It was hard for me to give this book only 2 stars, because I think Julia London is a very talented writer who has the ability to craft excellent romance novels. Sometimes I'll pick up a romance novel, and I can't finish it because the writing itself isn't very good. That definitely isn't the case with Julia London; I love her writing style.

That being said, I had a lot of issues with this story. First and foremost, the plot felt thin. They travel to Denmark, where nothing really substantial happens. They travel back to Scotland and again, nothing happens. There was no suspense, no excitement. It felt as though the characters were just moving listlessly from one location to the next.

Second, there are so many characters in this book! I'm not someone who enjoys romance series. I find that often the author can get so wrapped up in making sure all her heroes and heroines of romances past make a cameo that it takes away from the current love story. And this was certainly true here. It should never be necessary to include a family tree chart in a romance! I feel very strongly about this. When I settle down with a romance novel, I want to be 100% immersed into the protagonists and their love story. I don't need their entire family tree and the backstory of each parent, sibling, best friend, etc. and their respective love stories. There were way too many Mackenzies and Livingstones running wild and free throughout the pages of this novel, especially when they were on the ship sailing to Denmark. It was dizzying trying to keep everyone and their respective alliances straight. Again, I think this inadvertently served as a sideshow to distract from the relationship between Aulay and Lottie.

And then there is the issue of Lottie herself. I just could not warm up to the woman. Goodness, how I tried! I'll describe my favorite kind of heroine to you: she might not be conventionally beautiful, but she's undeniably alluring and interesting. She's intelligent and kind; she often relies on her wits to get her out of sticky situations. She's not afraid to go toe to toe with the hero and oftentimes, she gets the best of him. Unfortunately for me, Lottie is not this kind of heroine. According to the other characters, she's the most beautiful woman to ever walk this earth. She captures every man's attention not with her kindness, intelligence, or wit, but simply with her long, white-blonde hair. This is where I stopped trying to like Lottie: Another character asks her how she managed to steal a ship. Her answer? She makes a circular motion around her face, meaning she distracted them with her beauty. Really? This is just one of many examples where she's just a bit too aware of her own charms for my liking.

Another thing-- We're constantly told she's unbelievably clever, but there's no real evidence of this. In fact, her one and only plan of action is to roll up her skirt to show a shapely leg and then kick Aulay into unconsciousness while her men steal his ship. After that, she barely takes any initiative at all to get herself and her family out of troubling situations; instead, it is Aulay who must save her every time. Simply put: I didn't have a lot of respect for her, and I thought Aulay deserved a much better love story than the one he was given.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

After having read 2 other books in this series, I was really excited about reading Devil in Tartan. I loved the other 2 books in the series, but I just could not get interested in this one. I have tried to stick with it, thinking it would get better, but I just can not finish it. There was a lack of depth in this story that was present in the other two. I felt as if I already knew Aulay for the other two novels, but in this book his character was never "created". I feel like I know nothing about Lottie other than she doesn't want to marry and she worries all the time about saving the family. The plot has also moved very slowly with a lack of romantic connection between the characters. I was disappointed in this one!

Julia London is one of the best when writing about the Highlands & she doesn’t disappoint her readers with Devil in a Tartan. Aulay Mackenzie is on a sea voyage he hopes will refill his family’s coffers after the lean years following the Jacobite uprising. Lottie Livingstone has been dragged into another of her father’s hairbrained schemes but this time the clan’s survival depends on success. When Lottie “borrows” Aulay’s ship and takes him and his men captive, the bottom drops out of Aulay’s world. A beautiful slip of a girl has taken away his livelihood and ruined his chance at familial redemption. Can these two form a truce or will Lottie swing for piracy? A rousing romp over the seas and through the Highlands! Don’t miss this one!