4.25-4.5 Stars
A historical romance that actually includes historical events and social issues! An interesting and exciting novel to start off a new romance series. The characters have spunk and the romance is fun as well as thoughtful. There wasn't a dull moment throughout and the pace was perfect. I enjoyed the spy adventure part too. I will definitely be looking for the next installment. For historical romance readers.

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Was a good story and was not the traditional same old story.

Romancing the Scot is a great beginning to a new series about the Pennington family. Both the hero and the heroine, Hugh Pennington and Grace Ware have strong, intelligent personalities. As you read about their backgrounds and interests, you begin to believe this is a story of opposites attracting, but this couple have more in common than we were lead to believe. Their families were on opposite sides of the war, but you find out later, their families have similar connections. Grace even challenges Hugh to take a second look at how he serves justice. Sometimes it takes a strong person to challenge an equally strong person to help us grow from our mistakes.

Just the fact that Grace is enclosed in a box after five days shipment across water to Hugh’s home is traumatic enough to truly cause anyone to forget their identity. Grace’s photographic memory is rare and special, but she struggled a bit making sure no one realized she did not have amnesia. She is in the midst of mourning the loss of her father and their servants while worrying she is in the midst of her enemies. Hugh is the Lord Justice and has suffered himself due to the loss of his wife and child eight years prior during the war.

The Pennington family sounds like an unusual mix of interesting characters. One of the things I liked best about this book is the family members are not all young. Hugh, Jo and Grace are all a bit older, have all suffered personal losses and have learned from some very difficult circumstances. Each of the characters involved have a kindness and understanding that makes this such a great book. There is a slightly sensual side that is tasteful and just right.

Ms. McGoldrick does a really good job of taking into consideration the history happening around the Pennington family and to Grace Ware's family/dad. The aspect of bringing together war combatants into a romance is challenging, but done well. I am looking forward to enjoying the rest of the series.

Romancing the Scot

"Romancing the Scot" written by May McGoldrick was extremely enjoyable. What a great story! The flow was so perfect, I found it hard to stop reading. Both Grace and Hugh were intelligent, strong and determined. It doesn’t happen with every novel, but I really admired both the H/h, which is another reason I found this novel hard to put down. I fully enjoyed the history Mc. McGoldrick included in this tale. It was a refreshing change from the typical historical romance that spends far too much time discussing the color of the heroine’s gowns. Adding to the adventure, there is a mystery to solve. The plot twisted and turned, but stayed tightly woven. Ms. McGoldrick has many different novels published, I can’t wait to read more of her work.

What’s it About? Hugh Pennington, Viscount Greysteil, Lord Justice of the Scottish Courts finds more than he bargained for when his expected delivery contains a few unexpected items, a handful of American coins, a huge diamond, and a nearly dead woman. When she wakes with no memory of who she is or where she came from, the only thing Hugh knows for sure is that he needs to keep her safe despite the unwelcome curiosity and budding attraction he feels for her. Grace Ware is technically an enemy of the English crown. While she was in Antwerp, her father was murdered and she was forced to run for her life and hide in a crate which was then sealed and sent to Hugh. Aware that she’s in enemy territory, she pretends to have no memory of her past while she figures out what to do. In the meantime she grows close to Hugh and his sister and challenges Hugh to have a more open mind about the situations around him. Unfortunately trouble and danger follows Grace as unknown to her, she carries an important secret that could end her chance at happiness with Hugh permanently.





Overall reaction to the story? I thoroughly enjoyed Romancing the Scot! The setup and the conflicted position that Grace finds herself in made for quite the uphill battle, and Hugh? Get ready to swoon over him and fall in love with his family! The pacing and flow of the story was brisk and so easy to get into, I had fun with this historical romance because I’d never read one quite like this before. The conflict wasn’t too heavy that it outweighed the lighter aspects or the humor of the story. The characters were engaging, and like I said, Hugh’s family is the type that you fall in love with. May McGoldrick is a new-to-me-author and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the name is the pseudonym for a husband/wife writing duo! They really balance each other out and I love their style!




Describe the hero in five words: Dashing. Kind. Funny. Daring. Nurturing.

Did you like him? Yes.

Why? I thought Hugh was absolutely delightful! He carried around a lot of heartache but instead of becoming broody and detached from the world he expressed his grief in his risky hobbies while still keeping a close relationship with his family. He was so kind and caring which isn’t common in heroes with his background. He was easy to like and way too easy to fall for but as easy going as he seemed, Hugh could turn into an alpha male in any situation that threatened his loved ones and that was also part of his appeal. He didn’t have to be in control all the time but when he did he didn’t hesitate.



Describe the heroine in five words: Courageous. Intelligent. Kind. Spirited. Loyal.

Did you like her? Yes.

Why? Grace was in such an impossible position from the very beginning and I felt so bad for her because she wasn’t a bad person, it’s just that her loyalty and love for her father put her in the enemy camp her whole life. She really had to think on her feet once she regained consciousness and found herself on Hugh’s property. I admired how she kept her wits about her and how she wasn’t prone to hysterics. I would have been understanding had she had a complete meltdown, it was a stressful situation she was in. At the same time Grace was still Grace, sweet, considerate, and unwilling to take advantage of her hosts. I loved her resilience.



Let’s talk about the romance: Hugh and Grace’s relationship was one of the best things about Romancing the Scot because it was sweet, funny, and passionate. These two were technically enemies but their compatible personalities won out over social and even political expectations. I loved the feeling of equality between this couple which normally doesn’t happen in historical romances but it did here and it felt so natural. With Grace’s background and skills it would have been odd if she wasn’t an active participant in her own rescue.



How about that supporting cast? Hugh’s family is just the best and even though you don’t meet all of them they have a big presence in Hugh’s life. The family is loving and close but it’s obvious they all have secret hurts and sorrows. Hugh’s sister Lady Josephine, or Jo as she’s affectionately known as, has such a big heart that was crushed when she was younger. She’s a definite spinster but seriously deserves someone who could see how special she is.


Click It or Skip It? Click It. Mystery, murder, passion, and friendship makes up the most enchanting romance!

Romancing The Scot by May McGoldrick is an outstanding read. Ms. McGoldrick has delivered a well-written book. The characters in this book are phenomenal. Grace and Hugh's story is loaded with suspense, action, drama, humor and sizzle. This story grabbed me on page one and didn't let go until the last page. I loved reading Romancing The Scot and look forward to reading more from May McGoldrick in the future. Romancing The Scot is book 1 of The Pennington Family Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.

I voluntarily read an Advance Reader Copy of this book that I received from NetGalley.

20% in and I just couldn't connect with this book or its characters. Even though a lot happens in the first start of this book it just seems to drag. If that makes sense to anyone else. Dnf

A heroine with a photographic memory, a hero who is a hot air balloonist and crusading jurist, evil post-Napoleonic spies and all the tropes of a country house party. This is a good one.

I really enjoyed the romance between Hugh and Grace. This story had all the elements in a romance that I enjoy-- chemistry, passion, mystery, and a good storyline. I was always wondering what would happen next and was interested to see who the villain was. All in all, I would recommend this read and will be on the look out for Jo's story!

I wanted to like this book and individually the hero and heroine were both likable but they didn't develop enough for me. Like I felt that their love was sudden and no real development involved, they just were expected to be for the story so they were. There was a lot going on in this story and one story would just pause while another on was sorted out. :(

The first in the new Pennington series by the duo that make May McGoldrick was engaging from the very first page. Each scene that unfolded grabbed me in further and further, and I was richly rewarded throughout. Grace and Hugh were both likeable characters who learned and grew from each other. Their interactions (except for the graphic sex) were refreshing, and true to the period while being current to our time. I look forward with great anticipation to Jo's story next.

What a totally captivating story, from beginning to end!! I loved that the heroine was a strong woman. It is a story that about romance, murder & mystery. This book is very well written! I can’t wait to read more books by this author!

This was a very good story. I had not read historical romances for quite a while and was quite entertained. Poor Grace gets trapped in a hot air balloon basket and transported over to Scotland. Since her late father worked for Napoleon, she kept her identity a secret. There was lots of intrigue, history I had forgotten and a justice that was quite impressed with Grace's memory. I look foward to reading the next book in the series. I got this book from NetGalley for an honest review

This book was my introduction to May McGoldrick and I was pleasantly surprised. After realizing this book starts off the second generation series, I immediately rushed off to purchase the book about their parents. I can’t wait to start it!

The characters were witty, interesting, and possessed of both intelligence and common sense (a feature sometimes missing from the genre). There was a moment at the very beginning of the book where Grace asked some street urchin boys to help her hide from her pursuers. I thought it brilliant. Who else could know all of the best hiding places and short cuts? That was quick thinking! It was also the moment I fell in love with this heroine. She is smart, courageous and tenacious. She may be one of my absolute favorite heroines.

The Hero of the story, Hugh, had me swooning from the very first introduction. What a hero! I guess it would be kind of cliche to say this hero is the stuff of story books, because this is an actual novel, but I mean, wow. I cannot even get into it. I could easily be here all day talking about how he is protective, just, loyal, intelligent, and handsome to boot!

The story was excellent! This couple faces some severe challenges that would not easily be overcome by anyone, and yet together, they pull through and become stronger. I really really loved the story line.

In sum, this book was the best I’ve read from an author I didn’t already know in a long while. I do hope you will grab it up as soon as you have a chance.