“Bonnie lasses and braw, kilted laddies at their strutting, stomping, passionate finest!” — Grace Burrowes, NYT Bestselling AuthorAfter eight years in the Sudan, Ewan Colquhoun returns home minus an eye and arm. His cold, grim childhood home hasn’t changed except for the boy his wife died giving birth to—a son that isn’t his. Bitter and angry at life, he quickly earns the title, the Beastly Earl … quickly earns the title, the Beastly Earl of Argaty. When he finds Louisa half-dead on the moors, she stirs something inside him. Soon, he finds his life turned upside down by a woman hell-bent on taming the beast.
When tragedy strikes, Louisa becomes a widow with two young children. For two years, she’s struggled with the grief and guilt from that terrible night. Eager to let go of the past, she returns to the Rockwood family’s estate in Scotland, but an unfortunate accident places her in the path of the Earl of Argaty. She soon discovers letting go of the past is easier than taming the beast and freeing the man she loves.
Is her love strong enough to tame the beast and free the man inside?
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4.5 stars, rounded up
Almost three years after the fire that claimed her brother Caleb and her husband Devin, Louisa Morehouse nee Rockwood, Viscountess Westbrook, has decided to go to Callendar Abbey for some time alone to center herself. She leaves her two sons with her brother Sebastian, Earl of Melton and sets off for the remote Scottish estate. Her trip is without incident, until she sets out to the Abbey from the train station. A storm spooks the horses and her driver is hurt, she takes a horse and rides out on the moors hoping to find help. She is thrown from her horse and injured, she would have died if not for her brother Caleb’s urging to get up and move. She goes as far as she can and finally collapses, but Caleb assures her that “he” is coming for her.
“He” is Ewan Colquhoun, the Earl of Argaty. Ewan returned from the Sudan a almost a year ago a changed man, physically and emotionally. He lost an arm and an eye in the wars and has become a bit of a hermit, he is angry and bitter, not just about his injuries, Argaty Keep is not a haven for him, but he accepts the responsibilities of the earldom and tries to tolerate his nasty, hateful mother and ignore his late wife’s son. When his steward tells him that a horse has shown up in the stables and they believe the rider is lost on the moors, Ewan grudgingly sets out without his eye patch or a glove to cover his prosthetic arm to find the missing rider. He finds Louisa and brings her back the Keep, he tends her injuries and nurses her through a fever. He thinks she is lovely, but believes she was repulsed by him on the moors and once she is well, stays far away from her. But Louisa is not going to be brushed off, she has the gift of sight (an dara sealladh, a trait shared by many in the Rockwood family) and is sure she needs to be at the Keep – she convinces Ewan to hire her as governess to his son Ross, she doesn’t tell him exactly who she is and she concocts a story of going to the Abbey for a position of a companion, a position she lost when Lady Matilda learned she had children. She implies she needs a position and asked him to let her sons Charles (Viscount Westbrook) and William “Wills” join her.
Louisa originally believes that she was sent to help Ross, but as time passes, she thinks Ewan might be the real person she was meant to help. She is attracted to the surly man and when they finally give into their mutual passion, it is beautiful and it seems like their HEA is a forgone conclusion. But what fun would that be? Secrets and lies will have Ewan pushing Louisa away and a gothic twist may keep them apart forever.
I really enjoyed this installment of the Reckless Rockwell series. The story is well written, paced well, has wonderful characters, lots of secrets, really evil villains, some nail biting scenes, a bit of comic relief, a little heartache, some steamy love scenes, a dash of the paranormal thrown in and an incredibly romantic epilogue. I really appreciate that the author prefaced the story with her author notes, it explained many things in the story that might have confused a reader if the notes were left to the end AND she provided a glossary of Scottish/Gaelic terms – also helpful. I do wish there had been a little more background on the Rockwood “gift”, but even without that information, I found this to be wonderful book that I am happy to recommend, it is the fifth book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone title with no problems.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me.*
The last book of this marvelous series of mystery, the supernatural and love is about the youngest, most reckless Rockwood, Louisa, Viscountess Westbrook, a widow with two young boys. For almost 3 years, Louisa has lived with grief and guilt of the horrific fire that claimed the lives of her beloved brother Caleb and husband Devin. She returns to her favorite place in Scotland to try to put the past behind her. But fate has other ideas and bad weather along with an accident strands Louisa on the moors to be rescued by Ewan, Earl of Argaty. After 8 years serving in the Sudan, Ewan returns home minus an eye and an arm and a scarred face, body and spirit. He is angry and bitter at the fates for the course his life has taken, alone except for his cold, cruel mother, her sister and a young son his wife died bringing into the world – a boy who is not his. Ross is quiet and starved for affection from a father he idolizes. This is the situation Louisa recuperates in and the tragic atmosphere pulls at her heart. She upsets Ewan misery and brings the plight of Ross who is repeating the miserable childhood he experienced after the death of his beloved father. Louisa brings passion and conscience to a dead home – her beauty, love and caring nature push her to pursue the silent call for help. Louisa’s gift of sight (urged on by the spirit of Caleb) compels her to not use her title – in an attempt to help Ross, she explains to Ewan she is available as a governess. She sends for her two sons and there is an immediate change in the lonely, quiet Ross. What Louisa does not expect is Caleb’s plea to help not only the young boy, but the Earl. Little by little, Louisa’s honesty, kindness, courage and compassion slowly break down the walls Ewan has built – and also frees Louisa from her grief and refusal to forgive herself. Louisa’s gift sends her horrifying bloody visions of cruelty as she tries to put the meaning of them together with the directives from Caleb. Adventures unfold the truth of local murders, the malevolence of his mother and old secrets revealed are pure enjoyment – the story’s thread is the power of love, for family and soul mates, love that is everlasting and extends past this life. It embodies strong opposite emotions – deep hatred and passionate love, tragic sorrow and great joy, evil and good that triumphs and brings light to darkness. Most of all, it is about eternal love that even death does not diminish! Do not miss this heart-touching series!!
This book hit me with so many emotions as every secret was revealed. Monica did an excellent job of balancing out the darker stuff with some bits of comic relief and a powerful love story. Some scenes were hard to read because they felt so real especially what was seen in visions. Even with the visions, I wasn’t sure what was coming until it was revealed. Louisa and Ewan both are haunted by the past and fate brought them together when they needed each other the most.
I absolutely loved the paranormal elements and how much a part of the story they were. This story shows how powerful real love can be and that it sees past what’s on the outside and any obstacles. There’s so much in this story to love, but I don’t want to spoil anything!
Louisa is as stubborn as they come and she was going to fight as hard as she could to make Ewan see he’s not a beast. I loved her from the start because it was clear that you don’t want to mess with her. She had healing of her own to do and I loved seeing her realize she could let go of the past.
Ewan believes he a monster in everyone’s eyes and doesn’t know what love is. You grow to love him especially after learning more about his family. He slowly learned that he needed to change and could love and be loved.
Copy provided for an honest and voluntary review