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Kissing the Highland Twin

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Book: Kissing the Highland Twin
Author: Amy Jarecki
Series: The MacGalloway’s , Book #4
Publisher: Oliver Heber Books
Release Date: February 7, 2023
Book Length: 279 pages
Overall Rating: 5 Stars
Blog Rating: 5 Saltire Flags

The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry….Robert Burns (Scottish Poet)

Scotland 1817

Andrew and Phillip MacGalloway are the handsome identical twin brothers of a Scottish noble family where their oldest brother is the Duke. The twin brothers also run a mill together that creates exquisite muslim. The ruse is that Philip wants to deceive his betrothed, Eugenia Radcliffe who he hasn’t spoken to or communicated to in over three years! Now his mother is having a house party but it is pretty much so Philip will honor his betrothal and set a wedding date already!

Furthermore Phillip just wants Andrew to give Miss Radcliffe very little attention but to basically ignore his fiancé and go hunting most of the time. Andrew feels this is so wrong to treat the woman you want to marry like this. Where Philip is a cold, self-centered, snob that only cares for himself. Andrew refuses this horrible plan but hesitantly agrees so his new sister-in-law-to-be won’t feel ashamed or embarrassed plus being the helpful brother he is.

Therefore being the kind, sincere, gentleman he is and decides to make his acquaintance with Miss Eugenia Radcliffe as pleasant as possible. Andrew even keeps a list of the things that makes her special and unique,thinking it would enhance his brother's future marriage. Except he starts to have feelings for this woman who he now thinks as Eugenia that aren't very brotherly at all!

Eugenia thought for sure Philip wanted to break off the engagement! Especially not hearing from him since he proposed, however this man was is very different. Of course it’s been over three years so maybe he has changed or she doesn’t remember clearly. Eugenia always felt her mother set him up and put them in a compromising position to begin with. Especially since she had no offers since she came out two years ago being the shy wallflower. As both her mother and spoiled younger sister seemed ashamed of her and acted like she didn’t even exist the majority of the time.
So it was easy to discover her own amusements and during this time she discovered she had a talent for making lace, yet being the daughter of a Baron no one could know! As the gentry looked down at tradesmen, and snubbed women with talent and who had a brain who wanted more than just to be a married baby maker! Therefore when Philip was showering her with attention she was truly confused and she started having feelings she couldn’t control. Well that was until the real Philip returned to his mother’s house party and possibly opened up a whole can of worms!

Will Eugenia feel absolutely humiliated and betrayed not just by the twins but their entire MacGalloway family who all knew the truth? Shall she realize she has fallen in love and taken liberties with the wrong brother? If she discovers the truth can she ever forgive and forget? Will this cause a scandal of dire consequences that will ruin her family? Will she refuse her hearts true desire due to everyone’s deception? Will Eugenia assume the life of a spinster and remain alone forever?Find out this and more by reading this remarkable story about love, independence, deception, forgiveness and love.

Another winner that I absolutely loved about a scheming bother and a protective brother. It has all the elements that draws me in a beautiful story plus a few things that made me giggle too. It is no wonder Amy Jarecki is one of my favorite go to authors! Another book in this fun MacGalloway’s series that I absolutely loved. Can’t wait for the next book in this captivating series

A book I definitely recommend!


Disclaimer: I received an advance reader’s copy from Oliver-Heber 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/Kissing-Highland-Twin-MacGalloways-Book-ebook/dp/B0B8QGBCBF

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kissing-the-highland-twin-amy-jarecki/1142899826

https://oliver-heberbooks.com/our-books/kissing-the-highland-twin-the-macgalloways-book-4/

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I knew I was a goner when I got through the first few pages: twin highlanders pull a switcheroo at a house party, but oops the "wrong" twin falls for his brother's betrothed 😍 Although it seems like there would be big consent issues, Andrew really doesn't want to go along with it and vows to keep it chaste - before everything goes sideways for romance reasons, of course.

This book started out very fun, funny and lighthearted. Andrew is the sweeter, more kind-hearted brother who is also a massive strapping Highlander oh DARN and you are rooting for him from the beginning because he's an absolute cinnamon roll (more on that later).

Eugenia has been patiently waiting three years (!) for Phillip to set a date for their nuptials but she's kept herself busy with a covert lace-making business, giving her her OWN secret identity, dun dun dunnnn 😮 We love a crafting queen.

I forgot to mention Andrew is kind of a soft rake, has a pronounced boob obsession and falls almost immediately for Eugenia but has to fight it 🥺 There are so many cute scenes of them together, including an incendiary first kiss in an empty orchestra antechamber. He is so tender and thoughtful with her, I fell in love with him immediately.

The pacing of the romance feels a little weird, it's not a slow burn per se as the first kiss happens pretty quickly, but then there is a longggg (and I do mean long) stretch where there is absolutely no romance and it kind of killed me. Especially as it was fakeout after fakeout (they're stuck in an inn with only one bed, they're stuck on a boat, they're in a carriage, and NOTHING - y'all I was ready to peace out at this point). I was almost fearful this was going to be closed door but then the wedding night scene happened and uhh yeah, it was on page and it was HOT. Is there anything hornier than a man this far gone for his wife? Ugh 😩😭🙌 But after a total romance drought it felt really weird, like two books smooshed together - one an adventure and one a romance.

All in all I loved the love between these two, I just wish the "pushing him away" part was tightened up a bit, because he was honestly the kindest most beautiful soul and she just really made him suffer above and beyond what felt right. It started to push her dangerously close to unlikable heroine territory. He basically does nothing but help her (including taking a bullet for her, like, literally and protecting her from an attacker) and she punishes him for it at every turn. The fact that he gave her space while also loving her madly is just a testament to what a badass he is.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars

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Lovely story of a strong woman who has a plan to be independent and went for it as well as the man who provided all the support she needed even when she didn’t want it. The only hurdle to their HEA was the tangled web of deception at the start. It is really easy to fall in love with the couple in the story. She just has to kiss the right twin.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and leaving my review voluntarily.

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This regency book has a sweet quality which pulls at your heart. It will put a smiling on your face. It was heartfelt the interaction between Eugenia and Andrew. Basically, Eugenia is engaged for 3 years to Andrew twin Phillip. They switch places so Phillip can go to the horseraces. It was a bet gone wrong because while most of his family can’t tell the difference between the twins someone observant like Eugenia can. Like most things, the ruse is uncovered. There is a mad dash for forgiveness. It pulls at your heart strings. It deals with emotions and expectations of societal roles of men, women, rich, and poor. I like the POV of both H&H. I did enjoy this book and look forward to going back and reading the other books. It can be a stand-alone book or read in the series. I would recommend this book and the author.

**I received this book from NetGalley and publisher for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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I just adored Andrew, he is so kind and caring, fun and protective.
Sure, by agreeing to his twin scheme, he knows it is the wrong thing to do, yet he also does not want his brother’s intended to feel slighted, which she had been since their « betrothal ».
Because, unlike his brother, he sees his fiancée for the lovely shy woman she is, he did not dismiss her for her modesty.
For all his wickedness, he gets to know her, to learn about her and what he finds out, he shares with his twin to let him know how nice is his betrothed.
So when things take a wrong turn, he is the one who pursues Eugenia.
Eugenia is sure the victim of the twins trick, after years of being ignored, she is now finally able to have a glimpse of who is her intended, and he is so much more fair and gentle than she remembered.
So while her reaction is on the extreme side, it is understandable she feels betrayed when she pieces together the clues that did not fit.
For there begins a wild journey with an Andrew as the unwanted but necessary chivalrous knight, a man who despite her rejections and unkind words still finds ways to make sure she is safe. A hidden savior.
I think her dismissal of Andrew’s feelings went on the long run, yet she needed to live a little to be able to weight the value of all her choices. To come to term with her naive dreams and the reality of life, to heal her wound before being able to see the man who stood by her all along.
4 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen lovemaking scene

I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

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This was such a wonderful story to read and although I felt bad for both Andrew and Eugenia and the position they found themselves in, it all ended up for the better.

Andrew agrees to pretend to be his identical twin brother when Philip's betrothed, Eugenia, comes to visit but little does he realize the mess they'll be in when he starts falling for her and when she finds out their duplicity!! Of course she's hurt but it also makes her decide to finally take control of her life and make it on her own. Andrew runs after her but he realizes he has to let her follow her dreams. How to convince her, though, that they belong together?

I love it when an author includes a beloved animal in the story and this one has a big loveable deerhound:)

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

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Having your identical twin take your place to greet your betrothed. What could go wrong?

I found this story delightful and believable!! My husband has identical twin sisters who were difficult for family to tell them apart. They switched places for tests during college so they only had to study for one test and loved fooling everyone so this story struck home for me.

I loved Eugenia from the very beginning. She had patience and was sadly under the thumb of a very strict and protective mother who would stop at nothing to see her daughters married well. But there comes a time when you have to take a stand for yourself and make decisions that make you happy, even if it means risking the outcome. Her betrothed is different from what she remembers, perhaps the three year's time she'd spent waiting for him to set a date had changed him. She liked the new gentleman he'd become.

Andrew lost a game of chess to his twin who made a wager that he would go to their mother's house party to greet his betrothed in his stead for a couple days so he could go to a horserace. Andrew didn't want to do it so he upped the ante by winning his brother's prize horse for doing this favor. What he hadn't expected was the feelings he had for Eugenia after only being in her presence for a couple days. His brother must be blind or cold not to see the beauty before him. But like most ruses, this one came to light by the intelligent Eugenia who had figured things out. After being completely humiliated she broke the engagement and ran away to start a life for herself. She'd wanted that anyway.

The best part of this story is the chase! Andrew could not allow her to take off alone without a maid or an escort so he dashed after her. I was gifted with an ARC and wanted to post my thought on this delightful, heartfelt story.

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Join in on this magical journey with fierce heroine and rugged highlander as they butt heads and fight for their hearts desire. Amy has her unique talent in full swing with these two that it was a joy to read.

Sir Philip MacGalloway and Sir Andrew MacGalloway are twins in looks only. Sir Phillips gets engaged and then promptly neglects his betrothal. Now she is coming to Scotland and the fun begins. They run a mill together that makes fine, soft muslin.

Miss Eugenia Redcliffe has waited three years, two months, and five days to see or hear from her betrothed. Being invited to a house party by the Dowager dutchess gives her time to know her betrothed and set the date hopefully. She is a very talented lacemaker.

Here is the fun. Not to give too much but only one thing! Twin antics are about to go wrong and learn a very valuable lesson. Miss Eugenia shows her independence, pride, and shout hearted strength to all.

So join our highland house party for fun, antics, mischievous characters, and a deerhound that loves people. Find out what the twins did, Eugenia does to them and how it is made up to her.

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A Ruse, Devotion, Independence:
The twins Phillip and Amdrew are playing a ruse on Eugenia who happens to be Phillips betrothed. The deception takes us into a romance that was charming, sweet, humorous, and filled with desire, until the ruse was discovered.
Somewhat predictable romance but Andrew and Eugenias journey to happiness takes us through a whirlwind of emotions. Eugenia is really strong-minded lady.
An intriguing story of two different classes of people. Eugenias fight for her independence and Andrew's devotion to give her everything she wanted and guide her was beautiful but that also bothered me. He gave up everything for her and she didn't give anything up and got what she wanted. My slant on Eugenia's behavior was one sided.  He did get a new family in the end.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy for my honest opinion.

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I like the premise of this book, and the characters are generally likable, but this one was definitely boring. Not much happens for much of the book. Andrew and Eugenia spend three days together--with nothing interesting happening--and then are separated for long periods of times. Andrew is written as the superior twin in terms of personality and championing women, but we heard much about him being a connoisseur of breasts. While I was grateful not to hear about specific former lovers or mistresses, the author went on ad nauseam about Andrew's obsession with breasts. I don't why she would think that this is a quality that the reader would want in a romantic hero. Were it not for this, Andrew would have been ideal, especially in comparison to his schmuck twin, Phillip. I have read all of the other books in this series. I am not looking forward to Phillip's book. He's going to need a personality transplant to make a woman love him. Grace's book holds promise though! This book was definitely not my favorite in the series. The best things about it were the kids and Andrew's dog. The scenes with them were the best. Otherwise, not much to see here.

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This was such a fun read! It is the classic twin switch trope, with a historical setting.

It was fast paced and easy to read, with rich historical facts and likelable charcters.

I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

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Every time I read this book it just gets better. The author put so much detail into the characters and their emotions and just the story in general. This book is so intense that you hardly see the pages go by, and the story is about the couple, but also branches out to future stories to come.

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Kissing The Highland Twin
The MacGalloways #4
Amy Jarecki
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lord Andrew MacGalloway has agreed to attend a house party, posing as his twin, and even though he does it with good intentions, it still doesn't feel like he's doing the right thing. After all, it wouldn't be fair to his brothers fiancé if he didn't do it and backed out too. This may be an inconvenience, but he fully intends to make the whole event pleasant for Miss Eugenia Radcliff by engaging her in idle chat, long, chaperoned walks, and dancing the proper number of waltzes.

What he didn't intend was for things to turn out the way they did. I mean, even identical twins are not exact replicas of one another.

When Eugenia Radcliff discovers that Andrew is not his brother Phillip and therefore not the man she is betrothed to, she is humiliated and totally distraught. Prior to arriving at the party, she figured her fiancé would not honor his promise of marriage as she had not heard from him for a long time, but now she has proof.

After some quick thinking and feeling like she has no other choice, Eugenia renounces the engagement and leaves since she is unable to remain in Scotland a moment longer. By this time, Andrew feels like a cad and totally responsible for this new turn of events and races after her, determined to save her from ruin. But does this woman who has been terribly hurt want to be rescued by the dashing highlander, or does she have other plans in mind? Plans that will make her happy.

Amy Jarecki is absolutely marvelous. This book grabbed me and pulled me in hook, line, and sinker. I swear every word had me hanging on for dear life until the next. I was really hoping that she would find out about Andrew and be happy it was him. I never knew what would happen next. Would he be found out, or would he get away with pretending to be his brother longer. The two main characters were meant for each other, and all I could do was hope that they realized it before it was too late. This book was rich with historical facts, and I could envision everything as I read it. All in all I would definitely recommend this book because it is fabulous. Ms. Jarecki is such a talented author.

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An enjoyable romance with the classic 'twin' story that gives it that extra something to the plot. I liked Andrew and Eugenia and when she figures out he's the wrong twin or is it the right twin it picks up and takes another entertaining turn. Adventure, a chase and a forever love.

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A beautifully written historical romance with likable characters. Would recommend

Thank you to Amy Jarecki, NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of this book

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I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book.
Andrew lost a bet to his brother and now must pretend to be his twin at the dowger duchess's house party. The party at which Eugenia, Phillips's fiance of 3 years will be.
I liked the realtionship between Andrew and Eugenia. I liked how they got to know one another. I hate the lies Andrew had to tell.
I liked how Andrew wanted to help Eugenia even knowing that she may never forgive him.
Andrew was really sweet and I loved him even when the deception was occurring but once Eugenia knew the truth, he got better.
5 stars

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