He finally has the chance to clear his family name. The only thing standing in his way is his tempting new wife. Known as the King Maker, Ada MacQuerrie yearns to wed for love and not the magical gift she possesses. But her ruthless stepbrother doesn’t care what she wants; he just needs her to marry one of his treacherous allies. When an attempt to escape his control and save those she loves … control and save those she loves goes awry, Ada is forced to choose a husband from the miscreants who’ve come to align themselves with him. All seems lost until a compelling latecomer displays unexpected honor. But is the mysterious Highlander another treasonous Scot simply trying to seduce and manipulate her, or is the man they call Wolf the ally she’s been hoping for?
William MacLean has spent years shouldering the shame of his father’s and brother’s alleged treason against the king. So when the chance to exonerate his family presents itself, he willingly woos an unwanted bride who has the power to topple his enemies. A seemingly simple plan. Except William has survived by keeping others at a distance, and his new wife is not the calculating enemy he expected but a bold, brave beauty he fears could become his greatest weakness.
When passion flares between them, Ada cannot suppress the hope that her dreams could come true. Yet the closer she tries to get to William, the more he withdraws. It’s not until justice is within his grasp and his enemies take Ada from him that he realizes the demons dwelling within him can only be conquered by the light his wife offers. But is it too late to surrender his heart to the woman who already holds it?
If you love romantic, page-turning books set in the mysterious, rugged Medieval Highlands that are about honorable, alpha Scottish warriors and the brave heroines who capture their hearts, then this is the perfect novel for you!
Secrets, seduction, and romance sizzle in the Highlander Vows: Entangled Hearts novels from USA Today bestselling author Julie Johnstone.
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Loves this book captivating
3.5 stars rounded up.
When Ada MacQuerrie’s mother was killed saving a fae from being harmed, the fae sisters, Hortense and Portense give the infant Ada a “gift”, the ability to make a man a king. Her father is upset, such a gift will put her in danger, so the fae add the condition that it won’t work until she is wed and she must wed willingly, this is still not right, but they are out of fairy dust and promise to return to fix it.
Years later, Ada’s father is dead and her step-brother, Brothwell wants Ada to wed a man who will help him put his father, Robert Stewart, the High Steward of Scotland, on the throne and displacing King David. He plans a tournament and tells Ada that she will choose between the two men left standing at the end. And after an escape plan fail, he tells her he will kill her companion Esther and a foundling named Maximilian who she cares deeply for. He locks them up and won’t let them go until she is wed.
William MacLean is summoned to his home by King David, William’s father and brother were both traitors to the king and William has fought for King David to make up for their betrayal. He meets with the king and learns the truth – his father and brother are not traitors, they were both working for the king, his father was killed in battle and his brother was sent on a mission to spy on Brothwell and the king hasn’t heard from him and isn’t sure if he is even alive. The king has learned of Brothwell’s tournament and wants William to win and wed Ada. William doesn’t really believe in the gift, but the king does, when he tells the king he had never planned to marry, the king says once he is wed and Ada has helped him secure his throne, he will give William lands that he can leave her at while he continues to work for the king. William refuses to open his heart to anyone, he has been hurt by his mother and father and won’t willingly open himself up for more hurt. He accepts the mission and knows he is in trouble when he meets Ada and is immediately attracted, it is unlike anything he has ever felt before, but he is sure he can control it.
Ada is also attracted to William, but he confuses her, he seems loyal to Brothwell, but he is also kind and seems to be interested in her for herself, not her gift. That is Ada’s secret desire, to be wanted and loved for herself and not for her gift. She thinks that William can be that man and when the opportunity arises, she chooses him. She is sure she has made the right choice and believes that he supports the king rather than the Steward, and when they make love, she is positive that William cares for her and not just her gift. But afterwards, he is cold and shuts himself off from her. She is hurt and before she can tell him her gift seems to be working, Brothwell comes making demands, she knows that William will be killed if they stay, so she tells Brothwell that William is loyal to the king and tricked them. William is locked up and Ada makes a show of being loyal to Brothwell. But it is all a ruse and she manages to free not only William, but his friend Thomas and her friends Esther and Maximilian. But she has another vision and takes off on her own to save them, Esther then tells William the “conditions” of her gift – that sacrifices have to be made and love has to be true.
William will not give his heart to her, nor will he accept hers, but he does care for her and sets out to rescue her from other suitor who has taken her for his own gain. But without opening his heart, can he save her, his brother and the king?
I thought this was an interesting and unique storyline with likeable characters, a little bit of steam, a dash of adventure and a sweet epilogue, but William’s refusal to open his heart or admit his deeper feelings for Ada did become repetitious and dragged on a bit too long for my liking. Overall this was a good read and I would recommend it, it is the 10th book in the series, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me.*
The Heart of a Highlander (Highlander Vows: Entangled Hearts Book 10) By Julie Johnstone
Clever plotted storyline with witty and heartbreakingly charming characters. I loved this story! It is so well written, exciting and engaging from page one to the last page. I laughed at the witty snappy comebacks by the heroine who delivered the perfect blow to the warrior ego. Ada is a truly heroic heroine, who is forever the definition of intelligent, self sacrificing, strong, courageous, and beautiful inside and out. It’s everything I look for in great historical romance. I strongly recommend this book to everyone who loves an exciting historical romance with great characters, and a touching and passionate love story that will warm up the cold night.
Happy Reading
LailC
Book Contents: Adult rating.
Steamy (4 flame) with some explicit open bedroom door romance.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3063316014?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
The Heart of a Highlander by Julie Johnstone is book 10 in the Highlander Vows: Entangled Hearts series. I think these books just get better and better. I thought this book was engaging from the first chapter to the last. I loved the touch of magic infused from the beginning with a strong reminder of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty and the fairies. I think Ada Mac Querrie is one of my favorite Johnstone heroines. I loved her strength and softness. Too many Scottish heroines are portrayed with wearying acerbic tongue and wit. Though Ada lashes out at times, she is touchable and relatable in her pain. I enjoyed the slow development of the relationship between her and the hero William Mac Lean. “Ada was like the snake in the Garden of Eden – too tempting to ignore. That look in her eyes ignited his blood and set his inner warning bell to ringing. With no hope of avoiding it, William leaned down. He planned to quickly brush his lips to hers, but he was only human, for God’s sake, and the minute he touched her warm lips and tasted her seductive sweetness, he knew, with every finely honed instinct that had kept him alive thus far, that he was in trouble.” There were several steamy sex scenes. I truly loved this book.
Ada MacQuerrie was given a gift from the fae when she was born. Unfortunately they messed up a bit and now she is in a situation she hates. Her step brother is forcing her to choose a husband from the men he picks out.
William MacLean has put up with being treated as a traitor by his clan because of the actions of his father and brother. Now he has been given a task that could change everything.
An exciting story with fabulous characters. Our hero is determined to protect himself from the pain of loss. Our heroine wants to protect everyone else. There is a lot of danger and intrigue and a sexy love story.
I loved it.
William had been fighting for King David for two years trying to overcome the shame of his father and brother had been declared traitors to the King. After being called to the King, William is told he must marry Ada MacQuerrie, the King maker. William has no desire for a wife, but will do as his King commands. Ada MacQuerrie has had a gift from the far ever since birth. She could care less about her gift and wants to marry for love. Her evil stepbrother, Brothwell, has decided it is time for her to marry a man of his choosing. Ada tried to escape with two trusted friends. They are caught and she is told she will choose a husband at a tournament a fortnight hence or her friends will die. She agrees. When her and William meet, they don’t understand the attraction they feel. Can’t say anymore or I’ll give too much away. This book is wonderful with characters who will steal your heart. Julie Johnstone keeps getting better and better. There are two furry beasties, Freya and Hella, that will steal your heart as well. I can’t say enough how much I loved this book. I was gifted this book and am voluntarily reviewing. I purchased a copy as well. You won’t be sorry you read it.
I adored this addition to Julie’s Highlander Entangled Hearts series. Through a series of complicated negotiations Ada and William are united in an arranged marriage, Ada with high hopes of it being a love match and William with the intention of keeping his distance because of his mother’s abandonment of him when he was a child. Ada and William’s relationship after their marriage had its ups and downs and all-arounds, turning out quite different than their original expectations. But in this author’s wonderful and quite humorous style, their love continued to grow. A most excellent Highlander romance!
Ada MacQuerrie’s mother was killed saving a fae from being harmed and the fae gave a very special gift and she becomes known as “the King Maker”. Ada’s step-brother, Brothwell wants her to wed a man who will help him put his father, Robert Stewart on the throne. William MacLean is summoned to his home by King David, he will do anything his father and brother were labeled traitors and he will show his loyalty to the king. Kind David request he go to a tournament given by Brothwell and win the fair Ada and wed her. Ada’s secret desire, to be wanted and loved for herself and not for her gift and William may be just love of her heart and soul. What a story it’s filled with twists and turns, loyalty, betrayal and a romance for a lifetime. An excellent story and I voluntarily wrote a review.
What a heart this Highlander had.. The title is so perfect for this story! Humor, Adventure, secrets, traitors, the magical fae, evil and loyalty to fight it with a surprising attraction that drives this story throughout!
If only I could time travel back into one of Julie’s stories, I would be a happy lass indeed!! What fun it would be to see to Fae sisters arguing over the gift they bestowed on baby Ada. Her mother had given her life to save one of them. Her gift would be if she chose the man she wanted to marry, then she would have the gift to make any man King! Oh yes, you see the problems that could cause!
Ada grew up and her father passed away. Then her evil stepbrother Bothwell, was trying to dethrone King David and control Ada to make a match of a man loyal to him (yes I just wanted to beat him senseless!). Then she could use her power to be the “King maker” he wanted and put the King’s nephew on the throne.
William McLean is in the King’s circle and a fierce warrior. But he has had to shoulder his father and brother’s betrayal of the King. It has turned men against him believing he is a traitor also. But he is given a missive to go to a the tournament Bothwell was holding to chose a husband for his sister Ada. He was to make her want to choose him, so he could find out who was loyal to the King and who were the betrayers.
I have to stop because I just want to tell you the story! Julie Johnstone is an incredible storyteller who can create a setting and characters with flawless narrative full of details that flow beautifully. Incredibly Perfect. Sigh… Wait did I forget to mention the cover? Double sigh.
The finale of Highlander Vows: Entangled Hearts series is a winner. William and Ada are front and center in the final push to thwart Steward and keep David on the throne. Ada doesn’t understand exactly what she is to do with the power bestowed upon her by the fairies. She knows that men wish to marry her to use the power. She wants to escape and find someone to protect her and love her for herself. William doesn’t care about her power, but King David does. He wants to gather information, secure a marriage to Ada to bring her power to the king, and find his brother.
Ada and William have both known loss and betrayal. Because of this, trust is hard to come by, and their romance unfolds slowly. They are a headstrong and courageous couple, and if they give each other a chance, they might just find their HEA. The villains in this story, especially Ada’s stepbrother and a rather crazy suitor, are greedy, power hungry, and dangerous. Portense and Hortense aren’t villains, just the fairies who started the whole thing. They meant well. Ada and Williams did get help from friends in the castle and his comrades. This story, as the others in this series, is unpredictable and exciting. Full of action, intrigue, suspense, betrayal, danger, truths to learn, and secrets to reveal, it holds your attention from the beginning to the end.
This is a great series set in an interesting and chaotic time in the history of Scotland. Each story has an action-packed plot, fantastic characters, and lovely romance. Loved it and recommend The Heart of a Highlander and the whole series.
Ava is a beauty with a fae blessing/curse. Her mom saves a fae, so they decide to bless her child, Ava, but it gets turned around and is a little bit of a curse also. The story, at first, seems to be a combination of the Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella fairy tale.
You feel so sorry for her being mistreated by not only her stepbrother, but her stepsister too. But when she gets fed up, you see a woman that has a fiery side that her stepbrother can not tame and a determination that will have you cheering for her. Her faithful dogs with intrigue you with their understanding.
William is determined to make up for his brother and father’s betrayal. He can make you want to shake him to make him wise up, but he is a hunky, sexy, lovable highlander that you can’t help but fall in love with. New Book Boyfriend!! LOL
Don’t miss this wonderful tale that guarantees a happily ever after!!
Julie Johnstone does not disappoint! Book 10 in the series and I would never get bored! I am not sure if I could even pick a favorite. I am in love with all of her characters. I know you get reviews of the book from others, so I prefer to tell you read the book you will love it! I am a series reader and I feel like you get warmed up to the characters if you start with book 1 in the series. I was not a highlander fan until reading Julie Johnstone’s books! Enjoy ..
The heart of a Highlander by Julie Johnstone is a breathtakingly captivating story full of absolutely compelling characters. The story itself was interesting and very well written. How it started had me wondering if it would be believable but it ended up being an extremely believable storyline considering that there is mythical/supernatural elements to it. It was perfectly executed! I hung on to every word. There was lots of action and adventure that had me on the edge of my seat. Then there is William and Ada who were perfect together, I adored their characters and the chemistry they had. I will definitely be adding this story to my reread pile. Page turn through and through.
Loved it . I love highlander books and I love magic so this had the best of both worlds rolled into one book . Great characters and a great storyline . I think Will and Ada are a perfect match and the ending was just so perfect.Five star read
When Ada was born, the Fae gifted her with the gift that she would become a kingmaker. This gift would kick in only when she willingly wed another. Her step-brother forces her to choose a man and marry, so he can use this gift. She chooses William as the better of the choices she has; but he has a secret agenda of his own. William does not believe in the Fae, but as strange things begin to happen, he wonders if they are real. I received an ARC of this very good read.
This is book 10 in Julie Johnstone’s fabulous Highlander Vows Entangled Hearts series, though you can read this without having read any of the previous books having said that once you read this you will definitely want to. This tells the story of William, our hero, a man with a troubled past and a closed heart. He is sent by the king to win and wed Ada MacQuerrie, fabled kingmaker. Treachery and mischief and fairies make for an interesting adventure. Together they learn to trust, love and save each other. Ultimately finding their happy ever after. This book has everything to keep the reader interested, handsome men fighting with swords, strong, independent woman. I have loved this whole series, it takes you to the beautiful wilds of ancient Scotland. I can’t recommend this book enough.
The Heart of a Highlander by Julie Johnstone is book 10 in the Highlander Vows: Entangled Hearts Series. This is the story of Ada MacQuerrie and William MacLean. I have read the previous books but feel you can make this a standalone book if you wish to do so. Ada at her birth the Fae had blessed her with gifts that have her nicknamed the King Maker. But her gift doesn’t come in strong until she marries someone that she wants. But her Step-brother has other plans for marrying her off to fit his needs. William has been working to prove himself to his King after his father and brother prove to be traitors. When William is prompted to marry he isn’t happy about it but of course he needs to do what he can to keep towards his goal. What William wasn’t counting on is his feelings that he has for Ada. William has stayed strong in not building emotional relationships due to his family betrayal. So he tried to keep that with Ada but he can’t stop himself.
Loved their story! This book kept me turning the pages until the end.
If you haven’t read this series I would highly recommend it. This is the tenth in the series and I have enjoyed each and everyone of them. Once I started I didn’t want to put the book down. I really love these Highland romance books.
Known as the King Maker, Ada MacQuerrie yearns to wed for love and not the magical gift she possesses but her ruthless stepbrother Brothwell doesn’t care what she wants; he just needs her to marry one of his treacherous allies. When an attempt to escape his control and save those she loves goes awry, Ada is forced to choose a husband from the miscreants who’ve come to align themselves with him.
William MacLean has spent years shouldering the shame of his father’s and brother’s alleged treason against the king. So when the chance to exonerate his family presents itself, he willingly woos an unwanted bride who has the power to topple his enemies. A seemingly simple plan.
This is the tenth book in this stunning series, it could be read on its own but with such a gripping series I’d recommend reading from the start. I’ve been intrigued by William for a while & his story didn’t disappoint. Characters that nearly leap out of the page at you & a story that leaves you breathless at times & you have a book I found extremely hard to put down & read it in two sittings. I loved Ada & William who both carry baggage. There are revelations at the start of the book that stunned me. I loved the relationship between William & Ada & how it developed, the road to their HEA wasn’t easy but boy did it make for a riveting read. A must read book from a must read author.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read