ARC Review: Devil in Tartan (Highland Grooms #4)

Devil in Tartan (Highland Grooms #4)

by Julia London

Blurb:

Peril and passion on enemy seas…

Lottie Livingstone bears the weight of an island on her shoulders. Under threat of losing their home, she and her clan take to the seas to sell a shipload of illegal whiskey. When an attack leaves them vulnerable, she transforms from a maiden daughter to a clever warrior. For survival, she orchestrates the siege of a rival’s ship and now holds the devilish Scottish captain Aulay Mackenzie under her command.

Tied, captive and forced to watch a stunning siren commandeer the Mackenzie ship, Aulay burns with the desire to seize control—of the ship and Lottie. He has resigned himself to a life of solitude on the open seas, but her beauty tantalizes him like nothing has before. As authorities and enemies close in, he is torn between surrendering her to justice and defending her from assailants. He’ll lose her forever, unless he’s willing to sacrifice the unimaginable…

Themes:  Historical, Scotland

Rating:  4.25 stars

Heat Rating:  

Review:

The family that never ceases to find a way out of any tight corner returns to find themselves in a truly impossible situation, this time with the middle son finding himself taken hostage and forced to face an untenable choice.  I have enjoyed getting to know these characters very much and the story, carried over two generations,  was certainly interesting.  I always love Julia’s writing, but find I have found a true connection to this series and these characters more than previous books, probably because of the way she seems to throw the most outrageous problems at them and always they overcome as a family. If you have missed the previous stories in the series you are missing a great experience and will miss some of the finer points mentioned here and there about those stories,  but Aulay and Lottie’s story definitely holds its own and by no means needs any supporting. I cannot wait to see if and when Catriona will find her own love and see just how long Julia will stretch this series, because there have been some very interesting side characters along the way that I would LOVE to see have their own stories in the series.

Aulay and Lottie begin their love story just like any other; Boy sees girl, wants her and then she hijacks his ship and holds him prisoner. Oh, ok so maybe not the most normal intro to love (wink!) but it works for them.  Lottie is at her wits’ end trying to find a way to keep her clan from destitution, her family from jail and her father alive, so she takes the chance when it comes to her.  She never imagined how much the man she kidnaps will come to mean to her or how much he will change her life or her.  Aulay is determined to make Lottie pay for her crime against him and his clan, but the more he sees her trying to bring her clan through this as unscathed as possible, the weight of the world on her shoulder, the more he comes to respect her.  The passion and heat between them is nowhere near as surprising as the emotional connection and longing that rises the more they spend time together in close quarters.  But soon Lottie’s worst fears are realized and she turns to Aulay in hopes of finding any hope or connection to keep her from floating adrift.  Then just when her those hopes are looking more and more possible disaster strikes for them all and there is no turning back for any of them.  Now Aulay and Lottie have to decide if their longing and passion are enough to build a life on despite the challenges they face and the people that will be set against them.

Aulay is the kind of hero that has always left me the saddest at the end of a story, because he is just the type of man I could see for myself.  While he is definitely not lacking in his alpha tendencies, being a captain among his men, his true calling is his art and the need to escape from the perceived inadequacies he feels around his family when on land.  I loved getting to know him more, even though there were DEFINITELY moments I wanted to knock him on his ass for the way he treated Lottie and the garbage he said to her.  Sometimes we all need to remember is that any animal, from the smallest mouse to the largest bear, the simplest blind mole to the most complex thinker—man, they all lash out when in true pain. Lottie was a woman that has her own fears of inadequacy, but she is never going to sit back and let the world go on around her when she can TRY to help; right or wrong she will give her all to help those she loves to succeed and to keep them safe.  I loved seeing her go head to head with Aulay, take command of the men around her, and even find a way to forgive the truly unforgivable way that Aulay treats her several times. She is not going to ever give up on someone she loves, even if they have given up on themselves, but there were moments she gave up on herself and let her own doubts crowd in, making her that much more relatable, because I’ve never believed or connected with a character that is like that, one that never doubts any choice they make—that’s just not realistic to me.

Devil in Tartan was truly an adventure to read.  With drama, battles, death, intrigue, lust, passion, and ultimately the healing power of true love, Julia London shows that the nature of man hasn’t changed through the years, leaving us still seeking those same needs today that have always made life worth living.  Aulay has always looked for his place in the world.  A middle son, one not known for his ferocity or any other particularly marketable skill, his ability to command the seas is what has always given him the feeling of acceptance from his father and Laird.  Now, faced with the chance to change that, to truly find out where he belongs Aulay might just find that a tiny angel-haired lass will be the one to lead him to that happiness and the missing piece of his life he has always sought on the open sees, but only if he will allow himself to seize the chance at her love. Lottie has no idea what she needs in her life, but she wants her freedom and to keep her clan from becoming destitute, so she is determined to follow through with her father’s foolhardy plan, even with disaster after disaster standing in their way, until suddenly there is just no point in continuing on that journey anymore. Now Aulay and Lottie both have to face the truth of their life and decide if that missing piece they both seek could be found in the other person’s arms.  I loved every moment of this story, even though I cried through a good last quarter of the story and I always enjoy seeing how Ms. London finds a way for her lovers to prevail over everything they are up against.  I am really looking forward to seeing what if anything will be coming next in this series and of course reading whatever series comes our way next.  If you are looking for a light and fluffy historical romance—this isn’t it folks, but if you want to read a story about the true and real love of two people that just happens to be set in the past and revolves around the historical Highland Clans so many of Scottish descent (myself included) find so fascinating, then you cannot go wrong with Devil in Tartan.

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