Maddie and Aiden first meet when they’re both very young, she is twenty and he is twenty-two. Although Maddie is illegitimate, she is the daughter of an earl who acknowledges her, and is allowed the courtesy of using his last name and the title of Lady. Aiden is the second son of a duke, who has chosen a career in the Scottish navy, which has now come under control of the English queen. Their first brief meeting is at a dance hosted by Maddie’s father, and the two share a dance and a kiss before Aiden has to go back to his ship. Though it will be months before they meet again, neither forgets the other, even though they truly didn’t even know each other’s name. Over the course of the next two years, Maddie and Aiden are destined to meet time and again. Each meeting finds them becoming more captivated with the other, and they soon become almost-lovers, exploring their sexuality without actually risking conceiving a child.

The world around Maddie and Aiden is volatile, there are tensions between Scotland and England, Tories and Whigs, and even fathers and sons. When Maddie’s beloved father is accused of treason and taken to prison in London, Maddie follows in hopes of gaining an audience with the queen to plead her case. The queen is haughty and cagey with her answers, but she likes Maddie’s harp playing, and invites her to court to play every day. Maddie has to endure all the slings and arrows aimed at her for being a bastard, as well as the daughter of a possible traitor. When an unfortunate accident happens to the queen, one of Maddie’s harshest enemies is quick to point the blame at Maddie, causing her to now be accused of treason and imprisoned.

While I read THE HIGHLAND COMMANDER hoping for a satisfying romantic story, I was almost overwhelmed by how much more there is. Have no doubt that the romance and passion are strong and hot. Aiden is almost a superhero for so young a man. He’s honorable, strong, a fantastic fighter, and so loyal to Maddie, who is brave and strong in her own right. But aside from the question as to whether the son of a duke will actually marry a bastard, this couple must also overcome prejudice, imprisonment, treason, pirates, and highwaymen. If you enjoy your romance with a heavy dose of history, plenty of action, strong characters, and lots of steam, THE HIGHLAND COMMANDER may be just what you’re looking for.

The Highland Commander was a bit Scottish, a bit English, with a dash of scandal! Maddie is the illegitimate daughter of an earl. He has seen to raising her, so she has had a good education, but once her father married, her stepmother wouldn't allow Maddie to be around. She had such a sad and lonely life! But, she found her purpose and was running a hospital for women in her hometown. Then her father gets arrested and she has to go to London to save him.

Aiden is a sailor on the Royal Mary and he meets Maddie at a masquerade party. They don't begin a relationship quickly and lots of time passes throughout the story when they are apart. I loved that they were both inexperienced in the bedroom! I thought the plot was engaging and lots of events happen throughout the story to cause tension.

My biggest problem? The end! All this build up and all these terrible things then everything is wrapped up in a matter of a few pages! I was really disappointed with how quickly it just ended. It left me feeling a bit unsatisfied after having enjoyed the story a great deal.

I'm traveling and working in a remote location right now, so it took me forever to read this book. Like a whole week or more! That is an eternity when it comes to how fast I can normally get my books read. I find that it takes some of the enjoyment out of the story when I keep having to put it down and pick it back up. Luckily, Amy has written a captivating page turner full of attraction, political intrigue, and espionage!

Aiden Murray is our virginal hero - the second son of a duke and an officer in the royal navy for her majesty, Queen Anne. As a testosterone-filled young man, Aiden is somewhat obsessed with losing his pesky virginity, and finding a willing widow to tutor him in the amorous arts. He was not expecting to be captivated by a beautiful maiden at a masquerade. I thought Aiden and his pesky virginity were endearing, and I loved that he was a sometimes bumbling and awkward hero - but at other times he seemed like a seasoned seducer. Other than a couple of foolhardy decisions, Aiden was superb hero and honorable man.

Lady Magdalene Keith is the illegitimate daughter of an earl who has been ousted from her family by her new stepmother. Taking refuge in her work at a woman's hospital, Maddie would have never guessed the turn her life was about to take. When her father is arrested for treason, Maddie hies off to London to intercede on his behalf, and she gets caught up in court intrigue and familial pressure to act in a way beneficial to the Jacobite cause. All the while, Maddie is pining away for our dashing hero, Aiden. Maddie was a brave heroine, if sometimes a doormat for her family and some of the viperous ladies at court.

The relationship between Maddie and Aiden was more on the sweet side, though they did have a couple of sultry moments. The couple was not together for the entire book, which prevented the romance from feeling like instalove. So I felt like the romance unfolded nicely along with the pace of the plot conflict in the book.

I found that the court intrigue and drama was most interesting, and I really enjoyed the last third of the book when all the action was happening. I do wish the ending would not have been resolved so quickly, as I was hoping for more ceremony and consequence to our couple's plight. But overall, this was a great story - one that I hated having to put down repeatedly.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Forever Romance. This is a bit of a quickie review due to my aforementioned travel, so I hope it makes sense. The heat in Yuma and Tucson has fried my brain a bit so I'm not even making sense to myself presently. Happy reading!

Author Amy Jarecki is a auto-buy author for me. Her books are packed with emotion, suspense, sometimes based loosely on history, other times follows very closely the time and events. Her books take you to a world where challenges seemingly are insurmountable, where you cheer for the success of the ‘good guys’ and ready to punch out the lights of the bad. Her stories also expose injustices, the brutality of man in the political arena and religious ones. Something, even today, man hasn’t crawled out of this chasm of human frailty. What you discover about her characters are easily identified in man to this day.

Lord Aiden Murray is a second son of an earl who takes to the seas becoming his own man at a very young age. He is posted as First Lieutenant sailing aboard the Royal Mary. At 22, he is ribbed by his fellow officers, has very good rapport with them. He certainly is not a novice in the skills he’s acquired on sea, except for one small item. He doesn’t have a woman in many ports, he doesn’t have a woman in any ports, and he just hasn’t had a woman at all. Being a young man, this worries him. He’s eager to find a woman of some skill to bring him fully into manhood. ‘Tis verra’ embarrassing to him.

His thoughts:
But by the saints, he’d been aboard the Royal Mary for the past month without setting foot shore. Bloody oath, he intended to kick up his heels this eve–swill ale, swing the lassies in a reel–mayhap he’d even find a bonny lass he fancied.

Damn the cold.

Damn political posturing.

Damn the war.

And whilst I’m at it, damn the queen.

This was Hogmanay–a pagan Scottish holiday–and he would enjoy the piss out of it for once in his miserable highborn life.

**********

I am amused and delighted with the innocence of Aiden. While at the party, he meets a young woman, Lady Magdalen Keith, whom he’s immediately attracted to. But seeing she, too, would be chartering new waters, virginal as he is, he only sneaks a kiss. This kiss, however, stays with him and torments him with such internal conflict, he quickly becomes a hero close to the heart.

Lady Magdalen Keith, has had a difficult time growing up in Stonehaven. She’s a bastard, rarely leaves her small town, but when her father gets involved in a political skirmish, finds himself in prison, she is determined to help him. Perhaps, she’ll finally mean something more to him. She happens upon Aiden in London trying to figure out how to get to her father. She is so much a fish out of water, but her character does her a great service.

She is an amazing character with strengths and weaknesses, a woman of honor and a love for Aiden, you will identify with her, feeling her pain and wonder of new love.

This series is a must-read for those who love settings in the Highlands and London. Jarecki brings it all to life in four-dimensional living color! That is to say, what you see is not necessarily the complete picture, hidden multi-layered nuances enrich the story. Join Jarecki’s many fans who love her stories!

it's interesting to read about the characters in the highland commander, because it is not often that your heroes are on the wrong side of history. in the early eighteenth century england and scotland are still at odds. and the jacobites believe that the rightful heir to the throne of england is the roman catholic stuart exiled to france.

many a scotsman are jacobites, and aiden murray, the second son of the duke of atholl is one of them. he serves as a lieutenant, and then as a commander in the royal scottish navy. and while he's not in a position to publicize his political leanings, he does hold true to them. lady magdalen keith is the illegitimate daughter of the earl of keith who has been imprisoned for being a jacobite sympathizer and for treasonous actions against the queen.

meeting in london for the second time—their first meeting was an interlude at a masquerade where they both succumb to an undeniable attraction—aiden puts aside his plans to debauch himself during his leave and instead sets about helping maddie as best he can.

but the politics at court are tenuous and maddie is in some terrible danger. aiden has to put himself at incredible political risk in order to save her, and even then there is no certainty that either of them will make it out alive. what they endure, they endure because they are together, because they have the promise of being together to hold them up. believing in one another is the only thing they can trust, because god and country are against them.

aiden and maddie are each other's first loves. they are truly each other's one and onlys. in some ways their relative naïveté works, because the odds are so squarely stacked against them that only youth and relative unworldliness would let them believe that they could survive this. there's a lot of political thriller in this romance novel. i am not as familiar with the time period as i am with the regency or victorian era so i had to refresh my memory with some wikipedia deep dives. it's interesting, and i'm always up for shaking up my historical time periods ever so often, it's a nice switch from the nineteenth century that i'm used to.

The Highland Commander is bursting with political intrigue, devious nobility, betrayal and romance. This fast paced story is set in 18th century Scotland and England, during the reign of Queen Anne.

Lady Maddie Keith is the illegitimate daughter of an earl. Her father is a fervent Jacobite who doesn’t hide his allegiance to James Stuart, as the rightful king of Scotland. She has been made feel like an outcast all her life, even though she has been granted a title, which is surprising. Lord Aiden Murray is the second son of a duke and has joined the Scottish Navy. He has spent two year aboard a ship, serving Queen Anne. He is conflicted, though. He is loyal to James Stuart and yet, he has accepted to serve his enemy, Queen Anne. Aboard the ship, he remains aloof from politics and doesn’t side with the government. But his greatest regret is his failure to establish his reputation as a rake.

Maddie and Aiden meet at a masquerade ball and are instantly quite taken with one another. When Maddie’s father is captured by Queen Anne’s men and taken to the Tower of London to stand trial for treason, she needs Aiden’s help to gain an audience with the Queen and plead her father’s innocence. In these troubled times, her relationship with him is the highlight of her life. When she is accused of being a spy working to oust the Queen, Aiden is willing to risk everything to come to her rescue and to escape with her.

The sequences of their journey across the Highlands, with the British soldiers on their trail, moved with rapidity and were full of drama. Every time they found themselves in an impossible situation, they miraculously found their way out. The stakes are high and they know it, but they are also confident that they have the skills and the will to overcome the obstacles. Their romance is tested throughout the story. Their happy ending felt a bit rushed, though, with very little struggle.

Overall, this story is packed full of action, intrigue and drama. If you are looking for an historical fiction that includes plenty of adventure with a dash of romance and well written characters to boot, The Highland Commander is a good choice.

An advanced copy of this book was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.

The Highland Commander, by Amy Jarecki is an interesting historical romance.

As a Navy lieutenant, Aiden Murray has spent months at sea, by the time his ship docks in Stonehaven, Scotland. At a masked party in Stonehaven, Aiden meets the lovely Lady Magdalen Keith, who has been forced to live independently and currently manages a small hospital. After their quick meeting, Aiden and Magdalen re-encounter each other in London, and drama ensues.

Aiden and Magdalen's romantic story spans over years with each overcoming personal issues, family struggles, miscommunication, and plenty of drama. However, the title and cover are slightly misleading, since the book leans more towards a revised regency adventure historical romance book rather than a typical highlander-style romance.

Since it's the second book in the Lords of the Highlands series, it's ideal to start with the first book, yet it's not necessary to read the books in order.

The Highland Commander is geared towards those who enjoy unusual historical romance stories.


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.

I must admit that even though I really enjoyed reading this book, I had some problems deciding how to rate it. It is entertaining, thrilling and captivating, well-written and has wonderful characters but - and that is a huge "but" in my romance-seeking heart- sometimes I thought that it was a bit too much of bad luck and, well, it probably reflects the times rather too well because those times were harsh and life wasn't predictable, especially when you were born out of wedlock and lived on the outskirts of society due to your status.
Rules and social status dominated the lives of the people and there was no Declaration of Human Rights or whatever to protect you when you were disgraced.
Unfortunately, truth and reality do not always mix well with romance and it took me a bit to accept that some really bad things happened to "my" heroes. *sigh*
Reality-is-a-bitch-issues aside, the book was really great and I didn't just enjoy the well-plotted story but also the interaction of the characters. So - once again a great book that I can definitely recommend.

This is the second story in Lords of the Highlands series, but it can be read as a stand alone. In this story we have a telling of Maddie and Aiden’s happily ever after.

This story has, as the previous one, also has a few complex characters, especially the leads. Both characters were well written and despite the great background of history, managed to carry this story with its sheer tenacity.

I also enjoyed the pace of the story as well as action and numerous twists and turns.

Amy Jarecki continues to suck me into the settings of Scotland and its history, but it’s the characters she creates that keep me coming back to her writing.

If you’re hankering for some men in kilts and wish to take a journey through history, this is a perfect story for you.

Melanie for b2b

This is the first time I've read a book by Amy Jerecki. I'm always looking for new historical authors that I can add to the ones that I read. I didn't read The Highland Duke but wanted too. But as busy as I get with books I just hadn't fit it in.

Then The Highland Commander came up for review and I really wanted to try it and see if this was a author for me.

Going in I didn't know what to expect, I often don't read the blurb of books so that I can enjoy the story without learning to much. A old habit that has served me well. Right away I could tell that the author was going with a true feel for the times.

That didn't always sit right with me. It was very sad, depressing almost.

I really enjoyed the characters, Both Magdalen & Aiden stories are ones you wanted to know, if maybe in a slightly tone down version. At times I felt like I was given to much information. The story is very information driven.

Yes, that might seem weird to say but that's how I felt. I kinda reminded me of when I read Susan Johnson back in the day, the characters were secondary to the history in her books.

I'm not saying that happens in The Highland Commander, It's just reminded me of that. At times I really enjoyed the story but at others I kind of zoned out and just read. Something I don't like to do. For me the good characters wasn't enough.

I do believe that die-hard historical romance readers would really enjoy The Highland Commander. The author did do a wonderful job of painting a beautiful picture of the world she created. Her ability to do that saved the book for me. I really did enjoy her writing.

FINAL DECISION: High adventure and yet thoughtful and long term relationship between two characters caught in real historical events. I loved the intense historical reality of this book and the relationship between these two which is sweet.

THE STORY: This book takes place in early 1700s with the rise of the intrigue between England and Scotland. First Lieutenant Aiden Murray is glad to finally be off his navy ship after two years. When he attends a masquerade, he is enchanted by the kiss of Lady Magdalen Keith. He cannot forget her, but when he discovers that she is illegitimate daughter of a treasonous Scottish earl (he is a Jacobite), he is torn between his duty and the woman he wants. Magdalen is a quiet woman who would rather spend time helping abused women or playing her harp, but when her father is transported to the Tower of London, Magdalen arrives to save him. There she meets Aiden again and much action ensues. The story is set between actual historical events with fictional main characters.

OPINION: Readers who like historical romances which co-exist in real historical events (ala Outlander) will be pleased with this book. The book focuses on the romance but the entire context of these characters is centered on real plots and people from history. In the story, there is an intensity surrounding these characters that kept me reading.

The beginning of the story has a lot of set up and these characters take some time (over a year!) before the real action to bring them together starts. I especially liked it as a contrast to the stories that seem to take place over a couple of days.

Aiden is a hero on the younger side (early 20s). A second son of a duke, he is making his own way in the world and trying to do it on his own merit -- even if people think that every accolade he gets is because of his father. When he meets Magdalen, he is looking for sex not love and marriage, but he cannot seem to forget her. Over the next year, they run into one another and their relationship progresses. I especially liked Aiden who is honorable and ultimately willing to do everything for Magdalen and that makes him a pretty great hero in my book.

Magdalen is a woman who comes to rescue her father even though she has been forced aside by his marriage to her step-mother. Illegitimate, she nonetheless honors her father and faces London and the Queen in order to save him. She recognizes the reality of her situation and as she falls for Aiden, she is willing to risk a lot for him.

My favorite part of this book is how these younger people develop their relationship. They are curious and experimental in a way that you don't often get where the characters are clearly adults. These are more "new adult" if this were a contemporary novel and thus they start their relationship less fully formed. I really liked that aspect of this book. Their relationship is different as they discover who they are -- with one another and also alone.

The slower pace of this book gives way to tremendous action in the last third of the book. There is almost non-stop action, drama and quite a bit of angst. There are a lot of twists and turns even until the very end of the book. If I have any complaint it is that things are wrapped up so quickly that some of the resolution feels rushed. Even on the last pages there is a new revelation that felt to me like it needed more time (or an epilogue) to settle.

I really liked this couple and this was a book that I could have read more chapters of and been even happier. I want to know more about them and how their life develops. I hope there is a glimpse of them in the third book in the series.

WORTH MENTIONING: Double virgins.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE HIGHLAND COMMANDER is the second book in the Lords of the Highlands series. While this book can be read as a standalone, it is connected to both the first book in the series and leaves something ready for the third.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

Rating 2.5 but rounded it up.

Lady Magdalen assists in running a hospital for abused woman. She's the illegitimate daughter of an Earl who loves and supports her but is not ever really acknowledged or part of the family due to his wife (her step-mother) wants nothing to do with Magdalen. Her one true friend and companion is her lady's maid Agnes. Magdalen tries to make the best of her life, she's a strong and secure in who she is, though society does ignore and snub her. She does feel cut off from those she loves and a lone at times.

Navy Lieutenant Aiden Murray is the second son of a Earl and happy to live his life serving on the ship with is friends and fellow shipmates. After two years being on a ship, he arrives at port and so he and his friends are invited and attend a ball/party. Aiden is a man of character and a gentleman. He decides that tonight he will have some fun and maybe it was time to find a woman to bed (Aiden is a virgin). It's Lady Magdalen's Father that is throwing the ball and this is where the two meet, share a dance and mutual attraction. But the war, politics and tensions that are rising between England, Scotland and France they find it will be difficult or close to impossible for anything to really develop.

But months later Lady Magdalen stepmother comes to her and ask to go to London and help rescue/save her Father, who's been accused of treason. Magdalen's stepmother is eight months pregnant and unable to travel. Lady Magdalen is more than happy to go help save her father and this is were Magdalen and Aiden meet again. The two are then immersed in intrigue, politics and find themselves in difficult and trying situations. They find the attractions just as strong and so it continues to evolve into a romance. Aiden and Magdalen both explore the physical side, which is new to both, as they also deal with lots (and I mean lots) of drama that comes their way.

This was information overload for me on all fronts. I liked the characters all right but found their "issues" to be over kill. From Aiden's virginity, which seemed almost like a constant negative, to Magdalen's occurring distress and getting into trouble. I found some of these issue to be it repetitive and oppressive at times. There was also a lot of history thrown in which I enjoyed and found informative, but also felt that it was taking away from the romance at times. The writing and flow was not to my personal liking, it seemed choppy and didn't transition smoothly to different scenes/conversations/dialogue. It might work for others but personally not for me.

The Highland Commander by Amy Jarecki is a fantastic Medieval Scottish Romance. #2 in the highly anticipated series, “Lords of the Highlands”, but it can be read as a stand alone.

Fast paced with a most enjoyable cast of characters. Lady Magdalen Keith, an illegitimate daughter of a Scottish earl and Navy lieutenant Aiden Murray are the stars of this most intriguing story of treason, passion, adventure, intrigues and romance. Can Magdalen and Aiden save her father from the gallows, as their love blossoms?

Once again, Ms. Jarecki has created a story readers can relate to, and love in fall with, as they transverse the terrain of politics, love and treason. Another absolute heart pounding tale by the fabulous Amy Jarecki! I can’t wait for the “Highland Guardian”. Ms. Jarecki is a master Medieval Scottish romance! She brings the characters to life on the pages of another great read! Her vitualizations, and her details brings the Highlands to life for readers. An absolute must read for fans of Highland Romance, brawn Highlanders and the feisty lasses who tame their hearts. Another WOW story!!

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.



Rating: 5

Heat rating: Mild

Reviewed by: AprilR

Navy lieutenant, Aiden Murray is the second son of the Duke of Atholl who turn to the Navy for a career. He attends a Hogmanay celebration at the home of the Earl of Marischal where he becomes enchanted with Lady Magdalen. Lady Magdalen Keith is the illegitimate daughter of a Scottish Earl of Marischal she doesn’t normally attend balls or know the ways of society. Aiden has spent too many months at sea to be immune to the beautiful Magdalen’s charms especially after he returns to his ship, she lives in his dreams. Her father is accused of treason and her step mothers sends her to London to save her father. Magdalen isn’t expecting to see Aiden again, he comes to her rescue and aides her in her attempt to free her father. Neither of them is expecting the whirlwind Highland romance that flares between them. People and forces are attempting to separate them including court intrigues, meddlesome people and war may keep them from their true destinies. Aiden and Maggie’s live are so entwined with a budding romance, the war and the intrigues of Queen Ann court. A romantic story with political tension, assignation attempt on the Queen’s life, and possible the rise of the Jacobite rebellion. A great story in Queen Ann’s court where both Aiden and Madelyn are pulled into scandals, intrigues, plots against the Queen.
I voluntarily read the ARC copy from Net Galley and the publisher and this is my honest review and opinion.

'The Highland Commander' by Amy Jarecki is book Two in the "Lords of the Highlands" series. This is the story of Lady Magdalen 'Maddie 'Keith and Aiden Murray. This can easily be a standalone book.
Maddie is the illegitimate daughter of an Earl. Once her father married the wife did not want her in site and so she was raised with a ladies maid. Aiden is the second son of an Earl and with that being the case he has been grated freedom that an heir wouldn't have. So Aiden had joined the Scottish Naval to go forward with his life. There on a outing from the ship he happens to meet Maddie at a Masquerade ball that he is attending with his fellow workers. Maddie is allowed to attend since it is a Masquerade ball that her father is giving and it will be a chance to see him in an open setting. But her chance meeting with Aiden has left her breathless but they both know that they won't see each other again.
About a year or so later Maddie is asked by her Step Mother to help her father who has been taken in for treason. Maddie who has never been useful or wanted by her Step Mother before now needs her it seems. Maddie goes forward to be the voice for her father but things just doesn't go very easily for her.
Aiden happens to come to the aid of a women who he quick realizes it is Maddie from the Masquerade ball. Aiden takes her into his family home to give her a place to stay while she is trying to sort out this business with her father.
Aiden and Maddie don't have a easy time of it but with Love it always wins in the end!
"My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."
https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A2HX0B5ELOPP5Z?ie=UTF8&ref_=sv_ys_3
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1831318-sissy-s-romance-book-review-for-you
https://twitter.com/soapsrus68
https://www.facebook.com/RomanceBookReview
http://sissymaereads.blogspot.com/
http://booklikes.com/blog
https://romancebookreviewforyou.wordpress.com/
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/romancebookreviewforyoublog

This was an exciting and very good read by one of my favorite authors. The author has out done herself in this one. I truly liked the characters who had thoughts and feelings of their own. The story line held my interest from first page. If you like your men brawny and handsome to boot, this one is for you.
Aiden Murry is a naval officer who has been invited to a masquerade ball. There he meets a beautiful daughter of an Earl and is completely smitten. Her name is Lady Magdalen Keith who shares a kiss with Aiden. The two are really into each other, but our hero officer, must go and do his duty.
They meet again several months later during the war with France and lots of intrigue at court finds Aiden and Magdalen together again. She must help her father who is in the tower as a prisoner. He has been judged as a traitor which isn't true. She needs Aiden's help to find the real culprits.
So much going on in this book will have you rooting for these two. Lots of adventure, mystery and of course romance. You will just have to read and find out if a happy ever after will be in the stars.
I appreciate Net Galley for this ARC title in which I gave an honest review.

The Highland Commander by Amy Jarecki is the second book in a Highlander series. This time the main male character is Aiden Murray, a navy lieutenant in the British Navy. He meets and falls in love with Lady Magdalen Keith almost from the first glance. Together, they end up in London, she trying to free her father and he on leave. The plot swirls and thickens. The time period is one full of angst between Scotland and England. With two main characters who are Scottish, one of the subplots are those of Scottish Independence from British rule.

The main characters are hot together and the story is interesting, even though in the middle it runs a bit long. I enjoyed finally seeing Aiden claim Magdalen and stand up to his family. The Highland Commander by Amy Jarecki is a hot read with brawny Scots.

Thanks Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and netgalley for this ARC.

A romance that is unexpected and fought against the whole way which makes it all the more precious. I love Amy Jarecki's style romances. A fight against time to save our heroine's father, intrigue, danger, painful losses on both sides with a chance for redemption and a HEA.

Having loved book 1, The Highland Duke, I was verra, verra happy to receive an advanced reader copy of book 2 of this series, The Highland Commander, in exchange for a fair review.

Aidan and Magdalen (aka Maddie) made beautiful music together. That is when they weren’t burdened with duty and life-threatening family drama. Towards the end, you could even add when the rest of their world wasn’t falling apart around them or out to get them. Aidan may have sailed the high seas but nothing could have prepared him for the unrelenting storm of accusations, obligations, and heart pounding drama that had this main couple fighting for their very lives and their chance to be together forever.

What surprised me about this book? Well, it contained what some romance reviewers like to jokingly refer to as a unicorn...a virgin hero. No, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. You read that right. I did say hero and not heroine. Though inexperienced due to lack of opportunity, not lack of desire, Aidan starts off with a very determined goal of earning a sailor’s reputation. Fortunately for us, he gets waylaid and tangled up with our virgin but adventurous Maddie instead. A time or two, he does wind up coming close to being in another woman's arms, but it isn't hanky panky, folks.

Speaking of Maddie, this bonny, soft spoken, strong willed girl had spunk in spakes, folks. She certainly endured more than I ever imagined she would have to. Thankfully, Aidan never gave up on her when times got tough. No, he fought for her in a way only a true highlander warrior could. Not that he didn’t have a knucklehead moment or two along the way. What can I say? He wasn’t perfect, folks. Pretty close though. It takes awhile for this conflicted hero to buck what society expects and risk it all to be with the only woman who has ever completely captivated him.

With a very well-mannered English feel to it with an occasion touch of Scottish brogue, the writing flowed, and I stayed engaged. The pacing changed from a leisurely pace throughout most of it until around the last 30%, when a lot of unexpected events shook things up quite a bit.

With Reid getting his story in the next book, it is probably safe to assume we are in store for a reformed ladies’ man who meets his match. I almost feel sorry for her, yet I don’t know a thing about her character yet. Let’s just say, she’s got her work cut out for her. Here’s to hoping we’ll learn this guy has a whole different side to him we never really knew.

Title: The Highland Commander, Series: Lords of the Highlands (Book 2), Author: Amy Jarecki, Pages: 384, good guy/titled/Naval officer/virgin hero, virgin/illegitimate daughter of an earl, instant attraction, some violence, heroine is tortured, close call to being raped, told to date someone else.

Book 1 - The Highland Duke (Akira & Geordie), Pages: 384, 3/28/17
Book 2 - The Highland Commander (Magdalen & Aidan), Pages: 384, 6/27/17
Book 3 - The Highland Guardian (Reid & Audrey), 12/19/17 (not yet released)

(This review is based on an advanced reader copy distributed via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. No compensation was provided to this reviewer, nor is there any affiliation between the reviewer and author/publisher/NetGalley.)

Could something else go wrong?

Well, I hate to say it but The Highland Commander was a bit depressing. I think the author has done an amazing job in keeping it as real and true to the times...and unfortunately, that's where she lost me. I read romance for the feel good feelings and those were few and far between. Everything that could go wrong goes wrong and it never seems to settle. I just wanted a little while where the couple had a chance to get to know each other without drama. There were abundant doses of lust between the characters, but not a lot of connection. We are told they stay up all night talking but I needed to experience a bit of it to confirm that their feelings were more than lust.

The heroine was doomed from the day she was born. She has the title of Lady but that won't really change the fact that she was born out of wedlock. From what I gathered, she was allowed the title even though she was a bas+ard. I haven't read a book where that happened before, so that was different and interesting. It seems she was more known for her title of bas+ard than Lady, unfortunately.

The hero is a spare who joins the Navy to make his own way through life, as most heirs spares are supposed to do. He is on a ship of fellow Scottish men who are now serving the Queen of England. There is complete unrest between England, Scotland and France, with a little tension happening in the colonies too. This is keeping them busy with little time for rest. His one chance at a break leads him to meet Lady Madelyn, and he is taken with her immediately.

Look, it wasn't all bad, it was just very serious. Both Aiden and Madelyn are pulled into scandals, intrigues, plots against the Queen and the scheming machinations of restless aristocrats. Poor Madelyn lands in hot water when she's accused of Treason, ends up in jail, then abducted, then escapes, then sent back to jail, then abducted, then safe...ish. Enough was enough, she had enough problems just getting past the situation of her birth.

It all ended up well but seemed to come good in the blink of an eye. If you love to read (what appears to be) a true representation of the times, and don't mind a wee bit of steam in your reads, The Highland Commander may be perfect for you.