Highland Betrayal by Alyson McLayne is a mysterious and treacherous read with danger and adventure abounding. While, book 3 in the amazing “Sons of Gregor MacLeod”, it can read as a stand alone. Well crafted, fast paced with engaging and charming characters. The storyline is filled with tension, emotions, passion, romance, betrayal, treachery and finding a HEA. The emotional turmoil for the heroine’s brother was easily felt by the reader, the sadness showed through the pages. I enjoyed the interaction between Laird Callum MacLean Maggie MacDonnell. I could not put it down. Grab a copy of HIGHLAND BETRAYAL, and sit down with this amazing story! Another must read, historical Scottish Romance by Alyson McLayne. #NetGalley,#HighlandBetrayal,#Sourcebooks

“I voluntarily received a complimentary copy, however, these are my honest opinions. I was in no way required nor compensated to write a review.”



Rating: 4.5

Heat rating: Mild

Reviewer: AprilR

his was just an awesome book!

It seems like Maggie MacDonnell has been waiting forever for the men in her life to come up to scratch, from her brothers to her betrothed Callum MacLean! Waiting for him to come and honour the betrothal she decides to take matters into her own hands especially since her villainous cousin is bent on forcing her to marry him!
Time is if the essence she sets off to find Callum and settle things, but things aren’t always what they seem like before Callum and Maggie get their happy ending.

A fast paced read full of surprises and twists make this a page turning adventure that keep the reader entertained till the last page, full of witty banter, mystery and villainous characters, plenty of steamy chemistry and a love that will not be denied, it’s what I’ve come to expect from Alyson McLayne’s amazing stories!

I highly recommend this to anyone who loves Highlanders’ and Historical Romance!
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley, this is my honest unbiased opinion.

At long last dear friends!

An adventure worth reading. A funny and exciting romance with a passionate hero and a fierce lass who will sleuth through secret tunnels, wield daggers, shoot arrows, climb mountains and ignite fires en route to love. A refreshing tale in which the hero and heroin are evenly matched in skill, in passion and ability. The question is, will they be matched in love? In Scotland 1452, Maggie MacDonnell was in love with Callum MacLean but feeling abandoned by all the men in her life Maggie decides to move on and take matters into her own hands. Callum MacLean is in love with Maggie but circumstances prevent him from going to claim her. Both must contend with treachery and must uncover more than one Highland Betrayal. With the help of his most trusted men and the all too charming Laird Gavin MacKinnon this adventure bound lot must do all they can to uncover who is behind the ultimate Highland Betrayal. There may be more than one form of it to discover.

Callum is deliciously in charge but Maggie is more than a match for him. To win his lady back Callum must be patient and must learn to gentle her with kisses. Maggie is fierce and independent but will she willingly surrender to cupid’s arrow or pierce Callum’s heart with her own?

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This is an original series. And Maggie is perfect but it seems she might have been born in the wrong era. She is independent deadly with a dagger or bow. And tired of waiting for the men in her life to step up. She has been waiting 4 years for Callum MacLean to return to marry her. With her brothers not helping and her cousin who is living with them acting weird. Maggie finds a letter that says her cousin has broken off her betrothal to Cullum. And plans on marrying her himself she puts a plan in motion. The adventure begins when she decides to go find out why Cullum deceived her. Finding herself on a journey with so many twists and turns that you are on the edge of your seat till the very end. I enjoyed the previous book and am anticipating the next.

I enjoyed Highland Betrayal every bit as much as McLayne’s last book in the series, Highland Conquest. This is the third book of five in the Sons of Gregor MacLeod series following the five boys fostered by Gregor MacLeod and raised as brothers to be warriors and leaders.

Maggie MacDonnell is betrothed to Callum McLean, one of MacLeod’s foster sons. She genuinely wants to marry him and Callum wants to marry Maggie—so what’s the problem? The problem is that Callum’s father may or may not have committed suicide, but Callum doesn’t believe he did. He believes it was foul play. Instead of going to claim Maggie as his bride, he takes over as Laird to manage the chaos left in his father‘s abrupt absence and try to ferret out the killer—ostensibly to make it safe for her. Um, what about all the clan people who already live there? It wasn’t unusual for long gaps of time to happen between communications or travel back then, but Callum doesn’t just drop the ball. He drops it, smashes it flat and lets it get run over by a fully loaded wagon before it slides into the storm ditch never to be seen again. Callum doesn’t resurface in Maggie’s life for THREE YEARS!

During those three years all hell breaks loose for Maggie and she is betrayed not only by Callum’s absence, but she loses the protection of both her brothers. Maggie who was a bit of a Tomboy growing up, goes full feminist, determined to protect herself, get away from her cousin who is hell-bent on marrying her so he can take over the clan, and make a new life for herself that does not include Callum. Her feistiness comes through when she remarks, “I canna believe your prejudice,” Maggie said, shaking her finger at him. “Haven’t I proved to you yet that women are no different than men? They can be murderers if they so choose!” Her comment is met with the sarcasm it deserves, but she makes her point. Through hard work and practice, Maggie turns herself into a marksman with both an arrow and throwing daggers. When it comes to solving the mystery of Callum’s father’s death, Maggie pulls her weight and Callum discovers a new and necessary respect for his bride-to-be. Only then can Maggie begin to forgive his betrayal.

The banter is smart and even amusing. McLayne uses a shared journey this time to build intimacy between her characters. Even though they were previously betrothed, they need this to come to terms where they are now, three years later.

Over the entire arc of the story, we learn of a larger plot that has not yet revealed itself in the series. Because of this we have some loose ends left dangling and character appearances that are under-developed. Since this is book three of five, we can assume these will be resolved in the next two books. My only real criticism is that there a smidge of formula revealing itself in this series, but I can’t truly fault McLayne for it as it’s one that works in this genre. She’s very good at creating strong female characters who don’t want to get married or be dependent upon a man until…the right one comes along, not to sweep her off her feet, but to convince her that marrying him is what she really wants to do. In a welcome twist, none of her couples are fully intimate until they married which is at least historically appropriate.

The cover art for this series, while typical with men in kilts—is some very fine men in kilts that are not overly stylized. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall during that photo shoot… Grab this one up as soon as it’s released.

My Rating: A- Enjoyed A Lot

What is better than a strong highland laird and the lass who wants to marry him? Not much and this story will entertain you until the end. Callum and Maggie were betrothed at a young age, but when it comes time for Callum to claim her for his bride, he is surrounded by danger trying to find out who murdered his father. Maggie has her own problems at home when she overhears her cousin's dastardly plan. Of course, she flees and guess where she winds up? Running right into Callum who she has loved all her life it seems. I adored these two characters! Callum was so strong and gallant and Maggie was feisty and the interaction between the two had me laughing at times. This was really an entertaining story and held all the elements of a wonderful highland romance!

Highland Betrayal by Alyson McLayne is book Three in The Sons of Gregor MacLeod series. This is the story of Laird Callum MacLean and Maggie MacDonnell. I have read the previous books, but feel this can be a standalone book.
Maggie and Callum were to be married but his father's death made Callum the new Lair along with him wanting to find out what really happened to his father. Time past by...years actually so Maggie gave up thinking that he would come for her but her situation at home has become to much for her to stay. Her cousin Irvin, is trying to marry her which has put her in fear so she is now acting to find her brother John to help her and along with helping their older brother get out of the sad shape he is in. But while going forward with her plan she runs smack into Callum who has come to a turning point of loosing her if he doesn't act fast an convince her that he does want to marry her.
So in love with this series! This was another book by Ms. McLayne that I could not put down....Loved it!

This book definitely falls into the "Buckle up, this is going to be a bumpy ride" category, but what a ride it is!!

Maggie MacDonnell is done waiting, waiting for Callum MacLean to marry her, waiting for her brother Ross to sober up, waiting for her brother John to return. She has had enough waiting and is ready to act, she will find her brother John, make him return, kick their loathsome cousin by marriage out and hopefully get their eldest brother Ross to overcome his grief and lead the clan again. As for Callum? He can rot for all she cares, he promised to marry her almost four years ago and never came back for her. Maggie doesn't need him or anyone for that matter, she is cunning, resourceful, deadly with a dagger or bow and has a mind made for planning. She'll be just fine, so when she learns her nasty cousin Irvin is sending Callum a letter breaking their betrothal, so Irvin can force Maggie to marry him, she knows it is time to put her plans into action.

Callum can't believe his betrothal has been broken, he loves Maggie, but when his father was murdered not long after his betrothal and he couldn't find the killer, he decided it was best not to bring Maggie into the viper's nest and left her waiting for these last four years - now faced with losing her, he sees his mistake, but what to do? Accept it and move on or fight for the woman he loves? Just as he decides to go to her, fate intervenes and brings her to him. His Maggie is spitting mad and loudly and forcefully tells him that she doesn't trust him and will not marry him. He is sure he can bring her around, well pretty sure, maybe. But he knows for sure that he is not willing to give her up. When she tells him of the troubles at her home and gives him notes she has taken while spying, Callum along with his foster brother Gavin, tell her they will help her. She insists she doesn't need help, she will find her brother John, but common sense rules and she agrees to let them try.

Just when she thinks she may have given up on Callum too soon and begins to soften, he betrays her again. Again Maggie isn't going to sit around and wait to be rescued, no, she is going to take matters into her own hands and save herself. Callum feels awful for not telling Maggie his plan and letting her believe he left her again, but while scouting the castle, he watches in horror as Maggie makes her escape, he is terrified and his men are impressed. Callum confronts her and she is surprised he is back, but scoffs when he doesn't really have a plan for retaking the castle. He agrees to hear her out and they will use her plan. But when Irvin's men get a little too close and cut off their escape, Callum decides to take her to his home. He also gets Maggie to agree to let him woo her and they even come up with a wager - he wins, she marries him, she wins, he lets her go and helps her find her brother, if they tie, the wager is void and the wager ends when they get to his lands.

Over the course of the journey to his castle, Maggie and Callum grow closer and Maggie begins to rethink her decision, Callum is patient, kind and supportive of her and they are well matched. When the opportunity to win the wager arises, Maggie makes a decision, she lets him win, he knows she did and is overjoyed, she chose him! They declare themselves and make love, it seems like everything is going to work out fine and then all hell breaks loose!

Callum watches Maggie nearly killed and gets her to his castle as quickly as possible, he cannot lose her!! Once she starts to heal, she wants answers, what happened to Callum's father? Who is the traitor? Are they connected to Irvin? Does this treachery end with the MacLeans or is does this go much deeper? It will take a lot of twists and turns to find the answers, there will be more questions than answers and more death and destruction before our lovers learn the truth and even then not everything will be made clear.

This is a fast paced, exciting read with amusing banter, a heroine who really can save herself, a hero who lets her, wonderful secondary characters, very steamy love scenes, a lot of action, secrets, lies, betrayal and finally a hard won HEA. This is the third book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone title with no backstory problems.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*

What an adventure this story was, I hardly had time to draw breath! Maggie is a feisty lady who will try anything, although she does like to plan ahead. Callum, her betrothed is a handsome, brave warrior, who also likes to plan ahead. There are mysteries and traitors to discover. As well as the romantic reconnection between Maggie and Callum. I had a number of chuckles at the banter between the characters. This was an engrossing read, although not all of the mysteries were solved. Perhaps in the next book? I enjoyed it so much that I’m now reading the first in the series. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Highland Betrayal is truly of betrayal in numerous aspects. Maggie feels betrayed by her betrothed, Callum, who does not come back for her for years. Her cousin, Irvin has taken over her brother’s stronghold while her brother, Ross, drinks himself to death while mourning the loss of his wife. Skipping ahead half of the book, Callum is being betrayed by someone in his own castle who is possibly a plant of Irvin’s. We find out later in the book that Callum’s father did his own share of betraying those who should have been able to trust him.

Maggie is the maiden warrior who seems to embody female empowerment in her time. She can shoot a crossbow, throw a dagger, set up snares and plan an escape better than any man in the book, including her betrothed. While Maggie is trying to escape Irvin, Callum and his men run across her hiding in a tree to keep from being attacked. They take her with them, protecting her from Irvin’s men.

Callum has not returned to her in years because he is trying to determine who killed his father. The length of time of which they were separated seemed a bit long. If Callum could not find out who killed his father in a year or two, it does not seem like it is going to happen now. But, everyone, except Maggie, believed he was under pressure to find his father’s murderer and that his castle was not a safe place to bring his wife. Yet, now she may be safer with Callum than with her cousin.

Maggie was not so quick to jump into the marriage. I like that she made Callum grovel for her hand and did not give in too easily for his tardiness in seeking her for marriage. It took a letter breaking their betrothal for him to decide he might need to get on with it. I, also, like that Callum was true to their betrothal. He admitted to her he had been faithful and not messing around with other women. The trust and communication between them was almost instant and real. Maggie may have thought she was not ready to trust him, but you could see her heart did even if her mind was quite angry with Callum.

There are several story lines going on in the book that keep it interesting. Callum and Maggie fit together with their strength and intelligence. Both are loyal, protective and caring of other people and each other. Highland Betrayal is third in the series and can be read as a stand alone. It has just the right amount of mystery and action to keep you interested.

Maggie and Callum were betrothed. After three years of waiting for Callum to arrive and claim her, she felt abandoned and betrayed. Callum wanted to wed her, but his father died and he believed it to be murder; he didn't want to put Maggie in danger by bringing her to his home while a murderer was possibly still there. Little did he know she was no safer in her own home.

This book started with intrigue and excitement, and it didn't let up during the entire story. Maggie was simply awesome. She was no shrinking violet...she was a Warrior Woman. She didn't wait for a man to rescue her, she just did it on her own. She was proficient with daggers and a crossbow. Callum was a strong protective laird, but he was proud of Maggie and her strength. You've got to love a man like that. She wanted to end the betrothal because she was abandoned, but Callum wanted her to be his and refused to let it go. I loved their contests to see who would get their wish.

Another thing I loved about the story was Callum's relationship with his foster brothers and foster father. Even with all the teasing you could see the love there. And it was funny when Maggie met them all. The whole lot of them could appreciate a strong woman. This was the third book in the series, but stood on its own with no confusion. I desperately want to go back and read about the first two brothers, and I eagerly await the HEA's for the remaining ones.

If you like action, intrigue and betrayal together with your romance, you are going to love this one!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

4.5 Oh my, such a good book. Loved Callum and how patient he is with Maggie. Maggie is such a warrior, loved her strength . Was sad about a couple of characters

This is the third book in this series and I hate when I receive a book and then find out I am behind but I did enjoy this book and I will catch up. I enjoyed Maggie because I never like weak heroines and she certainly wasn't one of them. And I also liked Callum and I am happy that they got their issues resolved after a lot of chaos and so many things against them. They have betrayal, lost of loved ones and mystery and suspense to deal with. but my friends it is an enjoyable read, until the next one!

A nicely written historical romance. I really enjoyed the plot and characters. The WRiting was exceptional.

When a reader cracks open this book, they’ll find a wonderful mystery filled with intrigue, danger and excitement as two feisty people are faced with betrayal in their very homes. Where can they be safe? Who can they trust? What is going on? Those are just a few of the questions that bombarded my brain as I read Highland Betrayal.

I enjoyed watching the sparks fly between Maggie and Callum. She’s brave, stubborn and clever. She’s already half in love with the hero but he let her down and she’s not going to let him forget it. He’s going to have to earn his way back into her heart. Callum had every intention of coming to claim her but a reader finds out that there are serious complications that stopped him. That doesn’t mean he was going to give her up forever – he still loves her, he just needs to make the heroine believe him. Watching the two of them overcome each their own obstacles was an adventure in itself. The action was steady and it put me on the edge of my seat many times, even the final chapter had surprises, adventure, suspense and a ‘wow!’ moment that lead right up until the happy, happy ever after. Ms. McLayne wrote a novel that kept me wide-eyed and curious for most of the story.

I enjoyed meeting most of the secondary characters and many played important roles in helping Maggie and Callum. There were some who were villains but even one of those was more like a victim too. It kind of broke my heart when I found out the truth.

Readers who enjoy seeing heroes and heroines tease and seduce each other until passion overtakes them will find many satisfying scenes to enjoy. There’s no doubt Maggie and Callum are highly attracted to each other. Their love will not be denied – delayed, but not denied.

The dialogue, interaction and actions and descriptions, and the fact that all the main personalities in the book were so fleshed out, really brought this story to life.

I had a lot of fun reading Highland Betrayal and I think it’s going to be a popular historical romance amongst readers. It’s a classic romantic story with a backdrop of danger. I give this one high marks and a solid recommendation. Don’t pass up an opportunity to read this novel; it’s great!

Whenever I am gifted with an ARC to read and review I always promise to give a fair and honest review. Really great writing and story. Och and aye, there are many braw scots and wild highland lassies.

Alyson McLayne is a relative newcomer when it comes to Highland Romances. However, in a very short amount of time, she’s landed herself in the company of some of the best---Julie Garwood, Monica McCarty, Maya Banks, and Lynsay Sands.

Her series follows the lives of several foster brothers, all destined to become powerful lairds. In her latest book, Maggie MacDonnell has given up on her betrothed to come and rescue her from a dangerous situation. She hasn’t seen or heard from Callum MacLean in years. He’s left her to deal with a drunken brother and an evil cousin who wishes to claim her in order to control her clan.

A risky escape puts Maggie in the path of Callum once again. Callum, now laird, has never forgotten his first love. He always intended to return for Maggie once he found his father’s killer. Now that she’s with him, he has no intention of letting her go again. But Maggie has other plans. Her trust, once broken, will not be easily restored.
I thought this was another great installment in the series. The book is rich with details and complex characters. I’m already looking forward to the next one!

3 ½ stars. Maggie, escaping from a cousin trying to take over as Laird of her clan, comes upon her fiancé who never came back for her like he promised. Callum MacLean never stopped thinking about Maggie, but due to some circumstances with his own family he thought she would be safer at her own home until he could come back for her. Maggie, of course, is mad and wants nothing more to do with Callum, especially a wedding! Besides, she is a strong Highland lass, equally fierce with both daggers and a crossbow, and doesn’t need a man to protect her! The chemistry between them is too much for either of them to resist and Callum slowly draws Maggie back in. Together they set out to solve the mysteries of the dangerous things happening in each of their clans. I enjoyed the banter and overall relationship between the two of them, and I enjoyed some of the other characters, but what fell somewhat short for me was the mystery aspect of the book. The first half of the book focused on getting away from her cousin. Then the second half, once Maggie gets back to Callums keep, all the problems she was facing, and the story I thought was going to be carried out throughout the book (her evil cousin) were pushed to the back burner and the book shifted to the traitor at clan MacLean. In the end, both storylines were wrapped up. However, Maggie’s clan’s story was a little to neatly wrapped up. It was like, ‘ok, all good now’, and I thought to myself, this is it? Also, at the end, I kept asking myself, have I already read this book? It felt familiar to me as the storyline was similar to others I have read. Overall, it was a good book, if somewhat predictable, and if you have read the others in the series you will like it. I received a free copy from the publisher for my honest review, and here it is! Get it, read it, wonder if you have read this story before, but still like it!

3 1/2 stars

In short: an enjoyable escape

Highland Betrayal is the third installment in the Sons of Gregor series that chronicles the lives of five men (the sons of chieftains who would one day assume the mantle as the laird of their respective clans) who fostered together as boys to learn under the tutelage of the master Gregor, a fierce warrior who also instilled fairness and the right balance of authority, respect, and gentleness into his teachings. While it is part of a series, this book could be read as a standalone with minimal difficulty in "catching up" with the other characters.

Callum MacLean, the new laird of his clan following his father's untimely and suspicious demise, has been betrothed to Maggie MacDonnell for many years now (since he was 16 and she was 9), and though he promised to return to her and marry her once she became of age, he has stayed away for 4 long years for reasons Maggie does not know or understand. From Callum's perspective, he has worried that he would bring his beloved Maggie into a dangerous life as he is convinced his father's death was neither suicide nor an accident, and until the perpetrator is identified and dealt with accordingly, he cannot ensure her safety. Unbeknownst to Callum, Maggie faces treachery within her own clan as her elder brother Ross, the clan's current laird, is slowly killing himself via alcoholism following the tragic death of his soul mate wife and infant son, and her younger brother is unreachable in Edinburgh. Her cousin is plotting to relieve Ross of duty as he has been incapacitated, murder her younger brother, and marry Maggie wherein he would force her to bear bairns (he has no preference whose; he would "claim" them as his own to ensure his line) and then do away with her once he had the support of the clan. When Maggie overhears her cousin's dastardly plot, she knows she must flee to find her younger brother and demand his return. As she makes her escape, she lands in the lap of none other than Callum, the man she has loved as long as she can remember who she thinks has abandoned her as have all of her other loved ones in her time of need. Callum realizes it is now or never with Maggie, and he knows he must win her back as well as eliminate the threats coming at her from all directions.

What I liked:
--- the main characters were likeable --- Callum was devoted and gallant; Maggie was the right balance of feisty/independent yet feminine
--- a couple of steamy scenes that were romantic and enhanced the story line vs. taking focus from the plot
--- not overly angsty

What I didn't like as much:
--- felt predictable to me; villain(s) unsurprising (I like a bit more mystery and reveal in that aspect)
--- sometimes dragged; sometimes felt rushed - the balance wasn't quite achieved from a pace perspective
--- a couple of relationships didn't make sense to me (especially with the Callum and his second in command --- felt like there was more to their story, but I didn't ever feel that connection --- I haven't read the first 2 books in the series, so maybe I missed some of that development?
--- a little anticlimactic in the resolutions of the many nefarious plots surrounding the main characters

Overall, an enjoyable escape to the Highlands with some scorching romance, palpable action, ranging adventure, and (of course) betrayal.

Plot --- 3/5
Main Characters --- 4/5
Supporting Cast --- 3.5/5
Steam Level --- 2.5/5
Violence --- not graphic; none of the potentially triggering variety
Language --- not noticeable or distracting
POV --- 3rd throughout with some slant from the main characters' perspectives at times

If you like strong female characters, you’ll love Maggie MacDonnell. She’s smart, clever, strong, and independent but has enough room in her heart for love. Her betrothed Laird Callum is a strong Highlander with enough smarts to balance what he is trained to do with what he learns to give into in order to balance his relationship with Maggie. There’s plenty of intrigue and mystery along with learning about life’s hard knocks. Along the way they finally join together to root out the traitor and become a more solidified couple.