April Renn
The Highland Duke (Lords of the Highlands) by Amy Jarecki is another one of those WOW, moments in reading an intense, dramatic and heart pounding Scottish Romance. Akira Ayres, is a healer, who finds a brawn Highlander wounded on the field of a battle with the English red coats, with a musket ball in his thigh. What's she to do, leave him for the English to slaunder or help him to safety. Decision made, she must save him, or at least get him to safety, the sexy, brawn highlander, even at danger to herself and her beloved family. Geordie, aka, Duke of Gordon, knows both himself and Akira, his little angel, are in grave danger. He cannot reveael his true identity, do they must flee quickly or both risk dying. They must make it to friendly territory, high in the Highlands with a determined Captain on their heels. If he catches them, Geordie will forfeit his clan, be named a traitor, and forfeit his land and his life. Akira, will forfeit her life and possibly the life of her mother as well as her siblings. Can they save each other? Or lose all to an overzealous Captain, one who seeks wealth and property above all else? Well written with well-developed characters and an intriguing storyline. I found, once again, Ms. Jarecki, has written a story filled with intrigue, danger, passion, secrets, suspense, mystery, a bit of deception, and romance. Whew, I absolutely loved "The Highland Duke" from the first page to the last. I was glued and drawn to Geordie and Akira's story. They are brawn, strong, intriguing, feisty, brave, which makes for some exciting reading, as each try to save the other, on their quest to a HEA. Once again Amy Jarecki did not disappoint me, instead she kept me up all night reading. I had to finish "The Highland Duke", which I read in one setting. I wish to thank, Ms. Jarecki for her historical details, her vivid descriptions of both Scotland and her charactizations. She brings Scotland to life on each page of her amazing and thrilling Scottish Romance. A must read for fans of Scottish Romance, Medieval Romance, HighlandRomance, brawn Highlanders and brave, feisty lasses, you don't want to miss, "The Highland Duke". I absolutely and unequivocally loved this story! Bravo, Ms. Jarecki! ! I can hardly wait for the next installment. I received a complimentary copy. Rating: 4 Heat rating: Mild Reviewed by: AprilR
2 people found this review helpful
Mo Daoust
Akira Ayres is of Romany ancestry and a healer. She is roaming the site of the Battle of Hoord Moor to see if anyone requires her help, when she hears moans. A Highlander has been shot in the thigh; Akira has never removed a musket ball, but the braw stranger insists, and she agrees in exchange for some much-needed money, which she sorely needs to support her lame mother and her sisters. The mysterious stranger is George Gordon, the duke of Gordon – Geordie to his friends. Geordie refuses to support the English, and he must not tell Akira his name for her protection, in case she were questioned. Not only must Akira tend to Geordie’s injury, but they must also flee the redcoats, and amidst the danger, Geordie and Akira slowly begin to fall in love, a love that seems doomed from the start: Geordie is divorced, he is a duke, and Akira is but a penniless Gypsy… Sometimes an author makes it very difficult to write a review for a book as wonderful as THE HIGHLAND DUKE. Akira and Geordie are both such engaging characters, so different, and yet so perfect for each other. There is a lot of action, danger and betrayal in THE HIGHLAND DUKE; the story is superbly constructed, and the dialogues are spectacularly and believably simple, witty and intelligent. I appreciate how Ms. Jarecki inserts just enough Scotticisms to convey the brogue, the lilt of the language, which keeps the dialogues light but still keeps it sounding authentic. I admire Amy Jarecki’s subtle hand in handling every facet of this book: the author did extensive research without bogging down the narrative, the descriptions are crisp, the characters well defined, and I just loved pertinent little details, such as the use of rags to curl hair. The twist in the romance is one I had never seen before, and I thought it was extremely clever, because I feared things would not unfold as I wished for Geordie and Akira. THE HIGHLAND DUKE is one of the loveliest romances I have read recently, and I felt it was the meeting of kindred souls. I will be waiting for the next book with bated breath because it will be explosive! I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
5 people found this review helpful