A Scot to Have and to Hold (Once Upon a Scot #2)

Maeve Greyson

Blurb:

Sometimes the best revenge is to thrive…

When Ross MacDougall, fearless warrior, frequenter of brothels, and seducer of other men’s wives, receives word that the Lord of Argyll wishes to reward him for their latest campaign, he’s skeptical. His liege’s gifts are often dubious blessings. Oftentimes, more like curses. Turns out he’s right to be leery. The reward is an Irish lass who looks like a grubby boy meant to work in the stables. And she's not intended to be Ross’s slave. She’s meant to be his wife.

Men turn away from Elise O’Cleirigh because of the accursed red stain on her right cheek. Her father called it the devil’s mark. Her mother promised it meant nothing. All Elise knows is that it’s brought her nothing but suffering. This arrogant Scot looks to be no different from the others, and that’s fine by her. She escaped her first ruthless husband. She’ll flee this one as well. But this Highlander turns out to be sly. He fights with weapons she’s ill-equipped to counter: kindness, respect, and a gentleness that makes her heart hurt. The man even apologizes when he behaves like a selfish goat. He makes her want to be wanted. And needed. By him. Not a good thing at all because come spring, she’s gone.

She’s the victim of a cruel jest. He dared fate one time too many. An unlikely pair, a winter together reveals they’re not so mismatched after all. But the past proves inescapable, returning with a vengeance to destroy them.

Themes: Historical

Rating: 3.75 stars

Heat Rating:

Review:

The trilogy of the Gallóglaigh warriors continues as the womanizing Ross MacDougall finds himself gifted with the one thing he never knew he would want above all else—the love of a single woman that is his wife. Maeve Greyson’s new trilogy is turning out to be much shorter stories than most of her previous reads, but I’m enjoying them immensely and the romance, drama, and action are no less amazing for their shorter length. Ross MacDougall has spent all his free time when not in battle with his fellow Gallóglaigh warriors drinking and whoring his way through Scotland, but when he is called back in front of his liege, he never imagined that he was being saddled with a wife. Elise O’Cleirigh has escaped one cruel husband and has no intention of being quietly forced into the bondage of a terrible marriage again, but when the Lord of Argyle forces her to wed Ross, dressed as a beggar and the butt of the joke of his men, she knows that she will do whatever it takes to get away from him. Ross doesn’t see the birthmark of Elise as the devil’s mark that so many do, but he knows that he is ill-equipped for caring for a wife, despite the connection and chemistry between them. Elise goes along with the marriage, knowing full well that she will be leaving him come the spring, but soon Ross’s kindness and acceptance mix with the heat between them to make it nearly impossible to keep her heart intact. But can she truly trust this beautiful and sexy warrior to stay true to her and give her what she needs, or will he turn on her like every other man has, and will the enemy on their doorstep allow them the happiness they are finding? Ross and Elise’s story was filled with angst, fears, and drama as these two found their way through the landmines of their past and the trauma that Elise has suffered at the hands of so many. Ross has his work cut out for him, but his kindness, willingness to fight for her, and sweetness showed Elise that he was just the kind of man that would be there for her when she needed him. Elise, despite being kicked repeatedly, never was truly beaten, always fighting for herself and never giving up. I loved the two of them together and the way they always found a way to fight for that they wanted and deserved in life. The passion and love between them developed as their trust did and I enjoyed watching the connection form. I can’t wait for the finale in this trilogy and know it will be fantastic.