Showing posts with label Martha Keyes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Martha Keyes. Show all posts

Friday, December 29, 2023

A Suitable Arrangement by Martha Keyes - Book Review

Part of: Castles & Courtship Series of 8 books

a suitable arrangement book
I love it when a book makes me laugh!  In "A Suitable Arrangement", Martha Keyes created the characters with wit, sass and just enough spunk to really bring them to life.  They seemed to step right out of the pages of the book to share their thoughts, conversations and actions in my presence.

I really liked Juliana Godfrey.  She held her head high and dared anyone to challenge her simply because she was not born into nobility.  I especially liked the way she handled the head housekeeper who was constantly reminding her that she was not worthy of the title "countess".  I could almost hear the housekeeper's fit of temper when she discovered her sleeping in an "important" place one morning.  

I also liked the way Juliana defended the injured one who she thought was being bullied by his sibling.  She did not hesitate to take action and stand in his stead.

Juliana respected the unique cultures and practices of the brothers of Lochlarren Castle, but after a while, she did suspect they might not be authentic.  I must admit, horse races in the castle would be rather funny, but a bit hard to believe it to be a normal activity. Still, she was willing to rise to the challenge.

 

Synopsis of A Suitable Arrangement
Castles & Courtship Historical Fiction Series

Juliana Godfrey was very practical.  Her mother had died when she was young and her father worked hard to provide for them.  His hard work paid off!  As a wealthy merchant, he was able to provide Juliana with a hefty dowry which would purchase her a place in society.  The right marriage could open more doors for her father and his business, in addition to giving her a title which would require acceptance into the aristocracy. 

A marriage to a Scottish Earl that needed money was a suitable arrangement for Juliana.  At least she thought it was until she arrived at his castle and was not well received.  Clearly, it would take a get deal of the fortitude she learned as a child to survive the Highland Scots.  She was determined to adjust and embrace their culture.

______

As his father was dying, Sandy Duncan learned more about the deep debt he was inheriting as the new Earl of Lismore.  He also found out that he was no longer considered an acceptable suitor for the woman he had always thought he would marry.  Even though the family liked him, once her father discovered he could not bring money to the marriage, he was informed that he would not be considered, even if he did bear a title.  

Sandy is also informed that his father has made a marriage arrangement for him that would provide the money Lochlarren Castle, and it's dependents, required.  Sandy's days of freedom ended with his father's death.  He now had to shoulder the full weight of the Earldom.

When his bride-to-be arrived at the castle 2 days late, he was in no mood to greet her with a hardy welcome.  Neither he, nor his brothers or household, stepped outside of the castle to give her a proper welcome.  This lack of courtesy set the tone for the minutes, days and weeks that followed. 

 _______

When an earl needs money to pay ancestral debts, restore his castle and care for family & staff, he marries for wealth instead of equality. However, Sandy Duncan, Earl of Lismore, has met his match!


My Recommendation

The humor in this book gave a wonderful balance to the antagonism between the characters.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

 




Books by Martha Keyes Previously Reviewed on ReviewThisReviews.com



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Friday, March 11, 2022

The Innkeeper and the Fugitive (Tales from the Highlands Book 3)

the innkeeper and the fugitive
Every once in a while I come across a series where each book is worthy of a separate review.  That is the case with the "Tales from the Highlands" by Martha Keyes.  All of the books have been captivating and have characters we wish to see succeed and others we wish could be brought to justice.

Angus MacKinnon has been the antagonist throughout the series. He is the self-centered laird of Benleith who stops at nothing to get what he wants, including kidnapping women and shipping them to the colonies for lives of servitude. 

Glenna, who is a maid at Glengour Inn, is another character in all of the books.  She is one of the women that Angus kidnapped previously, but she was rescued before the ship sailed. Needless to say, she abhors Angus. 

Christina and Lachlan Kincade own Glengour Inn, as well as the Dunverlockie castle and surrounding estate.  Because Christina was originally married to Angus' cousin, he believes Dunverlockie rightfully belongs to his clan.

Knowing these characters and the previous interactions with one another allows the reader to fully follow the story-line established in book one and continuing with each subsequent book.  Therefore, I highly recommend starting with The Widow and the Highlander, but this is a great story with or without the previous books.

 

The Innkeeper and the Fugitive
Tales from the Highlands Series - Scotland 1763

 The Innkeeper and the Fugitive
(Tales from the Highlands Book 3)
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In a desperate attempt to escape an unwanted marriage, Ana MacMorran must flee her home.  Her father is determined to see her wed Angus MacKinnon, which would unite their material & monetary holdings.  But, Ana knows Angus is a cruel man and she harbors no illusion that he would be kind to a wife.  She pleads with her father, but he will not relent.  As far as her father is concerned, she is underage, he has pledged her to Angus, and she will marry him.  

Having heard that the tinker and his wife are traveling through town, stopping at the Glengour Inn, Ana runs in the hopes that they will allow her to leave the area with them.  If they will simply take her as far as Fort William, she could get a ride to Glasgow where she can seek refuge with a childhood friend who previously planned to marry her.  Unfortunately, Ana arrives too late and the tinker has already left.  She decides to hide in the inn's stable for the night.

When Hamish, the innkeeper, discovers a woman in the stable, he assumes she is the new cook, Dorcas, they have been expecting.  Ana seizes the opportunity to hide in plain sight under another woman's identity. She hopes that will give her time to send word to her friend to come and get her.  Plus, as a cook, she can hide from the town's people by staying in the kitchen. It is not a perfect plan, but it is the best she has for now. However, Glenna recognizes her and Ana fears it is over for her even before she had any real chance of escape. But, Glenna has great sympathy for her and agrees to help her hide, covering for her when she might be expected to show her face in the inn.

As the days go by, everything seems to slip into a routine.  That is, until the real Dorcas MacGurk arrives.     





You may also be interested in reading my reviews of the first 2 books in the series

the Widow and the HighlanderBook 1 - The Widow and the Highlander Book Review The Widow and the Highlander - excellent book. When Christina's husband dies, she is sole heir. His family is not willing to let her have the estate and are determined to regain control of the estate one way or another.

The Enemy and Miss InnesBook 2 - The Enemy and Miss Innes
The Enemy and Miss Innes is a wonderful romantic historical fiction about enemies who unite against common foe. This is the 2nd book in fabulous Tales from the Highlands series by Martha Keyes



Read More Book Reviews at
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Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Friday, February 18, 2022

The Enemy and Miss Innes (Tales from the Highlands Book 2) Book Review

woman and man meeting on bridge- The Enemy and Miss Innes book cover
Almost a year ago, I reviewed the first book in the Tales from the Highlands series by Martha Keyes.  I truly loved The Widow and the Highlander book and I hated it when it ended.  I was saddened even more when I realized that the second book in the series had yet to be released.  Even though I did not want to, I was forced to move on, at least for a little while.  

As soon as The Enemy and Miss Innes, the second book in the Tales from the Highlands series, was released, I added it to my Kindle Paperwhite.  Unfortunately, the release wasn't the best timing for me, but the book waited there patiently.  I started reading it a week ago and was, once again, pulled back into the drama of the Highlands of Scotland in the 1700's.  Back to the days of kingdoms, lairds (lords), and a ruling hierarchy with limitless power. 

I was not disappointed!  This was a book well worth the wait.  The Enemy and Miss Innes is another fabulous book by Martha Keyes.  While it continues the series started with The Widow and the Highlander, it could be an easy stand alone book for historical fiction fans. Just because I have enjoyed this series so much, I would recommend starting with the first book in the series.

 

The Enemy and Miss Innes Synopsis
Tales from the Highlands Series - Scotland 1762  

 The Enemy and Miss Innes
(Tales from the Highlands Book 2)
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Malcolm MacKinnon is once again ordered to do something he does not want to do by Angus MacKinnon, the laird of Benleith. Since his mother and younger siblings are also dependent on Angus, he has no choice.  It is a well known fact that Angus is ruthless, even murderous, when he wants something. He does not hesitate to threaten Malcolms' family when faced with the least resistance. Now, Angus seeks revenge on the Innes sisters.  Since the eldest has a protector in her husband, he sets his sights on the younger sister, Elizabeth.  Her willingness to speak her mind and publicly degrade Angus has made her his latest target. 

Angus wants Malcolm to get Elizabeth to fall in love with him (Malcolm) so he has a way to get at her to exact his revenge. This "idea" doesn't appeal to Malcolm but he knows he has to at least give the appearance of trying to carry out Angus's plan.

Elizabeth Innes has been by her sister's side throughout her recent widowhood and subsequent difficulties. She is her outspoken defender and doesn't hesitant to take on anyone face to face, including Angus MacKinnon and his "second in command", Malcolm MacKinnon.  

In an effort to keep Elizabeth focused on work and out of trouble, her sister, Christina, asks her to remodel Glengour Inn, which was recently damaged by fire.  This is a task Christina readily accepts.  When she arrives at the inn to discover the innkeeper has hired Malcolm MacKinnon, she is determined to keep an eye on him. She believes he has a different agenda separate from working on repairs to the inn. 

Neither Christina nor Malcolm are happy with the current situation, but they are both determined to carry out their projects at the inn and tolerate each other.  They do not expect to end up on the same side and caring for what happens to one another.


I am thrilled to see more books have been added to this series and I am so excited to read the remaining books!

 The Widow and the Highlander (Tales from the Highlands Book 1)Check Price The Enemy and Miss Innes (Tales from the Highlands Book 2)Check Price The Innkeeper and the Fugitive (Tales from the Highlands Book 3)Check Price The Gentleman and the Maid (Tales from the Highlands Book 4)Check Price

 




You may also be interested in reading my previous review of The Widow and the Highlander.

The Widow and the HighlanderThe Widow and the Highlander Book Review
The Widow and the Highlander - excellent book. When Christina's husband dies, she is sole heir. His family is not willing to let her have the estate and are determined to regain control of the estate one way or another.



Read More Book Reviews at
ReviewThisBooks.com




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Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Friday, May 21, 2021

The Widow and the Highlander Book Review

Widow and the Highlander
The Widow and the Highlander by Martha Keyes is the first book in the Tales from the Highlands series.  After I finished the first book, I immediately wished to move to the second book in the series. It isn't that Keyes didn't wrap up the first novel.  She did. It was simply that I wasn't ready to move on from the story. 

You know you have found a wonderful series of books when you hate the idea of starting a different book by another author. Unfortunately for me, the second book in Tales from the Highlands has not yet been released. 

It is doubtful the I will forget the MacKinnon clan and I have added the The Enemy and Miss Innes (Tales from the Highlands Book 2) to my wishlist so I will know as soon as it is released. I am certain, no matter what else I have started reading, I will move back to this series to continue reading about Catherine and her sister, Elizabeth.

I highly recommend this historical fiction and I am certain I will enjoy the entire series once it is published. 


The Widow and the Highlander Synopsis
Historical Fiction - Scotland 1762

 The Widow and the Highlander
(Tales from the Highlands Book 1)
Check Price
Christina isn't certain what to do next!  She is actually relieved, perhaps even happy, to be a new widow.  After her abusive husband, Gordon, dies due to illness, she finds she can breathe again. That is, until his cousin, Angus MacKinnon, "suggests" she marry him.  Angus and several of his family members had taken up residence at Dunverlockie after the funeral, and don't plan to leave.

Because Christina's father invested deeply in Dunverlockie, he made MacKinnon sign a will that would legally transfer ownership of the estate to Christina if Gordon died before a child was born, Christina now solely owns Dunverlockie.  That does not bode well with the MacKinnon clan and they are determined to regain control of the estate one way or another.

The MacKinnons had originally established ownership of Dunverlockie after Gordons' father betrayed a friend, then set back and watched him executed for treason.  MacKinnon's reward for turning him in as a traitor to the crown, was Dunverlockie.

Christina was not married to Gordon at the time of the execution.  In fact, she would have been a child.  Therefore, she did not know the family that had been removed from the home.  What she did know, was that the MacKinnons were a vicious clan and she didn't wish to remain a part of their family.  However, she had her own siblings to consider and she needed the income Dunverlocke provided.  When she suspected she was being poisoned, she knew she had to do something whether she wanted to or not. After all, aside from her own sister, she didn't know who was an ally and who was an enemy inside or outside of the castle.

 The Widow and the Highlander (Tales from the Highlands Book 1)Check Price

 





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Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


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