British heiress Penelope Elmsly always thought she’d marry young and settle down to a life of domestic bliss. But her perfect plan may come unraveled, along with her corset strings, when two men vie for her hand.
One is a wealthy businessman who offers her the financial stability and social standing she always held dear. The other is a rugged Scottish highlander who gives her passion she never knew she desired.
With two amethyst rings upon her finger, Penelope has a choice to make, and she can’t afford to choose wrong, especially when more than just her livelihood is at stake.
Will she walk down the aisle into a life of luxury, leaving her heart in Scotland? Or will she choose to save her fortune, and her reputation?
From Scottish lairds to billionaire businessmen, Kelsey McKnight will ignite your soul, no matter what century it lives in.
Kelsey is a university-educated historian from southern New Jersey. She has married her great loves of romance, history, and literature to create her own tales of dashing heroes, sultry bad boys, and lovable heroines who have their own stories to tell. They will take you through the ballrooms of Victorian London, to the hills of the Scottish Highlands, and into New York City penthouses, all at the flip of a page.
When she’s not writing, Kelsey can be found reading, drinking too much coffee, spending time with her family, and working for a nonprofit organization.
**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book.**
This book was so darn good!
When Penelope attended the wedding of her best friend, she never expected to lay eyes on the groom's tall, Scottish cousin. And she definitely never imagined the quiet man would stir feelings in her that no other had. Unfortunately, Penelope's parents have been terribly judgmental of her former suitors and she doubted her mother would ever approve of the dark Scot. That didn't stop the sinful thoughts from running through her head, however.
Drummond knows his place in the world is in Scotland with his modest lands and loyalty to his cousin. Yet, he cannot deny the attraction he feels to a certain English woman who is entirely too uptight and proper for the likes of him. But to his surprise, Penelope agrees to assist him in writing a book to record his family's legacy.
As the pair work together and grow closer, the spark between them turns into a raging fire. One that quickly becomes impossible to ignore and every meeting only proves to stoke the flames. Drummond soon realizes that he is getting in too deep and he can never be like Theodore, the man that Penelope deserves. But is the seemingly perfect English suitor vying for Penelope's hand really what she needs? Could he ever make her happy if her heart belongs to someone Drummond?
As most of you know, I have developed a thing for historical romances. I can't really explain it but it's somehow quickly becoming my go-to subgenre of romance. This book is a fantastic addition to the genre. I haven't read the first installment of this series but I have it loaded on my Kindle, I'll be reading it within the week, and I'm really excited for it.
I will start with our dynamic duo, Drummond and Penelope. At first, I found Penelope's straight-laced demeanor a tad on the annoying side. I sincerely hoped that with time, our Scottish hunk could bring her out of her stiff and proper shell. And boy did he! Watching Penelope's walls crack and crumble was incredibly satisfying.
But what also impressed me was Penelope's reckless abandon after getting a taste of the wild side that she so often teased Charlotte about. I expected our heroine to feel overly-scandalized by her improper feelings and to shut herself away in denial. I was pleasantly surprised by her, even when her actions ripped my poor heart to shreds.
Speaking of tearing a hole in my chest, Drummond made me want to pull my hair out and swoon at the same time. When he became jealous of Penelope's beau, I may have squealed in delight. And when he made the impossibly heartbreaking decision, I frickin' cried while sitting in my bubble bath. Darn you, Drummond...
The romance was powerful and I adored our couple's growing partnership. I even fell a bit for Penelope's other suitor to the point where I had no idea how this could have been resolved without someone getting hurt. The twist thrown in really did take me by surprise. And the ending was when I think Penelope's character really shined. I applaud anyone willing to forego the conventional to find true love.
This couple was perfect for one another and their interactions were sweet with a big dash of spice. And the secondary characters were entertaining, as well. Seeing Charlotte and Conner together definitely convinced me to read their story next. From what I could gather from the hints tossed in, their road to romance was a wild one, too.
In closing... I wonder who will be next to meet their match? Five suns!
One of my favorite historical romances. I absolutely adore Penelope. She has such a fire inside of her but still manages to be a lady. I found it hard not to fall in love with the characters McKnight has created in this series and I am excited for the next one.
The connection between Penelope and Teddy and Penelope and Drummond is real, it's built up, there is depth, and there is passion. I really dislike Instalove in books and what McKnight did was build instafondness that grew into love. You saw a progression in the relationship as opposed to a love that doesn't seem like it will last another season without burning out.
I know Flora's book is next and I am eager to see what she does as this will be our first look at a Scottish woman instead of the English ones so far.
Firstly, I want to say, I HATE THE HEROINE'S MOTHER SO MUCH
This book is a total drama I think hahaha... I mean it was for the best because I like how it ended.
I like this story because the author put the h and the H working together making something good. What I like is the h is kind of true to herself to try forget the H because she was engaged to another person and intended to honour him. Same for the H, he is a good man for not trying to take advantage of the h to take it further when they made out. He has conscience that this is not fine for them because they are from different world. A special place for the h's father too, he want the best for her daughter and I kind of pity him for his theatrical wife nonetheless.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
A beautifully penned historical romance that completely engulfed me. I felt so many emotions reading this from being happy, sad, totally heartbroken and sobbing at work on my lunch break, to finally breathing a sigh of relief and happy again. Being able to completely lose myself into a book: it's plot, it's characters and making me feel all the feels is what I believe makes for a great author. I truly loved Penelope's story and I'm eagerly waiting for Flora's story next.
Penelope falls in love with her friend's husband's cousin from Scotland. He cannot offer her the things a British man with money and means can. Drummond goes back to Scotland and Penelope is convinced she should marry the Brit. But at the alter that does not seem what she should do. I really enjoyed how the story laid out she would get all she should have and love too.
The Amethyst Bride is the second book in this series and can be read as a standalone. I fell in love with the main characters in book one, so I would recommend you read book one first. I could not wait to read on to find out what happens to Charlotte's friend, Penelope in this book.
Penelope is the epitome of a proper lady with a little mischief thrown in. As exciting as Charlotte's journey to finding love was, she could never imagine running off like she did. London society is where she belongs and she is getting close to becoming a spinster if she doesn't find a match this season. Finally she has a fine businessman is vying for her hand, but Charlotte's new sister-in-law, Flora, is spending the season in London and her cousin Drummond has been tasked with being her chaperone. Penelope is not prepared for the feelings he stirs up in her. As she decides between two men, she begins to wonder if she prefers to have a life filled with the social standing she always craved or a life of passion and love in Scotland.
Drummond is Conner's cousin and tasked with being in London for the season to keep Flora out of trouble. He is unprepared for the attempted matchmaking and the feelings that being around Penelope brings out in him. One night a dinner they strike up an arrangement for her to assist him with a song book to honor his people. As they spend more time together he begins to have real feelings for her and realizes he can't provide her life that she has always dreamed of.
Their story is beautiful and I love that Penelope discovers what truly matters in life. They had a bit of a road to get there, but the story was enjoyable. We got to catch up with Charlotte and Conner and were introduced a bit more to Flora. I will say that my least favorite character was Penelope's mother! Overall this is another great story by this author. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wow wow WOW! This might be the most touching, tear jerking, passionate historical romance novel I've ever read. Seriously, you guys, I SOBBED at one point and I literally felt Penelope's heart break. She's really torn between two paths; a life with a man who can offer her status, money, and everything she's been raised to hold dear and a man who ignites such a strong passion within her, she can barely control her own heart. Really an amazing book by McKnight. I hope the series continues on to more of the Scottish sisters Flora and Gwen because I'm really looking forward to seeing some more of this series for sure!!
I felt like I was Penelope. Or I want to be Penelope, or I want to be her when I grow up. She was sassy, self-assured, and took what she wanted...specifically a man.
Drum, he sang, he had muscles, and he had his own land. But what was interesting about him is that he wasn't loaded. Most of the time when the English rose runs off with the Scot, it's because he has all this money in the world AND she loves him. Here, she just wants to be with the guy she loves. This, of course, introduces the love triangle with the proper husband with the proper bank account.
McKnight keeps you guessing as to what move Penelope is going to make. I really enjoyed the first book, but I LOVED this one.
What can I say about Penelope? She had so much sass but it was hidden in this prim and proper lady. I really liked the depth that she had because looking at her, you'd think she was a shallow princess, but she had so much soul inside her! I really enjoyed this book...and Drum, I really enjoyed Drum. He was a masculine surprise and I could just picture his deep voice lulling me to sleep as he sang out a Scottish lullaby. Great book.
At first, I didn't necessarily like Penelope as much as I liked Charlotte because she seemed flighty to me. She is the prissy best friend everyone has. But this book really took her to a whole new level and you got to understand that she has this unbelievable passion inside of her that just bursts off the page. The character development in this book is amazing and I think that's really what makes this story so fantastic. Yeah, the guys, Teddy and Drum didn't hurt either.
Where to start! I loved Charlotte in book 1 so I knew I had to get book 2. I thought it would be Charlotte again and her hunky husband Conner, but it was Penelope! And boy did she get herself into one hell of a pickle. She has two men after her, but the good lord will only allow you to marry one. When she had to send one packing, I cried so hard I woke my husband Hank up!! I couldn't put it down!! Can't wait for the next one even though I'm going to miss sweet Penelope and her man.
This second installment in the "Scottish Stone" series did not disappoint. With strong female characters and just the right amount of lust, I couldn't put the book down. Here's to Scottish Stones! You'll get a real "kilt" out of these tales. ;)