This wasn't quite my cup of tea. While I enjoy a highlander romance, there was something about this one that just wasn't for me.

We have a kidnapping, prisoner falling for their captor, and a captor who's reputation is worse than he is. Great tropes and a good set-up.

Title: "The Highlander's Stolen Bride" - A Missed Opportunity

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

While I had hoped for an exciting and captivating historical romance, "The Highlander's Stolen Bride" ultimately fell short of expectations.

The book attempts to channel the allure of the beloved "Outlander" series, but it fails to capture the same magic. The characters lacked depth and the storyline felt formulaic. The protagonist's journey, although filled with adventure, lacked the emotional depth and complexity that would have made me invest in her story. The romance, which is a key component of the genre, felt forced and unconvincing.

Unfortunately, "The Highlander's Stolen Bride" didn't manage to capture the essence of "Outlander" or offer a comparable reading experience. While it may find an audience among those looking for a quick historical romance, I found it lacking in the depth and richness that I had hoped for. Hence, the one-star rating, as it did not equal the standards set by "Outlander."

Elspeth is on her way to wed a childhood friend when she is abducted by Calum Campbell, who hopes to use her as a bargaining chip to gain an audience with her brother. But when they begin to fall in love, they must figure out how to end the war between their clans if they hope to be together.

Though it was slow going at first, I soon got sucked into this story of warring clans and unlikely romance. Calum’s gentle nature provides an interesting counterpoint to Elspeth’s boldness, and I enjoyed how he taught her to defend herself. I also thought the romance and plot were well-balanced, as there was plenty of action and adventure, but it did not overshadow the relationship.

This is the third book in the series, and I’ve not read the first two, so I was able to follow along well enough but probably would have better understood Elspeth’s brother Ross, who was integral to the plot, had I read his book. The characters fell in love very quietly, which I did enjoy, but I do wish there were more transitional scenes from enemies-to-lovers in the first half – but then I do understand the constraints of the page count too.

Overall an enjoyable read that delivers on what’s promised on the tin.

I've been on a bit of a romance kick lately, and this was a really fun stories - it's vaguely romeo and juliet, (of course, feuding families!), but it was cute and sweet, and really fun to read.

The Highlander’s Stolen Bride by Madeline Martin, book three in the Highland Alliances series, is an enjoyable enemies-to-lovers story that I could not put down. Calum Campbell is desperate to establish peace and save his clan from the exile and starvation they are facing in Ireland. The most peaceful strategy he can think of is kidnapping Elspeth MacMillan in the hopes that he can hold her for ransom in exchange for a promise from her brother, the chieftain, to end the bloody feud between their clans. Calum is not surprised that Elspeth is spitting mad and uncooperative, but he definitely never bargained for was how quickly she makes a place for herself in his heart; unprepared for is her ability to break through the defenses of his heart. Elspeth is surprised at the difficulty she finds this clan in, wanting to help all she can. Also surprising to her was discovering that Calum was not at all the person the rumors said he was; he's a gentle soul wanting a non-violent solution, unlike his violent, destructive father. When the passion heats up between them, they both wonder if with their families at war if their dream of a peaceful, loving future can ever happen.

Ms. Martin wrote an enemies-to-lovers story filled with distrust, respect, passion and romance that should not to be missed. She provided a tale rich with sizzling chemistry, clever banter, and secondary characters giving Elspeth and Calum a chance for peaceful, happy future together. I highly recommend The Highlander’s Stolen Bride to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

I really enjoyed Elspeth and Calum's story! It was fun watching these two fall in love and to overcome the feuding between their two families. Now I need to read the other two books in the series!

Elspeth MacMillan is all fire and a force to be reckoned with but she is kidnapped we find out to help an old clan that got kicked out of Scotland due to violence from his father, the new laird is trying for peace but need a bargaining chip- in come Elspeth. Calum Campbell is the new laird and is not his father she finds out when she gets to Ireland. The chemistry with these two if off the charts, loved him teaching her to fight, showing her the village and treating her mostly as an equal. Calum is your 1300's book boyfriend. They are both willing to take on anything for their clan. Glad these two got a little happy in the end. This one has a lot of drama and war and more drama and more war, with a lot of twists and turns.

Really enjoyed this series. I devoured all 3 books and this one keep me up way past my bedtime as I just had to get that HEA. I also enjoyed getting three new authors! Can't wait for more books like this from all of them!

5 stars
4 steam

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book!

After the death of his father, Calum Campbell, the new head of the banished Campbell clan, just wants peace and to return to Scotland. After his father’s antics, he has little hope that Ross, the MacMillan Chieftain will listen to him, but Calum has a plan, he will abduct Ross’ sister Elspeth and hold her hostage until Ross agrees to a meeting.

Elspeth is on her way to meet her soon-to-be betrothed when the Campbells take her. The Campbell chief killed her father and uncle and were banished from Scotland by the king, their lands given to several clans, including hers. But the Campbell is back and wreaking havoc in an attempt to regain their lands. She is sure they are evil, but once they get to Ireland, she realizes that they are starving and Calum is not his father, he wants peace and a chance to save his clan. She agrees to help them and writes to Ross and sets up a meeting.

Things become complicated by the attraction between them, and each wants to be true to their clans. They hope the meeting with Ross will clear the air and peace can be achieved. But things don’t go as planned and when she learns of more Campbell attacks while she was in Ireland, her father in Calum’s innocence waivers – but when her betrothed grabs her, it is Calum who saves her and when he swears he doesn’t know anything about the attacks, she decides to appeal to her other brother for help. But when they come across another “Campbell” attack in progress, they realize the truth and know that things are going to get much worse unless they can convince Ross that Calum is innocent, which is a seemingly impossible task and makes their chances for a HEA even more unlikely.

This is the final book in the collaboration trilogy following the MacMillan siblings and in my opinion, this one is the best of the three. Calum and Elspeth have such great chemistry and of the three couples, they have the most to overcome. The book is filled with action, intrigue, betrayal, steamy love scenes, shocking revelations, big twists, a nail-biting-hanging on the edge of your seat-OMG ending, and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue. I loved this book and highly recommend it. This is the third book in the series, and while you could read this as a standalone title, I would strongly recommend reading the series in order for the best reader experience.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

I’m not sure the abduction trope is for me, but for those who want to read about a captor and his prisoner falling madly in love, this is the story for you. The story was rich and lush with longing, misunderstandings, action, and romance. It was very sweet and had a very satisfying ending. The hero was an interesting character with a lot of passion and strength, unfortunately the heroine wasn’t quite as interesting. I was still rooting for them! They were adorable when working together. A nice quick read! Thanks netgalley for the advance copy!

I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review.
While this is very much outside my wheelhouse, both in terms of setting and trope (kidnapping is usually a hard nope for me), I’ve read Madeline Martin before and feel I can trust her to make the setup work. And she does. I respect the way Elspeth maintains her agency throughout, a key factor which makes the difference in executing this well vs. it being creepy. And the intent on Calum’s part is well-established, with him wanting to do right by his people and making strategic moves against an enemy and bring peace. And beneath the tough façade, he’s a kind, caring person.

This was my first Madeline Martin book, but I will tell you it won’t be my last. I loved her writing so much that after I was finished this book, I went and ordered The Last Bookshop in London and The Librarian Spy.

Highlander's Stolen Bride took my breath away. I hadn't expected so much depth and richness to the story and writing. Madeline did an excellent job taking her readers on this historical romance story with action, emotional depth, and just the right amount of spice. The writing was very polished and flowed so nicely. Madeline did a fantastic job incorporating all those period details while creating a story that engages her readers.

Elspeth is a romance heroine you will fall in love with. She is fierce, loyal, and kind. Elspeth is tired of being protected by men and wants to learn how to fight to defend herself. She does not want to rely on others for protection anymore. She was the perfect heroine for this story, and I loved following her journey. Calum was a surprise to me. I thought he would fill that typical Scottish hunky warrior role in the story. And he did, but his character ended up having more depth than what I expected. He is struggling to fulfil his role as Laird; his father's aggressive behaviour left the clan in an unfavourable situation. Calum is determined not to follow in his father's footsteps.

I just loved the captive/ forced proximity love story in this book. The captive situation was a nice change for me, and I enjoyed watching these two interacts with each other. Both characters have misconceptions about each other and realize that there is a definite attraction between them even though they are enemies. Madeline did a great job creating this wonderful slow-burn attraction between these two.

Highlander's Stolen Bride is a breathtaking romance that will leave you feeling delighted.

One of the best enemies-to-lovers books ever!

When this story started and it became clear that Elspeth is going to be kidnapped by her sworn enemy, Calum, I admit, I was aghast. How can she fall for the guy who's been terrorizing her family for decades? However, my hat's off to the author for brilliantly showing us that the Calum we and Elspeth knew - mostly from rumors - is not at all who he really is. And kidnapping her is the only way he can prove that, a point with which we soon will agree.

I loved how the author took the reader on the same journey as Elspeth in learning the truth about the Campbells and about Calum himself. Our hearts softened together as we recognized his honor and watched him struggle to save his clan. It's a rare book that gets me so emotionally invested, so immediately. I honestly could not put this book down, and I loved every bit of it.

This is a fast-paced, action-packed romance, filled with all the drama from the previous two books and acting like a proper Act Three that ties up all the loose ends and brings a HEA to everyone involved. As a standalone it's a must-read, but I also highly recommend getting all three books and reading them together to get the entire fascinating story. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

This is my first read by this author.
I really enjoyed it. It was a sweet and exciting romance. I don't often read many highlander romances and this was a great read.
The heroine Elspeth MacMillan is kidnapped by Calum. Calum is devoted to his clan because of stolen lands he sees that the only way to restore this land is to kidnapped Elspeth. He is determined to do right by his clan but not follow in is fathers footsteps.
Thank you to the author for an advance readers copy.
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8877337090995870747/1007270736268997075

I don't even have words for how much emotion this book pulled from me.

Scottish highlands clan drama, although drama isn't the right word for the war that is raging around them in the countryside. Both main characters are pulled this way and that way. The side characters are meaningful, full of life and have their own established personalities. The world that is built is full of life and expressive, you can feel the energy from one environment to the next and really feel like you're entrenched in their lives.

Elspeth is fiery, fierce, vibrant in a way that I you don't see in a lot of historical fiction books. She knows exactly where she stands in things and even though her place is meant to be the proverbial kitchen she stands up for herself and for those she loves. Once she understands the situations around her, she doesn't let go of righting the perceived wrongs of those around her.

Calum is a man with true convictions, he's stuck between a rock and hard place. Fighting for his people and those he feels responsible for he does things he wouldn't normally does and even though the results aren't exactly aligned with what he had hoped he's one to roll with the punches.

Their love story is beautifully broken. Elspeth believes that she needs to do what is right by her clan and Calum is the same and they wind up spending time with one another and seeing each other as they are. Without the restrictions and requirements of those around them. It's almost disheartening the number of things they must travel through and fight against to truly be where they should be. But they make it through.

This book is a beautiful story of love and perseverance. Definitely a must read and 100% worth of five stars.

⚔️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿⚔️Book📚Review⚔️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿⚔️
Book:The Highlander's Stolen Bride
By Madeline Martin
Series:Highland Alliances, Book #3
Release Date: 3/29/2022
Publisher : Harlequin
Number of pages: 267
Overall Rating: 5/5 Stars
Blog Rating: 5/5 Saltire Flags

Argyll, Scotland 1360

All three MacMillan siblings had been forced into marriage with clans for strong and wealthy alliances Especially after half there clan had been slaughtered by Alexander Campbell’s Clan. A traitor who had been exiled to Ireland by the King and his castle and lands were forfeited awarded to the MacMillan clan. At least now he was dead but now they had to deal with his son Calum.

Elspeth MacMillan had been waiting in the abbey waiting for her betrothed Liam MacLachlan. A man she considered more like a brother having grown up with and she also knew he was self-centered and very spoiled by his family and clan. She had no romantic feelings and dealing with a man who was so vain and everyone coddled was not something Elspeth was looking forward to in this marriage. Unlike her brothers who both ended with love matches hers would never turn into love.

Now the Abbey Elspeth had been residing at had been attacked, as it was obvious they were looking for her to use as some sort of ransom. So she went to hide at Castle Barron where her brother Fergus and new wife Coira lived. Now she was on her way to castle Lachlan where she will meet and marry Leith MacLachlan. On the way Elspeth had a bad feeling and she was correct they were attacked by their enemies the Campbell’s . Now that Alexander was dead his son Calum was the new Laird and abducted Elspeth and brings her to Ireland. Except Calum is not the monster his father was, as he can’t even feel any remorse for his own father’s death knowing how horrible he was. This father had always criticized and abused Calum because he looked for peaceful solutions to problems to avoid war. He only abducted Elspeth to use as leverage to ease his clan’s suffering and for peace and to get his lands in Scotland returned.

Calum had heard all the rumors of how unattractive Elspeth was when she was younger, but it was obvious she had blossomed. As Elspeth MacMillan was the most beautiful woman he ever saw in his life. She also starts to understand that the Campbell’s were far from living in a palace and in luxury and were near starving living on a barren land. Calum and Elspeth start falling for each other and she wants to help his people.

Yet her brother won’t agree to peace as the Campbell’s are still attacking and killing on Macmillan land. So Elspeth starts to wonder if she’s been a fool to trust a man who really wants to kill and maim! Will Calum ever be able to convince Elspeth that his heart is pure and he truly does want peace between their two clans? Even though she is falling for a man from an enemy clan, will she marry a man that Is like a brother? Will her brother the MacMillan Laird ever accept a Campbell’s word or will he make him pay with his life for kidnapping his baby sister? Read this and find out.

I have been reading Madeline Martin since her very first Highlander debut book as an independent author. Now she’s with many publishing houses like Harlequin and I couldn’t be happier for all her success as a New York Times Best Selling Author! Madeline Martin pens another brilliant story that definitely pulled my heart strings. This is the last book in the phenomenal Highland Alliances series. Each book is interlinked with a MacMillan sibling who needs a strong clan alliance since the common enemy is the exiled Campbell clan who is attacking them. Due to Alexander Campbell’s betrayal, it is former Campbell lands that the King awarded to the MacMillan clan.

Bestselling authors Terri Brisbin, Jenni Fletcher and Madeline Martin all did a wonderful collaboration which I absolutely loved. It is filled with all the elements Scottish historical romance readers love! I have to admit I am a little melancholy now that I have finished this marvelous series. If you love a riveting, awe-inspiring, fast-paced, romantic Scottish adventure filled with deception, betrayal, mystery, suspense, passion and steaming hot romance. You definitely don’t want to miss “The Highlander's Stolen Bride” By Madeline Martin! You can read as a stand alone book but personally I highly recommend your read all three books. I am definitely happy I read all three! I can’t recommend this book or the entire series enough.

Highland Alliances Convenient marriages to save their clan!

Highland Alliances Series

Book 1: The Highlander’s Substitute Wife
by Terri Brisbin
Book 2: The Highlander’s Tactical Marriage
by Jenni Fletcher-TBR 2/22/2022
Book 3: The Highlander's Stolen Bride
by Madeline Martin-TBR 3/29/2022

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

Buy Links:
https://www.amazon.com/Highlanders-Stolen-Bride-Highland-Alliances-ebook/dp/B09HKV67CR/

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-highlanders-stolen-bride-madeline-martin/1140236773

https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Highlander_s_Stolen_Bride_Mills_Boon.html?id=hmpREAAAQBAJ

https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-highlanders-stolen-bride/id1588240714

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-highlander-s-stolen-bride-4

https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9780369711694_the-highlanders-stolen-bride.html

The Highlander's Stolen Bride could have been so good is only Calum had committed to being somewhat of a villain. As he wanted to be a decent man, he did not kidnap the heroine to marry her and, in my opinion, the book suffered from it. It was boring. The best I can say is that the intimate scenes were well done, but Elspeth was kind of a TSTL (too stupid to live) character, which also diminishes the enjoyment of the book. I also felt that the construction of their relationship and attraction towards each other fell a bit flat.
2.3 stars.

An excellent story with the most wonderful characters which I've come to expect from Madeline Martin. I started reading the book late yesterday afternoon and actually stayed up half the night to finish it because I just couldn't put it down!

Has there ever been a hero as brawny as Calum and yet with such a gentle soul?! All he wants is peace for his clan after all the battles and chaos his late father had caused, even being ousted from Scotland. Desperate to ease his clan's suffering, he kidnaps Elspeth and plans to use her as a bargaining chip in exchange for peace and getting their lands back. What he never bargained for, though, is how quickly she makes a place for herself in his heart!! As for Elspeth, it doesn't take long for her to understand the plight this clan is in and wants to help all she can. Calum is not at all what the rumours said he was, he's definitely not like his father was and when passion heats up between them, they both wonder if peace can ever happen between their two clans.

Tons of action, some swoon worthy moments, some heart in the throat moments and an ending that will put a smile in your heart. Simply put, I absolutely loved this story!!

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Like many highlander stories, this book involved two people who find love despite being from opposing clans. Their story is full of conflict and has a fast-moving plot. Elspeth and Calum are alike in their loyalty to their families and their innate goodness. Ironically, it is their similarities rather than their differences that keep driving them apart. No OW drama, a little OM drama, and plenty of action. A quick and entertaining read.

I received an ARC from Netgalley.

I don’t know why I keep reading Highlander romances to me they are pretty much all the same. But I keep picking them up hoping one will be different but it hasn’t happened yet.