Highland Sword is a spectacular historical romance by May McGoldrick. Ms. McGoldrick has once again produced a well-written book populated with an outstanding cast of characters. Morrigan is wanted but continues to do what she thinks is best, often putting herself in danger. Aidan is a barrister and will be defending 2 innocent men. Morrigan and Aidan share a secret. Their story is packed with drama, humor, sizzle, action and suspense. I loved this book from cover to cover and look forward to my next book by May McGoldrick. Highland Sword is book 3 of the Royal Highlander Series and reading books 1 & 2 would help you understand the back-story, it can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Uprooted from her home after her father's murder, Morrigan has fled to the Highlands. There, with her step-mother, step-sister, and their husbands, they continue to fight to get out from under the yoke of the English.

Aidan has soldiered for England and now as a barrister, he fights to bring justice to his fellow Highlanders. With his brother at his side, he works to establish rule of law in this turbulent time.

Politics, entrapment, spying, blackmail, and love come alive in the highlands.

Her insides burned with sadness, and rage.

Highland Sword is third in the Royal Highland series and would work best read after the first two. The connecting thread in the series is Cinaed Mackintosh (Highland Crown), he is the secret son of Queen Caroline and looked upon by rebel Scots as to be the true king and savior of Scotland against the harsh treatment of England. In book one, Cinaed marries Morrigan's step-mother and thus begins her connection to the plot thread. The beginning of this and a lot of the story focuses on the turmoil of Scotland at the time. Morrigan's father was killed in a raid where rebels were thought to be meeting. The authors center the misdeeds of the English on the character Sir Rupert Burney to help draw a clear picture of what was happening at the time. Sir Rupert appears in all three books and works as a spy master for the Home Office and abuses his power by blackmailing and orchestrating entrapments.

Her feelings for Aidan Grant were beginning to confuse her. She wanted some distance from him, but at the same time she enjoyed having him near. She was attracted and yet still afraid. Not afraid. Cautious.

Our hero comes into the picture as he is chasing down a man he thinks has worked for the Home Office and Sir Rupert and can give testimony against them, therefore saving his current clients from the noose. The man, Robert Sparrow, ends up being Morrigan's uncle and the source of a childhood trauma, he raped her when she was twelve years old. After a scuffle in an alleyway, Aidan and Morrigan meet and Aidan is intrigued by this woman who gave him a black eye. When Sparrow is moved to the castle Morrigan is staying at, he's dying of cancer, she is forced to confront her past.

The political climate and historical setting is done very well, you're going to have to enjoy stories leaning heavier on the historical part of historical romance. I loved the character of Aidan and how calm, strong, and easy he was with Morrigan. Unfortunately, we don't get a lot of him and the political threads did steal away from their romance; they just didn't spend enough time together for me. Aidan was constantly on the move trying to build his case for his clients and Morrigan was stretched thin herself. While Aidan was working to defeat Sir Rupert in the courts, Morrigan finds allies and turns a blackmail situation against her to her favor.

With one sweep of his hand, he cleared the desk. Books and papers crashed fluttered to the floor. He lifted her onto the edge.

The emotions between the two were felt, even though their time on page was too fleeting and left me wanting more. Morrigan's struggle with facing her past was dealt well in that it wasn't the center point of her character, it shaped her but didn't define her and I wish such villains were done more in this way. Her thoughts and feelings regarding not wanting to burden her family with knowledge of her pain and not be a detriment to Aidan's budding political career provided some deep emotional moments. There was a lot being said in this series, governments utilizing the law and courts in underhanded ways was the main message in this one, and I appreciated the historical details and weaving of real people, places, and events. This had an exceptional hero who I wish had more time to shine with the heroine as their relationship was sweet and flaring at times. If looking for a historical series that will give you plenty to go off and learn about on your own, Royal Highland does that, along with compelling and loving heroes and heroines.

His entire body became aware of her awareness. He'd thought her beautiful from the first moment he saw her in Inverness. But she had an aloofness that made her mysterious, an untamed fierceness that he found fascinating. Being near her was like standing by a loch at the onset of a summer storm. He wanted to be swept away.

Welcoming March in with a green cover and Guinness dessert

Highland Sword by May McGoldrick pre-order link (Mar 31)

Baileys Dark Chocolate Guinness Bread recipe

The icing packs quite the punch! This was delicious and left just enough Guinness leftover to wet my whistle :)

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

“Cinaed Mackintosh is my sister Isabella’s husband. I can’t let you do it. I’ll not let you kill him.”

Highland Jewel is the second in the Royal Highlanders series that follows three women. In the first, readers learn that Isabella's husband was killed by British soldiers as they ransacked their house thinking it was a den of traitors. While the first is more of an after the fact, this story brings us back to the beginning and follows Isabella's sister Maisie. We learn about the build up to the impetus that led to the three women (the daughter of Isabella's husband) having to run for their lives. While I wouldn't say it would be absolutely necessary to read the first before this one, like I said, this story gives us the background story glossed over in the first, having knowledge about Cinaed (Isabella's love interest) would certainly help as the connecting thread between the series is not only the women's connection but the tumultuous time period in Scotland and how Cinaed is tied up in it.

Lieutenant Campbell was far too bossy and interfering for her to harbor any illusions about.

Niall is the brother of Maisie's bestfriend Fiona and comes into the picture as he rescues Maisie during a public protest that gets broken up by British soldiers. Niall was a solider in the Black Watch, so Maisie is distrustful of him at first but Niall does a sweet job of breaking down her walls. He listens to her and admires her will and mind, which her family has no idea about as they just look upon her as a pretty empty headed girl. I was a little confused by Maisie and Isabella's relationship as I thought they read to be closer in the first but here we see them as pretty distant and not knowing one another at all. Maisie purposefully keeping her actions, like starting a chapter of the Female Reform Society, from Isabella didn't competently feel true to me. As Fiona becomes the catalyst for angst between Niall and Maisie and they are kept apart, I missed that friendship, too.

The back of their hands brushed. Her fingers were cold, his hand was warm . She wondered what it would feel like to entwine her fingers with his, to absorb the heat.

The majority of the story takes place in the past, with going back to explain how Maisie is at the place she is and why she distrusts Niall. Around the 60% mark is where the story catches up and we get to the present time. I liked this as it helped fill in a lot questions I had and we get to actually see Maisie and Niall fall in love. However, I did think the romance took somewhat of a backseat to the political drama going on. The authors do such a great job melding true history with their fictional story. The intrigue with Cinaed, the Scots wanting freedom, spy rings, and a Queen, were absorbing. The placement and tie-ins with the three women are very well done and although you have to pay attention and keep some characters straight in your mind, I thought how everything and everyone was brought together was inspired.

He stared into her face, and for the first time, Maisie felt like he was seeing her, who she really was. Not the outer shell of a young and reasonably pretty woman. And she saw him too. Niall Campbell was a man who wasn’t intimidated by talk of equality or of women fighting for their rightful place in society.

This series is shaping up to remind me of Grace Burrowes' Captive Hearts and Marsha Canham's Highland, the historical intrigue can eclipse the romance at times but it's interesting and still highlighted with sweet and sexy moments. I can't wait for Morrigan's story, the daughter of Isabella's husband, and to read about her hardened heart captured by a hero.

What duty did a man owe to a king and a government that had forgotten the people, he thought. Not only forgotten. Conspired against, stealing their rights under the pretense that their actions were for the good of all.