ARC REVIEW His Rebellious Lass by Callie Hutton

Scottish Hearts #1, I enjoyed this Callie Hutton book, Cam and Bridget are amusing characters, set in their ways and that includes both of them never wanting to marry. Cam with his abused childhood didn't want to bring a child into this life if it meant that he would become his father. Bridget after seeing first hand what an abusive husband, and peer of the realm, can do to his wife she vowed never to marry. Bridget instead wants to start a house where women can come to seek sanctuary from their abusers. He dreams get thwarted after he father dies and discovers she can't inherit her father's fortune until her twenty-third birthday (which is two years away) and until then she is the ward of the Marquess of Campbell. Cam doesn't want a ward but since he's already married off his two sister what's one more it maybe the off season but it's not impossible, now if only she would get on board with his plan to marry her off as quickly as possible. Bridget does what she can to make herself as unattractive as possible and getting inthe way of Cam's plans, but they soon come to a compromise he helps her get the women's house ready and she not work against him. But pretty soon their own feelings for each other become more than just ward and guardian, and Cam as much as he wants to fight it falls in love with her. Things are going well until an unlikely and unwanted suitor makes his intentions clear.

I loved the chemistry between Cam and Bridget. Overall, it was an entertaining story and a really nice romance.     

ARC REVIEW How to Blackmail a Highlander by Michelle McLean

The MacGregor Lairds #3, This was a fun read and although I missed the first two books I was able to jump into this one no problem. Lady Alice is ready to fulfill  her duty and get married and have babies what Alice doesn't want is to marry the discusting old geezer who, if the rumor is believed, murdered his last three wives for not producing an heir. Alice's best friend, Elizabet was in a similar situation and managed to avoid it by running away with a Scottish highwayman, Laird John MacGregor, who was banished from England. When Alice finally gets word that her friend is safe she does the only thing she can think of to get out of her situation, she blackmails the messenger.

Philip MacGregor isn't any ordinary messenger he's a cousin, best friend, and the right hand man to the notorious Highland Highwayman. With their robbing days behind them mainly because the banishment and John's marriage to Elizabet, they have set up in Scotland. Phillip can still travel from England to Scotland no problem so when asked to deliver a message to Alice he has no problem doing so until she blackmails him into taking her with him, try as he may he can't get rid of her. Cue the travel hijinx.

The attraction is there from the beginning but the connection between the two of them grows stronger the more time they spend together and the more they argue. Philip loves to argue with Alice and loves that she's a challenge and no push over he just wishes she would stop and think about what's she doing first, she has the tendency to act first, think later.  Alice is so use to getting her own way that when the consequences of her action finally catch up she realizes it's exactly what Philip warned her would happen but Philip doesn't say I told you so, no, at that point he loves her too much to do that. Alice and Philip don't seem like a match made in heaven but in this case it's opposites attract.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. Some of the stuff they argue over is so funny. The writing was great the narrative swept me away to Scotland, it has a good story and wonderful characters you really sympathize with. It was a first time reading this author and I look forward to reading more.   

ARC REVIEW The Highlander's Accidental Marriage by Callie Hutton

Book Six in Callie Hutton's Marriage Mart Mayhem series, I liked this book more than the other book in the series that I read. The characters were amusing and well written. Lady Sarah is headstrong and a take charge type which gets her into trouble, also lacking the common knowledge of Scottish ways. Braeden McKinnon is the black sheep of his family, where everyone else takes care of the family sheep herd he is the youngest professor to ever teach at Edinburgh University. These two very intelligent headstrong people end up in a Planes, Trains, and Automobiles type situation. It was an amusing and aggravating read; aggravating because Sarah is too stubborn and at times selfish and amusing because the situations they found themselves in at the beginning were fun. It's almost as if someone said the famous last words, What else could go wrong?

Lady Sarah promised her sister that she would be there for her when she had her baby. That means Sarah must brave the wilds of Scotland. Dragging her borrowed maid with her, she endures a never ending domino effect of bad things happening. The only good thing to come out of it was meeting the handsome professor Braeden McKinnon, and that for a time didn't seem like it was a good thing. Sarah has no problem in being the lady, taking charge wherever she goes the only problem is that she doesn't know anything about Scotland and in her panicked thinking she married herself to Braeden without even realizing it. Breaden is immediately taken with Sarah, she is brave and intelligent as well as beautiful. He has absolutely no hope of ever being with her, him a professor and her a Lady, a sister of a Duke. But then Sarah doesn't stick with the plan of telling everyone they are brother and sister and marries him. Braeden can't believe she did it, even if she did it out of ignorance it's done.

When they finally make it to her sister's house and the truth comes out Sarah and Braeden must face the consequences and marry for real. Unfortunately they each have their lives and marriage has no place in it. Sarah has a book being published and her publisher wants her in London to tour bookstores and meet fans, that how confident he is in her book. While Braeden is waiting for his acceptance in an expedition to Rome, that he has been waiting for for two years. Now back in 1817 the wife went where the husband went her life was his life and that is what Sarah is scared of. Braeden may be proud that she is a great writer and that her book is being published but her place is with him, but he loves her enough to let her have her life. Sarah should be happy but now she misses Braeden, she feels like an outsider in her sister's home, and her mother is giving her the guilt trip from hell.

Overall, it was a nice read. I liked the characters, I understood their motivations and I almost think Sarah announced that they were man and wife subconsciously because she really did want to be married to Braeden.