The Sinful Scott is a exciting, captivating and wholly engaging historical masterpiece that won my heart over in a matter of minutes!

Its been awhile since I read a really good historical romance and I feel that this particular one made me realize how much I miss them. This was witty, passionate, and an outstanding reading experience.

The Sinful Scot gets a FIVE SMASHING STARS!

received in exchange for a honest review
Constance and Alec are both great characters who have been through alot. At times they both will have you growl. Like Alec and his holding so tightly onto the past and having it affect his ability to open up and let love happen does have you growl. Constance and her attitude towards things when she was younger and how she sometimes reverts back to this is growly.
Constance is in a tough situation and in that age she doesn’t really have choices. In her situation, choices are gone. She is just a dowry for her husband. He treats her like crap and doesn’t care. The man was a heel. A horrible evil heel. So happy for what happened to him because he was a horrible evil man. Not happy that she is mired in the mess and definitely wasn’t happy with who was doing this and why. Wasn’t happy there because I didn’t like that that person was so conniving and didn’t really care who got hurt. It was a great twist don’t get me wrong just was upset over the not caring about who got caught in the web. As Constance is free and trying to find her strength and the truth we see her grow within. She becomes more bold, free, and confident. Alec had a lot to do with that. He respected her and showed her kindness and was honest with her. He gave her a voice and choices and that helped her grow.
Alec is a great guy. A wee bit stubborn but great. He was adamant about not falling in love and almost lost something precious because of it. I loved how he was there for Constance no matter what. How he was understanding and respected her.How he gave her a voice and didn’t try to quash who she was. Him standing by Constance and helping her discover the truth was a great story. Watching them fall in love and act on their attraction was wonderful.
The story was fun and intriguing. So many twists and really didn’t expect that ending. The romance was a slow burn and had its bumps but was sensual and good. A great tale all around.

I was sad to end up DNFing this book. I enjoyed the first two in the series. I jsut did not like the characters or the overall premise of the story. The abuse and murder storylines just didn't sit well with me.

Constance Campbell, the Duchess of Kilmane, is in mortal danger. Married to a serial batterer who is above the law seemed to be the worst of her problems--but now she's been set up as his murderer. Dr. Alec McGuinness is a long-time but estranged friend of Connie's who's come to check on her welfare and ends up rescuing her from either an asylum or the gallows.

Connie's brother-in-law thinks she's guilty, and aims to have her put into an asylum--if only to save her from death. Duncan knew his brother was battering Connie, and knows he'd killed several other women--including his first wife--with his physical abuse. Connie's sure the only way to save her life is to prove someone else killed her husband, and Alec agrees to assist her investigation. Instead of heading for London where Connie's brother could protect her from arrest, they travel immediately to Inverness, where they have a chance of finding the truth about the murder of the Duke of Kilmane--even as the bodies pile up around them.

Connie's a sheltered woman who's only experience with men was with an abuser. Her friendship with Alec makes him less intimidating, to the point she isn't flinching when he reaches to offer her aid. As the tension ramps, so does an unwanted attraction. Connie never wants to marry again. As a widow, she can live a less-complicated life on her own terms. If she falls for Alec, she would lose any autonomy she'd gained in this unlikely turn of events. Alec had a youthful fascination with Connie, but was put off by what seemed her gold-digging ways. As a contemporary of the time, he didn't quite see that Connie needed to marry well, and was groomed to do so throughout her youth. Alec, the younger son of a Scots earl, he had been burned by a social-climbing woman in his early adulthood. Still, being with Connie now, sometimes posing as her husband to avoid suspicion, he can't discount his renewed attraction. Still, he doesn't want to get burned again, but he's definitely losing his heart piece by piece.

For me, this story was REALLY complicated. I know it's the third book in a series,and I could see the extension of at least one of the previous one, and the set up for the next one--which was a bit of a distraction to the main story. Also, wow, Connie's husband was an unconscionable maniac--but there were people around his who were just as complicit because they covered his brutal crimes. The investigation lasts days, but the prose was so dense if felt far longer. I was also confused about the timeframe--because Alec and Connie had this history of youth, and they are only two-three years apart in age, yet Alec is now in his early thirties and Connie's been married four-ish years? She would have been married far longer if the timeline was right.

There were a lot of misdirection, with figurative and literal dead ends. I was not expecting such a body count in my Regency romance, honestly. And, I didn't understand why so many people even needed to die--or how they were all so overpowered in such grisly fashion. The romance is REALLY slow-burning, which made sense because of Connie's history of abuse, but what slowed it more was repetition of the characters' feelings about getting involved. They kept saying how they didn't want to connect and didn't give a lot of reasons for why, beyond the barest basic and expected answers. I also found the merry chases to be a bit much. There are so many avenues of investigation, I felt overwhelmed, and some of these experiences seemed out of the realm for a woman of the time. In all, the idiosyncrasies of the plot and the repetition impacted my enjoyment. The characters didn't always jump off the page into reality for me, and I struggled to connect for that reason. It was an okay read, and I think fans of Regency/historical romance would probably like this one.

I was my first book by Maddison Michaels and I adored it. This story about two former friends who turned strangers, reunited when the heroine had to face danger when her awful husband was murdered.

Constance Campbell truly believed that she needed a Duke into her life, listening to her parents and very uptight about the social etiquette. Until she married one and her life turned into a nightmare, becoming a shadow, broken piece by piece, a monster secluding her life, enjoying to make her suffer.

The woman Alec Mcguinness knew no longer existed, the physical remained the same but the spirit and fierceness were gone, all the lights seemed off. These two had history but little did they know what love looked like when they were young and definitely not on the same page, even in the present.

It was a captivating and enthralling adventure. Two strong personalities who fought for what was right with their hearts at war about their true feelings, intense and emotional, driving me crazy at times. I appreciated the “modern side” on the story about the main characters and their choice of lifestyle. Passionate and sensual, sinfully hot and bold.

Time flew so fast while reading their journey. Trust me there was a lot of chapters and in spite of the length, I was so absorbed and rooting for them, to find the truth about Constance husband’s death and all the mystery unraveling throughout the story, with no time out but just powerful and emotional moments. There might have some triggers for some readers but the author showed some women’s reality at this time, when they were considered as a man's property and not like a person. 

Their journey definitely made my heart race, a fast-paced adventure which gives full rein in developing the plot, to the psychological aspect and mostly seizing characters of realism and the hardships and clues to overcome the test of their investigation in the heart of the mystery. 

I loved it!!

3.5 stars

Constance (Connie) and Alec were once childhood friends until she made her debut and changed into a title hungry, haughty socialite. Encouraged by her awful mother, Connie began to treat Alex very shabbily, and soon got her wish by marrying a duke. Only, this was no fairy tale story, and the duke was far from Prince Charming. Immediately after the wedding, Duke Kilmaine began to savagely beat and abuse his wife, once almost to the point of death. But since he needs her monthly income, he learned how to keep her alive, and to hurt her where the injuries wouldn’t show under her clothes. He forced her to maintain the facade of being the perfect duchess. Any flaw or misstep results in severe punishment, and there’s no way out for her.

It’s been over two years since Connie married. Alec is now a doctor, and a mutual friend of his and Connie’s has asked him to check up on her. Alec is reluctant, not wanting to even see Connie after her treatment of him, but he complies. He notices that Connie is as beautiful as ever, but there is a change in her, and he can’t quite put his finger on what it is. When he confronts her, he is able to see some of her injuries from her latest beating that Connie thought she had hidden. Appalled, he wants to help her, but Connie rejects his offer, wanting to keep him safe and away from the powerful duke. That very night, the duke is murdered. Connie wakes to find herself covered in blood, with the dead duke lying in bed next to her. When she is immediately suspected in the crime, and held in custody, awaiting the authorities, she knows she needs Alec to help her after all.

Alec manages to sneak Connie away, and they head off on their journey to find answers. Who killed the duke? Why do they want to frame Connie? The obvious choice would be the duke’s brother, who now inherits his title. There are also the numerous women the duke has abused over the years. It even appears that he may have murdered several women. Could someone want to avenge them? I actually found this search to be my favorite part of the book. Each new piece of information only seemed to add to the twists and turns of the murder plot. Soon, Alec and Connie are fleeing not only the authorities, but the duke’s brother, and some unknown assailants with a mysterious agenda.

Almost immediately, Connie began to feel desire for Alec, and makes up her mind to seduce him. As for Alec, he has always found Connie attractive, but has no intention of becoming romantically embroiled, even if Connie seems like a changed person. I have a hard time accepting that a woman who suffered two years of physical abuse, just woke up to her dead husband, and is on the run from the law would be obsessing about having sex, yet she does. Soon enough, they give in to passion, and have some very steamy encounters.

The mystery in THE SINFUL SCOT is very compelling, as I couldn’t read fast enough to find out the resolution, which was totally surprising. There are many things I liked about this book – Alec’s reconciliation with his brother, and his facing up to the two things in his past that so shattered him. I was so glad to see that Connie changed from a person who believed that achieving the highest title in society was everything, to a woman who realized that there are far more important things in life. It was good to see that she was strong and resilient enough to recover from the years of abuse she suffered. Alec and Connie managed to overcome tragic pasts to find love together, albeit, very quickly. This book isn’t recommended for those with sensitivity to reading about sexual or physical abuse.

This book didn't contain your usual run of the mill hero and heroine. Connie was a woman who let her need for her mother's love and approval lead her to a dangerous decision. That being, marrying Duncan, the Duke. Oh, he was handsome, and charming and she was young and innocent. She hadn't seen the monster under all that facade.
Both of the main characters had suffered betrayals. Which makes this quite the emotional read at times. Connie had another betrayal other than her abusive husband. Her mother had no concern about the truth of Connie's marriage or the danger she was in. It was all about titles, image and prestige to her. And at one of Connie's darkest times, her mother shows her true colors. Alec had his trust destroyed by several people beginning with his father, mother and later his brother Ian. There is more to the story though when it comes to Ian.
I do have to say that at times this story seemed to slow down and I didn't enjoy those times as well. It was mainly because each of the M.C.'s were hashing and repeating the same issues over and over that plagued them.
But....
When Connie and Alec go on the run things get really interesting, as more danger chases even closer behind them. At times, enemies are even getting a bit ahead of them too.
There is a mystery woman shielded in black who really is a mystery. At about 77% on my kindle I began to finally suspect who she could be. And it was finally confirmed but with a huge surprising twist that I never saw coming! I really liked that!
In the beginning, the romance was more about Connie and Alec regaining their friendship and moving past old hurts and learning to trust again. They do become more tender with each other even as they try to protect themselves from further hurt. The attraction is still there between them and they can only fight that for so long.
I finally decided that the book did deserve a 4 star rating on Amazon because of the chase, mysteries and twists towards the end.
"I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

This was a very engaging read right from the beginning. Not only was there romance but also an intriguing mystery. Connie has suffered abuse during her marriage and now she stands accused of murdering her husband. She has help from an old acquaintance, Dr. Alec MacGuiness. Alec has also had heartbreaking experiences in his past and has sworn never to love again. They work together to try and prove Connie’s innocence and unmask the true killer. Alec also has problems with his father and brother that he needs to work through. Connie will need to draw on her inner strength to overcome all her trials. I certainly didn’t work out who was the murderer. I enjoyed Alec’s and Connie’s growing relationship but could they commit to each other given their experiences? There seemed to be a love /hate relationship between Alex’s brother, Iain and the formidable Lady Lorelie MacKinnon and I would love to read their story. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Constance Campbell, the Duchess of Kilmaine, once believed that all she needed in life was a duke. But everything unraveled when she realized her perfect husband was a perfect monster. Now broken beyond repair, she hides her misery behind a perfect Society mask...even from her childhood friend, Alec.

Dr. Alec McGuiness reluctantly finds himself back in Scotland, and checking up on the only woman to ever get under his skin, Connie. After she spurned him many years ago, he knows his humble life as a doctor could never be enough for her. But when the Duke of Kilmaine is murdered in cold blood, with Connie sleeping right next to him in bed, Alec knows he must protect Connie at all costs.
This is my first time reading an ARC of this author's work. I have previously request them but this is the first one I have been granted. This essentially new to me author crafts a well written book that may be read as a stand alone. Since I haven't read any of her other books I do not know if there are any character tie-ins to her other two books in this series
I gave this book 4.0 of 5.0 stars for story line, plot and characterization. .
I received a complimentary ARC of this book to read. This has no bearing on my opinions which are my own.

Who murdered the despicable and abusive Duke of Kilmaine? There were certainly a lot of people who were disgusted with his appalling behavior toward his second wife, Constance, and his first wife who allegedly killed herself.  However, due to the location of the dead body next to Connie in her bed, the Duke's cowardly brother, Fergus blames her and plans to have her arrested and placed in an asylum. But not if Dr. Alec McGuiness has anything to say about it.

Time is of the essence when Connie and Alec flee to Inverness to find proof of who actually murdered the Duke. Is it Fergus? And why and who are the people trying to kidnap Connie? 

This is my first Maddison Michaels book and she certainly keeps the reader on their toes with many diverse characters and surprising plot twists leading to a shocking climax. I love a good romance with a bit of a mystery and this book delivers. 

Thank you to Ms. Michaels for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

Scotland, 1857
A story that runs a gamut of emotions that tore at my heart from the first page as I had a strong visual and physical image of Connie in my mind. Maddison Michaels has an amazing gift with her pen that bring her characters alive and invest the reader in suspense, a mystery and a slow building romance that is beyond compare.
A mask of perfection. That is what she wore when she was forced to present herself at the ball her husband was hosting. The Duke. The Monster behind the smile. How fooled she had been, but at her mother's insistence she was to marry a title and endure.
Dr Alex McGuiness was reluctantly attending the ball due to the insistence of his sister Sophie, Connie's best friend. Alex had known her since she was young and sweet. But all that changed with her debut when it seemed all she cared about was her appearance and catching a Duke.
When he finally did see her, he knew something was wrong and figured it out. But she would not confide in him.
But everything changed the next morning when Connie woke up beside her husband who had been murdered. Blood everywhere. She remembered nothing....
Gripping, mesmerizing, page turning and a story I will not soon forget. One of the best books I have read, although not surprising coming from this author. I highly recommend!

My first book by Maddison Michaels and I really enjoyed it. I want to read the previous books in this series now!
Not only was this a romance but it was full of adventure and 'who did it'. The mystery of who killed the Duke had me hooked from the start. What a great twist it was in the end too.
There were a number of secondary characters that were horrible and you desperately wanted Alec and Constance (Connie) to be safe from them all. Were they friend or foe? Would they learn who was behind it all before even more bodies turned up?
I love romances but when you add a little mystery in? I am a goner. Great book!

Connie believed marrying a Duke was all she needed in life, unfortunately that Duke was night a kind one and turned her life into a nightmare. She hides behind a mask so others don’t see her pain. When the Duke is murdered and Connie was lying in bed next to him, she will be framed for his murder, unless her friend Alex can keep her safe. Fast-paced read with plenty of drama, steamy chemistry and lots of twists and turns in this historical read. I liked it.

The Sinful Scot (Saints & Scoundrels Book 3) by Maddison
Michaels is an exciting, and mysterious Regency Romance. Can be read as a stand alone. Set in Scotland.
Follow, Constance Campbell, the Duchess of Kilmaine and Dr. Alec McGuiness, on their journey to find peace, trust, understanding and maybe, a HEA.

Well written with an
awe-inspiring cast of characters. The storyline is unpredictable, intriguing, and heartbreaking at times, especially as the reader learns more of Constance's
husband, he's a monster, to be sure.

Filled with many emotions, as the reader keeps turning pages. Filled with murder, suspense, a strong hero, a fragile heroine, mystery, villains and panic attacks, anxiety, violence,
and shocking and climactic conclusion.

Readers beware... talk of rape, domestic violence, death, physical and mental abuse, may bother some readers, these are written with respect and caring.
A must read, and a keeper! Highly recommend!!
#NetGalley, #TheSinfulScot

"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: 5
Heat rating: Mild
Reviewer: AprilR

This is an emotional story containing issues such as domestic abuse, but it is written really well.

Constance is accused of the murder of her husband and it takes her old friend Alec help to find the truth.

From the first page I was hooked and holding my breath to find out what was going to happen next.

I received a copy from Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving my own honest opinion

The Sinful Scot by Maddison Michaels is the third book in her Saints and Scoundrels Series. The books are designed to be read as standalone by the publishers. Nonetheless, there is some mention of characters in previous and future books. When Constance Campbell hit the marriage mart, her goal was to snag a title in hopes that she would please her very demanding mother in her never-ending quest to be accepted and loved. This put her in conflict with her childhood friend Dr. Alec McGuiness, and they have not been close in a while. Connie achieved her mother's goals and married the Duke of Kilmaine, but the marriage is a horror story of beatings and abuse along with the mysterious death of his first wife and six missing mistresses. Alec has travelled to Scotland at the request of their mutual friend Sophie as Sophie is concerned that something is wrong with Connie, so he is at hand when Connie wakes up one morning to find herself covered in blood and the brutally stabbed body of the Duke next to her. Alec rescues her, and they escape to Inverness to try and find out who really murdered the duke and prove Connie’s innocence. While on the run, the bodies continue to pile up with almost every person they speak to solve the mystery ending up dead in a gruesome manner. I loved the first book and enjoyed the second book, but this one was not for me. I thought it could have used some more editing as parts were repetitious, the body count was ridiculously high, the mystery required a significant suspension of disbelief, and the romance seemed to be an afterthought. Content warning for spousal abuse and violent death. Medium Steam. Publishing Date January 27, 2020. #NetGalley #EntangledPublishing #EntangledAmara #HistoricalRomance #TheSinfulScot #bookstagram

Though the synopsis really intrigued me, the writing of this new to me author just didn’t consistently engage me enough to want to keep reading. Here’s to hoping it was just me, folks. After the point where the heroine wakes up with a murdered, evil, abusive husband in her bed and flashbacks of graphic OTT physical spousal abuse, I soon found the characters actions wooden and the script on and off again mechanical/repetitive enough I started skimming through it.

I’ve no doubt the alpha protective, strikingly handsome, super understanding, half Scottish/half English, good guy doctor hero saves the day for her, and they wind up HEA. This despite the fact she snubbed him in the past for reasons we are just supposed to roll with and be understanding of, but actually still irked me because it was petty and vain of her. Yet, this guy still carried a torch in his heart for her. I’m assuming her character is supposed to appeal to us because of her angelic beauty and upsetting damsel in distress/victim of abuse past history. My favorite part was definitely the hero's character.

I wish the main couple and this author continued writing success. This book just wasn’t as engaging as I needed it to be. I am curious who actually killed the husband. It came across as someone unexpected, since the #1 suspect would have been entirely too obvious.

Title: The Sinful Scot, Author: Maddison Michaels, Pages: 400, stand-alone, graphic spousal abuse content, great alpha protective good guy hero, fragile/damsel in distress heroine you do feel sorry for. Rating: 2.5 stars

Book 1 - The Devilish Duke
Book 2 - The Elusive Earl
Book 3 - The Sinful Scot

(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. There is no affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author/publisher/NetGalley)

Wow, this is such an intense read, I enjoyed every minute of it. The story started on a sad note but it ended happily and that's all that matters. I loved the characters and think that this is a must-read for all historical fiction fans, especially if you enjoy a little mystery & intrigue along with romance. I found it to be an entertaining read.

This story depicts a very brave woman in the character of Connie. Despite all her suffering when she is wrongly accused of murdering her husband she decides to fight back. Her protector is the fearless Alec who is truly a gentleman and a scholar. The two go in search of answers and discover all manner of evil. They are doing this while trying to stay ahead of a killer and the police. This is a remarkable story of strength, determination and courage on both their parts. It is a journey that allows for redemption, forgiveness and love to bloom.

THE SINFUL SCOT by Maddison Michaels is book Three in the Saints & Scoundrels Series. This is the story of Alec McGuiness and Constance 'Connie' Campbell. I have read the previous books but feel you can make this a standalone book if you wish to do so. Constance and Alec where once friends but they ended up going their separate ways. Constance has been drilled that she needs to marry a title which she did end up marrying Duncan Campbell, the Duke of Kilmaine who moved her to Scotland to live in the Kilmaine Castle. But things were not all dreams because Duncan was a very abusive husband that did awful things to her. Alec who is the second son of an Earl went on to become a Dr. A few years later Alec was attending the Kilmaine ball where he checks on Constance who takes his breath away. The next morning Constance wakes to her husband being murdered but his brother and other start to think she is the one that did the deed. Alec ends up helping her to leave the castle where they more or less are on the run together.
This story does have some trigger issues for some.