ARC Review: Highland Thief – Alyson McLayne (The Sons of Gregor MacLeod #5)

Blurb:

When a Highland laird makes a promise, nothing can stand in his way…

No one ever accused Kerr MacAlister of being a nice man. Everyone would agree, however, that when he makes up his mind about something, no one will change it. Which is why everyone knows Isobel MacKinnon will end up his wife.

Isobel spent most of her childhood in love with the tall, dark, and deadly sexy Scot. It wasn’t until she was fifteen and failed to entice Kerr into kissing her, that things turned sour. Now, Kerr is the one trying to entice her.

But Isobel knows how to hold a grudge and won’t be swayed unless he proves his love. So she tricks him into believing she’s eloping with another man. Kerr responds by kidnapping her to a remote cabin in the Highlands where both love and danger lurk…

Will this Highlander’s fate be to finally have the woman of his dreams?

Review:

I haven’t read any of the previous books in this series so I went into this one without any prior knowledge or feelings towards any of the characters. I did like the overall story, the hero (Kerr), and McLayne’s writing. I also very much would like to go back to the beginning of the series and read the stories of the other foster brothers’.

However, I think what stopped me from loving this book was the heroine (Isobel). I struggled to connect with her throughout the entire story. She spends a lot of time in this book devising traps (aka pranks) for people as form of serving justice for one reason or another, and I’ve never been a fan of that type of behaviour. But that’s just me. Other readers could definitely enjoy her craftsy actions.

Aside from the heroine, there were several things I did really like in this story. The first being the general premise of Gregor MacLeod’s “sons”. These sons are not biologically related to him but have been fostered together in an attempt to unite the clans and build stronger, lasting relationships. I also really enjoyed the traveller and his companion that Kerr and Isobel stumble upon. Their interactions really added to the story and helped make certain scenes flow a little more smoothly by breaking up what could have been a never-ending stalemate.

Overall, this was a fun read and reminded me of my love for historical romances, especially ones involving highlanders. I would definitely pick up more of McLayne’s stories in the future (and have plans to continue this series starting from book one).

Disclaimer: Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Want more romance reviews and recommendations similar to Highland Thief?
Check out the titles below!
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Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake – Sarah MacLean
Until Forever – Johanna Lindsey
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