ARC REVIEW Between a Highlander and a Hard Place by Mary Wine

Highland Wedding #5, A quick fun read that can be read as a standalone. The ending does have a bit of a teaser for the next book but everything involving Athena and Symon story is concluded. This is only my second Mary Wine book but I enjoyed this one much more than the other. The story was good, the characters were likable and I liked how they interacted with each other. You could tell this is part of a series but the previous characters didn't play an active role in the story.

Athena was a typical young lady, well not quite typical her parents married for love; her mother's family was from trade and her father from a titled family. They disowned him for it and when Athena's mother died in childbirth he abandoned her and went back to his family leaving her to be raised by her uncle. Athena thought she was in love but it turned out Galwell just planned to make her his mistress. With her uncle's help she flees Galwell and the terrible fate that that awaits her if he catches her. Dressing as a boy she joins a traveling merchant to make her escape to Scotland vowing never to be submissive to a man again.

Symon Grant is a widower, his wife died in childbirth with the child. As the Laird and the last of his line he must get married again and have children but all of the daughters presented to him are too affable, for him. His first wife was bidable and genteel and this time around he wants more. On May Day when the young girls of Scotland would run around in the morning dew Symon spied a golden haired beauty. Athena was happy to run around as a girl for a change but Symon wasn't the one to notice her and now she's not only running from Galwell but now also the blackguard who is set on selling her to the highest bidder. Symon is determined to protect her and maybe convince her that their chemistry is a unique and powerful thing and that marriage to him can protect her. Only now the young King James may have something to say about that.

Overall, this was a good read. I really enjoyed the banter between Symon and Athena. I love just how completely devoted to he was almost from the moment he saw her. I definitely want to catch the next book seeing how the teaser at the end is about Brenda and Bothan, I really want to know what's going to happen.