Lady Alice Chivers is done being controlled by her family. On the run from an arranged and unwanted marriage, what she really needs in order to escape is a strong Highlander. And she’s pretty sure she’s found him. Only Philip MacGregor insists on sending her back to her pampered life… so she’ll just have to blackmail him instead. Seems simple enough, until they accidentally get married. … married.
Philip is cautious, in control, and in way over his head with his unexpected wife. She’s intense, spontaneous, and can’t follow an order to save her life. Oh, and he might be falling for her. However, her distractions are putting everyone in danger. Now he must somehow undo the damage before his friends pay with their lives.
Each book in the MacGregor Lairds series is STANDALONE:
* How to Lose a Highlander
* How to Ensnare a Highlander
* How to Blackmail a Highlander
* How to Forgive a Highlander
more
How to Blackmail a Highlander by Michelle McLean
The MacGregor Lairds #
Miss Alice Cheevers is engaged to an old man and she is not happy about it. She is an obedient daughter who understands the value of marrying for wealth and social position…as long as…it is not her that has to do so. And, the idea that the old guy she is to marry has already buried more than one young bride has her nervous…nervous enough to blackmail the young Scotsman who arrives bearing a letter from her best friend Elizabet. Philip MacGregor has no intention of taking Alice along with him on his return to Scotland but before he knows it there she is and along she comes. How she manages to do so, their interactions on the way and after they arrive are the rest of the story AND how they find their HEA was interesting to read. I did find Alice impetuous, spoiled, headstrong and not always aware of the danger she set herself up for and I found Philip to be hardheaded and a bit dense at times when he looked at his own emotions and feelings.
This was a light fun easy read that was somewhat predictable but also thoroughly enjoyable…if not very deep.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.
3-4 Stars
Lady Alice Chivers is trying to enjoy her last night of freedom before her parents betroth her to the Earl of Woolsmere, a man old enough to be her grandfather and who has already buried 3 much younger wives. Her parents refuse to listen to her pleas or give any credence to the rumors that his wives all died under questionable circumstances. She wishes her dearest friend Elizabet was here to talk to, but she hasn’t heard from her since she left England to join her husband in exile. Desperate for a moment alone, she slips out on the terrace and is grabbed by a man. Philip MacGregor is cousin to John, Elizabet’s husband. He delivers a letter and tells her he will meet her in the morning for her reply.
Alice hatches a plan, she will ask Philip to take her to Elizabet and when he refuses, she forms another plan, she follows him to his inn and blackmails him. Philip agrees to take her to Scotland, but that is as far as he will go, he warns that Ramsey (Elizabet’s former betrothed and enemy) might be watching her and will not place John or Elizabet in danger. He tells her to meet him in Dover and he will escort her to Scotland. Philip doesn’t expect to see her again and when she turns up in his cabin on the ship, he is more than a little shocked and if he is honest, impressed.
Alice and Philip are about as opposite as you can get, they bicker constantly and Alice’s impulsive nature lands them in trouble time and again. Most notably when she declares they are married and he agrees, she is surprised to learn that in Scotland that is all it takes to be truly married. She is fine with being married to Philip, but he is sure she will regret it sooner or later.
They finally reach Elizabet and the two begin to think there might be a future for them, that is until trouble in the form of Ramsey comes calling.
Personally, I found the first 75% of this book to be repetitive and didn’t feel any real connection between Philip and Alice. The story does become very interesting after they join Elizabet and John, but even at the end, I didn’t really “feel” the love between them. This is the third book in the series and can be read as a stand alone, but there is a lot of crossover from the previous books and while there is some backstory given, you would probably enjoy this book more if you read the books in order.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*
This is the third book in this series and although linked they are each a standalone.
Is Alice really in danger from her intended or is he just a lecherous old man? Even if he is no danger to her she finds the match distasteful.
Her perceived danger is what sends her on the run but the handsome Philip MacGregor wants nothing to do with her run away bride scheme.
He finds himself caught up in Alice’s scheme even though he refuses to help her. Now due to highland law he is unintentionally married to her. By the end of this book they will be married multiple times.
Will he be able to resist her charms and get her back to her home unscathed?
This is a delightfully humorous romance from the start. It does have it’s twists and turns and danger but the humor is what makes this an enjoyable read.
I gave this book 4.5 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization. This humorous tale is not to be missed. Even though part of a series this book reads well as a standalone with only some of the background and linked characters being missed out on. This doesn’t detract from this story.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this title which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
Although the relationship seemed doomed until the end, love will win.
HOW to BLACKMAIL a HIGHLANDER is a quick, easy, fun read. Alice is a quick- witted, sassy character with a penchant for trouble.
The MacGregor Lairds #3, This was a fun read and although I missed the first two books I was able to jump into this one no problem. Lady Alice is ready to fulfill her duty and get married and have babies what Alice doesn’t want is to marry the discusting old geezer who, if the rumor is believed, murdered his last three wives for not producing an heir. Alice’s best friend, Elizabet was in a similar situation and managed to avoid it by running away with a Scottish highwayman, Laird John MacGregor, who was banished from England. When Alice finally gets word that her friend is safe she does the only thing she can think of to get out of her situation, she blackmails the messenger.
Philip MacGregor isn’t any ordinary messenger he’s a cousin, best friend, and the right hand man to the notorious Highland Highwayman. With their robbing days behind them mainly because the banishment and John’s marriage to Elizabet, they have set up in Scotland. Phillip can still travel from England to Scotland no problem so when asked to deliver a message to Alice he has no problem doing so until she blackmails him into taking her with him, try as he may he can’t get rid of her. Cue the travel hijinx.
The attraction is there from the beginning but the connection between the two of them grows stronger the more time they spend together and the more they argue. Philip loves to argue with Alice and loves that she’s a challenge and no push over he just wishes she would stop and think about what’s she doing first, she has the tendency to act first, think later. Alice is so use to getting her own way that when the consequences of her action finally catch up she realizes it’s exactly what Philip warned her would happen but Philip doesn’t say I told you so, no, at that point he loves her too much to do that. Alice and Philip don’t seem like a match made in heaven but in this case it’s opposites attract.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. Some of the stuff they argue over is so funny. The writing was great the narrative swept me away to Scotland, it has a good story and wonderful characters you really sympathize with. It was a first time reading this author and I look forward to reading more.
This is the first book I have read by Michelle McLean, though I have others. Being the third book in a series, I was afraid I’d be a little lost. And I was for a while. Also, I found Alice to be ridiculously headstrong at times. But I kept reading anyway. And then suddenly I didn’t care that I had felt a little lost and that Alice made some thoughtless choices, because I was having way too much fun!
Trying to escape an arranged marriage to a man who already buried three wives, Alice blackmailed Highlander Philip to take her to Scotland to see her dearest friend Elizabet. Though he was attracted to Alice, he wanted nothing to do with the “wee harpy”. Philip lost that fight. While they were at an inn in Scotland, Alice disobeyed Philip’s order not to leave the room without him. Philip had to save her when she was accosted by a drunkard. Since they were sharing a room, Alice declared that Philip was her husband. He agreed. Alice didn’t know that constituted marriage vows in Scotland. Oops!
I absolutely loved the chemistry and interaction between Alice and Philip. Their bickering was hysterical and was my favorite thing about the story. In addition, there was also some action, a bit of suspense and a few tears. The supporting characters also made me smile. They apparently were the stars in the first two books. I definitely need to read those. So hang in there if you haven’t read the first two books in the series…you’ll have too much fun to care.
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Entangled Publishing and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
Spoiled and high born, Lady Alice has it all, until her parents agree to her betrothal to an earl who is much older and has a string of former wives who have died under suspicious circumstances. Everyone she confides her fears to dismisses this information as idle gossip, so Alice decides to take matters into her own hands. When Philip MacGregor arrives at her house to deliver a message from her friend Elizabet, who now lives in Scotland with her husband (who was exiled from England), Alice takes her chance and blackmails Philip into taking her back to Scotland with him. He knows this is a bad idea, but he can’t risk the safety of Elizabet and her husband, John (his cousin). Despite his attempts to send her back, Philip winds up stuck with Alice and after an incident at an inn, the two find themselves married. Sort of. Now responsible for her safety, Philip knows he must rush back to his family’s stronghold with Alice in tow before the news of their marriage reaches Alice’s family. As travel forces the two together more and more, Philip finds it increasingly difficult to resist Alice’s advances and they both begin to feel the sexual tension between them. By the time the two of them acknowledge their true feelings, Alice’s unwavering stubbornness and Philip’s rather misplaced sense of honor may combine to keep them apart for good.
Full disclosure, Alice drove me nuts. She fell into the “strong heroines” category that seems so popular lately in which the heroine knows her own mind and refuses to listen to anyone else (especially a man) and then her own stupidity gets her into trouble that could’ve easily been avoided if she’d taken a minute to be sensible instead of being so focused on asserting independence. Alice’s stubbornness and impulsiveness fell into this category, causing numerous problems for herself, Philip, and others around her. Although I understand the undesirability and peril of the situation in which she found herself, there were many instances that she could’ve handled much better with just a little time for thought. Although, supposedly her impulsiveness paid off in the end, in a way, so at least there was a place for it at times here.
Despite my rant, I nonetheless enjoyed this story and it was nice to see Philip and Alice realize that their differences didn’t really matter, just their love for each other.
I received an ARC via NetGalley and read and reviewed it voluntarily. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I’ve read a few by this author, and I’ve always enjoyed her work ….
Philip doesn’t want a wife, and having a silly thing try to force him into marriage will only get you back to your pampered life really quick. And when said woman tries to blackmail him into marrying him, then he really isn’t a happy man !! His “new wife” is a constant hassle !! She’s isn’t very obedient and is constantly giving poor Philip a headache !! But as time goes on, and he spends more time with his wayward wife, he begins to see her in a different light. And when an incident occurs, Philip will have to rectify it quick before it puts other people he cares about in harms way ……
Alice is not going to end up in an arranged marriage! And certainly not to a man twice her age, and his three previous wives, they didn’t survive that long wedded to him, so she had no intention of being his fourth wife. Her salvation comes from a letter her best friend sends her, it comes at just the right time, and the man bringing the letter, could help her too, after asking for his help, Philip turns her down !! So she’s just going to have to resort to blackmail !!
Alice has me laughing at a few of her antics, Philip is a man who likes his control, and Alice likes to throw it all up in the air and see where it lands.
To find out if they remain married, you’ll have to read it yourself
I didn’t know that this is part of a series when I requested and even though I was not lost I kind of wished I had read the other book first and will remedy that when I get a little time..So we meet Alice who ia spoiled pampered lady with money she understands the way her world works where you marry for position in society and she had no problem with that until it is her turn to marry and her parents pick a really old gentleman who has buried a couple of brides already and to some weird circumstances. Alice does not want that and can you blame her, she wishes she had her friend Elizabeth to help her, when she gets a letter from her from Phillip and she decides that she is going to get his help. When Philip insists he will not help she decides to blackmail him..These two fight and bicker all the time, they get married accidentally she causes all these mishaps and chaos..I wont tell you more so you can grab a copy and Enjoy! I liked Philip, Alice drove me crazy some time but the book was enjoyable..
Rcvd an ARC at no cost to author. (netgalley) Voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions.
How to Blackmail a Highlander by Michelle McLean is book Three in The MacGregor Lairds Series. This is the story of Philip MacGregor and Alice Chivers. I have read the previous books, but feel you can make this a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Alice’s parents has set a marriage in motion for her to a man old enough to be her grandfather but what is worse is that he has buried three wives so far. When Philip comes to her with a not from her friend…a thought comes to her to get him to help her escape. Philip is slow to action but she meets the task full on and gives him no real choice. Alice’s reckless ways puts doubts in Philip’s head but hearts are at play..so there isn’t much of a choice.
They do say opposites attract and in the case of Philip and Alice, it takes a while to get there! A young lady being forced to marry a man with three dead wives and old enough to be her grandfather. What could be wrong with that? Especially since rumors are his wives died under shady circumstances. Seeing her chance Alice follows Philip, a cousin of her best friend’s husband and the adventure begins. She blackmails him so he will take her to her friend Elizabet in Scotland. In a bold move she declares she is married to him and him to her and realize that is all it takes to handfast in Scotland!
Through many ups and downs and arguments and another person Ramsey coming into the scene, this is really an entertaining story! Although part of a series, it can be read as a standalone, but you want to read the others..
4.25 Stars
Lady Alice Chivers is done being controlled by her family. On the run from an arranged marriage to an elderly earl who has been widowed three times. She encounters Philip MacGregor & manages to blackmail him to take her to Scotland to be with her friend Elizabet. But now they find themselves in an accidental marriage, and soon they’re both playing a role that feels like it was meant to be real.
Philip is cautious, in control, and in way over his head with his unexpected wife. She’s intense, spontaneous, and can’t follow an order to save her life. And he might be falling completely in love with her. However, her distractions endanger the lives of those he loves. Now he must somehow undo the damage that has been done, before his friends pay with their lives.
A well written novel the pace was good & kept my interest throughout & I read it in two sittings & it whiled away a long train journey. The characters were well portrayed, I really liked Philip & Alice. He was a strong silent type but also organised & liked things done in a certain way. Alice was quite flighty & began as being a pampered self centred young woman at the court of King Charles but throughout the book she grew into a caring strong albeit annoying woman. The pair were well matched & I particularly loved their verbal spats, their journey to Scotland was highly entertaining. I was left wanting more especially wanting to know what happened to Will & Rose
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read