He went to jail for her, now she intends to pay him back.
Sebastian
Out of jail after three years locked up, I’m burning for freedom. Before, I’d wanted commitment. Marriage. Babies. A woman who could never be mine. No more. Now my only plan is to live it up.
But at the probation office, a desperate woman pleads for help while a toddler clings to her skirts.
She’s a stranger. Not my problem. … skirts.
She’s a stranger. Not my problem. No way should I be listening in.
Except…I know her. She’s the reason I went to prison. Now I have a chance to find out why.
Rose
My twenty years on the planet have given me few gifts, aside from the ability to con. The moment I know Sebastian Fitzroy is out of jail, I’m on my way to intercept him. I’ve waited a long time to see him again, even if he has no idea who I am or how, years ago, he’d saved my skin.
I plan on giving Sebastian the only thing of value I have—my body. What sex-starved ex-con could refuse? After that, we’re square.
I didn’t count on having to rescue my kidnapped niece along the way. Or fix my broken sister. I hate asking for help, but maybe just once I can’t lie or cheat my way out of this situation alone.
—
Lion Heart is an ex-con romance, high on heat and sexy Scots. HEA guaranteed.
Wrap yourself up with the Wild Scots today!
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I have to admit I wasn’t sure what I would think of this book. Sebastian always seemed to have anger issues and he never seemed happy with anything. Even with that said, I was upset knowing that he went to jail an innocent man. Throughout the book, and through all his time with Rose, he started to change. He became a better man. He truly started to find himself. Rose was an interesting character. She was so sweet and yet so full of pain and sadness. I liked her yet I wasn’t happy with her. Yeah she had a painful past but the fact that she kept incriminating herself irritated me. I personally don’t think she was in her right frame of mind and would have done anything to please her father.
In the end I really enjoyed this book. These two were perfect for each other. They helped each other find the person they were meant to be. I loved reconnection with some of the past characters. I even got to see my favorite couple get married. I’m looking forward to seeing more of this family in future books. And that epilogue… oh dear….!
They both have a lions heart that beat as one
Lion Heart is the third book in the Wild Scots series and is the story of Sebastian Fitzroy and Rose Jackson. This is s a story that grabbed me from the start and did not let me go until the end, and even then I wanted more of Sebastian and Rose. If you have read the first two books in the series, Hard Nox and Perfect Storm, then you will already be familiar with Sebastian and what has happened so far. Sebastian and Rose have a history that has brought them to this time and place. She needs to repay him for what has happened, as it cost him his freedom for three years. There is also a lot of heated attraction between them which plays out in this book.
This is a another wonderful book in the Wild Scots series by an author that I have come to really love. The book is well written with a great story-line that is completely engaging and characters that you feel for and cheer for.
I received an ARC of this book from the author for my honest review. My opinions are all my own.
Absolutely fantastic book three in the Wild Scots series! It is an exciting, entertaining, passionate, well though-out, flawless, and emotionally wrenching read. The characters are amazing and meant to be; their chemistry is undeniable and off the charts! This book will captivate you from page one and take you on a roller coaster of emotions. Definitely recommended!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved this second-chance book. There were so many forms of second chances in this one. I love the rags-meets-riches. I was impressed with how the “upper class” treated Rose. I loved how sweet Sebastian was when he probably shouldn’t have been. I loved the little surprises that popped up that made me realize how in common people are regardless of their status in life. This author was new to me but I’m looking forward to reading more!
This Book 3 in the Wild Scots Series is well-written book in a standalone steamy second-chance romantic suspense featuring one ex-con heroine and a ex-con hero. The characters are well-developed amd have chemistry. The story centers on a childhood romance, intrigue, and betrayal, and it ends with a HEA. Good Read
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Sebastian was a different kind of ex-con. His caring “savior” personality wasn’t driven by the typical alpha he-man protector persona. He was more of a gentleman protector for the weak and innocent.
His protective instincts landed him in prison for three long years. I thought that was odd seeming it was his first offense, he was titled and loaded, came from a caring family, and his accuser was unsavory. Those pieces didn’t add up.
Other than that weird piece, I loved the sweet way he got re-involved with Rose and her life. I also liked the way Rose opened up herself to him and was willing to be honest.
This read like a modern regency novel and was sweetly romantic with a satisfying HEA.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
5 CRANKY STARS
This is one of my favorite series. It is a continuation of the “Marry the Scot” series and deals with the children. This is Sebastian’s story. He is the troubled son of Lord Fitzroy, who was close friends with the McRaes. They consider themselves family but not by blood. This is a close-knit relationship and very well depicted. It points out that just because you are well off, you are not always happy. That is probably why I love these romance novels so much. The author puts these people in very realistic circumstances that seem insurmountable. As with Sebastian, they do not always come out “smelling like a rose”. By the end of the book, however, you will be loving this family even more. When you meet Rose, you will not know what to think of her. She has been the one Sebastian has dreamed about for the past 3 years while in jail for assault. Little does he know that she is a con and hid from him on purpose. She could have prevented his prison sentence if she had shown up to testify, but alas, she had disappeared. As the author says, this can be read as a stand-alone but please, start with the “Marry the Scot” series and then move on to the “Wild Scots”. You will be glad you did.
This is book three in the Wild Scott series. Before Sebastian went to jail he was ready for commitment, the wife, kids, dog and house with the white picket fence. Now, three years later, it is all about his freedom. Except he cannot stop thinking about the woman that landed him in jail. Rose was only trying to save her family and in the middle of a con when her path crossed with Sebastian’s and he ended up in jail. She feels guilty, she owes him but will he even know who she is? These two characters have great chemistry and find that there may be more to them then a debt payment. Another great story in the series. Enjoy!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I absolutely loved this book and was honored to have been able to read and review. It was such a phenomenal read and had amazing characters as well as an amazing story line. I just could not get enough of it and once I started reading it I could not put it down. I recommend that you read it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Lion Heart was a great story. The plot and characters were strong. The story was filled with many feelings. Jolie Vines did a great job on it. Sebastian and Rose were strong characters. Their journey had it’s ups and downs but these two were made for one another, they were drawn to each other. Their connection was strong, their chemistry was sexy. They were great together.
This was a great story. Thank you, Jolie Vines. Great work 🙂
Just…wow.
At the end of Perfect Storm, when Sebastian was arrested, I was so angry for him! When I started this one I was a little worried about said anger…. but this was gorgeous. This was everything and more that I expect from a Jolie Vines novel. Sebastian and Rose were so beautifully broken and perfect for one another. My heart broke more than once but by the end? By the end it was more than whole again. Absolutely stunning.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Lion Heart by Jolie Vines is book Three in the Wild Scots. This is the story of Rose Jackson and Sebastian Fitzroy. I have read the previous books, but feel you can make this a standalone book if you wish to do so. Sebastian had been sent to prison for a few years and is now getting out. What he doesn’t expect on his release is to see the young women who he feels help to secure his time in jail. Rose is a young women who is doing everything she can to help her family and survive life. One of her biggest regrets has to do with Sebastian so she wants to pay her debt to him the only way she can. But one things leads to another which leads them into a path neither thought they would have or take.
Enjoyed this book and series. I hope to read more from this author soon!
Is it wrong that in some ways what happened to Seb needed to in order for him to get his life back on track as he was so filled with anger and one heck of a temper after coming home. I really liked Rose and felt for her with the guilt she carried but damn that girl is strong and will do anything for those she loves and getting swept up in Sebs life is something I would feel torn about also as it’s a loving and spoiled life vs her harsh struggle of a life. Be ready to get drawn into a world of two people who are finally finding their footing in life as well as falling in love but is one hell of a journey full of doubts, betrayal, laughter and tough decisions.
3.5 Stars
This is the first book by this author that I’ve read, but it won’t be the last. I thought the story line was good and the story had a fairly smooth flow to it. The character work was great. I look forward to more from this author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A story full of denial, questionable pasts, lots of love, family, and forgiveness. I really enjoyed this story. Sebastian was a conflict of emotions, and I enjoyed how he worked through his feelings, more so once he was pushed to do so. Rose was a strong young woman who was trying to live beyond her past to have a better life with little to her name. These two made a powerful young couple willing to do what they thought was right for each other. I highly recommend this story, and I can’t wait for the next book.
I received an ARC as a gift, and this is my unsolicited review.
I have had a chance to listen to the audiobook. I enjoyed the story probably more than the ebook as Ella Lynch and Frank Ryan did a wonderful job bringing these characters to life. The alternating narration was well done.
Gah!! I fell hard for Sebastian! He’s my favourite Vines hero so far!
“There was a spark in those wide grey eyes that woke my blood.”
On the day that Sebastian Fitzroy gets out of prison on parole, he comes face-to-the face with the reason he was incarcerated. He’s thought about her for three long years and almost wondered if she was just a figment of his imagination. Now, here she was, flesh and blood, and he needs answers. The chemistry between them is a thrilling surprise and one he’s not willing to give up just yet.
“I owed this man everything and didn’t want to share him. An odd sense of protectiveness washed over me.”
Rose Jackson has lead a pretty difficult life over the last few years. She’s worked hard to survive and make sure her family is safe and has a future together. Sebastian has been her biggest regret and now he’s free, she has a debt to repay him. She never counted on falling for him, especially when the obstacles in their way seem insurmountable.
“I’d never get over the way his attention had me feeling beautiful. And how his words, his whispered “Rose” had my heart in pieces.”
I’ve got to say that in the previous novel, Sebastian didn’t leave a very good impression on me. However, in this book, I totally fell in love with him and he’s top of my list of favourite heroes by this author! He’s loyal, focused, and intense, and I loved his determination to move heaven and earth to make Rose’s life easier. Rose was a fantastic heroine. She was earnest, determined, and hardworking. I loved her devotion to her family and also how much she cared about Sebastian. They were opposites in so many ways but fit together so perfectly. They were electric together and the ending was unabashedly romantic!! Can’t wait to read more by this author.
Overall Grade: 1/2
It’s a golden day when a Jolie Vines ARC lands on my Kindle. Oftentimes, I can’t get to reading it right away, as I am a reviewer blogger who has several ARCs at any one time. Her ARC screams to me, though, because there are some qualities of her writing that can be guaranteed: a universe of characters whose experiences, while seemingly far-fetched, represent truths found in our real life, heroes who adore their heroines from almost the first page and strive to woo them until the heroine accepts them, heroines who are compelling in either their acceptance of the hero’s pursuit OR in their personal insecurities that require the hero to finesse their love of them, and a believable happy ending that makes the strife of her stories worth your momentary misery. These truths are foundational to Jolie Vines’s books, and this reader conscripts herself to gobbling Vines’s stories.
I’ve been excited for Vines’s newest offering, Lion Heart. The third book of her Wild Scots series, Lion Heart, follows the story of James and Beth’s son, Sebastian. In the first two books of this series, we find Sebastian struggling with the strictures of his life. He’s aimless and fraught with self-doubt and ennui, as he determines his future. Given his unsettled nature, he finds himself in trouble at the end of the second book of the series, Perfect Storm. More specifically, he’s earned himself a stay in prison. Given this cliffhanger, I was ready to gobble Sebastian and Rose’s story. And, in true Vines fashion, she grabbed me from the first page.
Now, I do want to note a feeling about the book before I launch into everything I loved about this story. I’m not sure what it was, but the first third or half of the story had a strange pacing issue. At least, that’s how I read it. As Rose struggles with her feelings for Sebastian, I think Vines might have taken her indecision too far. Oftentimes, the “back and forth” of accepting love can build the tension of the story; it’s a necessary tactic towards the climax of a romance. Instead, there were times when I felt confused by it. She would, one moment, accept it and the next moment, reject it. She has very good reasons for it, and Vines clearly articulates it. However, the first part of the storytelling felt “off” for lack of a better word, and that isn’t the usual case for Vines. She has a melody to her writing that engages the reader from the beginning through to the end, but I found myself stopping and starting in a way that didn’t seem characteristic of reading her books. It’s possible it’s this reader, but I’ve read all of her books and the beginning seemed different in its narration from her other books. It is also possible that I had high expectations for this book because Sebastian’s story is distinct from his predecessors. He’s a Viscount sent to prison for a term, unjustly imprisoned based on false accusations. It is brave of Vines to take her readers to that place, but given the seriousness of his story, I hoped that I would gobble each morsel of her pages. Instead, I found myself slowly plodding through the beginning. To be honest, this is minute, and I suspect more my issue than Vines’s story, but I wanted to mention it here for anyone who might be surprised.
Now, that being said, the beauty of Vines’s Lion Heart is its central message. A quality of her books is the simple characterizations of her hero and heroine. In most of her stories, the hero and heroine are dealing with internal struggles related to the same issue. Oftentimes, it’s different sides of the same coin, and Lion Heart is no different. For this romance, the idea of expectations runs deep. One of the issues with Sebastian is the expectations he places on himself about his behavior and his life. Vines makes it clear through the story that no one (the other characters) feels disappointed in his imprisonment. The disappointment lies in the lie behind it. However, Sebastian’s expectations for his life are destroyed during his prison stay, and his life loses aim because those expectations no longer match his reality. Through his characterization, Vines deftly acknowledges that, sometimes, we must adjust our life by having new expectations for ourselves and making different decisions. Like Sebastian, Rose lives under the expectations of her life. Her background is dichotomous to Sebastian’s, and there is an expectation that she cannot transcend her past. This is the lie that Rose tells herself to dissuade Sebastian from loving her. Just as Sebastian struggles to find his new normal, Rose wraps herself in her lies as protection wielded against Sebastion and his love, thus undermining living an abundant life. Since both of these characters struggle to redefine themselves, they only begin to live abundantly as they accept their love. Once again, here is Vines reminding us of the transformational nature of love, an impetus for change and growth.
It’s there where the depth of Vines’s story lies. In the love between these two. Just as she has done before, Sebastian falls deeply for Rose from the first page. This is one of my favorite qualities of her storytelling. In Hard Nox, Lennox falls deeply for Sebastian’s sister, Isobel, and she denies his love for her throughout that story. When Lennox wins her over, the story crescendos to their happy ending. Vines does the same thing in Lion Heart. Sebastian understands the depth of his feelings for Rose before Rose is able to bear them. It’s Sebastian who loves her through the lies she tells herself about him. As Rose recognizes and acknowledges her feelings, Lion Heart builds to its peak, and the happy ending is beautifully wrought as their future is set. Vines does this time and time and time again in her storytelling. I trust her books to take me on an adventure, wring out my heart just a little, and offer a plausible, deeply moving ending. Some might say it’s predictable; it never is. Vines keeps it fresh, as she introduces us to different heroes and heroines with different stories. That isn’t predictable; it’s titillating.
Jolie Vines’s Lion Heart met my expectations in offering a story of two people looking for that elusive abundant life. While Vines doesn’t surprise us in the end, what she does adroitly is craft a story that reminds us to allow love to heal our past and set the course for our future. You will never go wrong with reading her stories, and Vines has already piqued my interest with Viola’s forthcoming story. Additionally, I’m thirsty for Lennox and Skye’s younger brother, Blayne’s story. I think there is something new afoot in Vinesland.
Lion Heart (Wild Scots #3) by Jolie Vines is a new adult, contemporary romance told in first person, dual POV.
After stepping in to protect a young girl, Sebastian spent three years in prison wrongfully convicted of false charges from her attacker. Although he didn’t know the girl, he thought about her often. The time has come for his release and he has no idea how to get back to the life he once lived. After all this time, he’s not even sure he wants the same things anymore. When Sebastian sees the girl again, she’s all grown up, and she’s the only thing he’s certain that he wants.
Rose has been waiting for the day that Sebastian would finally be released from prison. Over the years, she’s harbored a crush for the beautiful man who rescued her. Rose is forever grateful to Sebastian for saving her life and she wants to pay him back with the only thing she has to give – her virginity – and then she’ll be on her way. As much as she may want to stay, she can’t stick around. She has too many secrets and can’t risk the truth coming out about the night she was attacked.
Sebastian and Rose come from different worlds. Will he convince her to stay with him? What will happen when her secrets are exposed? Read the book to find out.
Lion Heart is a great addition to the Wild Scots series. I had been waiting for Sebastian’s story, and I wasn’t disappointed. He and Rose were a great match. I enjoyed how their support for one another helped them heal the scars that remained from their pasts. I’m really looking forward to Viola’s story and whatever Wild Scots follow.
*** I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC. ***
I really enjoyed Lion Heart. The book is well written and detailed. This is a great romance, steamy and interesting. I love the characters. They are perfect for each other. I love how the secondary characters play a big part on the book. This is a wonderful romance!
Second chances for everyone?
4-4.5stars
This romance screams damaged characters in need of a bit of support to get a second chance. Lead male character Sebastian needs a purpose to his life after release from prison and he finds it in down on her luck Rose and her fostered niece Lacey. With a lot of passion and the leads both ready to go the distance and sacrifice their own happiness for those they love, there’s plenty of angst too. I, personally, found that the story dragged in the last half: too many heartfelt speeches for me at this point in the action. But in Sebastian’s world of wealth and privilege, it was refreshing to see a working class girl get a leg in!
This was not my favorite book in the Wild Scot series but it was good nontheless. I love the Scottish settings in this series and author Jolie Vines seems to always give her heroes a load of honorable qualities. Their high-flying, thrill-seeking lifestyle may not be something I can relate to, but their strong feelings, protective instincts and close family loyalty are very appealing.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review and opinions expressed are completely my own.