Twelve Nights by Hope Tarr

Good romance, bad research
3 stars

Ever since his betrothal to the lovely Alys, seven months before, Callum has yearned to have her in his bed. But Alys wants to be sure that they are meant for each other by waiting until they are wed before being together.

So as a present to his Christmastime bride, Callum plans for 12 nights of sinful decadence as soon as they pair are married. But secrets from the past have a way of finding people and changing what the future may hold for the pair.


This book follows on from Bound to Please, another Harlequin Blaze Historical that focuses on Callum’s twin brother, Ewan. All the characters appear to have featured in the first novel and make an appearance in this one but you don’t have to have read the first to totally understand the story or characters in this.

I’ll start off with the good… Both Alys and Callum were likeable and realistic characters. Callum was strong but with a real weakness for Alys and Alys, a girl with a past, was still relatable and someone to root for. The pair had good chemistry and a very real love for each other even if the sex scenes weren’t particularly hot or plentiful.

The plot was interesting and kept me interested and I really did enjoy Father Fearghas’s journey and the things he encountered.

Now onto the bad.,, This book is set in Scotland in the 1400s but I was constantly thumping my head against the table while reading the book as the language, spelling and context of the words used was abominable. The characters “spoke” in an accent I’ve never heard anyone of the islands (or anywhere else in Scotland) speak and with words that I’ve never heard of and it was cringeworthy in the extreme. It’s like the author thought to throw in a few “ochs”, “ayes” and “the noos” and she’s got herself a Scottish novel. I’m not expecting complete historical accuracy but a little research really wouldn’t go amiss. Just because people say a word differently doesn’t mean you have to spell them all differently! And some actually have proper spellings which the author completely disregards. Add to that the smattering of Americanisms and I was constantly jarred from the novel as I was reading.

I feel like I’m being extremely generous in giving this book 3 stars when I had so many bad things to say about it. However, I have to say that I liked the story, had no problem finishing it and that’s despite all the flaws which is saying something! I’ll admit that perhaps I shouldn’t read novels set in Scotland as something invariably annoys me. If you’re like me then perhaps I would pass on this book but if you’re not bothered by things like that then I would recommend this book to you. The story’s good and you can escape for a couple of hours.

Scot on the Rocks by Brenda Janowitz

Enjoyable, light read

3 stars

New York attorney, Brooke Miller, is in a bit of a bind. She’s just been invited to her ex-boyfriend’s wedding to Hollywood’s latest It Girl and she’s agreed to go. It won’t be too bad as she’ll have her gorgeous boyfriend, sexy Scot Douglas, to keep her company.

Only Douglas decides to dump her just days before the wedding. Rather than face the humiliation of attending her ex’s wedding along she enlists her best friend Jack to fill in as her boyfriend complete with kilt and Scottish accent. All she wants is to get through the wedding with her dignity ever-so-slightly intact. But even that might be a bit of a stretch with all the chaos that’s about to ensue.

This book is written in first person as if you are a friend of the main character and she’s chatting away to you. It took me a while to get into this style and, if I’m honest, sometimes it was like listening to a bubbly friend that never shuts up, which got a little irritating at points.

The book did warm up towards the middle and I really started to get into it. It would be hard not to like the character of Brooke as she is fun, silly and likeable. I also really liked Jack and the relationship he had with Brooke. While being more chick-lit than romance, there was still enough romance to keep me happy.

The book was amusing although I didn’t find it laugh out loud funny. There were things that got a bit old (like the constant ‘kilt is skirt’ thing!) but at least we didn’t have to suffer any cringe-worthy attempts at Scottish accents.

Overall, the book was an enjoyable, light and fun read. Despite the slow start, it picked up and turned out to be a worthwhile read if maybe not the best. There is a sequel to this book (Jack With A Twist) and I still might take a look at that as well. 3 stars.

In The Highlander's Bed by Cathy Maxwell

Fun and adventurous romance

4 stars

After failing in his mission to retrieve the legendary Sword of McKenna from the English, Highland warrior Gordon Lachlan decides to strike personally at those who hold the sword – by kidnapping Constance Cameron from her boarding school and demanding the sword from her relatives in return for her release.

Constance is fed up with being stuck away in a boarding school and decides to run away and make a life for herself in her American homeland. But before she can escape the school, she is kidnapped by a roguish, but very handsome, Scottish rebel.

Neither are what the other expected and as passions run high, the pair realise they may have to fight for something more precious than freedom.

This was the concluding book in a series about the Cameron Sisters of Ohio (after The Price of Indiscretion, In the Bed of A Duke and Bedding the Heiress) although it does set up another book after this one so I suppose the series is a continuous one. There is a plot line that flows throughout the books so I wouldn’t suggest you read this book without having read the others first.

Constance is fiery and independent without ever coming across as a stereotype while Gordon is a fantastically tortured hero – torn between his need for freedom and his desire for love. The pair were well matched and I liked the banter between them throughout the book. I am also a fan of this kind of plot line and so I enjoyed the romance between the pair too.

Despite enjoying the book, I did have a few problems with it that stopped it from getting the full 5 stars. Firstly, the underlying plot of the Scottish cause and the Sword of McKenna seemed to fade as the book went on and although the romance was satisfactorily ended, the ‘sword’ plot was not and I felt slightly disappointed that nothing came of the so called rebellion. Gordon was so passionate for his cause at the beginning and then gave up his fight without much thought at the end of the book. There were also factual errors that really irked after a while such as when they left Edinburgh and travelled east yet somehow managed to end up in the Highlands!

As I mentioned before, I did actually enjoy the book even with the faults. It was exciting, romantic, a real page-turner and very well written. I would recommend this book to fans of Cathy Maxwell and those who enjoy a fun romantic adventure. 4 stars.

Beware A Scot's Revenge by Sabrina Jeffries

Absolutely amazing historical romance

5 stars

Lady Venetia Campbell is on a long overdue trip to her childhood home in Scotland when she is tricked and abducted by her father's sworn enemy Sir Lachlan Ross. Despite his threats - Venetia remembers him as the wild boy that she adored when they were neighbours growing up. Now an amazingly sexy man, Venetia realises he poses a far greater risk to her heart than her wellbeing. And despite grand plans to use Venetia as a weapon against her father things start to go wrong when secrets are revealed and stolen kisses become more enjoyable than they really should.

This book is another winner for Sabrina Jeffries and has to be one of the best books that I have read in a long time.

Venetia is strong and independent but has enough compassion and wit for me to really like her as a heroine. Lachlan as well is an excellent character - strong and amazingly stubborn yet he still manages to have moments of tenderness and aching vulnerability which are always a joy to read. And the thought of him in a kilt makes my knees weak!

Which leads me on to the setting for the book. Apart from the prologue - this book is set entirely in Scotland. I'll admit that I am often wary of books set in Scotland but I am very glad to say that there was absolutely nothing stereotypical about this book and everything was very well written and wonderfully accurate. You can really picture yourself in the real Scotland when reading. And luckily you don't have to read through cringe-worthy attempts at Scottish accents. Each character's dialogue was exactly how you would expect them to be if they came from the Highlands - very realistic.

The story itself is fast paced and a real page turner - I couldn't put it down. Venetia and Lachlan are so well matched that you're all but cheering for them to get together. They have real chemistry which also makes for some very enjoyably sexy scenes on their journey through Scotland.

All in all I thought this book was excellent and one not to be missed. Although part of the School For Heiresses Series (after Never Seduce A Scoundrel and Only a Duke Will Do) this book stands nicely on its own so you don't have to have read the others to read this story. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys intelligent, fun, sexy and well-written romances. Definitely a 5 star read.