✦Review: THE HIGHLANDER’S PRINCESS BRIDE (The Improper Princesses, Book 3) by Vanessa Kelly https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-apO
Publication Date: October 31, 2017
Genre: Historical Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Cori
Rated 4.5 Stars

I loved this Highlander romance! THE HIGHLANDER’S PRINCESS BRIDE is the third book in Vanessa Kelly’s Improper Princesses Series and can be read as a standalone. I didn’t read the previous books before reading this one but I bought them all and plan to read them because I loved this one so much. THE HIGHLANDER’S PRINCESS BRIDE was so much fun! I loved the characters and the storyline. It had danger, humor, mischief and some hot romance. This book was a feel good romance that left me smiling. I highly recommend this book for historical romance lovers looking for a fun and sexy story. Vanessa Kelly is now on must buy list.

*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Kindle http://amzn.to/2fTZDpb | Amazon Series Link http://amzn.to/2AAjLpr

✿The Improper Princesses Series by Vanessa Kelly✿
✦Book 1: MY FAIR PRINCESS ➢ http://amzn.to/2hjaj1l
✦Book 2: THREE WEEKS WITH A PRINCESS ➢ http://amzn.to/2hpsYfz
✦Book 3: THE HIGHLANDER’S PRINCESS BRIDE ➢ http://amzn.to/2fTZDpb

This book was a fun read with charming characters and hopefully a nice seque into the next series from Vanessa Kelly.

I honestly cannot remember a more delightful romance than this one. Victoria Knight is the illegitimate daughter of the Prince Regent who gets into a slight bit of trouble and so to escape scandal she takes a position as a governess in Scotland. Unbeknowing to Victoria her charges are the full grown brothers to her new employer who just happens to need a wife.

This entire story was incredibly lovely and I recommend it to anyone who likes to read historical romance.

Loved this book. I am really interested in the other books in the series. Action, adventure, a highland laird. What else do you need?

I can see why people loved this book and I can definitely see which type of audience is perfect for this genre, but I simply couldn't get to the final pages. Historical romance should be well-researched just as any work set in a specific place and time, and I felt that this book was lacking some atmosphere. Also, insta-love that is happening here was not working for me.

The story is about a governess Victoria Knight, coming to Scotland to teach some manners to a group of men. Victoria has some interesting background herself, and her character is likeable. She was feisty and clever, decisive and kind. Other than that, I didn't enjoy any other characters here. A lot of them were introduced right at the beginning, I couldn't tell them apart because they were all wild Highlanders, similar and loud. The first quarter of the book is just one long negotiation between Victoria and Nick, her possible employer. Their banter was just bland and not interesting, although it supposed to show us the tension between those two.

The good side here is that the Scotland setting is very romantic, reminded me of the Wuthering Heights. Just imagining their castles, plains and windy surroundings makes up for the lack of period-atmosphere.

I found this book very entertaining. I could sympathize with Victoria Knight and the predicaments that she ended up in. The relationship between Victoria and the Earl of Arnprior, Nick Kendrick, was interesting, as Nick was in need of someone to help him heal from his own wounds, and Victoria was in need of safety, so they were each able to fill the need in the other's life. I also found the Kendrick family to be sweet, very amusing, as well as charmingly irritating and I would be interested in reading more about them. The plot was well constructed, with a bunch of things going on that kept me reading, and I was very entertained.

I received an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Highlander's Princess Bride (The Improper Princesses, #3)
by Vanessa Kelly

Anna Swedenmom's review Nov 14, 2017 · edit
it was amazing

Definitely a buy buy buy buy buy book!

I absolutely loved this book. From humor, to misdeeds to the adventure and all the funny little side quirks that happened through out the book. It combined to make a super good read. This author is definitely one I am following and cannot wait to see more of their work. This series seems to have wrapped with this book so make sure you read the others as well. Each is stand alone but I think you will enjoy it even more if you read from beginning of the series. The author and her plotline and characters will keep you delighted and interested! So buy the book sit back and enjoy! I was given this book in return for an honest review. Anna

What an entertaining romance! The Scottish family Victoria Knight, illegitimate daughter of the Prince Regent, finds herself assisting (as she escapes talk of her being a murderess) is boisterous, unrefined and mostly proud of it. The biggest offender and instigator is Angus, proud Scottish grandpa, and menace. Amidst the chaos of the home there are two amazing brothers who very much need what Victoria can offer. The Laird, Nicholas Kendrick, Earl of Arnprior, also has some ideas of his own about how to keep the new governess busy. He'll have to fetter out secrets, race the countryside, and finally forgive a long lost brother before he can claim his prize.

The journey to HEA is an entertaining and enduring one for Victoria and Nicholas. I recommend it.

I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Who wouldnt fall in love with a handsome laird? I mean really ... Scots! But well, the governess - laird lovestory is funny and well developed, his brothers and his grandpa are simply unique. Really, really funny. A splendid novel.

Victoria Knight is a governess who fled London for Scotland with the aid of her powerful cousins. The illegitimate daughter of the Prince Regent, she brought with her a few secrets to the Highlands, to meet her new employer, Nicholas Kendrick, Earl of Arnprior. Victoria was dismayed that her new charges aren’t children at all. They’re strapping, untamed fully-grown, Highland men. As for the Earl, he’s good-looking, reticent, and makes one wary especially for a woman with a dark secret.

Nick tries to convince the prim and proper Victoria to take the job as a teacher to transform his unmarriageable brothers Miss Knight fits the bill perfectly.

Nick needs to marry, as he becomes more acquainted with kind-hearted Victoria, he couldn't help but desires her and admires her loyalty and spirit.

The secret and the danger followed Victoria all the way to Scotland. It would take an Earl, fierce Highlanders and powerful Sassenachs to save her.

This is a compelling tale of family saga, scandal, secret, kidnapping, murder and mayhem. There are plenty of heartbreaking parts of the story which will tug at one's heartstrings. Vanessa Kelly is a skilled story-teller. Five stars.

I voluntarily read and reviewed my eGalley complimentary copy from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

It feels like I have been waiting on this book forever. The final book in Vanessa Kelly's Improper Princesses series, The Highlander's Princess Bride is everything I hoped it would be. Victoria is not your typical princess and not just because she's the by blow of the Prince Regent but unlike some of her other siblings she has never been revealed as his daughter. She has lived a quiet life first as an innkeeper's granddaughter and then as a governess but when she gets into some trouble, like defending herself and killing a man, she knows the only people who can help her is Sir. Dominic and her half brother. Sir. Dominic has always been a part of her life he was one of the few that knows her parentage and he's also the one who helped her secure a proper education for becoming a governess. Dominic and Aden decide it might be best for her if she goes away at least until they can handle the situation. Luckily Dominic knows just where to send her.

Castle Kinglas, is in Scotland and is for the time being Victoria's sanctuary not that the Earl of Arnprior knows that Dominic and Aden advised her not to tell anyone the truth as to why she's there. What she finds there almost has her running back to London, but Victoria is stronger than that, and her young charge needs her, so what if the Grandfather is crazy and the twins are out of control and one brother is so hostile or that she is impossibly attracted to the Laird, Nicholas Kendrick the Earl of Arnprior. Victoria is going to stick with it, afterall where else has she to go.

Nick didn't know what to expect when Sir. Dominic said he knew a governess who could help him out, not only teach his youngest brother but also instill some society manners into his other brothers so they can marry proper young ladies. He blames himself for the way his brother turned out after what had happened Nick joined the army and fought in the war joined by his other brother Royal. When he finally came home he found his twin brothers, Graeme and Grant, running amuck the estates falling apart due in part to Angus the grandfather, and his youngest brother, Kade, ill. The only really sane ones in the bunch are Braden the studious brother who is in school to become a doctor and the adorable housekeeper Taffy. Throughout it all Nick and Victoria fall in love. She's even thinking of telling Nick the truth but the truth catches up to her before she can tell him. Will the truth of what she did and the fact that she hid the truth from him keep them apart?

Overall, it was a good story and great characters. I can't wait to see what Vanessa Kelly has for us next.

I absolutely loved Victoria and Nick's story!!

I loved Victoria and the fact that she stood up for herself and didn't let a bunch of rough highlanders run all over her even though she was the last thing they wanted in their lives. I really liked Nick too. He knew that he had let things get out of hand with his brothers and would do anything to get them back on track, even bring in a governess for his grown brothers. He knew there would be issues, but even he didn't expect all the antics they got up to.

Nick's brother's really grew on me during this story and I'm really hoping that Kelly is using this story as a bridge to her next series!! I'd love to see them get their HEA!!

This was an absolutely delightful read! The story line and the antics of the characters kept me entranced and giggling through most of the story, despite the serious aspects. Vanessa Kelly uses a deft hand to balance the two, leaving a story that kept me hooked from the beginning.
Victoria is more than a match for the Kendrick men, despite the way they treat her in the beginning. Poor Nick is at his wits’ end, trying to make up for leaving his family and take care of them at the same time. All he wants is for them to have successful, settled, lives and Victoria is his last hope.
I love that these two accept each other, their secrets/pasts, and families. They both have things to work through to realize that they deserve to have a future together.
This is part of a series, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone novel. I discovered Vanessa Kelly as an author a few novels ago in the middle of a series, and she has quickly become a must read for me. I will impatiently wait for her next novel. I know that this series is Improper Princess, but I hope that she will find a way to write about the rest of the Kendrick brothers.

I’m a pushover for a title with the word “Highlander”, folks. I openly admit I’ll take a chance on just about any romance book with this theme. Sometimes though very prim and proper English manners/dialogues get mixed into the fray, and I realize I’ve wandered into more of an English regency type read. Such is the case here. Though the backdrop soon moved from London to Scotland, it kept more of an English feel, despite most of the characters being of Scottish heritage. Pretty much only Grandpa Angus stayed in true Scottish form all the time.

Up until around 30% into it, I was becoming somewhat frustrated by the back and forth conversations trying to convince this uncertain heroine to take this governess position in the first place. But the book characters did start to grow on me, so I settled in to find out how this main couple would get their HEA.

For the most part, I started to enjoy their snail paced romance. They were both quite agreeable all the time, and I liked their basic characters. However, once again I realized talking was taking up a lot of time. These people seemed to talk everything to death, folks, even during their few steamy scenes. It at times felt exhausting.

At the end of it all, I realized it was a sweet, nice read, but everything panned out pretty predictably. Though enjoyable, it just didn’t get my heart racing or swooning, my fellow romance book loving friends. As this author is quite popular, I think many will enjoy it. For this NetGalley reviewer, it wasn’t quite what I expected.

Title: The Highlander’s Princess Bride, Series: The Improper Princesses (Book 3), Author: Vanessa Kelly, Pages: 352, stand-alone but part of a series, very English manners/dialogue in the beginning, only a few steamy scenes, attempted rape scene, accidental murder. Rating: 3 stars

(I received a free advanced reader copy provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No type of compensation was given to this reviewer. There is no relationship or affiliation between the reviewer and the author/publisher/NetGalley.)

The Highlander's Princess Bride was entertaining from the beginning. Victoria Knight is a governess that is the illegitimate daughter of Prince Regent. She has kept that part of her past a secret as well as the questionable occupation of her mother. Victoria has been the target of inappropriate advances at the hand of her employer's brother, Mr. Fletcher. One evening while her employer is out, Victoria is attacked by Mr. Fletcher. As Victoria tries to defend herself, Mr. Fletcher falls down the stairs and dies. Despite the fact Victoria was protecting herself, the lady of the house is determined to see that Victoria be punished for her brother's death.

Victoria's family, who includes some very influential people, decide it is best to hide Victoria by sending her to Scotland to be the tutor/teacher for a Highland family. Victoria arrives in Scotland and is surprised to find a group of unruly men who are in desperate need of manners and class. Nicholas Kendrick, Earl of Arnprior, has come to realize he needs help so he reaches out for a female governess to help him take care of his brothers. Despite the fact that some of them are grown men and one is a particularly grouchy Grandda. But Nick's younger brother, Kade (15) is the one who really needs Victoria. He is not well and finds joy in music. Victoria's talents lie in teaching and in music. It seems a perfect match except for his crazy family. Victoria agrees to stay but once she learns more about Nick and his painful past, the secrets she is keeping don't seem quite as bad. The more Victoria stays and works with Kade and his family, the more she begins to care for them. Especially Nick who looks very nice in a kilt. The only problem is the death of Mr. Fletcher is not completely dealt with and his father is determined to seek revenge on Victoria.

Victoria is the illegitimate daughter of the Prince Regent and someone believes she is a murderer. She decides to take a job in Scotland as a governess to get away, but can she? This story is fast-paced with plenty of drama and needless to stay Victoria has her hands full trying to teach all those rugged Scottish men. Nick may have hired Victoria to teach his brother, but he is learning a thing or two as well. This is a fun read with great characters and an entertaining story. I really liked getting to know the Kendrick family. Nick and Victoria have great chemistry that kept me hooked. A good read.

London - 1816

Miss Victoria Knight has admitted to killing Thomas Fletcher in self-defense. She is discussing the situation with others family members who are all illegitimate children of the Prince Regent.

Victoria is a governess and it was in her job that she met Thomas Fletcher. He had tried to seduce her. She told her employer who told the man to leave her alone. That only angered him and made him stalk her more. One night she met him on the stairs where he attacked her. Pulling away from him, she kicked him sending him tumbling down the stairs. While she was exonerated by the magistrate, Fletcher’s father thinks she murdered him.

Victoria’s half brothers and sisters care for her and offer to help her but she prefers to simply seek another job and maybe someday open a school. A sibling knows of a governess job in Scotland and thinks she would be perfect for it.

Captain Alec Gilbride kindly offers to take Victoria to a castle where she will be working for Nicholas (Nick) Kendrick, the Earl of Arnprior. The man has 5 younger brothers and needs a teacher for them. Their ages range from 15 to 25. The oldest is Royal Kendrick who was injured at Waterloo and is a very moody man. Then, there is a set of twins in their early 20’s. After the twins is Braden who attends university studying to be a doctor. Victoria’s main student will be 15-year-old, Kade. He is an intelligent person and a gifted musician. However, he was ill in the past and needs extra care.

At first glance, Nick Arnprior is not impressed with Victoria thinking she is small in stature and appears weak. Nick’s grandfather, Angus, and Victoria don’t get along right away either and all of the family members seem to challenge her. At first, she is ready to leave, but she decides to persevere and they all soon are quite taken with her.

This is a delightful novel with lots of touching scenes of compassion and great humor. Watch for “Highlanders and sheep” and I’m betting it will make you laugh out loud just as I did. Vanessa Kelly has written a fabulous story here that is not to be missed. I loved it and know other readers will as well.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

We all know romance novels are sweet and sexy. That’s why we love them, right? But some are also downright funny too. Every book in Vanessa Kelly’s Improper Princesses series has been fun to read, but this one especially, with its hilarious misadventures and witty dialogue, had me laughing, sighing, and wishing I could move to the highlands.

Victoria Knight found herself in need of a new governess position quickly. One that could take her as far away from London and the possible scandal she faced there as possible. So she found herself in the Scottish highlands as governess to the younger brothers of Nicholas Kendrick, Earl of Arnprior. To her surprise though, these charges weren’t children but 5 brawny Highland men. Hellions to be exact. Victoria wasn’t a quitter though and she needed the position. Also, the handsome, rugged earl might have played a little part in her decision to stay.
Nicholas Kendrick needed someone to transform his unmarriageable brothers. His masculine influence hadn’t worked. He blamed himself. Tragedy in Nick’s past had led him to join the army and abandon his family when they needed him most. Nick had been able to command troops but seemed to fail with his own household. Maybe a woman’s civilizing guidance would work. There hadn’t been a female in residence at Castle Kinglas in years. Perhaps a genteel female would prove a good example for everyone. But one look at the too pretty, too slender, too pale Miss Knight and Nick doubted she’d make it a week.
Victoria though, having grown up in a coaching inn and having learned to deal with unruly, drunken males, was prepared for the shenanigans her new charges might pull. Nick was impressed with her self-discipline and ability to defend herself. Watching this dainty, lady-like governess ruthlessly manipulate his brothers was the most entertaining thing he’d seen in a long time. With Victoria in his home, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed himself so. Truth be told, he liked her. Very much. But she was his servant no matter how pretty or kind, and he didn’t dally with servants. Victoria was not unaffected by Nick either. His commanding manner and intense gaze unsettled her. And when he smiled, it was devastating. Try as they might to deny the attraction they had for each other, they soon gave in. They both tried to remain proper but one touch and they were lost. Victoria’s warmth chased away Nick’s grim memories. For Victoria, her tensions and fears about London slid away, replaced with feeling warm, safe, and cherished. For the first time in years, they felt like they were regaining something that was lost to them. But Victoria’s past, a past she has kept hidden from Nick, is following her and threatening to bring scandal and trouble down on the home and people she’s come to love.

I loved Victoria and Nick. They were such fun, likeable characters. I liked that Victoria didn’t back down when things got tough. Just as she was prepared to face the scandal in London head on, she was also prepared to face whatever the Kendrick men threw at her. I empathized with her hating to disappoint people and quit. And I definitely empathized with her inability to not goggle at a good looking man in a kilt. My favorite thing about Nick was his devotion to his family. He carried a lot of responsibility, sorrow, and guilt but he wanted to do what was best for them. I loved that he knew how to play to Victoria’s sense of guilt to get his way. And though he often put his foot in his mouth when telling Victoria how he felt, he truly was a charmer. Their interactions were so much fun to read. His proposal was hysterical. And note to self: never drink while reading Vanessa Kelly. When, in the middle of lovemaking, Victoria instructed Nick to “carry on”, I almost snorted tea all over my kindle!
This book has some of the best secondary characters I’ve read in a long time. They all scream for a spin off story of their own. I adored sweet, sensitive Kade who wanted so much for everyone to be happy. I loved the brooding, dark Royal and his mysterious relationship with Ainsley. I felt for poor guilt-ridden Logan and his need for his brother’s forgiveness. I even adored Angus, the crotchety, deranged highlander patriarch. I think the twins, Graeme and Grant, were my favorites. I couldn’t help but envision the Weasley twins. Their attempts to run Victoria off reminded me of the hijinks in the old Parent Trap movie. The family dynamics were beautifully portrayed in this story. For a family so often at odds, they truly did love each other, and I loved that they were united in bringing Victoria and Nick together.
This entire series has been a delight to read. Vanessa Kelly is a master at writing laughter-laced romances. If you’re looking for a story with a generous measure of humor and passion, you’ll fall in love with this one. And if, like me, you have a thing for Scots in kilts, you’ll be over the moon! I voluntarily read an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book. Reviewed by Amy

The final book in the Improper Princesses series is a treasure. Victoria Knight, illegitimate and unrecognized daughter of the Prince Regent, works as a governess for a respectable family. However, the brother of the wife, continues to make unwanted advances until he attempts to rape her and she accidentally pushed him down the stairs, killing him. His sister and father want her to hang. Her dream has been to start her own school for girls, but this scandal could destroy any chance of that. Protected by her equally illegitimate but royal relatives, she is sent to Scotland to Nicholas Kendrick, Earl of Arnprior, to act as governess for his younger brothers, only one who is still a child. Nicholas is desperately in need of help with this brawny brood, but he didn't expect to fall in love. There is adventure, intrigue, bride kidnapping, an avalanche... the book keeps the read hooked. The characters are well developed and as the cover says there is a HEA. However, there is a mystery left unsolved. Another series in the making?

I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.

This was the first book I've read from Vanessa Kelly and was pleasantly surprised. In this story, Victoria is an illegitimate daughter of the prince regent who goes into service as a governess. A situation in here position leaves her in a precarious situation and looking for another position. Nick is an earl in the Highlands who has hired Victoria to help get his younger siblings in line. As intimidating as the job may seem, Victoria has the strength of character to stick it out and over time she develops a relationship with the entire family. It was easy to admire Victoria and Nick and find them both endearing. Overall, it was a fun and enjoyable read.

Awesome Story!!!

Victoria Knight has been accused of murder, her former employers brother had attempted to rape her, now his family is out for her head. She’s then whisked away by her powerful extended family to the Highlands. Her new position a governess to Nicholas Kendrick Earl of Arnprior and his unruly siblings. The catch is that they’re a bunch of rowdy adult men.
Nickolas - Nick has had terrible luck his wife’s death rests heavily on his conscious along with the accidental death of his young son that has him estranged with his brother Logan. Not that he doesn’t already have enough on his shoulders with Royal being broody and melancholy after his injury he acquired in the war and the twins unruliness he needs some kind of help, he’s hoping the new governess can shape his wayward brothers in shape.
What he was expecting as governess material was not what he got. Too delicate and too pretty for his peace of mind. But there’s something mysterious about her that he can’t really put a finger on, he figures that everyone has secrets, God knows he has enough himself. Their attraction is palpable they try to ignore it but it’s inevitable and they succumb to it. He realizes that she’s the perfect woman for him and his dysfunctional family. But the danger is fast approaching her door and her security and happiness will be put to the test.

This was a wonderful story well written with lots of humour and delightful characters. I loved the twins and Royal I’d love to see his story I believe he deserves a happily ever after. Victoria and Nick are so good together their relationship was destined to be more that employee / employer, I loved their banter she definitely was no pushover. My favourite scene is the library where Victoria climbed through the window to rescue Nick. Lots of steamy scenes heat up the pages emotional ups and downs keep things interesting. Nicks relationship with his siblings is full of turmoil he’s torn between knocking their heads together to being the loving brother they need. I truly felt his anguish with his estranged brother Logan. I’d love to see his story the prodigal brother returning. Over all this was a fabulous story that keeps you entertained with sexy a highlander that succumbs to his Sassenach princess.

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley for my unbiased honest opinion