Lark's father has decreed that she will marry at the festival and he doesn't care that she doesn't want to or even like the man who wants her hand.  Enter Adam Macquarie. Adam is not looking for a bride but he cannot leave the red-haired lass to the less than desirable men who are "courting" her.  Adam has a secret, though.  His clan isn't what Lark is expecting and there are ancient curses to be defeated.

This is a quick hit of a read that dives directly into the action with Adam and Lark and the curse of the Macquarie Clan, however, McCullom doesn't scrimp on the story despite there only being 150 pages.  Her characters are well developed and interesting with alpha highlander and chief Adam being all that you want from a Scottish lord and strong and feisty Lark who is the perfect foil to Adam, a woman who can easily stand up to and stand with the chieftain.

The story nicely combines the suspense of the curse and who is on Wolf Isle with the sweet romance between Adam and Lark giving a perfect read to while away an afternoon with.

First off I am a huge fan of Heather McCollum. She is amazing at bring the highlands to life. I also love reading new books with old main characters from previous books In it. It just makes the story more enjoyable to me. Adam and Lark come together in a kind of bizarre set of circumstances and that lead Lark To ask for Adam to marry her. Both are keeping secrets from each other I he enjoyed the chemistry of these two characters and all the backstory about the curse. It is a great start to a fun new series.

I loved that the premise of this book pretty much revolved around the curse of Adam’s family. It showed when people grow up listening to myths throughout the years, it can affect how they view things in life. The main characters were amazing together and even though they had arguments, they always knew when to say sorry and to talk through their problems. Also, you learn that Lark also has a big secret and when Adam finds out, unlike other people, he never holds it against her and knows it’s not her fault that it happened to her. I definitely recommend this book to people who love highlander romances and little bit of mystery and magic mixed in.

“Marry me, Adam Macquarie, and get me the hell out of here.”

Lark Montgomerie finds herself being forced by her father to either choose a husband during the Beltane Festival or be sold so he may be rid of her. Hiding amongst the trees, Lark stumbles upon an unlikely savior in Chief Adam Macquarie. Hearing that he and his brother are looking for brides, Lark takes a chance that her instincts about Adam will serve her well, and get her out of the hellish situation she has lived in since she was a child. Lark goes into the marriage asking Adam to be truthful to her, but she is harboring a secret of her own…and secrets always have a way of coming out…

Adam and his younger brother Beckett are committed to rebuild their ancestorial home on Wolf Isle. Being cursed for over 100 years, it won’t be an easy endeavor, but with hard work and wives at their side, Adam knows it can be done. When he’s publicly asked to wed by the fiery haired lass he saved in the woods, he takes a chance she will help his clan and agrees to her unexpected proposal. Adam has a few secrets of his own, but is holding on to hope that he can convince his bonny new bride there are no such thing as curses…right?

Oh where to begin with this funtastical tale told only as Heather McCollum can pen! This reader loved it! Loved it! There is a little something for everyone! Smexxy highlanders, a feisty heroine, a cursed isle, an alleged witch and pirates! From start to finish The Highlander’s Unexpected Proposal is a book impossible to put down! Highly recommend!




**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

Chief Adam Macquarie is desperate to find brides for him and his brothers.  He promised his father they would rebuild their clan.  The beltane festival looks like a good place to start.  Maybe they should not tell the ladies about their home just yet.  

Lark Montgomerie cannot return home after this festival,  home is not a safe place.  She needs to find a husband before her father sells her off. 

Secrets can be dangerous,  especially when they are revealed but sometimes honesty can be as bad.  

A cursed island, desperate families and enemies, all add to the excitement.  A big sexy hero and a brave and capable heroine. All the characters are great fun and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.  The brothers are all very different.  

I loved it.

The Highlander's Unexpected Proposal by author Heather McCollum steals your attention from the get go. Intriguing characters, a few twists in the plot and some returning characters from past stories by Ms McCollum ensure that the pages keep turning. A story that turned out to be an entertaining read.
Review copy received from Entangled Publishing via Netgalley

Adam and Lark find each other in a kind of bizarre set of circumstances that lead Lark asking for Adam to marry her... Which was good because he was about to throw her into a sack to rescue her from being forced to marry someone else..
Adams clan has been cursed, so he and his brothers are trying to find wifes to help bring the clan back. Lark doesn't want to be forced to marry but her father isn't giving her a choice.. This had some very sweet moments that just made me smile to myself...
While it had some sweet momenst, it also had dark secrets, a curse, and some very good steamy times...
I was hooked from the beginning, and this is definitely a book I could see myself reading again and again.
I knew I made a good choice requesting this when as soon as I finished I went to see when the next one will be coming out!
I definitely want to check out this authors backlist, and Ill be buying a finished copy of this book when it comes out..

Adam and Lark end up married to each other in bizarre desperate circumstances and also with some secrets that should definitely have been revealed before their wedding. It is interesting and also hilarious to see how they navigate their new wedding once they learn each other’s secrets. There is also a backstory of curse in Adam’s clan that is revealed layer by layer. That discussed a curse related to bastards which kind of works probably for the time period that the story is set in.

They both have easy chemistry and fun moments. They both are really nice people that have had to carry huge responsibility really early in life. So this is the time to live for themselves and also develop their clan. Due to the curse there is a mystery about their home and their enemies which makes it more than just a Scottish romance novel. I also sense there might be more novels about Lark’s sisters and Adam’s brothers which I definitely look forward to.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy!

A daring couple. Adam is in need of a wife. Lark is in need a husband. A bargain is struck and the journey begins. From an unusual start to even stranger happenings the author takes us on a fun journey with these two characters. They are joined by Adam’s brothers who will remind you of overgrown rambunctious puppies in the way they behave. The couple is dodging curses real and imagined as well as real life threats from people who want to do them harm. Throughout they have to learn to trust each other and fall in love to find a lasting happiness.

4.5-5 Stars!! This book was awesome!! I love reading new books with old main characters from previous books! Lark & Adam are such a cute couple!! Both have had struggles in their lives & have fought to overcome the gossipers and the truths of those struggles. I love Adams brothers & can’t wait to read all their stories too! This book is filled with mystery, adventure, love, hot ‘sexy times’, hope, strength & adversity. Great book and I can’t wait for the rest of the series!!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an ARC that was provided to me by NetGalley!*

A short way into this book, I found myself thinking, “Wow, this plot seems familiar.” Oh, it is – it’s VERY much like Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, right down to the alphabetical naming of the brothers. Instead of Adam, Benjamin, Caleb, Daniel, Ephraim, Frank, and Gideon, we have Adam, Beck, Callum, Drostan, and Eagan. Now, I love Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, but it made the first 2/3 of the book fairly predictable, with the last third cramming a secondary, eye-roll-inducing plot into too little space.

Excusing the predictability of the plot and chocking it up to “romance novel formulation,” the final reason I am giving the rating I am, is due to the apparent need for euphemisms for body parts. C’mon – you are writing about steamy sex up against a wall, we don’t need you to be prudish in your descriptions.

A curse, a hot Scot, a chance meeting involving a Cinderella-esque shoe moment and you have the recipe for a good book. Honestly, I requested this from Net Gallery based on the description and the steamy cover. I have not read any other Heather McCollum books and since this is the first book in a new series I thought this would be a great introduction.

Lark Montgomerie needs a husband to escape her creepy father and Adam Macquarie needs a wife to help rebuild his clan on the remote Wolf Isle. During a festival he returns her lost slipper (total Cinderella vibes) and to his surprise Lark announces Adam as her pick for her husband. Once arriving on Wolf Isle, which is not the bustling village that Lark expected but a falling down castle with no other women, Adam tells her of a curse that has plagued his clan for 2 generations. In the curse, Adam’s great-great grandfather got a woman pregnant while he was married, then the woman hung herself but the baby lived. The wronged woman’s mother placed a curse saying the clan has to stop creating bastards. Adam hopes that bringing Lark to the Isle and creating a family will break the curse. Unfortunately, there are some bumps along the way, in the manner of a kidnapping, a crazy witch, rowdy brothers and another little omission of truth.

What I didn’t like: How this curse centered so much on bastards. I understand in that time period bastards were shunned but it annoyed me by the end. That is just my opinion. Also a CW for attempted molestation.

What I liked: Adam! He is a protective, gruff but kind guy that really wanted to help Lark get out of the nightmare that was her family home. The other brothers were adorable, interesting and I am hopeful they will all get their own books next. Lark and Adam had some major chemistry that I enjoyed reading.

I will read the next books in the series as they become available and will delve into Heather McCollum’s backlist!

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

I have to be in the mood for a historical romance. So when I read one that I enjoy, I end up devouring it and reading the whole series. This statement is 100% true for this book and I cannot wait to read about the other brothers love adventures.

Lark finds herself in a horrible situation. Marry one of the two uncouth males arguing for her hand or be sold to the highest bidder by her father. Lucky for her, while hiding from her suitors, Adam locates her lost shoe and directs them onto a different path.

That one encounter leads to Lark selecting, and somewhat asking, Adam as her husband. After they are wed and on their way to his Isle, Adam is vague when it comes to answering questions. Once they make landfall, Lark sees why. While navigating their new relationship as two strangers, they learn that both have secrets. Will these secrets cause harm, or will they allow the couple to grow stronger together?

I voluntarily read this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Lark Montgomerie us trying to hide from men that are trying to marry her. She climbs a tree to escape them and is rescued by chief Adam Macquarie. After meeting Adam she asks him to marry her. I liked the chemistry between Adam and Lark.

4.5 stars

The queen of Highlander romance is back with a new series.

Both Adam Macquarie and Lark Montgomerie have marriage on their minds. Adam, to save his clan and Lark to prevent a true disaster from happening i.e, choosing one of the two fools her father has chosen for her.

The two meet at a festival and after two meetings, Lark chooses Adam over her other two suitors. Though Adam has not lied to her, he has hidden the reality of his situation. Meanwhile, Lark thinks she is walking into a small clan looking to rebuild houses and farms. Unfortunately, that is far from the actual reality.

The plot reminded me of “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”, but this story also includes ancient curses, dark secrets and an unsuspecting villain lurking in plain sight making it fun, intriguing and absolutely entertaining. The budding love between Adam and Lark was sweet, though I would have liked to read a few more interactions between them. Maybe I am just asking for a much longer book cause I loved this one a lot.

Apart from the leads, it was nice to see glimpses of characters from her previous series, Highland Isles, and I loved all of Adam’s brothers and am curious to read their happily ever afters too.

I adore Highlander romances and I love Heather McCollum writing them even more. She is able to get the right essence of a historical highlander romance and this book like all her other books is brilliant. The flow of the story, the character development, the mystery, and the sensual sizzling chemistry between the leads all blend well to create a sweet and sensual romance.

Heather McCollum does it again! Every book I’ve read by this author has been better than the last. The Highlanders Unexpected Proposal was as amazing as I expected. From the first scene I fell in love and by the end I was so head over heels I felt as if I was living the plot myself as with a truly great Scottish romance I read this book in one shot devouring the words for hours on end, The imagery, characterization, and plot made this book a magical Trip to the highlands. I eagerly await the next from this incredible author.

I received a free copy of this book for my unbiased, honest opinion. All of these thoughts are my own and we’re no way influence by the author, publisher or receipt of this book. I received no compensation for this review.

With a description like that I had to chuckle. Reading the book had me laughing out loud/ shaking my head / not really what I’d thought, it was so much more.
Lark is an old spinster in bygone days, but she won’t settle for a drunk and a liar, so her shrewish nature keeps the idiots at bay, until her father has had enough and says at the next Beltane festival she’s to be wed, the only thing Lark has a say in is who.
And that’s why Adam found her in a tree!
Adam is a desperate man, his clan needs new blood and women are the best way to attain it, his brother Beckett is the best bet to marry, but when he hears of a father with five daughters, fate must surely be smiling down on him, his brother can have his pick, and who knows, maybe he can persuade her sisters to come for a visit (plenty of suitors)
That is until he meets the fiery eldest daughter Lark! His brother is going to have his work cut out trying to tame that one!!
Set in 1548 the story actually goes further back to 1422, it seems the lusty chief wanted the fun but not the responsibility. Making a young girl pregnant and then abandoning her brought down a curse that still haunts the Macquarie clan. Slowly the land died and people left the island, only a few remain, and now it’s Adam’s duty to bring the clansmen home, to return it to its former glory.
Adam gets a shock when it’s in fact he who comes home with a bride and not his brother!! He’s a Chief now, his responsibility is to his clan, he doesn’t have time for a bride!! But she is a bonnie lass, maybe she can help the clan to grow.
It did remind me a little of a film “seven brides for seven brothers” where the poor unsuspecting bride is taken home as is expected to cook, clean and care for her husband and his brothers!
Now poor Lark isn’t expecting six brothers, but she certainly wasn’t expecting a barren isle, people may have lived on it once, but it’s going to take more than sweeping out cottages and hanging lucky Heather! There is a vibe that causes Lark to worry, what if she isn’t the good luck charm Adam thinks she is? Maybe she should have told him about her own plight before wedding him!
The romance is slow burning , but when we get there it’s hot and steamy. The bond growing between Adam and Lark is all about trust, and the trust may turn into love, but with both of them hiding secrets, you have to hope trust will see them through it!
We have a few mystery’s to solve, the characters also have a few skeletons to reveal and exorcise!! There is also the fact that other clans don’t think the Macquarie clan will be able to live on Wolf Isle (it’s curse will see the extinction of the Macquarie clan) and the usual clan squabbles.
So can the Chief break the curse? Or will his clan be cursed forever?
I loved the banter between the Macquarie brothers, you get the sense of love and loyalty. Their prowess at the games did have me rolling my eyes, a typical male chest pounding scenario.
It was great seeing old MC’s from previous books, that was a nice surprise.
And as it’s book one of a new series I’m hoping all the sisters get stories, it would be handy if they all found love on the island with the Macquarie brothers 😉
I’ve read a few books from this author and I’ve loved the scene she sets for you. The descriptions have you whisked back to Scotland, the laughter and smells of the campfires, the musty smell of unused homes, it’s all given great detail.
The mystery only adds to this story, the heartbreak a mother feels when a child is tossed to one side, a curse uttered in a moment of anger, and over a hundred years of misery. Can the curse be broken? Or is it simply not giving the muttering of a grief stricken mother the power?
But you have to remember that in the period of time, curses, witches and god were believed in greatly, so if you give that curse the power, then it works.....

🦋

What do you get when you mix pirates, betrayal, deep secrets, and a curse together with family loyalty and love? The answer, of course, is an outstanding story. I loved getting to meet Adam Macquarie and Lark Montgomerie along with all of the brothers who will have their stories in the upcoming books – Beckett (Beck), Eagan, Callum, and his twin, Drostan.

The Macquarie’s, who live on Ulva (Wolf) Island, were cursed over a hundred years ago. Wilyam Macquarie had courted – and impregnated – a young woman from the island, and then he married another in order to form a better political alliance. The young woman then hanged herself, and her distraught mother put a curse on the Macquarie’s. Their island is now uninhabited and there are only five Macquarie’s left in the world. To break the curse, the Macquaries must learn what love is – and they must stop producing bastards. The five remaining Macquaries are determined to save their clan, break the curse, and reclaim their island. That determination has brought Adam (the clan chief) and his brother Beck to the Beltane festival to find wives for themselves.

Yes, Adam wants to save his clan and break the curse, but his real reason behind wanting to do that is because he wants a home. A real home. He and his brothers have had a house while living with the Maclean clan on the Isle of Mull, but it isn’t a real home. Not a place filled with love and belonging. He wants that for himself and his brothers – and in order to get it, they have to break the curse.

Lark Montgomerie has been told that she MUST choose a husband at this festival. Her family will not be taking her back home with them. She can choose – sort of – but she has no dowry and Roylin Montgomerie will sell her to the highest bidder if she doesn’t choose. When two vile creatures are the only two in contention for her hand, she begs a handsome Highlander she’s only just met to wed her. Amazingly, he agrees and they are wed on the spot.

Both Lark and Adam are keeping secrets – secrets that can break them apart. Not a very auspicious beginning for a lifelong relationship. During their perilous journey back to Wolf Island, Adam learns just how resourceful, brave, and skilled Lark really is – and admiration begins to grow. What will happen when they get to Wolf Island and all of Adam's secrets are revealed? Will she just leave him? Then, what will happen when Lark’s deepest, darkest secrets are revealed?

There are those who do not wish to see the Macquarie clan reclaim their island nor break the curse. Dark forces gather about them and only the strong bond between Adam and Lark, his brothers, and the Maclean’s can save the day. Between kidnappings, curses, pirates, and betrayals, their road to their HEA won’t be an easy one.

I absolutely loved both Adam and Lark. They are such good people – dedicated, strong, caring – and they definitely deserve their HEA. I was left wondering about Lark’s sisters though. It seems they were left in what could be a very unhappy situation, so I wonder if we’ll just never hear from them again, if they will eventually find their way to Wolf Island, or if maybe they’ll also get their own stories. I can hardly wait for future books to find out. Up next is Beck’s story and it sounds like a great one as well.

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

**I received a copy of The Highlander's Unexpected Proposal from Entangled Publishing and Net Galley in exchange for a voluntary and honest review. My opinions were not solicited in any way**

The Highlander's Unexpected Proposal by Heather McCollum is the first book in her The Brothers of Wolf Isle series. When I read the The Highland Conquest by Ms. Sinclair so when I saw this and after the finding that there's 4 brothers which is a happy dance for me. With that being said Five Stars and two thumbs up for this book!! Best line ever from Adam to Rabbie "Ye have the sack? Aye you planning on using it?" did it all for me .

Adam Macacuarie knows that he needs to marry off his brothers and them to have children to have the Clan survive. Plus knowing that the island is deserted and rather rundown is going to make it hard to convince a lass to live there. When he sees Lark Mongomerie in a tree trying to escape suitors she doesn't want or like. Nor does he expect to marry her that evening at the Beltane Festival but he does and they are soon on their way to Wolf Island. So how does he tell her about the witch and her curse or that the castle is being renovated? Lark will have to say goodbye to her 4 sisters, deal with ghosts and graves on the island. An attempted kidnapped and will she fall in love with Adam? I guess you'll have to read the book and I'm going to anxiously wait for Beck's book next.

Sexy Highlanders, Action, Romance, Intrigue, what else do you need in a book? This is a page turner that I would recommend based on the author because she writes great books! This is a great start to a series and I can only imagine what the next one will bring!

Adam of Wolf Isle is not anticipating coming home with a bride! He thought he was helping his brother pick out one, but instead he gains one.

Lark is desperate to leave her father’s home, but not her siblings. She chooses Adam, but she has no clue what awaits her on this Mystery Isle!

No Spoilers here, but this is one book you need to read because the mysterious things are about to happen for this young wedded couple!

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions!