Once Upon a Tartan (MacGregors, #2) by Grace Burrowes

Oct 09, 2012 Mary - Buried Under Romance rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Posted on: Buried Under Romance

I am always amazed at how Grace Burrowes seems to effortless craft one mesmerizing tale after another, each filled with scorching passion and tantalizing romance. This book is no different. In fact, I like this story much better than The Bridegroom Wore Plaid (MacGregor series #1) due to the poignant character dynamics explored between Tye and Hester.

Tiberius (Tye) Flynn, the Earl of Spathfoy, has been coerced by his father to retrieve his niece, Fiona, a task he Posted on: Buried Under Romance

I am always amazed at how Grace Burrowes seems to effortless craft one mesmerizing tale after another, each filled with scorching passion and tantalizing romance. This book is no different. In fact, I like this story much better than The Bridegroom Wore Plaid (MacGregor series #1) due to the poignant character dynamics explored between Tye and Hester.

Tiberius (Tye) Flynn, the Earl of Spathfoy, has been coerced by his father to retrieve his niece, Fiona, a task he finds most tiring due to his lack of interaction with children. Together with Fiona is Hester Daniels, who is in ways hiding from society due to an unfortunate scandal. At first, neither quite liked the other as Tye was used to being cold and austere and Hester dearly loved and wanted her niece to be happy. Yet somehow they struck an odd friendship, and even more quickly, found their smoldering passion too brilliant to ignore.

I find Tye to be a rather enigmatic individual, and more complex than Hester. He has the soul of a wounded child underneath the nonchalant exterior of an earl, where he resents his family and his fate, but lacks the strength to truly defy them until the end. His humor and mannerisms are also both childlike and aristocratic, which makes him a very conflicted hero for most of the book. While it was mostly amusing to watch Tye's inner struggles as he tries to be a good uncle and resist his desire for Hester, ultimately it is the meaning of true love that helped calm his raging soul. The relationship between Tye and Hester was in-between friends and lovers, but Hester's gentle love and selfless devotion to others helped to not only mend the hurt in Tye's heart, but also proved true the adage "love conquers all."

Once Upon a Tartan is yet another demonstration of Grace Burrowes's superb writing; her captivating characters are able to create life in any setting, themselves wholly intriguing and complex. Add to it a fantastic plot and a romantic Scottish setting, here is a book to enchant all lovers of romance. Highly recommended!

Plot: 7/10
Characters: 9/10
Writing: 10/10
Structure: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

*ARC received from the publisher via Netgalley ...more

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May 15, 2013 Lady Wesley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: amz-rev, fave-favorites, cute-kids, 2013-faves

5++ stars!

Once again, Grace Burrowes has created a fascinating couple of characters in Hester Daniels and Tiberius Flynn, Earl of Spathfoy. As with most of Burrowes’ books, it helps to know the backstory.

Hester first appeared in The Bridegroom Wore Plaid, when she accompanied her father, sister, aunt and cousin to Castle Balfour in Aberdeenshire, where they are guests of Ian MacGregor, the Earl of Balfour and his family. That book ended like an episode of Love Boat, with the sister, aunt, and c 5++ stars!

Once again, Grace Burrowes has created a fascinating couple of characters in Hester Daniels and Tiberius Flynn, Earl of Spathfoy. As with most of Burrowes’ books, it helps to know the backstory.

Hester first appeared in The Bridegroom Wore Plaid, when she accompanied her father, sister, aunt and cousin to Castle Balfour in Aberdeenshire, where they are guests of Ian MacGregor, the Earl of Balfour and his family. That book ended like an episode of Love Boat, with the sister, aunt, and cousin all married to MacGregor men. Then, in the novella Mary Fran and Matthew Hester's brother marries the lone MacGregor sister, Mary Fran, who has a seven-year old daughter from her first marriage to the no-good Gordie Flynn, Spathfoy’s younger brother. While on the Continent for their wedding trip, Mary Fran and Matthew have left little Fiona in the care of her step-aunt Hester and her elderly step-great aunt Lady Ariadne (Aunt Ree).

Tiberius shows up in Scotland without warning, ostensibly to pay a visit to his niece, young Fiona, but in reality he is there to fetch her back to live with her father’s family. Her grandfather, the Marquess of Quinworth, had questioned Fiona’s legitimacy and never shown any interest in her, but now he has commissioned his son to bring her back. Tiberius decides to wait a few days before taking Fiona, but during that time he becomes enamored of Hester and Aunt Ree. Actually, at first he and Hester do not like one another, but that begins to change the longer he stays in Scotland. In addition, he is charmed by Fiona and begins to feel guilty at the thought of taking her away from the only family she has ever known.

Tiberius is a complex, enigmatic man, quite unlike any other hero in Burrowes’ other books. I sometimes think that her heroes verge on too good to be true and have a bit too much 'feminine side' to their personalities. Tiberius, however, is 100% male, and I found him both maddening and fascinating. His interactions with Fiona are charming. Although the romance with Hester is naturally the main focus of the book, little Fiona is also a star. Burrowes has the knack of writing juvenile characters who are real people and not just cute side characters. Fiona is indeed cute, but she is also maddening, calculating, and stubborn – just like a real kid. (This talent also comes through in Ethan: Lord of Scandals).

This is not a criticism, but we modern readers may find it incomprehensible that the fierce MacGregor clan seems to accept Fiona’s fate once Tiberius reveals his mission to them. The idea that a distant paternal grandfather could just take a child from her mother is rather shocking to us, but it is consistent with the 19th century legal system. It is also a bit difficult to understand why Tiberius is so intent upon following his father’s commands, when it is clear that he has strong reservations about the plan. His motivation, however, comes out later in the book, so be patient.

As I’ve said elsewhere, I have a love/hate relationship with Grace Burrowes – I tend to love her stories and hate some of authorial tics that afflict her writing (hero brushing and braiding heroine’s hair; tea and cakes in every indoor scene, etc.) Here, however, I found almost nothing to annoy me (she brushes his hair!), and much to admire. This is one of Grace Burrowes’ best books, and I highly recommend it. ...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Caz rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: aar, romance-contemporary-and-other, favourites, arc, 4-stars, romance-1850-1900s

In Once Upon a Tartan we renew our acquaintance with the MacGregors of Balfour, previously seen in The Bridegroom Wore Plaid, which was one of my favourite books of last year. (And which figured on my recent AAR Top Ten list).

Unlike many authors embarking upon trilogies featuring siblings, Grace Burrowes chose not to allocate one book to each of the MacGregor brothers (Ian, Connor and Gil), opting instead to suit each brother with his bride of choice in the first book, although Ian and Augusta’ ...more

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Mar 31, 2019 Jultri rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: victorian, heroine-with-scandalous-past

3.5/5. GB writes beautifully but sometimes her plot gets bogged down by her gorgeous prose and charming dialogues to the point of stagnation. That was what happened between 30-70% of the book. There were a lot of much ado about nothing between the characters, gentle teasings back and forth, flirtations so subtle that the frequent premarital sex by contrast was too brazen and overt. And what is it with the shocking disregard for propriety by the heroine?

Hester scandalously broke an engagement bec 3.5/5. GB writes beautifully but sometimes her plot gets bogged down by her gorgeous prose and charming dialogues to the point of stagnation. That was what happened between 30-70% of the book. There were a lot of much ado about nothing between the characters, gentle teasings back and forth, flirtations so subtle that the frequent premarital sex by contrast was too brazen and overt. And what is it with the shocking disregard for propriety by the heroine?

Hester scandalously broke an engagement because her fiance pressured her into anticipating their vows, and although she was not exactly forced, he did not make it pleasurable for her. So she hides away in Scotland, biding time looking after her brother's wife's child, while the newlyweds are honeymooning. The hero, Tiberius, heir to an English marquessate is sent by his tyrannical father to fetch the child to England, as she is the only offspring (legitimate) of Tye's late rascally younger brother. Turns out this errand is anything but simple for Tye, complicated by an adorable lively little girl, Fiona, her adoring extended family who are not willing to give her up without a fight and the beautiful woman who seems to muddle his very rational and articulate thoughts.

I really like the hero, who lives up to his extravagant name with his fanciful words and florid allocution style of speech which impresses his whip-smart niece. There is self-deprecating humour and gentle affection conveyed within his eloquent verbal expressions. The heroine, I'm less fond of. I just don't get why she would throw herself bodily at Tye. Her behaviour was definitely not that of a traumatised woman. After what her fiance put her through, you'd think she would like to be more cautious about who she grants physical favours. In fact, given that her sister in law fell pregnant to a bounder who seduced her, Hester and her whole family ought to be more reticent about encouraging her to pursue sexual intimacy out of wedlock. Why am I the only one to express outrage at such careless indifference for Victorian propriety and social conduct? I like the secondary love story between the estranged parents of Tye - their reunion was quite moving. Little Fiona was at times too precocious in her speech, but she was still a cutie nevertheless and so affectionate towards all around her. Perhaps it might be due to her neglectful mother, whom she clearly adored, and who appears to have earned a novella of her own, which I will skip, because I have not formed high opinions of her as a mother.
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Apr 20, 2013 Sandi *~The Pirate Wench~* rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: grace-burrowes

Setting: Regency-era Scotland
4 1/2 stars

Tye Flynn is ordered by his father to travel to Scotland and bring back his long lost brother's daughter,Fiona. Since Fiona's parents are on holiday, her aunt Hester is caring for her. Hester was unaware of Tye's impending arrival and is determined to keep Fiona safe and in Scotland. Hester has a reason of course not to trust men,but she is slowly drawn into a friendship with Tye. By the time Tye is supposed to leave to bring Fiona to England, Hester is co ...more

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Oct 09, 2013 Lady Wesley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fave-favorites, listened

This is just about my number one favorite Grace Burrowes story, and a key attribute of the hero, Tiberius Flynn, is his beautiful voice. Fortunately, Roger Hampton indeed has a beautiful voice, which makes this audiobook a five-star listen. He also has a wonderful Scots accent, which mostly applies here to the female characters, but his narration also has a touch of the Highlands about it. His voice for nine-year-old Fiona is a bit squeaky, but I quickly got over that. My favorite voice was Ian ...more

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Oct 09, 2013 Caz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, romance-contemporary-and-other, romance-1850-1900s, audiogals, audiobook

In Once Upon a Tartan, the second book of Ms. Burrowes’ MacGregor trilogy, we renew our acquaintance with Hester Daniels, one of the secondary characters in The Bridegroom Wore Plaid.

Hester has been packed off to Scotland in disgrace, following her breaking of a betrothal she didn’t want, to a man who tried to force her into marriage for her money. She has been badly emotionally bruised by these events, not just because the man in question seduced her and proceeded to bandy her name about societ In Once Upon a Tartan, the second book of Ms. Burrowes’ MacGregor trilogy, we renew our acquaintance with Hester Daniels, one of the secondary characters in The Bridegroom Wore Plaid.

Hester has been packed off to Scotland in disgrace, following her breaking of a betrothal she didn’t want, to a man who tried to force her into marriage for her money. She has been badly emotionally bruised by these events, not just because the man in question seduced her and proceeded to bandy her name about society, but because he made her doubt her own judgement, making her feel less than she was. Even Hester’s own mother made her feel degraded by sending her away from London.

Hester is staying near the estate of her brother-in-law and his wife, Ian and Augusta MacGregor, Earl and Countess of Balfour. Her brother, Matthew, has recently married Ian’s sister, and Hester is looking after their daughter, Fiona, while the pair are travelling abroad. Also in residence is Ian’s great-aunt Ariadne (Ree), who is one of those splendidly forthright and flirtatious dowagers so beloved of historical romance. While Hester is outwardly content, shrewd Ian knows that all is not well with her, but is at a loss as to what to do to help her.

The unexpected arrival of Tiberius Lamartaine Flynn, Earl of Spathfoy, does nothing to improve Hester’s peace of mind. Spathfoy is another of Fiona’s big, strapping uncles (the others being Ian and his brothers), and the elder brother of Fiona’s late father. Hester is immediately suspicious of his motives for arriving unannounced, but she can’t help but be charmed by the way he deals with Fiona, who is a very precocious (though not brattish) child. At the same time, she can’t help but be attracted by his good looks, his innate kindness, and his beautiful voice.

The fact that Tye is possessed of an exquisite voice is mentioned several times in the book; so knowing, even before I read the print version, who would be narrating the audiobook meant that I knew I wouldn’t find myself listening to it and thinking there was no correlation between that aspect of the character as he was written and as I heard him. I may have had issues with some aspects of Roger Hampton’s performance in the previous book in this series, but there’s no denying that he has a gorgeous voice – soft, and slightly husky which, in this story, was not far short of perfect for the hero.

You can read the rest of this review at AudioGals. ...more

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Feb 05, 2016 Elaine rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, 1-star

This book was so boring! I couldn't even finish it properly without skipping pages. I just didn't care for it. It was too slow. The hero and heroine weren't interesting, in fact they were boring and the hero was a doormat while the heroine really made some questionable decisions based on her previous experiences. The only bright spot in the story was the niece, Fiona, but even she can't redeem this book. ...more

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Feb 10, 2018 NatalyaVqs rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: abandoned

Aunt Ariadne is a mischevious treasure. Fiona is a delightful child. Spathfoy is a great study of conflicted hero, under his father's thumb, wanting to do the right thing. I give Hester props for being a decisive heroine. However, the plot development is agonizingly slow and momentum gets lost over and over again. 200/288 ...more

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Nov 10, 2019 EmpK rated it really liked it · review of another edition

After the underwhelming "Bride groom wore Plaid" I thought this would be equally terrible. But it was actually DELIGHTFUL. It's almost as if Mary Balogh created the English hero in this book-- he's so deliciously starchy, borderline pompous, and gentlemanly without being too much of a goody-two-shoes.

It helps to read the previous books in this series, because the focus of this book is actually a custody battle, with a love story interwoven between it all.

It's also one of the few Burrowes heroine ...more

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Jun 16, 2021 Susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Loved it! This book has so many interesting side stories, and wonderful characters, Fee being a favorite. Tiberius and Hester’s journey is a must read. 💛💛💛💛💛

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Apr 23, 2013 Kathie (katmom) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-request

This is the second book in the MacGregor Trilogy. I haven't read the first one, but felt like I was all caught up as this one began. Ms. Burrowes is very adept at giving us back story without making us feel like we aren't moving forward.

Hester has broken her engagement to a really nasty young man. She is now rusticating in Scotland, taking care of her brother's new step-daughter while he and the child's mother take their marriage tour. She is also hiding from the shame and the pain of her short ...more

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Aug 03, 2014 Alana rated it liked it · review of another edition

I was intrigued to read the follow up to our book club book for last month 'The Bridegroom Wore Plaid' which was an light and easy read with perhaps a little too much over the top 'mushy stuff'. Once Upon a Tartan was more of the same but I think I preferred it to the first book as I felt more invested in the romance and in the conflict between Tye, Hester and Fiona, though I think I preferred Augusta as the heroine to Hester who I could never really get a sense of. I will probably go on to read ...more

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Jun 21, 2013 Rachel T rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: highlander, ebook, fiction, freebie, fave-author, series, historical-romance, the-reading-cafe, netgalley, for-review

As posted at The Reading Cafe 24 Aug 13
ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review

http://www.thereadingcafe.com/the-bridegroom-wore-plaid-and-once-upon-a-tartan-by-grace-burrowes-a-review/

COMBINED REVIEW with The Bridegroom Wore Plaid

5 out of 5 for this reader folks! I have to say, I REALLY REALLY love Grace Burrowes writing. She is quickly becoming on of my ABSOLUTE FAVE authors. I am currently on summer vacay and it is killing me that I have to put my book down as often as I am, because she ...more

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Aug 16, 2018 Emanuellen Trizi rated it liked it · review of another edition

Tye and Hester story is a bit fast, but no less sweet because of this. Its nice to see Fiona again, she's so cute. Its hard to understand all Tye's motives and the reader discover the truth basically at the same time Hester does. I wish we had a bit more of Quinnworth to understand all the family bussiness, because that scene - THAT SCENE - at the grave is so bittersweet and ultralovely that I cried like a baby. Both characters arrived at the story with a background that really moved them, broke ...more

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May 11, 2018 Vikki Vaught rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Oh, my! This is a wonderful book. Fiona is the most endearing little girl. I loved Hester and Ty as well. The writing is emotionally charged and the plot is engaging. So glad I listened to this book. The narrator is fabulous. Happy reading 📖!

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Aug 07, 2018 Rebekah rated it liked it · review of another edition

Yes, I read a book called Once Upon a Tartan. What are you gonna do. These things happen.

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Jul 17, 2021 melanie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, historical

Grace Burrowes puts so much non sexual intimacy into this book while both the hero and heroine are unclothed… I was actually struck by how natural and sweet it was. Wowowow, just really wonderfully done imo

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Oct 04, 2013 Issa rated it it was ok · review of another edition

2.5 - 3 stars. Just can't decide.

The feisty girl is Fiona who we meet, along with her family in the Bridegroom Wore Plaid. Fiona’s mother Mary Fran and Fiona’s father married in a handfasting ceremony not recognized by her father’s family. When her father died, his family had nothing to do with him and Mary Fran moved in with her brother, Ian MacGregor, the Earl of Balfour. But Fiona is not fading away in Scotland, she’s been looked after by her uncles. Mary Fran marries Matthew, brother of the 2.5 - 3 stars. Just can't decide.

The feisty girl is Fiona who we meet, along with her family in the Bridegroom Wore Plaid. Fiona’s mother Mary Fran and Fiona’s father married in a handfasting ceremony not recognized by her father’s family. When her father died, his family had nothing to do with him and Mary Fran moved in with her brother, Ian MacGregor, the Earl of Balfour. But Fiona is not fading away in Scotland, she’s been looked after by her uncles. Mary Fran marries Matthew, brother of the Countess of Balfour and the two of them are out of country on vacation when Tiberius comes calling. I do not recall if we met Hester but she is the sister of Matthew, so an aunt but not by blood.

Back to the story, the plot is one seen many times before. That alone didn’t scare me off, the simplest of romance tropes can be good if written well. This one has its moments. Tiberius is here to take Fiona back to the family seat based on his father’s orders. He falls for Hester and vice versa and the relationship moves at a predictable pace with the inevitable lies, evasions, and betrayals. Burrows had potential with this one, but too many weak points made it unsalvageable.

What worked: The dialogue. Tiberius has a way of speaking that drew me in…flat tone with big words with subtle wit. Tiberius’s discussions are full of amusements and slights of phrase.

Hester. She s a well rounded character who avoids falling into a doormat role. She makes unusual choices and shows more strength than I would have expected. I wanted a happy ending for her.

Earl and Countess of Balfour: Ian and August appear again and they continue to be two of my favorite Burrows characters.

Now for what doesn t work.

Tiberius the character: Despite his sexy speech, I couldn’t warm up to him. He’s the doormat of the story. The one that falls in line with his father’s orders to take the child knowing he’s taking her from a loving environment. The reason why stunned me as well as Hester and my opinion of him plummeted even further.

The MacGregors. Despite the unity they had in the previous book, they are all gone here (except Ian) and there is no explanation why Fiona’s mom never responds to Ian’s wires about the problems with her daughter. Their absence was a shadow over the story.

Tiberius’s father: There s a whole side story to Tiberius’s father, his mother, and what drove his father to do what he did. I found it childish and a painful addition to the book.

Pacing: When it becomes clear what Tye’s intentions towards Fiona are, we wait and wait and wait for the inevitable to happen. There s a good 50 pages I could have yanked out and with little impact on the story.

I give this one three stars. An okay story, not a bad read, but easily forgettable. ...more

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Jan 15, 2015 Angie rated it liked it

Shelves: adult, library-overdrive, read-2015, reviewed

Much like the first book, Once Upon a Tartan has romance blossoming in the midst of legal woes. I find this really interesting, even though in general, legalities don't really spark my interest. Tye is on his way to Scotland to fetch his niece, Fiona. He's not too savvy to all of the reasons, but his father has tasked him to bring Fiona back to London since his late son's will says she should be raised there. Upon his arrival, Tye sees that Fiona's mother and stepfather are away on their honeymo Much like the first book, Once Upon a Tartan has romance blossoming in the midst of legal woes. I find this really interesting, even though in general, legalities don't really spark my interest. Tye is on his way to Scotland to fetch his niece, Fiona. He's not too savvy to all of the reasons, but his father has tasked him to bring Fiona back to London since his late son's will says she should be raised there. Upon his arrival, Tye sees that Fiona's mother and stepfather are away on their honeymoon, and she's been left in the care of her aunt Hester. From there he attempts to woo them back to London with him.

I wasn't quite sure about Once Upon a Tartan in the beginning, since as many of you know, I have an issue with children being the driving force of a romance. Fiona is very much center stage in the plot, but luckily, since she's not the child of either love interest, she is not what ultimately brings them together. She's just the side-plot, and has a more important role in someone else's schemes. I was quite curious as to why her grandfather was suddenly interested in her, as was the rest of her Scottish family. I can honestly say that I never would have guessed why! After Hester's fathers nefarious plans in The Bridegroom Wore Plaid, I had suspected something along those lines, but it is nothing like that at all. It was actually pretty sweet in a misguided sort of way.

As for the romance, I really enjoyed it! Tye and Hester bump heads at first, since he's not exactly the most charming man, and she certainly doesn't trust him after he shows up with no warning and fails to properly introduce himself. But she can't deny that she's attracted to him, and uses him to "get back in the saddle" at her aunt Ariadne's suggestions. I must say that I loved Aunt Ariadne! She's super old and super funny! That woman is scandalous! But she certainly points Hester in the right direction, and helps her overcome her guilt at "using" Tye or taking advantage of him. There's also more sex in this sequel, and Hester and Tye are certainly not lacking in chemistry!

I really liked Once Upon a Tartan. I did have a few issues with the plot. Mostly just that no one had any idea what was going on with Tye's father's sudden interest in Fiona, and didn't bother investigating it. All of her other uncles say that they'd fight to get her back and use all legal action at their disposable, and yet they didn't do that in the first place to see if what Tye claimed was in the will was even what was really in the will. That didn't seem believable to me at all. Other than that though, it's a sweet and sexy romance, with a side of family reunion.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews. ...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Jaclyn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, historical-romance, net-galley

I feel very conflicted with Grace Burrowes’s historical romances. Each one of her books that I have picked up, I have either loved or hated. I had read the first of the MacGregor Trilogy and loved it; so far it has been the only Burrowes book that I have really liked. Therefore, I was rather excited to read Once Upon a Tartan, which features Hester MacDaniel, who was mentioned the first book. I ended up really liking this one, but it wasn’t without the problems that I dislike in Burrowes other b I feel very conflicted with Grace Burrowes’s historical romances. Each one of her books that I have picked up, I have either loved or hated. I had read the first of the MacGregor Trilogy and loved it; so far it has been the only Burrowes book that I have really liked. Therefore, I was rather excited to read Once Upon a Tartan, which features Hester MacDaniel, who was mentioned the first book. I ended up really liking this one, but it wasn’t without the problems that I dislike in Burrowes other books. There were instances where I felt confused with plot and its rationale; I find that Burrowes can overdo it with plot complications.

Hester has come to her brother’s holding in the Highlands while recovering from a broken engagement to watch over her step-niece, Fiona. While there, Hester gets an unwanted guest, in Tiberius Flynn, uncle of Fiona’s late father. Fiona’s father had seduced her mother and continues to be unacknowledged by her father’s family. By all appearances, it appears that Tiberius has come to acknowledge Fiona and take her back home with him. Hester is not about to let that happen, especially since her brother and Fiona’s mother are away on their honeymoon. However, Hester finds herself desperately attracted to Tiberius and sorely tempted to explore that attraction after what has happened with her former fiancé. Tiberius also feels this attraction, but is under orders to bring Fiona back to his father’s home, despite his own personal misgivings about taking a young girl from her loving family.

I really enjoyed the romance aspect, and I loved Tiberius and Hester together. Hester deserved to have someone treat her well after what happened at the hands of her fiancé; however, the way that this romance was complicated really threw me off and left me rather confused. It just seemed to convoluted as to why Tiberius’s father wanted to claim Fiona at this point, and to me, it didn’t really make sense that everyone just bowed to his whim despite the fact that everyone knew how wrong he was to take a child from her family. While I was rather confused and disbelieving concerning the plot that drove the novel, I was quite happy with the romance aspect of it. Tiberius and Hester was great together, and it was good to see that they would get their own happily ever after despite Tiberius’s father’s machinations. Fans of The Bridegroom Wore Plaid will be sure to enjoy this book in the trilogy, and will be anxiously awaiting the conclusion with the return of the lost heir in The MacGregor’s Lady.

*A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley. ...more

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Aug 04, 2013 Jo (Mixed Book Bag) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, historical-romance, romance, fiction, historical-fiction

When I read Book One in the MacGregor Trilogy , The Bridegroom Wore Plaid, I wondered where this trilogy was going. Every main character in that book got their HEA so instead of setting up the next story it looked like there was not place to go for a new story. I should have known that Grace Burrows had a plan and a very good plan at that. Like book one Once Upon a Tartan is set in the Victorian Age.

Backstory: The basis for Once Upon a Tartan is the early marriage of Mary Fran and the child she ...more

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May 07, 2013 Miranda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: regency, 2013, sourcebooks_casablanca, heartwarming, cover-is-gorgeous, netgalley, historical, the-secondary-characters-rock, arc, england

3.5 stars!

She smiled at him, and the grace and beauty of it, the sheer loveliness, was such that Tiberius Lamartine Flynn, for the first time in his nearly thirty years, felt as if a woman's smile illuminated him from within.

"My great, impressive vocabulary fails me, Hester Daniels. My wits fail me; my reason fails me. I only know that I have met the love of my life, a woman who can help me to face life's hurts and wrongs with courage, a woman in whose love and trust I can repose my entire h ...more

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Sep 14, 2014 Romancing the Book rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, romance

Reviewed by Rachel
Book provided by NetGalley for review
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

As with most Grace Burrowes’ books (and I’ve literally been on a reading frenzy with her titles) I was totally captivated…

Tye is probably one of my favorite historical heroes—EVER! The beginning chapters had me laughing out loud. His dry sense of humor is killer and really draws the reader into his no nonsense personality. It set up the story beautifully with his relationship with the little girl ...more

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Jul 31, 2013 The Window Seat rated it really liked it · review of another edition

When this story was originally announced I was a little confused about the choice of hero and heroine. The series is the MacGregor Trilogy, so in following the first book I expected the second to expand on one of the original hero’s brothers or their sister since they are eponymous family. However author Grace Burrowes had her own ideas about which characters deserved a full story, with Once Upon a Tartan reintroducing readers to Hester Daniels, an almost honorary member of the MacGregor clan.

He ...more

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Aug 07, 2013 Heather Pearson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, men-in-kilts

This book definitely fits within my 'men in kilts' category even though hunk Tiberius Flynn doesn't don a kilt, though I can easily imagine him strutting around in one.

English Lord Tiberius Flynn has travelled to Scotland to retrieve his young niece, Fiona, from her maternal family after the death of his elder brother. He doesn't count on her family putting up a fight for her, nor is he prepared to deal with her guardian/aunt, Hester Daniels, and the effect she has on his heart.

Both Tye and Hest ...more

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Sep 27, 2013 Christine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I am a great fan of Grace Burrowes, and have been looking forward to reading more of her books.

The one thing that strikes me most about Burrowes' work is how she keeps the importance of family as one of her central themes. It runs through all the Windham books, and it stays prominent in "Once Upon a Tartan."

Tiberius (Tye) Flynn has been sent by his father to Scotland to bring back Fiona, his dead brother’s daughter, and meets Hester, her aunt. It's a wonderful story to read. The characters are ...more

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Jan 21, 2022 Lady E rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: affair-to-married, steam-level-simmer, child-centric

Heroine: Hester Willamette Daniels, about 24. Daughter of Baron Altsax.

Hero: Tiberius Lamartine Flynn, about 29. Nickname: Tye. Earl of Spathfoy.

Date: 1850s

How they meet: Hester is looking after her brother’s stepdaughter (Fiona) while he and his new wife are on an extended trip to the continent. Tye, whose brother was the biological father of Fiona, comes unannounced to Scotland to see his niece for the first time.

What happens: Fiona’s father’s family has never shown any interest in her (she is ...more

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Jan 13, 2021 Emmi rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Ho boy. I have feelings about this book. The kind of feelings that I rarely have about a Grace Burrowes book: really not good ones.

In short, I think this hero is scum. Lying, manipulating, spineless scum. When it was revealed early on that he was in Scotland to take his niece from her family at his father's bidding, I thought, well he's going to quickly realize that he can't and won't do that and the rest of the book will be about figuring a way around it.

But no. His insistence on taking Fiona p Ho boy. I have feelings about this book. The kind of feelings that I rarely have about a Grace Burrowes book: really not good ones.

In short, I think this hero is scum. Lying, manipulating, spineless scum. When it was revealed early on that he was in Scotland to take his niece from her family at his father's bidding, I thought, well he's going to quickly realize that he can't and won't do that and the rest of the book will be about figuring a way around it.

But no. His insistence on taking Fiona persisted through getting to know her, getting to know her family and seeing that she was healthy, happy and loved. And "I'm here because Daddy told me to take her" is not a good enough reason for taking a child from her family against their will, especially since he had not even looked at the documents that Daddy Dearest swore would put Fiona in his custody. Once we do find out some of his motivations behind taking Fiona - the bargain that his sisters will be able to marry whomever they want - is still not good enough, because you don't sacrifice the happiness of a child so that full-grown (wealthy, privileged) adults can get what they want. Also, to be so underhanded as to take her when her mother and stepfather were in a different country... NO NOPE ABSOLUTELY NOT.

And of course all the while, he was SLEEPING WITH HER AUNT. Without telling Aunt Hester what he was up to. He also tried to tie a marriage proposal into taking Fiona, noting that the courts would favor his case even more if Hester were there to help Fiona transition to the new family. The sex scenes actually made my skin crawl because I couldn't stop thinking about what a monster he was and how Hester didn't even know.

There's some crap toward the end about Hester trying to take some sort of blame or at least to self-recriminate because he told her she shouldn't trust him and also at the same time she should have been more sympathetic because He Had Reasons, and that's some bullshit. Nothing revealed about his life and motivations makes me sympathetic to him at all. Not his mommy and daddy issues, not... well, that's all, really, because he grew up with wealth, privilege and rank, and his problems were pretty much spoiled aristocrat problems. So really, mommy and daddy issues were all that drove him to blacken his shriveled, child-kidnapping soul.

We are aware that he would be the villain in any other romance, right? And this is not one of those cases where the villain earns redemption by doing the right thing because HE WENT THROUGH WITH IT. He did in fact take Fiona from her home, while her parents were away, by bribing her and manipulating her with "grandpa might die soon" and not being completely honest about expecting her to stay forever. It was also pretty worthless when he finally decided that Fiona should go home because Hester had already found the proof that Fiona didn't legally belong there and was in the process of finding Fiona so they could go get packed and leave. And Hester was the one who sat her ass on a train with Fiona and got kiddo home.

I cannot even. This guy is the worst.

Two stars because Grace Burrowes can write, but damn. ...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Phoenix77 rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, owned-books

When this story was originally announced I was a little confused about the choice of hero and heroine. The series is the MacGregor Trilogy, so in following the first book I expected the second to expand on one of the original hero’s brothers or their sister since they are the eponymous family. However author Grace Burrowes had her own ideas about which characters deserved a full story, with Once Upon a Tartan reintroducing readers to Hester Daniels, an almost honorary member of the MacGregor cla When this story was originally announced I was a little confused about the choice of hero and heroine. The series is the MacGregor Trilogy, so in following the first book I expected the second to expand on one of the original hero’s brothers or their sister since they are the eponymous family. However author Grace Burrowes had her own ideas about which characters deserved a full story, with Once Upon a Tartan reintroducing readers to Hester Daniels, an almost honorary member of the MacGregor clan.

Hester’s ties to the clan run deeper than just being the cousin to the laird’s wife. Her older brother Matthew fell in love and married the laird’s sister Mary Frances a year earlier and Hester’s older sister is married to another of the MacGregor brood. As the last unwed daughter of the Daniels’ family, Hester remained in her mother’s household after the death of her conniving father Baron Altsax but was under the impression that her hand had been promised to one of his cronies before he died. Not questioning the arrangement, Hester found that her new betrothed was cut from the same bad cloth as her father and ended their engagement in a scandal that forced her to flee to her brother’s holdings in Scotland. Now being the ruined Miss Daniels in social circles, Hester takes on the mantle of spinster and being ever dutiful to her family agrees to be the temporary guardian to her brother’s step-daughter Fiona Flynn while he takes a long postponed honeymoon with his wife.

It is in this moment with both of Fiona’s parents out of the country that a member of her biological father’s family makes an appearance in the Highlands. Lord Tiberius Flynn has journeyed from England with the express purpose of collecting his niece and bringing her back to be raised by her grandfather the Marquis of Quinworth. Tiberius finds the idea slightly distasteful to remove a child from the only family she has ever known; however when he is told this was the final wish of his younger brother Gordie he uses his father’s decree as leverage to gain opportunities for his younger sisters. Having never met Fiona, the sacrifice of the unknown for the known makes the task easier to swallow and Tiberius truly believes that she will have better opportunities as the acknowledged granddaughter of an English marquis rather than the supposed bastard daughter of a highland woman.

Making his way north, Tiberius expects the task to take no longer than a few days; time enough to introduce himself to Fiona’s uncle the Earl of Balfour, explain his intent and the rights of a father’s family to claim the child, and then make the return to Northumbria and the Quinworth family seat. He doesn’t expect to meet resistance in the form of Fiona’s petite yet formidable aunt Hester. Hester immediately questions Tiberius’s presence in Scotland but both of them are thrown off their marks when an elderly chaperone offers Tiberius hospitality and an opportunity to get to know his niece. The laird Ian MacGregor buys more time by realizing Tiberius’s true mission and explains to him that Fiona’s step-father has a legal custody claim pending and she will not be moved without her parent’s consent. With his plans gone awry, Tiberius finds himself spending more time in Hester’s company and learning about the real reasons she has secluded herself in the Highlands. Their once adversarial relationship grows into something much more meaningful to them both, yet the shadow of Tiberius’s reason for being in Scotland is always looming.

I didn’t expect to like Tiberius as a hero as much as I did, simply because for the greater part of their courtship he lies or hedges to Hester about his real purpose for being in Scotland. I normally dislike any character who tries to lie his or her way out of a situation of their own making. However there are so many instances where Tiberius tries to warn Hester away from him, or he himself tries to find any way out of his situation that I couldn’t hang onto that anger about the lying. Tiberius is ultimately a very honorable man who has spent his life keeping things in order while those around him were able to surrender to their emotions. His father is a blow-hard who has become too comfortable wielding the power of his title and his mother has estranged herself from her family all because she couldn’t cope with the death of her younger son. In agreeing to Quinworth’s plan to take Fiona, Tiberius still sees the task as protecting his family. It is only through knowing Hester and seeing the situations through her eyes that Tiberius begins to notice all the little cracks in the foundation of that family he has been trying to shore up on his own for too long.

When Hester’s whole story became known to me, that’s when I knew that despite Tiberius’s deceits he was the perfect man for her. Hester needed to be matched with a true gentleman who would work just as hard to protect her as he would in loving her and Tiberius fit that mold. The behaviors of her fiancé were atrocious, as were the gossips that ruined Hester’s reputation all on whispered rumors. She has been scared away from all the joys she used to find in life and in forming a trust with Tiberius she finds a safe haven where she can start coming out of that darkness. The most poignant scene was when Hester was able to voice what had happened to make her jilt her fiancé and Tiberius was just there to listen. Things she couldn’t tell even her closest family came out to him and he accepted it without judgment, believed her and understood how much the events had hurt her. It is those moments where readers can believe in the love that forms as trust becomes stronger.

Whether by design or by fluke, Once Upon a Tartan does something that I rarely see in a continuing series but I greatly enjoy. In developing new characters and following their storyline, Ms. Burrowes allows readers to spend a little more time with the main characters from the previous book to see what their life has been like since “The End.” Life has gone on for the MacGregor clan, with marriages and childrens births happening off page; however we get enough glimpses back into the lives of Ian and Augusta MacGregor that we know they are still blissfully happy with one another and the other brothers are mentioned to be just as happy in marriages that we only saw coming. The story also takes a fairly large jump in time from the close of the first book. If looked at too closely a reader will notice that most series of books take place over a few months period of time, where all the players magically fall in love and get married (by special license of course) right on top of one another. Here, the story starts a full year after the events that concluded The Bridegroom Wore Plaid and we easily accept that family situations have changed and progressed in that time.

I enjoyed reading Hester and Tiberius’s romance and while the ending seemed to wrap things up at a fairly accelerated rate, it was still a very satisfying conclusion. With the series being a trilogy I am eager to know which extended member of the family will find their way to happiness next. ...more

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