In this stunning series starter by USA Today bestselling author May McGoldrick, meet the new generation of Penningtons…five brothers and sisters of passion and privilege. Enter their aristocratic world…where each will fight injustice and find love. Hugh Pennington–Viscount Greysteil, Lord Justice of the Scottish Courts, hero of the Napoleonic wars–is a grieving widower with a death wish. … with a death wish. When he receives an expected crate from the continent, he is shocked to find a nearly dead woman inside. Her identity is unknown, and the handful of American coins and the precious diamond sewn into her dress only deepen the mystery.
Grace Ware is an enemy to the English crown. Her father, an Irish military commander of Napoleon’s defeated army. Her mother, an exiled Scottish Jacobite. When Grace took shelter in a warehouse, running from her father’s murderers through the harbor alleyways of Antwerp, she never anticipated bad luck to deposit her at the home of an aristocrat in the Scottish Borders. Baronsford is the last place she could expect to find safety, and Grace feigns a loss of memory to buy herself time while she recovers.
Hugh is taken by her beauty, passion, and courage to challenge his beliefs and open his mind. Grace finds in him a wounded man of honor, proud but compassionate. When their duel of wits quickly turns to passion and romance, Grace’s fears begin to dissolve…until danger follows her to the very doors of Baronsford. For, unknown to either of them, Grace has in her possession a secret that will wreak havoc within the British government. Friend and foe are indistinguishable as lethal forces converge to tear the two lovers apart or destroy them both.
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I loved this story, Hugh and Grace are wonderful characters that having you rooting for their HEA.
When Grace Ware finds her father and their servants dead and the villains still in the room, she runs. She hides in a shipping crate and ends up being sealed in.
When Hugh Pennington, Viscount Greysteil, Lord Justice of the Commissary Court, opens the crate housing his balloon gondola, the last thing he expects to find is an almost dead woman and a handful of American coins.
Grace wakes with a fever and doesn’t know where she is, in her delirium and tries to find her father. What she finds is Hugh in the library. In her fevered state, she doesn’t answer his questions, but does tell him her name is Grace. Since he found her, there have been more questions than answers, including who is she and why did she have an uncut diamond sewn into the lining of her gown?
Grace finally wakes and is horrified to learn that Hugh is the Lord Justice and she is in Scotland. Her Irish father was a commander for Napoleon and her mother’s family were Jacobites. Afraid to reveal her identity in fear of being imprisoned as a traitor, Grace feigns amnesia. But the ruse is hard to maintain, Grace has the gift of a photographic memory, she can remember every word she has ever read and pretending to have no memory is hard for her. She wants to trust Hugh and his sister Jo, but fear keeps her quiet. In addition, she has no idea how the diamond ended up in her possession and wonders if she has unintentionally become a conspirator with her father.
Hugh is intrigued by Grace and feels alive for the first time in years. His family believes he has a death wish and that he is overcome with grief after losing his young wife and son eight years ago. But what they don’t know is that guilt more than grief has kept him prisoner for all these years. Grace is the first woman he has ever met that stirs his soul.
Hugh does his best to protect Grace and as they get to know each other, something sparks between them. But Grace is still keeping secrets and Hugh has too much honor to start a relationship with a woman who might be spoken for. They continue to grow close, Grace challenges Hugh and he begins to change. When a nosy neighbor comes calling with her houseguest in tow, Jo tries to hide Grace by sending her off with Hugh, but the neighbor cathces them on the road and Grace knows her time is running out, because the houseguest knows her true identity. Later Grace learns of Hugh’s wife and child, she is heartbroken and finally confesses who she is.
Hugh struggles with this knowledge, he also finally faces his past and knows without a doubt that Grace is the woman he wants in his life, no matter her past or her family. When the houseguest tries to lure Grace into a trap – Hugh knows that he loves her and will never let her go.
But there are forces at work that could ruin any future between them and secrets that must be discovered and set to right before they can even consider a HEA.
This was a fantastic story, well written and fast moving. The story has action, intrigue, secrets, steamy love scenes, wonderful secondary characters and a nail biting, sigh worthy ending.
I am happy to recommend this book and look forward to reading Jo’s story. FYI – The story of Hugh’s brother is already available in the anthology Christmas in Kilts!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher*
The first chapter sucks you in and you are held captive right through the last page. As always, the writing is superb, the pacing is just right and the characters are well developed and believable. I thoroughly enjoyed this first book in the series and can’t wait for Jo’s story in the next book!
We have murder, traitors, lies, spies, attempted kidnappings and best of all romance all packed into one excellent novel.
We first meet Grace Ware as she and her father are arriving in Antwerp – from America. Her father was injured in the Napoleonic wars and the wound has never healed correctly. Grace is his caregiver, confidant, secretary – well – just everything. She has followed her father on all of his exploits during the wars and since. She’s seen the horrors of war, cared for the wounded and since her father is a high ranking military commander, she’s been close to the emperor. Somehow, with all she’s seen, she has managed to remain a sweet, caring and very intelligent young woman who just happens to have a photographic memory.
I really liked Grace. Often, when I read these books where one main character is keeping a secret from the other – especially by lying – it really annoys me because it goes on much too long and is usually ill-advised. This time, it is completely understandable and reasonable that she does so. She has landed in a country where she and her family would be considered traitors and the home she has landed in belongs to none other than Hugh Pennington, Viscount Greysteil, Lord Justice of the Scottish Courts. No matter how nice they may be treating her, if they find out who she is, they may very well turn her over as a traitor.
Hugh is a man of honor and is known throughout the country as a fair and honest judge who upholds the law equally – despite rank, nationality, gender, affliction, etc. He is also a man who has been grieving for the last eight years over the deaths of his wife and young son. He blames his wife for being foolhardy, he blames the French for starting the war that kept him from getting to them and he blames himself for not being there. The once joyous man now laughs or smiles very seldom. His family thinks he has a death wish because he takes up dangerous hobbies – like ballooning.
When the new basket Hugh ordered for his balloon arrives, he hurries to open it. What catches his attention when he opens the crate isn’t the basket – it is the woman lying in it. He’s sure she’s dead, but then notices slight signs of life. As she fights for her life over the next few weeks she intrigues Hugh. She’s obviously very self-confident, intelligent, well-bred and very beautiful. Both of them fight the attraction for different reasons, but neither of them is successful. It is so satisfying to watch Hugh deal with his grief and Grace come to trust and believe in Hugh and his family. Delightful!
I would have liked to see the book end with the actual wedding instead of just talking about it – but maybe we’ll get that in the next book.
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“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”
Wonderful book Great Characters. So far I love all of these beautiful books. I really like that the characters are all interesting and that the Authors keep it all in the family’s. I love them all. Can’t put them down. I will spend the snowy winter with them. Thanks !
A very enjoyable read. Loved all the characters, including the supporting ones.
How did she get into so much trouble? That is the question that Grace asks when her entire life is turned upside down in Romancing the Scot by May McGoldrick.
Grace Ware is traveling with her ailing father. With no home and no additional family, they are to be settled in the Americas. This is a new start, and a hope for a satisfying future. However, things don’t go quite as planned. Grace’s father is murdered, and she is on the run for her life. But where the journey will take her, she could never understand or anticipate. While running, she is trapped within a crate, and shipped to a new place. Sick and ailing, when found the strangers take care of her. And this is only the beginning of her journey.
Hugh Pennington is the Viscount of Greysteil. A widow of eight years, he is not looking for anything to change his mourning of his wife and child. So, when he finds a beautiful woman within a crate that was delivered to him. He is amazed at the draw that he feels toward her. Who is this woman? And what has happened to cause her to be within his package? At first, she hides her identity from him, under the guise of amnesia, because she is afraid of what will happen to her. However, the more she learns of her host, she realizes that she must come clean as to who and what she is to him.
This was a welcome change of pace in my reading. An exciting and thrilling historical romance. The best part about reading a historical romance is that it takes me back to reading my first romances. The ones I “borrowed” from my mom’s bookshelf. This has everything you expect from this genre of romance, a damsel in distress and the highbrow man that saves her while not trusting her until it is almost too late.
I really, really liked this book. It was a palette cleanser of a novel that was greatly appreciated in where it landed in my reading list. I would happily read this book again and give it five stars.
I was first introduced to author May McGoldrick and the Pennington family in May’s story, Sweet Home Highland Christmas in the anthology Christmas in Kilts. In that story Hugh Pennington and Grace were already married and I found them a fascinating couple then even with the small part they played in that story. I got to know them even better in this their own story.
This book has a little bit of everything to entertain the reader. There is a wonderful family with loving parents and siblings. Also there is a busybody neighbor who is a trouble-making gossip so you get a character to dislike. There are bad guys and ladies who lend the story an aura of suspense. Last, but not least, there is the romantic couple, Hugh Pennington, Vicount Greysteil whose big-heartedness is upfront throughout the story and his protectiveness is too and Grace Ware who is a very strong and independent heroine who can’t resist the handsome and lovable Hugh. Their chemistry is magical and I really liked their interactions.
Romancing the Scot was a very enjoyable read and I look forward to future books about the Pennington family.
The husband-and-wife team who become May McGoldrick are simply great story-tellers. They present romance, mystery, suspense and helpings of history for a rich, complex tale. In Romancing the Scot, you have seemingly star-crossed lovers — her family supported the French while he is a veteran of the English army whose wife and son died trying to reach him during battle. How could he ever love her, especially when it appears Grace Ware might even be a spy? But Hugh Pennington–Viscount Greysteil — hero of the Napoleonic wars, is a man capable of great love and passion. Despite his grief over losing his wife and son (and boy is that a complicated set of circumstances) he begins to come alive again when presented with the mystery of the woman, barely alive, who is delivered to him from Brussels inside a chest. What I especially love about this book is how the authors don’t allow silly misunderstandings. Grace is not forthcoming in the beginning, but the minute she needs to tell all, there is no backing down. Hugh understands who she is and doesn’t “hate” her because she was on the side of the French. For those of us who have read McGoldrick books before, there is a sense of familiarity with the settings, characters and events of the past — I’m slow on the uptake, but even I figured out that Hugh is the son of Lyon and Millicent. What a treat to catch up on the family and personally, I cannot wait to find out what happens next. This was just a great read. The title is somewhat bland, and could be about almost anything, however. A story this textured and compelling deserves a bit more dash — so maybe next time.
As a “New to Me Author”, I was extremely surprised by how much I liked this book! The story of Hugh and Grace was told without your normal angst. There was an enemy to defeat, but that didn’t really come into play except at the beginning and the end. The H/h’s stories were allowed to develop without all the extra’s and distractions that villains bring. I will admit that Grace has become one of my favorite heroines. She’s quick witted even in the face of danger, she’s not shy about voicing her opinion, and she doesn’t back down in a fight. Rarely do you get a heroine who has all these attributes. I loved that Hugh didn’t jump to conclusions every time you turned around and actually thought things through. I can’t wait to read Jo’s story next to see how she ends up!
I was Graced with an ARC from NetGalley. (See what I did there!!)
Romancing the Scot by May McGoldrick
The Pennington Family #1
Goodness me! This was a book well worth reading! I am so glad there is a new series by this excellent husband-wife writing team! I could not stop reading once I began and even with a house to clean, menu to plan and guests arriving tomorrow – I had to finish this story and write the review tonight!
I can’t imagine being seeking refuge from certain death only to find myself locked in a box and transported for days without food, water, light or hope of getting free. The fact that Grace emerged from what must have felt like a coffin without losing her mind is a testament to her strength of both body and mind. She continued to shower strength throughout the book and what strength it was whether applied to getting well, used in self-defense or determining what tack to take next – she was an impressive person that I wouldn’t mind calling friend.
Hugh Pennington was shocked when he found Grace inside of a box he expected to contain parts for a balloon he planned to fly. Her status was near death and his action quick in finding help and someone to help her survive – if at all possible. With his employees, sister and a doctor to assist things were tough and go but…Grace did have a fighting chance.
This is definitely a romance with intrigue, spies, danger, death and a whole lot of history that I found fascinating. I didn’t know Napoleon had a brother and didn’t realize that the Irish immigrated to Scotland. I was fascinated by some of the legal cases mentioned and references to the wars that were fought. I was reminded of bigotry and how it has reared its ugly head throughout the ages. I loved Hugh’s sense of fairness and responsibility as well as his gentle but masterful touch. I found Grace to be a woman to emulate. I found Jo’s situation sad and am happy to know that her turn for a second chance at love and happiness will arrive in book two. I have read other books by this author and loved each one. This book was rich and complex and a delight to read.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
Hugh Pennington—Viscount Greysteil, Lord Justice of the Scottish Courts, hero of the Napoleonic wars lost his wife & son over six years ago. When he receives an expected crate from the continent, he is shocked to find a nearly dead woman inside. Her identity is unknown, and the handful of American coins and the precious diamond sown into her dress only deepen the mystery.
Grace Ware is an enemy to the English crown. Her father, Colonel Ware was an Irish military commander of Napoleon’s defeated army & her mother, was an exiled Scottish Jacobite. When Grace took shelter in a warehouse, running from her father’s murderers through the harbour alleyways of Antwerp, she never anticipated bad luck to deposit her at the home of an aristocrat in the Scottish Borders. Baronsford is the last place she could expect to find safety, and Grace feigns a loss of memory to buy herself time while she recovers.
A very well written riveting read, the characterisation is very good both Hugh & Grace are very likeable & it was lovely to see Hugh leave his grief behind & learn to love again. Grace is delightful & is a mature intelligent woman with an ability she is able to put to good use not only for her own sake but for others. The pace of the book is very good & I was loathe to leave it but was too long a book to read in one sitting. There were twists & turns along the way until the reason for the murders in Antwerp was finally revealed. The rest of the Penningtons are intriguing & I look forward to their stories – I’ve already read Gregory’s & loved it, Jo certainly deserves her HEA. I was also intrigued by the parents the Earl & Countess of Aytoun, not realising their story had already been written, so I’ve been & bought it!
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Enjoyed this book. Simple read . Would recommend book
Love all books by this author.
This was an enjoyable story and I enjoyed the intelligence of the characters, the plot and the sense of a loving and supportive family. It could have been longer, perhaps with a change of scene and a more convoluted plot. I enjoyed learning about the court cases of deaf and dumb people at the time but would have appreciated learning more about early ballooning or the family of Napoleon. In other words it was an excellent love story, but I do wish it had been longer!
Good romance, enjoyable plot, and the twists in the mystery were fantastic.
This story had a lot of surprises, secrets, danger, and love. Grace is a fighter, and I loved the emotional journey of hers. She loses a lot, could lose more, but learns to trust in a man and his family. Hugh’s fair justice, even when he is forced to take a closer look at his methods, and willingness to admit wrong doing made him a great hero. This story did not stop moving and kept me wanting more. I enjoyed this story very much and look forward to the next in the series.
I received a copy of this story through Netgalley, and this is my unsolicited review.
I loved the originality of this story. Imagine opening a shipping crate and finding a woman inside… and a half-dead one, at that! This unique tale and its cast of wonderful and heartwarming characters was thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable. I am looking forward to the next installment in the Pennington series.
*I received a complimentary ARC of this story from NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.