Will his new need of revenge And who they are alter their possible future together ...

It is only recently that I have discovered Mrs Le Veque world, and it was through a series, sequel from another so at time, the many characters were a bit overwhelming.
So when I saw the blurb of this one, I requested it, as I had great hope because of it being the first in a whole new series. And I did well.
It would have been a shame to miss this wonderful read. While it still have this modern undertone, I loved everything in this book, from the setting to the different parts dividing the course of Lor and Isabail’s journey.

Oh I loved Lor, he is such a kind, caring and lovable man. He is not one for lies and if he does, it weights heavy on his heart.
Isabail is a strong woman, raised among man, it made her a resourceful lass, one as clever as any warrior even more as she has to be more cunning because of her lack of physical strength.
From their first encounter as kids to their crossing path again years later, it is her will and his kindness that called to one another.

She is light and fire, when he is smooth water, the beacon in his time of darkness, the guiding light to free him from the shadows. When he soothes her temper and accepts her the way she is.

For a book with a revenge plot as main line, it is no angsty read as Mrs Le Veque gives voice to her characters and while they are not always straightforward, they are trustful in their feelings.
5 stars

The very last scene is quite a tear-jerker moment. A lovely ending.

I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Sourcebooks Casablanca, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

At first, I was a bit puzzled about Lor as he was not at all like any of the heros in other books by this author. He was non-violent, not a warrior, and pretty laid back. When his life changes, he hardens and becomes the warrior that I expected.

Isabail is one feisty, tough woman and to start with kind of the opposite of Lor. They were so good together and I loved that they wanted to be together even if their clans were enemies.

Lots going on and not everyone has all the details so Lor is ready to seek vengeance on the wrong clan and so many things get revealed and factored in to the finale that it just works out for everyone - well except for two people.

Great ending that wraps up the romance, the feud, and an old love story so after what felt like a slow start, the book took off and then had a great HEA!

Tensions and clan loyalty run high in medieval Scotland. Yet in this tumultuous time a love the likes of Romeo and Juliet sparks as two youths meet in a vale between territories… separated by their clans, Lor and Isabail come to meet again years later and no longer children. The spark is still there until clan warfare burns down Lor’s village and destroys his family.

Now For must push aside romance and seek vengeance for his family. First, he must learn to fight… he ventures to the secretive Scottish fighting guild and pledges his allegiance to learn their ways and methods. After months of training he is surprised to see Isabail and her family appear at the guild in want of a warrior… to seek justice from his clan!

This story was fill ed with action and sweet romance! Lor was a warrior but a he had the true heart of a cinnamon roll hero! Isabail was a tough take no crap lady who got things done. I loved how she had all the men afraid of her and jumping to do her bidding.

I adore a second chance love story and these two definitely deserved their hard earned HEA in the end. A fun paring from the start; it was joy to watch the character evolve and mature as the story progressed.

I wasn’t sure how much I would be into a series based around a fighting guild, but I am hooked! The guild and its leader were fascinating and I can’t wait to hear more stories of theses wayward wares finding HEA’s!

Highland Gladiator by Kathryn Le Veque is scheduled to release August 25th, 2020.

Thanks so much to Sourcebooks Casablanca for gifting me with my review copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#HighlandGladiator #KathrynLeVeque #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads

I did not like this. I wanted to, but I didn't. There might be spoilers in this review, so be cautious if that matters to you.

At first, I was excited about this story. There's a Roman style gladiatorial fighting school "hidden" in Scotland, where men come to become warriors, but many don't survive. It sounded unique, and fun. The early connection between Lor (our hero) and Isabail (our heroine) is cute and fun. A little insta-love, but okay, it's medieval times. Then they're separated when Lor's village is sacked and he goes to seek out the fighting school. Okay, that's fine.

Around the point when they're reunited I started to really fall away from this story. The dialogue, which is often oddly formal and stilted (and all "you"s and "to"s are written in accent) started to really grind on me. The love scenes do not work for me - there's a lack of care taken with Isabail. It probably didn't help that I wasn't feeling their chemistry. I think a lot of that is that there's a lot of telling while not showing. Isabail will think to herself that she's feeling a certain way, but it's not demonstrated through her physical reactions. Same with Lor.

Additionally, there are sections written from the perspective of non-major characters that are kind of confusing - will they become more central? No. And there are odd little details. Lor, apparently, is the bastard son of a Norse prince. Is that important to the story? No. How long does it take him to become a trained warrior? About three weeks - he'd been training for a couple of months and mostly failing, but then Isabail shows up, tells him what to do, and he becomes a prodigy. So frustrating.

For the first 40-50% of the book, it was okay, but the more I read, the angrier I became at all the issues I was seeing. I'm still upset at this book. It could have been such rollicking good time, but it wasn't.

Will it be someone's cup of tea? Yes. Is it mine? Emphatically no. I won't be reading another book by this author unless it comes highly recommended from someone whose opinion I trust.

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

Lor Careston was a smithy, as a young boy, he lived and worked with his grandfather. His mother was dead and his father was a Northman. He went back to his land but he had cared for his mother. Lor was tall, handsome, and gentle. His grandfather did want Lor to see Isabail again so he sent him to Brechin to complain about some bad ore and get more ore but of a better kind. On his way back he smelled smoke and took off at a run. He came upon his village and it had been burned to the ground. There were bodies lying everywhere.
Isabail Keith, she had lovely red hair and as feisty as they come. She could beat her brothers with a sword. She also had a clever mind. Her mother was dead but her father, Naill was alive and clan chief. She loved her clan and family dearly. She could not yet tell Lor the clan she was from. She was afraid he would never come back.
It is a shame that more people divorce than stay together. The tale was a little violent when Lor was learning to fight but the action was good. The characters were wonderful and entertaining. The book was very well written,
amusing, and gripping. Kathryn LeVeque, one of the best writers going wrote it. I loved this from when they met on the vale, to when he found out who she was.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it. Thank you.

I give this book 2.5 stars.

It was an interesting concept to merge two different historical civilizations; Roman gladiator fighting and Scottish clan wars. I was intrigued with how the author would combine two very different and bloody cultures and find a way to bring about romance. The romance was cute, but the rest was pretty muddled.

Lor and Isabail seemed destined since their first meeting as youths when she knocked him on his butt and demanded payment for crossing into what she deemed as her territory. It had a star-crosses lovers feel to it where they knew they belonged to different clans, but they couldn’t stop thinking about each other. And like most star-crosses lovers, they meet and fall fast. I could have used a bit more backstory; less a “zing” to the heart, more why you actually fall for each other. But it was cute for what it was.

What I had a problem with was the merging of Roman fighting with Scottish clan wars. It didn’t make sense. Why was there a “secret” Roman gladiator training facility hidden in Scotland? And I say “secret” because apparently everyone and their mom knew about it. It was this elite place to train warriors and was apparently exclusive to get into. However, anyone could just come and watch the gladiators fight so that they could purchase them for themselves; to train their warriors or to fight for them.

And I guess Lor happened to be such a prodigy that he got purchased to train a clan only after training there for like two months (if that). He was big and strong, but he had no previous fighting experience and zero technique. Isabail had to tell him how to win a match while she was there watching him, so I guess the trainers weren’t that good either. Also, he has some serious bounce-back from beat-downs. He got his butt whooped his first fight, yet he wasn’t feeling any pain or soreness and was ready to take on his next match the next day. Kind of hard to believe.

How was this novice supposed to train men to fight? Then when he got to where he was supposed to be and he was ready to take his vengeance...meh. Anti-climactic. The author was pushing Lor’s vengeance for so long that I was waiting for some big fight scene or payoff and I was sorely disappointed.

I was looking for Spartacus meets Outlander and didn’t get anywhere near that.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for releasing this ARC to me in exchange for an honest review.

Lor Careston and Isabail Keith from warring clans meet and eventually they develop a close friendship, but when his grandfather finds out he forbids the relationship. Beautiful fiery Isabail is more of a fighter than a lady of leisure and Lor is a hardworking blacksmith in his grandfather village shop.
Lor’s village is burned down by the Keith Clan and his grandfather was killed in the fire. After the fire Lor sets out for revenge by seeking out the Ludus Caledonia the mysterious fight guild that turns men into warriors. Lor has becomes a young novice warrior at the guild learning to fight to seek his revenge. I love how this really story takes off after Lor and Isabail meet again. We see Isabail helping Lor with his fighting skills and Lor falling more in love with her. Will revenge be his or will he discover everything is not as it seems and who he can truly trust? I have voluntarily read and reviewed the excellent book.

This book was a pleasant surprise for me, as I wasn't sure what to expect and went into it thinking it might feel like a story I had read before. However, although the story started off slow, I loved how it picked up in the second half, and I was thoroughly invested in the characters. There is a lot of drama, but there's not so much that the story is overwhelmed by it. It has a bit of a Romeo and Juliet feel to it, without the tragic ending (because romances have HEAs, of course). The cover is insanely attractive, and I was expecting a bit more "hunky gladiator" in the hero, but as the story progressed, I realized that there was a lot more to this hero than his ability to wield a sword and fight in gladiatorial combat.

Lor Careston and Isabail Keith are not supposed to know each other, let alone be meeting in secret. After meeting as children and then reconnecting years later, their passion sparks quickly, and soon they are beginning to plan a future together. However, Isabail hasn't told Lor who she really is. When tragedy strikes while Lor is away from the village, Isabail fears he is dead. Lor returns to his village devastated, realizing that his grandfather has most likely been killed, and is told that the perpetrators are the rebel Keiths, who live outside the village. He tries to go to Isabail, not realizing that she is a Keith herself, and unable to find her, travels to the Ludus Caledonia, a fighting guild that will allow him to build the skills necessary to destroy his grandfather's murderers. Soon the two lovers reunite, but as secrets are revealed and true love is tested, their futures may not be as bright as they once hoped for.

This story was insta-love, which isn't usually my cup of tea. However, the way the author wrote it still drew me in, and although initially it felt like a teenage romance doomed to fail, I soon realized that there was much more to this story than meets the eye. The secret that lay between Lor and Isabail was devastating, and as the reader, you know about it long before either of them realize it. So the reading is a big agonizing while you're waiting for the shoe to drop and wondering how they're going to take it. Once Lor finds out the truth about Isabail's identity, things begin to speed up considerably. His internal struggle was painful, but it was good to see how he reacted and then how Isabail reacted once she caught up to speed.

Kathryn Le Veque is an engaging writer, who clearly has done her homework on the historical components of the story. I look forward to reading more by her.

Highland Gladiator by Kathryn Le Veque

Kathryn Le Veque has the writer’s touch when it comes to Highland Clan Romance & English Sword Fighting Battles! However, she has nailed it again with this new Gladiator ultimate secret training center! The Ludus Caledonia fight guild not only gave him the physical training skills of hand to hand combat, but it released the inner spiritedness of his strength. It was as if a bond of harmony between his soul and strength became one connection. This Highland Gladiator, Lor is beyond belief! He is a gentle giant giant with a caring heart, with a face of Adonis and strength of Hercules!

Lor is a untroubled blacksmith and has no greed. He doesn’t see a need to use brute force because he has no desire to harm others unless he is in defense of his family or his life. Lor doesn’t know how to fight well or with swords or shields. He does know how to use his fists if absolutely necessary. He is just not a violent man, until someone burns his village and within was the only parent he ever knew, his grandfather. That is why he turned to the secret, Ludus Caledonia to teach him how to fight for vengeance!


Isabail the love of his life is the exact opposite of him! She is brassy and sassy! She is also a fighter with very good skills and is known to beat up her own brothers.
Isabail was a fierce child and a leader even from a young age because she was motherless. She was authoritative, but not mean. When she and Lor met she knew that they were from rival clans and she was careful not to mention her clan name. A lot of women will identify with her because she is not catty or devious.

I personally think readers are going to root for Lor & Isabail!
I think Kathryn Le Veque has another epic series winner!!!
I received a advanced copy from netgally and I willingly give my thoughts and opinions freely!!!!

Can someone come into a book with unrealistic expectations based on the title and blurb? Because I think I did just that. I was hoping to read a story about a mighty warrior that's a hybrid Scott/Gladiator, but, I'm sorry, sweet and gentle Lor doesn't fit that description at all. He rises up to the occasion when needed, but the one who is the warrior in this relationship is definitely Isabail... although maybe she's the highland gladiator mentioned in the title.
I don't know if that was the reason why, but I had a hard time connecting to the story. It doesn't help that things just felt incomplete, like I was reading snippets instead of the full story. There are some really solid plot points and an incredibly sweet love story that saved this from a lower score, but I'm sad to say that this Scot and his sword (which he never actually uses) just didn't hit the Highland warrior sweet spot.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the read!

This sounded like an amazing story, and I'm sure to some other readers it will be, however it just couldn't keep my attention. I even tried skipping around to later chapters to see if I could get sucked in and want to know more, and unfortunately that didn't work either. I'm thinking either the timing is off for me, or I was expecting something a bit different (I was imagining something along the lines of In the Name of The King, just without the mystical), and what I was discovering with Lor and Isabail just wasn't connecting to me and I couldn't adjust to what was in the pages..

Even though I love when my heroes have a gentle side (particular with the heroine and kids/animals), I kept feeling like Lor was too gentle/soft to be a warrior (or the kind of alpha warrior I imagined). I did like how he teased Isabail about the eggs. That was cute. I liked how Isabail could keep up with her brothers and had a tough side, but I wasn't really connecting to her at all, especially to feel how she was drawn to Lor.

I may try to revisit this book sometime in the future, maybe the timing will be better then.

Isabail is the chief’s daughter, she was raised like her brothers and she knows how to fight. What’s more she’s never at a loss for words, and her relation with her brothers especially is biting.
Lor is kind and honest while being physically strong – he’s a blacksmith, muscles are needed in his job. He is good at heart even while wanting revenge.
But both of them felt “nice” as we say here – and it’s not really a compliment.

Both fall in love quite fast and they’re cute together. However the unsaid things disturbed a bit my reading: I was waiting for Lor’s reaction when learning the heroine is from the clan supposed to have killed his people, and I was afraid of Isabail’s reaction when learning about the hero’s lust for vengeance. Well just this once I’ll spoil a little: don’t worry, everything happens way better that I was envisioning. Perhaps even too much in fact, especially in the second case.

By the way it’s not the only occasions where things occur too well. Lor recovers too quickly from his very first fighting, he walks out in pretty bad shape but he’s up to return fighting the next day without much pain. Same for Isabail who hurt her ankle while fleeing an assailant, but a few hours later it’s forgotten. As for the father’s reaction when Lor asks for his daughter’s hand, I must say I was both amused and bemused.

Other points that didn’t seem logical to me: Lor has not been at the training center for long but he’s deemed a good enough warrior to go and protect a village and teach them how to protect themselves. Or when the villagers decide to put in practice the saying the enemy of my enemy is my friend, instead of sending directly an emissary, they first want the men to learn fighting, as if both couldn’t be done at the same time – and as if their enemy was going to wait quietly…
Beside of that I found intriguing and interesting the training center and its teachers, and the idea for the series centered on them is quite original.

I must say I had trouble getting hooked by this novel without knowing why. Even the Scottish accent annoyed me when it’s not very present and everything is totally understandable. I think I just wasn’t in a good mood, and the points I noted previously could have gone undetected at another time. It’s too bad because the story, even if somewhat violent, is original and the couple is cute.

When Lor Careston was young he would go through the Vale of Demons until one day he is stopped by Isabail Keith. Lor tries to get out of there but Isabail wonders why he doesn’t fight. Isabail tells Lor about the Ludus Caladonia or the Cal- a place where men learn to fight. As Lor gets older Isabail and him fall in love. Lor’s grandfather attempts to stop the relationship because of who Isabail is her clan are Lor’s enemy so he sends Lor away. When Lor gets back home his home is burned to the ground and his grandfather is missing. Lor remembers being told about the Cal and decides that he must avenge not only his village but the death of his grandfather. As Lor fights he becomes a fearsome warrior changing him but not his feelings for Isabail. When they meet again the truth of who Isabail is revealed and the revenge against who destroyed his world is questioned.
What an amazingly captivating fantastic story told wonderfully! The writing is smooth and unhindered even with the fast pace it’s really hard to put the book down or get swept away. The characters major or minor practically jump off the pages giving not just are three dimensional, but are very real and believable. Lor the gentle blacksmith lives a peaceful life, is admirable and lovable. He’s not the typical alpha hero wanting to dominate or take over. As he becomes this big bad warrior he remains an awesome guy never losing who he truly is. Isabail the fierce feisty heroine is the fire to Lor’s calmness. She’s likable despite her fighting ways, she wouldn’t be one to that would like a tranquil time but is would be willing to fight with you. She is a strong girl but still someone that you want to be around. Ms. Le Veque brings everything to the table telling a tale that grips you from the very beginning and doesn’t let up until the very end!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋

Stunning and outstanding!
I adored this book , it was everything I hoped for and more.
Brilliant characters with great chemistry and passion.
A storyline that was so satisfying, I just couldn’t have been any better.

I love Highland adventures , this was one I’ll definitely be coming back to again and again.
Book Number Two is already on my Preorder list.

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

HIGHLAND GLADIATOR by Kathryn Le Veque is the first book in the Scots and Swords historical romance series and it is the first book that I have read by this author. It is set in Scotland in the late 1400’s. Lor Careston is a blacksmith working with his grandfather in a quiet Highland village when it is attacked and burned. He wishes to seek revenge, but lacks fighting skills. Will he gain them? Will he exact retribution upon those responsible?

The book is well-written with characters that have depth and there is an exciting plot. Lor and the main secondary characters are compelling and felt three-dimensional. There was enough at stake to keep me engaged throughout the story. The world-building was fantastic and gave a clear sense of time and place including medieval conflicts, ways of life, and more. Themes include family, relationships, grief, revenge, love, lies, romance, friendship, inner conflicts, secrets, and much more.

Overall, this was an engaging and fast-paced read with a few heated scenes, action-packed fight scenes, love that endures and an unbalanced antagonist. I would recommend it to those that enjoy historical romances with action scenes and are looking for a new series to start. I look forward to reading the next book in this series as well as checking out this author’s other books.

Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and Kathryn Le Veque for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

This book had everything: young love that ends too soon, action packed fight scene, strong familial ties, a demented sociopathic bad guy, and an epic love that crosses all boundaries. Not only are the two primary characters written with depth and realistic personalities, but the secondary characters are developed to the point you want to read their stories also. The setting is described in detail where you can see the villages in your mind and feel the cold with your own chill bumps, but not to the point where you feel like you're reading a travel brochure. All in all, perfection!

Kathryn Le Veque is one of my go to authors, I always purchased her books (yes, purchase even though I have Kindle Unlimited I still buy her books). I know that when I read her books I always walk away satisfied (except for my impatience at awaiting the next book).

I highly recommend this book and encourage you to read and enjoy it as well.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley.

Review originally posted on my blog "Una lectora salvaje" and on my Goodreads

I love from the bottom of my heart everything related to the Scottish Highlands, especially in the time period where the clans still existed, because of the Outlander tv series and books. Recently, I have also become quite a huge fan of gladiators because I saw the Spartacus tv series that broke me into a thousand pieces. When I discovered this book, in which the title brings forward that it mixes this two themes that I adore, I knew right away that I needed to read it and that I was going to enjoy it.

Highland Gladiator is the first installment in the Scots and Swords series in which each book follows a different bunch of characters so they can be read separately. Nevertheless, I would recommend to follow the order of publication in case there are references or characters that appear in the following books of the series.

When he was a wee lass, Lor met a girl from the mountains near his home called Isabail. They took different paths but, some time later, they find each other again and start feelings things and becoming closer. Then Lor’s villa is attacked because of some conspiracy and the young man thinks that his grandfather, the one that has been taking care of him for his entire life, died in that attack. He doesn’t have anything left so he decides to look for the Ludus Caledonia, a place where man are turned into warriors because Lor wants to avenge his home and his grandfather. What he doesn’t know is that, maybe, he is planning to hurt the wrong people.

Highland Gladiator has two main characters with pretty different personalities. On one hand, Lor is a blacksmith that has to learn how to fight to become this warrior that will allow him to get his vengeance. He is a very honorable, humble man with his feet on the ground and that evolves a lot throughtout the pages. I think that he is a solid character with complexity and also connected a lot with him. He has this soft and beautiful heart that just made me fall in love with him.

On the other hand, Isabail is the daughter of the clan Keith’s chief that grew up learning strategy and warfare with her two brothers. What shoul I tell you about her? I adored her attitude and her strength to stand up whenever she feels something is not okay. It’s true that at the beginning I didn’t completely trust her but she earned my respect and my love pretty quickly. I think she is a good protagonist even though she is not as complex as Lor is.

Apart from them, there are this huge amount of side characters with different roles in the story. I particulary loved Lor’s mates in the Ludus Caledonia and I would have loved to get to know them better because they were really interesting and the author doesn’t really explore them. I also really liked Lor’s grandfather because he has a plot for himself that I didn’t expect and that I ended up enjoying a lot.

Historical fiction with some romance has become one of my favourite genres in the past few months and Highland Gladiator has earned a place in this list of incredible novels inside this genre that I love. It mixes political tensions and betrayals with the way the Ludus where gladiators train works and also with a pretty intense romance. The romance has importance within the story but these other themes also have relevance and are explored quite a lot. It’s obvious that the author did an extraordinary job at doing research about this period of time and about the culture and the costumes because the details that she brings in the book are very accurate.

This is the first book that I read of this author and I assure you that it won’t be my last. She has a pretty direct and simple writing style because, at the same time, it is elegant and with a lot of intensity that made me feel the same things as the characters. The dialogues are entertaining and I think that the action scenes are fast paced and easy to read without being confusing or something like that. I have to admit that some chapters were kind of slow but, in general, the pacing is good and I ended this book in a couple of days. It was an enjoyable reading.

As I have just mentioned, the romance is one of the foundations of this book so I wanted to talk a little bit about it. I consider that it is kind of rushed, the feelings begin to early in the story and when they don’t know each other much so it was kind of hard to believe it. I ended up liking their love story in spite of this beginning that I didn’t like as much. Lor and Isabail are so different that the interactions between them are so funny and interesting.

A blacksmith looking for revenge against the clan that burned his village and killed his grandfather, seeks the Ludus Caledonia to train to be a warrior. Only the woman from the clan he hates causes the inner turmoil of love versus hate. Little does he know that the hated clan who bought him to fight will be his salvation. Kathryn Le Veque once again writes an engaging fast paced book of medieval conflict and romance. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

This is my fair and honest review, voluntarily given and in my own words, for this ARC. Another BEAST of a story by the LION of highland tales. As always, Le Veque hooks you.

This was my first read from Kathryn Le Veque. It's a really good historical romance with fighting Highlanders and a strong love. Lor and Isabail are from warring clans and must keep their love a secret. After a tragedy, Lor goes to the Cal to learn how to fight so he can avenge his grandfather. Through the love of Isabail and the support from her family, Lor learns of the truth about his village and grandfather. Lor and Isabail's love helps bring peace to the area and ends the fighting between the two clans.

I appreciated Isabail's strong will and ability to take of herself. Lor, even though he is a fighter, is a big teddy bear. Together they make for a sweet romance. I wish the story had spent more time at the Cal so we could learn about those characters since this is the first in a series.