Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆
I began reading the Highland Weddings series starting with book #3, having no issue jumping right into the story. New readers shouldn't have any confusion reading Highland Flame as a standalone. With that being said, I did promptly go purchase books one and two and will read them in my free-time.

Mary Wine created a mixture of fast-paced storytelling with a guilty pleasure vibe, with a healthy dose of angst.

Jane is newly widowed at the start of the novel, as within hours, upon meeting the new laird. Jane is an English woman left to the wilds of the highlands with only a shift upon her back. Barefoot and penniless, she refuses to pay her late husband's debts, payment exacted while on her back. The devoted woman would rather face the elements, travelling on foot back to her father's home in England.

The previous book set up the events happening in this one, with Diocail becoming the Gordon laird of an ailing keep. Diocail is in need of two things – his clan's trust and a wife to take the household in hand. Diocail is an honorable man, wishing to do his best to treat his people with dignity and respect after his uncle bled them dry and left them starving. While out to collect rent and have his tenants swear fealty, Diocail stumbles upon something he very much needs and wants.

After an abusive, neglectful marriage, Jane has no plans of ever taking a husband. Jane needs to feel useful, pay her own way, yet refuses to be seen as someone's property without a voice.

Diocail and Jane clash in an addictive push-pull romance, filled with equal parts sexual tension and misunderstandings. The addition of a 7-year-old boy and meddlesome, well-meaning clansmen, adds a humorous, lighthearted, heartwarming feel.

Generally, no matter how many pages are in a historical romance, the pacing and influx of information always has the book feeling longer. That isn't the case with Highland Flame. It's a quick, easy, addictive read, words jumping off the pages at a rapid clip.

Why aren't I handing out five stars for a book I devoured in a few hours this afternoon? An element of the plot infuriated me, frustrated me to the point I couldn't enjoy the story. While this added much-needed conflict, it was out of character for Diocail to ignore, not ask for details, actually refuse to hear the details, and straight out deny Jane's voice. To not listen, even if he didn't believe Jane, is not the mark of a man whose main job is to take care of his people. The refusal and denial was childish, not that of a leader. A leader collects information, even if he believes it may be false. I also felt Jane didn't do enough to get her voice heard – even if he didn't wish to hear it, it's hard to ignore a woman screaming the truth in your face, with all your men standing by.

During this thread, both had a character-trait transplant, acting/reacting out of the norm of the traits set from the start of the novel.

Even after his clansmen believed Jane, Diocail – the man who is sworn to protect his wife – still kept saying he forgives her. It was maddening, watching a strong man act so WEAK in the face of his irrational denial. A man who became laird because of two men being underhanded. It was out-of-character, and removed any believability to the story. Frankly, it erased any emotional connection I had during the between-the-sheets action as they coupled with Diocail not believing Jane. Ethics and loyalty are hard limits for me. I would not allow anyone to touch me if they thought me a liar, and that is how Jane was written... until she acted out of character.

Besides that major hiccup, I enjoyed the story immensely until the epilogue. While I was thrilled by the information in the epilogue, I was frustrated by the head-hopping, after reading an entire novel without it. With the exception of the epilogue, there were very defined lines on who was narrating. In the quest to set up the next book, while also showing where this novel's couple is now, the author head-hopped four characters, with no transitions for the reader to realize who was narrating until the confusion set in. As the reader, I'd get through an entire paragraph/passage before I realized it was voicing another character, only to be thrust out of that person's head and dropped into another. That's not an epilogue – it's maddening.

Frustration aside, I highly recommend this author and series to fans of historical romance, especially those looking for a new take on the tried and true tropes.

I enjoyed reading this story, my only issue was that it seemed a bit predictable. Both our main characters were easy to like and enjoy, I was just hoping for something a bit more.

Mary Wine delivers another delightful romance in this series that I am enjoying so very much.  Jane Stanley is a delightful heroine feisty as they come. Diocail had impressed himself on me in the last book when he demonstrated his honor against all odds.  The two together strike the right sparks making for a great story.

Marriage isn't at all what Jane had imagined so when her gambling husband keels over dead, she definitely does not want to stay in the wilds of Scotland to pay his debts even if the price is to be turned out penniless and barefoot clad in her shift into the cold.  A few days later her situation becomes a tad bit more complicated when she encounters the newly minted Gordon Laird on a journey to collect rents from his crofters.
The honorable laird can hardly abandon a young beautiful scantily clad woman even if she definitely does not want his protection. So begins a delightful duel of wills as Diocail in the name of protection makes Jane a prisoner as he continues his progression through his lands. Jane for all her feisty ways manages to tame his troop though simple kindness and her mending skills. The troop who want Gordon to marry a rich bride and settle down take to Jane and before long the two find themselves wedded and bedded even if not blissful.
When Jane arrives at the neglected rag tag castle she soon makes friends with the women even as she brings the castle to order. The shenanigans between the clansmen and the two protagonists will keep the reader engaged in the story even as trouble creeps into paradise.  I love Jane and the other women's revenge on the men for doubting Jane, that is definitely one for the history books.
All together a delightful addition to the series, in fact it might be the best yet.

This is a charming, thoroughly researched, character driven romance set in the Scottish Highlands. If you read it as a stand alone (which it absolutely can be read as) you will hopefully find it as charming as I did: A cool under pressure Laird whose house and clan are in disarray. A heroine in distress who somewhat implausibly wanders straight into the hero's clan while they our out collecting rents. She wants to be useful. He wants a wife to put his house in order. Their relationship isn't necessarily one with much surprise, but it's endearing all the same. I loved the descriptions of the house as it crumbled to pieces and the strong female and male friendships. The central relationship doesn't have much to surprise the reader with, but sometimes a reader doesn't need the damn wheel re-invented and just wants to read a simple, good, historical romance. Which this is.

If you've read other stories in this series, you'll likely notice a LOT of similar plot devices (this author really likes heroines who want an annulment, eh???) I look forward to reading the next book and just hope that maybe she'll surprise us and go somewhere a little new with those characters!

One of my Goodreads friends commented on an update I made while reading this book and asked me: “Why do you carry on doing Scottish books to yourself?” I responded to the effect that, in my eternal optimism, I pick up a Scottish-set historical every so often in the hope that I’ll find a good one with a plotline that isn’t a repeat of 97% of the other books in the genre. While I’ll admit that Highland Flame doesn’t offer the standard boy-meets-girl-from-opposing-clan-and-has-to-tame-her plotline or stereotypical stubborn, growling laird and feisty, flame-haired curl-tosser, it nonetheless suffers from a weak plot and a heroine whose motivations don’t always make a great deal of sense.

Diocail Gordan, newly minted laird of the Gordon clan, has inherited a crumbling castle and a poorly disciplined household thanks to the previous laird (his uncle), a miser who never provided properly for those who were dependent upon him. Diocail’s second in command suggests Diocail needs to find a wife quickly, one who is high-born enough that she will have been trained in household management, most importantly the running of the kitchens so that everyone will have enough food. Given the state of the place, Diocail doubts he will be besieged by eligible maidens seeking to take on the task – and he’s right. But for now, it’s time to go abroad to collect the rents, and he’ll have to wait until that’s done to give due consideration to the prospect of matrimony.

Jane Stanley journeyed with her husband into Scotland and now finds herself a widow because he has been killed in a fight over non-payment of the gambling debts he ran up. The innkeeper has thrown her out in nothing but her shift, insisting on keeping the rest of her goods in part payment of his bill after Jane turns down his offer to allow her to work off his fees on her back. She has no alternative but to return to England and her stepmother’s house, even though the woman has no love for Jane and is not likely to receive her with open arms. Nonetheless, she sets off, with no real idea of which way to go, and dressed only in her shift.

I’ll say that again. She is wearing a shift. No shoes. No petticoats. No warm clothing. In the Scottish Highlands. But okay, I’ll buy it, because I know that any minute, she’s going to fall in with the hero’s rent-collection party. Which she does. Except that it’s not any minute, it’s ALMOST A WEEK LATER. Even in the height of summer the weather in the UK is incredibly unpredictable – we get rain, fog, wind and cold – and Scotland is colder than it is further south. Yet Jane, who I am asked to believe is intelligent and resourceful has been wandering about in the Highlands dressed in a nothing but a nightie for a week, with no idea of where she is going.

*Insert eye-roll here*

Luckily for her, the men she stumbles across are decent sorts, and while her being English and their being Scottish is good enough reason for suspicion on both sides, she is fed and made warm. The man in charge – whom she realises is a laird – says that she must travel with them back to his castle, ignoring her protests that she wants to go back to England and telling her that the last thing he needs on his land is a dead Englishwoman, as will undoubtedly be her fate if she keeps on as she is.

Jane is sensible of the kindness being shown her but also feels guilty as she cannot repay it. The best thing she can do, she thinks, is to leave as soon as she can to relieve Diocail of the responsibility he has taken upon himself to protect her. She takes the first opportunity afforded her to run – but her plan goes spectacularly wrong and she and Diocail end up having to get married.

I normally love forced-marriage plotlines, but this one… not so much. There’s little chemistry between the characters, and Jane’s dithering got on my nerves. She fancies the kilt off Diocail of course, but her experience of marriage was so horrible that she doesn’t ever want to do it again. Ever. So instead of being married to a hot Scot who clearly respects, admires and desires her, and can offer her a decent home, she’d much rather go back to live with her cold, stern cow of a stepmother. Yeah, right.

Diocail is more strongly drawn and a far more sympathetic character than Jane. He is determined to do his best by his dependents and to be a good laird, but he is also well aware that there are those who are not happy at his accession and would stick a knife in his back at the blink of an eye. He’s got a lot on his plate, but also wants to do right by Jane, who has suggested they get an annulment so she can go back to England. By this time, he wants her to stay; she’s already shown herself to be more than equal to the task of whipping the servants into shape and things are improving… but he also wants her for herself and he wants her to actually choose to be with him rather than just accept her fate, so he sets about wooing her (and indulging in a bit of naughtiness to show her what she’s missing!).

Speaking of naughtiness… I really didn’t need to read about Jane’s throbbing clitoris so many times, and I had to roll my eyes at the scene in which Diocail’s inner circle discuss the fact that he’s not done the deed with his new wife yet. Not only do they know this, they know it because they heard the newlyweds bumping and grinding the night before but knew that Diocail didn’t “take his own pleasure”. Seriously? They could tell from somewhere outside? And then, they decide it’s up to them to “do something about it”. When did they turn into the Highland version of the Seven Dwarves?

There’s a last minute attempt to introduce some tension in the story with an attempted coup, but it’s too little too late; and while the author includes a few passages that are clearly setting up the couple who will feature in the next book, I didn’t find them sufficiently engaging as to make me want to read it. If all you want from a Highland romance is a braw, bonnie chap who looks good in a kilt, Highland Flame might work for you. But if you also want a decent plot, strong characterisations and a heroine you can like and root for, I’d suggest you look elsewhere.

Grade: C-/2.5 stars

3.5*
Diocail Gordon new laird has a mess on his hands. The clan is a wreck. The castle is falling apart, literally. There is little food severed the tables and the men fight for what they are served. The old laird was a miser and lead with a iron fist and lorded his power over the clan. Diocail's closest retainers have decided he should marry to bring the clan together and take the household in hand.
Jane Stafford now a widow and left to be excepted to pay off her husbands debts with her body. The innkeeper has kicked her out in only her smock and nothing else but she will not let that detour her. She will make it back to her fathers house in England even if she dies trying!
Diocail and Jane meet when he saves her from a fate worse then death, their attraction is instant. Diocail takes Jane for her own safety but she will escape when she can she will not be anyone's property again. The more time they spend together the more they respect each other.
Once back at the castle there is much to do and all,is not as it seems. Danger lurks in every corner and feelings grow stronger but trust is hard to gain. Misunderstandings and lack of trust may be the end their relationship before it even starts.

'Highland Flame' by Mary Wine is Book Four in The 'Highland Weddings' series. This is the story of Laird Diocail Gordon and Jane Stafford. I have read the other books in this series but feel this is easily a standalone book.
Jane was forced into marriage someone how gambled and drank away everything they had. He was beaten to death for cheating someone and she was glad he was gone. One of the men that he owed money to tried to make her into his 'whore' but she would rather die walking from the Highlands back to her home in England.
Diocail has taken over as Lair of a poorly run clan and a mistreated clan. Diocail is trying to do the best he can when he runs into Jane. Jane's goal was to get back home but Diocail takes her in and they start to build feelings for each other.
This was another great story by Ms. Wine.
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Romance the Highland way!

Jane Stanley's husband had been a feckless excuse for a man who sought to sell her favors to pay his gambling debts. When she refused and he was killed she found herself newly widowed and in the depths of the Highlands. After she refused the inn's owner the same liberties she found herself thrust from the Scottish inn wearing only her chemise.
Which is how Laird Diocail Gordon and his men found her some days later, trudging barefooted and determined towards England--sort of.
Diocail needed a woman of Jane's background to bring order to the run down castle he'd inherited when his miserly uncle had died.
He needed "a lady and the duties she would have been trained to do. ... Running a kitchen was more than turning bread; it was knowing how much bread to set out to rise in the morning so that the supper table was full and how much grain was needed to make it through the winter and how many hands were needed to produce it all."
His men thought Jane might be the very ticket. Diocail was not adverse to the idea.
Jane, however she might be attracted to this hulking giant of a man did not want to be be married again. But fate and circumstances had other ideas.
How these two work things out makes for a rambunctious story with some amusing highlights, underscored by deadly factors not so very far away. After all Jane is English and the Scots are wary of her and the trouble she could bring.
Diocail is a rather wonderful character and Jane is a feisty treasure.
I must admit to having once picked this story up, finding it hard to put down.

A NetGalley ARC
(September 2017)

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Highland Flame by Mary Wine
Book Four of the Highland Weddings series
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: September 5, 2017
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

Laird Diocail Gordon has just come into his title and inherited his father’s run down castle and rag-tag clan. He knows the sorry sight of the castle would send any woman running, but is determined to find a wife to help return his home to its former glory.

Widow Jane Stafford is on a mission—return to England even if it means trudging through the Scottish Highlands on foot. Her travels lead her straight to the path of danger until a mysterious, brawny man comes out of nowhere and saves her—and the spark between them is immediate. With a target on Jane’s back, she knows the only way to stay safe is to go with Diocail. But the real trouble will be guarding her heart from her newly ignited Highland flame…

What I Liked:

As soon as Diocail showed up in this series (which, if I remember correctly, was during Highland Hellion), I knew I wanted to see more of him and his story. He was the perfect combination of stern, authoritative leader and fair, good man. Reading this book was a delight and I was so happy to see him get a happy ending that suited him.

In the previous book, Diocail inherited the title as chief of the Gordon clan. He has returned to the castle, which is in a disarray. It needs repairs and a good semblance of order, especially with the clan unsure of Diocail's leadership. The last thing Diocail needs is an English widow crossing his lands wearing nothing but a shift. Jane Stanley's husband has died, and his gambling deaths have cost her. She was fleeing to England to return to her father's household, and she was not faring well when the Gordons find her. Diocail promises her that she will not be harmed by anyone in the clan, and he shows her much more kindness than she expected of anyone. Relying on Diocail becomes easy... as does falling in love with him.

I just want to gush about Diocail, is that bad? He's such a good man, possibly one of my favorite HR heroes. He's so honorable and sweet, yet commanding and unyielding. It's an irresistible combination, and it works so well with this character. I adored him since "meeting" him earlier in the series, and I adored him even more in this book. He is so patient and kind with Jane, and yet he goes after what he wants. He is stubborn and proud, and sometimes those traits get him into a little trouble with Jane, but she loves those parts of him.

Jane is a tough heroine, which is no less expected given how feisty the other heroines are, in the previous books. With her husband dead and no belongings, she has nothing to lose. She doesn't like depending on the kindness of Diocail, though she is grateful for it. I love that she was more than willing to help the Gordon men, whether it came to mending shirts, or owning up to a mistake that would have cost Diocail all of the hard work he had done to make the clan more unified. Jane is a good match for Diocail, and Diocail is a good match for her.

The two of them are so fiery together! There is a lot of chemistry between them. Jane is no timid English lady, and Diocail is definitely not a shy man. He's a leader and a born alpha, and she is a woman with a bit of a temper. Both of them are stubborn, both of them are passionate, and both of them don't deny their attraction to each other. There are some really steamy scenes in this book - it's easily the sexiest of the four! Diocail is a strong guy, and Jane loves his strength.

As with all of the books in this series, there is a wedding fairly early on (maybe halfway through), and then there is the rest of the story which involves the hero wooing the heroine. I didn't mind this setup in this book at all, because Diocail and Jane were somewhat forced to marry. Diocail wanted to marry someone who chose him, and he wants Jane to choose him, even though they are already married. It was sweet (and funny) to see him refuse her because of this. They are so good together, but he wanted someone to love him and want him. She never wanted to get married again. The two of them have to work at their relationship. Falling in love wasn't easy, but they stood no chance.

This story was a joy to read, and I breezed through it very quickly. It is a fantastic addition to the series, and an excellent Scottish romance novel in general. I do hope there will be at least one or two more books in the series!

What I Did Not Like:

I can't think of anything that I didn't specifically like or had issues with. This book was lovely!

Would I Recommend It:

I recommend this book if you enjoy Scottish romance novels. This author has become a go-to author when I am looking for books set in the Highlands. The heroes are sexy alphas, the heroines are bold, fierce ladies, and the romances are steamy and sweet. Plus there is always a good dose of humor and fun!

Rating:

4 stars. I said this earlier but I really hope there is another book to this series, or maybe two! The ending of this book, in terms of some of the secondary characters, certainly left the possibility open, so I'm crossing my fingers. I would welcome it!

Some of you may have followed my reviews for the previous books in this series by Mary Wine on the other blog. If you don't know, I'm totally in love with this series. It's my first highlander series and Mary Wine has done nothing but impress me with the way she weaves together romance and politics. I'm always eager to read the next book in the series, so I jumped on Highland Flame with a lot of excitement.

Right away though I could tell that Highland Flame wouldn't be as good for me as the previous books in the series. It's not a terrible book, but compared to the others, it falls behind a little bit. In Highland Flame, we're given Jane's story. She's a feisty, brave and sometimes reckless Englishwoman determined to return back home after her Scottish husband's passing. Jane is a great character, who shows a lot of strength and resilience throughout Highland Flame. Her scoundrel of her husband was even ready to prostitute her to settle his gambling credit, but she knows she's worth more than that and vehemently refuses. She remains true to herself throughout the book, and always bounces back whatever the obstacle she faces.

She totally deserved a sweetheart like Diocail. I initially wasn't quite sure what to make of Diocail. He's just become the leader of his clan and desperately needs a wife to fix things around in their decrepit castle. I couldn't quite get a handle on his personality at first, but as the story progressed, we got to see the caring man underneath all that gruff exterior. He wants to do good for his clan, and his kindness and patience towards Jane were nothing short of swoony. Though I loved these two characters individually, I felt like a certain spark was missing in their relationship. I don't quite know exactly why that was, but I only know that I never felt as strongly for them as I did the previous couple. They enter into a marriage with Jane still hell-bent on going back to her home in England, but throughout the Highland Flame, they become familiar with each other and grow a bond. I'm just not convinced by their bond though. As always, Mary Wine writes excellent steamy scenes. Another aspect I liked here was the deeper exploration of what it's like to belong to a clan led by Highlanders.

All in all, Highland Flame was certainly readable, and if you're a fan of this series, I definitely recommend checking it out.

Highland Flame, by Mary Wine is a highly entertaining historical romance novel with captivating characters and an intriguing storyline focused on a Highland laird and English lady.

Diocail Gordon is a new laird dealing with strife in throughout his clan and a crumbling castle. While sorting out clan issues, Diocail encounters a lovely lass who needs protection, yet doesn't want it.

Jane Stanley is newly widowed and trying to walk back home to England, and she doesn't want to depend on men, particularly highlanders. Due to particular circumstances, Diocail and Jane are forced into a relationship. Both main characters have darker pasts due to their relatives, yet they've each overcome various obstacles and opposition. Plus, there's an adorable young boy to brighten up their lives and the story.

Since it's the fourth book in the Highland Weddings series, it's ideal to start with the first book to meet all the characters, yet it's not necessary to read the books in order. The other three books in the series include Highland Spitfire, Highland Vixen, and Highland Hellion.

Highland Flame is recommended and geared towards those who enjoy reading historical romances, particularly stories involving highlanders.


Note: I received this book from NetGalley, which is a program designed for bloggers to write book reviews in exchange for books, yet the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Book: Highland Flame
by Mary Wine

Series: Highland Weddings, book #4

Release Date: September 5, 2017


Reviewed by: Barb Massabrook (of)

1)Tartan Book Reviews - Administrator & Creator


2)Purple Tulip Book Reviews - Administrator

3)Celtic Barb’s Tartan Book Review Blog - Blogger

Heat Rating: 🔥

Overall Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



“Again, Mary Wine pens another action packed book I simply could not turn away”! It is absolutely brilliant…Celtic Barb’s Tartan Book Review Blog


Gordon Land, Scotland

Diocail Gordon is the hero of this story. He has recently been awarded title of Laird from his neglectful dead Uncle. With his sorry, neglected, crumbling, castle and muddled disorderly clan.Diocail isn't sure if being the new Laird is an award or a curse! He also realized he needs a wife and helpmate at his side. Yet what woman would want him with the sorry state the clan and broken down castle are in! He doesn't expect love nor even wants it, yet wants someone to help clean up this mess his Uncle left for him. His intention is to be a good Laird so that is clan will believe never suffer again. However can he achieve it goal? It is obvious that most in the clan do not trust or believe in their new appointed Laird.

Lady Jane Stanley is paying for her dead husband’s bad habits and mistakes. He was a gambler and drunkard but now all the money he owed his creditors expect Jane to pay. With money or her body, it does not matter! Money she doesn't have, yet she will never be any mans whore!

Jane trying to escape back to her family in England, but walks right into the viper's nest in only a shift, without even shoes! Diocail Gordon’s has muddled warriors, however as muddled they might be, they are an honorable motley crew.

They are disgusted a husband would leave his wife in such dire straits! Even to offer to bid sexual favors from her to pay off his debts! They could tell she was of noble blood. In addition proved to her there are worthwhile professions she could pick, without stepping into prostitution. Especially with her fine talent with a needle and thread.

Jane knows she needs this warmhearted braw highlander and soft hearted warriors to protect her. The problem is can she protect her heart.

Now Jane is hiding in Scotland away from her husband’s creditors. Diocail decides to do anything to help Jane and his best laid plan is to keep her hidden in his rundown fortress. Now what will she do once she sees his state of affairs and wreck of a castle? Plus danger at every corner, not everyone is thrilled with Diocail as Laird and that Jane is from the hated English! Is she safe? Will Jane want to stay or escape even more ?

Diocail wants this woman to want to stay, but how can he convince her? He also wants her to pick him.

After such a bad first marriage Jane is in no hurry to remarry. Though as a fourth daughter she knows that is exacting what her father will do. Pick another useless cruel husband! This Scottish Highlander is not the the cruel savage she had always been told. He is is kind, honorable and gives hot passionate fiery kisses like she's never had before!

With matters of the heart this is never easy. A definite read you don't want to miss! Filled with all the elements Scottish romance readers love. A riveting adventure, drama, treachery, murder, arranged marriage, jealousy, betrayal, deception, anger, forgiveness, passion, love and so much more.

I have read each book in this series, that has been absolutely exhilarating novels! It has been a delight to read from start to finish.

Scottish historical romance readers will love the swoon worthy hero, plus a heroine who knows what she wants. The chemistry sizzles right off the pages! Magnificent setting, brilliant dialogue and superb plotlines! Plus the fact of never knowing what to anticipate next. I can't wait to see comes out next!

Highland Weddings
by Mary Wine

1)Highland Spitfire
2)Highland Vixen
3)Highland Hellion
4)Highland Flame


Amazon Buy Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Highland-Flame-



I received this book From Sourcebooks publishers for a fair and honest review. I voluntarily agreed to read, review, blog and promote through netgalley. All words, ideas and thoughts are my own.

I LOVED this book!  Mary Wine has brought her A game with her Highland Weddings series!  All feature strong alpha males and equally strong females!  This story grabbed me from the start and I couldn't stop reading!!

Jane has been thrown out of the inn where she was staying with her husband.  Only her husband was killed over his gambling debts, and the innkeeper took their stuff as settlement of payment.  He threw her out when she refused to work off the remaining debt on her back!  She needs to get to her father's home back in England but she's not wearing much and has nothing.  She's determined to get there but runs into a bit of trouble along the way.

Diocail is the laird of Gordon Clan.  He's taken over after his uncle, the former laird, was killed.  Diocail is new to rule, but many of his clan do not see him as the natural laird, having been raised away from the Gordon castle.  The keep is a literal mess!  The old laird was a miser and kept everything to himself.  The keep was falling apart and the clan was starving do to his stinginess! He needs someone to get things in order.  His men are encouraging him to take a wife-but who would be willing to take on this mess of a household?

Diocail takes to collecting rent from his tenants and to "see" them.  He happens upon Jane when some drunkards are attempting to rape her.  She's truly thankful for Diocail intervening and his clan's kindness, but she doesn't want to remain with him.  She sneaks away, but is captured.  She's deemed as a spy for England and is set to be hung.  When Diocail saves her-for the second time-the villagers demand he take her as his wife.  Seeing no way out, Jane marries Diocail with the intent of getting an annulment.

I enjoyed how this story flowed!  I was so interested in Diocail and Jane as people, and how their romance blossomed! Diocail likes Jane's passion. He sees her determination when she gets right to work on the household. He knows she's a good match for him and needs her to choose him as well.  Jane doesn't want to take things for granted, but Diocail is nothing like her last husband.  She's happy with him and that surprises her. She can't stay here with him and make a go of it, can she?

All is not right within the clan.  Not only do some want to overthrow Diocail and take the lairdship, they definitely cannot have a mistress of the keep that is English! Plans are made to get rid of her and take down Diocail.

Mary Wine wrote a very engaging book that I highly recommend reading!  Pure yumminess! All the books can be read as standalones.  The whole series is that good! Once you start with one, you'll just have to read the rest!

reviewed by Deb

I LOVED this book!  Mary Wine has brought her A game with her Highland Weddings series!  All feature strong alpha males and equally strong females!  This story grabbed me from the start and I couldn't stop reading!!

Jane has been thrown out of the inn where she was staying with her husband.  Only her husband was killed over his gambling debts, and the innkeeper took their stuff as settlement of payment.  He threw her out when she refused to work off the remaining debt on her back!  She needs to get to her father's home back in England but she's not wearing much and has nothing.  She's determined to get there but runs into a bit of trouble along the way.

Diocail is the laird of Gordon Clan.  He's taken over after his uncle, the former laird, was killed.  Diocail is new to rule, but many of his clan do not see him as the natural laird, having been raised away from the Gordon castle.  The keep is a literal mess!  The old laird was a miser and kept everything to himself.  The keep was falling apart and the clan was starving do to his stinginess! He needs someone to get things in order.  His men are encouraging him to take a wife-but who would be willing to take on this mess of a household?

Diocail takes to collecting rent from his tenants and to "see" them.  He happens upon Jane when some drunkards are attempting to rape her.  She's truly thankful for Diocail intervening and his clan's kindness, but she doesn't want to remain with him.  She sneaks away, but is captured.  She's deemed as a spy for England and is set to be hung.  When Diocail saves her-for the second time-the villagers demand he take her as his wife.  Seeing no way out, Jane marries Diocail with the intent of getting an annulment.

I enjoyed how this story flowed!  I was so interested in Diocail and Jane as people, and how their romance blossomed! Diocail likes Jane's passion. He sees her determination when she gets right to work on the household. He knows she's a good match for him and needs her to choose him as well.  Jane doesn't want to take things for granted, but Diocail is nothing like her last husband.  She's happy with him and that surprises her. She can't stay here with him and make a go of it, can she?

All is not right within the clan.  Not only do some want to overthrow Diocail and take the lairdship, they definitely cannot have a mistress of the keep that is English! Plans are made to get rid of her and take down Diocail.

Mary Wine wrote a very engaging book that I highly recommend reading!  Pure yumminess! All the books can be read as standalones.  The whole series is that good! Once you start with one, you'll just have to read the rest!

5 stars/4 Flames

This book was gifted to me for a voluntary review.  The review and ratings are solely my opinions.

Diocail Gordon is now Laird of clan Gordon, but he's inherited a rundown castle in desperate need of repairs. His miserly uncle starved his people and Diocail is determined to set everything right. On his tour of his tenants he finds Lady Jane Stanley, stranded, barefoot and only clad in her shift. His honor does not allow him to leave her on her own. Thus begins the back and forth of their arguing and Jane's determination to return to her father's home now that she's recently widowed. However, Diocail has other ideas and he wants to keep Jane for himself.

This book kept my interest very well and I read it in one sitting. I loved Diocail's code of honor, but Jane feels like he's just trying to control her. Jane is a feisty lass who's always done what was expected of her and she's tired of being controlled by men. Ms. Wine is a talented author and she gives us great insight into what both characters are feeling. I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

I really enjoyed this book - Mary Wine is such a great author, she is able to draw me in from the first page and hold me captive until the last.

The story opens with Jane being cast out of the inn she was staying in with her husband in just her shift. Her husband was killed and the innkeeper took all her possessions as payment due, he cast her out when she refused to sleep with him to cancel the debt. She is determined to return to her father's house in England, so she sets out walking, but unbeknownst to her - she is going the wrong way.

Diocail is the new laird of the Gordon clan, he was the nephew of the former laird - a stingy, mean man who was murdered - but his clan is torn, many would be happy to overthrow Diocail and his household is a mess. To escape the strife, he leaves to go with his men to collect the rents. His men have encouraged him to take a wife who can set the household to rights. They figure if the men are feed and keep is in order, Diocail will have an easier time winning over the clan.

These two meet when Diocail save Jane from some ruffians bent on raping her. As grateful as she is, Jane does not want to stay with Diocail - a fact that she repeatedly tells him. When the opportunity arises, Jane makes a run for it - only to be captured and taken to be hung as a spy! When Diocail intervenes to save her (again) the crowd demands that he marry her.

They marry but Jane is still determined to go home to England and plans to have the marriage annulled. Diocail recognizes Jane's worth and will not let her go easily. She is appalled by the state of the keep when she arrives and immediately begins to set things right. Diocail is more convinced than ever that Jane belongs with him. Slowly Jane begins to admit that she is happy with Diocail and just when it seems like these two are headed for a HEA, Ms. Wine throws the reader a curveball.

Not everyone is happy with Jane or with Diocail for that matter. So when Jane disappears, Diocail assumes the worst and refuses to believe that Jane did not leave him. Both Jane and Diocail are stubborn and when they engage in a battle of the wills - I was hard pressed to decide who would be the victor.

This book was well written, flowed nicely, has steamy love scenes, nasty villains, great secondary characters, amusing dialogue and a great ending.

I would highly recommend this book, it is the fourth in the series, but it could easily be read as a stand alone title.

Delightfully exciting read with one of the strongest heroines I’ve read in a while. The hero is just as strong as the heroine and both are too stubborn for their own good.

Diocail Gordon has just become Laird of the Gordon clan. His uncle, the last Laird was a selfish, miserly man who grossly mistreated his clan and his home. Diocail plans to change all of that, but there are a few in his clan who do not welcome his leadership. His uncle had let the keep fall into such disrepair that the roof, chimneys, etc. in the kitchens are hardly workable and he’d reduced the staff and the amount of food to be served until his clansmen are practically starving. The clan expects Diocail to marry a good Scottish lass to straighten out and manage the keep. Boy, are they in for a surprise!

Lady Jane Stanley was just widowed. Her gambling, wastrel of a husband was killed after losing all of their money and possessions in a card game. He even wagered her in the game and brought the ‘gentlemen’ to their bedchamber to tell her she had to fulfill his wager. Naturally, she refused. Later, he was found beaten to death. The landlord confiscated all of their remaining belongings – even the clothes Jane was wearing. The landlord demanded she repay the remaining debt by ‘entertaining’ him. Again, she refused. So, he turned her out into the cold in only her shift. She headed out, on her own, to get back to her father’s house in England.

Jane went through a lot – only to find out she was headed in the wrong direction. That didn’t deter her though, she just headed in the other direction – only to find herself in dire trouble. Then, she is rescued by Diocail and his men. They plan to take her home with them because of the weather, but, after a while, she ran away from them again. This time, a clan group finds her and decides to hang her because she is English. Luckily, Diocail rescues her – again – but this time it basically forces a marriage.

Jane is determined NOT to be married again. She will not be owned by anyone ever again. She WILL leave and get back to England where she isn’t hated and reviled. Stubborn, stubborn, stubborn!

Diocail needs a wife to straighten out his home – and Jane has all of the qualifications – but he wants her to ‘choose’ him rather than be forced to have him. So, he sets out to woo her – and seems to be managing to do that, when she disappears again. He believes the worst (stubborn, stubborn, stubborn) and goes after her. He won’t believe that she was taken against her will and treats her coldly.

They are passionately drawn to each other, but there is no trust – and trust is everything. How can they learn to trust each other? What will happen when a clan traitor threatens again?

I highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. This book also delightfully sets up the next book in the series and I can’t wait to read that one!

"I requested and received this book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

Yes just so much YES! Diocail and Jane are phenomenal and their banter is both humorous and adorable. Their give and take and fight for control was once of the most believable relationships I have seen in a while. The story flowed at the perfect pace and was full of enough twists to make it one addicting read. I did like that depth was given not just to the primary characters but to the supporting cast who will be featured in the next installment (that I am putting on every notification available to me). One of my favorite parts of the entire journey involved Diocail's men and Jane on their journey. It reminded me of the highland Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Not going into detail read it yourself.