In TEMPTING THE LAIRD, Book 5 of the Highland Grooms series, author Julia London again introduces us to a strong heroine who meets a hero with a tortured soul. But that’s where any similarity to historic romance clichés ends.

Circumstances have forced Catriona on the shelf — a shelf much higher than we usually see for spinsters in historical novels. Meanwhile our hero Hamlin is surrounded by mystery — what happened to his wife, who is “gone”?

The social mores of the time also becomes an important “character” in the book. What kind of life do women live if they lose their men? What scandals are completely unacceptable to society? The answers to these questions add even more complications to Catriona’s and Hamlin’s growing relationship.

TEMPTING THE LAIRD was a quick read that kept me up at night because I didn’t want to put it down. Secondary characters are a true delight (I want to see a grown-up Eula in eight years entering society.)

This book can stand alone. But after reading it, you’ll want to visit the first four books to see more of Catriona’s family.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So far I have loved every book in the Highland Grooms Series, and this book was no exception! Tempting the Laird is the very lively, bold, and daring Catriona Mackenzie's story. Cat is a very outspoken, adventurous woman who doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks of her. It has been many years since she was considered a marriageable age, and Cat and her family have come to the conclusion that she will likely spend her days continuing on in the work that her late Aunt had started. Though she is not thrilled with the prospect of no husband, and children of her own she has resigned herself to it. But after losing her aunt Zelda, and facing the possibility of losing the safe haven that her and her aunt had built for woman, she must leave her home to go find a way to save the abbey. While trying to save her abbey the dark duke, Hamlin Graham, Duke of Montrose is brought to her attention and sparks her interest. Hamlin is a man with many secrets who has learned to keep his own company, but this beguiling highland minx is teaching him to open up and enjoy life again.

I just can not say enough good things about this book. I was so excited to read Cats story, the characters all have such amazing personalities and passion, that it really was a pleasure to read. In fact I could not put it down! If you are looking for a story filled with laughs, love, passion, heartache, and also determination this is a great choice. Happy reading everyone!

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley to read in exchange for a fair review. Tempting The Laird by Julia London is the 5th book in her Highland Grooms series and while it can be read as a stand-alone I highly recommend reading the series as the stories are all excellent. While Catriona Mackenzie has accepted she is firmly on the shelf she has reached a crossroads in her life and is taking some time to ponder the direction her life will take now. She is spending the summer with her Uncle Knox and while there she meets Hamlin Graham, Duke of Montrose an enigmatic gentleman who is rumoured to have murdered his wife. Julia London as always writes engaging characters and tells a story that will keep you engrossed and up reading way past your bedtime. I think you will definitely adore Catriona and the joyful way she approaches life and Hamlin too is a most excellent hero. Medium Steam Publishing Date June 26, 2018 #TemptingTheLaird #NetGalley

Catriona Mackenzie was very fond of her aunt Zelda. When she passed on, Cat felt a very great loss. When the King's men announce they are shutting down the local abbey, a place Zelda has been devoted to for many years, Cat is angry. The abbey houses many women and children who have nowhere else to go.. Cat will not stand for it. That is how she finds herself dashing off to her Uncle Knox's home. Surely with his help, they can save the abbey.

Cat's plans takes a slight detour when she meets the intriguing Hamlin Graham, Duke of Montrose. Hamlin is rumored to have murdered his wife, and that is a mystery Cat cannot resist. She must discover what happened to his wife. Being with Hamlin changes Cat's perspective on a lot of levels. What will she do when she learns the truth?

TEMPTING THE LAIRD is a light read with a touch of angst. It is a wonderful addition to author Julia London's HIGHLAND GROOMS series. It was a little slow-paced, but it had to give the characters more depth. The fact that Cat and Hamlin did not immediately fall into each other's arms is refreshing. For once, a relationship blossoms from hard work and actual getting to know one another. I give TEMPTING THE LAIRD a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

This book was overall a good, entertaining read. While it started off a little slow in my opinion, it soon picked up pace and had me laughing. The characters were intelligent with nice sly humor and plenty sarcastic wit, which I enjoyed and appreciated! Beyond that the heroine and hero were compassionate people and the author really made a human connection in detailing the travails of women and children in need of good caring people. I will definitely be looking for the next book in the series!

Tempting the Laird (Highland Grooms, #5) by Julia London I have read all five of Julia's Highland Grooms ..thanks to Julia and NetGalley.. I have enjoyed each book and this one does not disappoint .. There are laughs and tears..steamy sex.. and plenty of drama. Hamlin Graham, Duke of Montrose.. tall dark, handsome, brooding...Catriona Mackenzie ....33 single(on the shelf) add in a vanishing wife.. Uncle Knox.. Eula..Aunt Zelda..homeless women and children..the House of Lords..and you have a real page turner till you get to the HEA. I am looking forward to the next book SEDUCED BY A SCOT. I highly recommend this series.

I enjoyed this series more than i thought with every passing book. Cant wait to see what the next installment contains

Oh the suspense and mystery-did he do it? Strong willed characters with passion for what they believe in and willing to fight for it makes this story great. A must read and a great addition to the series Highly recommend.

4.5*

I’ve read all the previous book on the Highland Grooms series and I have to say I really enjoyed reading this one.

Catriona Mackenzie is so fierce, she is amazing. She... reminds me of myself, to be honest, so I really identified with her character throughout the book (with her wishes and desires at least). Hamlin Graham, Duke of Montrose, was probably one of my all-time male heroes, because he was a great man, a great warden, and he is like that pretty much the whole time – even if others don’t see it.

The story was so good, so well written (just like Julia London has gotten us used to) and it just made me want to know more, about what was going to happen to Cat’s shelter, to Hamlin’s life when things changed, to everything! I know I’m not saying much, but I’m trying not to spoil anyone.

I can say it’s a wonderful story, with strong-willed, interesting characters, themes a bit different than what we usually see in historical romances but that I honestly loved seeing portrayed here.

Definitely one of my favourite books of this series.

I had two problems with this book. My first problem was that I ran out of book to read before I was even wanting to be finished reading. My second problem was that after staying up to read this in a marathon reading session, I was still expected to work the next day. I waited the entire series of books to get to Catriona's story and it did not disappoint. Hamlin was a great match for Catriona. It's a great feeling to have a book sweep you away and take you somewhere else sometimes. I truly enjoyed this book. It was fantastic!

It took me a bit to get into this novel about Scots in the mid-18th century. It takes a bit of time for the heroine, Catriona, a Highlands woman in her early 30s who had never found a man to marry. Instead she’s devoted herself to providing shelter to women escaping abusive families
or needing a place to give birth to a child out of wedlock. But the English government wants to confiscate the family property she’s been using. So she travels to Southern Scotland to visit her English uncle and get his help. There she meets the Duke of Montrose who is suspected of killing his lovely wife because she disappeared one day. Catriona is intrigued about the story and engineers several meetings with the Duke as she becomes convinced that there is no way this man could have hurt his wife, much less killed her.

The Duke is working hard to be designated as one of the representatives from Scotland to sit in the House of Lords so it’s a delicate time for him. Supposedly, his peers can overlook the mystery of the disappeared wife, but they wouldn’t like his romance with a HIghlands woman who dares to associate with the sorts of women she’s been helping.

I enjoyed the romance and the relationship the Duke has with the little girl who is his ward. I found the motivations for why he hid what happened to his wife even as he was suspected of murder and has become an outcast to be a bit unbelievable. But I guess that then there wouldn’t have been a plot for the novel.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

No doubt fans of Julia London's Highland Grooms series will be excited to read this latest installment. Unfortunately, not even Catriona Mackenzie's sparkling personality can give this dull romance a much needed spark.

I've read quite a few of London's romances at this point, and I've been been impressed in the past with her writing style and character development. That wasn't the case here. Everything felt so sluggish-- the writing, the plot, the characters themselves. It felt like it was a chore to write, and a result, it was a chore to read.

I felt zero chemistry between Catriona and Hamlin. That was probably due to the fact that there was so little dialogue between them, chemistry simply wasn't given a chance to develop organically. Rather, their interactions were boiled down to generalized sentences along the lines of "They talked deep into the night about everything and soon felt a deep connection to each other." It's disappointing, because I know London has the ability to create sizzling chemistry and entertaining dialogue between her characters.

The plot was weak, too. There were several subplots that had the potential to give the story much greater depth, but it just wasn't very well executed. Rather than allowing the action to unfold before the reader's eyes, London chose to give abbreviated explanations, after the fact.

This won't stop be from picking up another romance novel by the author in the future, but it certainly was a disappointing installment to this series, considering her immense talent.

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

Oh, my word! This is incredibly good! I have been a fan of Julia London’s work for ages now and I have been avidly reading this ‘Highland Grooms’ series with relish but this, I have to say is the best of the series, so far. I will admit that the last book; Aulay’s story didn’t live up to the previous book’s, after reading Rabbie’s and Cailean’s stories I didn’t think that this series could get any better and along come Catriona and Hamlin.

After her auntie Zelda’s death, Catriona is left to run Kishorn Abbey on her own, for it is in fact a refuge for women who for whatever reason need a safe place to turn to. Catriona has had a lot to deal with, she was by her auntie Zelda’s side through her illness and slowly she withdrew from society and public life and now she is practically a shell of what she used to be. To an extent that her family are worried, she is drinking heavily, unsociable and severely unhappy. She maybe proud of her spinsterhood and the fact that she doesn’t want or need a man in her life, deep down she is lonely.

Which is why they plot against her and send her to recuperate at her uncle Knox’s, Catriona doesn’t intend to spend her days lounging about she fully intends to get her wealthy English uncle’s support to help save Kishorn Abbey from being taken by the crown. But her well laid out plan’s soon take a turn when she meets the mysterious and devilishly handsome Duke of Montrose. As soon as she sees him across the Inn for the first time in years she feels alive and intrigued by something.

Hamlin Graham is living under a dark and heavy cloud, of secrets, lies and scandal after the disappearance of his wife all of society think’s that Hamlin murdered her. He has lived with that hanging over his head, it has tarnished his reputation blackened his good name and now driven him to live a lonely and isolated life. It would all be well and good if he didn’t have his hopes set on gaining his seat in Parliament, after all Scotland were only allowed a handful of seats and he wanted one. He had plans to help and he could only do that once he gained that seat. But the scandal in his past and the secret he holds close to his heart are standing in his way.

That is until he meets feisty, determined kindred spirit; Catriona. Who brings the sunshine back into his dark life and makes his once dead heart begin to beat again. Catriona is the only one that knows Hamlin wouldn’t have killed his wife, he may be a huge, brawny and monosyllabic man but he she sees the goodness, she knows beneath that rude persona there lies a gentle, sensitive man.

Oh, my goodness, what a stud! Hamlin is soooo swoon-worthy, he ruggedly handsome. Kind, generous, dark and brooding. Plus, he is very good with his hands in more ways than just welding a hammer to fix his own roof, he isn’t your stereotypical duke. Part man part devil and when he looks at Catriona with those dark/black soulful eyes you melt. He is dark uncivilised and equally as sad as Catriona, they are a match made in heaven!

This really is so good, wonderful storyline that keeps you hooked, and keeps you turning those pages to find out what happens’. Character’s that are engaging, intriguing and it’s a joy to watch as their relationship blossoms and their personal characters develop.

As I said in the beginning of the review, this is the best of the series, it’s thrilling, romantic, sexy with two of the best character’s. London has outdone herself with this, it is perfection!

This is the book for you if you are looking for a fulfilling historical romance set in the Scottish Highlands, particularly if you like an independent, mature, and relatable heroine and a dark and slightly brooding and mysterious misunderstood hero. I found myself immersed in this story and I didn't want it to end.

Although this is the fifth book in the Highland Grooms series, it can be read as a standalone. In a series that has been strong, this stands out as a particularly enjoyable entry. This one is told from the perspective of Catriona 'Cat' Mackenzie, who comes from a respected Highland family and is considered a spinster after dedicating herself to helping an aunt establish and run a refuge, the abbey, for women in desperate situations with nowhere else to go. Her aunt has died and the Crown has threatened to claim the property, thereby closing the abbey and displacing the residents. Cat finds herself in a n unsettling position as she has found no other purpose in life, with true love having passed her by and her passion strong for social justice for women.

Cat has an English mother, and therefore an English uncle through whom she has occasion to cross paths with Hamlin Graham, Duke of Montrose. The Duke is whispered to have murdered his wife, and their attraction and relationship begin with a slow chemistry-filled build, which heats up along with the mystery of Hamlin's wife. There is a supporting cast of colorful characters that add to the story. I found this book so completely fulfilling and enjoyable, I highly recommend it. I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Cat and Hamlin's story! I'm so glad she finally got her HEA!!

I loved that Cat was such a strong will person. She did and said what she wanted and her family supported her in her decisions. Hamlin was intrigued by her because normally everyone was intimidated by him being a duke and rumored to have killed his wife. I LOVED the banter between these two. It had me laughing out loud throughout the story!

I loved Hamlin's niece, Eula and Cat's uncle Knox! They were both great additions to the story!! I can't wait for the next book in the series, Seduced by a Scot, to come out in October.

Excellent story, great romance, I really liked Catriona. I found the writing quite stiff and bland at the beginning, but it got better through the book.

Tempting the Laird Julia London 5*

Catriona Mackenzie helped her now deceased Aunt Zelda give women and children shelter after the battle of Culloden as they had no other place to go. They lived at Zelda’s Kishorn lodge far into the Highlands and used a partially destroyed abbey for the women and children. While celebrating her Aunt’s life, Rhona MacFarlane who works in the abbey, arrives to tell her they have visitors. Years after Culloden, it seems that the crown wants the Abbey and she has 6 months to vacate. Her father informs the government agent that they were loyal subjects and there has been no aiding or abetting on his land. Her mother advises her to go to her Uncle Knox, an English Earl who has a small estate in Scotland and is currently there with several guests. Her Aunt had left a letter for him and when she delivers it, he may be able to help her keep the Abbey.

While visiting her uncle, she meets the mysterious Duke of Montrose, Hamlin Graham, and his 10-year-old ward, Eula Guinne. Eula is a cousin to his deceased wife. She likes the Duke and wants to solve the mystery of his wife. Eula adores her, and Catriona spends time with her, and Hamlin. She likes that his politics align with hers and other things about him. But there are questions to be answered (is his wife dead or alive?) and problems to be solved (what happens to women at the abbey?) before they reach their HEA. You’ll have a roller coaster ride of emotions. I think this is one of Julia London’s best and it will be on my keeper shelf. I loved it and can highly recommend it. Thanks to the author and publisher for allowing me an ARC.

Catriona Mackenzie is a highland lass in her early thirties who is taking up her Aunt Zelda's causes since her passing. Her family encourages her to deliver her Aunt's letter to Uncle Knox so that she will distance herself from said causes. She becomes intrigued with the fact that all think her Uncle's neighbor The Duke of Montrose. Hamlin Graham, killed his wife. This is a love story showing the ups and downs of English and Scottish Society with a little suspense and intrigue and a precocious 10 year old ward. Julia London has written another fantastic, entertaining novel. I somehow missed the previous Mackenzie books. I will be reading them now.

Tempting the Laird is a fantastic historical romance!!

It tells the story of Catriona Mackenzie, a refreshingly outspoken "spinster" and Hamlin Graham, the mysterious Duke of Montrose, reviled and rumoured of having murdered his wife.

I loved Catriona and Hamlim!! Her spirit and ability to comfound Hamlin at every turn, and his appreciation for her unique out look on life, made their interactions and budding romance enjoyable to read. In addition, the secondary characters are well written and help to move along the story. The mystery surrounding Hamlin and his wife's disappearance had a satisfying conclusion.

I definitely recommend Tempting the Laird to Historical Romance fans and readers who enjoy a couple who communicate and genuinely esteem each other.


***I received an Advanced Reading Copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Catriona Mackenzie’s Aunt Zelda, has died. Zelda and Catriona ran an abby that took in women who ended up in unfortunate situations. Some were abused by husbands or left pregnant. Some having to sell themselves to survive. The abby is now being threatened and Catriona is determined to save it. Her family has suggested Catriona visiting their Uncle Knox to help. However, the also want to save Catriona from herself. In her early thirties Catriona is considered too old to marry.
The Duke of Montrose, is the mysterious stranger at the dinner party being thrown by Uncle Knox upon Catriona’s arrival. He is rumored to have killed his wife. Although, there is no evidence other than her sudden disappearance from the Blackthorne estate, where his leaves her young cousin, Eula as a ward of the Duke. The rumors are flying, and Catriona is determined to get behind the real story of the Duke.
Catriona is a wonderful character. She is very strong willed and is not about keeping up appearances. She has gone against all the rules of society. A very relatable character, she knows what life has in store for her because of her age. I love the relationship she has with Eula. She is very wise and gives the young girl a role model. She teaches her the true power of being a woman. I truly enjoyed that part of the book. Her relationship with Hamil shows Catriona what she may be missing, love. She has brought something out of the Duke. She challenges him as he does her. Their love blooms.
The writing was wonderful in this book. It was not an over the top romance and the character development was done very well. I would recommend this book to someone who loves historical romance and to someone who has never read a historical romance because it has all the reasons we love romance novels. The love, the romance and the sacrifice with a little bit of mystery.