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Sunday, January 28, 2024

ARC Review: Through the Glen (The Highlands #3)

Through the Glen (The Highlands #3)

Samantha Young

Blurb:

He’s a cynical, world-weary Londoner. She’s a shy Scot. They might seem like opposites, but a few weeks in the Highlands will bring them together in ways they can’t imagine…

Theo Cavendish is the second son of a British viscount, and he’s spent years running from the aristocratic world he grew up in. Betrayal and loss taught him lessons he’s not quick to forget. As an award-winning screenwriter and creator, Theo prefers to throw himself into the world of film and television. He moves from one project to another, never really letting anyone truly know him.

As a housekeeper at the exclusive Ardnoch Estate, shy Sarah McCulloch feels invisible most days. No one really knows her, and they definitely don’t know she’s a bestselling crime writer. She dreams of seeing her series on screen and believes only one person can develop it for television. On the day she quits the estate for good, she shares her secret with club member, Theo, and asks him to consider her books.

Sarah never expected him to say yes or to show up on her doorstep ready to write with her. Or that weeks spent locked up in her cottage would lead them to form an intense but undeniable connection. A bond that Theo is not sure he’s ready to accept, even though he can’t bear to be without her.

However, when they finally venture out of their bubble, Theo finds he’ll have to battle more than his own demons to protect Sarah from hurt. For he has another fan, one intent on bringing the darkest elements of his most famous script to life. And unless he can figure out this real-life antagonist’s next move, Theo could be in danger of losing Sarah forever.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Ok let’s be honest, none of us thought that we would love Theo because he was a huge prat in North and Aria’s novel, despite the glimpses of goodness we peeked. But I have to tell you I think that Theo is my favorite despicable, wounded, and bastard of a hero in any novel I have read in a long time.  Samantha Young has such a beautiful ability to pull readers into the lives of her characters, their backstories and the emotional trauma that has shaped them into the broken individuals they are that you can’t help but fall into the story and never want to crawl out. This story is filled with pain, passion, exploration, and laughter right along with the chance for two people to truly heal one another and find their way out of the darkness that has kept them both back from living full and fulfilled lives for far too long.  This series continues to amaze and thrill me and with each new story I find myself wanting to jump on a plane and fly to Scotland (again) so that I can find out myself if the beauty of the Highlands might present me with a new and amazing chance at love and life.  I cannot wait for the next book and I know I will devour it just as quickly as I have the last three stories in this series—and not to mention the original Ardnoch series, which cannot be discounted and really shouldn’t be missed.

Sarah McCulloch has finally made the difficult decision to come out of her shell and move on from her day job as a housekeeper at the esteemed Ardnoch Estate, to continue pursuing her shining career as a bestselling author.  But before she does she has one last task—to ask the gorgeous and award-winning screenwriter Theo Cavendish if he will team up with her to write the screenplay for her books.  Theo can’t believe his ears when Sarah admits her secret, but despite his writer’s block, he always works alone and turns her down; but when he is forced to reconsider its decision he finds himself chasing her instead to ask her to allow him to work with her.  Spending time together at Sarah’s secluded beach-side cottage, they begin to grow close and their friendship evolves into something more, leading to a passionate relationship neither of them is prepared for.  When they leave their privacy, they are forced to face challenges and truths neither of them are ready for and they have to come to terms with their differences quickly or they will lose the emotional connection they have developed. Can an emotionally stunted former playboy and an innocent but brave woman find a way to grow together and find love or will they be forever separated by their vast differences?

I loved getting to know these two and seeing them get to know one another, because let’s be honest the secrets they have been keeping from everyone around them, with only a few exceptions, have made them both island in a sea with no way to cross to them.  Sarah’s shyness, fears, and insecurities from her youth, before moving to Ardnoch with her grandfather, left a deep and abiding stamp on her, preventing her from moving forward and becoming the woman that she was always meant to be.  She is passionate, smart, witty, and sweet, but she has so many fears and anxieties that she truly fears venturing out into the world and so many experiences bring up painful memories for her.  But the beautiful dichotomy of her is that when her friends, family, or lover are having their own issues with past pains or insecurities she is soft and loving enough to be there for them, forgiving them and allowing them into or back into her heart when so many others might hold grudges.  I loved her playfulness with Theo, even when he was at his darkest, giving him that respite and showing him that life is not always meant to be so serious.  Theo was a dark soul, his ability to hold a grudge and willingness to wallow in his own darkness a little bit worrying, but on the other side of the coin he was always there for his friends.  He feels so deeply especially the pain of loss and betrayal from those that should have loved him the most that he has never recovered, never let go of the anger that shaped him in to the prick he presents to everyone except Sarah.  For Sarah he is willing to be softer, to be a better man and forgive those that have tried to break him, but with her love he will prove they failed.  I loved his sweetness under the gruff exterior, his mischievousness and his willingness to play with Sarah even if he rarely lost his edge.  The passion he shared with her as he brought her out of her share allowed him to find his own softness and her gentleness smoothed out the hasher edges of his personality, allowing the puzzle pieces of their hearts to fit together perfectly.

Is there ever a better story than the edgy asshole falling in love with the innocent lass, getting his heart handed to him, and finding himself tamed once and for all? I cannot tell you just how much I enjoyed this story, but just to say I think I only moved three times during the entire time I was reading.  Sarah is the type of woman that you just love to watch blossom as she heals from her loss and finds her way past her shyness, but the best part is as she finds her footing as a passionate and loving woman with the help of the man that is slowly stealing her heart, even before he captures her body.  She can’t resist the sweetness that Theo only seems to show when he is around her and begins to see the true man buried under the pain and hatred he has hidden behind for years, and her determination to bring out that true loving man shows that despite her misgivings she will fight for her love.  Theo is one of those characters that you love to hate, but in the end you are rooting for because you feel his pain right alongside him. He was so betrayed and never got over it, but the healing and support he gets from Sarah allows him to embrace the man he truly has always been underneath the angry shell he shows to the world and instead be the caring, giving, and loving man he is.  I loved the teasing, and sometimes naughty banter that these two shared continuously, but the passion that they shared was evident even when they fought it in the beginning.  However once they unleashed that heat, there was no hiding that they were compatible physically and the chemistry would always be an underlying part of their relationship. I am dying for the next book, which I understand will be between Sarah’s cousin, Jared, and Aria’s sister, Allegra, because from the scenes in this book that one is going to be another explosive and emotional rollercoaster.  Ms. Young is quickly becoming one of my favorite go-to authors and you can surely bet I am spreading the word far and wide, because no one should miss the greatness that is Through the Glen, and into The Highlands.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

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