Cover Image: The Highlander's Princess Bride

The Highlander's Princess Bride

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This was a decent story and I somewhat enjoyed both the hero and the heroine, Nick and Victoria. This was a good historical romance. However, nothing really stood out making it a great book.

Was this review helpful?

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I have read a book or two in the past by Kelly and enjoyed them, and the description for this book really intrigued me. I really liked the characters in this novel. There was so much personality in not only the two main characters but also in the side characters as well. With a family full of boys there were of course a lot of hijinks, which definitely made for an entertaining read! The banter between all the characters was really great too. It just stinks that the "system" at that time was such a failure in protecting women who were victimized. Victoria shouldn't have been harassed and persecuted the way she was but because she was a woman she wasn't considered innocence worthy unless she had a rich husband. Crazy! Anyways - the author did a great job of developing the story line and the progression of Nick and Victoria's relationship was really well done. There were some parts that I thought were a little slow and / or cheesy but overall this was an enjoyable romance with a great cast of characters. I'd recommend giving it a read.

Was this review helpful?

Victoria Knight is a governess with a problem. In defending herself from the unwanted attention of her employer's brother, he accidentally falls down the stairs and dies. Fortunately for her she is the Prince Regent's illegitimate daughter who has some powerful family members even though her father does not know of her existence. Her family gets her out of town, hopefully to allow the situation to calm down. Thus Victoria finds herself in Scotland as governess to the sickly but talented brother of the Earl of Arnprior. However, young Kade is not the only brother, the others are a bit high spirited much to Nick's chagrin. Throw in a feisty grandfather and you get some "comic" relief. It was inevitable that Victoria and Nick would be attracted to each other. However, Victoria 's past eventually catches up to her. Although the heroine was not one of my Vanessa Kelly favorites (she is bit of a ninny at times), the other characters are rather engaging. The storyline is quite nice and is a nice read. Hopefully Ms. Kelly will use some of these delightful characters in other books.

Was this review helpful?

A delightfully romantic tale from half-riches to romantically rich! Who doesn't love strong heroines and stronger heroes?! You get both in this book and I loved it! I recommend.

Was this review helpful?

The illegitimate daughter of the Prince Regent might be expected to pursue various dubious professions. Actress, perhaps, or artist’s model. Even courtesan. Victoria Knight, however, has become a governess—a respectable choice, until she travels to Scotland to meet her new charges. The younger brothers of Nicholas Kendrick, Earl of Arnprior, aren’t children at all. They’re brawny, wild Highland men. As for the Earl, he’s handsome, guarded, and far too
compelling . . . especially for a woman hiding a dark secret. Nick needs a proper teacher to transform his unmarriageable brothers—and a sensible, straight-laced wife for himself. Miss Knight seems to fit the bill on both counts. But he soon discovers there is more to Victoria than he thought. It’s not just her notorious origins, or the danger that’s followed her all the way to Scotland. It’s the fiery loyalty beneath that sedate façade. This, the real Victoria, is the woman Nick is starting to desire so desperately. And what an earl wants, he’ll use every seductive means to get.
This was a cute story, basically loosely 7 Brides for 7 Brothers. I’ve read other stories that are similar to this one, but I still enjoyed it. I liked the little spins the author put on it. I liked all of the characters and the plot. I highly recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Was this review helpful?

This was a great book where the cast of characters reminded me of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. We have a headstrong heroine who meets an equally headstrong Scot and must end up schooling his brothers. I am so excited to see what becomes of the rest of the brothers. This is a must read series.

Was this review helpful?

Maybe closer to 4.5 stars? This was a lot of fun, and totally my type of catnippy governess-lord romance (even if the "kids" were....not kids). Vanessa Kelly is great for fun, just the right amount of angst romances y'all.

Was this review helpful?

This was a great story, Her characters are well developed. and I loved the humor and frivality. The pace of the book is wonderful. I think that reading the first two books helps the reader understand the story line a little quicker, even though it will be okay read as a standalone.

Was this review helpful?

This book was so enjoyable! It had murder, mayhem, suspense, humor, emotion and lovely romance. Oh, and some pretty awesome Highlanders too!

The story was very well written, with a complex plot and a nice twist in it. The characters were so interesting and very realistic and very entertaining. The story moves at a very nice pace. No dull moments in this book! It was great from start to finish! Well done! Highly recommended!

Was this review helpful?

Vanessa Kelly has given us a complete romance filled with unexpected hot, steamy passion between the characters, danger, disagreements, mystery, laughter, tenderness, strength, and eventually trust beyond question.

The well-developed characters pull the reader into their world and allows them to picture and almost smell the faraway land where the story unfolds in such a way they may close their eyes and go back in time to this historical era, become part of the characters, and feel the gripping tale unfold.

Was this review helpful?

While I liked the idea of the book and the beautiful cover the book could not hold my attention.

Was this review helpful?

The Earl of Arnprior, Nicholas Kendrick, finds it hard to keep his brothers in line, so hiring governess Victoria Knight is perfect. But making one of her duties be to help his brothers be marriage material is asking a bit too much. However, the more time Nicholas spends with Victoria, the more he finds he wants her in his life. Yet, with the secret Victoria is hiding, will she and Nicholas get their chance at happy ever after; or will they lose their chance at happiness because Victoria's past catches up with her?

This series just keeps getting better and better, and this third book of Ms. Kelly's Improper Princesses series is a highly entertaining read filled with some amusing moments because of the hero's family; intense and compelling dialogue due to the main characters back stories, especially that of the heroine because of what she's running from; and an incredible array of characters that had me hoping for more of Nicholas's family when I finished reading this story. The way this story started had me sympathizing with the heroine, as she needs her friends and family after what she's been through and she's lucky they help her the way they do. Yet, it was from the moment the hero and heroine met that had me reading quickly, determined to discover whether the hero could win Victoria over since his family don't make a very good first impression when they meet.

Both the main characters are enthralling and I loved how the heroine handles everything the hero's family puts her through from the way they treat her in the beginning to what Nicholas's brothers do that has her needing to help him sort of the trouble they've found themselves in. Talk about going rogue and causing more problems for Nicholas to have to solve. No wonder he needs Victoria to help transform his unmarriageable brothers into respectable men that will hopefully each find a woman to settle down with. Will Victoria be up to the task? Will she be able to tame Nicholas's brothers, so they can find love and happiness?

Furthermore, the heroine is resilient, courageous and I liked how determined she was to help Nicholas's youngest brother and help Nicholas to reconcile with another of his brothers that let the hero down years ago and caused Nicholas so much grief. I also liked the growing bond she shared with Kade, Nicholas's youngest brother, as Kade needs Victoria just as much as she needs him. Yet, what I liked most of all about the heroine was her determination to protect the hero and his family from her past. No way would she allow anyone to suffer for what she did. While the hero, he's had a lot of loss and I could understand why he felt the need to outrun his grief when it all happened. Yet, in saying that, I liked that he's finally realized how much his family needs him and is determined to do whatever it takes including hiring Victoria to help him with his unruly brothers and grandfather. Luckily, the heroine is good for the Kendrick household.

Overall, Ms. Kelly has delivered an exceptional must read in this book where the chemistry between this couple was powerful; the romance wonderful and had me liking the playfulness of the hero when it came to their romance; and the ending had me cheering for this couple's happy ever after, especially after what the heroine goes through. However, it was the epilogue that wrapped this story up nicely, as forgiveness is important and love and happiness are some of the best things in one's life. I would recommend The Highlander's Princess Bride by Vanessa Kelly, if you enjoys second chance romances, the opposites attract trope, or books by authors Christi Caldwell, Darcy Burke, Jess Michaels and Shana Galen.

Was this review helpful?

Well written book with great storyline and plot. A sweet book that has great romance. The story is true to it's time period and the language is also. I like when an author has made research about the time period they want to write the story in.

I love the couples journey towards their HEA. There is drama, family issues, passion, emotions and some twists. Instant attraction. I like the supporting characters. It has a slow start but it gets better within the first 3-4 chapters. True love will always win in the end. Or so we hope.

Nice chemistry and passion. I like the main characters and how they develop. The story flows nicely and it is very captivating from first to last chapter. The author has delivered a story that is worth the read!

I voluntarily reviewed this Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

Was this review helpful?

Victoria Knight is the illegitimate daughter of the Prince Regent and a barmaid. In order to distance herself from that, she has poured her heart and soul into her profession, being a governess. Things were going okay until Victoria accidentally killed her employer's brother. The family is out for blood and wants Victoria brought to justice. With the aid of her sibling and friend's, Victoria, is able to flee to Scotland. And she even has a job awaiting her there.

Nicholas Kendrick, Earl of Arnprior, needs a governess for his unruly brothers. For too long, they have run wild and been under his wily grandfather's command. It is well past time for the lads to learn their manners and come out into society. Victoria is not at all what he imagined she'd be, but despite her looks, appears to be made of sterner stuff. She puts up with his brothers and grandfather easily enough.

Victoria has never backed down from a challenge, and does not intend to now. The hardest part will be maintaining her distance from Nick. The attraction between them is undeniable, and it seems only Victoria is resisting the pull between them. Nick must not discover why she has traveled all the way to some remote place in Scotland for work. Unfortunately, keeping a secret of this magnitude might just be the straw that broke the camel's back. Can Nick forgive Victoria when all comes to light?

THE HIGHLANDER'S PRINCESS BRIDE, book three in author Vanessa Kelly's IMPROPER PRINCESSES series, is my favorite. Victoria is my kind of heroine. She is strong, courageous and willing to do what needs must. From the beginning, she fights to protect herself and she keeps right on fighting until the very end. She is no mild-mannered miss. Nick is Victoria's equal in every way... well except birth, but he doesn't know that at first. Victoria leads him on a merry chase, but the end result is well worth it. THE HIGHLANDER'S PRINCESS BRIDE is one heck of an adventure. I cannot wait to see what Ms. Kelly writes next.

Was this review helpful?

A very fun romp into the highlands with the illegitimate daughter of the Prince Regent and a noble but grieving highland laird. With a wonderful cast, and some old favorites too.

Was this review helpful?

Since the Prince Regent had many children who were not legitimate, what would it like to secretly have royal blood?

Was this review helpful?

*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.

After finding the first two books in this series highly enjoyable I just had to give this one a try and it did not let me down. Vanessa just has this writing style that really let's the reader enjoy the romance and I especially enjoy how each installment has it's own time line instead of following a set one like so many other romance authors do. The historical parts seem accurate and add just the right amount of details/drama to really keep the story going. This couple has some incredible dialogue that had me giggling, shaking my head, agreeing, and fuming at the turn of each page. The concept of inappropriate princesses through no fault of their own is just fun as well as being a nice tweek on the story for change of pace. If you enjoy historical romance novels then you so have to read this book and the others in the series. I really enjoyed it so it gets 4/5 stars.

Was this review helpful?

Absolutely adored this book! Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is one of my favorite musicals and it was fun to read how the author interpreted the musical and inserted themes into this book. Victoria is faced with an ovewhelming task and equally overwhelming boss. Nick is doing all her can to hold his family together and needs Victoria to hold it in place. I really liked these two and their chemistry. The pain in their pasts was real and the danger still lurks. Fun adventurous read!

Was this review helpful?

When a governess position turned for the absolute worst, Victoria Knight had to escape. With the help of her other illegitimate siblings of the Prince Regent, they tuck her away in Scotland to act as governess to a brood of Highland men. She is shocked that she is expected to tame this crew.

Nicholas Kendrick, Earl of Arnprior, needs all the help he can get with his brothers and grandfather. He has led a rough life full of tragedy but he can no longer avoid the trouble his family is causing.

Victoria might be just what he needs to heal his brokenness if he can overlook the secrets Victoria is keeping

This book was slow to develop and once it got going most of the action took place off scene. There was more of a telling of how Nick and Victoria felt about each other rather than really feeling it.

Was this review helpful?