I like Barbara Bard, I really do but this book is as dry as the Sahara desert, definitely one of her worst that I have read.

There is nothing to connect to and no characters to really care about, motives make no sense and people change just because the plot needs them to, without any growth or logic behind it.

(*examples given below might be SPOILERS*)

The storyline. If I just write it in a few short points, nothing looks amiss but then you read the book and you see nothing actually connects the plot threads and there is no logic behind things happening and everything happens just to connect one point to another disregarding any common sense known to humans.
Example: So this kidnapped woman who was taken deep into Scotland allegedly writes home to telltale about the weakness in the defence of this estate and her father receives the letter and rides of to see the king to get support and gets back home with it and manages to go rescue his daughter in the span of three days and he somehow manages this great feat and since the highlanders were surprised and unprepared they weren't really defending and instead of the English (remember, the King's troops are also there) invading and fully defeating them after their Laird has been beaten to a bloody pulp in front of everyone (and they don't kill him for some reason), no, they just get this insignificant woman and leave. Ah, yes, makes sense (notice the irony).

The characters. What a bunch of dry stale cookie cutter characters. They are not believable, they are not like real humans, we do not connect to them, they are just cardboard printouts to stand there as the so called plot happens around them. I have no idea how this good author have managed to spit out such bland idiotic pieces of s... *coughs... let's be civil here. How she managed to produce these, these ehm... characters in name only. There is nothing about them that makes them believable, it's horrible. They are awful people and only act a certain way when the plot needs them to.
Example 1: Gabby, the main female character, is supposed to be some kind of a progressive thinker in the area where she lives but then people tell her that Highlanders drink blood and eat human flesh and she believes it fully without a second thought. Or she is supposed to be a strong woman who was kidnapped and forced into marriage but then resists and all we see how upset she is that the husband doesn't immediately boink her right there and then.
Example 2: Callum, the main male character, is supposed to be this scarred wounded Highlander whose love died some years back and his world crushed then and he was left a shell of a man and then we see he immediately boinked the dead woman's best friend and kept on boinking her until this English woman disrupted his life somewhat. Such an upstanding good man that is. Totally don't want him to die a horrible death, nope, totally not.
Example 3: Callum's father needs his son to marry so he will secure his future Laird position and it has to be done immediately for some inexplicable reason and so instead of him trying to find him a Highlander woman and takes a bit more time, he just raids an English estate and kidnaps a woman there and thinks that is a good idea. How is that logical to begin with? When bunch of things just make no sense to begin with, how am I supposed to care about any of it?

Characters continuously do a 180 turn whenever the plot calls for it and it's painfully aggravating.
Example 1: Gabby's fiance whom she was supposed to marry (forcefully as well) was her childhood friend whom she saw as a brother. He wanted her and pushed himself on her much worse than the Highlander later on. He did not want to listen to one word she said, no objection or complaint. When Gabby is kidnapped and taken he told her she must be glad she is being kidnapped to get her adventure and laughs evilly. When she is mistakenly brought back, he pushes himself on her again and basically forces her to marry him, again. And then on the wedding day when she is already there somewhat willing, he does a 180 and just says that there are people outside who will escort her back to Scotland. What the actual f*ck? He did not develop as a character in the meantime and nothing happened to him to change his awful almost-rapey behaviour from before. He just becomes a saint so she can be delivered back to her husband.
Example 2: Callum does not give two s$its about Gabby when she is married to him, he even goes to be with his mistress (the dead fiancees best friend if you remember), and tells to Gabby that it is normal for men to have mistresses and he can do as he pleases, then he suddenly loves her a chapter later. Ah yes... love at a hundredth sight that must be.

I could go on and on like this for the whole night. Characters do things just because the plot needs them to. There is nothing to them, they are hollow, empty, non-existent.

There are so many plot points that lead to nothing and waste time that keep coming back to me as I write that I still don't understand how is this possible coming from the great Barbara Bard. Absolutely dumbfounding.

Skip if you can, if you must read it then be prepared to be extremely annoyed. I am not giving it a 1* because it is still written better than some other things I have read, looking more from a technical standpoint but there are really no good points I could now think of and point out. I am just so disappointed and... well... unhappy.

Wild Wicked Highlanders #2, I'm so glad I didn't miss out on reading this one. I loved this book it's one that had me smiling at the end of it, it made me happy. It was well written and it pulls you in completely; from her details to the sprinkling of Scots Gaelic it's very immersive. The story is about three Highland brothers who were forced to come to London and find English brides before their little sister marries or else lose the family fortune. Which means they can't afford the upkeep of the estate or their lands and tenants. One brother has already fallen in love and married now it's the second brother's turn to fall.

Miranda Harris hates gambling and gamblers. The first thing she heard about Aden MacTaggert was that he was a wagering man and a good one, she takes an instant dislike to him even before she meets him. Then when she finally meets her brother's soon to be brother-in-law he was too good looking for his own good and she hated that she felt an attraction and he had just rescued a stray dog; she would not let herself feel such things for him so she was deliberately mean to him. Unfortunately, it backfired, Aden was intrigued by the green-eyed beauty who seemed to make a rather harsh judgement about him.

Miranda soon finds out her brother is really lousy at gambling and a really easy mark, he loses way more than he could ever pay back to a Captain Vale. Instead of taking the money and completely ruining the family the debt will be paid when Miranda marries the captain. Miranda is livid she in no way will accept her fate of being married to such a villain she does the only thing she can think of she asks Aden for help. Aden doesn't make it easy for her but he does give in and help. Part of his plan is to court her to irk the captain and take his attention away from Miranda and on to Aden and because he's serious about courting her. The more Miranda spends with Aden the more she sees he's not the villain gambler like she thought, he's a good man, a smart man, a man she could see herself with forever assuming Aden can get her out of this mess. Lucky for her Aden is smart much more so than the captain.

Overall, I thought this was such a great book, I loved how everything played out. I am really looking forward to Coll's book, the bigger they are the harder they fall. I love that one by one the brothers stop seeing their mother as a bad person and while they aren't happy with what she did they are willing to forgive her so far all except Coll.   

Clan Kendrick #2, This series is a spin-off of Vanessa Kelly's Improper Princesses series which was a spin-off of her Renegade Royals series this can be read as a stand alone, all the pertinent information is given in a way that works as a nice reminder for those of us who have read it. Donella was first introduced in book 4 of the Renegade Royals book, again you don't have to read it in fact if you haven't read it it gives it a bit more mystery.

After the events of her broken engagement three years ago Donella converted to Catholic and joined a convent but now, days away from taking her vows Reverend Mother is kicking her out. Logan trying to gain favor with the Earl of Riddick agrees to escort his grandniece home. Donella was nothing that he expected he was delighted with her sense of humor and her courage especially when faced with an attempted kidnapping and roughing it in the wild to escape. Even after the parted and Donella was safely home with her family Logan couldn't stop thinking about her, even with the surprise of his son showing up in Scotland with his Grandfather Angus when he should still be in Canada. Donella wants to go right back and join another convent but Riddick gets her to agree to wait six months and try to have fun before she makes any decisions. She even agrees to plan a Christmas party for Alec and Eden at their Glasgow townhouse. Eden and Alec send her down first until they can join her in the meantime she is to stay at the Kendrick home bringing her in close proximity to Logan. The threat to Donella hasn't quite gone away they just change tactics and start horrible rumors despite how she is feeling for Logan and his son she feels it best to become a nun. It's Logan's job to convince her otherwise. 

Overall, it was a great read. One thing I love about Vanessa Kelly's writing, not just her great storyline and fantastic characters, she's able to convey the feel of the time period and it's not just all the typical brogue (I'd be disappointed if a book took place in Scotland and didn't have any) but everything in general, celebrating both Christmas and Hogmanay. I enjoyed Logan and Donella story especially what they did at the end. I love all the Kendricks I look forward to the next one.   

She’s been beaten and abused by her cruel brothers and her only escape was the imaginary world of the tapestry she created, one that features her brothers’ sworn enemies. They thought that the chances of them finding a bride was slim until they stumble upon a beautiful young woman wandering on their land. Genita is torn about revealing her true identity. Jarmon and Garrick sense that she is harboring a dark secret. As their erotic adventure captures Genita’s heart, she knows they’ll face a battle more fearsome than any they’ve fought before.

The Tapestry romance is an emotionally gripping, suspenseful and scorching hot read that captures readers’ hearts. The chemistry is sizzling and the passion explodes with fiery heat as this strong, sexy and daring characters overcome the past and dare to hope for the future and readers can’t help but become emotionally ensnared by all the turbulent emotions that surrounds Jarmon, Garrick and Genita throughout this romance. The story speaks of abuse, battle violence and the resulting scars both physical and mental that the characters have experienced but also inspires readers with the characters ability to overcome their past.

The plot is fast paced and full of suspense as readers wait to find out what will happen first when Genita reveals her identity to the Bakra brothers and then when the Craddock brothers catch up to them. Although on the short side, this is one sinfully delicious ménage romance that sets readers fantasies on fire.

Elizabeth St. Claire has always been hard to please. Dreaming solely of Highlander men her whole life, no prancing London Lord can stand a chance at winning her heart...But perhaps a Scotsman can. Elizabeth watches intrigued as the Highlander of her dreams, a Scotsman named Hamish Robb, arrives to oversee her season at the behest of her cousin, the Duke of Caithness. Elizabeth doesn’t hide her feelings for the striking Scot. But Hamish, determined to obey his order to protect the St. Claire sisters, steadfastly rejects her every seducing lure.

Believing that the debutante Elizabeth deserves a better, wealthier man, Hamish continues to turn away from her affection, even though he doesn’t exactly want to. Can this Highlander Scot resist the tempting seductress’ attempts to win his heart?

I really enjoyed this story. I loved all of the characters. I loved following Elizabeth and Hamish and their journey throughout the story. I highly recommend.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book