I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
An interesting read, perfect for romance lovers. The characters are likable and engaging. The romance is quite rushed through which takes away some credibility. 
Overall a good book.

I'm not usually one to term a book a "romp," but if ever a historical romance was a fun, fast-paced romp, this might be it. 

When a young dowager countess has no financial choice but to pack up her sisters and stake a claim on Scottish lands deeded to her family by the king, the outlawed MacGregor laird is in for quite a surprise at who he is dealing with. Emily might be a little modern for 1774, but she's a smart and feisty heroine. And the author manages to draw Ian as appealing and not cartoonish, as many Highland heroes tend to be. The mystery of who is trying to kill Emily actually surprised me--I had pegged someone else entirely--and usually I see the villain coming from a mile away.

I look forward to more in this series.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.

Cynthia Breeding has delivered an emotionally thrilling, fast paced adventure with strong willed characters and a rivals to lovers storyline. That being said I must admit that the romance portion while steamy, doesn’t seem as believable as it seems kind of rushed and not fully explained. However I really did enjoy this book and hope to read more from this author. I received an advanced reader copy of this work from netgalley. All opinions expressed here are my own. Regards, Anna

A fun, flirty novel with a mysterious twist. If you enjoy historical romance novels, this will be a great addition to your bookshelf. The mystery and murder attempts keep you hooked while watching the main characters fight their attraction.

The premise for Emily and Ian's romance has all the ingredients for a great rivals-to-lovers romance, but somehow, their chemistry ended up falling short of my expectations. Perhaps in part because Ian came across as immature in his approach to the situation, especially as the reader becomes increasingly aware of Emily's background, rendering Ian's approach at best callous and at worst cruel. 

There were a lot of pieces introduced in this book, with siblings and side characters and a whole mystery of attempted murder, but unfortunately, these pieces didn't click together particularly well, and also took focus away from the romantic arc of the main characters, who could've used more room on the page to develop their relationship. 

Still, I'll check out future books to see if they may be more my jam. 

I received a digital advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this emotionally thrilling and action packed journey filled with witty and engaging charters, heart racing twists and exciting turns. A great read from beginning to end.

Not what I was expecting unfortunately. 

While there are some great points about this book, I was disappointed that none of those parts were about the main characters. Emily Woodhaven, a young English widow is forced to move to Scotland with her younger sisters due to financial circumstances. It endeared her to me that she wanted to make the best of the situation and not be depended on a man any longer. Of course it comes as no surprise that she ends up falling in love with the Larid (Ian MacGregor) of the land to which she has been given the deeds. This is a romance novel after all. 

Unfortunately however, the chemistry between Emily and Ian is hard to believe and feels forced. Comparatively, the chemistry between Emily's younger sister Juliana and Ian's brother Rory is a lot more believable and fun to witness. Honestly they are the only reason that kept me going since I want to see their relationship develop in the next book.

There is also the mystery element of who is trying to kill Emily, I felt was a bit to ambitious seeing as there's already quite a lot happening in the book with English and Scottish prejudices and Ian feeling torn about his feelings for Emily. I seemed unnecessary to add another element, when the book could have been (in my opinion) a lot better if the author focused on one main topic. 

While i personally did not enjoy this book, I would like to thank author Cynthia Breeding, Entangled Publishing, and Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this book as I am looking forward to Juliana and Rory's book - I have a feeling that will be much better

Highland Renegade is sensual, romantic story steeped in Scottish history. An interesting plot situation creates natural conflict. The author clearly did a great deal historical research about the conflict between England and Scotland in 1774, nearly 30 years after the Jacobite Rebellion. It is the first book in a new series, Children of the Mist.
Emily, Dowager Countess of Woodhaven, was a young widow that married to provide for her two younger sisters. After paying off her husband’s debts she received title to a castle and lands in the Scottish Highlands and set off to form a new life. Upon arrival she encountered the large MacGregor clan who had lost rights through English politics and were struggling to re-establish their clan and lands. Emily was determined to live amicably with the clan (she and her sisters had no where else to go), but the MacGregors, led by Ian, were suspicious and hostile.
I enjoyed both the hero and heroine. The conflict was genuine and there was a mystery about someone trying to kill Emily. The secondary characters were less satisfying. Ian had so many brothers it was difficult keep them and straight, especially in conversations. Emily’s sisters were somewhat annoying, but they will probably improve in subsequent books in the series. The overall pacing was slow and contained some unnecessary information and descriptions, however, Highland Renegade was a pleasant read and I enjoyed the historical detail.
ARC provided by the publisher.

Emily, Dowager Countess of Woodhaven, survived marriage to her abusive husband to be left with nothing when he died.  She was given some land in the Highlands and since she and her sisters had nowhere else to go, they decided to move to the Highlands.  The land had belonged to the MacGregor clan and they were trying to petition the king to have it returned.  Laird Ian MacGregor was not expecting the countess to move to the Highlands or be so young.  His plan was to show her how rough life in the Highlands was so she would return to London, but Emily was stronger willed than he thought.  When Emily’s life is in danger, Ian must face that he has fallen for Emily and he needed to keep her safe.  Highland Renegade is the first book in the new Children of the Mist series.  It was full of intrigue, mystery, humor, and Highlanders.  It was well written, fast-paced, and a great way to start the series.  The characters were interesting, and the future books should be just as exciting if these characters are in them.

When Emily and her sisters show up at Ian's doorstep, she is the last thing he was expecting. But the attempt on her life was not a part of his plan to get rid of the sisters. Emily proves to be much more than the superficial woman Ian though and has quite a head for business. The two can find love but first they must find out who wants her dead.  This was a great book that I couldn't put down.

Oh my holy stars, I had the best time ever with this book! (I should probably enter a more appropriate Scottish slang here. Yer bum’s oot the windae? Awa’ an bile yer heid?  In the name of the wee man! There, I think that one might work.)

This book was just so much fun to read, Friends. I tend to spend my time in some of the more intense historical fictions; making my way through various palaces in the Tudor Era, listening in on Revolutionary War strategy, or more recently walking down cobblestone drives while trying to solve a whodunnit. So jumping into an historical romance with an intriguing plot was just what my bookworm heart needed.

First of all, can we just talk about Ian for a second? I literally spent the whole book resenting Emily for catching Ian’s eye. I’m sorry, but the man is literally strength with legs. And a kilt. And a sense of a humor. And a wicked accent. You can’t help but love the human that he is and his fierce loyalty to his clan, his lands and his way of life.

Emily, despite the fact that she stole my man (sorry, real-life Husband! I’ll make your favorite dinner tonight) was so incredibly easy to love. She survived a difficult past, was navigating a scary present, and had to somehow conquer an unknown future. The MacGregors’ attempts at chasing her off of their land (hers, but theirs. Read the book, you’ll see what I mean) would quite possibly have succeeded in deterring me, were I in Emily’s shoes. But the more that Emily had to endure, the deeper her resolve became. And while the growing relationship between she and Ian was obviously a central theme to the plot, the storyline itself moved seamlessly around their romance, giving the novel a fuller, wider feel. I enjoyed it immensely.

Bottom Line: You’re going to need to start a “Cynthia Breeding Books” change jar, as Highland Renegade will be the first of many in your library.

Emily and her sisters are starting over in the Highlands after her husband dies and she is given the title to the land. She hopes it will be a fresh start for them, but Ian MacGregor, who believes these are his and his family’s lands, has another idea. Will Emily be accepted or will the MacGregors drive her out? Or maybe something far more unexpected will happen.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the tension between Emily and her sisters and the MacGregor family. It’s that enemies-to-lovers feel and you’re just waiting for a crack in the hard exterior to break through. I found myself saying, “Come on!!” at the tension and conversations. Get together already!

I also really enjoyed reading about the historical background of the MacGregor lands and how far back some of the battles and distrust went. It’s amazing that deep-rooted anger can carry through centuries having a big impact on history.

If you’re looking for a book with strong-willed characters, some steam and history, Highland Renegades is a great fit!

Thank you to HFVBT, Cynthia Breeding and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. The review expresses my own personal opinion.

reviewed on Chicks, Rogues and Scandals blog

Firstly, can we just take a moment have a little swoon over the cover?
My goodness, isn’t it amazing? It’s super pretty and with the burst of purple, it very striking, I love it!
This is not only a brilliant introduction to a new-to-me author’s work, but also a fabulous start to what I’m sure is going to an exciting, intriguing and very sexy series, I’m looking forward to what’s to come next, reading this you get glimpses of up what I hope are up and coming stories.
I really liked the relationship between determined Emily and proud Ian, they don’t exactly see eye, to eye to begin with, but you instantly see that there is a crackling chemistry between them, but as Emily was in an abusive marriage before she has definitely put up her guard towards other sex.
Emily is a tough cookie, she is strong-willed, inspiring and brave, she has a fragility that has come from what she had to endure and it takes time for her to trust she has spades of courage that has made her determined to live her best life alone without a man in it…that is until the oh, so handsome Ian comes stomping into her life….Oh, good golly I don’t think I can take all those swoon-some brooding glares.
When Ian finds out that his ancestral lands are to be claimed by a no-good Sassenach, he is fuming and decided to show her exactly what the highlands are made of and scare the young widow off back to London with her tail between her legs. Yet, the plan doesn’t exactly go as expected because she isn’t afraid of his glowers and sterns looks as others are and soon those glares and brooding silences turn to lust and want. He is confused by his feelings for her and even more as those feelings are in stark contrast to his duty
Oh, poor Ian, what a complex loyal man you are!
Cynthia Breeding has a way of capturing the reader imagination with her airy and atmospheric words, romance and intrigue swirl around you like a magical mist luring in and making keep turning the pages. Plus let us not forget the beautiful, stunning and most mesmerizing setting, each scene is crisp in historical detail, I can see those swirling rolling glens and in my mind’s eye.
Highland Renegade has everything that a fan of a historical romance fan looks for in a book; wonderfully developed character’s, steamy and sizzling chemistry, beautiful scenery, intriguing plot with a hint of mystery, plus sexy, brooding, ravishing men in kilts…..oh, be still my Highlander loving beating heart!!
Overall, it’s a wonderful story, great escapism. If you love historical romance and too-hot-for-their-own-good, sexy highlanders then this is a must read!

I love myself some highlanders so if a book comes out I try to get it, not always but as much as I can. So we meet Emily who is finally out of an abusive marriage, my heart went out to her I hate that. Emily has earned my admiration for surviving and now trying to make a better life for herself and her sisters and without a man. She is determined to make a better life and will do this in Scotland since that land is now hers. Ian MacGregor is set on making this old widows want to leave Scotland and sets out to maker her life impossible, but then he sees this widow and she is not old. He still needs to get the land and castle and he intends on doing that his people depend on him, if it wasn't for that pesky attraction. I enjoyed the  book, not as much as I hoped to because this was a romance book and so I was expecting well romance, or more of it. Loved the brothers and sisters and will continue to read the rest.

This book was fun, and a delightful first book for me from Cynthia Breeding. I enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers aspect, and that both Emily and Ian had to uncover secrets about the other along the way. I don't read too many books involving Highlanders because the language tends to trip me up, but I did enjoy this one and found it easy to follow along. 

I don't know if this book will be particularly memorable to me, and I will say at times this book felt more like a suspenseful historical fiction novel, but I did enjoy it. I think the romance could have been cultivated a little more, because it came on it was abrupt and fast and it caught me off guard, but still steamy. I didn't quite believe that the two had fallen in love with each other, but honestly I've read stranger timelines so I can let it slide. 

All in all, it was a good historical romance and I enjoyed my time with the MacGregor clan. I absolutely would read another book by this author. 

Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for my review copy!

Highland Renegade by Cynthia Breeding is the First book in the Children of the Mist Series.  This is the story of Lair Ian MacGregor and Emily, the Dowager Countess of Woodhaven.  Emily is a strong women who has survived a lot including a very abusive marriage that has left her wanting to never marry again.  Emily has acquired lands and is head there to claim them but first she must overcome the Lair. So Emily and her siblings head off to Scotland to do just that.   Ian and his clan members are no fans of the English so Ian sets in motion a way to get the English women to leave but treating her to the very hardships of their lives.  But what he doesn't know is how strong a women she is and how much he would be drawn to her.  I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for more from this series and this author.

This was a fabulous quick, suspenseful, angsty romance set in the Scottish Highlands. I do love a historical romance and if you’ve read a few of my last reviews I was highly disappointed in my last one because I felt it was too over the top on behavior. This one however was more to my liking. It was very specific in the decorum and etiquette of the time period. Even the lack of faith the men had in the heroine’s business dealings and accuem was true to form.

We get two people who are fighting for their families survival and have competing agendas. Ian is working on political survival of his family and hoping to get their name restored in England so they don’t have to disappear “into the mist” again. Emily on the other hand just needs to provide for herself and her two sisters. Emily is super down to earth and somehow still fits in a lady of the times mold. She dresses appropriately, even if a season out of fashion, acts accordingly, and is super aware of how her actions reflect on the others around her. She is stubborn and willing to fight for what she wants and needs, but is also aware that men are used to controlling the situation. She handily inserts herself into Ian’s family business in a way everyone, except one, accepts that she has a knack for business and good decision making skills.

Ian on the other hand is the social butterfly and constantly running around trying to smooth things over where Emily and her sisters are concerned. Don’t get me wrong he acts a man of the time, but his duties as the head of household seem to be more important than the day to day issues of the estate. He is constantly working on getting his uncles, brothers, and tenants to not uprise against the English lady and her sisters. He’s trying to keep quiet that fact that she really owns them and could evict them at anytime. This is rather hilarious since everyone knows how fickle the King of England can be and the family finds out anyway. Once the anger has died down, it’s all about getting things prepared for the winter and saving Emily from a killer they don’t know.

Turns out the castle may be haunted, but no one wants to say it’s really those hidden passages they use to escape troops and other clans from, that is really causing the problems in the house. Emily takes everything like a champ and believes she can just outlast the killer by making the family love her. In part it is true, but in whole it goes back farther than Emily…she just doesn’t realize it.

After much ado about kissing, a setup, a stint getting sucked into the peat bog, they set the killer up and make a Happily Ever After for us. Emily and Ian finally give in to the fact they need and want each other and that even at their age, they can find love and it’s alright to go against family traditions.

As you can see I enjoyed this story with the witt of Emily and the brute strength of Ian. Just as I like my historicals. I’m only giving this one a 4 of 5 because there just wasn’t something that really stood out for me except the Scotch and I’m not sure that is enough to carry a 5 rating. Does that mean I don’t recommend this book?…No I’d recommend this one if you want a fun easy read that leaves you happy and satisfied in the end. I know the rest of the series is going to be about some of the rougher brothers and/or Emily’s sisters so I can’t wait to read those as they come out. Please give it a read and let me know what you thought.

Not your typical Historical Romance!
Refreshing & exciting.
Wonderful characters


***I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story.***

#HighlandRenegade #NetGalley

Every now and then it is nice to enjoy a lovely historical fiction novel filled with suspense and a bit of sass. When The Dowager Countess of Woodhaven (Emily) shows up to claim her title and home, there are plenty of people who notice and don't like that an English lady is taking over their Scottish Highlands. There are sparks between Emily and Ian McGregor, the head of his family and protector over the people and the land. A very enjoyable read that I did not want to put down and did not want to see come to an end. This is Book One of the new Children of the Mist series so that means more stories to come!!!!

Definitely recommend for historical fiction fans, for those who like sass and fire in their enemies to lovers romances!!! Will definitely be reading more from Cynthia Breeding!!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Cynthia Breeding, and Entangled Publishing LLC for this temporary, digital advance review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my review is voluntary and my opinion is my own.
#HighlandRenegade #NetGalley #DebutAuthor

Highland Renegade was a book that I  couldn't put down and am so excited for the next in the series. I absolutely loved both Ian and Emily, their love story was sweet and entertaining; even if it was a typical enemies to lovers story. The side characters were also very well developed and it really made me look forward to the next in the series. I loved how all the characters intertwined and the entire story moved at a nice pace.

This may have been my first book from Cynthia Breeding but she is quickly becoming a new favorite author.