Murder, Spies, Balloons and Justice 4.5*

Though this is book 1 in a series, I had already read the Sweet Home Highland novella (part of the Christmas in Kilts boxset published on 31 Oct 17) which featured Captain Gregory Pennington and the events in that book take place in the same year, 1817. I was so enamoured by that story that I was delighted to read another book about another member of the Pennington family.

Grace is delivered to Hugh, in a crate containing a new basket for his ballooning hobby. When he opens it (and thank God he was at home that day) he finds a nearly dead young woman curled up inside. How Grace held onto life after being entombed in the crate with no food and water for five days, breathing in noxious fumes and with her mind full of terror having just witnessed the murder of her father and herself pursued by his killers, is incredible. This is not glossed over, in that she is at death’s door for several days and when she comes to herself she doesn’t know whom to trust, particularly as she knows that her father’s exploits in Napoleon’s army make him a traitor to the Crown, and by association her too.

This book was a little bit different to the usual Regency romance, though I did find it slightly overlong. I especially enjoyed reading about Hugh’s role as a Justice in the Scottish High Court; so often in books such as this there may be mention of a peer being a magistrate but this was so much more interesting. I can’t wait to read Lady Jo’s story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

This was a great story, how could you mess up a story about a woman almost dead from being in a crate for 10 days without food or water? It almost writes itself but sadly, too many times in what should have been an exceptional story, the author inserted thinly veiled social propaganda from the 21st century using unlikely (if not impossible) situations thereby ruining a good story. I don’t like for books I read for entertainment to be used to try to “enlighten” me to the authors point of view on social or political subjects. The fact that it was done too many times and with the subtly of a hammer at times is sad since it detracted from an exceptional story.

We have the almost dead heroine Grace and our far too politically correct (for this time period) hero Hugh that make an amazing couple, this story has it all in the weak heroine getting stronger, the romantic attachment nobody says they want, the hidden secret (isn't there always) and throw in some murder, mayhem and a good mystery and you have a story that was so good I stuck with it since most books that try to "educate" me go into my DNF pile (if not the garbage can).

So how/why did our heroine end up nailed inside a box, who is after what/who and a dozen other questions and characters that you grow to enjoy make this a solid 4 Star entertainment in spite of my serious misgivings on the inclusion of social/political subjects from the 21st century.

I may hold my nose but I will get the next one, what can I say, I am a sucker for a great story even if I did scan a few pages here and there when it became a bit verbose.

Thanks St. Martin's Press and netgalley for this ARC.

The danger, action, and throbbing beat to the romance will have you reading all nite. Loved the chemistry these two had from start to end.

This is my fair and honest review as agreed for this ARC. Subterfuge, spies, war and hardships. How on earth do two people find their soulmates in this mix? You will find out the answers when you read this great story.

I was first introduced to author May McGoldrick and the Pennington family in May's story, Sweet Home Highland Christmas in the anthology Christmas in Kilts. In that story Hugh Pennington and Grace were already married and I found them a fascinating couple then even with the small part they played in that story. I got to know them even better in this their own story.

This book has a little bit of everything to entertain the reader. There is a wonderful family with loving parents and siblings. Also there is a busybody neighbor who is a trouble-making gossip so you get a character to dislike. There are bad guys and ladies who lend the story an aura of suspense. Last, but not least, there is the romantic couple, Hugh Pennington, Vicount Greysteil whose big-heartedness is upfront throughout the story and his protectiveness is too and Grace Ware who is a very strong and independent heroine who can't resist the handsome and lovable Hugh. Their chemistry is magical and I really liked their interactions.

Romancing the Scot was a very enjoyable read and I look forward to future books about the Pennington family.

Sweet Historical Romance
Grace Ware escaped from the attackers who killed her father, only to be nailed into a crate, that was loaded onto a ship.
Viscount Greysteil took delivery of his balloon basket, only to find Grace, close to death after her five day entrapment. He and his sister Jo, the staff and the local doctor cared for her tirelessly until she recovered from the brink of death.
Raised in France she pretended amnesia for fear of reprisal as her father was a french officer.
Grace sweet nature endeared her to all, and when danger came to the door she tried to direct it away only to be attacked herself as well as Darby, who tried to come to her rescue.
Getting as much as she knew from Grace, the Viscount, found a solution that allowed Grace to become his...forever.
I received an ARC from Netgalley upon my request and was thrilled with the tale.

Hugh Pennington—Viscount Greysteil, Lord Justice of the Scottish Courts, hero of the Napoleonic wars—is a grieving widower with a death wish. When he receives an expected crate from the continent, he is shocked to find a nearly dead woman inside. Her identity is unknown, and the handful of American coins and the precious diamond sown into her dress only deepen the mystery.

Grace Ware is an enemy to the English crown. Her father, an Irish military commander of Napoleon’s defeated army. Her mother, an exiled Scottish Jacobite. When Grace took shelter in a warehouse, running from her father’s murderers through the harbor alleyways of Antwerp, she never anticipated bad luck to deposit her at the home of an aristocrat in the Scottish Borders. Baronsford is the last place she could expect to find safety, and Grace feigns a loss of memory to buy herself time while she recovers.

Hugh is taken by her beauty, passion, and courage to challenge his beliefs and open his mind. Grace finds in him a wounded man of honor, proud but compassionate. When their duel of wits quickly turns to passion and romance, Grace’s fears begin to dissolve…until danger follows her to the very doors of Baronsford. For, unknown to either of them, Grace has in her possession a secret that will wreak havoc within the British government. Friend and foe are indistinguishable as lethal forces converge to tear the two lovers apart or destroy them both.

Grace and her father are in Antwerp having just gotten off of a ship from the colonies. When their baggage carriage turns up at their inn without their trunks Grace goes down to see what happened. When she returns to her room she finds her father dead and people searching her room. She runs and street urchins helpto hide her. After a long run they manage to hide her in a crate with a plan to come back to get her. Unfortunately the crate is then nailed shut and put on a ship to Scotland. No amount of yelling attracts anyone’s attention. Grace doesn’t see the light of day for another five days.

Hugh Pennington has taken up ballooning and is anxious to open his new gondola. When he opens it he is shocked to find a woman who is almost dead inside. He and his sister take her to their home and nurse her back to health. Despite being half dead Hugh can’t deny that he’s intrigued by how this woman came to be in his gondola.

When Grace awakens she doesn’t know where she is or who has been taking care of her. The people seem nice but she’s the daughter of an Irish man who was a colonel in Napoleon’s army – he fought against her hosts! She pretends to have amnesia and tries to figure out how to leave. She spends time with Hugh and his sister Jo and the more time Grace and Hugh spend together the more she comes to care for him. She knows that nothing can come of it, however, as she can never tell him who she is.

I have to say that the more that I read May McGoldrick’s book, the more I like this author. The premise of this book is very different from what I’ve read in the past. With Grace being the daughter of someone who fought for the French in the French wars. It was pretty interesting and I have to say that I found it enthralling. Throw in the almost-dying-by-being-locked-in-a-crate scenario and this book had my whole attention.

Hugh and Grace’s romance was sweet. While it seemed to happen pretty quickly there was definitely a bit of time in between Grace waking up and the end of the book, McGoldrick just didn’t show us every minute of it. I appreciated that as I could still feel the time moving and didn’t feel like the romance was rushed in any way.

Jo, Hugh’s sister, was a lovely woman. She was a spinster and was supposedly happy with that but I could tell she wanted a family of her own. I certainly hope that she gets her own book.

I definitely recommend reading this book as it was a good one. Then be sure to read about Hugh’s brother, Gregory, in the Christmas in Kilts anthology – that was a good one too.

Rating; 4 out of 5

This will post as a guest review at Book Binge.
http://bookbinge.com/

Romancing the Scot (The Pennington Family, #1)by May McGoldrick this start of a new series...and for me a new author who also has a book in Christmas in Kilts: A Highland Holiday Box Set. I found this book a good read...the Chemistry is clear between both Hugh and Grace. I received a free copy from NetGalley for a fair review. I liked the story line..Hugh is not a laird but a man off the law/justice who meets his match. The story all the feels.. fun..action..murder...and romance. I loved it and recommend this one.

I enjoyed this book so much. The story flows so well. It really held my interest. Great book

DNF I couldn’t finish. I could not get into the story and the main Characters were flat and didn’t seem to have much chemistry

Not having read a book by May McGoldrick and not always sure about the highlander based story, I was started this book with hesitation. However, I now have a new author that I will be looking out for.
Hugh Pennington, Viscount Greysteil, is the Lord Justice of the Scottish Courts and a keen balloonist. On receiving his delivery of a new basket, he finds a young woman, near death inside the crate. Grace Ware has been trapped inside the crate for several days, after finding her father killed, for what she believes is due to his involvement with Napoleon and his family. Hugh and his sister, Jo, care for Grace as she convalesces, unaware that they have an enemy of England, in their household.
From the very first chapter where Grace finds herself running from her father’s murders, I found myself totally immersed in the storyline. Both characters are well developed and not one-dimensional. Not only is Hugh swoon-worthy, but his ability to recognise and appreciate Grace’s intelligence made him very endearing. Grace is not your typical heroine. She asserts her independence and speaks her mind but does so in a gracious and humble manner. The secondary characters also make this an exceptional story and, Hugh’s sister, Jo is such an integral character. Her story is gradually revealed in the story, and done in such a subtle manner, that I now can’t wait to find out the rest (but I now have to wait for book 2). It was only after I finished that I started looking into other books by the author, that I found to my delight, that this is a second-generation series, so I have more books to read!

This romantic story takes the reader on a trip from Belgium and through Scotland including history of the after effects of the Napoleonic Wars. We meet Grace, an uncommon heroine with a photographic memory, and Hugh, a very important judge in Scotland. Their lives intertwine and find companionship and love though there are forces determined to be sure they’re not exposed as spies. At times the story gets weighed down with minute details, e,g, chapter and verse of legal tomes, that most readers will find daunting and would have enjoyed book better without them.

Very good romance novel with interesting characters, action and intrigue. I plan in reading more books from this author.

As a "New to Me Author", I was extremely surprised by how much I liked this book! The story of Hugh and Grace was told without your normal angst. There was an enemy to defeat, but that didn't really come into play except at the beginning and the end. The H/h's stories were allowed to develop without all the extra's and distractions that villains bring. I will admit that Grace has become one of my favorite heroines. She's quick witted even in the face of danger, she's not shy about voicing her opinion, and she doesn't back down in a fight. Rarely do you get a heroine who has all these attributes. I loved that Hugh didn't jump to conclusions every time you turned around and actually thought things through. I can't wait to read Jo's story next to see how she ends up!
I was Graced with an ARC from NetGalley. (See what I did there!!)

Right from the start it is clear that this is not the usual regency historical romance novel. The very first chapter is full of action with Grace Ware an enemy of the English Crown witnessing the murder of her father (an Irish spy working for the French during the Napoleon wars). Her subsequent escape sees her trapped in a shipping container and transported all the way from Antwerp to Scotland. She is found at death’s door when the crate is opened by its owner Hugh Pennington Viscount Greysteil, Lord Justice of the Scottish Courts and hero of the Napoleonic wars. Nursing her back to health Pennington and his sister become attached the woman they know little about. Intrigue surrounds both her and a valuable object found hidden with her. An adventure to rival any murder mystery novel then ensues throughout the book. Yes there is romance and history but there is also so much more to this story and I thoroughly enjoyed it because of that. This is a well written book and a carefully thought out plot, with great additional characters and brilliant chemistry between the two romantic leads. I have not read any Mary McGoldrick before but I certainly will now look for other books in this series and by her.

From the very first page Ms. McCormick reels you into her stories. This is a must read for those of you who love historical romance and for those who have not read a historical romance but wants to try one. The author does not disappoint. Hugh and Grace are great characters who are both headstrong and Author Madeline Martin weaves a tail of intrigue in her stories and "Highland Ruse" is no different. Delilah and Kaid's story is a must read. You will feel a wide range of emotions while reading this book. I am a fairly new reader of Ms. Martin's and I highly recommend reading her books. This was a great story. intelligent. There is adventure and a mystery they trying to solve.

Great read.

Hugh Pennington is Viscount Greysteil as well as a Lord Justice of the Scottish Courts. He is a widower who fought in the Peninsular Wars. He is well respected and honored for his fairness and honesty. Since the death of his wife and young son, he has led a life filled with sorrow.

Hugh is interested in balloon flight. He has ordered some new equipment from Europe. When he opens the crate containing his new basket, he finds the body of a woman. After he determines that she is alive, he and his sister Jo take her into the house and work to get her nursed back to health.

Grace Ware is the daughter of a respected officer who fought for Napoleon against England. Her father was murdered in Antwerp and to escape the same fate, she hid in a crate in a warehouse. Five days later, she is rescued from what she thought would be her tomb.

In order to protect herself, she lies and says she has amnesia. She has no idea who she is, where she came from or why she was found in the basket. All this is because she has no idea how these kind people would treat her if they understood who she is and what her family background is.

Grace and Hugh are attracted to one another. She continues to lie to him. He is trying to figure out a way to get her to remain on his estate until they can get to know one another. The more time they spend together, the more they learn about one another and the more they admire one another.

Grace is hunted, even as she is recovering in Scotland. There are unknown forces which are after her. Not only do Hugh and Grace not realize the danger that is near, but they have no idea there is any reason for Grace to be in danger.

This plot is not a usual Regency plot. I liked that very much. The authors have created a good introduction to a new series. Not only does the reader get a picture of the Pennington family, but they also get a picture of a family of warm and friendly people.

The only issue I had was at the first of the book. For me, it seemed that there was more telling than doing. I felt the story spent a great deal of time with the inner thoughts of Grace and Hugh at the cost of not enough action nor enough information of other characters in the story.

Grace and Hugh are really wonderful characters. Both of them are intelligent and honorable people. Both also have a strong sense of responsibility to their fellow human beings. They each learned their good qualities from examples set by their parents.
Their very natures make them a good fit for one another. Intelligence, a strong work ethic and passionate natures are what draw them together.

The secondary characters are minimally involved in the story. Jo, Hugh's sister is a woman of strong emotions. I look forward to reading her story in the new series.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are my own.

Romancing the Scot 1.5 ⭐️

Hugh Pennington—Viscount Greysteil, Lord Justice of the Scottish Courts, hero of the Napoleonic wars—is a grieving widower with a death wish. When he receives an expected crate from the continent, he is shocked to find a nearly dead woman inside. Her identity is unknown, and the handful of American coins and the precious diamond sown into her dress only deepen the mystery.

Grace Ware is an enemy to the English crown. Her father, an Irish military commander of Napoleon’s defeated army. Her mother, an exiled Scottish Jacobite. When Grace took shelter in a warehouse, running from her father’s murderers through the harbor alleyways of Antwerp, she never anticipated bad luck to deposit her at the home of an aristocrat in the Scottish Borders. Baronsford is the last place she could expect to find safety, and Grace feigns a loss of memory to buy herself time while she recovers.

Hugh is taken by her beauty, passion, and courage to challenge his beliefs and open his mind. Grace finds in him a wounded man of honor, proud but compassionate. When their duel of wits quickly turns to passion and romance, Grace’s fears begin to dissolve…until danger follows her to the very doors of Baronsford. For, unknown to either of them, Grace has in her possession a secret that will wreak havoc within the British government. Friend and foe are indistinguishable as lethal forces converge to tear the two lovers apart or destroy them both.

Many of us use HR to escape into a romantic version of life. Unfortunately I am approximately 50% into the book and the character that steps up is the spinster sister, Jo. There is absolutely no connection to the main characters of the book, no spark.... nothing.. Very disappointed @ 1 star. Bumping to 1.5 only because the sister’s story line was more promising.

I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars!

Romancing the Scot was an enjoyable historical romance with an intriguing storyline, a heroine with a unique memory and a hero determined to see justice done.

Hugh Pennington receives quite a shock when he opens an expected crate from America and discovers a nearly dead woman inside. Grace Ware took shelter in the crate while fleeing her father’s murderers before she was unexpectedly trapped inside and shipped to Scotland. Upon awakening, Grace feigns amnesia while she comes up with a plan to escape Baronsford as she is considered an enemy to the English crown. While regaining her strength, Grace and Hugh unexpectedly begin to fall for one another and she questions her decision to withhold her identity. Within the safety of Baronsford, Grace is unaware that her pursuers are desperately trying to locate her for she holds a secret that has the potential to devastate the British government.

Grace, the daughter of one of Napoleon's finest commanders, spent years following her father around the battlefields and grew accustomed to the sights of battle while her resentment for war grew. After the war, Grace spent her time taking care of her father, who was injured in one of the last battles of the war. Grace has the gift of an eidetic memory in that she is able to exactly recall everything she has ever read. Her ability proves invaluable in her quest to locate her father’s murderers and discover why they’re now after her.

Hugh was on the opposite side of the war than Grace’s father and it was because of the war that he lost his wife and young son. In the years since the war ended, Hugh has become Lord Justice of the Scottish Courts and spends most of his time working. He is considered a fair and honest man and goes to great lengths to help those less fortunate. He cares deeply for his family and is incredibly close to them. He doesn’t however get close to anyone else as he feels too guilty to move on from his late wife.

Grace and Hugh are drawn to each other from very early on due to the circumstances of their meeting. Hugh feels very protective of Grace while she feels safe when she’s with him. Hugh helps Grace see that she can want more from life and that taking the risk for love can be worth it. Grace challenges Hugh and helps him see that although he is usually fair, he does have biases against the Irish immigrants newer to the area. While I liked Grace and Hugh together well enough, I felt their relationship developed a bit too quickly and I didn’t have enough time to get fully invested.

The mystery of who murdered Grace’s father and was now after her was my favorite part of the story. McGoldrick does a great job connecting everything in a believable way and the pacing of this part of the story was very well done. The addition of spies and the connection to Napoleon only added to the mystery. With Hugh’s position as a judge, there was an emphasis on social issues of the time and the book tended to focus on the historical aspects rather than romance at times.

Overall, I liked Romancing the Scot and recommend it to people who prefer an emphasis on the historical aspect of their historical romances.

Romancing the Scot ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️by May McGoldrick
(The Pennington Family #1)

I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review. This is my first read by this author and I must say I intend to go back and read her previous novels especially about this family.

We start off with a murder of Daniel Ware and a terrifying escape by Grace Ware, his daughter, running through the docks of Antwerp. Grace cleverly hides in a crate, unfortunately, she did not really this crate would be sealed and put in the hole of a ship and delivered to London.

The crate is delivered to you Hugh Pennington, Viscount Greysteil, Lord Justice Commissary Court Edinburgh. Since Grace is the daughter of one of Napoleon’s military commanders she would be considered the enemy of Scotland and England.

This book is pack full of romance, intrigue, spies,and murder. From the first few pages I could not put it down. It is an all consuming read. The romance is impeccable done.
I would highly recommend this book.