I am a big fan of Maddison Michaels' Regency romances ever since reading her first book The Devilish Duke followed by The Elusive Earl,  so I was really looking forward to the newest book in the Saints and Scoundrels series, The Sinful Scot.

This was slightly different from the first two books in the series, dealing with a couple of serious subject matters, with domestic abuse being the main one. We meet our main character, Connie, not long after her abusive husband had beaten and threatened her just before she is due to go down to a party they are hosting. This sets the scene for what Connie has endured for the past 3 years and gives you an understanding of where she is coming from in her lack of trust in both herself and Alec, our hero. 

Alec is a doctor and her childhood friend who she snubbed because he didn't fit her mother's idea of who she should associate with. Alec is a very lovely hero and just the kind of guy you would want to have your back when you are on the run from the law for supposedly killing your husband whilst also running for your life. As Alec and Connie attempt to uncover the dreadful secrets her husband has been hiding while trying to clear her name, the chemistry between them starts to heat up. Unfortunately, they have both had their hearts broken and are both trying to be in complete denial about their feelings for each other. 

As they learn more about themselves and each other, their interactions are often amusing, but just as often serious. I liked how Connie is forced to grow throughout the story, I enjoy a heroine who doesn't need to be rescued,  and Connie, while needing help to be rescued to start, comes into her own as the story progresses and Alec recognises that they need to work together.

For me, this story started off slightly slow, but when it picked up the pace, it was nonstop action and intrigue as they both try to outrun the police, some unknown assailants and Fergus, her husband's brother in order to prove her innocence and save her from two possible terrible outcomes. There was a definite twist in the ending of the novel, the bad guy was definitely not anyone I could have even guessed at, always a good thing in a mystery. I do enjoy a book with a happy ending. 

Another great read by Maddison Michaels, I recommend picking up the other two books in the series also. 

With thanks to Maddison Michaels, Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this novel in return for an honest review.

Constance Campbell once thought all she wanted was to be the Duchess she is now. Unfortunately that life was a nightmare. Now she is on the run and wanted for murder. If she can't clear her name she faces the hangman or an insane asylum.
Dr Alec Macguiness only intended to check up on an old friend. Now he must help her escape the danger she finds herself in. He has no intention of losing his heart to anyone again. Everyone he has ever loved has betrayed him.
This is a very exciting murder / mystery with romance. Our incredibly brave heroine will have to draw on every reserve of strength she can find. You will never guess the real villain, there are so many to choose from.
Great fun.

Highlander regency romance thriller!

My sympathies certainly were with the abused duchess Constance Campbell, the Duchess of Kilmaine. Married to a vile Duke who used her as a punching bag, his arousel dependent upon inflicting pain.
When Constance awakes to find herself covered in blood next to her husband who's been stabbed to death, she wonders if she's been the perpetrator.
So begins the journey for Connie to prove her innocence dogged by the law, her brother-in-law, and other mysterious forces. Her flight is engineered by her childhood friend Dr. Alec McGuiness.
Alec, betrayed in love (and that's a whole 'nother story) is a doctor. His sister has asked him to see how her friend is faring as they've lost touch. He attends the Duke's Ball and is not happy by what he intuits, and what he glimpses.
The path to proving Connie's innocence uncovers further dark dealings and evidence of depraved appetites having turned to murder. As death mysteriously follows Alec and Connie's escape, the novel becomes more of thriller than a romance.
I must admit that given Connie's brutalizations by the Duke her relations with Alec seemed a bit sudden to my mind, but Michaels seems to have tried to mitigate that through Connie's determination and Alec's empathy.
I was totally surprised by the ending. Galvanized by my enjoyment of The Sinful Scot, I find myself itching to read the rest of this series (that if this book is anything to judge the rest of the series by). Michaels presents a rather different take in the Highlander / Regency romance genre

An Entangled Publishing ARC via NetGalley
(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own)

What I Liked: Strong emotional connection between the H&H. Honest treatment of domestic abuse.


What I didn’t like: Shallow development of the villain of the piece.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

So.Very.Good. Lady Constance lives in fear of her physically and mentally abusive husband. One morning she awakes from an unusually sound sleep to find her husband beside her in her bed, stabbed to death. Her brother-in-law claims that she finally broke, mentally, and killed him herself. She flees with the help of an old friend, determined to somehow prove her innocence. However, more deaths follow her. Now she not only has to prove her innocence in three deaths, but also find out who is trying to frame her. Romance, intrigue, and murder! I loved this ARC!

Safety issues are found in this book, including domestic violence, physical abuse, rape, murder, death.

Constance, or Connie, has secured a duke for a husband and left her friend Alex McGuiness in the past. Being a naive, young debutante, with a ruthless mother only after the best title, she found herself trapped in a hell of a marriage where abuse was a daily ritual. She has no one to help her escape this life and just tries to survive, cherishing the days her husband leaves town or becomes inebriated and passes out.

Alec has become a respected doctor and due to his mutual friendships, he would like to speak the Connie and relay her wellbeing to mutual acquaintances. However, when he finds her at Duke Kilmaine's ball, he can see past her cold facade and see the bruises underneath. She tries to push him away to protect him, but he perseveres and provides his protection.

Soon they are both on the run and only have each other. The mystery and relationship progress along with plenty of action happening too.

Unfortunately, this is so not my thing, and that is because it's a total murder mystery. I did find it intriguing the first 30% and then when the relationship took second to the ever evolving murder plot, I started to lose more interest. It's not bad, or poorly written, and I think if you love some mystery, or solving a murder mixed with romance this would be a great choice. It deals with serious issues without being overly graphic. But it's definitely not a warm and fuzzy romance, but it falls short of maybe Kerrigan Byrne's writing. It's not that I need a warm and fuzzy romance though, in fact I much prefer an angsty, gritty, graphic novel, but that tension and relationship needs to be carried strongly through the book and I just didn't feel that here in this novel. I did think with everything the heroine had experienced, she moved into a new relationship fairly fast, yet it also felt not soon enough within the book to build a good tension (to me). Again this is just because so much was spent on the developing plot. It did keep me guessing, which was good. I also didn't get quite the character depth I wanted, but I didn't dislike either character.

I would definitely try this author again though, if I found one that was a bit more focused on the romance and relationship building.

I give 3 stars.
This is my first book by this author.

This one is emotional with so much happening there are issues about domestic abuse but also another gorgeous romance, MS Michaels has taken us on a journey that is action packed, as we get to see the gorgeous and caring Doctor Alec McGuiness find the love of his life in Constance Campbell, the Duchess of Kilmaine, there is a lot of mayhem before they get to their HEA but it is a journey that I truly enjoyed.

Constance grew up wanting to marry a Duke, she was sure that this would be the life for her and when she meets Duncan, The Duke of Kilmaine, and becomes his Duchess, her life is turned upside down he is a cruel beast and she hides behind a wall playing the perfect duchess, when she meets her old friend Alec at a ball her mind is taken back to another time in her life.

Alec is back in Scotland and attends a ball to check up on his old friend Connie and even though she would have nothing to do with him years before she still affects him enough to feel that something is not right with her life. When her husband is found murdered in their bed he helps her escape as she is accused of his murder, he must do what he can to protect her and find out who has set her up, and keep his feelings for her under control because love and marriage will never be for Alec after the people he has loved before have left him.

Oh my what a fabulous story this one is, MS Michaels knows how to write a story that will win the hearts of the readers, I loved Alec he is strong and caring, such a wonderful hero and Connie is strong and vulnerable at the same time, with its witty banter and danger around every corner threatening Alec and Connie, this one is a page turner and one I highly recommend, I have to say the Sottish Highlands is one of my favourite places for a story, this one is moving and emotional. MS Michaels has taken on some matters that sadly happen too often and treated them with respect and in a caring way, don’t miss this one.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
💋💋

My lord , what a book !!!!
Absolutely riveting read and such an awesome plot that it has you glued to the pages .

You never guess what might be coming on the next page , or the next chapter.
One of the best books I’ve read in a long time !

The characters have certainly been put through the mill in this story.
Just when you think your getting all you ducks in a line , the whole thing get thrown into a maelstrom, and you have to go down a different route.

Love everything about it, passionate characters, beautiful setting, stunning storyline, sinister plots, and the helter skelter twists and turns that become almost addictive.
You’ll never want it to end.

Very highly recommended!

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

Constance Campbell, the Duchess of Kilmaine life as a Duchess has been a nightmare for the last three years. Her husband turned out to be severely physically abusive and she feels broken beyond repair. An old acquaintance Dr. Alec McGuiness reluctantly finds himself back in Scotland visiting Castle Kilmaine and checking up on the only woman to ever get under his skin, Connie. He notices she’s different, not the carefree woman he once knew. When her husband is murdered in her bed she knows she must flea or be accused of his murder. Alec knows he needs to protect her at all costs until he can figure out who the real murderer is. A captivating story of two people with a past, both are wounded souls. I love the journey as they start to heal, they’re attraction grows and love blooms as they work together to solve the mystery of who murdered her husband. An excellent story I loved and I voluntarily wrote a review.

Constance Campbell, the Duchess of Kilmaine, once believed that all she needed in life was a duke. But everything unravelled when she realized her perfect husband was a perfect monster. 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 from those who would frame her for the duke’s murder.
This is the third book in the series & yes it stands on its own but there is a connection between the characters & quite honestly the books are just SO good I’d recommend reading in order. This is another very well written book, it's hard to believe it’s only the author's third novel. The characters have lots of depth. I loved the chemistry between Alex & Connie & how they wanted to remain friends. I loved how Connie grew in confidence & how Alex valued her for herself. Parts of the book especially the start are heart wrenching & was taken on a plethora of emotions from crying to laughing. Once again I was drawn in from the start & found it very hard to put it down, I love romance but also love mysteries so to have the two combined made my day. There were twists to the mystery & I certainly didn’t guess who the murderer was. An engrossing, enthralling read, which I loved.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

This is the story or Alec and Connie. These 2 have known each other since they were children. They grew apart as adults because Alec was a 2nd son and Connie's mother wanted more for her.
Connie married, Duncan, the Duke of Kilmaine. He was an angry, sadistic, abusive husband. The sad truth of Regency times is that a husband could treat his wife this and nobody would do anything about it because it was his right to do so.
When Connie wakes up covered in blood and discovers Duncan in bed next to her stabbed to death, she can recall nothing. But she knows deep down she did not kill him but is being set up to take the fall.
Connie then turns to Alec to help her get away and prove she had nothing to do with her husband's murder.
Alec being a physician and a healer will do anything to help Connie recover from the trauma she had been subjected to.
And so the adventure begins. You have the mystery of Duncans death to solve and the renewal of the relationship between Connie and Alec
The story was good. I liked Connie's determination not to be a victim ever again . But I thought her response to Alec physically and sexually was just too fast for someone who was abused.
The author did keep you on your toes as to who done it. A twist you don't see coming.
Overall a very good book but not great. I hope Iain's book is next. 3 1/2 rounded up to 4.

As a young debutante vaunted for her ethereal beauty, Constance Campbell was determined to settle for nothing less than a duke. Now the Duchess of Kilmaine has learned to be careful what she wishes for. As she suffers at the hands of her cruel husband, Duncan, Connie hides her true pain from everyone, even the childhood friend who comes to check on her.

Dr. Alec McGuiness had no desire to return to Scotland, especially not to check on the one woman who ever got under his skin, but he finds he cannot refuse his dear friend's request to check on her friend. Alec knew how high Connie's aims were and despite being an earl's son, he knew his status as a professional and a younger son would never be lofty enough for her. But when Alec sees Connie he knows immediately that something is very wrong and when the Duke is murdered in bed, next to a sleeping Connie no less, Alex knows he must help Connie and keep her from being framed for the murder.

In order to keep her brother-in-law from having her committed to an asylum, or worse hanged for murder, Connie finds herself on the run. She enjoys this slight bit of freedom but is dismayed by her attraction to Alec, who has devoted himself to keeping her safe. Though she finds herself increasingly comfortable with Alec, Connie is afraid to ever give a man power over her again. For his part, Alec remembers all too well the snobbish, catty girl Connie used to be and has no wish to have his heart broken again as it was when he was betrayed by the girl he'd once hoped to marry. With more secrets coming out about Connie's late husband, her feelings for Alec may be a moot point.

As a survivor of severe domestic abuse, Connie had a lot of issues to deal with. Alec also had trust issues after having his heart broken by both his parents and the girl he'd hoped to marry. Connie was rather nasty to Alec when they were younger, as she was unabashedly focused on marrying a title, but despite this Alec cannot abandon his childhood friend when she's in such dire straits. Connie starts to come into her own without her domineering mother or late husband getting in the way and I liked that it is she who pursues a deeper relationship with Alec and it is Alec who pulls away.

There were lots of characters in this one and at times I struggled to keep straight who was who and what their motivations were. There were also some issues with incorrect forms of address, some awkward phrasing and a huge overuse of the word darn in particular, but this is just down to my pet peeves and will likely be fixed in final edits. This story had plenty of intrigue, which I liked, but somehow the story still seemed to drag in places, especially between Alec and Connie. Many of Connie's inner monologues became rather repetitive to me, which is probably why I perceived a lag in the story, and all the descriptions of her great beauty got a bit old after awhile. Nonetheless, the mystery was good and I really did enjoy the story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Connie is in a miserable marriage, one in which her husband verbally and physically abuses her. When she wakes up one morning to find him murdered in her bed, she knows that she will be blamed for it. With the help of a childhood friend, she sets out to prove her innocence.

Alec knows in his heart, that his childhood friend has nothing to do with her husband's death. As they investigate what might have happened, they uncover more and more of the duplicitous life that Connie's husband lead.

Both have suffered heartache in the past and have vowed to never marry/never marry again, but as they spend time together, it gets harder and harder to deny the feelings they have for one another. Can they find the real killer as well as finding out if they are each other's HEA?

I really enjoyed Connie and Alec's story. I loved that they had been friends in their childhood as it add a depth to their friendship and a wonderful foundation for the love that developed. The mystery of who actually killed Connie's husband had me guessing until the end, which is always a plus. Nothing like figuring it out way too early in the story. This was a wonderful addition to the Saints & Scoundrels series. I can't wait to see what comes next!

Connie and Alec had a wonderful story filled with adventure and mystery. The author really kept the suspense of who did it until the very last. A delightful romance.

Series: Saints & Scoundrels #3
Publication Date: 1/27/20
Number of Pages: 400

While there is no trigger warning in the book blurb, there is one at the beginning of the book. Of course, you wouldn’t see that until you’d already bought the book, so, I thought I’d go ahead and mention it here. If you are particularly sensitive/susceptible to reading about those kinds of things, you should be aware that domestic abuse – severe beatings and rape – are talked about in this book. I thought the author handled that subject matter well and got her point across without getting overly graphic. I thought it was all really well done.

One would think that Constance and Alec were opposites and could never be a good match. Alec is a self-made man who works for a living even though he is the second son of an earl and his working is frowned upon. Alec works tirelessly to help, as a doctor, those who have no champions. Constance’s sole goal in life was to marry a title – specifically, a duke. Well – she sure managed to reach that goal. What is missing from that scenario is that, as children, they knew and liked each other very much. Then, Constance (Connie) was sweet and loving and greatly admired Alec. What happened? Well – there are parents – particularly mothers – who seem to be spawns of Satan.

The opening chapter shows what Constance Campbell’s life has been like for the last three years – since she married Duncan Campbell, the Duke of Kilmaine and moved to Scotland to live in Castle Kilmaine. It also shows that she’s stronger than you’d think given the weak-willed way she bent to her mother’s desires rather than her own. She’d certainly have to have some strength to her to endure all she has for the last three years and not be a huddled, whimpering, mass of fears. So, while I didn’t admire the way she acquiesced to her mother’s desires, I did admire that she had managed to endure her brute of a husband and had managed to survive without going stark-raving mad. I liked her very much.

Alec McGuiness is only attending the Duke of Kilmaine’s ball in order to speak with the Duchess of Kilmaine – and he’s only doing that because their mutual friend Sophie asked him to do so. When she finally appears on the stairs, he loses his breath because she is still so very beautiful. Then, when he speaks to her, his sharp physician's eye notices the telltale signs of the abuse to which she is subjected. How can he help her?

When Constance (Connie) awakens the morning following the ball, she feels groggy and disoriented – at least until she sees the lifeless body of her husband sprawled across her bed. He’s been viciously stabbed and there is blood all over the place, including all over Connie. Did she finally snap and murder him? She’s not sure, but she knows her first order of business has to be to get her step-daughter, Amelie, away from the castle to protect her from her uncle Fergus.

Everyone immediately assumes Connie snapped and killed the duke – including Fergus, the duke’s brother. Alec doesn’t believe a word of it and quickly helps Connie escape the castle where she’s been confined. Once they are away from there, everything breaks loose – everybody is chasing Connie and Alec and Connie and Alec are trying to find out who the real murderer is. The answer will surprise you – and perplex you.

One thing that perplexed me was a ‘monthly dowry’. That is one I’ve never heard of, but maybe it was possible. I can’t imagine any circumstances under which a potential groom would agree to that – but – it just doesn’t seem feasible to me and every time I saw it mentioned it just jarred me right out of the story. ** Note -- I asked the author about this and she said it was possible. However, I also asked several other knowledgable British authors about it and they said this would not have been possible.

I also have to add that I thought Connie’s falling for Alec and being able to relax around him and even allow him to touch her came a little too quickly. We all heal at different rates, but Connie's recovery seemed remarkable - to me. ** Note ** I asked the author about this and she said that in her experience, healing of this type could occur quickly.

I enjoyed the read and I hope you will as well. The stories in this series are stand-alone, so you don’t have to have read the other books in the series in order to enjoy this one.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own..

Ultimately I didn't find this book very believable, mainly considering the trauma the heroine went through and how she responds to it. It just didn't make sense and felt like the author didn't research this enough.. The heroine has been enduring years of physical/sexual abuse and isolation. She is thoroughly traumatized, unable to turn to her family for help as her mother told her she must have provoked the treatment she received. So it doesn't make sense that when she is finally able to break free, it takes her a matter of days to decide that the first thing she wants to do with that freedom is have sex. She's been raped. For YEARS. This makes no sense. Also, her attitude doesn't reflect that of someone who has been abused. Isolated and restrained, sure. But abused, no. She shows very little fear, acting as if she doesn't need a man to save her (even though she really does in this case), despite having no knowledge of how to defend herself and indeed spending years avoiding danger. It should take more than a few days for her learned protective instincts to disappear. She maybe has one or two scenes where she shows a reluctance to feel touch, but that is gone way too quickly.

Overall, this book needed to show a more realistic portrayal of an abused woman. The pacing felt too fast and should have lent more time to showing her healing and less time leaping towards the inevitable romance.

This is my totally honest review, in my own words, for this ARC. What a fabulous story!! Romance? Yes! Memorable but different characters? YES! A story that will keep you reading long into the night? Oh yes! This tale will hook you until the very end and surprise you then too. What a mystery and what a twisty, turny mystery. So well written!! You will love this book.

Though The Sinful Scot is the third book in Maddison Michaels’s Saints and Scoundrels series, it can be read as a standalone novel. This book comes with a trigger warning in the beginning as Michaels takes on a tough subject—especially for the romance genre, and does it with sensitivity—spousal abuse and spousal rape. Connie is raised to marry a man chosen by her parents, one most likely to elevate the family status. Unfortunately, the duke they choose turns out to be a sadist who beats his wives and mistresses indiscriminately. Connie confides in her mother who urges Connie to be a better wife and to not antagonize her husband. She remains committed to the relationship only to protect her stepdaughter. She awakens one morning to find her husband dead in her bed and his blood all over her. Soon she realizes she’s being framed for a murder she didn’t commit. Her estranged childhood friend, Alec, has become a physician. When he realizes her situation, though, he vows to help her. Alec helps her escape, taking her on the run to clear her name. Their undeniable chemistry results in the requisite epilogue with a happily-ever-after and a bun in the oven.

Such a twisty read! I knew deep down that there would be a HEA, but there were scenes that left me doubting that. Like after her first panic attack. I wondered if she could ever really let herself be close to anyone ever again. Another scene close to the end also has me close to tears. But they finally got their HEA!

Constance Campbell, the Duchess of Kilmaine wakes up covered in the blood of her abusive dead husband. She's being framed for his murder and has to go n the run in order to clear her name.

Dr. Alec McGuiness is reluctantly checking up on the only woman who ever got under his skin. When he hears about the Duke's murder he knows he must protect Connie at all costs.

Now on the run, Connie finds herself unexpectedly attracted to the man who is keeping her safe. And Alec fighting his attraction every step of the way.

A great addition to the series ‘Saints and Scoundrels’ but like the previous two books, this is a stand-alone story but why deny yourself the opportunity to read such delightful books. Dr. Alec McGuiness, who first appears in book 1 visits the home of Constance “Connie” Campbell, the Duchess of Kilmaine for a family ball. Whilst Alec knew Connie when she was a young girl, their relationship changed when she was on the marriage market. Having married a duke, Connie’s life was to be perfect with her mother finally pleased, yet it soon became apparent to her that her husband was a monster, seriously beating her during his fits of rage. After the ball, Connie awakens to find herself covered in blood and the duke, stabbed to death. Having no memory of the event and fearing that she will be blamed, she escapes only to be caught by her brother-in-law, Fergus. Alec soon hears of the Duke’s death and finds a way for Connie to successfully escape. They decide to return to Scotland, hoping to uncover the mystery behind the murder; however, they find their attraction to each other growing with each day. It soon becomes apparent that this is not a relationship that will diminish.
This book was not only a romance, as it was filled with suspense up until the very end. The fragility of Connie was difficult to read at the start, but her situation was dealt with in a compassionate manner. Her strength slowly shone through and this paralleled with the sensitivity of Alec – two well-balanced characters. I also enjoyed the many great secondary characters and I look forward to reading more about these characters in the next book in the series.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.