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Clan Kendrick #1
The Highlander Who Protected Me
Bestselling author Vanessa Kelly returns with an enthralling new series about the men of the Kendrick clan—and the women who claim their hearts . . .
Lady Ainsley Matthews, heiress and darling of the ton, was expected to make a magnificent match. Instead she’s hiding on a remote Scottish estate, terrified that her vicious former fiancé will use her pregnancy to force her into marriage. One man can help her—Royal Kendrick, son of a distinguished Highland clan. Though a mistake drove them apart long ago, Royal is the only person Ainsley trusts to protect her baby—even if that means agreeing to never see either of them again . . .
Scarred in body and soul by war, Royal suddenly has a purpose—caring for an innocent babe and thereby helping the woman he can’t stop loving. But when Ainsley ultimately returns to Scotland, determined to be a real mother to her child in spite of the risk, there’s only one solution: marriage. And only one likely outcome: surrendering to the desire that’s simmered between them for so long, no matter how dangerous it may be . . .
Lady Ainsley Matthews, heiress and darling of the ton, was expected to make a magnificent match. Instead she’s hiding on a remote Scottish estate, terrified that her vicious former fiancé will use her pregnancy to force her into marriage. One man can help her—Royal Kendrick, son of a distinguished Highland clan. Though a mistake drove them apart long ago, Royal is the only person Ainsley trusts to protect her baby—even if that means agreeing to never see either of them again . . .
Scarred in body and soul by war, Royal suddenly has a purpose—caring for an innocent babe and thereby helping the woman he can’t stop loving. But when Ainsley ultimately returns to Scotland, determined to be a real mother to her child in spite of the risk, there’s only one solution: marriage. And only one likely outcome: surrendering to the desire that’s simmered between them for so long, no matter how dangerous it may be . . .
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2018
300 people are currently reading
2607 people want to read
About the author
Vanessa Kelly
37 books1,768 followersVanessa Kelly is a bestselling author of historical mystery and historical romance. She has won multiple awards, including the prestigious Maggie Medallion for best historical romance. She is a USA Today, Barnes & Noble, BookScan, and Amazon bestseller several times over. To date, her books have been published in eleven languages. Vanessa also wrote USA Today bestselling contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels with her husband, under the pen name of V.K. Sykes.
After receiving her MA in English literature from Rutgers University, Vanessa spent several years in the Ph.D program at the University of Toronto, studying women authors of the 18th Century. She worked as a researcher for many years, and currently resides in Ottawa, Canada, with her husband.
After receiving her MA in English literature from Rutgers University, Vanessa spent several years in the Ph.D program at the University of Toronto, studying women authors of the 18th Century. She worked as a researcher for many years, and currently resides in Ottawa, Canada, with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 259 reviews
November 8, 2018
The Highlander Who Protected by Vanessa Kelly is a 2018 Zebra publication.
Serious subjects, but genuinely enchanting, delightfully humorous, and deeply romantic!
When Royal and Ainsley first meet, an obvious chemistry develops quickly. But, Ainsley is engaged to the Marquess of Cringlewood. However, when Royal realizes Ainsley despises her fiancé and is being forced into the marriage, he makes an impulsive decision that backfires horribly. The scandal causes Ainsley to run away to a remote Scottish estate to hide out for a while- or at least that’s the story she and her aunt are selling.
The truth is, Ainsley isn’t hiding from the scandal- she’s hiding her pregnancy. Needing to place her child with someone she can trust, she summons Royal, begging him to take the child and raise her as his own.
Recovering from physical and psychological war wounds, Royal finds a new purpose by raising this wonderful child. But, out of the blue, Ainsley tracks him down, explaining she has changed her mind. She wants to be a mother to her daughter and now wishes to marry Royal. Unable to resist the woman he is so hopelessly in love with, Royal agrees, even if the marriage is in name only. The marriage has a real chance, given Royal’s incredible patience, but, Ainsley’s parents and her former fiancé refuse to back down and let her live her life in peace.
I hate that I failed to get in on the “Improper Princess’ series, since apparently these characters were a part of that saga. But, this story works great as a stand- alone.
I fell for Royal right off the bat. Everyone knows I’m a sucker for the wounded and scarred hero. So, of course, he had that going for him automatically. However, his undying devotion to Ainsley, who would try anyone’s patience at times, was simply divine!
I enjoyed the banter between Ainsley and Royal, which is sharp, a little snarky, and sarcastic, slightly unconventional, but an awesome change of pace. They traded barbs in such a fun way, with the chemistry always sizzling just beneath the surface.
Ainsley’s story is a familiar one, and in today’s climate readers will immediately relate to her dilemma, the fallout of which, hasn’t improved a great deal, I’m sorry to say. But, she is a determined lady, holds her own against Royal’s curmudgeonly Grandfather, and her struggles with being a mother are all poignant and easy to relate to. Ainsley blooms and gains even more strength, as she faced adversity, maybe even surprising her own self, while Royal remains an oak, passing every test presented to him with flying colors- which is just the type of hero Ainsley needs. Ainsley has some character flaws, keeping things too close to the vest, for one, which wasn’t fair to Royal, but I thought she redeemed herself nicely.
This story captured my attention right away. I got caught up in the drama and suspense and had a hard time putting the book down. Thankfully, the story has a Scottish backdrop, which is a personal favorite of mine, and made this story even more appealing for me.
But, I must take the time to mention the difficult subject matter addressed in the book. Certain topics can be a slippery slope, needing just the right balance to avoid triggers, and maintain the gravity it requires, while keeping the tone light so the romance is enjoyable. Not an easy task. Kelly handled it beautifully, I thought.
I’m glad I got in on the ground floor of this new series. I think, if this book is any indication, it’s going to be a good one!!
4.5
Serious subjects, but genuinely enchanting, delightfully humorous, and deeply romantic!
When Royal and Ainsley first meet, an obvious chemistry develops quickly. But, Ainsley is engaged to the Marquess of Cringlewood. However, when Royal realizes Ainsley despises her fiancé and is being forced into the marriage, he makes an impulsive decision that backfires horribly. The scandal causes Ainsley to run away to a remote Scottish estate to hide out for a while- or at least that’s the story she and her aunt are selling.
The truth is, Ainsley isn’t hiding from the scandal- she’s hiding her pregnancy. Needing to place her child with someone she can trust, she summons Royal, begging him to take the child and raise her as his own.
Recovering from physical and psychological war wounds, Royal finds a new purpose by raising this wonderful child. But, out of the blue, Ainsley tracks him down, explaining she has changed her mind. She wants to be a mother to her daughter and now wishes to marry Royal. Unable to resist the woman he is so hopelessly in love with, Royal agrees, even if the marriage is in name only. The marriage has a real chance, given Royal’s incredible patience, but, Ainsley’s parents and her former fiancé refuse to back down and let her live her life in peace.
I hate that I failed to get in on the “Improper Princess’ series, since apparently these characters were a part of that saga. But, this story works great as a stand- alone.
I fell for Royal right off the bat. Everyone knows I’m a sucker for the wounded and scarred hero. So, of course, he had that going for him automatically. However, his undying devotion to Ainsley, who would try anyone’s patience at times, was simply divine!
I enjoyed the banter between Ainsley and Royal, which is sharp, a little snarky, and sarcastic, slightly unconventional, but an awesome change of pace. They traded barbs in such a fun way, with the chemistry always sizzling just beneath the surface.
Ainsley’s story is a familiar one, and in today’s climate readers will immediately relate to her dilemma, the fallout of which, hasn’t improved a great deal, I’m sorry to say. But, she is a determined lady, holds her own against Royal’s curmudgeonly Grandfather, and her struggles with being a mother are all poignant and easy to relate to. Ainsley blooms and gains even more strength, as she faced adversity, maybe even surprising her own self, while Royal remains an oak, passing every test presented to him with flying colors- which is just the type of hero Ainsley needs. Ainsley has some character flaws, keeping things too close to the vest, for one, which wasn’t fair to Royal, but I thought she redeemed herself nicely.
This story captured my attention right away. I got caught up in the drama and suspense and had a hard time putting the book down. Thankfully, the story has a Scottish backdrop, which is a personal favorite of mine, and made this story even more appealing for me.
But, I must take the time to mention the difficult subject matter addressed in the book. Certain topics can be a slippery slope, needing just the right balance to avoid triggers, and maintain the gravity it requires, while keeping the tone light so the romance is enjoyable. Not an easy task. Kelly handled it beautifully, I thought.
I’m glad I got in on the ground floor of this new series. I think, if this book is any indication, it’s going to be a good one!!
4.5
August 4, 2021
“You know I don't flirt,” he said. Then he tilted his head, as if considering. The late afternoon sunlight caught the red in his burnished mahogany hair, making it glow like fire. “Except with you.”
This is the first in the series but there felt like a lot of background I was missing. What I felt from our hero Royal was insta feelings and “ok, sure” from the heroine Ainsley. They seem to have met in a previous book where Royal abducted her, which she liked, didn't like? I really felt like I missed them bonding or getting to know one another.
The story structure of this felt off and cobbled together. The first half is Royal sad because he thinks there is no future for him and Ainsley, the middle is Ainsley lying while Royal is a mary-sue, and the last half is Ainsley lying, arguing with Angus (Royal's grandfather), and Royal wanting to sleep with Ainsley while being in pain with his leg injury.
This just didn't flow for me, it was a little over four hundred pages and whole sections dragged for me as we went round and round with Ainsley keeping some big secret from Royal, leg pain, and arguing. For Royal having such a large supportive family, I forgot some brothers even existed as their names were mentioned only a handful of times, I do know the twins were little devils to raise though, as it was mentioned over and over. I liked Ainsley's Aunt Margaret but after appearing in the middle part, she is never heard from again. Angus and Ainsley's relationship could have been a nice secondary addition if the fighting didn't last so long and feel so acrimonious and skim over their eventual starting to like one another finally.
Since it seemed some of these two's story started in another book, I missed their bonding; there didn't feel like any romance in this story. The pacing was slow and the structure had this feeling like three sections not melded together and characters spinning their wheels for four hundred pages.
This is the first in the series but there felt like a lot of background I was missing. What I felt from our hero Royal was insta feelings and “ok, sure” from the heroine Ainsley. They seem to have met in a previous book where Royal abducted her, which she liked, didn't like? I really felt like I missed them bonding or getting to know one another.
The story structure of this felt off and cobbled together. The first half is Royal sad because he thinks there is no future for him and Ainsley, the middle is Ainsley lying while Royal is a mary-sue, and the last half is Ainsley lying, arguing with Angus (Royal's grandfather), and Royal wanting to sleep with Ainsley while being in pain with his leg injury.
This just didn't flow for me, it was a little over four hundred pages and whole sections dragged for me as we went round and round with Ainsley keeping some big secret from Royal, leg pain, and arguing. For Royal having such a large supportive family, I forgot some brothers even existed as their names were mentioned only a handful of times, I do know the twins were little devils to raise though, as it was mentioned over and over. I liked Ainsley's Aunt Margaret but after appearing in the middle part, she is never heard from again. Angus and Ainsley's relationship could have been a nice secondary addition if the fighting didn't last so long and feel so acrimonious and skim over their eventual starting to like one another finally.
Since it seemed some of these two's story started in another book, I missed their bonding; there didn't feel like any romance in this story. The pacing was slow and the structure had this feeling like three sections not melded together and characters spinning their wheels for four hundred pages.
January 7, 2021
3.5 stars
If you want a hero in a kilt who has an endless amount of love and patience for a woman without any annoying machismo, then this is the book for you.
First, I feel I should point out that this book seems to not be the first book in a new series, but rather a spin-off of another series that apparently first introduced these characters. If like me you miss that earlier book(s?), you will miss all the introductory backstory between these characters. This book does try to summarize it for you but the problem with a summary is that is I didn't quite get why Royal (the hero) was so hung up on Ainsley (the heroine) because you don't get to 'see' any of it. In this book we just see her asking more and more from him and since he's already in love with her he goes right along with it.
Ignoring the lack of introductory romantic backstory in this book, I did enjoy their banter. Minus her use of the term 'booby'. I cringed a little each time that was used, but that might just be me who hates that word. The serious topics also covered in this book made the plot have more depth than expected and it was handled realistically and with care while still keeping it relatively light enough for it still to be a romance novel, which I greatly appreciated and thus rounded up to four stars.
If you want a hero in a kilt who has an endless amount of love and patience for a woman without any annoying machismo, then this is the book for you.
First, I feel I should point out that this book seems to not be the first book in a new series, but rather a spin-off of another series that apparently first introduced these characters. If like me you miss that earlier book(s?), you will miss all the introductory backstory between these characters. This book does try to summarize it for you but the problem with a summary is that is I didn't quite get why Royal (the hero) was so hung up on Ainsley (the heroine) because you don't get to 'see' any of it. In this book we just see her asking more and more from him and since he's already in love with her he goes right along with it.
Ignoring the lack of introductory romantic backstory in this book, I did enjoy their banter. Minus her use of the term 'booby'. I cringed a little each time that was used, but that might just be me who hates that word. The serious topics also covered in this book made the plot have more depth than expected and it was handled realistically and with care while still keeping it relatively light enough for it still to be a romance novel, which I greatly appreciated and thus rounded up to four stars.
July 1, 2021
Started off great, then went downhill. It’s annoying when books start out great but start losing its appeal as the story progresses.
The banter, the writing and the characters were all great, but it needed more development, more backstory. The pacing felt off. The chemistry between the characters started waning and I just didn’t care anymore.
The banter, the writing and the characters were all great, but it needed more development, more backstory. The pacing felt off. The chemistry between the characters started waning and I just didn’t care anymore.
dnf
May 29, 2021Adrift in a sea of ninnies......
October 7, 2018
Series: Clan Kendrick #1
Publication Date: 10/30/18
This is a superbly written, gripping, fast-paced, suck-you-in kind of story. The characters make you love them or dislike them, but you aren’t neutral about any of them. It is the first book in the new Clan Kendrick series, but it is really a follow-on from The Highlander’s Princess Bride from the ‘The Improper Princesses’ series.
The Kendricks are a boisterous, close-knit, loving Highland Clan. The family consists of seven brothers – Nicholas (Nick), Logan, Royal, Graeme & Grant (twins), Braeden and Kade plus their irascible grandfather Angus. We learned their history in The Highlanders Princess Bride and I certainly recommend that you read it – you don’t have to read it to enjoy this one, but you really get to know them all in that book. Since that book, I have been sitting on pins and needles just waiting for this one because Royal was such an intriguing character – you know – dark, moody, brooding, wounded war-hero. I didn’t care for Ainsley in that book and I still didn’t really care for her in this book. Frankly, I felt sorry for her predicament, but I found myself thinking that Royal would be much better off in the long run if she just went to London and stayed there.
Royal met Ainsley not long after he returned from the war where he had almost died. Nick, his older brother and clan chief, had dragged him all the way from the Highlands to London to see a series of doctors. He had attended a ball because Nick thought he needed to ‘get a life’ and quit brooding. Then, he saw Ainsley and thought she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. They flirted, but the evening ended badly. Fast-forward to the following year and Ainsley is staying just a half-days ride from the Kendricks. Royal decides to visit her, but he isn’t prepared for what he finds. He knew something wasn’t right with Ainsley when she had passed through on her way to her great-aunt’s home several months before, but he hadn’t pursued it. Now, here she was, sitting in her aunt’s house and she was very, very pregnant.
Ainsley went into labor shortly after Royal arrived and delivered a beautiful little girl. She asks Royal to take her daughter, keep her safe and raise her as his own. She tells Royal a part of the story, but not all, and Royal finally agrees. Royal puts up with the gossip and scandal of bringing ‘his’ by-blow into his family home and raising her. He’s squared his shoulders and weathered it all and they are finally content – not happy, but content. Then Ainsley shows up again and, of course, trouble follows.
Some of what I didn’t like – well, mostly it was Ainsley. She used Royal because he loved her and would let her walk all over him. She was selfish, spoiled, overbearing, opinionated, and she wanted it all. She wanted Royal to protect her and the baby, but she didn’t tell him the whole story. She was defensive and argumentative all the time –especially with grandda. She supposedly loved Royal, but, well, she didn’t do anything until the very end of the book that made me think she cared for him at all. Then, there was grandda, but I do have to say I liked him better in this book than the last one. He was an old curmudgeon who loved his grandson but constantly interfered to keep Royal and Ainsley apart – even after they were married.
Another thing I didn’t like was the ending. It cost Royal yet again – at that point, I thought he had surely paid enough – but no. It also didn’t feel complete – we were just left hanging with some things still unsolved. I assume (maybe) we’ll get the wrap-up in the next book – which will probably be Logan’s because he was a main feature in this book.
Add in some very modern conversation styles and the use of words such as Spoilsport, Corker, and Fussbudget which all seem to stem from the late 1800’s and not the early 1800’s. I didn’t look up all of the words that struck me as anachronistic. There were some ‘old sayings’ that I didn’t think came from the Regency period – but they might have – “shake a stick at” or “she’s a corker”.
All-in-all, I enjoyed the book, but I had a really hard time caring for Ainsley or understanding how Royal could be so besotted with her. I hope you will enjoy it too!
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."
Publication Date: 10/30/18
This is a superbly written, gripping, fast-paced, suck-you-in kind of story. The characters make you love them or dislike them, but you aren’t neutral about any of them. It is the first book in the new Clan Kendrick series, but it is really a follow-on from The Highlander’s Princess Bride from the ‘The Improper Princesses’ series.
The Kendricks are a boisterous, close-knit, loving Highland Clan. The family consists of seven brothers – Nicholas (Nick), Logan, Royal, Graeme & Grant (twins), Braeden and Kade plus their irascible grandfather Angus. We learned their history in The Highlanders Princess Bride and I certainly recommend that you read it – you don’t have to read it to enjoy this one, but you really get to know them all in that book. Since that book, I have been sitting on pins and needles just waiting for this one because Royal was such an intriguing character – you know – dark, moody, brooding, wounded war-hero. I didn’t care for Ainsley in that book and I still didn’t really care for her in this book. Frankly, I felt sorry for her predicament, but I found myself thinking that Royal would be much better off in the long run if she just went to London and stayed there.
Royal met Ainsley not long after he returned from the war where he had almost died. Nick, his older brother and clan chief, had dragged him all the way from the Highlands to London to see a series of doctors. He had attended a ball because Nick thought he needed to ‘get a life’ and quit brooding. Then, he saw Ainsley and thought she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. They flirted, but the evening ended badly. Fast-forward to the following year and Ainsley is staying just a half-days ride from the Kendricks. Royal decides to visit her, but he isn’t prepared for what he finds. He knew something wasn’t right with Ainsley when she had passed through on her way to her great-aunt’s home several months before, but he hadn’t pursued it. Now, here she was, sitting in her aunt’s house and she was very, very pregnant.
Ainsley went into labor shortly after Royal arrived and delivered a beautiful little girl. She asks Royal to take her daughter, keep her safe and raise her as his own. She tells Royal a part of the story, but not all, and Royal finally agrees. Royal puts up with the gossip and scandal of bringing ‘his’ by-blow into his family home and raising her. He’s squared his shoulders and weathered it all and they are finally content – not happy, but content. Then Ainsley shows up again and, of course, trouble follows.
Some of what I didn’t like – well, mostly it was Ainsley. She used Royal because he loved her and would let her walk all over him. She was selfish, spoiled, overbearing, opinionated, and she wanted it all. She wanted Royal to protect her and the baby, but she didn’t tell him the whole story. She was defensive and argumentative all the time –especially with grandda. She supposedly loved Royal, but, well, she didn’t do anything until the very end of the book that made me think she cared for him at all. Then, there was grandda, but I do have to say I liked him better in this book than the last one. He was an old curmudgeon who loved his grandson but constantly interfered to keep Royal and Ainsley apart – even after they were married.
Another thing I didn’t like was the ending. It cost Royal yet again – at that point, I thought he had surely paid enough – but no. It also didn’t feel complete – we were just left hanging with some things still unsolved. I assume (maybe) we’ll get the wrap-up in the next book – which will probably be Logan’s because he was a main feature in this book.
Add in some very modern conversation styles and the use of words such as Spoilsport, Corker, and Fussbudget which all seem to stem from the late 1800’s and not the early 1800’s. I didn’t look up all of the words that struck me as anachronistic. There were some ‘old sayings’ that I didn’t think came from the Regency period – but they might have – “shake a stick at” or “she’s a corker”.
All-in-all, I enjoyed the book, but I had a really hard time caring for Ainsley or understanding how Royal could be so besotted with her. I hope you will enjoy it too!
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."
November 1, 2019
Lady Ainsley Matthews is a diamond of the first waters, an heiress, and remarkably spoiled. But when she finds herself pregnant, she must remove herself to the home of her reclusive great-aunt in order to pretect her reputation, herself, and her baby from her violent former fiancé.
After returning from war with a painful leg wound, Royal Kendrick has been struggling to find a purpose. After visiting Ainsley and encountering the shocking truth that Ainsley is carrying a child, his shock is compounded when Ainsley begs him to take and protect her newborn baby as he is the only person she feels secure in trusting to protect her daughter. Royal now has a purpose to drive him, raising this innocent child. And when Ainsley unexpectedly returns, hoping to be a mother to her baby, Royal finds himself with a wife to protect as well as a baby. But the bonds and trust of their new family will be tested when Ainsley's former fiancé comes calling to claim what he sees as his, no matter the cost.
_______________________________
The Highlander Who Protected Me is the first book in Vanessa Kelly's Clan Kendrick series. Seeing as it is the first in the series it can serve as a stand alone. But that being said there are characters that overlap from her earlier series: The Improper Princesses. Due to this overlap, there is some missing knowledge in how everyone works together entering into this series. You don't need to have read that series first, I didn't. But I definitely felt that thing didn't feel as clear to me as it could have. It seems to me the The Highlander's Princess Bride from The Improper Princess series really should have been the first book of this series, as this one picks up where that one left off.
I read the second in this series, The Highlander's Christmas Bride, before reading this one. I had recieved an electronic copy of that book from NetGalley and loved it so much that I wanted to go back and enjoy more of the series. I was a little less in love with this one, but I think that was because I was a little unclear on the timeline because of the knowledge I had from the following book and kept trying to piece them together. I think this was less a fault of the book and more on me for reading them out of order though. Therefore I do recommend reading these in order if you plan to read the series.
I really loved reading a storyline with a pregnant heroine that doesn't follow the usual trajectory. I really felt for her character and really adored being able to watch her character grow and become a more likeable and relatable as the story progressed.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
After returning from war with a painful leg wound, Royal Kendrick has been struggling to find a purpose. After visiting Ainsley and encountering the shocking truth that Ainsley is carrying a child, his shock is compounded when Ainsley begs him to take and protect her newborn baby as he is the only person she feels secure in trusting to protect her daughter. Royal now has a purpose to drive him, raising this innocent child. And when Ainsley unexpectedly returns, hoping to be a mother to her baby, Royal finds himself with a wife to protect as well as a baby. But the bonds and trust of their new family will be tested when Ainsley's former fiancé comes calling to claim what he sees as his, no matter the cost.
_______________________________
The Highlander Who Protected Me is the first book in Vanessa Kelly's Clan Kendrick series. Seeing as it is the first in the series it can serve as a stand alone. But that being said there are characters that overlap from her earlier series: The Improper Princesses. Due to this overlap, there is some missing knowledge in how everyone works together entering into this series. You don't need to have read that series first, I didn't. But I definitely felt that thing didn't feel as clear to me as it could have. It seems to me the The Highlander's Princess Bride from The Improper Princess series really should have been the first book of this series, as this one picks up where that one left off.
I read the second in this series, The Highlander's Christmas Bride, before reading this one. I had recieved an electronic copy of that book from NetGalley and loved it so much that I wanted to go back and enjoy more of the series. I was a little less in love with this one, but I think that was because I was a little unclear on the timeline because of the knowledge I had from the following book and kept trying to piece them together. I think this was less a fault of the book and more on me for reading them out of order though. Therefore I do recommend reading these in order if you plan to read the series.
I really loved reading a storyline with a pregnant heroine that doesn't follow the usual trajectory. I really felt for her character and really adored being able to watch her character grow and become a more likeable and relatable as the story progressed.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
October 26, 2018
Maybe 3.5
Royal Kendrick met Lady Ainsley Matthews in London and was immediately smitten, only to learn that she was all but betrothed. He is hurt and angry and proceeds make a bad decision and then spends his time healing from the injury he got in Waterloo and brooding. When Victoria suggests that he go visit Ainsley, his life will never be the same.
Ainsley has been living in "exile" in Scotland with her Aunt since refusing to marry the Marquess of Cringlewood and being abducted by Royal months ago - she didn't want to elope, but the endeavor did ruin her, which in her mind was a blessing. She has a secret, one that could see her married to Cringlewood. Ainsley is pregnant with his child, the marquess forced himself on her and still she refused to marry him. She has been hiding her condition from everyone - until now.
When Royal learns of her pregnancy, nothing will stop him from helping her - but Ainsley is not going to make it easy for him and her secrets and failure to trust him will cause them both a mountain of trouble.
I so wanted to love this book, I fell in love with the Kendrick brothers in the previous book and couldn't wait for Royal & Ainsley's story, but unfortunately, this book fell short of my expectations and the ending nearly broke my heart. The book is well written and is emotional, but moments of lightness keep it from being a dark, depressing read. I loved Royal and enjoyed catching up with Victoria, the brothers and Angus. Ainsley had moments that gave me hope, but in the end, I blamed her for the way things ended.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review of an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*
Royal Kendrick met Lady Ainsley Matthews in London and was immediately smitten, only to learn that she was all but betrothed. He is hurt and angry and proceeds make a bad decision and then spends his time healing from the injury he got in Waterloo and brooding. When Victoria suggests that he go visit Ainsley, his life will never be the same.
Ainsley has been living in "exile" in Scotland with her Aunt since refusing to marry the Marquess of Cringlewood and being abducted by Royal months ago - she didn't want to elope, but the endeavor did ruin her, which in her mind was a blessing. She has a secret, one that could see her married to Cringlewood. Ainsley is pregnant with his child, the marquess forced himself on her and still she refused to marry him. She has been hiding her condition from everyone - until now.
When Royal learns of her pregnancy, nothing will stop him from helping her - but Ainsley is not going to make it easy for him and her secrets and failure to trust him will cause them both a mountain of trouble.
I so wanted to love this book, I fell in love with the Kendrick brothers in the previous book and couldn't wait for Royal & Ainsley's story, but unfortunately, this book fell short of my expectations and the ending nearly broke my heart. The book is well written and is emotional, but moments of lightness keep it from being a dark, depressing read. I loved Royal and enjoyed catching up with Victoria, the brothers and Angus. Ainsley had moments that gave me hope, but in the end, I blamed her for the way things ended.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review of an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*
October 30, 2018
Royal is one of those wounded heroes. And with that I mean his leg aches from a war injury, a bad one. Who wants a second son with a limp?
Ainsley was, oh my, she was the sassy one. But she was also a spoiled darling of the ton. Still, she was a good clever woman with some tongue on her.
These two met in a previous series, where he tries to elope with her and she is all in your dreams! Which I never understood, but now I do.
Instead we get to see their first meeting and how he could never forget her. Then they meet again in Glasgow in that other series I mentioned. But this one really begins after that. He pining for her and she hiding a pregnancy! Whaat I thought? What happened? Because her family does not even know, so something must have happened and obviously nothing good. I did feel for her, poor woman. And she would have been blamed every time. It is always the woman's fault.
The book does take some time to get going. She gives him her baby because no one can know. The secret she is hiding is easy to know, but there is some other big secret too, but honestly that secret was not big and could have been dealt with. I also did not get why the father would have had any say. It was his words against hers, and Royal who said it was his kid. Oh well, drama and a baddie is always needed.
It could have been shorter. Maybe take away some of the dialogue. Shorter is always nice.
A good book. A good baddie that you want to kick in the nuts. Two people that love each other, but take ages getting together. And one cute baby. I also liked that she was pregnant, you do not see that around a lot in regency books. It dealt with harsher things in life.
Narrator
I really like Ruth Urqhart. Her accent is wonderful. I have listened to a few of her books and they are a joy.
Ainsley was, oh my, she was the sassy one. But she was also a spoiled darling of the ton. Still, she was a good clever woman with some tongue on her.
These two met in a previous series, where he tries to elope with her and she is all in your dreams! Which I never understood, but now I do.
Instead we get to see their first meeting and how he could never forget her. Then they meet again in Glasgow in that other series I mentioned. But this one really begins after that. He pining for her and she hiding a pregnancy! Whaat I thought? What happened? Because her family does not even know, so something must have happened and obviously nothing good. I did feel for her, poor woman. And she would have been blamed every time. It is always the woman's fault.
The book does take some time to get going. She gives him her baby because no one can know. The secret she is hiding is easy to know, but there is some other big secret too, but honestly that secret was not big and could have been dealt with. I also did not get why the father would have had any say. It was his words against hers, and Royal who said it was his kid. Oh well, drama and a baddie is always needed.
It could have been shorter. Maybe take away some of the dialogue. Shorter is always nice.
A good book. A good baddie that you want to kick in the nuts. Two people that love each other, but take ages getting together. And one cute baby. I also liked that she was pregnant, you do not see that around a lot in regency books. It dealt with harsher things in life.
Narrator
I really like Ruth Urqhart. Her accent is wonderful. I have listened to a few of her books and they are a joy.
October 29, 2019
Lady Ainsley Matthews didn't make the match that was expected of her. Instead, she is hiding at a Scottish Estate, desperately feeling that her former fiancé will use the fact that she is pregnant to forcer her to marry him. When she runs into Royal Kendrick, she quickly discovers that she can trust him. And that she does.
She asks the impossible of Royal. And he accepts. She asks him to take her baby, adopt the child. This breaks Ainsley's hearts for more than one reason. Not only will she soon be leaving her daughter behind, but she will be giving up the only man who ever held her heart, and that is Royal.
Although it is very clear that Royal feels the same for Ainsley, she is worried for the safety of her new daughter, as her ex is equally relentless, vengeful and unpredictable. Things change to the point that she is forced to return to Royal - and her daughter. Now she has a chance at being a mother, but not without grave danger and difficulty for all involved.
The best solution is marriage between Ainsley and Royal. But has too much time passed for them to act on the feelings that once warmed both their hearts? The travel to love in this story is incredibly touching. Watching the pair fight the battles facing Ainsley, the family growing together, and the bevy of other family members involved, especially Angus, was absolutely wonderful.
This is the first book in the Clan Kendrick series. followed by The Highlander's Christmas Bride, available now, and The Highlander's English Bride, coming in May.
She asks the impossible of Royal. And he accepts. She asks him to take her baby, adopt the child. This breaks Ainsley's hearts for more than one reason. Not only will she soon be leaving her daughter behind, but she will be giving up the only man who ever held her heart, and that is Royal.
Although it is very clear that Royal feels the same for Ainsley, she is worried for the safety of her new daughter, as her ex is equally relentless, vengeful and unpredictable. Things change to the point that she is forced to return to Royal - and her daughter. Now she has a chance at being a mother, but not without grave danger and difficulty for all involved.
The best solution is marriage between Ainsley and Royal. But has too much time passed for them to act on the feelings that once warmed both their hearts? The travel to love in this story is incredibly touching. Watching the pair fight the battles facing Ainsley, the family growing together, and the bevy of other family members involved, especially Angus, was absolutely wonderful.
This is the first book in the Clan Kendrick series. followed by The Highlander's Christmas Bride, available now, and The Highlander's English Bride, coming in May.
November 24, 2020
I loved this.
Such a unique story for a Historical Romance.
Pining tortured hero, Royal. Hopelessly in love with a girl who is a bit spoiled and selfish.
Ainsley is assaulted by her fiance and gets pregnant so she runs away to Scotland to hide the baby from her rapist and to avoid marrying him.
She asks Royal to keep the baby while she returns to London to hide what happened. Her family STILL wants to make her marry her rapist. Says it was not forced, she is confused. So there's gas-lighting for you.
She returns to Royal months later and needs him to marry her but also realizes she can no longer live without him...
Ugh! So good and angsty, and it this book had been told by Kerrigan Byrne it might have broken me. As it is here. It still has some very serious elements but a lot of those happen off page, which allowed for the levity created by the family and the banter of the couple to not feel out of place.
Because guys... this book was FUNNY and sweet and sexy and great.
The banter between Ainsley and Royal is so good. They really are a friends to lovers relationship where the heroine needed to catch up. She fully admits she was spoiled before she learned how hard life can be, but her choice to give up Tira to protect her is a very brave one. She trusts Royal more than her own family and that is so beautiful.
Only downside is that for how long this book is... there was not enough sexy time. I wish we had just moved that around a bit. I loved when they were working through her trauma together and the communication in the bedroom was so good! I really wanted more of that.
Honestly, I am so pleased with this book for a cover buy and I am so glad I bought other books in the series so I can start them soon.
5/5 for me!
Such a unique story for a Historical Romance.
Pining tortured hero, Royal. Hopelessly in love with a girl who is a bit spoiled and selfish.
Ainsley is assaulted by her fiance and gets pregnant so she runs away to Scotland to hide the baby from her rapist and to avoid marrying him.
She asks Royal to keep the baby while she returns to London to hide what happened. Her family STILL wants to make her marry her rapist. Says it was not forced, she is confused. So there's gas-lighting for you.
She returns to Royal months later and needs him to marry her but also realizes she can no longer live without him...
Ugh! So good and angsty, and it this book had been told by Kerrigan Byrne it might have broken me. As it is here. It still has some very serious elements but a lot of those happen off page, which allowed for the levity created by the family and the banter of the couple to not feel out of place.
Because guys... this book was FUNNY and sweet and sexy and great.
The banter between Ainsley and Royal is so good. They really are a friends to lovers relationship where the heroine needed to catch up. She fully admits she was spoiled before she learned how hard life can be, but her choice to give up Tira to protect her is a very brave one. She trusts Royal more than her own family and that is so beautiful.
Only downside is that for how long this book is... there was not enough sexy time. I wish we had just moved that around a bit. I loved when they were working through her trauma together and the communication in the bedroom was so good! I really wanted more of that.
Honestly, I am so pleased with this book for a cover buy and I am so glad I bought other books in the series so I can start them soon.
5/5 for me!
February 8, 2021
The pregnant heroine plot point was a new one for me, so I was intrigued to read this book, especially since I had encountered Ainsley and Royal in a previous book and I wanted to know what her deal was and why she was always so prickly. Royal was an amazing and selfless hero, despite his own pain, both physical and emotional, he set all of his own needs aside to take care of his family, including Ainsley. On the other hand, Ainsley frustrated the crap out of me with her spoiled selfishness. However, her backstory did make me understand why she behaved the way she did and everything clicked together for me when she finally decided to trust Royal and let him take care of her, and when she decided to take care of him in return. Her development over the course of the novel made up for her prickly selfishness in the beginning, and even if it hadn’t, this story is worth reading for Royal.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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November 8, 2018DNF. I'm sorry to say I could not finish this one. I absolutely hated the "heroine," Ainsley. Also, I had been unaware that their rather large and dramatic backstory had taken place in another book, which I have not read, and thus I felt like I had missed a big chunk of their history. Getting it in summation, especially given the outrageousness of it, didn't work for me. I don't think that was the best way to write this book. All of their story should have been in this one. Other readers are loving this book, but it was not my cup of tea.
May 23, 2019
Check out my blog for this review and others!
Here’s how this book came into my possession: I was relaying all my trials with romance to my husband last year, and the joker decided in his infinite wisdom that he wanted to buy me for Christmas the “best” romance he could find. To him, this meant two things: a hunky cover and a worthy blurb. Welp, there’s the cover up top, so we’ve clearly accomplished the first. As for the blurb, all he needed to see was that the male MC’s name was Royal, and that was enough to thoroughly tickle his fancy.
So here we are. (By the way, make sure to scroll to the bottom for a husband review.) I actually did enjoy this, though it was one of those on and off sort of reads that took me a couple weeks. The premise in vague, non-spoiler terms is that Ainsley, a Sassenach, needs Royal’s help to protect her from her vile betrothed. What I hadn’t realized at the outset is that while this is the first in the Clan Kendrick series, it’s actually not the first book of Kelly’s featuring these characters. Clan Kendrick is a spin-off series from another, so there were more than a few times when Kelly re-introduced a character or referenced a bit of backstory. This was a bit frustrating for me; as someone coming into a purported first in a series, the last thing I want is to feel like I have catching up to do—especially as the book is lengthy already, weighing in at more than four hundred pages.
The emphasis on protection and safety is interesting from a storytelling standpoint. If you think about it, these themes can be a little bit “anti-action”—and preventing something from happening isn’t necessarily as interesting as other kinds of plot structures. So it was a quieter sort of story overall, with more emphasis on character relationships and dialogue exchanges than actual plot points.
On a tangential note, the title of the book itself also never fails to make me laugh. It just doesn’t read at all “title-like” to me—more like description than anything else. Anyone with me here? 😛 Maybe I’m the only one…
In any case, I did enjoy the developing relationship between Ainsley and Royal, finding their chemistry quite good. The characters individually, too, feel concrete, with realistic personalities, flaws, hopes, and dreams. No caricatured characters here. Kelly’s writing in general is also pretty strong. The dialogue does get a bit samey after a while (how many times can characters say “don’t fash yourself”??), BUT it did teach me the gem of an expression “dicked in the knob.” That apparently means “crazy,” and I will be wasting no opportunity to employ it, let me tell ya.
Will I be reading the next in the series? Not sure about that, especially because I have some other romance TBR goals that are a bit more pressing. But I am definitely up for reading another book by Vanessa Kelly in the future, so am grateful to my husband for pointing me in her direction.
Husband Review
“Slick channel.”
5 Stars
Here’s how this book came into my possession: I was relaying all my trials with romance to my husband last year, and the joker decided in his infinite wisdom that he wanted to buy me for Christmas the “best” romance he could find. To him, this meant two things: a hunky cover and a worthy blurb. Welp, there’s the cover up top, so we’ve clearly accomplished the first. As for the blurb, all he needed to see was that the male MC’s name was Royal, and that was enough to thoroughly tickle his fancy.
So here we are. (By the way, make sure to scroll to the bottom for a husband review.) I actually did enjoy this, though it was one of those on and off sort of reads that took me a couple weeks. The premise in vague, non-spoiler terms is that Ainsley, a Sassenach, needs Royal’s help to protect her from her vile betrothed. What I hadn’t realized at the outset is that while this is the first in the Clan Kendrick series, it’s actually not the first book of Kelly’s featuring these characters. Clan Kendrick is a spin-off series from another, so there were more than a few times when Kelly re-introduced a character or referenced a bit of backstory. This was a bit frustrating for me; as someone coming into a purported first in a series, the last thing I want is to feel like I have catching up to do—especially as the book is lengthy already, weighing in at more than four hundred pages.
The emphasis on protection and safety is interesting from a storytelling standpoint. If you think about it, these themes can be a little bit “anti-action”—and preventing something from happening isn’t necessarily as interesting as other kinds of plot structures. So it was a quieter sort of story overall, with more emphasis on character relationships and dialogue exchanges than actual plot points.
On a tangential note, the title of the book itself also never fails to make me laugh. It just doesn’t read at all “title-like” to me—more like description than anything else. Anyone with me here? 😛 Maybe I’m the only one…
In any case, I did enjoy the developing relationship between Ainsley and Royal, finding their chemistry quite good. The characters individually, too, feel concrete, with realistic personalities, flaws, hopes, and dreams. No caricatured characters here. Kelly’s writing in general is also pretty strong. The dialogue does get a bit samey after a while (how many times can characters say “don’t fash yourself”??), BUT it did teach me the gem of an expression “dicked in the knob.” That apparently means “crazy,” and I will be wasting no opportunity to employ it, let me tell ya.
Will I be reading the next in the series? Not sure about that, especially because I have some other romance TBR goals that are a bit more pressing. But I am definitely up for reading another book by Vanessa Kelly in the future, so am grateful to my husband for pointing me in her direction.
Husband Review
“Slick channel.”
5 Stars
October 13, 2018
3.5 Stars
Oh, this historical had all the makings of an epic romance. Royal is a delicious Scottish male who has seen his share of tragedy. He bears the scars of war, but Ainsley changes his life forever. I had such high hopes for these two lovebirds. I instantly liked Ainsley in the beginning. I felt Royal and her were well matched, that is until, Ainsley makes few bad decisions. Poor Royal wants to marry Ainsley but she has other ideas. Her sweet baby's life will be changed forever. Royal finds himself thrust into the role of father and protector of a baby girl, without Ainsley at his side. Although Ainsley and Royal finally find a way to be together, I thought she was a bit selfish and immature. Royal had to keep changing his life around in order to help her out. I'm thrilled they find their HEA, but I wish Ainsley had made better choices after the baby was born. I look forward to reading more in the Clan Kendrick series. There were many interesting secondary characters in the Kendrick clan that need their own stories told.
Oh, this historical had all the makings of an epic romance. Royal is a delicious Scottish male who has seen his share of tragedy. He bears the scars of war, but Ainsley changes his life forever. I had such high hopes for these two lovebirds. I instantly liked Ainsley in the beginning. I felt Royal and her were well matched, that is until, Ainsley makes few bad decisions. Poor Royal wants to marry Ainsley but she has other ideas. Her sweet baby's life will be changed forever. Royal finds himself thrust into the role of father and protector of a baby girl, without Ainsley at his side. Although Ainsley and Royal finally find a way to be together, I thought she was a bit selfish and immature. Royal had to keep changing his life around in order to help her out. I'm thrilled they find their HEA, but I wish Ainsley had made better choices after the baby was born. I look forward to reading more in the Clan Kendrick series. There were many interesting secondary characters in the Kendrick clan that need their own stories told.
November 8, 2018
DNF @ 47%
This book is most definitely NOT A STANDALONE. After a brief prologue, the story jumps a year and a half and apparently quite a lot went on during that time. This is my first book by Vanessa Kelly and I've always assumed that starting with #1 was a safe bet... not this time.
Aside from being pretty clueless about a huge part of their history (something about a kidnapping and Glasgow and Inveraray and a botched elopement), there is no chemistry in these pages. There are pages and pages and pages and pages of what I think is supposed to be witty banter but all I got was a spoiled heiress and a rough but semi-aristocratic highlander who is in love enough to put up with her.
Royal: clearly in love with Ainsley (lord knows why), supposedly very handsome and a generally "nice guy." Though he's pretty set that no woman would ever marry him because of his injury and his place as younger brother of an Earl/Laird.
Ainsley: probably has some subconscious feelings for Royal but by the time we've skipped from the prologue through whatever happened in the year and a half gap and now they're just friends (aka him pining for her while she keeps him at arms length). She's obviously a spoiled brat and is now in an unfortunate situation (please note that I'm not saying it was her fault).
What I don't get is why she didn't just marry Royal during this mysterious adventure I'm not privy to. Seems like all of this drama could have easily been avoided, Ainsley would have come to love Royal and they'd live happily ever after.
I think I could overlook the gap in the story if the remainder wasn't reduced to Royal being Ainsley's very nice and handsome doormat. Because let's face it, she uses his love for her when convenient: please raise my baby in secret, ruin your reputation so I can keep mine, wait, no, I need you to marry me now because dumping my baby on you didn't actually allow me to return to my former life of luxury.
I might pick up another book by this author but I have to drop this one here.
This book is most definitely NOT A STANDALONE. After a brief prologue, the story jumps a year and a half and apparently quite a lot went on during that time. This is my first book by Vanessa Kelly and I've always assumed that starting with #1 was a safe bet... not this time.
Aside from being pretty clueless about a huge part of their history (something about a kidnapping and Glasgow and Inveraray and a botched elopement), there is no chemistry in these pages. There are pages and pages and pages and pages of what I think is supposed to be witty banter but all I got was a spoiled heiress and a rough but semi-aristocratic highlander who is in love enough to put up with her.
Royal: clearly in love with Ainsley (lord knows why), supposedly very handsome and a generally "nice guy." Though he's pretty set that no woman would ever marry him because of his injury and his place as younger brother of an Earl/Laird.
Ainsley: probably has some subconscious feelings for Royal but by the time we've skipped from the prologue through whatever happened in the year and a half gap and now they're just friends (aka him pining for her while she keeps him at arms length). She's obviously a spoiled brat and is now in an unfortunate situation (please note that I'm not saying it was her fault).
What I don't get is why she didn't just marry Royal during this mysterious adventure I'm not privy to. Seems like all of this drama could have easily been avoided, Ainsley would have come to love Royal and they'd live happily ever after.
I think I could overlook the gap in the story if the remainder wasn't reduced to Royal being Ainsley's very nice and handsome doormat. Because let's face it, she uses his love for her when convenient: please raise my baby in secret, ruin your reputation so I can keep mine, wait, no, I need you to marry me now because dumping my baby on you didn't actually allow me to return to my former life of luxury.
I might pick up another book by this author but I have to drop this one here.
October 19, 2019
2.5 stars
The premise of this book had me super excited and I couldn’t wait to dive into it. Girl who needs a hero finds someone to love her daughter and her while she reclaims her agency. That sounded amazing.
That’s also the whole plot. Like nothing else at all happens and so I was waiting for the rest of the plot that would give the book some meat on its bones and it never came. While I was interested in finding out how they ultimately solved their pest problem the stakes were never high because we knew the whole slim plot from the beginning. No twists or turns, just kinda there.
The conclusion wrapped up the story ok but ultimately I was disappointed by how easy the story was to put down because I liked our wounded male lead. Also I’m assuming this is a spin off from other series? Because their back story was all over the place and it got tiring being told rather then seeing the history of these two and their family.
The premise of this book had me super excited and I couldn’t wait to dive into it. Girl who needs a hero finds someone to love her daughter and her while she reclaims her agency. That sounded amazing.
That’s also the whole plot. Like nothing else at all happens and so I was waiting for the rest of the plot that would give the book some meat on its bones and it never came. While I was interested in finding out how they ultimately solved their pest problem the stakes were never high because we knew the whole slim plot from the beginning. No twists or turns, just kinda there.
The conclusion wrapped up the story ok but ultimately I was disappointed by how easy the story was to put down because I liked our wounded male lead. Also I’m assuming this is a spin off from other series? Because their back story was all over the place and it got tiring being told rather then seeing the history of these two and their family.
September 18, 2018
I fell in love with the Kendrick family in the 3rd book of Vanessa Kelly’s Improper Princesses series. They’re the kind of family you can’t help but love yet you know you’d go crazy if around them too long. At the time, I wasn’t sure whose story I wanted next. I just knew that I wanted more of this crazy, loyal family. I’m thrilled it was Royal and Ainsley’s story. Royal really intrigued me in that last book. Injured and brooding, he was very hard to figure out, but it was clear Ainsley had an effect on him, and I couldn’t wait to see where that led. After reading The Highlander Who Protected Me, this Clan Kendrick series promises to be every bit as spectacular as the series that gave birth to this amazing family.
Royal Kendrick had fallen in love with Lady Ainsley Matthews the moment he met her. Her vibrant beauty and lethal wit drew him in and he desired her more than anything he’d ever wanted. But he knew his desire was all he’d ever have of her. He was just a common second son. A man with a mangled leg and a moody temperament. Ainsley was an heiress. The darling of the ton. And she was promised, if not officially yet, to the Marquess of Cringlewood. Ainsley admired Royal for his bravery and sacrifice. He was as blunt and bad tempered as she and she enjoyed the acerbic humor and witty banter they shared. She trusted him and saw him as a good friend, though that was all they could be as her father would never consider Royal as a suitor. He was intent on a match with Leonard, the Marquess of Cringlewood. Unfortunately, the Marquess was a vile, cruel man who forced himself on Ainsley leaving her pregnant and with no choice but to flee to Scotland before Leonard discovered her plight and forced her into marriage.
When her friend Royal arrives to visit, Ainsley knows he is the only person she trusts to keep her baby safe. Though it will devastate her to place her child in someone else’s hands, it’s the safest place for her to be. Losing her child and losing Royal, the only man she’d ever thought she could love would be difficult, but it was the only way to keep the baby from a father who had no decency or compassion. Royal would do anything for Ainsley and agrees to raise the child as his own even though doing so would bring scandal on him.
Royal and the Kendricks quickly fell in love with the baby, and Royal, who’d felt he had no purpose after the war, found a new motivation for his future in raising the child. It doesn’t take long for Ainsley to realize she can’t bear being separated from her child, and she finds herself once again asking Royal for help. To marry her and raise the child together. Royal would like nothing more than to call Ainsley wife. But could Ainsley give up her wealth and status to marry a poor, crippled Scotsman? He’d been nursing a passion for her for two years. Could he be content to marry someone who may not return that passion? And most importantly, would marriage be enough to keep Ainsley and her baby safe from the Marquess of Cringlewood?
I adored Royal from the moment I met him in the previous series. Like all the Kendricks, he was loyal. But Royal has to be the most selfless man to ever exist! His injuries from the war left him in great physical and emotional pain yet he never complained. He was the peacemaker of the family, often having to referee between them. Whatever the task, Royal bore it. Again and again. Nothing mattered more than family. And Ainsley and her baby were family now.
Ainsley was harder to love at first. She was spoiled, though in her defense, it was all she’d ever known until the assault by Cringlewood and the subsequent betrayal of her family. But she was brave to run away and put her child first. And she was smart to trust Royal. I felt sorry and afraid for the predicament she was in. Cringlewood had wronged her but she was the one who would suffer. Regardless of his actions, she’d be the one at fault.
Seeing Royal and Ainsley together made me realize how very much they needed each other. I admired Royal for how patient and encouraging he was with Ainsley as she struggled with motherhood. The tension and humor in caring for a baby helped me see how much they cared for each other. Royal never gave into his passion, waiting instead till Ainsley was ready. He didn’t push or demand but allowed her to move at her own pace. I admired Ainsley for giving up so much for her child. Coming to a land she rather hated and living with a family that drove her mad. Because of the assault by Leonard, she was unsure of the way Royal made her feel at times. It was fun and sweet to watch her battle between her fears and her desires. The intimate moments between she and Royal, when they weren’t interrupted by Angus, were steamy and playful. The slow build to Ainsley and Royal finding love made it that much more rewarding.
The “wonderful supporting characters that keep you laughing” award goes to Angus Kendrick. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to hug him or strangle him at times. But he brought so much laughter and warmth to the story. I gained a whole new respect and love for him in this book.
The magic ingredient in this story has to be the witty banter. The clever, romantic sparring created sparks that brought Royal and Ainsley alive on the page. Sometimes seductive and sometimes playful, it painted such a brilliant picture of these characters. Even the sometimes aggressive banter was perfect because it showed how intense the attraction was. . I love that her characters can show wit and perfectly placed sarcasm even in the middle of romantic moments. There’s nothing like swooning and giggling at the same time. Their clever repartee kept the plot moving forward and ensured a fun filled ride to their happily ever after. Vanessa Kelly never fails to make me swoon with her amazing characterizations and her intriguing stories. I am eager to see which Kendrick I get to fall in love with next.
Royal Kendrick had fallen in love with Lady Ainsley Matthews the moment he met her. Her vibrant beauty and lethal wit drew him in and he desired her more than anything he’d ever wanted. But he knew his desire was all he’d ever have of her. He was just a common second son. A man with a mangled leg and a moody temperament. Ainsley was an heiress. The darling of the ton. And she was promised, if not officially yet, to the Marquess of Cringlewood. Ainsley admired Royal for his bravery and sacrifice. He was as blunt and bad tempered as she and she enjoyed the acerbic humor and witty banter they shared. She trusted him and saw him as a good friend, though that was all they could be as her father would never consider Royal as a suitor. He was intent on a match with Leonard, the Marquess of Cringlewood. Unfortunately, the Marquess was a vile, cruel man who forced himself on Ainsley leaving her pregnant and with no choice but to flee to Scotland before Leonard discovered her plight and forced her into marriage.
When her friend Royal arrives to visit, Ainsley knows he is the only person she trusts to keep her baby safe. Though it will devastate her to place her child in someone else’s hands, it’s the safest place for her to be. Losing her child and losing Royal, the only man she’d ever thought she could love would be difficult, but it was the only way to keep the baby from a father who had no decency or compassion. Royal would do anything for Ainsley and agrees to raise the child as his own even though doing so would bring scandal on him.
Royal and the Kendricks quickly fell in love with the baby, and Royal, who’d felt he had no purpose after the war, found a new motivation for his future in raising the child. It doesn’t take long for Ainsley to realize she can’t bear being separated from her child, and she finds herself once again asking Royal for help. To marry her and raise the child together. Royal would like nothing more than to call Ainsley wife. But could Ainsley give up her wealth and status to marry a poor, crippled Scotsman? He’d been nursing a passion for her for two years. Could he be content to marry someone who may not return that passion? And most importantly, would marriage be enough to keep Ainsley and her baby safe from the Marquess of Cringlewood?
I adored Royal from the moment I met him in the previous series. Like all the Kendricks, he was loyal. But Royal has to be the most selfless man to ever exist! His injuries from the war left him in great physical and emotional pain yet he never complained. He was the peacemaker of the family, often having to referee between them. Whatever the task, Royal bore it. Again and again. Nothing mattered more than family. And Ainsley and her baby were family now.
Ainsley was harder to love at first. She was spoiled, though in her defense, it was all she’d ever known until the assault by Cringlewood and the subsequent betrayal of her family. But she was brave to run away and put her child first. And she was smart to trust Royal. I felt sorry and afraid for the predicament she was in. Cringlewood had wronged her but she was the one who would suffer. Regardless of his actions, she’d be the one at fault.
Seeing Royal and Ainsley together made me realize how very much they needed each other. I admired Royal for how patient and encouraging he was with Ainsley as she struggled with motherhood. The tension and humor in caring for a baby helped me see how much they cared for each other. Royal never gave into his passion, waiting instead till Ainsley was ready. He didn’t push or demand but allowed her to move at her own pace. I admired Ainsley for giving up so much for her child. Coming to a land she rather hated and living with a family that drove her mad. Because of the assault by Leonard, she was unsure of the way Royal made her feel at times. It was fun and sweet to watch her battle between her fears and her desires. The intimate moments between she and Royal, when they weren’t interrupted by Angus, were steamy and playful. The slow build to Ainsley and Royal finding love made it that much more rewarding.
The “wonderful supporting characters that keep you laughing” award goes to Angus Kendrick. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to hug him or strangle him at times. But he brought so much laughter and warmth to the story. I gained a whole new respect and love for him in this book.
The magic ingredient in this story has to be the witty banter. The clever, romantic sparring created sparks that brought Royal and Ainsley alive on the page. Sometimes seductive and sometimes playful, it painted such a brilliant picture of these characters. Even the sometimes aggressive banter was perfect because it showed how intense the attraction was. . I love that her characters can show wit and perfectly placed sarcasm even in the middle of romantic moments. There’s nothing like swooning and giggling at the same time. Their clever repartee kept the plot moving forward and ensured a fun filled ride to their happily ever after. Vanessa Kelly never fails to make me swoon with her amazing characterizations and her intriguing stories. I am eager to see which Kendrick I get to fall in love with next.
August 25, 2022
5 Royal Stars!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ok, straight up: This book is meant to be read AFTER The Highlander’s Princess Bride. We first meet this couple in that book and big things are happening with them that carry into this one and make the story easier to follow when starting this. Otherwise, it will feel like you’re missing something. After reading that one, I was super eager to start this because you knew what was going on with Ainsley and wanted to know who was behind it and where Royal fit into everything. It didn’t disappoint and I enjoyed it from start to finish. Royal’s love for her was so sweet and I loved how devoted he was. Ainsley also grew up quite a bit and they became the perfect parents for little Tira. ❤️
Now, you can certainly read this first, but the issue is that you won’t feel as strongly about the characters, and therefore not care as much what’s at stake, or fully appreciate Ainsley’s transformation. I’m betting that’s why this book is rated as low as it is. So please go read that one because you won’t regret it! 🤗
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ok, straight up: This book is meant to be read AFTER The Highlander’s Princess Bride. We first meet this couple in that book and big things are happening with them that carry into this one and make the story easier to follow when starting this. Otherwise, it will feel like you’re missing something. After reading that one, I was super eager to start this because you knew what was going on with Ainsley and wanted to know who was behind it and where Royal fit into everything. It didn’t disappoint and I enjoyed it from start to finish. Royal’s love for her was so sweet and I loved how devoted he was. Ainsley also grew up quite a bit and they became the perfect parents for little Tira. ❤️
Now, you can certainly read this first, but the issue is that you won’t feel as strongly about the characters, and therefore not care as much what’s at stake, or fully appreciate Ainsley’s transformation. I’m betting that’s why this book is rated as low as it is. So please go read that one because you won’t regret it! 🤗
November 8, 2018
In "The Highlander Who Protected Me," Ainsley realizes that she needs to revisit her painful past in order to save her future. Ainsley and Royal have always had an interesting relationship but when Ainsley ends up pregnant, she quickly realizes that she needs to put the past behind her in order to save her baby.
This book is part of a new series by Vanessa Kelly and was a spinoff of "The Highlander's Princess Bride," which I have not read yet. I am wondering if I would have gotten into this book quicker if I had read the previous series. The chemistry between Ainsley and Royal starts quickly with no build up. We know that they have met in the past but I didn't feel like I got a clear picture of how much that meeting meant or what it was like or how it would affect the characters.
That being said, I did like the chemistry between Ainsley and Royal. It definitely kept me wanting to read more. Royal is such a good character. He's strong, sensitive, and a great romantic lead. Ainsley is sassy and although she doesn't have much power as a woman, she uses everything she has in order to do what she needs to do in order to protect her daughter and find true love. I loved how Ainsley really shapes the relationship between Royal and herself.
Overall, this book started slow to me but became exciting as secrets were revealed and our main characters began to understand their past a little more.
This book is part of a new series by Vanessa Kelly and was a spinoff of "The Highlander's Princess Bride," which I have not read yet. I am wondering if I would have gotten into this book quicker if I had read the previous series. The chemistry between Ainsley and Royal starts quickly with no build up. We know that they have met in the past but I didn't feel like I got a clear picture of how much that meeting meant or what it was like or how it would affect the characters.
That being said, I did like the chemistry between Ainsley and Royal. It definitely kept me wanting to read more. Royal is such a good character. He's strong, sensitive, and a great romantic lead. Ainsley is sassy and although she doesn't have much power as a woman, she uses everything she has in order to do what she needs to do in order to protect her daughter and find true love. I loved how Ainsley really shapes the relationship between Royal and herself.
Overall, this book started slow to me but became exciting as secrets were revealed and our main characters began to understand their past a little more.
April 25, 2025
I did not read the description of this book and instead drove straight in. I was, therefore, surprised to see an unexpected pregnancy and all the drama that occurred in the first few chapters. It was A LOT to take in. However, the way the book did not adhere to traditional plot structures endeared me. It put a new spin on things.
The author attempted to create numerous and tragic backstories for each of her characters. These backstories were so tragic and detailed, I often thought that there were previous books in the series. However, this was the first book in the series. I was not a huge fan of the way the book ended with Royal and Ainsley fleeing Scotland. It was not the cathartic ending I needed. I needed an ending where Cringlewood meets his demise (some poetic justice would be nice).
The author attempted to create numerous and tragic backstories for each of her characters. These backstories were so tragic and detailed, I often thought that there were previous books in the series. However, this was the first book in the series. I was not a huge fan of the way the book ended with Royal and Ainsley fleeing Scotland. It was not the cathartic ending I needed. I needed an ending where Cringlewood meets his demise (some poetic justice would be nice).
October 10, 2018
4.5 Star Review posted at HarlequinJunkie.com
From the moment Royal Kendrick met Lady Ainsley Matthews, he’s been intrigued and would do anything for her. So, when she comes to him and proposes marriage, he agrees, especially after the favor he did her that no one can know about. However, when Ainsley’s former fiancé begins to cause trouble for her and threatens everything she holds near and dear, will she and Royal come out on top or will they lose their chance at happy ever after? Read More
January 30, 2021
♡ Highlander Historical Romance
♡ Fun family
♡ Strong heroine
♡ Worshipping hero
♡ Forbidden romance
This book was SO sweet and so much fun to read! It was the perfect book to kick off the Historical Romance readathon, so shout out to Jenn from The Book Refuge for picking this (and all the books I read for the readathon) for me!
In this highlander romance, the heroine is set to marry a marquess, but she has a strong bond with the hero who has always been in love with her and would do absolutely anything for her - including raising her child.
If you like big, gruff heroes who also happen to be cinnamon rolls (I think Crystal calls them Alphamellows), you will ADORE this book. The hero and heroine have such great chemistry that is solidified from the very beginning. They are one of those couples who have to FIGHT to be together, which makes their romance so much sweeter in the end.
I also was loving their entire family and I can't wait to read on in this series for their stories!
Character rep: disability
Triggers: sexual assault, parent/baby separation, medical trauma, kidnapping
♡ Fun family
♡ Strong heroine
♡ Worshipping hero
♡ Forbidden romance
This book was SO sweet and so much fun to read! It was the perfect book to kick off the Historical Romance readathon, so shout out to Jenn from The Book Refuge for picking this (and all the books I read for the readathon) for me!
In this highlander romance, the heroine is set to marry a marquess, but she has a strong bond with the hero who has always been in love with her and would do absolutely anything for her - including raising her child.
If you like big, gruff heroes who also happen to be cinnamon rolls (I think Crystal calls them Alphamellows), you will ADORE this book. The hero and heroine have such great chemistry that is solidified from the very beginning. They are one of those couples who have to FIGHT to be together, which makes their romance so much sweeter in the end.
I also was loving their entire family and I can't wait to read on in this series for their stories!
Character rep: disability
Triggers: sexual assault, parent/baby separation, medical trauma, kidnapping
September 9, 2018
❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋
Royal Kendrick is the sort of man you want in your corner to fight beside you, he never lets you down in any circumstance.
Ainsley is the woman he loves though she hardly acknowledges that he exists,
But when she needs help he’s her go to man .
This story had me screaming at him to dump her and anything to do with her and move on , to crying and hoping they could make a go of it , and all the time cheering for Granda Angus , I adore his character .
It’s a wonderful book , with characters that endear themselves to you very quickly, well written and kept me totally immersed in their world .
I’d recommend this book to all fans of this author. You’ll kick yourself if you miss it x
I received an advance copy of this book and chose to submit a review
💋💋
Royal Kendrick is the sort of man you want in your corner to fight beside you, he never lets you down in any circumstance.
Ainsley is the woman he loves though she hardly acknowledges that he exists,
But when she needs help he’s her go to man .
This story had me screaming at him to dump her and anything to do with her and move on , to crying and hoping they could make a go of it , and all the time cheering for Granda Angus , I adore his character .
It’s a wonderful book , with characters that endear themselves to you very quickly, well written and kept me totally immersed in their world .
I’d recommend this book to all fans of this author. You’ll kick yourself if you miss it x
I received an advance copy of this book and chose to submit a review
October 25, 2018
I really enjoyed this fast-paced, romantic, action-packed book! Royal Kendrick is as dashing a Scotsman as there’s ever been...swaggering but sweet, boastful but tender. Royal has loved Ainsley forever, but she’s engaged to a nobleman, and seems out of his reach. I especially liked the banter between the two, both hiding their feelings and some secrets. Thd other characters, Angus in particular, are quirky and endearing. I felt like I was missing some back story, even though this was the first book in this series. Events were spoken about in a kind of jumbled way, and I wish there had been more continuity with important events that were hinted at but never fully explained.
November 13, 2018
This book was good but at the start I was a bit confused.
The prologue sets up the Hero and heroine initially meeting then chapter 1 you jump some time, the Hero had kidnapped the heroine in an attempt to rescue the heroine from her intended. But chapter one starts as the Hero had let the heroine go as she refused him.
It is well written, the plot is a bit unusual. The motives of the heroine set a different premise.
No cheating.
No intimate scenes with anyone other than the Hero and heroine.
HEA.
Possible trigger, heroine was raped.
The prologue sets up the Hero and heroine initially meeting then chapter 1 you jump some time, the Hero had kidnapped the heroine in an attempt to rescue the heroine from her intended. But chapter one starts as the Hero had let the heroine go as she refused him.
It is well written, the plot is a bit unusual. The motives of the heroine set a different premise.
No cheating.
No intimate scenes with anyone other than the Hero and heroine.
HEA.
Possible trigger, heroine was raped.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2018
There are no victims only survivors. Kelly dreams up a stunningly, captivating tale of heartache, bravery and romance. Royal and Ainsley are a little bit broken but no less heroes. Both are looking to find their place in a world judgment, cruelty and war. They find that place in each other's hearts. The Highlander Who Protected Me is a slow burn. Love kind of sneaks it's way into your heart. The battle is hard won, but the fire is never-ending.
July 7, 2021
this took for everrrrrrrr
November 24, 2018
Delightful!
Lady Ainsley Matthews flees her abusive fiancé to the wilds of Scotland. Pregnant and alone she turns to Royal Kendrick for assistance. Royal agrees to raise the baby as his own whilst Ainsley returns to her former life as a leader of the ton. Ainsley however finds herself unable to forget her child. She returns to Scotland despite the risk that her former fiancé might take her child from her. There is only one answer, marriage to Royal.
I was absolutely charmed by this story. I smiled at the lively, often sardonic banter between Ainsley and Royal.
The understated strength of both lead characters, the tenacity of Ainsley, a suitable despicable villainous member of the ton, some lively characters including the old rascally Angus, Royal's grandfather, made this novel an intriguing and unexpected enjoyable read.
A NetGalley ARC
Lady Ainsley Matthews flees her abusive fiancé to the wilds of Scotland. Pregnant and alone she turns to Royal Kendrick for assistance. Royal agrees to raise the baby as his own whilst Ainsley returns to her former life as a leader of the ton. Ainsley however finds herself unable to forget her child. She returns to Scotland despite the risk that her former fiancé might take her child from her. There is only one answer, marriage to Royal.
I was absolutely charmed by this story. I smiled at the lively, often sardonic banter between Ainsley and Royal.
The understated strength of both lead characters, the tenacity of Ainsley, a suitable despicable villainous member of the ton, some lively characters including the old rascally Angus, Royal's grandfather, made this novel an intriguing and unexpected enjoyable read.
A NetGalley ARC
January 15, 2019
A story of a stubborn Highlander and an equally stubborn young lady. Ainsley was a diamond of the Aristocracy and Royal was as he saw it just an average Scotsman with nothing to recommend him. He was wounded at Waterloo and thinks of himself as crippled.
They are made for each other with their sense of humor, their biting wit. Neither one of them could predict how their feelings for each other would get them in serious trouble or how love can conquer all.
A splendid book, I expect no less from Vanessa. She is a favorite of mine and I own all of her books.
Take a ride into Vanessa's world of sexy Highlanders and bossy females. I guarantee you will love it!
They are made for each other with their sense of humor, their biting wit. Neither one of them could predict how their feelings for each other would get them in serious trouble or how love can conquer all.
A splendid book, I expect no less from Vanessa. She is a favorite of mine and I own all of her books.
Take a ride into Vanessa's world of sexy Highlanders and bossy females. I guarantee you will love it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 259 reviews