5-SWORD REVIEW
Title: Highland Avenger Renegade Scots, Book 3
Author: Julie Johnstone
Genre: Historical Romance
Story Setting: Prologue 1296; Chapter One 1306 – 10 years later
Pages: 284
Published by: Darbyshire Publishing LLC
Published Date: July 9, 2019
ASIN: B07SY9HVZT
Renegade Scots Series: (Each stands alone)
Outlaw King, Book 1
Highland Defender, Book 2
Highland Avenger, Book 3
Publisher’s Summary:
Duty drove him to possess her, but love will drive him to his knees.
Eight years ago, savage Scots invaded Eve Decres’s home, murdering her family and plunging her into a nightmare. As sole heir to a strategically located castle on the border between Scotland and England, Eve became a prize to be wedded and bedded, and she fled into hiding. She survived by clinging to two dreams: one day reclaiming her inheritance and finding love to build a new family from the ashes of her loss. But on the verge of beginning her journey to make her dreams reality, she makes a fatal error that alerts her enemies to her whereabouts.
Now, Eve is catapulted into a world of feuding clans and warring kingdoms where she’s forced to make a choice that threatens to destroy her chance at freedom and shatter her heart. Amid treachery and violence, she soon discovers her only hope dwells in tying herself to Grant Fraser, a noble, fierce Highland warrior. Though passion smolders between them, Grant is bent on vengeance and sworn to a duty that would thwart her own plans.
Bound by desperation but separated by conflicting desires, the spitfire lass and the determined laird must relinquish what they’ve long held sacred in order to overcome their foes and claim a glorious, unconquerable love.
My Review:
Highland Avenger is excellently paced, thoroughly action-packed with characters who were easy to love, others easier to hate!
Author Julie Johnstone’s story read itself. I mean, there was no hardship staying with the read. Additionally, Johnstone’s writing voice, along with the scene pacing had me flipping the pages!
I whole-heartedly recommend this story to reader’s who love their heroes braw, sensitive and clever, and their heroines determined and savvy enough to get what they want.
A Little About What I Liked:
The story began with a prologue set in the middle of action, one of desperation for safety. Two young children are taken from home (Eve and Mary), their parents killed. The prologue leaves you, along with Eve Decres, launching over a cliff for certain death! My heart pumped with fear, loving every minute of where the story was heading.
In chapter one, we are introduced to Grant Fraser and his brother Simon. Simon was the laird of the Fraser’s. Again, more action in the upcoming scene. The enemy is Laird MacDougall, who is responsible for Simon’s death in a gruesome display of evil.
Laird MacDougall is the kind of man who makes decisions for his own gain, not for what is right for his people or country. This is the guy you’ll love to hate. Laird MacDougall is a greedy, and unfortunately, powerful man. The wrongs he is committing against the Fraser clan aren’t his first.
Eve Decres’ family has also been touched by MacDougall’s malevolent character. Stay tuned.
Eve spent 10 years in a convent waiting until her 18th birthday to reclaim her birthright of Linlithian castle. She barely escapes the convent just as her enemies find her. She’s kind-hearted and is a force to be reckoned with, by enemy and want-to-be friends. You’ll enjoy how she makes Grant’s world topsy-turvy.
The burgeoning trust between Grant and Eve takes center stage by mid-section of the tale. You’ll find humor, plenty of bantering and decisions made, not because of love, but because of necessity–from both sides.
A totally delightful read. I imagine book 1 and 2 in the Renegade series are just as enjoyable.
Booktalk with Eileen: Journaling a Journey -- Learning the Art of Crafting a Novel 