Highland Salvation

Highland Salvation by Lori Ann Bailey is book 4 in the Highland Pride Series. This is the story of Blair Macnab and Finlay Cameron. I have read the previous books, but feel you could make this a standalone if you wish to do so.
Finlay has been tagged to deliver news after the battle in Edinburgh which will take him into Scotland and England. Blair’s brother John is the one that suggest marrying Blair once the news has been given to her. Finlay has been smitten with Blair from the start but hasn’t felt that he deserves such a lady. Blair is told that Henry her soon to be husband has been killed. Instead of being sad she is greatly relieved since Henry was abusive to her. When a deal is struck with Finlay to become his wife which will save her from another abusive relationship. Now they are both heading to the King but doubts and mistrust between the two is cause some issue for them.
Really enjoyed their story.

Finlay Cameron, the bastard son of an English earl and a Scottish mother, weds stunning, outgoing Blair Macnab to ensure her clan’s loyalty to King Charles. She’s everything he’s ever wanted in a wife, but he suspects she may be plotting his murder. Always considered to be nothing more than a pretty face, Blair Macnab yearns to prove her worth.
A page turning, engrossing read very well written with wonderful characters, I loved it. This series continues to delight & is so accomplished that it’s hard to believe it’s the authors first. I’d hoped that Finlay & Blair would have their HEAs & was thrilled to read this. This is the fourth book in the series, it could be read on its own but I always have to read a series in order so I’d recommend reading this brilliant series from the start. This book follows on from the previous one, Finlay is absolutely gorgeous, so caring & patient with Blair, he’s been smitten with her for ages & when they marry to prevent her continuing to be her father’s pawn he can’t believe his luck. Blair is a strong highland lass, intelligent but has been raped by her fiancé before he’s killed, then blackmailed so marrying Finlay is a new beginning & she feels safe with him. Set at the time of the English Civil War it gives a true sense of the time & the intrigues happening. The road to Finlay & Blair’s HEA isn’t smooth as both have secrets plus doubts & misunderstandings hamper their road.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Highland Salvation (Highland Pride #4) by Lori Ann Bailey … This is another fantastic addition to the HIGHLAND PRIDE series. Thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for allowing me to preview this book. I love this series and Finlay and Blair’s story got me from the start.. Both of them have insecurities …he is bastard son of an Earl with other problems I won’t name with out spoilers and she doesn’t want to be misused as her mother was…. It was a fast moving story with laughter, tears, danger, misunderstandings, danger, some steamy stuff and also revisiting some old friends from previous books all leading to some very HEA’s and leaving me hoping for more HIGHLAND PRIDE stories.

Blair MacNab has always tried to earn her father’s affection by proving herself capable, but he’s only ever cared about what her good looks can do for him in a marriage alliance. When her cruel betrothed is killed in battle, his even more despicable cousin, knowing they had already slept together, attempts to blackmail Blair into marrying him. She’s left with little recourse but to marry her brother’s friend Finlay Cameron. Blair can’t believe she’s never noticed Finlay before but she believes him to be the right choice, though her judgment was grievously wrong before and she’s unsure if she can trust herself now.

As the illegitimate son of an English earl and a Scottish woman, Finlay Cameron is caught in a dangerous position between Royalists loyal to the English crown and Convenanters who want to force the Presbyterian religion on everyone. With her father eager to play both sides of the fence, marrying Finlay is Blair’s best option for staying safe and Finlay finds her to be everything he’s ever wanted in a wife.

Finlay has never really felt at home at his English estate and is relieved to be on Cameron lands, even if only for a short time. He’s afraid that Blair will not want him once she learns of the essentially double life he leads, but that may well be the least of his worries when he has reason to question where his wife’s loyalties lie and he begins to wonder if she may be behind the incident’s in which his life has been threatened whilst he’s on the road delivering an urgent message to the king.

Blair longs for a husband who’ll treat her as an equal, but after what her original betrothed did to her, she is distrustful of men and unsure that’s a possibility. She’s afraid to confide in Finlay and tell him she’s being blackmailed and Finlay is no good with words so communication between them reaches a virtual standstill. With miscommunications, secrets, and distrust, these two may never move their relationship beyond simple physical chemistry. Blair is so focused on being seen as useful that she can be blind to the feelings of others around her.

Poor Finlay is the strong and silent type. He’s adorably sweet and caring, but has no clue how to express himself. After struggling through Oxford with dyslexia while being ridiculed for being a Scot and a bastard, he thinks he’s stupid and undeserving of Blair so he tries to hide his perceived faults. Blair wants to establish a partnership with her husband, but she’s not sure how to go about that either so they seem to consistently take two steps forward and one step back.

This book gave me a feeling of danger and suspense that kept me engrossed and just waiting for the other shoe to drop. We’re still left with some lingering intrigue with other characters at the end that I hope will be visited in future books. This was a great read full of intrigue that kept me suspicious of everyone and not knowing who to trust. I’ve never read this author before but will be looking for the other books of this series now.

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

Scotland, 1643 “How do ye tell a lass the man she is betrothed to is dead?” such was the thought of Finlay Cameron, the bastard son of an English earl and the Cameron laird’s aunt. After a fierce battle fought by the Covenanters against the Royalist lairds still loyal to King Charles, Blair’s bethrothed Henry had been killed. Now with her brother John, they were going to relay the news. Yet he had seen Henry abusing Blair just the week before and knew he was a bastard. When John suggested he marry Blair now, he could not believe it. Blair had never given him a second look.
So the two marry but there are so many secrets and words unspoken. He wonders if Blair may betray and kill him even! As they make their way back to England, there are many problems and he wonders if Blair and her brother John are on the wrong side in the war. But he has his secrets also and with his dyslexia, it makes him unsure of himself.
Lori Ann Bailey takes us on an adventure with suspense, intrigue, secrets, betrayals and love. Her adept use of history and happenings of the times makes you feel you are there as the story unfolds. A must read to see if Finlay and Blair can ever find a happy ever after because to road is not smooth and there are people out to stop them on the way! I read this book through NetGallery

Maybe 3.5

This story picks up shortly after the climatic events of Highland Temptation, Finlay Cameron, the bastard son of the English Earl of Middlesbrough and Catriona, the aunt of the Cameron laird is arriving at the McNab keep to deliver some bad news to Blair. Finlay has admired Blair from afar for years, but she was promised to Henry Graham and far above his touch. Finlay has to deliver this news and quickly ride to England and let the King know what is happening with the Covenanters in Scotland. He wouldn’t even be here if his friend John (Blair’s brother) hadn’t convinced him that Blair would handle the news better from him.

Blair has no desire to marry Henry, he is abusive and took far more than he should have from her, but she has no say in the matter, so when she learns that he is dead, she is relieved. That is until Henry’s vile cousin Bruce tries to blackmail her into marrying him. Salvation comes in the form of Finlay – he proposes marriage and she accepts. They leave the next day for the Cameron holding to get his laird’s blessing and then they marry and set off for England with several Cameron retainers in tow.

Finlay is happy to marry Blair, he knows Henry ruined her and he thinks she is pregnant, he can’t bear the thought that her child would be a bastard and he hopes that she can be his life partner and they can have the family he always hoped for. But when an attempt is made on his life, he wonders if Blair is trying to stop him from bringing news to the King – her father is known far and wide to support the Covenanters – could Blair be working on his behalf? For her part, Blair feels a little guilty for not telling Finlay about Bruce – especially when she spies him in the village, she worries that her marriage to Finlay may spark a clan war, but she hopes that Bruce will just give up now that she is wed. She wants to be happy with Finlay and hopes that he will let her be a partner.

But doubts, suspicions and secrets lay heavy between these two and more than one threat conspires to tear them apart.

This is the fourth book in the Highland Pride series and I would recommend reading the books in order – at minimum, read Highland Temptation before this story. The book is well written, but it is busy with numerous story lines, it is also a bit repetitious and the assumptions and doubts drag on for too long and make the ending feel rushed. Both Blair and Finlay are likable, the story lines are interesting and the epilogue ties up almost all the loose ends. I am glad I read the book, but I don’t think I would re-read it.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*

This book annoyed me many times over..I felt for Blair this woman went thru a lot and she honestly needed a break and there were times that it was just difficult to read, I hate when woman are treated like trash, and she went thru that. She gets blackmailed, and Finlay pissed me off to by constantly wondering about her..Finlay wasn’t bad by any means and he himself has some issues that he needed to work thru, but again give this woman a break please…

Rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions.