Highland Crown

Our Review

HIGHLAND CROWN by May McGoldrick is the perfect example of historical adventure romance that’s fun, engaging, and too good to put down to do necessary things. I literally couldn’t stop and would wake up in the middle of the night to read a few more pages.

McGoldrick throws together a hunted surgeon running for her life, a marooned sea captain hoping to regain his status, and a cranky old woman who hates them both for destroying her pirating life in the highlands, as meager an existence as it was. What a fun combination that got better with each page turned.

HIGHLAND CROWN is a smooth reading experience. I didn’t stop to think about why the characters said this or that, or wonder if they were acting out of character. I just read it and enjoyed it exactly as it was written. That’s extremely rare for this picky reader. I’m always questioning something.

As for the historical detail… It was beyond intriguing, but it’s a work of fiction, and like most fiction, the authors totally own the fact that they made some of it up. I’m not a fact-checker when it comes to historical romance. I like it to be convincing so I believe that it could really happen this way, but I’m realistic enough to realize that none of us really know what’s real. This book held the allure of fantasy because the yarn is spun so well that I can’t imagine history playing out any other way. Did it really happen? I have no idea, but I also don’t care one way or the other because I loved every minute of this enchanting tale.

The facts the story was based on easily created active visuals in my head, established by the scenes the writers portrayed. It wasn’t overly descriptive and the dialogue moved the story forward. It wasn’t repetitive or boring on any page. I felt the emotion and cheered the characters. I worried with them when they were in trouble, which was most of the novel! It’s adventure fiction above anything else, and I loved that. The romance is lovely because the characters grew into their love for one another.

Besides that, Cinaed Mackintosh is a swoon-worthy, manly-man who is very much in love with Isabella Drummond. Nothing in their past or future seems compatible to them living a life together. They have so many roadblocks. Even though I anticipated a couple secrets revealed at the end, I loved the journey proving that I was right.

These new-to-me authors are very talented. Although I knew there were two people writing as one name, the novel never felt like it. It’s seamless and beautiful. I crave historical adventure novels, and I’m always so excited when I find a series that starts off like this. Of course, I’m also sad, because the next two books aren’t available right now for me to continue. It will be difficult waiting, but I’m thrilled to anticipate a historical series again. I’m looking forward to HIGHLAND JEWEL and HIGHLAND SWORD with the anxiety of a crazed fan.

I realize now how much I’ve missed Highlander stories and swashbuckling captains. To get both in one novel with a bit of suspense is book bliss! It has been a long time since historical fiction has captivated me. This is it.

If you want to have a really good time with Highlanders and strong women who love them, a shipwreck, merry chases, uprisings and political unrest – all embedded with engaging prose that will aid your speed-reading need, then buy HIGHLAND CROWN right now. As for me? I’ll gladly read it again with my book club when I recommend it because I can’t stand not having anyone to yammer at about this book.

Recommended Read!