Highland Fling by Amanda Scott

Highland Fling by Amanda Scott is the first in her Highland series and the first of two of her novels that I have read in the past week.  I’ve not read anything written by her before and I really quite enjoyed Highland Fling.  I think I mentioned before that I used to read quite a few historical romances because my mom liked them but then veered away from them.  I have to admit that in the last bit that I’ve been reading a few of them I’ve found that I still find them enjoyable.  Highland Fling takes us back to the 1700’s and the political unrest between England and Scotland when the goal was to take away the Highlander’s way of life so as to ensure that they didn’t at any time form an army that could do harm to England’s king.

Maggie MacDrumin knows nothing but the Highlander way of life although she has been educated.  She is fiercely protective of her clan and agrees to go on a mission to London to deliver some important missives to others who support the Jacobite cause.  Never does she imagine that this journey will end up with her, disheveled, and in a courtroom worried for her life.  Desperate she claims that she is a relative to the powerful Earl of Rothwell although no one believes her … but she does spark the curiosity of the Earl’s half brother James.  Lucky for her he takes her away from possibly being hanged but then insists upon taking her to his half brother which proves very interesting as the Earl of Rothwell, after finding out who she is, decides that the best place for her to be is right where he can keep a close eye on her.

Maggie isn’t one to be kept an eye on or controlled for that matter.  She is a spirited and opinionated Highlander lass and she is bound and determined first to get her messages to their intended recipients and secondly to make known to the Earl of Rothwell who is the true owner of her father’s land now that he is not taking care of business properly.  Her clan illegally smuggles whiskey in order to support themselves and pay their rents but the consequences if caught are dire and Maggie needs Rothwell to understand the plight her people are in and that he isn’t taking proper care of them as he should be.  When Rothwell agrees to make the trip home with Maggie he becomes entangled in her family in more ways than make him comfortable but at the same time he is finding it harder and harder to keep the feisty Maggie out of his thoughts and his heart.

Highland Fling encompasses both history and romance perfectly.  I hadn’t known a lot about the uprising between the English and Scots and I found all of that quite interesting.  The romance wasn’t at all overdone and I really appreciated that.  I enjoyed the story and the characters were great.  I especially liked Maggie because she wasn’t your typical Highland woman who obeys the men in her life without complaint.  Maggie had a lot to say about most everything and she most definitely had issues with being told what to do.  As always I come away from these books thanking my lucky stars I didn’t live back in the time where women had to obey their men all the time because I most definitely would have been in trouble.  So if you’re looking for a good historical romance to lose yourself in for a while Highland Fling would be a great choice!

Highland Fling by Amanda Scott is on tour with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours along with two other of her books – Border Bride (which I will be reviewing later this week) and Dangerous Illusions so be sure to check out the tour schedule and visit all the other tour stops.  To learn more about Amanda’s novels be sure to pop over to her website and take a look around.  Highland Fling can be purchased at Amazon and Amazon Canada.

Source:  Review copy provided by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and Open Road Media via NetGalley.  No compensation was received and all opinions are my own.