by Suzanne Enoch

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2021 New Release challenge

ARC Review: Hit Me With Your Best Scot (Wild Wicked Highlanders #3) by Suzanne Enoch

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Hit Me With Your Best Scot
Series: Wild Wicked Highlanders #3
Author: Suzanne Enoch
Published February 9th 2021 by St. Martin's Press

Goodreads Synopsis
The MacTaggert brothers have one task:
Find English brides or lose their land!

Coll MacTaggert, Viscount Glendarril, is a big, brawny Highlander who doesn’t like being told what to do—not even by his exasperated English mother who is determined to see her eldest son wedded and bedded. However, when he comes to the rescue of an irresistibly beautiful woman, Coll discovers that he may have found his perfect match…

The challenge isn’t that Persephone Jones is famous, wealthy, independent, and smarter than anyone he knows. The problem is that she is not interested in marrying any man---especially not a hot-headed Scot—even if he is the only man who seems to understand who she really is even when she’s not sure herself. When Coll learns that Persephone is actually a lady-in-hiding and someone is willing to kill her for what she stands to inherit…Well, Coll has never been one to turn down a fight. When hearts are involved, nothing comes between a Highlander and his lady.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

In the final Wild Wicked Highlanders book, the eldest MacTaggert brother, Coll, Viscount Glendarril, finds himself falling for the one woman who his family can't imagine he would marry. Because of his mother's ultimatum, he only has 8 weeks to find a bride, and wed her, or face losing the money that his family's estate relies on. Meeting Mrs Persephone Jones, the famous actress, is a surprise, as is the feelings he has for her. When it's revealed that someone is out to hurt her, or worse, Coll takes it upon himself to protect her, and working together, they try to discover just who the culprit is. But, Persephone is hiding her past, and it might just come back to haunt her.

I've been waiting for Coll's story ever since we met him in It's Getting Scot in Here. He is the one who is most vehemently against Francesca's machinations, and the whole idea of marrying an Englishwoman is abhorrent to him. Being 12 when Francesca left them, he can remember her the most, and was the most hurt by the abandonment - exacerbated even more so by her never writing/ignoring his letters. Now pushing 30, he doesn't want to forgive her, and will do just about anything to stop her plans, even hiding backstage in a theatre after she brings two debutantes for him to meet. Here he meets Persephone, and as oblivious as he is to the way things are done in London, he knows that telling his mother her plans to marry her just may be a step too far, and may give him a slight reprieve. I really liked Coll's character, and the way we saw his hurt and vulnerability, hiding beneath a gruff Highlander exterior. He truly cared for his loved ones, even Francesca, and wanted to protect Persephone, no matter what, once he heard her tale. For Persephone herself, she's been alone for years, but her reputation as a renowned actress open her up to admirers, and some who can't separate her from her characters. She's hiding her past - something which I had sort of guessed at before it was truly revealed - and doesn't like asking for help, or opening herself up to vulnerabilities. In a way, she was the perfect match for Coll, and they both grew as individuals and a couple over the course of the book. Seeing their relationship play out from lust, to love, against all the odds, was wonderful, as was seeing the whole MacTaggert clan - including father Angus - together again. The only thing I felt this book was missing was an epilogue, because I wish we had seen Eloise and Coll's weddings take place, and perhaps a look in the future to how the four siblings, and their families, were doing. Even without this, though, it was still a fantastic book.

Dates Read:
January 24-26, 2021

Rating
4 Stars

2020 New Release challenge

Review: Scot Under the Covers (Wild Wicked Highlanders #2) by Suzanne Enoch

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Scot Under the Covers
Series: Wild Wicked Highlanders #2
Author: Suzanne Enoch
Published January 28th 2020 by St. Martin's Press

Goodreads Synopsis
When a resourceful English lady and a hot-blooded Highlander join forces to trick a scoundrel, every rule will be broken!

Miranda Harris is known for her charm, wit, and ability to solve any problem she encounters. But when her brother lands neck-deep in gambling debt to a crafty villain and Miranda is subsequently blackmailed into marrying him, she must enlist the help of the devil himself to save the family honor―and herself.

Devilishly handsome Highlander Aden MacTaggert knows next to nothing about the ways of the ton, but he most certainly knows his way around gaming halls and womens’ hearts. Still, Aden is not sure how he’ll manage to find a Sassenach bride in time to save his family’s inheritance. When his almost sister-in-law Miranda comes to him for assistance, he proposes a partnership: She will help him navigate London society and he’ll teach her everything about wagering…and winning back her freedom. The beautiful, clever lass intrigues Aden―but is she playing her own game, or are the sparks between them real? He is accustomed to risking his pocket. But betting on Miranda’s love is a game he can’t afford to lose. . .
Goodreads

Review
In Scot Under the Covers, the middle MacTaggert brother, Aden, finds his bride in Miranda Harris. The sister of his future brother in law, they meet at society events, and it's clear she's smart, intelligent, and witty - and that she hates Aden for his gambling ways. Soon, however, she finds herself being blackmailed into marriage to the wicked Captain Vale, who her brother Matthew owes £50,000, and the only way to stop him, is to outmanoeuvre him, and Aden is the only person capable of helping her. To get Aden to help, she agrees to help him navigate his place in London society, hopefully finding him a wife - though he knows that it's Miranda he wants. As it becomes more obvious that Vale will not be easy to take down, and more than just money is at stake, will Aden and Miranda succeed in defeating him?

I think I preferred this book to It's Getting Scot in Here, simply because of the banter and chemistry between Aden and Miranda. It has a sort of enemies to lovers feeling, though it was only really Miranda who disliked Aden, and just because of his reputation as a gambler - when her uncle lost everything through gambling. She's more intelligent than Matthew, her brother, who has forced her to be in this situation, and she could have been able to find a way out of it herself, if not for how determined and cunning Vale was. Vale had planned the destruction of many of society to get his way into Miranda's bed, and married to a well respected lady in society. Only by working with Aden, she might just have any chance of defeating him, but it will be difficult. They had perfect chemistry together, and it was amazing to see them fall head over heels. I also loved seeing the MacTaggert family come together like they did, and reconnect more and more. Now all we have is to see Coll find his wife, and hopefully mend his relationship with Francesca - which is clearly the most shattered.

Dates Read:
December 6-8, 2020

Rating
4 Stars

2020 Beat the Backlist challenge

Review: It's Getting Scot in Here (Wild Wicked Highlanders #1) by Suzanne Enoch

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It's Getting Scot in Here
Series: Wild Wicked Highlanders #1
Author: Suzanne Enoch
Published February 26th 2019 by St. Martin's Press

Goodreads Synopsis
HAPPILY-EVER-AFTER
London socialite Amelia-Rose Baxter is nobody’s fool. Her parents may want her to catch a title, but she will never change who she is for the promise of marriage. Her husband will be a man who can appreciate her sharp mind as well as her body. A sophisticated man who loves life in London. A man who considers her his equal―and won’t try to tame her wild heart...

IN THE HIGHLANDS
Rough, rugged Highlander Niall MacTaggert and his brothers know the rules: the eldest must marry or lose the ancestral estate, period. But Niall’s eldest brother just isn’t interested in the lady his mother selected. Is it because Amelia-Rose is just too. . . Free-spirited? Yes. Brazen? Aye. Surely Niall can find a way to soften up the whip-smart lass and make her the perfect match for his brother for the sake of the family.

JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT HOTTER.
Instead it’s Niall who tempts Amelia-Rose, despite her reservations about barbarian Highlanders. Niall finds the lass nigh irresistible as well, but he won’t make the mistake his father did in marrying an Englishwoman who doesn’t like the Highlands. Does he have what it takes to win her heart? There is only one way to find out...
Goodreads

Review
For the three MacTaggert brothers, they adore their home in the Highlands, and hate their mother for fleeing when they were children, with their younger sister, and returning to London. Now grown, it's revealed that they all must marry, and marry English women, in order to save the family estate, before 18 year old Eloise does. Travelling to London to meet their mother, and the woman she's decided Coll must marry, Niall finds himself shocked to be falling for the quick-witted Amelia-Rose Baxter, who is intended for his brother. Amelia-Rose knows her family want her to marry a title, and they don't care about her feelings on the match, but when it's obvious that Coll is avoiding her, and sending Niall in his place, the attraction between the two soon makes it harder for Niall to stand by his refusal to marry a Sassenach woman.

I've seen these books around, and when I was approved for the third book, I decided to order copies of books 1 and 2, to binge the entire series. Because their mother held all the purse strings, they had to please Francesca, but they never expected that they would be forced to marry an English woman. All three of the brothers hated the idea of heading down to London, and entering the ton. As much as this was a romance, it's also a family book too. All three brothers year young when Francesca left with one year old Eloise, and they were hurt so much about the abandonment. For Niall, he was only 7/8, and he wanted to love his mam, but also hated her at the same time. We can see the growth and rebuilding of the family, and of Eloise meeting her brothers, and I can't wait to see that developed further in the other books.

I found the relationship in this book so lovely to read. At the first meeting between Amelia-Rose and Niall's family, she was meant to be spending time with Coll, who she was all but engaged to, but Coll disappeared and Niall was left to entertain Amelia-Rose. This happened again and again, and Niall soon wasn't spending time with Amelia-Rose on Coll's behalf, but rather because he loved spending time with her, and wanted to be with her as much as possible. He was so caring for her too. They both knew Amelia-Rose didn't agree with the marriage, and Niall wanted to give her the option and agency in her life that she had been denied. Both the hero and heroine were lovable, and it was easy to ship them from their first interactions. I loved how they grew as a couple, and as individuals. I do hope we see more of them in future books too.

Dates Read:
December 3-5, 2020

Rating
4 Stars