Seduce by the Scot by Julia London, book six in her Highland Grooms series, is a passionate romance and the author swept me away with the storytelling. This story contained drama, mystery, passion and love, Maura and Nichol deserved to be loved and wanted by another. I loved how passionate these two were and was ecstatic knowing they found happiness and love. Nichol was an enigma to me until I learned more of his story. Unfortunately for him and us we would never learn why his father believed what he did and with his mother being long dead, the story would never come to light. Neither of them deserved to be treated as they were or, in Maura’s case, to end up in the circumstances she found herself in. I adored how Maura became stronger and more independent as the story went on. It was hundreds of years before women were given the rights Maura believed they should have. She was definitely ahead of her time.

Ms. London wrote an emotional, and moving story filled with sexual chemistry, wonderful dialogue, and endearing characters that is not to be missed. Not all characters were likeable, as I wanted to slap a few of them sill or find a quick death for them, which added another level as to why this story was so wonderful. I highly recommend this story to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Nichol Bain is a fixer — think Ray Donovan in a kilt. Fixing the most recent problem for which he’s been commissioned brings more than Nichol bargained for.

We met Nichol as a minor character in earlier titles in Julia London’s Highland Grooms series (this is Boox 6). SEDUCED BY A SCOT, however, can stand alone and is a good place to jump into the series.

Both Nichol and his “problem,” Maura Darby are intriguing characters. Maura, especially, is an untraditional woman who will give Nichol a run for his money — think Ray Donovan in drag!

I laughed and cried throughout this book — it was probably my favorite of the entire Highland Grooms series. I would love to see more of Nichol and Maura in other books by Julia London.

Seduced by a Scot by Julia London is book 6 in the Highland Grooms series. This is the story of Maura Darby and Nichol Bain. This can be a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Nichol is known as a fixer of problems and goes forward to help a prominent Scottish family whose family ward is tempting to ruin a future family marriage agreement. Maura has tried to stay in the background to keep please the mother and daughter of the family she is staying with but that isn't working. Nichol feels that he can fix their problem but getting the couple back together. Then take Maura away to meet another client who would possible marry her. But what Nichol's hadn't counted on was being attracted to her nor building feelings towards her on their time traveling together.
I really enjoyed this book and hope to read more stories from Ms. London.

Publisher's Description:

There’s no matchmaking an unruly heart

When a prominent Scottish family faces a major scandal weeks before their daughter’s wedding, they turn in desperation to the enigmatic fixer for the aristocracy, Nichol Bain. Remarkably skilled at making high-profile problems go away, Nichol understands the issue immediately. The family’s raven-haired ward, Maura Darby, has caught the wandering eye—and rather untoward advances—of the groom.

Nichol assuredly escorts Maura toward his proposed solution: an aging bachelor for her to marry. But rebellious Maura has no interest in marrying a stranger, especially when her handsome traveling companion has captivated her so completely. Thankfully, Nichol loves a challenge, but traveling with the bold and brash Maura has him viewing her as far more than somebody’s problem. Which raises a much bigger issue—how can he possibly elude disaster when the heart of the problem is his own?

My Thoughts:

This series continues with this final book and Nichol's story. If you have read any of this series you will remember him as the secretary of the Duke of Montrose. Nichol is a fixer. He is frequently hired by the aristocracy to fix seemingly unfixable problems.
Maura currently resides in the household of the Garbett family as their ward. Their jealous daughter and her equally despicable mother want nothing more than to find a way to rid themselves of Maura.
Wrongly accused of throwing herself at Sorcha's intended she is sent away to a relative who has ideas similar to or maybe worse than the groom who had forced his unwanted attentions on Maura.
Nichol is hired to fix the situation and finds himself enamored by the beautiful Maura. He has a solution to his problem in the form of a bashful friend who is tied to his mother's apron strings and can't seem to find himself a much needed bride.

Will Nichol and Maura find their way to each other in the end or will he marry her off to this veritable stranger and collect his payment?
I have loved this series and hate to see it coming to an end. Although there are tie- ins to other earlier books each book can be easily read as a standalone book.
I gave this last book 4.75 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization. The intimate scenes are hot and a necessary element to this well written book.
I received a invitation for a complimentary digital ARC of this book via NetGalley from the publisher. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Once again this author takes you back in time on a journey through Scotland this time where marriage is the key factor for mergers in family businesses.

Maura Darby, the ward of Calum Garbutt, is swiftly taken away before she can cause a scandal in the family and a solution sought by the fixer for the aristocracy, Nichol Bain. However things don’t go quite as he planned.

Very descriptive language makes it extremely easy to visualise each setting and scene, especially the fashions of that era. You certainly feel like you are in the parlour, riding on horseback or dining at a local inn.

Maura is such a wonderful character with a strong backbone and after everything that hard happened to her I am amazed by her strength and determination. Her spark and quick wit are another great facet of her nature. She is definitely a lass in the wrong era though and would have made a fabulous scientist or whatever professional pathway she chose.

Nichol is an interesting character and one we gradually learn more about as the story progresses. One who has also not had an easy life but then even in the aristocracy things are not so easy and breezy. His self discovery is very enlightening and wonderful to watch unfold.

As much as this author describes the so called ‘good’ characters so very well she equally describes the ‘less desirable’ characters very clearly too. You find yourself becoming livid with their attitude and actions, possibly even wanting to give them a clout too! 🤣 I admit it, on more than one occasion I wanted to give one of these characters a swift kick in the pants or shin! To my way of thinking it’s a good sign, the author has readers invested in her story and characters.

The start is a little slow going but when the action gets going it really heats up and there are all manner things happening. The end is very exciting and I found myself looking at how many pages were left and wishing there were more!

When Calum Garbett's ward, the lovely Miss Maura Danby is embroiled in a scandal that may cost him a lucrative business deal, the Duke of Montrose recommends that he summon Nichol Bain.

If you have been following the series, you will remember Nichol as the secretary of the Duke of Montrose - the man who tried his darnedest to keep Hamlin and Catriona apart. Nichol is a "fixer", he has an uncanny knack for finding solutions to the toughest problems and Garbett's problem seems like a walk in the park. He will help Garbett's daughter Sorcha and her fiancé reconcile and then he will marry Miss Danby off to a former client, collect his fee and be off to Wales.


Maura is done being the demure, complacent young lady she promised her father she would be. The Garbetts took her in as a girl and made her life hell. She has borne it for years, staying out of the way and never complaining - but when Sorcha's would be husband kisses her and then proclaims her a temptress, she is cast out of the house and her only true possession is stolen from her. She will not blindly follow Nichol to a marriage - she will get her necklace back and then she will figure out the rest of her life - she doesn't need a too good looking, too smart man meddling in her affairs! She escapes from Nichol and heads back to the Garbett's, she is bound and determined to get her necklace and perhaps a pound of flesh. Nichol catches up with her and convinces her to let him fix this - he is more enamored with her than he should be, but knows that nothing can come of it - he has no home to offer her, he will marry her off to Dunnan Cockburn and try to forget her.

They reclaim her necklace and set off to meet Dunnan - Maura knows she is falling for him, but has promised to go along with his plans for her. They sidetrack to his family estate and Nichol is dealt a blow he never expected. Maura understands Nichol's pain, she too has been betrayed by those who should have loved her. She comforts him and their relationship takes a turn. She knows she cannot marry Dunnan, but Nichol is adamant, he has NOTHING to offer her and she deserves a good life.

They arrive at Dunnan's and things go from bad to worse. By the time Nichol comes to his senses and realizes that he needs Maura, it may be too late for a HEA.

This was a well written, well paced book with two very wounded souls, the story is in turns emotional and amusing, Maura is a force to be reckoned with and Nichol is much more approachable in this book than he was in the previous story, once you learn about his past, his action and manner make a lot more sense. The book is a bit steamier than the others I have read by Ms. London (THAT IS NOT A COMPLAINT!) and the story a bit more complex and maybe a bit overly dramatic. There is some question in my mind as to the resolution with Nichol's family and the same title error from the last book reappears in this one, but overall it was a good read and I would be happy to recommend it.

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

This is book six and the final one in the fabulous Highland Groom series, I am saddened that there won’t be any more, I cannot tell you how much I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this series.

After the death of her father Maura became the ward of the Garbett family, over the years as she grew into a beautiful young woman and began to out shine their own daughter Sorcha, the Garbett’s begin to treat worse and worse as the years wore on until finally when the man who was intended for Sorcha takes a liking to Maura one thing leads to another and all hell breaks lose leaving poor Maura yet again without a home ad destined to live with a vile distant elation to the family while the Garbett’s try and fix the scandal that is about to erupt. With a wise word from the marvellous Duke of Montrose – I loved this man in the previous book and yes, I am still in love with him, he is such a wonderful character – Mr Garbett sent to the one man who can sort out their little issue.

Maura is completely innocent of all that she is accused of, Sorcha is nothing more than a spoilt little madam with an ugly and jealous streak that would make the Hulk look pretty. What precious Sorcha wants, precious Sorcha gets, which also includes the only thing that Maura has left of her family; her mother’s necklace.

Walk on the scene mysterious, gorgeous green eyed Nichol Bain – I do have a penchant for green eyed heroes. Nichol is very close friends with the Duke of Montrose and he also has a gift at fixing problems which is why the Duke sent Garbett to him. With a little crafty planning ad wee bit of manipulation Nichol has found the perfect solution – the only thing needed is to collect Maura for her take the part Nichol has planned for her.

But for the first time ever Nichol perfectly laid out plan basically get chucked out of the window when he meets feisty, intelligent and way to shrewd for her own good Maura, who has other idea’s. She has no intention what so ever in going along with the disturbingly handsome Scot’s plan, she has only two things that she wants; one is to leave the awful place she has found herself in, and get away from the man who has thinks of her nothing more then a plaything – literally she has had to barricade herself in her room to protect herself from this horrid man. And the second is her mothers necklace that the equally horrid Garbett’s stole from her.

Nichol is sympathetic to Maura’s cause, her plight resonates with him far more then he thought it would. Which is why he agrees to help her, which begins’ their journey one that is full of twists and turns, secrets and lies and mistrust. They are both so alike they have very similar backgrounds, they both have issues with trust which in Maura’s case is very easy to understand why, Nichol has his own secrets his own personal heartaches that have shaped and made the great man that he is. They are both lonely, suspicious and cynical people that I think do see the bad in people well before the good. Yet they both have huge hearts that are yearning for love, it just takes a while for them to get to their much needed happily ever after.

I have to say I adore that first moment where they meet, she has barricaded her self in her tower and because she refuses to come out Nichol decides to go all dashing hero and climbs the tower and goes through the window only to have a bit of a battle of wills with the not so damsel in distress, that is a brilliant scene and sets up their blustery relationship nicely.

Over all this is as ever a fantastic romance, I do love romance stories where the hero and heroine have to really work for their happily ever after and Ms London is a master as spinning a mesmerising and engaging tale that the reader can really get behind and love. I love the complexity of the story there is so much going on, the twists throughout are great additions to an already wonderfully immersive story. Seduced by the Scot will keep you glued and turning the pages, and keep you up way past your bedtime, It’s emotional, intriguing and though-provoking.

A fantastic book, I cannot recommend this book and this series enough!

This was a ARC via the author’s assistant in exchange for an honest review

Seduced by a Scot is part of The Highland Grooms series, but it's a standalone romance. It was a bit slow paced at first but then picked up. I felt this romance to be too realistic in many ways. The main characters were far too emotionally practical. Their expectations for their future alone or together lacked passion. I was hoping for more moments of spontaneous intensity. Nichol's character was very distant, it was hard to connect with him. Although, I could understand why, based on his history. I was never carried away with the story. I hope to read more of London's work.

This is the 6th book in the Highland Grooms series and it can absolutely be read as a stand alone book. This one is about Nichol Bain, who we met in Catriona's book, and Maura Darby. Nichol has been hired to "fix" a deal (and an engagement) for two aristocratic families. He understands that part of the problem revolves around one of the families beautiful ward, Maura. Maura has tried to stay in the background and out of the way but it's not always possible and being blamed for other people's actions seems to be the norm for her. She is sent away to try to make the problem go away. And Nichol comes up with a solution that will hopefully fix any issues in before they can arise in the future. Neither one knows just what they are in store for though once they spend time together, and actually get to know each other.

I really liked this book! Maura is a great character who made me laugh and also made me feel bad for her with the way she has been treated and continues to be treated. Nichol has his own issues and he makes you wonder exactly why he is the way he is. And once you find out why? It makes your heart break for him, especially when he see's his "family" again. Throwing them together and forcing them to not only face their own issues but to fight for each other? It's a beautiful thing to read! Especially the things they are willing to do for each other once they face the fact that they truly love the other.

Seduced by a Scot is the sixth title in Ms. London’s entertaining Highland Grooms series. Although there is mention of previous characters and activities, the story is very much a standalone romance and enjoyable by its own rights. Readers briefly met Nichol, the man who fixes problems for others, in the previous book. He’s a bit of a vagabond, going from one job to the next and never settling down. Estranged from his family, he claims no name and no home. But he enjoys what he does and lives a contented life. That is until he meets Ms. Maura Darby.

Maura’s life has not been easy. After her parents died, a friend of her father took her in, but his wife and own daughter, Sorcha, never liked Maura. They are petty, jealous, and downright cruel, and although Maura does everything she can to stay out of the way, she finds herself the target of Sorcha’s fiance’s attentions. In steps Nichol to fix this problem by marrying off Maura to another man.

Nichol and Maura have a bumpy start. She does not trust him - and why should she? She’s been let down and hurt by everyone who was supposed to care for her. She was treated deplorably. Nichol is wonderful because he allows Maura to vent her long-held frustrations without chiding her. Unfortunately, he sees Maura has a problem to be dealt with rather than a person. But as the pair spend time together and learn more about one another, they grow incredibly close.

I enjoyed their journeys as each comes face-to-face with their past and learns to move forward. They have one another to lean on, and a kindred-spirit bond forms. It’s evident they are falling in love from their genuine compassion. Unfortunately, Nichol is determined to marry off Maura because he truly wants the best for her. His own doubts and history skews his perception of love, and his torment over the decision despite his feelings is heartfelt and genuine.

Overall, Seduced by a Scot is an enjoyable story filled with exciting adventures and a lovely romance. Maura and Nichol work because they are cut from the same cloth. They both know disappointment and hurt by those who were supposed to love them and care for them. But they both know how to take it in stride and move beyond, making their own way.

My Rating: B+ Liked It A Lot

Seduced by a Scot (Highland Grooms, #6) by Julia London... I have loved this series and I am sorry it is ending...thanks to Julia London, the publisher and #NetGalley for allowing me to preview this book .. This is Nichol and Maura's story.. they both have had loss and tragedy in their lives from a young age.. he is a fixer and she really needs fixing(so does he). This book grabbed me from the beginning and never let me go... This book has tears, laughs, hardship, happiness, adventure, steamy sex, the Mackenzie's all and of course a very HEA.

Nicole and Maura both a had a very rough childhood they both felt very unloved and unwanted. Nicole fixes problems and is called upon to fix Maura’s. Little did he know that after some adventure he would fix both they’re problems.

A heroine with no home or family meets the hero who is hired to fix the situation she is in. Maura needs to leave the home of her benefactor and Nichol is assigned to help find a resolution. He has a friend in need of a wife and Maura will be the perfect answer. But as they travel together they learn about each other, both of them starving for love, trust and loyalty. Are they actually the perfect solution as a couple? This novel was a great read. I devoured it in 2 days and that was only because I had to go to work and couldn’t read straight through. I loved the characters and was happy to see some returning faces in the epilogue. One of my favorite novels in the series.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Seduced By A Scot is the sixth book in Julia London’s delightful Highland Grooms series. It can be read as a stand-alone but I do recommend reading all the books in the series as I enjoyed reading them. Maura Darby our intrepid heroine’s story is a bit of a twist on Cinderella and Julia pulls no punches in describing how bleak the situation could be for an orphaned young woman at the time. Nigel Bain the hero makes his living solving other peoples problems moving constantly from job to job perhaps in an attempt to escape his own demons. These two meet up when Nigel is charged with the task of solving the problem of Maura (sorry I can never resist a Sound of Music reference) His proposed solution of marrying her off to a Prince doesn’t work out so well when the Prince proves to be not so so charming. I loved how Maura even after years of abuse is strong and resilient and quite able to rescue Nigel when the tables turn.
Highly recommend. Medium steam. Publishing Date October 30, 2018. #NetGalley #SeducedByAScot #JuliaLondon #HQN

Nichol and Maura are the most delightful of all the couples. Their story
Is filled with twists and turns and plenty of both heat and excitement. This was a true page turner.

I always thought that Nichol Bain was an interesting character who played a key role in the lives of the other characters in this series. Finally Nichol Bain gets his story! Maura was perfect for Nichol even it he didn't immediately admit it. Their story was full of fun antics and adventure. This is full-circle in the series and has a few cameos by previous characters. I definitely recommend this book.

I finally found the time to read this -- and did it in 2 sittings! It took me a while to remember all the characters - the Duke of Montrose was familiar but until his background was mentioned I'd forgotten who he was (sorry!) It was also good to see Catriona as well.

Anyway, watching Nichol and Maura interact was great. Two stubborn, sad people, both with horrible childhoods, both with different ways of overcoming their pasts as much as possible. Neither believed that they could be loved, and watching them work through this was fun. Their interaction was believable, and the other characters were also well-written. I had a big grin on my face when I finished!



ARC was provided by the author through NetGalley for an honest review.

I love this series by Julia London. The story is about Maura Darby who is getting married in a few weeks and she does not want to marry an stranger. She lost her parent and has been taken care of by another family. Nichol Bain is called the fixer, he fixes problems. His solution to this problem is to marry Maura himself instead of her marrying an old bachelor, who she hasn't met. This was a good book and I hope there will be more books.

What a gem of a historical Scottish romance! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Although historical Highlander books are popular, this one seems fresh and unique. Maura and Nichol are wonderful characters individually and their story shows them to ultimately be a great couple. The storyline was entertaining and complex. There were also interesting secondary characters.

Although part of The Highland Grooms series, this can easily be read as a standalone.

Seduced By A Scot is a bit of a Cinderella story, Maura having been orphaned at the age of twelve and sent to live with a family friend of her father’s. Maura is, of course, beautiful while the daughter of the house has a bulbous nose and a shrewish temper. With things getting worse by the minute for Maura it seems plausible to knight in shining armour Nichol that an arranged marriage to a friend of his who has a large estate and plenty of money is an excellent solution to her situation.
Of course things don’t go according to plan and the result is a ripping good story filled with adventure, a little intrigue and of course romance.
I devoured this book - couldn’t read it fast enough, and loved every page. Julia London has a wonderful way of combining all the best story elements to ensure readers just never know what is coming next or how it will be delivered. Seduced By A Scot is an absolute winner in my book. Highly recommended!