Review: Highland Treasure (Highland Brides #9)

Highland Treasure (Highland Brides #9)

by Lynsay Sands

Blurb:

After escaping from the English soldiers who attacked her home and imprisoned her in a dungeon, Lady Elysande de Valance is grateful for the rugged Scots who are escorting her to safety in the Highlands. Even with danger dogging their every step, she hadn’t expected to welcome the strong comforting embrace of their leader, Rory Buchanan. They say he’s a healer, but she finds the heat of his touch does so much more...

Let his brothers get married—Rory is too busy tending to the sick to be bothered with wooing a bride. But when he is tasked with accompanying a family friend’s “treasure” to the Highlands, he is surprised to learn the treasure is a beautiful woman on the run—and even more surprised to discover bruises hidden by her veil. Rory makes it his mission to tend to her injuries and protect her, but the thought of losing her makes him realize that perhaps it is his heart that is most in need of healing…

Themes:  Historical, Scotland

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 
Review:

 The young healer finds his own love story in the most unlikely of places in this ninth installment of the Highland Brides series.  I have been a huge fan of Lynsay Sands for a long time, first with her paranormal series and then when I stumbled onto her amazing historical writing.  Rory’s long-awaited story had been one that readers have been begging and dying for a while now, myself included, because he is just the kind of sweet but strong and smart guy we all want for ourselves.  Rory Buchannan has watch his sister and older brothers fall head-over-heels for their mates in recent years and begin their own families, but his has a much higher calling than settling down to start raising a family.  His renowned healing skills have him very much in need and able to make his way to very interesting places, even learning her skills along the way, but he has yet to meet a lass than grabs him enough to settle his wanderlust.  When he is asked by a family friend to escort the young Lady Elysande to safety he never imagined she would be the ultimate end to his life as he knows it, and one he would happily embrace. Lady Elysande has had to flee from everything and everyone she knows and loves in order to remain alive and hopefully find a way to rescue her family and friends, but Rory Buchanan is not what she expected to say the least.  Instantly they are attracted to one another, despite Elysande’s fears about her future and the actions of men in her past, and soon she knows that she doesn’t want a future without Rory.  But the enemy lurks much closer than either Rory or Elysande ever imagined and other together, with a little help of the other Buchanans will either or them survive in order to have a chance for the future they have both realized they want together. Lady Elysande was the type of woman I imagine I would have wanted as a friend in these perilous times for women.  She was sassy enough to keep herself from being cowed under by the men that wanted to control her life, but still sweet enough to offer her whole heart in love to the man that truly earned it.  At the same time she was brave enough to stand up against tyranny and for those she loved, even knowing it might well cost her life. There was so much passion between these two once they let go and accepted the rightness of it. I enjoyed every moment of the laughter, heartbreak and ultimate strength these two showed as they found their way into one another’s arms and an HEA together.  I cannot wait for the next book in the series and to see the next man fall in love with a great woman.  Honestly, I have no idea how Sands comes up with all these unique and shocking plots and twists but I guarantee she will never let her readers down.  Sexy, sweet, heartbreaking, and fulfilling to the end!

*eARC provided by publisher (via NetGalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.