Braelynn Galbraith wants peace for her beloved Scotland, marriage to her childhood sweetheart, and a house full of children. In that order. But evil incarnate, in the form of Gard Marschand, turns her life inside out and destroys all hope of a decent marriage. Known in the Highlands as the legendary devil, Gard Marschand raids his way across Scotland and England amassing power and property in his … his malevolent wake. He will stop at nothing in his pursuit to regain what is lost—even conceal his true identity and associate with his enemies. His determination is all-consuming until he and his men lay siege to Ross-shire and one feisty Scottish lass obliterates his single-minded purpose. Can Gard abandon his deep-seated need for revenge for a love that just might save his rotten soul? Or will he succumb to the demons that hound him and surrender to the devil within? This book has been previously published.
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I’ll start by saying this was an AWESOME read. I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of the old-skool romances I grew up reading, but with a twenty-first century flair. As stated in the blurb, Gard holds Braelyn’s beloved Ross-shire under siege, and Brae finds herself on horse saddle, having to join Gard on his reign of terror across Scotland and into England.
The book focusses solely on the romance between Gard and Braelynn, and I loved this. Their chemistry was brilliant as both tried to resist one another. They engage in a battle of wills everywhere they go. The sparks fly between them. And the sex scenes are well written.
The setting is rich and detailed. I felt as if I was in Scotland. The same for the dialogue. The author stayed true to the speak of that era. Some might find the written accents difficult, but I didn’t. I understood clearly what everyone was saying, and I visualised each character easily speaking that way.
There’s also a bonus of history in the novel. It was wonderful to learn as I read. This is what draws me to historical romance, because I enjoy learning.
I loved the characters. Brae was feisty and outspoken, but also grieving much loss. She was true to the women of her time. Gard came in the form of black death. But there was a gentleman lurking beneath his devilish exterior, that he stifled, even fought to conquer. But Brae is his weakness so he engages in a battle of wills with himself. He has a mission to complete, and he’s determined not to be side-tracked because of Brae.
The secondary characters were given the same developmental care as Brae and Gard. Lord Richmond, The Red (Gard’s squire), and many others who were part of the journey.
The plot is bang on. Besides the romance between Brae and Gard, there is mystery, there are quests, and the author ties this all up beautifully at the end. Chapter by chapter, more is reveals. There’s no info dumping or background after character background. The reader is given enough information and then must read on to unravel the mystery. Well done, author.
The book is long, 140,717 K. So this is something you must be ready to immerse yourself in. It’s one of those reads when you’re ready to invest in a good novel for a period of time. But let me tell you, it doesn’t feel like 140k. The pacing never slows. And the author does her job of making sure each scene ending or each chapter ending compel you to keep turning the page.
H.K. Carlton is a new author to me. Her prose is fresh, witty, and charming. She possesses a lot of talent. If you love historical romance, Give The Devil Take You a try.