Cover Image: The Laird Of Blackloch

The Laird Of Blackloch

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Member Reviews

His alias name Alexander Black fits this hero. He’s the laird of Blackloch and for quite some time carries a black soul filled with the need for vengeance against a murderous, evil villain who has taken lives and hurt innocent women, including three who were dear to him. Alex’s well thought out plan for pay back and total ruination seems to have been calculated down to the smallest detail. However, he was in no way prepared for the sheer will/determination of Sarah, the heroine, to escape his clutches. This gal has game, folks. She’s observant, quick-witted, and resourceful enough to use whatever is within reach to help gain her freedom.

While the villain was much worse/pure evil, I must confess I was ticked at Alex for putting Sarah through such an awful predicament. Using a woman, causing her pain/distress, to get back at someone for hurting other women isn’t very manly, folks. Thankfully, Sarah, though a damsel in distress, was quick to decide she wouldn’t sit back and let fate decide her fate. I loved how she kept trying to get away, even at the risk of pain, suffering, and danger. With each attempt, this knucklehead hero’s true benevolent nature started to be revealed, and we realize he never meant to cause her harm. In fact, he had taken steps he thought would ensure her comfort and safety. But between you and me, I’m still wondering why Alex didn’t just didn’t kill the guy outright and be done with it. He seemed clever enough he would have gotten away with it.

Perhaps I’ve read one to many similar themed storylines, but I found myself at times suspecting what was about to happen. However, there was enough intrigue to keep me engaged and ultimately I was glad to see this main couple get their HEA, despite the writing feeling a tad rushed at the end.

It isn’t until around 70% true confessions and feelings get revealed. In the last 30%, the villain drama is dialed up, along with more frequent lengthy, very steamy scenes. In fact, there were a couple of times I found myself raising an eyebrow on the timing/location of the latter. Getting smexy in the snow during freezing temperatures just doesn’t seem likely, folks. The ending showdown was inevitable and comes to a predictable conclusion. For those fond of epilogues, one is included that tidies things up even more.

Overall, you get what the synopsis spells out. This is a somewhat stereotypical romantic tale about what can happen when you let vengeance consume you. It can backfire and almost cost you what you hold most dear. On the other hand, it did lead Alex to Sarah, and they both found true happiness, while the villain got a well deserved punishment.

This is a stand-alone but there are brief cameos of main characters from book 1 you’ll recognize if you’ve read that book. I do enjoy this author’s writing style and hope to read more books in this series.

Title: The Laird of Blackloch, Series: Highland Rogue (Book 2), Author: Amy Rose Bennett, Pages: 282, stand-alone but part of a series, attempted rape scene, very steamy scenes later in the book, some violence, kidnapping, heroine gets injured.

Book 1 - The Master of Strathburn (Jessica & Rob)
Book 2 - The Laird of Blackloch (Alex & Sarah)

(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review, nor is there any affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author/publisher/NetGalley.)

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This is an interesting story of two people brought together by one’s intense desire for revenge. Alex has long woshed to avenge the loss of his mother, sister,and affianced to an evil nemesis. He decides to kidnap the fiancé of the antagonist in this tale, a month or so prior to the wedding, hold her for ransom, but doesn’t truly intend to give her back. Alex’s true intent is to turn that fiancé, named Sarah against his enemy, and have her leave him. This would also break the blackguard financially, as Alex knows he is marrying the girl for her rather large inheritance.
The plot is unique and interesting, and Alex and Sarah become embroiled in intrigue and danger because of the protagonist and the actions of several characters. They also begin to fall for each other, and it becomes very heated- and that’s an understatement.
The book is a good read, but the first half was slower than I would have liked, mostly due to foreshadowing and mysteries to be revealed in the second healf and the slow development of their connection.
This is the second in a series abd I enjoyed it.

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From the first page ‘The Laird of Blackloch’, set a rapid pace and didn’t let up until the end. Alexander MacIvor having fought in the Battle of Culloden, has faced incredible hardships but nothing that could compared to the brutality inflicted on his family and betrothed, by the hand of Malcolm, the Earl of Tay. Seeking revenge, Alex kidnaps Tay’s fiancé, Sarah Lambert, a wealthy heiress, in order to ensure Malcolm’s immediate downfall. Malcolm must marry Sarah soon before his debts come to light. However, the longer that Alex and Sarah are together, the harder it becomes for them to be apart.
The characters are well developed, particularly Alex and his staunch supporters. The tragedy that has befallen Alex slowly revealed to Sarah making for an enjoyable read.
I am keen to now start reading other stories by Ms. Bennett as she was able to keep me entertained, without any glitches!
I received an advanced review copy in exchange for my honest review.

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This is a fair and honest review in exchange for this ARC. Nice long story with nefarious lords, innocent damsels and a lovely hero seeking retribution. All of this set out in Scotland! What's not to enjoy?

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Following the Battle of Culloden, Alexander MacIvor returns to his ancestral home, Blackloch Castle, only to find the Malcolm Earl of Tay, chief of the rival Clan Campbell, has laid waste to everything he holds dear. In the face of such devastation, Alex seems doomed to live the life of a fugitive Jacobite until a stroke of good luck allows him to escape the Highlands and begin again. 11 years later, styling himself as a wealthy Englishman, Alexander reclaims his forfeited estate, becoming the new Laird of Blackloch. However his thirst for vengeance still drives him & he’s determined on destroying Lord Tay, by driving him to bankruptcy. When he learns the earl intends to marry the very beautiful English heiress, Miss Sarah Lambert, thus escaping penury, he devises a devious plan: kidnap Miss Lambert and ransom her to hasten Tay’s ruin. When Sarah Lambert learns Lord Tay is not the man she thought he was during a masquerade ball in Edinburgh, she is devastated. Reeling from her discovery, things go from bad to worse when a mysterious yet charming guest by the name of Alexander Black abducts her &Sarah is imprisoned in a remote, island-bound tower.
A fast paced book that had me gripped from the start, the characters are well portrayed. Alex has been so intent on revenge for so long that it takes a calamity to make him see what’s really important. Sarah is an intelligent young woman who soon realises everyone has secrets & who the villain really is. There’s kidnapping, betrayal & vengeance ,oh & a pardon is needed before the pair can have their HEA

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

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A rewarding romance novel. Good believable story and solid characters. True to life,what can go wrong will and does go wrong. Twists to keep your interest. The ending a little dramatic, but this is a story. True emotions are well written and evoke the readers feelings. A plus in my experience. What more could you want? Another book by her.

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Publisher's Description:

Revenge might be sweet, but love is far sweeter…
Following the Battle of Culloden, Alexander MacIvor returns to his ancestral home, Blackloch Castle, only to find the Earl of Tay, chief of the rival Clan Campbell, has laid waste to everything he holds dear. In the face of such devastation, Alex seems doomed to live the life of a fugitive Jacobite...until a stroke of good luck allows him to escape the Highlands and begin again. Years later, styling himself as a wealthy Englishman, Alexander reclaims his forfeited estate, becoming the new Laird of Blackloch. But it's not nearly enough to quell his thirst for vengeance.
Hell–bent on destroying Lord Tay, he single–mindedly sets about driving his nemesis to bankruptcy. When he learns the earl intends to marry the very beautiful English heiress, Miss Sarah Lambert, thus escaping penury, he devises a devious plan: kidnap Miss Lambert and ransom her to hasten Tay's ruin.
When Sarah Lambert learns Lord Tay is not the man she thought he was during a masquerade ball in Edinburgh, she is devastated. Reeling from her discovery, things go from bad to worse when a mysterious yet charming guest by the name of Alexander Black turns out to be a true devil in disguise.

Abducted and whisked way into the wild Highlands by Black, Sarah is imprisoned in a remote, island–bound tower. Refusing to be a pawn in Black's diabolical plan for revenge, she determines that somehow, some way, she will regain her freedom. If only she could unlock Black's secrets...Living in such close quarters, Alexander quickly discovers the spirited Sarah is more than a match for him, and even the best laid plans can go awry when passion flares and the spark of love threatens to revive his long–dead heart. When the shadows of the past begin to gather, will Alexander and Sarah find their way forward...or will the threatening darkness destroy them both?

My Thoughts:

I couldn't put this book down!
This well written story of an abduction for revenge turned to an unstoppable love is precisely what I needed to read.
War is never pretty and Alexander is bent on avenging the deaths of his mother, sister and betrothed at the hands of Lord Tay and his troops.
Alexander is living his life under an assumed name because he is a wanted Jacobite supporter. He has regained his property by purchasing it under this assumed name.
Still just regaining what is rightfully his is not enough.
Will his lust for revenge cause him to ultimately loose this woman he has come to love?
I gave this book 4.75 of 5.0 stars for storyline and character development and a sensual rating of 4 of 5 flames.
Alexander is essentially good and promises Sarah that he will not cause her any harm.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read and review.
This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

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Historical romance is one of my favorite genres to read. The Laird of Blackloch was the first novel by Amy Rose Bennett that I have ever read, and I was pleased at how she hooked me in from the first pages.

At its very heart, this is a story of revenge for horrible wrongs committed against a man, his family, clan, and fiancé when he returns from war. Injured, desperate, and alone, Alexander MacIvor fortuitously stumbles into a financial windfall that eventually creates the opportunity for him to reinvent himself under a new name. Singularly focused on destroying the Earl of Tay for his heinous crimes, MacIvor plots to use Tay’s fiancé, Sarah Lambert, as the means to destroy his reputation and ruin him financially.

I’m adding Ms. Bennett to my list of authors to follow. She has a true gift of storytelling that puts you right in the middle of the action.

I received an advance reader copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I rate this 4.5 stars.

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This was an enjoyable read. It kept my interest and the h and H had good chemistry. The author did a great job creating a dastardly villain. I felt like Alex and Sarah feel in love too quickly and their love was unconvincing. That being said, I still enjoyed this read.

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This novel was a good read. Alexander MacIvor seeks vengeance after the Earl of Tay, Malcolm, murdered his family and destroyed his home. Alex reinvents himself since he was a Jacobite and is a wanted man. Alex is determined to destroy Tay, so he ruins him financially. Alex watched Tay's fiancee, Miss Sarah Lambert, a wealthy heiress, and sets his plans in motion to disillusion her about Tay and kidnap her. He wants her to see the truth about him. Sarah believes she has feelings for Tay, but then he betrays her. She is found by Alex, who kidnaps her. Sarah is determined to escape and does not understand why Alex hates Tay so much. Alex promises no harm to her, but she wants to go home. Tay searches for Sarah and needs her fortune to pay his debts.
Alex debates whether to tell Sarah the truth. He begins to care for her and wants her to be his. Sarah tries to seduce Alex, which fails and leads to frustration from both parties. Sarah realizes how much Alex cares for her when he saves her life. Both Alex and Sarah begin to have true feelings of love towards each other. But what will happen when Sarah learns Alex set Tay up or the truth about the man Tay truly is.

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