Deck the halls with mistletoe! For years, shy wallflower Elspeth Douglas has pined for the attentions of dashing Brody Girvan, Laird of Invermackie. But the rakish Highlander doesn’t even know she’s alive. This Christmas, she realizes that she’ll never be happy until she stops loving her brother’s handsome friend. Except it turns out that Brody isn’t singing from the same Christmas carol … Christmas carol sheet—Elspeth decides she’s not interested in him anymore, just as he decides he’s very interested indeed. With interfering friends and a crate of imported mistletoe thrown into the mix, the stage is set for a house party rife with secrets, clandestine kisses, misunderstandings, heartache, scandal, and love triumphant.
Down with love!
Ever since she was fifteen, shy wallflower Elspeth Douglas has pined in vain for the attentions of dashing Brody Girvan, Laird of Invermackie. But the rakish Highlander doesn’t even know she’s alive. Now she’s twenty, she realizes that she’ll never be happy until she stops loving her brother’s handsome friend. When family and friends gather at Achnasheen Castle for Christmas, she intends to show the world that’s she’s all grown up, and grown out of silly crushes on gorgeous Scotsmen. So take that, my gallant laddie!
Girls just want to have fun…
Except it turns out that Brody isn’t singing from the same Christmas carol sheet. Elspeth decides she’s not interested in him anymore, just as he decides he’s very interested indeed. In fact, now he looks more closely, his friend Hamish’s sister is pretty and funny and forthright – and just the lassie to share his Highland estate. Convincing his little wren of his romantic intentions is difficult enough, even before she undergoes a makeover and becomes the belle of Achnasheen. For once in his life, dissolute Brody is burdened with honorable intentions, while the lady he pursues is set on flirtation with no strings attached.
Deck the halls with mistletoe!
With interfering friends and a crate of imported mistletoe thrown into the mix, the stage is set for a house party rife with secrets, clandestine kisses, misunderstandings, heartache, scandal, and love triumphant.
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In this installment of the Lairds Most Likely Series, rakish Brody Girvan, Laird of Invermackie meets his match in the shy, bookish Elspeth Douglas, sister of his friend Hamish.
Elspeth Douglas is with her family at Achnasheen with Fergus and Marina for the Christmas holidays. Brody is also there, but this year will be different, Elspeth has decided that the handsome laird will never be interested in her and is determined to end her silly girlish infatuation once and for all.
Brody has grown tired of his libertine lifestyle and has come to Achnasheen to spend the holiday with his cousin and his new wife, see them so in love just reiterates his discontent. When he meets Elspeth in the breakfast room, she ignores him – WHAT? Lassies NEVER ignore him, why that intrigues him, he doesn’t know, but he wonders how he missed really seeing her in all the years they have known each other. He flirts with her and invites her to go for a ride, but they are interrupted by her cousin Diarmid before she answers. Later Elspeth has a conversation with Marina that ends with an offer to give Elspeth a makeover. The results are amazing – gone is the little brown mouse, now she is dressed to emphasize her lush figure and her gorgeous hair. Everyone notices, especially Brody.
For days Brody has been consumed with thoughts of Elspeth, he even asked her brother for permission to court her. He is not sure what he feels for her, but it is like nothing he has ever known before and he can’t imagine marrying anyone else. But his reputation will cause problems, with Elspeth and their family and friends. When they are caught in a heated kiss and he proposes, she turns him down flat – even at the risk of being disowned by her mother.
Can Brody prove to Elspeth that his proposal was more than duty? That she is the light of his dark life and without her, nothing seems to matter? Or will her insecurities blind her to his love?
I absolutely loved this novella, it was well written, paced nicely, gave glimpses of Fergus and Marina’s HEA, had witty banter, steamy love scenes, great secondary characters and a sigh worthy declaration. It is the second book in the series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone title.
Loved it!!
The Laird’s Christmas Kiss is the second book in The Lairds Most Likely Series by author Anna Campbell. What a wonderful story and a great addition to this series!
Brody Girvan, Laird of Invermackie is a rake and everyone knows it. But what people don’t know is that in the last year he’s been feeling bored and dissatisfied with his life. He’s ready for a change…
Elspeth Douglas is the youngest and quietest of five children and tends to cling to the sidelines and observe, not feeling she’s worthy to join in. She’s been in love with Brody since she was barely sixteen. After five years of feeling rejected and disregarded, she’s decided to grow up and forget her silly infatuation of the handsome highlander.
I really loved this couple & oh my how fun it was to watch these two actually spend some time together and start to get to know each other better. Both are shocked at the other’s attention or lack of… Now that Brody has finally noticed Elspeth, her struggle to believe in it was real… With familiar characters from the previous book and Anna Campbell’s witty dialogue this was one of those books I just couldn’t put down! Highly recommend and look forward to Diarmid’s story next!
It is was my first read by Anna Campbell, more a kind of novella but rather entertaining.
The action is set during a short span of time, less than a week to say.
Elspeth Douglas is a shy young woman, more a woman in hiding than a wild one, but this year, she feels enough is enough, it is time she goes past her infatuation for Brody Girvan and grew a backbone.
« To prove she’d claimed the higher ground, the mature woman made a face and poked her tongue out at her uninspiring image. »
With some help she will also enlighten what has always been there but was lost under the wrong choice of wear and hair.
Brody Girvan feels reckless since a while, he does not find anymore fun in his usual way of occupying his day, but he wonders why, until he sees Elspeth at their common friends Christmas gathering, she looks like she is his answer.
During their short time together they will go from miscomprehension to misunderstandings leading to hurt.
« he knew that his three closest friends harbored doubts about his character. Hamish, Diarmid and Fergus believed that while he might make a braw companion for a night’s carousing, he wasn’t worthy of Elspeth’s hand. »
Elspeth is unable to accept Brody the rake can look for more than some entertainment with the only non-attached woman around him, while Brody thinks he saw interest in her eyes but she rejected him.
So who thinks what?
Brody had a hard time putting a name on his attraction and reaction to Elspeth’s presence while she fights her own old infatuation rejecting what it is really.
The first half of the story who funny and light then the second part shows a more confident Elspeth with a less sure of him Brody, with their shift of personality they come to be full of doubt and more obtuse to real sign of their attachment.
A 4.5 stars rate.
Bk 2 in the ‘Lairds Most Likely’ series. Another enthralling read with characters that tug at your heart-strings. Thank you, Anna Campbell. You make me feel like I’m in the Highlands.
The Laird’s Christmas Kiss
The Lairds Most Likely book2
by Anna Campbell
I just love reading about Highlanders and Christmas spirit, this was just the right book to set the tone for love!
Elspeth is such a sweet good natured person always in the shadows. She’s just a little bit different that’s all-right? But she’s tired off being in the shadows, with the help of the ever helpful Marina, Elspeth’s star shone and Brody was star struck !
I really enjoyed this sweet little love story. I loved seeing Elspeth gain confidence and realizing that being different didn’t make her any less special. The secondary characters were fantastic as well as catching up with a few older ones.
The Laird’s Christmas Kiss was such an easy read it’s just the thing to enjoy with a hot cup of coco to get you in the spirit of kisses and Christmas.
“I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.”
Although this is a light-hearted historical Christmas romance set in the Highlands, the story is well-written with strong characters. Just when Elspeth comes to the conclusion that she is wasting her time pining after Brody, the blinkers finally come off and Brody sees Elspeth in a new light. Winning her over is more complicated than he had thought and her interfering family don’t help matters at all. I enjoyed this novel and found it highly entertaining. Although this book is part of series and characters from the first book appear in this one too, it is nevertheless a standalone and comes to a happy conclusion. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.
For five years, 20-year old Elspeth Douglas has pined over Brody Girvan, the rakish Laird of Invermackie. He’s also friends with her brother, Hamish, and Fergus Mackinnon’s cousin. Now, she’s decided that it’s time to put childish feelings behind her and move on. Brody, however, has spent the past year taking stock of himself and isn’t pleased with what he’s discovered. He decides it’s time to put aside his irresponsible behavior and pursue a life of more substance. When he’s invited to Fergus’ annual Christmas gathering at Achnasheen Castle, his attention turns to young Elspeth and he’s doubly intrigued when she doesn’t immediately respond to his charming ways.
I loved how the tables were turned on Brody in this story. He’s a man who was accustomed to ladies always falling for his seductive behavior. Elspeth is the “afterthought” child in her family, perceived by them as a mouse because of her quiet nature and bookish tendencies. She’s come into her own, feeling more confident now that she’s let go of her fascination with this man. Brody had to work hard to overcome his reputation and prove his worth. I also loved how Elspeth asserted herself not only to Brody but her family while staying true to the norms of the era.
This was a delightful story with the Christmas season as the backdrop serving to make it even more festive. Elspeth is a wonderfully designed character and Brody the perfect man to highlight her strengths. His transformation was also heartwarming as he struggled to get friends, family and Elspeth to see his heart and get beyond the well-earned opinions of him. There are beautiful themes illustrated in this story, which made it even more interesting.
(I received a complimentary copy from the author in exchange for an unbiased review)
Anna Campbell writes the best stories and she never fails to make me smile and leave me feeling wonderful after reading one of her them and this one is a beauty, what more could a romance reader want than a gorgeous Scottish hero a heroine finding her daring and her love finally at Christmas time in Scotland, I suggest you make yourself very comfortable to read this one because you won’t want to put it down.
Elspeth Douglas the after- thought in the family the little mouse who doesn’t say a lot but loves to get lost in a book, but she is very stubborn as her brother will agree with and she has had a major crush on one of her brother Hamish’s friends Brody Girvan since she was sixteen and there is a Christmas party going on and where they are both attending and Elspeth decides that her crush is just that and it is time to get over Brody, and get on with her life, but sometimes things can change beautifully.
Brody is a rake and has been living the good life for some time now but he has been feeling kinda different and thinking more about the future and being with his friends for Christmas he starts to notice the beautiful Elspeth and sets his sights on her, which seems to shock a few people at the party including Elspeth, but there is no denying the pull he has to his little wren.
I loved this story from start to finish, with such witty banter, I loved Brody and Elspeth what a gorgeous couple, and this one is sensual, exciting and fun as they have a few ups and downs to get to the place they should be, married and looking forward to a wonderful future. This is a story that I highly recommend MS Campbell writes beautifully, she has such a fabulous voice for her stories, and I never miss one, thank you MS Campbell another story for the keeper shelf and I am really looking forward to Hamish and Diarmid’s stories.
Oh that childhood crush that never goes away! The Laird’s Christmas Kiss by Anna Campbell is book 2 in The Lairds Most Likely series. Though in a series this can be read as a standalone. How I just loved how the tables turned in this story and you will understand what I mean when you read this book. Anna has an amazing talent for detail and her characters are just wonderful. Oh I just adore holiday themed stories and this one takes place at a house party which is even better. This regency story has a transformation, misunderstandings judgement in character, a rogue, family love and support, flirtation, a new friendship, lack of will power and of course mistletoe. I highly recommend this book!
***This book was gifted to me and I am voluntarily reviewing.
The Laird’s Christmas Kiss by Anna Campbell was a very compelling, sweet and heartwarming read. I am always up for a good Christmas story, and wasn’t disappointed with this one. The story is fast paced, extremely hard to put down, and full of well developed characters. The writing was wonderful. It was easy to believe and not over the top. Well worth the read. I definitely recommend this story.
This is the second in the series and I enjoyed it more than the first. It was a light hearted Christmas read with a little suspense in the middle. There were many characters from the first book and some surprises. A nice short Christmas read, perfect for this time of the year.
The Laird’s Christmas Kiss (The Lairds Most Likely, #2) by Anna Campbell ..I enjoyed my visit with THE LAIRDS MOST LIKELY for Christmas. Elspeth Douglas(youngest sibling and referred to as the mouse..) Brody Girvan (Laird of Invermacker..known rake and secret crush of Elspeth for years) So much fun with the extended family all get together to celebrate Christmas… loads of laughs, some tears and hurt feelings… some lust and misunderstandings all to get us to a very HEA.
This is such a wonderful Christmas story and I enjoyed it immensely. Just as Elspeth has decided that her love for Brody needs to be put aside and forgotten since he’s never noticed her in the 5 years she’s known him, that’s when Brody DOES notice her and falls hard. She does everything to spurn him, figuring he’s only paying attention to her because she’s the only single lady around. Your heart really goes out to both of them as they struggle towards their HEA! I also loved learning of various Christmas traditions from that era. Well done, Anna!!
I love Anna Campbell’s Christmas stories! Every year I look forward to it.
This story had the perfect mix between sweet, fun, passionate and being emotional.
Although ‘The laird’s Christmas kiss’ is the second book in ‘The lairds most likely’ series you don’t have to read the first book to enjoy this one. But for the people who did read it, they will be glad to know that Fergus and Marina (from the first book) are also present in this story.
I was really intrigued after reading the blurb. What do you do when the guy that you have been dreaming of for many years suddenly looks at you with interest in his eyes? Just when you have decided that you don’t want him anymore? Do you change your mind? Or do you stand by your decision to forget him? Well, Elspeth stands with her decision to ignore Brody during this Christmas party but Brody doesn’t like that because the more time he spends with Elspeth the more he’s convinced that he discovered something special. But Elspeth may be shy, she’s also very stubborn. Brody may be experienced with the ladies but he may need more than that if he wants to win Elspeth’s heart. But just when Brody thinks that he has won it, a scandal and family members are getting between them. Now, he will need a Christmas miracle to get the woman that he wants!
I enjoyed this Christmas story very much. Both character were very lovable. I found it interesting to see how both of them grew and blossomed. I enjoyed the interaction between both of them. The second characters were also great and the story was very easy to read.
You get both POV’s in this story and you also get a bit of a Scottish brogue, so be prepared for a very Scottish Christmas in the Highlands.
It’s amazing what a bit of maturity can bring…
I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for poor Brody in The Laird’s Christmas Kiss. Just because he had a wee bit of fun carousing while he was young, does not mean that he can’t one day grow up and realise there’s more to life. When push came to shove, his “mates” didn’t think he was a good marriage prospect. His “mates” didn’t think he was capable of having feelings for one woman alone. His “mates” thought he’d be more interested in drinking and gambling than having a family. To be honest, his “mates” weren’t particularly nice.
But, then again, Brody was falling for his “mates” sister and cousin, Elspeth, so maybe they were right to be so judgey. It probably didn’t help that they also knew Elspeth had loved him from afar for the last 5 years…and he never noticed her.
Poor Elspeth spent a lot of time as the little mouse hiding in the dark. Her family has always treated her differently and she’s never fit in with their looks and confidence. Elspeth has been quite happy keeping to herself. She sits back and observes her surroundings, especially when the gorgeous Brody, Laird of Invermackie, is around. But, he doesn’t even know she’s there. Elspeth is just his friends quiet and frumpy sister and cousin. One day Elspeth decides she’s had enough of the dark and the unrequited love. It’s time to come into the light and forget about the Laird who doesn’t even know her name…or so she thought.
I really enjoyed this sweet little love story. I loved seeing Elspeth gain confidence and acknowledge that while she’s different from her family, she’s just as good as them. The additional characters I’ve met before were a pleasure to catch up with again. The Laird’s Christmas Kiss was such an easy read to get sucked into, and each page flew by. It felt like I blinked and it was over.
At times I was a little frustrated with how Elspeth and Brody were treated. Elspeth’s mother seemed like a self-centred cow and Brody’s “mates”, Elspeth’s brother and cousin, were horrible. I can’t wait for Hamish and Diarmid to find their love, because Elspeth and Brody owe a little payback.
The shining star of this story was definitely Marina, the heroine from The Laird’s Willful Lass. Her defence and willingness to help Elspeth was something that SHOULD have been coming from her own mother. Marina is still as loving, thoughtful and strong as she was when I first met her. I loved seeing her happily married to Fergus.
I definitely recommend this sweet and short historical romance. Anna Campbell is an author I can count on for a great highland romance and a sneak under the Laird’s kilt.