This is one of those books which should probably come with a trigger warning. There is an attempted rape on the heroine and revelations of past rapes and murders committed on members of the hero’s family. While they are relevant to the storyline and not gratuitously detailed, if you have triggers for rape and/or sexual assault, leave this one alone.
Those things aside, this is a really good story. The author knows her history, and this Scottish Highlands romance set a few years after the final crushing of the Jacobite uprising at Culloden draws on that rich knowledge to weave an engrossing tale of one man’s quest for vengeance stalling out when he falls in love with the instrument of his revenge.
Sarah, the heroine, isn’t just a pawn in this story. While she was ignorant of her former fiancé’s former evil doings, her only fault is to be young and naive, the second of which flaws is quickly corrected when Alex opens her eyes to the truth. She was sassy and determined, brave even when the outlook appeared desperately bleak for her. I did think that she and Alex fell in love a bit too easily, but considering the kidnapping plot, it could well be a case of Stockholm Syndrome which did transmute into genuine love.
While this is the second in Amy Rose Bennett’s Highland Rogue series, the link to the other book is so tenuous this might as well be a standalone. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and am happy to rate it five stars, albeit with the trigger warnings above to bear in mind.
The Laird Of Blackloch is available now.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley.
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