I always read and review Kathryn LeVeque as soon as I get my hands on a copy. I always review on other platforms but always forget to review here. As always this book was amazing!

This was a unique and enjoyable take on a highlander romance. I loved how broken yet still honorable Bane was and really enjoyed Lucia's strength of character too. I would have loved a slower development to their romance but overall this was a fun read.

I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one that this author writes. The storyline was simple, enjoyable, and entertaining.

Loving this series of fierce highlanders with heart! After a chance meeting where Bane saves Lucia from a group of thieves, they both find their lives quickly entwined. Lucia is stuck working off a family debt with an abusive family, and Bane is running from the mistakes of his past. They both have some obstacles to overcome as Bane fights at the Ludus Caledonia to earn money to pay off Lucia's debt and free her. Entertaining read and I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

We see two very broken inviduals fix their lives by not only discovering one another, but by building themselves up.

Lady Currie was such an interesting dynamic to this storyline. I appreciated that the MC stood up for herself when she could.

Thank you Sourcebooks Casa and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

This is the first book I have read by Kathryn Le Veque. I found the story in Highland Defender unique and different from any other historical romance I have read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story of Bane and Lucia. Bane made a mistake in judgement and self exiled himself from his clan. Drunk and practically in the gutter, he hears a woman in distress. Lucia is being attacked for her mistress' morning sausages. She hits Bane in the head believing he is helping the thieves. Realizing her mistake, she takes him back to her mistress' home. This starts their journey. It is long and difficult for the characters but as a reader I loved it!

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Book: Highland Defender
By Kathryn Le Veque

Series: Scots and Swords, Book #2

Publisher: Sourcebooks

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Edinburgh, Scotland
Year of Our Lord 1486

Bane Morgan is living in poverty in the worst part of Edinburgh living in filth and human despair where everyone was starving. He one day tries to save a woman who was being robbed, who happened to be getting sausages for her mistress, Lady Currie. She thought Bane was robbing her like the others not realizing he was attempting to help her. Trying to defend herself Lucia hurts Bane, feeling guilty she brings him back to Meadowbank where she is working off her deceased fathers debt to Laird Currie.

Lucia gets him a position at Meadowbank where she gets to know Bane. She soon discovers he is a Laird’s son and has terrible guilt for leading his people in an ambush where so many were killed or drowned trying to escape. He calls her his Angel as she saves him, showing him a better life. They quickly fall in love but she knows he is in danger and has to leave Meadowbank. Unfortunately, the evil Cully who is Lady Curries former nursemaid who bullies and abuses the servants make up lies. Cully is very jealous of Lucia since she is also a skilled seamstress and makes Lady Currie beautiful gowns what she never even pays for. She accuses Lucia of being a liar and a whore saying she was sleeping with the new servant which was not true.

Lucia wants her freedom and a better life and fears Lady Currie will never let her go because of her skills as a seamstress.Bane could tell right away this beautiful woman, Lucia Symington did not look like a servant and it turns out she was working off a debt at Meadowbank for Laird Currie her deceased father, but it is Lady Currie she works under. Yet it turn out she is being abused by the Lady Currie’s former nursemaid Cully who bullies and abuses all the servants. The Ludus Caledonia is a secret fight guild and very popular in wealthy circles. The men who train their have to commit there for seven years to be trained by the most skilled and top prime fighters that exist at Ludus Caldedonia. Plus the fact of the win they can win a lot of money and soon a wealthy Laird will offer their services to be one of their warriors. On top of that wealthy spoiled women like Lady Currie offer their services for male prostitution to service them. The Ludus Caledonia owner basically plays the pimp charging these woman a large sum where he takes a percentage. Yet it is the men’s choice as anyone can refuse the ladies entertainment as well, so the men are not forced into serving these rich women if they want to refuse their propositions too.

Now Bane wants to pay off Lucia’s debt and marry his Angel. He was known as the Highland Defender as Lucia explained about the Ludus Caledonia and knows he is a good fighter, her becomes one of their fighters what he hadn’t realized that Lady Currie was to be his biggest fight. A woman who is keeping the woman he loves from him. A woman who can’t take no for an answer! Will Bane and Lucia have their HEA? Read and find out!

Kathryn Le Veque does it again and writes a riveting fast paced, page turning, romantic adventure that absolutely swept me off my feet! The original story that centers around a fighting club was absolutely brilliant about the series. I loved that the main characters Lor Careston and Isabail Keith from Highland Gladiator, book #1, was in this book too. I always love when characters from the previous book but same series are in the current book, just makes it more fun to read!

Historical romance readers will absolutely love this book, it has all the elements romance readers love. The setting was exhilarating , the dialogue was amazing, the plotting awe inspiring and heart stopping , and the multidimensional characters were absolutely unforgettable and brilliant! This book from start to finish was an absolute masterpiece. I absolutely and unequivocally loved this book and highly recommend it!


Disclaimer: I received an advance reader’s copy from Sourcebooks Books I voluntarily agreed to do an honest, fair review and blog through Netgalley. All thoughts, ideas and words are my own.


Buy Links:

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Lucia is working for a clan in order to pay off a family debt. She is not treated very well and seems to be losing a part of herself the longer she stays there. When she meets Bane, he brings a ray of sunshine into her life. He soon devises a plan to pay off the debt she owes and to free her from the life she has known for the past several years.

Bane has gone to Edinburgh to escape a past he doesn't want to remember. He joins the Ludus Caledonia to earn enough money to buy Lucia's freedom. But others keep challenging those plans. Will Ban be able to free Lucia from her misery?

I really enjoyed Bane and Lucia's story! Both of them were alone in the world and needed the other desperately. While everything seemed to be piling up against them, neither of them gave up. The happiness they saw in their future was too good to give up on. This was a great addition to the Scots and Swords series and I can't wait to see what Le Veque comes up with next!

I really enjoyed this story!

It was a fast paced book that kept my interest from the start through to the brilliant ending. The book had everything that I look for in a good read, it was well written, had an additive plot and strong, well developed characters who had some brilliant interaction.

I thought that it was an interesting storyline, well developed and I loved the little twists as the book progressed. It was a wonderful read and one that I thoroughly enjoyed!

It is 5 stars from me for this one - very highly recommended!

I really enjoyed this book so much so, I have since downloaded the first book Highland Gladiator.

This is book 2 in the Scots and Swords series, the synopsis I read described the book as being somewhere between Gladiator meets Fight Club, and that is a perfect description. Throw in some historical romance and you have got the start of a great series. As I said previously I haven't read the first book, and didn't actually realise, this wasn't a stand alone until I posted the book into my Goodreads account. I am a sucker for any type of highlander medieval romance, and I am so glad I requested this one. I don't think I was hindered by not reading the first book but I think if I had read it first I would have got a better understanding of Lor, a better understanding of the Cal and how he came to be part of it. but it didn't stop my enjoyment of this book.

In Highland Defender we meet Lucia Symington who is attacked whilst walking through the streets of Edinburgh seeing the ruckus and wondering what is going on Bane Morgan tries to help protect her and gets hit by her for his efforts. Realising she made a mistake and feel sorry for the down and out Lucia takes him back to her Lairds home with her to help him clean up and recover. Bane confesses to Lucia who he is really is and why he has been hanging around the back alleys of Edinburghs rough neighbourhoods and the pair spark up an unlikely friendship that turns into love. But Lucia's like is not perfect she like a life of servitude and longs to leave and start a life with Bane. Wanting the same thing he joins the Ludus Caledonia a secret, exclusive fighters guild in a bid to win her freedom. But nothing is every easy and there are people including Lucia's employer who wants Bane to herself and will stop at nothing to get him,

The book is filled with wonderful medieval action and romance at it's finest, I loved it and every page kept me on the edge of my seat. In fact I had read the book within a few hours in one sitting and cannot wait to catch up on the first book in the series. I can tell that the author Kathryn Le Veque is someone I will go back to time and time again.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My rating scale
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Absolutely loved it! Gave me a warm fuzzy feeling or made me cry. And took me on an emotional rollercoaster.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Really liked it. Will read more by the author and other books in the series.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - It was just okay, didn’t move me, but don’t feel like I wasted me time reading it either.
⭐️⭐️ - Didn’t like this book and probably won’t read other in the series.
⭐️ - I did not care for this book at all and feel like I wasted my time reading it

Fast paced, strong story. Bane has seen hard times because of a mistake he made. Lucia is a servant paying off her father's debt. This story is about abuse of power, finding inner strength, and commitment to your word. Good plot, great secondary characters.

Scotland 1486
Their first meeting was unique and memorable can I say? Bane, was running from himself. His bad decision that cost lives. made him feel he could not go back home. Lucia was working as a lady's maid to Lady Currie, to pay off a debt her father had owed her husband.

A fated meeting, kindred spirits and a love that will not be denied. But obstacles stand in their way. Bane is determined to earn the money to pay for Lucia's debt so they can be together. Sounds simple does it not?

Well sit back and enjoy this wonderful tale as Bane, a warrior, goes to the Ludas Caledonia to fight to earn money, but he wins so much more. But Lucia has more to worry about than just paying off a debt. A spiteful servant who means her harm. Can these two come together?

Another sensational tale by seasoned storyteller Kathryn Le Veque, who brings history and characters alive with her brilliant imagination!

Highlander Defender by Kathryn Le Veque is the story of a man who has run from his guilt and become a homeless drunk until one day when a young woman is in need of saving, she saves her, and she takes him in hand and gets him cleaned up and sober. He life is no great shakes but at least she eats. Bane Morgan used to be the Highland Defender, a brave and noble warrior, until he disobeyed his father and got many of his men killed. He could not face them and so he ran, until Lucia Symington found him and took him to the stables owned by Lord Currie. Lord Currie had paid to have her father cared for as he died and she was now working off the debt. She word as companion and seamstress to Lady Currie who was much younger than her husband and not nearly as kind. In fact, she was horrible, and she had her nurse, leftover from childhood, Colly, who beat the servants and blamed them for all manner of things, simply to gain favor with her mistress. It always worked. The least favorite of Lucia's duties was to accompany her mistress to Ludus Caledonia, which was a training ground for elite warriors. A master could purchase the contract of a warrior there if he needed one; audiences could watch the fights, much as in ancient Rome for entertainment; or a woman, if she could afford it, could rent the "services" of man for the evening. Lady Currie partook of these "services" almost nightly. Her husband stayed in his quarters and ignored her. Bane found himself training at Ludus Caledonia so he could earn money to pay Lucia's debt and marry her. He also attracted the attention of Lady Currie. There is much more to the plot.

Kathryn Le Veque writes about honorable men and loving women. She hit the jackpot here with honorable men; there were so many of them. People liked Bane, even the servants a Meadowbrook, Lord Currie's estate. No one liked Lady Currie so when it came time to deceive her, he had plenty of support. He and Lucia ran. It took weeks to get to Scotland. They were nearly out of money but they were married and had not gotten stopped. Things happened in Scotland, which sent them back to Ludus Caledonia and their friends and life there. It was a good journey and a good romance. Things didn't always go as planned, but there were many surprises along the way. Le Veque is superb at this kind of Medieval novel. This is no exception.

I was invited to read a free ARC of Highland Defender by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #highlanddefender

First, I need to declare that I have yet to read a Kathryn Le Veque book that I haven't loved. Second, I normally read her books more than once (even the books that are over 600 pages). Finally, this book fits both of the previous categories: I loved it and I'll be reading it again.

Bane, I love that name, is living with guilt for the deaths of his clansmen when he hears Lucia being attacked. His rescue of her sends both on a collision course with destiny.

Wonderful characters, excellently written plot, kick butt action, and the perfect amount of sweet and spice mixed with a once in a lifetime love equals an amazing novel that you will not want to put down once you start reading.

20⭐/10⭐, yes that's better than perfect!

Highland Defender is the second book in the Scots and Swords Historical Romance Series by Kathryn Le Veque. The men who come to Ludus Caledonia have different backgrounds and reasons for doing so. So while this is vastly different from the first book it is still such a thrilling believable read.

Bane Morgan is a man filled with regrets and guilt that turns into total despair. The writing is such that his true emotional state comes through just as Lucia Symington’s destitution does. Somehow you feel that pain, shame, and hopelessness. However, it is meeting Lucia that Bane finds a purpose to thrive again. Wonderful, captivating read that take you back to a harsh medieval Scotland. Refreshingly unique with the fight club element.

4.5 Stars
An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Combining adventure and romance, Highland Defender is another enjoyable story in Kathryn Le Veque's Scots and Swords series. Le Veque has become one of my favorite authors writing in the medieval era. Her characters, settings, and situations, even the Ludus Caledonia (the Cal), appear fresh, original, and authentic to the time.

Bane and Lucia were both sympathetic characters in whom I quickly became invested. Battling depression and survivor's guilt, Bane had given up on life but, most importantly, on himself when he first encountered Lucia. A good, honorable, and loyal man, he had made a decision guided by the pride and arrogance of youth, and was still paying the emotional price. Lucia was not in the best of situations herself, though better than Bane. Her situation had come about due to her innate sense of honor but had begun deteriorating to the point where her life could easily be at risk. I really felt for these two and the situations they were in. I liked them and was cheering for them to overcome the hurdles in their path.

The first part of their story is slower paced but the action picks up by the half-way point. I especially enjoyed the fight scenes at the Cal. I also appreciated that the author had no easy or quick fixes for Lucia and Bane, taking the necessary time for each of them, Bane in particular, to rediscover their inner strength and courage to overcome the obstacles life has given them. It made their decisions, their bond, and the conclusion of their story, that much more satisfying.

There is a strong secondary cast surrounding Bane and Lucia in this book. I especially enjoyed a young boy and an elderly laird who have a profound impact on the hero and heroine. There is also a particularly nasty villain. Actually, two. Without giving away any spoilers, I'll just say that justice was very sweet.

This is the second book of a series but can be read and enjoyed on its own. I will say, however, that having read book one, Highland Gladiator, it was fun to catch up with several characters from the Cal and learn more about some of them. It has only made me more excited for book three.

*ARC received for fair and unbiased review

Oh, I love Bane and Lucia so much!

What a wonderful medieval story! Instantly captivating, this tale gives us an emotionally lost hero just looking for a reason to live. He finds it in the strong yet humble Lucia, a woman who bravely submits to a truly despicable mistress in order to honor her late father's obligations.

Told in four parts, this story takes us from the streets of Edinburgh to the expansive Meadowbank manor and then to the Ludus Caledonia, a gladiator school funded by gambling and other forms of patronage. The men who run the fight guild are men of honor, and they readily give Bane a new purpose as well as the means to rescue Lucia from her situation so they can both be free to marry.

The romance was nearly instant yet stayed beautifully within the expected historical norms. Lucia's not merely a damsel in distress, she's fully capable of participating in her own rescue once she knows there's a way out. Bane is as protective as his Highland Defender name implies, a man built for valor and chivalry with a heart as big as the land.

I loved the way the story reconciled Bane's past with his present, and the tender chemistry he shared with Lucia made their HEA as sweet as can be. I'm looking forward to reading more in this fascinating series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Highlander Defender- Book two of where a mighty Highlander takes his oath with the secret Ludus Caledonia, the fighting guild.
Bane Morgan makes a costly mistake and he runs to escape the memory. He hides the pain in liquor and grief.
He meets Lucia Symington in the course of her being accosted. She ends up telling him about her life and that she is a seamstress and she is a servant treated callously as is all the servants.
Bane, known as the Highland Defender thinks he can try and save himself and Lucia by joining the fight guild to earn the money to buy her freedom. Things are not always that easy!

Read this extraordinary storyline as the author takes us on a vivid journey of a Medieval Romance and Highlander Fierceness. You won’t be disappointed.

I read this book twice before writing my review because I read it so fast the first time, I was so excited for this series! I definitely would recommend this book!

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

Highland Defender is the exciting second book in Kathryn Le Veque's Scots and Swords series. I really enjoyed the first and was excited to get my greedy little paws on this volume. I was not disappointed! Just think of medieval Highland gladiators. Drooling yet? If not, add some lovely romance and you will.

Bane Morgan is living a rather pitiful existence in Edinburgh, where he's been since he left home in disgrace. He led good men into a battle that led to their deaths due to a poor decision, and he has lost faith in himself. While in a bit of a drunken state, he hears a woman screaming and runs to her aid. Thinking he's one of the degenerates trying to steal the sausages she has bought for her mistress, she beans him with a chamber pot full of, well, a liquid. When she discovers her mistake and sees she's injured him, she comes to his aid. Lucia Symington sees the same despair in him that she herself harbors. She's working off a family debt, taking care of the debauched Lady of the house and being beaten by the Lady's bully of a former nurse. Bane wants to pay off Lucia's debt so they can be together, so he goes to the Ludus Caledonia to fight for money and hopefully to find himself. Will Bane and Lucia be torn apart before they have a chance to build a life with one another?

This was an absolutely lovely story despite the brutal fighting at the Ludus Caledonia, which is basically a fight club. There was insta-love between Bane and Lucia, which I usually find annoying, but it worked here. They were both terrific characters individually, but together they were inspiring. Bane basically lost everything he had and continued to go into a downward spiral, until Lucia showed him how much he was truly worth. Lucia was in an untenable position, but she was strong and continued to fight for a better life for herself and her beloved. The physical interludes were more sweet than steamy, but fit the innate sweetness of Bane and Lucia. The supporting characters also entertained, especially love-to-hate-them Lady Currie and nurse Colly. I enjoyed seeing Lor and Isabail from the first book return, and other members of the Ludus Caledonia. The epilogue of the book was particularly touching. I'm seriously looking forward to the next in the series...and the unveiling of what is surely to be a drool-worthy cover!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Bane Morgan is a Highland warrior, he disobeyed a direct order and he got some men killed and he felt very guilty. When he ran away, he left all he had there and only brought what he had on him. His family, his home, everything. He had gone to Edinburgh, it was two years ago, now, he was very homesick but there was nothing there for him. A scream rent the air and he got to his feet to go help. A girl was trying to fight off three men, they kept grabbing at her. She lost her sausages, but she hit him in the head with a chamber pot. But she did try to help him, he had no home so she took him to her employer's house to take care of him.
Lucia Symington worked at Meadowbank. She got him comfortable and went and got some assorted things for him. A bath, clean clothes, drying cloths, stuff like that. Her father had worked for the Baron until his death but money was owed for the medical care the Laird had gotten him. She had been here two years and prayed she had it all paid off soon. She hated working there, Lady Currie was not a good woman, she enjoyed the Ludus Caledonia, a fight school, and trained men to fight. she went there to find men.
This is a fairly complicated book. It seems as though something is always happening. The characters are impressive. Lucia gives to just about everyone, she does not have a life of her own. She is always waiting on Lady Currie. I enjoy this story and the way Lucia and Bane worked thru their attraction to each other. It is a wonderful book with so much going for it.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.