I received with thanks an ARC copy of Highland Captive from Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley.

This is my review of Highland Captive by Alison McLayne. This was published on 30th July 2019
I will start by saying I love Highlander romances and this one definitely fits what I am looking for. This is my first book by this author and will not be the last. I enjoyed the authors writing style. I think I will go back to book one to see how the series started.

Would recommend if you love a Historical Romance

Alyson McLayne really knows how to write a romance novel. After finishing Highland Captive I went and read the rest of the series and I am waiting with batted breath for the final installment.

Before I get into the review, I am really not a fan of basic romance novels - I like mystery, danger, and romance and not any will do. What Alyson has done is created a formula that allows for a great read. I found reading this book was truly an escape; I was so taken in by this book the world vanished around me.

Now for the review - Gavin has been painstakingly looking for his son after he was lost while not in his care. He has spent years trying to find him and has happened upon a clue - enters Deirdre who can provide information about Gavin's son and his whereabouts. Your left wondering will he find his son, is someone after Gavin and is Deirdre the enemy or instead someone that needs his love and protection.

I would definitely recommend this book - especially for anyone that needs a break from everyday life as you are transported to the Irish countryside and the Highlands.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a pretty good highland romance. Deidre lives with her son and husband until the day she meets another man who looks exactly like her son. Gavin is searching for his abducted son and discovers he's with his enemies' wife. They begin a turbulent relationship that eventually develops into passion and trust. I'm glad Gavin learns to heal and find love again. Enjoyed it.

I read a lot of highlander books.
This was not bad, but it was not perfect.
I liked everything except...there was a child who got missing for over 2 years....
I dont like plots with that theme.
Overall book was fine.

3.5 Stars. Gavin's son was kidnapped years ago and he happens to stumble upon the woman who has him. Deidre's husband gave her this child saying he needed a mother, so she cared for him. She was not prepared for the emergence of his father or what he would do to her heart.
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Great characters. A woman finding her strength. Scotland. A castle. Intrigue. Danger. Enough said!!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
Highland Captive is the fourth installment in The Sons of Gregor MacLeod series. Alyson McLayne is a new-to-me author, so I can attest to the fact that this novel can be read out of series order and as a standalone with little to no confusion. That being said, since I absolutely adored the novel, I can't wait to go back to the beginning to read the series from the start, where I'll be able to accurately express whether or not the emotional payoff would have been better, the connection to the characters deeper, had the series been read in order.

Gut-punch after gut-punch, the author delivered a plethora of emotions throughout the novel, from the lighthearted to the darkest of emotions, and all the levity and banter in between, thanks to a ragtag side cast of characters, who previously had novels of their own and future novels to come.

Original and intriguing, the premise had me hooked from the first paragraph. Deidre is raising a child she herself didn't birth, under the assumption that the child is her husband's bastard... until she comes face-to-face with a man who is the spirit and image of her son. Terrified to lose the only person who has truly loved her for who she is, Deidre makes a run for home, back to her son.

Gavin didn't make the best of impressions on Deidre, not realizing she would see the anger and frustration as perhaps his son was taken from him to save Ewan from abuse. Once the connections are made, Gavin attempts to rescue his son, not realizing the attachment the boy has on his new mother.

Thrust into close quarters, Deidre and Gavin bond over the love of their son, with a love-hate, enemies-to-lovers, captive and captor vibe that is insanely delicious to devour. Page after page, I couldn't get enough of the intensity and connection between Deidre and Gavin, as the mystery as to why Ewan was stolen from him unravels... along with the mystery as to why Deidre's husband is the way that he is.

The emotions were raw, the actions and reactions of the characters were real, and the pacing and flow was pure perfection, taking the reader on a Highland adventure. I cannot wait to sink my teeth into Alyson McLayne's backlist.

Highly recommend to fans of the author and Highland historical romance, all the primitive growls and pure masculinity and fiery lasses.

I love this series! Each Laird is so good. Deirdre is sucha sweet girl, surviving chidhood neglect and abuse by loving a wee lad she thinks belongs to her husband. Gavin is a warrior who has been searching for years for his lost son. When the two of them meet, the story explodes. So well done!

At first I didn’t really appreciate Gavin, he’s unsettled and goes from calm to enraged in a few seconds. On the other side I don’t know the state I would be in if my child had disappeared for two years. The advantage is that we really see his behavior changing, going from a kind of hate mixed with desire for the heroine, associated with a wish to get rid of her no matter what, to a kind of compassion with a need to protect her, but this happens quite quickly. At the same time he wants to do the best for his son and find again the bond that used to exist between them, even if he’s clumsy in his acts.

Deirdre as for her begins as a subdued mouse except when protecting the child she’s been raising as her own for two years. At the beginning she even tries to protect him from the hero before realizing he only wants what’s best for the boy, and then she does her best to bring them closer. She had an unhappy childhood, harassed and belittled by her family, and little by little we see her take confidence among the hero’s clan.

Between them the attraction is fast, but as Deirdre is married Gavin refuses to yield to it, fearing she’d only accept to be sure of being allowed to stay with her son. There’s however a lot of fantasy scenes on both sides, and a language a bit crude when they finally do the deed, that had me frowning as that seems really too modern for the period.

As for the secondary characters, apart from the boy who’s necessarily very present, there’s mainly the hero’s sister and his foster brother (they’ll be the heroes of the next volume as they’re the last single ones). Friendship takes a big place in this novel, which is even more highlighted when the other foster brothers arrive even if at time the dialogues between them seemed strange without me being able to nail what disturbed me.

Some points left me skeptic. Deirdre is supposed to have learned a lot with her tutor through reading. Of course there were books in 1453, but the heroine learned so many things about so many various subjects (languages, mathematics – including the Fibonaci sequence which, if it had effectively been described two centuries before, won’t be named like before some other centuries -, construction of cathedrals, …), I had the feeling she’d studied an encyclopedia instead of medieval books.
There’s also the fact the only people making nasty comment about the heroine’s curvy body are the bad guys, which I found too simple.
As for the resolution about Deirdre’s husband, once again I was a bit astonished. I was almost sure about something of this kind, but I found it a bit bland all the same. On the other side, from the beginning of the book the heroine’s repeats her husband was kind with her so I wouldn’t have wanted for him to be killed. Fortunately she has a fit of anger when being told that’s very believable seeing the circumstances.

The plot is slow at the beginning, with Gavin trying to win over his son and Deirdre trying to find her place. Suddenly everything speeds up with the “intervention” of the series’ general plot and its partial resolution is rushed: the big bad guy flees and we suppose all his accomplices are dead in part because of the heroine, but it’s said so fast I was left wanting. Of course we don’t know the how and the why of the attack, it’s kept for the end of the series, but at least knowing for example why Gavin’s right-hand man betrayed him would have been appreciable, or what happened in the castle after the priest blocked the doors. But nothing.

However, even if I was completely convinced by this story, and in spite of the reproaches I’ve just done, I appreciated my reading and I intend on reading the last volume to find out what it’s all about.

This story is one that encompasses the essence of the Highland magic and history and the passion found among the glens, the moors, and the valleys. This is a sweeping story that brings you back through time and to a love story that is worth fighting for. The story of Gavin and Deirdre is one that can be heartbreaking at times, because we see how much they are trying to find a way to be together but a set of circumstances is what is holding them back from being together. We see the honor and integrity that Gavin has, and the courage and strength our heroine embodies. There is such a beautiful culture that this author conveys and honestly its these type of authors that make you fall in love with this highland setting and wish it was reality. The strength, the sensuality, and the epic beauty is unforgettable and Alyson McLane crafts a story so full of depths and delights. So purchase a copy if you haven’t read it already, relax with a cup of tea and be prepared for the joys, the adventure and the magic of this lovely storyteller and you won’t regret it.

❤️ out of 5
This book was so low on my believability index that it actually frustrated me. Now if I can believe in vampires, werewolves, dragons and blue aliens I thought I could believe in almost anything.... well this book proved me wrong.
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For starters, to set the scene it’s medieval Scotland and the hero is searching for his 4 year old son who went missing 2 years prior. The heroine has been raising the child for 2 years not knowing who he was and apparently one look at the hero (a random stranger in a crowd) she could somehow tell he was the father. HOW?! Does she have witchy abilities? Because I might believe that! But no, no explanation other than looks given.
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Next is the mention of Fibonacci’s sequence by a woman in medieval Scotland who knows about it which is interesting because it doesn’t get coined as such until the 19th century. (It’s a mathematical equation that I honestly can’t believe any person in her situation would have the slightest clue). Is she a time traveling witch? (This would make more sense).
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Unfortunately I couldn’t make it past chapter 4 in this book because of the unbelievability and poor research. However I have heard that some people loved it! I wish I could have been one of those people to give it more of a go but the trust between reader and author was broken.

Over the years I've gravitated away from historical romance but lately I don't seem to find contemporary romantic suspense that appeals so I've been dipping back into a genre I once enjoyed. Fortunately I've come across some gems that have rekindled my enjoyment in this genre as well as some new authors to my list.
Laird Gavin Mackinnon is a travesty of the once happy and smiling man his clan knew after his baby son was kidnapped. When he finally finds his son again, thanks to a tip another woman claims to be his mother. In desperation Gavin kidnaps and brings Diedre back to his castle determined to get to the bottom of the story and to break the false mother son link.
The battle of wills between the formidable laird, a timid young woman and a child makes for interesting and fun reading. Diedre truly loves the young child who was placed in her arms giving her an opportunity to be a mother and allay her loneliness. She's a fierce mother hen who will challenge anyone who dares to harm her child's psyche even if that person is a formidable laird and the boy's biological father. There are moments of laugher, tears and erotic seduction as slowly but surely Diedre carves her place into Gavin's heart and hearth.
Most of all I really enjoyed the sinister thread of suspense running through this story and some of the answers that are revealed will blow your mind. I absolutely can't wait to see where this series will go next even if I haven't read any of the earlier books in the series.

Laird Gavin MacKinnon has been searching for his missing son, Ewan for over two years. Gavin has come to the festival to meet someone who has new information about his missing soon when he literally runs into a beautiful woman who looks at him and runs. He realizes its Deidre MacIntyre and she’s hiding something. Gavin travels to reclaim his son Deidre goes with the brooding laird if it will keep her son safe. She’s been his mother ever since her husband brought him home to her. I love theses tow, they both love Ewan and want what’s best for him. At first Gavin is resentful of having lost so much time with his son, but soon realizes Deidre has loved his son and kept him from harm all this time. Deidre’s husband ignores her and Gavin’s deceased wife turned away from him after Ewan was born. I love the growing romance between two people in need of someone to love them in return. A beautiful story with a few twist and turns. An excellent story and one I voluntarily read and reviewed.

An easy light read but not one I see myself wanting to re-read. The romance between the main characters worked but the plot needed more depth and I wanted a strand of potent emotional intensity running through the book.

Gavin, Laird Mackinnon is bitter, angry and on the search for his missing son. Full of bitterness, because his wife took his son Ewan to the Autumn festival 2 years ago, and managed to lose him there, despite being forbidden to. 2 years later he is widowed, and still hunting for his son. He stumbles across Lady Deirdre Macintyre at the spring clan gathering, and is first attracted to her because of her looks, and ten for her fixation on him, and her air of vulnerability. He suspects her and is drawn to her in equal measure.

Deirdre is struck by Gavin’s similarity to her adopted son, and she is instantly scared. Her husband Lewis, who is kind but often away, brought Ewan to her two years ago in mysterious circumstances and she has mothered him ever since. She doesn’t want to lose him.

Deirdre has always been bullied and treated badly by her family, the McColls, at 15 she was sent away to marry Lewis McIntyre with only 2 servants for company. She has always been quiet and meek, but having a child to care for has developed her strength.

Gavin is told that Deirdre has a son that looks like him, called Ewan, and when he goes to bring Ewan home, the child refuses to leave his “Mama” He decide Deirdre will come with them until Ewan settles into Clan Mackinnon.

Gavin is angry, and wants to separate Ewan from Deirdre as soon as possible, but knows he must tread carefully to not alienate his son. He tries to reduce the bond between them, but is thwarted by Ewan’s connection to Deidre. As he spends time with them both, he is more and more drawn to Deirdre, who works hard to get Ewan to accept and rebuild his bonds with Gavin and his Aunt and the Clan in general. He realises that there is something suspicious going on with Clan McIntyre and Ewan’s disappearance is part of this, how will they both resolve their connections to Ewan, Deidre is a married woman, and also deal with their feelings for each other. How will Lewis cope with Deidre’s absence, and also, where does he disappear to all the time and what about the ruthless Laird of Clan McIntyre - what exactly is he up to.

Will Gavin be prepared to give Deirdre up, and will he be able to overcome the threat from the McIntyre’s that is coming his way.

I really enjoyed this, it was an unusual premise, and it was great to see a downtrodden woman discovering her strength through standing up to a fierce man. I felt the relationship between Gavin and Deidre was developed well, and the intrigue was well done. The pacing felt a bit rushed at the end, and I wasn’t sure about parts about the relationship between Kerr and Gavin’s sister, but I suppose that will be more fleshed out in another book in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

Also posted on Goodreads.

This is my fair and honest review in exchange for this ARC. The book caught my eye because it seemed very different than the standard historical romance. And it was! A kidnapping started out the tale. It began very well and i was into it. The tale was very involved with lots of great characters and dastardly villains. Great read until the ALMOST end and then it just fell apart. I did not like the last chapter or the epilogue AT ALL.

I LOVED the previous 3 books in this series and was super excited to be able to read this one prior to release. It met it's mark.
While reading the previous books in the series you know that Laird Gavin MacKinnon is haunted by the disappearance of his 2 year old son, Ewan. Gavin, along with the other "Sons" of MacGregor have searched all over the highlands for Ewan...for two and a half very long years. He is heartbroken and angry. When he finally finds his beloved son, his heart starts to heal but he is still very angry. Why was his son taken, who took him? The MacGregor and his fostered sons are realizing that someone is out to get them, to destroy them. They just can't figure out who even after thwarting all of his plans.
Deidre MacIntyre was given a child by her husband and after living a lonely life, even surrounded by family, she falls deeply in love with this little boy. After his father rescues him, she will not leave his side. He is her son and will do anything to protect him.
The more time Deidre and Gavin spend together they start to fall in love. Unfortunately, Deidre is married. Married to the only son of a Laird.
Will they be able to be together? Will they find out why little Ewan was taken? Will they find out who is behind it all?
I highly recommend this book as well as the previous three. I also can't wait to read the next book which I'm sure will be about Kerr and Isobel. (Kerr is one of my favourite side characters.)
I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

Highland Captive was another great addition to this captivating Scottish romance series. Though the brogue was on the light sight, the chemistry and heated/conflicted emotions which played out between this main couple were definitely on the heavy side.

I loved Deidre’s determination to protect her adopted son, no matter the cost. My heart, of course, grieved for what Gavin went through during the previous two and a half years. Together they sort through their unusual circumstances and let love take its course. Make no mistake, it’s a very bumpy road, folks. Gavin is eaten up with resentment and a thirst for justice/revenge, and Deidre is dead center in his sites at first. Brace yourself for it. Just know you will be rewarded with groveling and regret later on.

Steaminess doesn’t show up until around 80%. I must say I personally would have preferred more subtle, romantic dialogue/behavior for the long awaited first night together. Their behavior and dialogue seemed too smexy/out of character for how they were portrayed up to that point, especially for Deidre.

With a four perilous back to back stair step approach to the smack down with the bad guys, I felt a little overwhelmed in that lengthy showdown. Maybe it was just me, but I couldn’t shake the feeling too much was added there. I found myself skimming over parts of it just to get to the conclusion. Don't get me wrong. Parts of it were really good, especially regarding how a certain character stepped in and saved the day.. It did cause me to lower my rating by one star though. The epilogue definitely put me right back on track to being thrilled this resilient couple got their HEA.

Kerr is likely up next to get his HEA. His love interest, is a fire cracker, no doubt. In some ways, maybe even a loose cannon. I'm thinking it will take him moving on and showing interest in another woman to get her to see what she's been missing all along with that verra handsome, good guy, mountain of muscle, Scottish lad. He truly is awesome, folks.

Title: Highland Captive, Series: The Sons of Gregor MacLeod (Book 4), Author: Alyson McLayne, Pages: 448, stand-alone but part of a series, determined widow Laird hero to get justice/revenge, resilient/selfless heroine, animosity turns to love, attempted rape, some fighting/violence, relationship angst, not steamy until late in the book.

Book 1 - Highland Promise
Book 2 - Highland Conquest
Book 3 - Highland Betrayal
Book 4 - Highland Captive

(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.)

Glen Moieasdan, Scotland 1453
"Deirdre MacIntyre leaned back against the tent pole and tried to take ten slow, steady breaths-but nothing worked to calm her panic and dread welling up inside her....His eyes...Eyes that promised retribution.. eyes that were the exact same color as her son's." paraphrased a bit. Can you see how this gripped me from the beginning?
Deirdre's husband had brought home Ewan a couple of years ago. Claiming it was his son from a former trist and the mother was dead. She could only feel love for the little boy and was determined to give him a happy life, unlike the one she had. But when she sees a large highland warrior that looks like her son, she is in shock and has no doubt it is his real father. She frantically goes home to Ewan to keep him safe.
Of course Gavin eventually finds her and takes his son but Deirdre goes with them because to Ewan she is his mother and needs her. His plan is to let her stay for awhile then send her back. But of course it could cause a clan war.
The range of emotions in this story was humorous to intense which you could feel coming off the pages. A tangle indeed with Deirdre still married, although she and her husband married when she was 15, they had become friendly but were not in love.
A long jouney to a happy ending but Alyson McLayne did an amazing job of sorting everything out and bringing the two together.. A story not to be missed!

Hmmmm. I wanted to like this book with its great plot more than I did, but Deirdre made that goal a little difficult to achieve. Ewan too, actually, but it wasn’t his fault he wasn’t given a better script. And Isobel was unjustifiably described as batty on more than one occasion, which seemed odd and unfair. It dragged on longer than necessary too and yet left some issues unresolved. However, most of the book was perfectly fine and some parts were truly wonderful, not to mention steamy, so I’m sure a great number of people will fall in love with this story as it is. The main undercurrents were friendship, betrayal, justice, forgiveness, gratefulness, acceptance, courage, hope, and love. This was my first Alyson McLayne book, and I’m planning to read more of her books before making up my mind one way or another.

I received a free copy of Highland Captive, but that did not affect my review.

Highland Captive by Alyson McLayne is book 4 in The Sons of Gregor MacLeod Series. This is the story of Deidre MacIntyre and Gavin MacKinnon. I have read the previous books but feel you can make this a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Gavin's wife took their son Ewan to a festival where she ended up dying and his son thought to have died too. But Gavin thinks he is just missing and has been looking for him for a few years. When he gets a lead as to who may have him he goes forward to find him. Deidre was forced to marry at a early age to a husband she hadn't met who happen to bring her a child for her to raise who he said was his. Now in their present day she see Gavin and knows that he must be Ewan's father but is unsure what is going on. Gavin ends up taken back his son but Deidre won't let him go without her. This opens Gavin up to either giving Deidre back on keeping her when they come to get her.
Enjoyed their story.