Reviewer: Tracy How to Ensnare a Highlander (The MacGregor Lairds #2) by Michelle McLean
Series: The MacGregor Lairds #2
Also in this series: How to Lose a Highlander
Publisher: Entangled, Entangled Scandalous
Publication Date: February 12th 2018
Format: eARC
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 227
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Series Rating:
When Lady Elizabet Harding’s family is targeted by the notorious Highland Highwayman, she finds herself wounded and an unwelcome guest of the charming outlaw who’d ruined her reputation earlier that day. Elizabet only wants to get even for her family’s downfall, but the more time she spends with the scoundrel, the more complicated her feelings become.
By day, Laird John MacGregor graces the court of Charles II. By night, he exacts revenge on his enemies – one of whom is betrothed to the fiery heiress who has, quite literally, fallen into his arms. The daughter of one enemy and promised to another, Elizabet should be the last person John wants. Yet even as she exasperates him, she is all he has ever desired for himself. When her life is put in danger, he will do anything necessary to protect the women he never expected to love…even if it means they cannot be together.
Lady Elizabet’s family is set upon by a notorious highwayman and then when Elizabet is accidentally shot, he takes her with him when he leaves in order to heal her. He has no idea he’ll fall in love with her. Elizabet is charmed by the man called Jack but he’s after her father and the man she’s supposed to marry. She doesn’t care about her supposed betrothed but ruining her father will ruin her mother Elizabet won’t stand for that. Jack wants Elizabet to turn on her father, but she won’t. Jack is stuck in revenge mode because of the smuggling that Elizabet’s father and betrothed are involved in. Because of that smuggling his brother was killed and he’ll stop at nothing to ruin the men. Except…when it comes to Elizabet he’s not sure that he can do it if it makes her unhappy. He falls in love with her and she with him but she’s all but married to someone else. How can they ever be together, especially when truths come out and people go to prison?
This was such a good story. I was really on the edge of my seat for most of the book and the end made me very happy. I loved how McLean didn’t wrap things in a pretty little bow at the end. She made things more like they might have been in real life and I appreciated that. I would have liked to have seen her father and betrothed pay, but I understood why that never happened.
Reading about Jack and Elizabet falling in love was a pleasure. There were extenuating circumstances when Elizabet got shot and he didn’t want her to die so that’s why he took her with him. His friends told him to take her home but he was so attached to her by that time he couldn’t bring himself to do it until he had no more excuses. I loved the way that they talked and came to trust each other, despite the fact that Jack never took his mask off.
I really enjoyed my second read by this author and will look into reading more from her. I just saw that she writes contemporary romance under the name Kira Archer so I’ll have to check those out as well.
The MacGregor Lairds Series
Rating: 4 out of 5
