Collette Cameron

I thoroughly enjoyed Ronan’s and Mercy’s sweet and uplifting romance. All of the characters are lovely and certainly not what you’d normally expect from members of the aristocracy. Well – most of them aren’t what you’d expect – but three of them could probably fall in a hole and not be missed.

Miss Mercy Feathers was raised in Haven House and Academy for the Enrichment of Young Women where she learned all of the skills needed to be a governess. For the last five years, Mercy has show more been the governess of two beautiful young girls, Arabelle and Bellamy. Her employer, Lieutenant Lewis Masterson, is a loving father and a considerate employer – but he’s just passed away from lung fever. Things are very tense within their home because the lawyer has released no monies for the running of the household and the girls’ new guardian hasn’t bothered to show up after eight weeks. Mercy has spent all of her own savings trying to keep them all fed – but that is now gone as well. What will they do?

Lord Ronan Brockman certainly got a shock when he returned home from America to find that his friend had died – and Ronan was now the guardian of two very young girls. After a visit from a sleazy lawyer, and sordid tales told by a local barmaid, Ronan doesn’t have any idea what to expect when he arrives at the home of his new charges. Can this governess be the kind of slattern the lawyer and barmaid make her out to be?

Ronan and Mercy certainly get off to a very rocky start and neither of them knows what to expect from the other – or if they even like the other. They each know, however, that each of them cares very much about the girls and what happens to them. Can they learn to abide each other in order to care for the girls?

It was so enjoyable to watch Ronan and Mercy come to care for each other, and I also enjoyed learning of Mercy’s past and the wonderful melding of two loving families. What I didn’t love – though it had no bearing on the romance nor my rating of the story – was the financial situation of Lieutenant Masterson. I liked him very much and that situation seemed to diminish him personally. Since it had little, if any, real bearing on the story, I would have preferred to see that be something a bit different.

I hope you’ll read and enjoy this book as much as I did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. show less

This is a tale of romance, but it is also a tale of two men, from two different generations, who have/had revenge and retribution as their goal – no matter who else it might hurt or the long-term damage it might do. One sought revenge because of a personal hurt and one sought revenge for a hurt done decades earlier. Actually, it is probably three men’s revenge, but one is dead and his evil deeds still haunt those he touched.

Gabriella Breckensole has encountered Maxwell Woolbright, the show more eighth Duke of Pennington a number of times out in society and likes him very well – maybe she even has a bit of a tendre for him. Well, she did have a tendre for him until she accidentally overheard him vowing to take her family home and ruin her beloved grandfather. He spoke of some awful hurt her grandfather had done to his family, but she didn’t hear what. Not her sweet curmudgeon of a grandfather! After that, she wants no part of the duke no matter how many times he approaches her. Can’t he just take a very plainly worded NO for an answer? Apparently not.

Gabriella and her twin sister Ophelia were orphaned when they were five and have lived with their grandparents at Hartfordshire Court for the last fifteen years. They’ve never had a lot, but they’ve had all they need – including two people who love them dearly. Though she has always wondered why her grandparents never leave the estate or why they have never made any friends, she always just assumed they were solitary individuals who were just happier at home. Then, she heard the duke vowing revenge and couldn’t help but wonder …

Maxwell had the unhappiest of childhoods. Nobody has ever, in his entire life, told him that they loved him. He’s had no comforting embraces, no smiles, no kindnesses. According to him, he comes from a long line of unfeeling bastards. So, as their offspring, he’s sure that he is as cold as his ancestors and surely isn’t capable of love. His grandfather was a drunken, opium-addicted tyrant who took his own life and his father was a pox-ridden drunk and Max never understood why. Then, he found his grandfather’s diary a few months ago and it all fell into place – he understood – and he would have his revenge against Harold Breckensole for causing the deaths of his grandmother, his grandfather, his father, and his unborn aunt/uncle.

This is an exciting, well-written, fast-paced read and therefore I’ve given it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4-stars. That said – it is a story of revenge and they are my least favorite trope. I always have to wonder how any honorable person’s first thought for revenge can be to plot the demise of someone who is totally innocent and had no part in or knowledge of the events. It doesn’t matter if the revenge seeker (male or female) has a grand epiphany and changes their mind – even if they make a great sacrifice – their first thought was to harm a totally innocent person. In this case, the revenge seeker was a powerful duke with all of the resources and money in the world at his disposal. Why wouldn’t he seek a legal resolution or why not confront the individual against whom he wanted revenge? Anyway – I rated the book on the writing, pace, etc. and not whether I personally liked the trope.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. show less

To Love a Highland Rogue (Heart of a Scot Book 1) by Collette Cameron, is a novella, and a quick read, but Ms. Cameron manages to bring these characters and story to life, through the pages of a great read. With witty banter, an arranged marriage, a gelding with attitude, a scheme that back fires, one must remain married to keep their inheritance, and romance, makes for some entertaining reading.
I love Collette Cameron's writing style, her detail descriptions, her engaging characters and show more her humor, just adds a touch of live's reality.
I enjoyed watching these characters realize there is passion, love, and finding a HEA, even in an arranged marriage. Another must have read in what promises to be an entertaining new series. Fantastic read!!

Rating: 5
Heat rating: Mild
Reviewed by: AprilR show less

I thoroughly enjoy this author’s books. Her characters are always delightful, the writing is excellent, well-paced, and well-delivered, and the witty banter always leaves you wanting more. In this book, we have those delightful characters in the form of Miss Ophelia Breckensole and Stanford Bancroft, the Duke of Asherford. They may seem a most unlikely pair, but it seems opposites really do attract – OR – are they really opposites?

Stanford is known as the Dangerous Duke because of the show more methods he used to turn the fortunes of his duchy around. He had few options when he inherited the run-down, pockets-to-let title at the age of fourteen. With hard work, courage, determination, and sheer intelligence, he did what most grown men could not – he turned the duchy around and made one of the richest and most powerful ones in the realm. He did all of that by the time he was twenty-five. Many thought he was ruthless, but he had to use the tools at hand and he never, ever, forced anyone to wager. He did, however, expect those who wagered and lost to pay their debts. Strangely, some of those whose debts he collected didn’t think they should be required to pay.

Ophelia Breckensole is a bright light who brings smiles and happiness wherever she goes. She’s good-natured, kind, and loving – and is absolutely aghast when that pompous, cold, hard-hearted, self-centered, dour, Duke of Asherford tells her they should wed. He doesn’t ask her; he just tells her they would suit and then lists all of the reasons she’d make an excellent duchess. He doesn’t even make a rudimentary attempt at wooing. Well – her answer, of course, is a resounding NO! When he persists, she promptly tells him he doesn’t always get what he wants. He just smiles and lets her know that, yes, he does.

When fate decides to step in and lend a hand, Stanford is happy about it – but not happy about it. He’s happy Ophelia will become his Duchess, but he doesn’t want her to feel forced into marrying him. He doesn’t see much choice for her because it is either ruination or marriage – but he still wants her to be able to choose.

It was lovely to watch these two get to know each other and come to love each other. I’m sure Stanford was already in love, he just didn’t know it yet, but Ophelia had always disliked Stanford, so it took a bit for her to have a grand epiphany. As she came to care for him, she realized her heart – “Well, the silly, gullible organ fluttered like an inebriated moth when he directed his full charm toward her.”

I can definitely recommend this book and will probably read it again in a few months. Not only are Ophelia and Stanford delightful, but he had lovely visits with characters from both previous and future books in the series. I hope you’ll enjoy this book as much as I did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. show less