Is it too much to ask for a relationship that works?
When Stella Grant realizes her perfect romance is a lie and
that she’s the other woman, she flees to her remote cottage in the Highlands to
lick her wounds.
Billionaire currency trader Jack Maclean has nothing but
contempt for the woman who stole not only his sister’s fiancé but quite
possibly a family heirloom to boot. Nonetheless, he wants answers and he
intends to get them. A quick trip north should do the trick. Never in a million
years could he have predicted a kamikaze sheep and inclement weather would
leave him stranded.
Jack might be gorgeous but Stella isn’t in the market for a
man, especially one who hates her. No matter how attractive he finds her Stella
is the very last person Jack should want. The trouble is, they’re all alone and
the chemistry is irresistible, and, well, what happens in Scotland stays in
Scotland, right?
Series: Maclean Family Legacy #1| Publisher: Tule Publishing
| Release Date: January 22, 2018| Genre: Contemporary Romance | Source: Publisher | Rating: 3.5 Cups
Jack and Stella were great together. A bit heavy at times
but the witty banter made things interesting.
So, I was a bit worried when I started this one—it was so
close to becoming a DNF—because I’m not a fan of cheating or fiancé stealing
(yeah, I don’t read blurbs, so I had no idea) but thankfully I kept reading and
realized things weren’t as they seemed.
Here’s what’s going on. Jack’s decided to confront the woman
he believes stole his sister’s fiancé and an heirloom Russian signet ring. He
didn’t plan on being stranded at her house, which happens to be off-grid in the
Scottish Highlands, or attracted to her, seeing as he hadn’t felt that way once
in the four years since his wife died. When Stella rescues Jack from his car
and brings him into her home, she never imagined she would fall for him,
especially since he was a Maclean, or fall into bed with him. Now they have to
deal with the repercussions of that night and work through their fears while
dealing with their feelings for each other.
This one totally surprised me. I was expecting something light with a dash of drama but this one was rather intense and angst-filled. And it worked.
“Drink?” she asked, holding the bottle a lot and waving it
in his direction.
He folded his arms across his broad chest, and arched one
dark eyebrow at her. “It’s two o’clock in the afternoon.”
“So? Neither of us is going anywhere at the moment and I,
for one, need the fortification.”
“I’ll pass.”
“There’s no need to sound all superior about it.” She
reached up for a glass and poured an inch of alcohol into it.”
“Why wouldn’t I?” he said, his voice discouragingly flat.
“You’re shameless and unscrupulous, and quite possibly not just a thief by a
drinker to boot. What’s not to be superior about?”
Jack and Stella started off on the wrong foot—he was angry
and blaming her for screwing up his sister’s life and she was basically over
him and his attitude from the start—so when they find themselves stranded
together it makes for an interesting encounter.
I liked Jack and Stella. They’re both a little broken and
they need to figure out how to mend but it’s going to take some work. Jack’s
still working through the death of his wife and the fear of what caused it so
when Stella ends up pregnant from the night they spent together, his fear takes
over. He’s also beating himself up over the fact that he slept with the woman
his sister believes ruined her life.
Stella’s working through abandonment issues brought on by
her parents and trying to figure out how not to fall in love with every guy she
meets. So, when circumstances force her to move into Jack’s house, she’s
struggling a bit. She’s trying to figure out how to open up and let him in
while not falling head over heels in love with him.
I really liked Stella and Jack together. They just brought
out the best in each other. He was quick to stand up for her and make her feel
worthy and she made him want to slow down and enjoy life more rather than just
throwing himself into work. I only little complaint was that while Stella was
spilling her secrets to him, which was hard for her to do, Jack kept things
bottled up and she more or less had to beg for a crumb of information.
The romance started out with the whole insta-lust thing but
it slowed down as the plot progressed and they took their time getting to know
each other. I understand why they were cautious; their issues were valid so it
wasn’t just angst for the sake of drama.
While I enjoyed the book, the epilogue felt rushed and
jumbled. I just wished it would have been evened out a bit.
Overall, I was pleased with this one. A few things could
have been smoothed out but it worked. And it had just that right amount of
angst and humor to make this one fly by.
Maclean Family Legacy Series
His Best Mistake
Her Forbidden Warrior (February 19, 2018)
Past Crimes: A Compendium of Historical Mysteries by Ashley
Gardner/Jennifer Ashley
