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Scottish Scoundrels: Ensnared Hearts #2
Lady Lilias and the Devil in Plaid
Free-spirited Lilias Honeyfield has a secret. She’s certain the rich and powerful Duke of Greybourne is meant to be hers. He just needs to reappear in her life and stop denying his love for her before she’s forced to wed another. Though it’s been seven years, she has never forgotten the beautiful but tormented man hiding behind the mask of moody boy, nor does she believe she imagined the searing passion between them. But the day Nash Steele finally returns to Town, the rogue destroys her hope by claiming he never returned her affection.
Nash Steele is haunted by his mistakes and the memories of the impetuous, headstrong beauty who breached his heart and soothed his soul years ago. But innocent Lilias was never meant to be his. And if he ever doubts it, he reminds himself of the tragic accident he caused soon after they met. His life is now, and will always be, one of penance. Unable to have the one woman he wants, the easiest thing to do is to flee. So when duty eventually forces him home, he intends to keep his distance from the ravishing creature. Yet when danger threatens her, he cannot sit by and allow her to be harmed. Every moment in her presence is sweet torture, and soon the need he has kept caged for years refuses to be contained any longer.
Swept together by burning desire but ensnared in a tangle of secrets and guilt, Lilias and Nash must fight to turn tragedy into triumph and the past that threatens to destroy them into the very thing that heals their hearts.
Lady Lilias and the Devil in Plaid is a witty and wild romance featuring a lovestruck guilt ridden rogue, a free-spirited Gothic romance novel loving heroine, meddling good intentioned friends, and schemes aplenty. It stands alone and includes blazing chemistry and a guaranteed happily ever after.
Nash Steele is haunted by his mistakes and the memories of the impetuous, headstrong beauty who breached his heart and soothed his soul years ago. But innocent Lilias was never meant to be his. And if he ever doubts it, he reminds himself of the tragic accident he caused soon after they met. His life is now, and will always be, one of penance. Unable to have the one woman he wants, the easiest thing to do is to flee. So when duty eventually forces him home, he intends to keep his distance from the ravishing creature. Yet when danger threatens her, he cannot sit by and allow her to be harmed. Every moment in her presence is sweet torture, and soon the need he has kept caged for years refuses to be contained any longer.
Swept together by burning desire but ensnared in a tangle of secrets and guilt, Lilias and Nash must fight to turn tragedy into triumph and the past that threatens to destroy them into the very thing that heals their hearts.
Lady Lilias and the Devil in Plaid is a witty and wild romance featuring a lovestruck guilt ridden rogue, a free-spirited Gothic romance novel loving heroine, meddling good intentioned friends, and schemes aplenty. It stands alone and includes blazing chemistry and a guaranteed happily ever after.
264 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2020
368 people are currently reading
261 people want to read
About the author
Julie Johnstone
96 books764 followersJulie Johnstone is a USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author. Scottish historical romance and Regency historical romance featuring highlanders and aristocrats are her love, and she enjoys creating both with a hefty dose of twists, plenty of heartstring tugs, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
Her books have been dubbed "fabulously entertaining and engaging," making readers cry, laugh, and swoon. Johnstone lives in Alabama with her very own lowlander husband, her two children - the heir and the spare, her snobby cat, and her perpetually happy dog.
In her spare time she enjoys way too much coffee balanced by super hot yoga, reading, and traveling.
Sign up for her newsletter here: http://juliejohnstoneauthor.com/newsl...
Her books have been dubbed "fabulously entertaining and engaging," making readers cry, laugh, and swoon. Johnstone lives in Alabama with her very own lowlander husband, her two children - the heir and the spare, her snobby cat, and her perpetually happy dog.
In her spare time she enjoys way too much coffee balanced by super hot yoga, reading, and traveling.
Sign up for her newsletter here: http://juliejohnstoneauthor.com/newsl...
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October 12, 2020
Lilias stood before Nash trembling. Her emotions swung wildly between embarrassment, anger, and agony. She knew she ought not say a thing, but she didn’t care about what she ought to do. “You came back to the Costwolds, and you avoided me. And Owen knew.” She sounded pathetic, but she could not let that stop her. There was no room for pride when true love was involved. She wanted to pummel his chest, but she had enough self-restraint not to do so.
“Do not blame Owen.” The four words held not a hint of remorse or apology. But they did hold impatience, as if he wanted this to be over, or more precisely wanted her to be gone. For one moment, she considered holding her tongue, doing as practically any other woman would do, and simply take her leave and give him the easy way out of how he had treated her, how he had made her think he was hero worthy when really he was the villain of the worst Gothic romance she’d never read because it did not exist. She had the errant thought to write a book and make him the villain. An ugly one. It would serve him right. He was far too handsome for his own good.
https://juliejohnstoneauthor.com/lady...
“What are you doing?”
It seemed obvious to her, but in her experience, admittedly only with her father, a man’s powers of observation often needed spectacles. So she brought herself upright and pointed down. “Taking off my shoes, so I can aid you in teaching Owen to swim.”
“Do you have parents?” Nash's tone was incredulous.
Before she could answer that question, he launched another. “Do you have a chaperone?” She opened her mouth to respond, but another question came at her like a bullet. “How the devil did you get out of your house unnoticed? You’d be ruined if anyone caught you with us.” He shoved a hand through his hair. “One of us would have to wed you.” His left hand took the place of his right to tangle through his thick, dark hair. She wanted to touch his hair, but thankfully, she refrained. He glanced to Owen. “Had you thought of that?” Owen answered with a shake of his head as Lilias stood there in mute fascination watching Nash. Nash scoffed. “Of course not. Are you prepared to wed this girl?” He pointed at her, and she found she still could not speak. Owen did not apparently have the same affliction. He opened his mouth to respond, but Nash cut him off just as he had done Lilias. “I don’t know how I ended up out here. I—”
“I do believe the woman in my house is my mother,” she interrupted, certain he was about to leave them here in the woods alone. “She claims to be anyway. And if she’s not, well then—” Lilias set her hands on her hips as she imagined one of the heroines in her books would do when giving someone a set down. “That would be astonishing. It would inspires loads of questions. Such as, what did she do with my mother?” Lilias tapped a finger against her chin, another Gothic heroine move. “Hmm…I do look like her, so I think it’s safe to say that she is my mother, and we can conclude that I do have a parent,” she finished cheekily.
Nash’s lips parted in obvious astonishment, and she did not bother to repress her smug smile. Finally, it was she who was rendering him speechless. She offered a quick prayer of thanks to God for her elephant like memory, and then said in a scolding tone, “My father died this year.” She notched up her eyebrows to let Nash know that now was the appropriate time for him to feel remorse for his unthinking question.
Instead, he turned to Owen and asked, “Is she always like this?”
Owen nodded.
She would have been incensed by Nash’s question, which implied there was something wrong with her, except his tone held unmistakable admiration. She grinned. Finally, she’d met someone who had an appreciation for people who refused to conform. She allowed herself one moment to savor this before she launched back into the task of volleying answers at him just as quickly as he’d shot questions at her.
https://juliejohnstoneauthor.com/lady...
“Why do you hum when it’s quiet?” A beat of silence passed. Then two. Then three. He should not have asked. “I’m sorry.”
“No.” She swallowed. “I hum to stay happy.”
“You’d be sad if you weren’t humming?”
She shrugged. “Possibly. Things have been gloomy since my father died. Actually, even before then.” Another beat passed. “My house used to be loud. Cheery. Now it’s so very quiet almost always. My mother insist upon it. So when I’m not there, I hum when it’s quiet. If I tell you some secrets will you keep them?”
“Yes.” He realized in that moment he’d die before ever willingly betraying her. She had found a way into his darkness, and she might be the only thing that could penetrate it with her light. He wanted that badly, though he didn’t deserve it.
“My father gambled away almost all of his money before he died. We are basically penniless. We live in the house by the grace of my uncle.”
Nash had suspected something such as this. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Money doesn’t make happiness.”
“I know that to be true. My family’s miserable.”
“And wealthy,” she said, her delicate hand coming to rest upon his arm, as no perfectly proper girl would ever do. No, Lilias Honeyfield would never be the sort of girl to follow all the rules she was supposed to, and Nash had never been so glad about anything in his life. All of a sudden, he knew what he wanted. He wanted to protect her from those in Society who would look down upon her for her lack of conformity. He wanted to protect her as he’d failed to protect his brother. One day in the future he could offer that to her with his hand. His title. His family was wealthy. Landed. His father a duke. And Nash would one day be a duke. He could offer her protection, and she could give him light. Who was he to think such things? He had no right after what he’d done, and yet—
https://juliejohnstoneauthor.com/lady...
“Nash!” Lilias whispered furiously up at him, somehow managing to convey the tone of a bellow without actually yelling. He looked down at her—a slip of a thing with a halo of moonbeams for hair and what appeared to be a gathering of dogs surrounding her and damn if he could not look away. Lilias Honeyfield certainly was not a quitter. He’d give her that. She’d somehow managed to figure out where he lived, and had towed Owen here with her every day for four days asking to be received by Nash. Her behavior was unheard of in polite Society, but she didn’t seem to care. Nash had declined to meet them each day, though he wanted to. He was bored almost witless here in the country, and it made Thomas’s absence more acute and Nash’s disgust with himself almost unbearable. But he deserved no less.
Nash was about to close the window on Lilias and Owen, but then he thought about how it was night, and dark, and she was a slight girl, and Owen was not exactly yet the sort of fellow who could protect a girl if ruffians should come upon the two of them. Though, it seemed doubtful that ruffians would be about in the Costwolds. Still…he should not take a chance that ruffians would not be about. That seemed unwise. Future dukes had to make wise decisions always. He’d colossally failed in that endeavor thus far in his life. Perhaps he was overlooking a chance to reset his course? Nash scowled down at the pair. “You are making it so I have to come down and speak with you,” he shout whispered.
He swore he saw a flash of white teeth indicating a grin from Lilias.
“Indeed I am,” she confirmed what he’d thought. The girl was pesky and smug and made him unexplainably want to laugh. “If you don’t come down here this instant, I’ll command my hounds to bark.”
“You wouldn’t,” he shot back feeling lighthearted like he did not deserve to feel.
“She would,” Owen confirmed, a blob in the darkness. “And her hounds will listen cause she fixed them just like she wants to fix you. They're loyal to the death.”
Devil take it but Nash’s curiosity was lit up like a bonfire. “Did she fix you too?” he asked Owen, suddenly unreasonably, ridiculously hopeful that this girl who he did not really know could make him feel something other than self-loathing again.
“No,” Owen promptly answered, “but she’s working on it, and she says tonight is the night I’ll discover my inner courage. She’s going to teach me to swim.”
And just like that, Nash saw an unexpected path to redemption. Owen clearly had a liking for Lilias. It didn’t take more than one meeting or a genius to figure that out. It dripped from every word Owen said. Even in the dark it was blinding. Nash could help Owen get the girl. He’d failed Thomas, but he could help this boy. This stranger. Nash’s nostrils flared at the possibility. And maybe if he did this, he’d not hate himself so much anymore.
https://juliejohnstoneauthor.com/lady...
Merged review:
Last week I introduced you to the hero of my upcoming release, Lady Lilias and the Devil in Plaid, but today I'd like you to meet the heroine, Lady Lilias Honeyfield.
She has an obsession with Gothic romances, and this obsession lands her in some humorous situations.
She's had a very unusual upbringing in the Costwolds that have made her into an extremely independent woman.
She's fiercely loyal.
She's very blunt.
She has exceptional tree climbing skills.
She gave her heart long ago to a particular rogue, and this ultimately leads to the greatest heartache and joy of her life.
Here is a little glimpse into Lilias's point of view.
Lilias almost ran Nash over with her horse and gig. It happened so fast she did not even have time to scream, but as the realization hit her, she began to shake. In her defense, it was very late, the fog swirled heavily, and she was exceedingly tired. Besides that, he’d dashed out in front of them. Nash was lucky that the light from the street lamp hit him directly or she most definitely would have killed him. Now that would have been a true Gothic romance.
Heroine runs over hero who didn’t love her. In the unwritten tragic book that was her one-sided love story starring Nash, she’d been cast be as a scorned murderess. Her heart thudded at the thought.
You can check the book out here: https://amzn.to/2GyQHq1
I thought it would be fun to introduce you to the characters in my upcoming release Lady Lilias and the Devil in Plaid! So without further ado, meet Nash Steele, the Duke of Greybourne.
✔️ He's half Scot/half English
✔️ A tragic accident haunts him
✔️ He meets the heroine in a most unusual way
✔️ He makes a vow that will cost him greatly
✔️ He's completely in love with a woman he cannot allow himself to pursue.
✔️ He wears a kilt for a very specific purpose. (Get your mind out of the gutter! :) )
Here's a little snippet of Nash's internal pov.
One rule. Nash had made one unbreakable rule for himself in regard to this ball tonight: stay far away from Lilias. And now he’d made an exception to the rule. Of course he damn well had. He was not a bloody idiot. He was a man who made contingency plans. If he had to get near her, say, for instance, Owen approached him with Lilias in tow or he ended up in a group she was in, he would be polite and cool. He would not under any circumstance whatsoever touch her.
And yet…
He’d failed to consider what he’d do if he needed to protect her. He’d not considered what lengths he might go to, rules he might break. But as he approached Lilias and the man who dared to take such a liberty as to brush her cheek and place his hand too low on her back, Nash understood with utter clarity what lengths he would go to—any. And he knew what rules he would break: every damn one of them. If he were a king, Lilias would be his kingdom, and he’d do whatever it took to protect her.
You can check out the book here: https://amzn.to/2GyQHq1
Nash was so preoccupied at the ball trying to keep his sights on his sister, that it wasn’t until he’d been there an hour, and Adaline was finally dancing with a man who looked to be as harmless as a flea, that Nash leaned against a column to relax. And of course, in that moment when his guard was down, he saw Lilias.
It was like being struck in the heart by a thousand arrows. The ground beneath him shifted, the air charged with a strange current, and his chest tightened as if a band had been placed around it. He could not look away as he needed to. He was trapped by years of repressed longing. He was a fly in the web that was sweet, wonderful, untouchable Lilias.
She was a vision of sin with her blonde hair flowing in its normal wild disarray about her shoulders. Couple her hair, that evoked the desire to lay her on his bed and spread her flaxen tresses around her bare shoulders, with her ruby red gown which stirred the throbbing yearning to put his hands on the dips of her waist where her gown clung, and he could not stop his physical reaction to her. He went hard as a stone and a feral instinct to stride through the crowd and rip her out of the arms of the man who was currently holding her too damn close pulsed to life in him.
Releases 10/30/2020
https://amzn.to/3lbofJL
Lilias stood before Nash trembling. Her emotions swung wildly between embarrassment, anger, and agony. She knew she ought not say a thing, but she didn’t care about what she ought to do. “You came back to the Costwolds, and you avoided me. And Owen knew.” She sounded pathetic, but she could not let that stop her. There was no room for pride when true love was involved. She wanted to pummel his chest, but she had enough self-restraint not to do so.
“Do not blame Owen.” The four words held not a hint of remorse or apology. But they did hold impatience, as if he wanted this to be over, or more precisely wanted her to be gone. For one moment, she considered holding her tongue, doing as practically any other woman would do, and simply take her leave and give him the easy way out of how he had treated her, how he had made her think he was hero worthy when really he was the villain of the worst Gothic romance she’d never read because it did not exist. She had the errant thought to write a book and make him the villain. An ugly one. It would serve him right. He was far too handsome for his own good.
https://juliejohnstoneauthor.com/lady...
“What are you doing?”
It seemed obvious to her, but in her experience, admittedly only with her father, a man’s powers of observation often needed spectacles. So she brought herself upright and pointed down. “Taking off my shoes, so I can aid you in teaching Owen to swim.”
“Do you have parents?” Nash's tone was incredulous.
Before she could answer that question, he launched another. “Do you have a chaperone?” She opened her mouth to respond, but another question came at her like a bullet. “How the devil did you get out of your house unnoticed? You’d be ruined if anyone caught you with us.” He shoved a hand through his hair. “One of us would have to wed you.” His left hand took the place of his right to tangle through his thick, dark hair. She wanted to touch his hair, but thankfully, she refrained. He glanced to Owen. “Had you thought of that?” Owen answered with a shake of his head as Lilias stood there in mute fascination watching Nash. Nash scoffed. “Of course not. Are you prepared to wed this girl?” He pointed at her, and she found she still could not speak. Owen did not apparently have the same affliction. He opened his mouth to respond, but Nash cut him off just as he had done Lilias. “I don’t know how I ended up out here. I—”
“I do believe the woman in my house is my mother,” she interrupted, certain he was about to leave them here in the woods alone. “She claims to be anyway. And if she’s not, well then—” Lilias set her hands on her hips as she imagined one of the heroines in her books would do when giving someone a set down. “That would be astonishing. It would inspires loads of questions. Such as, what did she do with my mother?” Lilias tapped a finger against her chin, another Gothic heroine move. “Hmm…I do look like her, so I think it’s safe to say that she is my mother, and we can conclude that I do have a parent,” she finished cheekily.
Nash’s lips parted in obvious astonishment, and she did not bother to repress her smug smile. Finally, it was she who was rendering him speechless. She offered a quick prayer of thanks to God for her elephant like memory, and then said in a scolding tone, “My father died this year.” She notched up her eyebrows to let Nash know that now was the appropriate time for him to feel remorse for his unthinking question.
Instead, he turned to Owen and asked, “Is she always like this?”
Owen nodded.
She would have been incensed by Nash’s question, which implied there was something wrong with her, except his tone held unmistakable admiration. She grinned. Finally, she’d met someone who had an appreciation for people who refused to conform. She allowed herself one moment to savor this before she launched back into the task of volleying answers at him just as quickly as he’d shot questions at her.
https://juliejohnstoneauthor.com/lady...
“Why do you hum when it’s quiet?” A beat of silence passed. Then two. Then three. He should not have asked. “I’m sorry.”
“No.” She swallowed. “I hum to stay happy.”
“You’d be sad if you weren’t humming?”
She shrugged. “Possibly. Things have been gloomy since my father died. Actually, even before then.” Another beat passed. “My house used to be loud. Cheery. Now it’s so very quiet almost always. My mother insist upon it. So when I’m not there, I hum when it’s quiet. If I tell you some secrets will you keep them?”
“Yes.” He realized in that moment he’d die before ever willingly betraying her. She had found a way into his darkness, and she might be the only thing that could penetrate it with her light. He wanted that badly, though he didn’t deserve it.
“My father gambled away almost all of his money before he died. We are basically penniless. We live in the house by the grace of my uncle.”
Nash had suspected something such as this. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Money doesn’t make happiness.”
“I know that to be true. My family’s miserable.”
“And wealthy,” she said, her delicate hand coming to rest upon his arm, as no perfectly proper girl would ever do. No, Lilias Honeyfield would never be the sort of girl to follow all the rules she was supposed to, and Nash had never been so glad about anything in his life. All of a sudden, he knew what he wanted. He wanted to protect her from those in Society who would look down upon her for her lack of conformity. He wanted to protect her as he’d failed to protect his brother. One day in the future he could offer that to her with his hand. His title. His family was wealthy. Landed. His father a duke. And Nash would one day be a duke. He could offer her protection, and she could give him light. Who was he to think such things? He had no right after what he’d done, and yet—
https://juliejohnstoneauthor.com/lady...
“Nash!” Lilias whispered furiously up at him, somehow managing to convey the tone of a bellow without actually yelling. He looked down at her—a slip of a thing with a halo of moonbeams for hair and what appeared to be a gathering of dogs surrounding her and damn if he could not look away. Lilias Honeyfield certainly was not a quitter. He’d give her that. She’d somehow managed to figure out where he lived, and had towed Owen here with her every day for four days asking to be received by Nash. Her behavior was unheard of in polite Society, but she didn’t seem to care. Nash had declined to meet them each day, though he wanted to. He was bored almost witless here in the country, and it made Thomas’s absence more acute and Nash’s disgust
“Do not blame Owen.” The four words held not a hint of remorse or apology. But they did hold impatience, as if he wanted this to be over, or more precisely wanted her to be gone. For one moment, she considered holding her tongue, doing as practically any other woman would do, and simply take her leave and give him the easy way out of how he had treated her, how he had made her think he was hero worthy when really he was the villain of the worst Gothic romance she’d never read because it did not exist. She had the errant thought to write a book and make him the villain. An ugly one. It would serve him right. He was far too handsome for his own good.
https://juliejohnstoneauthor.com/lady...
“What are you doing?”
It seemed obvious to her, but in her experience, admittedly only with her father, a man’s powers of observation often needed spectacles. So she brought herself upright and pointed down. “Taking off my shoes, so I can aid you in teaching Owen to swim.”
“Do you have parents?” Nash's tone was incredulous.
Before she could answer that question, he launched another. “Do you have a chaperone?” She opened her mouth to respond, but another question came at her like a bullet. “How the devil did you get out of your house unnoticed? You’d be ruined if anyone caught you with us.” He shoved a hand through his hair. “One of us would have to wed you.” His left hand took the place of his right to tangle through his thick, dark hair. She wanted to touch his hair, but thankfully, she refrained. He glanced to Owen. “Had you thought of that?” Owen answered with a shake of his head as Lilias stood there in mute fascination watching Nash. Nash scoffed. “Of course not. Are you prepared to wed this girl?” He pointed at her, and she found she still could not speak. Owen did not apparently have the same affliction. He opened his mouth to respond, but Nash cut him off just as he had done Lilias. “I don’t know how I ended up out here. I—”
“I do believe the woman in my house is my mother,” she interrupted, certain he was about to leave them here in the woods alone. “She claims to be anyway. And if she’s not, well then—” Lilias set her hands on her hips as she imagined one of the heroines in her books would do when giving someone a set down. “That would be astonishing. It would inspires loads of questions. Such as, what did she do with my mother?” Lilias tapped a finger against her chin, another Gothic heroine move. “Hmm…I do look like her, so I think it’s safe to say that she is my mother, and we can conclude that I do have a parent,” she finished cheekily.
Nash’s lips parted in obvious astonishment, and she did not bother to repress her smug smile. Finally, it was she who was rendering him speechless. She offered a quick prayer of thanks to God for her elephant like memory, and then said in a scolding tone, “My father died this year.” She notched up her eyebrows to let Nash know that now was the appropriate time for him to feel remorse for his unthinking question.
Instead, he turned to Owen and asked, “Is she always like this?”
Owen nodded.
She would have been incensed by Nash’s question, which implied there was something wrong with her, except his tone held unmistakable admiration. She grinned. Finally, she’d met someone who had an appreciation for people who refused to conform. She allowed herself one moment to savor this before she launched back into the task of volleying answers at him just as quickly as he’d shot questions at her.
https://juliejohnstoneauthor.com/lady...
“Why do you hum when it’s quiet?” A beat of silence passed. Then two. Then three. He should not have asked. “I’m sorry.”
“No.” She swallowed. “I hum to stay happy.”
“You’d be sad if you weren’t humming?”
She shrugged. “Possibly. Things have been gloomy since my father died. Actually, even before then.” Another beat passed. “My house used to be loud. Cheery. Now it’s so very quiet almost always. My mother insist upon it. So when I’m not there, I hum when it’s quiet. If I tell you some secrets will you keep them?”
“Yes.” He realized in that moment he’d die before ever willingly betraying her. She had found a way into his darkness, and she might be the only thing that could penetrate it with her light. He wanted that badly, though he didn’t deserve it.
“My father gambled away almost all of his money before he died. We are basically penniless. We live in the house by the grace of my uncle.”
Nash had suspected something such as this. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Money doesn’t make happiness.”
“I know that to be true. My family’s miserable.”
“And wealthy,” she said, her delicate hand coming to rest upon his arm, as no perfectly proper girl would ever do. No, Lilias Honeyfield would never be the sort of girl to follow all the rules she was supposed to, and Nash had never been so glad about anything in his life. All of a sudden, he knew what he wanted. He wanted to protect her from those in Society who would look down upon her for her lack of conformity. He wanted to protect her as he’d failed to protect his brother. One day in the future he could offer that to her with his hand. His title. His family was wealthy. Landed. His father a duke. And Nash would one day be a duke. He could offer her protection, and she could give him light. Who was he to think such things? He had no right after what he’d done, and yet—
https://juliejohnstoneauthor.com/lady...
“Nash!” Lilias whispered furiously up at him, somehow managing to convey the tone of a bellow without actually yelling. He looked down at her—a slip of a thing with a halo of moonbeams for hair and what appeared to be a gathering of dogs surrounding her and damn if he could not look away. Lilias Honeyfield certainly was not a quitter. He’d give her that. She’d somehow managed to figure out where he lived, and had towed Owen here with her every day for four days asking to be received by Nash. Her behavior was unheard of in polite Society, but she didn’t seem to care. Nash had declined to meet them each day, though he wanted to. He was bored almost witless here in the country, and it made Thomas’s absence more acute and Nash’s disgust with himself almost unbearable. But he deserved no less.
Nash was about to close the window on Lilias and Owen, but then he thought about how it was night, and dark, and she was a slight girl, and Owen was not exactly yet the sort of fellow who could protect a girl if ruffians should come upon the two of them. Though, it seemed doubtful that ruffians would be about in the Costwolds. Still…he should not take a chance that ruffians would not be about. That seemed unwise. Future dukes had to make wise decisions always. He’d colossally failed in that endeavor thus far in his life. Perhaps he was overlooking a chance to reset his course? Nash scowled down at the pair. “You are making it so I have to come down and speak with you,” he shout whispered.
He swore he saw a flash of white teeth indicating a grin from Lilias.
“Indeed I am,” she confirmed what he’d thought. The girl was pesky and smug and made him unexplainably want to laugh. “If you don’t come down here this instant, I’ll command my hounds to bark.”
“You wouldn’t,” he shot back feeling lighthearted like he did not deserve to feel.
“She would,” Owen confirmed, a blob in the darkness. “And her hounds will listen cause she fixed them just like she wants to fix you. They're loyal to the death.”
Devil take it but Nash’s curiosity was lit up like a bonfire. “Did she fix you too?” he asked Owen, suddenly unreasonably, ridiculously hopeful that this girl who he did not really know could make him feel something other than self-loathing again.
“No,” Owen promptly answered, “but she’s working on it, and she says tonight is the night I’ll discover my inner courage. She’s going to teach me to swim.”
And just like that, Nash saw an unexpected path to redemption. Owen clearly had a liking for Lilias. It didn’t take more than one meeting or a genius to figure that out. It dripped from every word Owen said. Even in the dark it was blinding. Nash could help Owen get the girl. He’d failed Thomas, but he could help this boy. This stranger. Nash’s nostrils flared at the possibility. And maybe if he did this, he’d not hate himself so much anymore.
https://juliejohnstoneauthor.com/lady...
Merged review:
Last week I introduced you to the hero of my upcoming release, Lady Lilias and the Devil in Plaid, but today I'd like you to meet the heroine, Lady Lilias Honeyfield.
She has an obsession with Gothic romances, and this obsession lands her in some humorous situations.
She's had a very unusual upbringing in the Costwolds that have made her into an extremely independent woman.
She's fiercely loyal.
She's very blunt.
She has exceptional tree climbing skills.
She gave her heart long ago to a particular rogue, and this ultimately leads to the greatest heartache and joy of her life.
Here is a little glimpse into Lilias's point of view.
Lilias almost ran Nash over with her horse and gig. It happened so fast she did not even have time to scream, but as the realization hit her, she began to shake. In her defense, it was very late, the fog swirled heavily, and she was exceedingly tired. Besides that, he’d dashed out in front of them. Nash was lucky that the light from the street lamp hit him directly or she most definitely would have killed him. Now that would have been a true Gothic romance.
Heroine runs over hero who didn’t love her. In the unwritten tragic book that was her one-sided love story starring Nash, she’d been cast be as a scorned murderess. Her heart thudded at the thought.
You can check the book out here: https://amzn.to/2GyQHq1
I thought it would be fun to introduce you to the characters in my upcoming release Lady Lilias and the Devil in Plaid! So without further ado, meet Nash Steele, the Duke of Greybourne.
✔️ He's half Scot/half English
✔️ A tragic accident haunts him
✔️ He meets the heroine in a most unusual way
✔️ He makes a vow that will cost him greatly
✔️ He's completely in love with a woman he cannot allow himself to pursue.
✔️ He wears a kilt for a very specific purpose. (Get your mind out of the gutter! :) )
Here's a little snippet of Nash's internal pov.
One rule. Nash had made one unbreakable rule for himself in regard to this ball tonight: stay far away from Lilias. And now he’d made an exception to the rule. Of course he damn well had. He was not a bloody idiot. He was a man who made contingency plans. If he had to get near her, say, for instance, Owen approached him with Lilias in tow or he ended up in a group she was in, he would be polite and cool. He would not under any circumstance whatsoever touch her.
And yet…
He’d failed to consider what he’d do if he needed to protect her. He’d not considered what lengths he might go to, rules he might break. But as he approached Lilias and the man who dared to take such a liberty as to brush her cheek and place his hand too low on her back, Nash understood with utter clarity what lengths he would go to—any. And he knew what rules he would break: every damn one of them. If he were a king, Lilias would be his kingdom, and he’d do whatever it took to protect her.
You can check out the book here: https://amzn.to/2GyQHq1
Nash was so preoccupied at the ball trying to keep his sights on his sister, that it wasn’t until he’d been there an hour, and Adaline was finally dancing with a man who looked to be as harmless as a flea, that Nash leaned against a column to relax. And of course, in that moment when his guard was down, he saw Lilias.
It was like being struck in the heart by a thousand arrows. The ground beneath him shifted, the air charged with a strange current, and his chest tightened as if a band had been placed around it. He could not look away as he needed to. He was trapped by years of repressed longing. He was a fly in the web that was sweet, wonderful, untouchable Lilias.
She was a vision of sin with her blonde hair flowing in its normal wild disarray about her shoulders. Couple her hair, that evoked the desire to lay her on his bed and spread her flaxen tresses around her bare shoulders, with her ruby red gown which stirred the throbbing yearning to put his hands on the dips of her waist where her gown clung, and he could not stop his physical reaction to her. He went hard as a stone and a feral instinct to stride through the crowd and rip her out of the arms of the man who was currently holding her too damn close pulsed to life in him.
Releases 10/30/2020
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Lilias stood before Nash trembling. Her emotions swung wildly between embarrassment, anger, and agony. She knew she ought not say a thing, but she didn’t care about what she ought to do. “You came back to the Costwolds, and you avoided me. And Owen knew.” She sounded pathetic, but she could not let that stop her. There was no room for pride when true love was involved. She wanted to pummel his chest, but she had enough self-restraint not to do so.
“Do not blame Owen.” The four words held not a hint of remorse or apology. But they did hold impatience, as if he wanted this to be over, or more precisely wanted her to be gone. For one moment, she considered holding her tongue, doing as practically any other woman would do, and simply take her leave and give him the easy way out of how he had treated her, how he had made her think he was hero worthy when really he was the villain of the worst Gothic romance she’d never read because it did not exist. She had the errant thought to write a book and make him the villain. An ugly one. It would serve him right. He was far too handsome for his own good.
https://juliejohnstoneauthor.com/lady...
“What are you doing?”
It seemed obvious to her, but in her experience, admittedly only with her father, a man’s powers of observation often needed spectacles. So she brought herself upright and pointed down. “Taking off my shoes, so I can aid you in teaching Owen to swim.”
“Do you have parents?” Nash's tone was incredulous.
Before she could answer that question, he launched another. “Do you have a chaperone?” She opened her mouth to respond, but another question came at her like a bullet. “How the devil did you get out of your house unnoticed? You’d be ruined if anyone caught you with us.” He shoved a hand through his hair. “One of us would have to wed you.” His left hand took the place of his right to tangle through his thick, dark hair. She wanted to touch his hair, but thankfully, she refrained. He glanced to Owen. “Had you thought of that?” Owen answered with a shake of his head as Lilias stood there in mute fascination watching Nash. Nash scoffed. “Of course not. Are you prepared to wed this girl?” He pointed at her, and she found she still could not speak. Owen did not apparently have the same affliction. He opened his mouth to respond, but Nash cut him off just as he had done Lilias. “I don’t know how I ended up out here. I—”
“I do believe the woman in my house is my mother,” she interrupted, certain he was about to leave them here in the woods alone. “She claims to be anyway. And if she’s not, well then—” Lilias set her hands on her hips as she imagined one of the heroines in her books would do when giving someone a set down. “That would be astonishing. It would inspires loads of questions. Such as, what did she do with my mother?” Lilias tapped a finger against her chin, another Gothic heroine move. “Hmm…I do look like her, so I think it’s safe to say that she is my mother, and we can conclude that I do have a parent,” she finished cheekily.
Nash’s lips parted in obvious astonishment, and she did not bother to repress her smug smile. Finally, it was she who was rendering him speechless. She offered a quick prayer of thanks to God for her elephant like memory, and then said in a scolding tone, “My father died this year.” She notched up her eyebrows to let Nash know that now was the appropriate time for him to feel remorse for his unthinking question.
Instead, he turned to Owen and asked, “Is she always like this?”
Owen nodded.
She would have been incensed by Nash’s question, which implied there was something wrong with her, except his tone held unmistakable admiration. She grinned. Finally, she’d met someone who had an appreciation for people who refused to conform. She allowed herself one moment to savor this before she launched back into the task of volleying answers at him just as quickly as he’d shot questions at her.
https://juliejohnstoneauthor.com/lady...
“Why do you hum when it’s quiet?” A beat of silence passed. Then two. Then three. He should not have asked. “I’m sorry.”
“No.” She swallowed. “I hum to stay happy.”
“You’d be sad if you weren’t humming?”
She shrugged. “Possibly. Things have been gloomy since my father died. Actually, even before then.” Another beat passed. “My house used to be loud. Cheery. Now it’s so very quiet almost always. My mother insist upon it. So when I’m not there, I hum when it’s quiet. If I tell you some secrets will you keep them?”
“Yes.” He realized in that moment he’d die before ever willingly betraying her. She had found a way into his darkness, and she might be the only thing that could penetrate it with her light. He wanted that badly, though he didn’t deserve it.
“My father gambled away almost all of his money before he died. We are basically penniless. We live in the house by the grace of my uncle.”
Nash had suspected something such as this. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Money doesn’t make happiness.”
“I know that to be true. My family’s miserable.”
“And wealthy,” she said, her delicate hand coming to rest upon his arm, as no perfectly proper girl would ever do. No, Lilias Honeyfield would never be the sort of girl to follow all the rules she was supposed to, and Nash had never been so glad about anything in his life. All of a sudden, he knew what he wanted. He wanted to protect her from those in Society who would look down upon her for her lack of conformity. He wanted to protect her as he’d failed to protect his brother. One day in the future he could offer that to her with his hand. His title. His family was wealthy. Landed. His father a duke. And Nash would one day be a duke. He could offer her protection, and she could give him light. Who was he to think such things? He had no right after what he’d done, and yet—
https://juliejohnstoneauthor.com/lady...
“Nash!” Lilias whispered furiously up at him, somehow managing to convey the tone of a bellow without actually yelling. He looked down at her—a slip of a thing with a halo of moonbeams for hair and what appeared to be a gathering of dogs surrounding her and damn if he could not look away. Lilias Honeyfield certainly was not a quitter. He’d give her that. She’d somehow managed to figure out where he lived, and had towed Owen here with her every day for four days asking to be received by Nash. Her behavior was unheard of in polite Society, but she didn’t seem to care. Nash had declined to meet them each day, though he wanted to. He was bored almost witless here in the country, and it made Thomas’s absence more acute and Nash’s disgust
October 27, 2020
Lady Lilias and the Devil in Plaid (Scottish Scoundrels: Ensnared Hearts Book 2
Julie Johnstone
https://www.facebook.com/authorjuliej...
Release date 10/30/2020
Publisher Darbyshire Publishing
𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯
Free-spirited Lilias Honeyfield has a secret. She’s certain the rich and powerful Duke of Greybourne is meant to be hers. He just needs to reappear in her life and stop denying his love for her before she’s forced to wed another. Though it’s been seven years, she has never forgotten the beautiful but tormented man hiding behind the mask of moody boy, nor does she believe she imagined the searing passion between them. But the day Nash Steele finally reappears in Town, the rogue destroys her hope by claiming he never returned her affection.
Nash Steele is haunted by his mistakes and the memories of the impetuous, headstrong beauty who breached his heart and soothed his soul years ago. But innocent Lilias was never meant to be his. And if he ever doubts it, he reminds himself of the tragic accident he caused soon after they met. His life is now, and will always be, one of penance. Unable to have the one woman he wants, the easiest thing to do is to flee. So when duty eventually forces him home, he intends to keep his distance from the ravishing creature. Yet when danger threatens her, he cannot sit by and allow her to be harmed. Every moment in her presence is sweet torture, and soon the need he has kept caged for years refuses to be contained any longer.
Swept together by burning desire but ensnared in a tangle of secrets and guilt, Lilias and Nash must fight to turn tragedy into triumph and the past that threatens to destroy them into the very thing that heals their hearts.
Lady Lilias and the Devil in Plaid is a witty and wild romance featuring a lovestruck guilt ridden rogue, a free-spirited, Gothic romance novel loving heroine, meddling good intentioned friends, and schemes aplenty. It stands alone and includes blazing chemistry and a guaranteed happily ever after.
𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
Will they let covetous people take what was destined only for them ...
I have always a problem with tale of people being bullied or cheated of their right happiness, and Lilias and Nash are both victims of abusive persons, persons who believe it is their duty to take what does not belong to them just because they feel they are entitled to it, without even questioning the pain they cause in their wake.
Lilias is a lady who never conformed to society’s rules, and she does not mind. For years, she was sustained by the hope her love for Nash might be returned. Until he dashed everything by denying any shared sentiments for her.
Thus to try to let him go from her thoughts and dreams, she involves herself more in her secret group’s activities, when in fact it seems to bring her more and more in his focus.
Lilias is a fixer, she feels the need to help others overcome their past wounds, to mend their broken soul. She tried with Nash, but he is not a willingly cooperating man, so set on his guilt. So she tries her hand on rescuing misses from rogue’s clutches.
Nash is drowning in his culpability, so much he believes he is unworthy of any kindness and when tragedy struck again, he assumes just it is fate showing him he has no right to happiness. Why he let himself be exploited by his so-called friend who ill-use him for his own gain.
Usually I feel sorry for the left behind lover in a love triangle (why I much dislike this trope), but this tale is no love triangle, Owen is a selfish fellow, he does not fight to win Lilias’ love, he cheats and betrays both persons who thought him a friend.
This book kept me on edge at every turn of pages, shouting at them to not listen, to open their eyes. Luckily for them, they have very devoted and meddling friends.
In all, the author narrates here a lovely and tense tale of a second shot at love for these star-crossed sweethearts.
4.5 stars
I was granted an advance copy by the author, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272...
Julie Johnstone
https://www.facebook.com/authorjuliej...
Release date 10/30/2020
Publisher Darbyshire Publishing
𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯
Free-spirited Lilias Honeyfield has a secret. She’s certain the rich and powerful Duke of Greybourne is meant to be hers. He just needs to reappear in her life and stop denying his love for her before she’s forced to wed another. Though it’s been seven years, she has never forgotten the beautiful but tormented man hiding behind the mask of moody boy, nor does she believe she imagined the searing passion between them. But the day Nash Steele finally reappears in Town, the rogue destroys her hope by claiming he never returned her affection.
Nash Steele is haunted by his mistakes and the memories of the impetuous, headstrong beauty who breached his heart and soothed his soul years ago. But innocent Lilias was never meant to be his. And if he ever doubts it, he reminds himself of the tragic accident he caused soon after they met. His life is now, and will always be, one of penance. Unable to have the one woman he wants, the easiest thing to do is to flee. So when duty eventually forces him home, he intends to keep his distance from the ravishing creature. Yet when danger threatens her, he cannot sit by and allow her to be harmed. Every moment in her presence is sweet torture, and soon the need he has kept caged for years refuses to be contained any longer.
Swept together by burning desire but ensnared in a tangle of secrets and guilt, Lilias and Nash must fight to turn tragedy into triumph and the past that threatens to destroy them into the very thing that heals their hearts.
Lady Lilias and the Devil in Plaid is a witty and wild romance featuring a lovestruck guilt ridden rogue, a free-spirited, Gothic romance novel loving heroine, meddling good intentioned friends, and schemes aplenty. It stands alone and includes blazing chemistry and a guaranteed happily ever after.
𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
Will they let covetous people take what was destined only for them ...
I have always a problem with tale of people being bullied or cheated of their right happiness, and Lilias and Nash are both victims of abusive persons, persons who believe it is their duty to take what does not belong to them just because they feel they are entitled to it, without even questioning the pain they cause in their wake.
Lilias is a lady who never conformed to society’s rules, and she does not mind. For years, she was sustained by the hope her love for Nash might be returned. Until he dashed everything by denying any shared sentiments for her.
Thus to try to let him go from her thoughts and dreams, she involves herself more in her secret group’s activities, when in fact it seems to bring her more and more in his focus.
Lilias is a fixer, she feels the need to help others overcome their past wounds, to mend their broken soul. She tried with Nash, but he is not a willingly cooperating man, so set on his guilt. So she tries her hand on rescuing misses from rogue’s clutches.
Nash is drowning in his culpability, so much he believes he is unworthy of any kindness and when tragedy struck again, he assumes just it is fate showing him he has no right to happiness. Why he let himself be exploited by his so-called friend who ill-use him for his own gain.
Usually I feel sorry for the left behind lover in a love triangle (why I much dislike this trope), but this tale is no love triangle, Owen is a selfish fellow, he does not fight to win Lilias’ love, he cheats and betrays both persons who thought him a friend.
This book kept me on edge at every turn of pages, shouting at them to not listen, to open their eyes. Luckily for them, they have very devoted and meddling friends.
In all, the author narrates here a lovely and tense tale of a second shot at love for these star-crossed sweethearts.
4.5 stars
I was granted an advance copy by the author, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272...
February 1, 2021
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋
Julie always gives a thrilling read , full of passion and tension.
Nash and Lilias have that passion in buckets full, along with their best friend Owen they provide untold enjoyment and satisfaction.
I loved all the characters and had sympathy and understanding for them all , I couldn’t wait to find out what the ending held.
It’s a wonderful and addictive read that will leave you dying to read the next in the series. Kilgore.
💋💋
Julie always gives a thrilling read , full of passion and tension.
Nash and Lilias have that passion in buckets full, along with their best friend Owen they provide untold enjoyment and satisfaction.
I loved all the characters and had sympathy and understanding for them all , I couldn’t wait to find out what the ending held.
It’s a wonderful and addictive read that will leave you dying to read the next in the series. Kilgore.
October 31, 2020
A trio of three.. Lilias and Owen, fifteen and Nash, seventeen. Owen was besotted with Lilias and when they met Nash, Lilias brought him into the group because knew he needed a friend. I fell in love with Nash in the first few pages. Yes, I will admit it, I wanted to comfort that young man and all of his sorrow and brokenness as Lilias was determined to accomplish. "She blamed the obsession on two things. First was her love of Gothic romance novels. Nash was mysterious, and just like a Gothic hero, and absurdly handsome, and she could admit to herself that she'd fantasized once or twice or a thousand times about being the heroine in a book with a gentleman who looked like Nash. (call me Lilias, she knows my feelings!) The second reason "she did have a need to fix broken animals and people... It had started long ago, when she had tried to help her father..." Oh how I felt for Nash and Lilias and how well Julie pulled these emotions out immediately! But then tragedy strikes and we are pulled forward seven years.
This is one of the most heartfelt stories I have read this year and so... wonderful, while also hard at time due to the longings of Lilias and Nash. Owen tries to keep them apart so that he can win Lilias, so there are secrets and lies but a love that transcends it all.
I want to tell you the entire story so I will stop here. But know, Julie has taken her amazing pen and wrapped her words around my heart that I will not soon forget.
This is one of the most heartfelt stories I have read this year and so... wonderful, while also hard at time due to the longings of Lilias and Nash. Owen tries to keep them apart so that he can win Lilias, so there are secrets and lies but a love that transcends it all.
I want to tell you the entire story so I will stop here. But know, Julie has taken her amazing pen and wrapped her words around my heart that I will not soon forget.
October 28, 2020
HEART WRENCHING YET WONDERFUL!!!! Lady Lilias and the Devil in Plaid by Julie Johnstone is book 2 in the Ensnared Hearts series and oh what a series. The trope in Lady Lilias and the Devil in Plaid is a love that can never be and is always hard to read as it is so emotional but let me say ladies that I could not put this book down. Yep… it a “just one more chapter” book. The story is original and the you can’t help but fall in love with the characters. Julie is one of the best writers of today. I can’t say enough about her writing. If you have never read a Julie Johnstone book you are in for a real treat with this one and it can be read as a standalone. Another thing that I just love about Julie’s writing is that she always surprises me in the end of each book and you would think after reading most of her book that I would see it coming but I don’t… it’s so awesome. This story has childhood friendships, an accident, guilt, wanting to fix everyone, death, never being good enough, challenges, lies, deceptions, parents neglect, waiting for the one you love, a scandal which forces a proposal, being in debt, a secret society, dangerous missions, protections, wonderful friend, scheme and love. I could go on and on about this story it has so much in it and I very highly recommend you read this book. You will not be able to put it down either.
***This book was gifted to me and I am voluntarily reviewing.
***This book was gifted to me and I am voluntarily reviewing.
October 30, 2020
In this fast-paced and suspenseful romance, strings are being pulled but the marionettes refuse to dance to the tune the puppeteers demand. Lilias and Nash meet as teenagers and the connection at soul level is both instant and enduring despite the elapse of years, betrayal and manipulation. In Lilias' eyes, Nash is her hero, and every hero needs a heroine, especially an imperfect one. The opening chapter of this book is hilarious and depicts a way of life that is uncomplicated, innocent, and gentle. Unfortunately, jealousy rears its ugly head, resulting in unnecessary separation and emotional turmoil. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and felt sad for the loss of a friendship, but there are times when one has to accept the inevitable. Lilias and Nash make a wonderful couple with an enduring love. The novel is well written and kept my interest throughout, coming to a happy conclusion. I received a copy of this book as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.
October 29, 2020
Lady Lilias and the Devil in Plaid is the second book in the Scottish Scoundrels: Ensnared Hearts series by Julie Johnstone. It can be read as a standalone but as there are some scenes with characters from the previous book, if you plan to read it then you should read that first so that you don't have any spoilers from this one.
Lady Lilias and Nash (the Devil in Plaid) met when they were in their teens and it was love at first sight. Lilias met him when she was with her friend Owen and from that day they were all firm friends and got up to all sorts of adventures together. Nash fought his attraction to Lilias because for one, he didn't think he was deserving of happiness, and two, he realised that Owen also loved her. For reasons that you will find out when you read the book, Nash lets Owen have the playing field and doesn't pursue his own feelings. He ends up moving to London where he won't have to watch the woman he loves, be courted by somebody else.
Seven years later and Lilias, her mother and her sister have come to London where Lilias is meant to find a husband. She has turned down any and all advances towards her since she fell in love with Nash. She may not be able to have him, but she won't have anybody else. Owen is still very much in her life but he hasn't let on to her STILL that he loves her. She just thinks they are the best of friends.
Nash and Lilias meet again and their feelings haven't changed at all. The attraction is still there, and all the reasons Nash has for not giving in to it are still very much there. He is determined to keep away from her but when he discovers she puts herself in danger helping women not be hurt by Rogues he sticks to her like glue in his determination to keep her safe. The more time they spend together the harder it is to not give in to his attraction to her. He has to stay true to his word to Owen.
How can the tables turn so that Lilias and Nash can be together? A man's honour, especially one who is trying to make up for things that happened in his past, isn't something he can give up. Will Owen finally tell Lilias how he feels? Or maybe he will finally realise that he has been selfish keeping her and Nash apart and let her go?
I love Nash, he is the ultimate tortured hero who doesn't believe he deserves happiness. Lilias, well apart from being terribly naive she is a heroine in her own right. She helps women in need, and she is willing to sacrifice her happiness when the need arises. I will say no more, spoilers and all that!! I can't make up my mind how I feel about Owen, I think most of all I just feel angry at him, but there is a bit of pity there as well. That is one of the things I loved about this story, I could really get involved with the story and love the heroes with a vengeance but dislike the bad characters just as passionately. There was some great laugh out loud moments in this book which made the darker elements acceptable. It was very well balanced and I couldn't read quickly enough to find out how Lilias and Nash could have their happy ever after and I wasn't disappointed.
Lady Lilias and Nash (the Devil in Plaid) met when they were in their teens and it was love at first sight. Lilias met him when she was with her friend Owen and from that day they were all firm friends and got up to all sorts of adventures together. Nash fought his attraction to Lilias because for one, he didn't think he was deserving of happiness, and two, he realised that Owen also loved her. For reasons that you will find out when you read the book, Nash lets Owen have the playing field and doesn't pursue his own feelings. He ends up moving to London where he won't have to watch the woman he loves, be courted by somebody else.
Seven years later and Lilias, her mother and her sister have come to London where Lilias is meant to find a husband. She has turned down any and all advances towards her since she fell in love with Nash. She may not be able to have him, but she won't have anybody else. Owen is still very much in her life but he hasn't let on to her STILL that he loves her. She just thinks they are the best of friends.
Nash and Lilias meet again and their feelings haven't changed at all. The attraction is still there, and all the reasons Nash has for not giving in to it are still very much there. He is determined to keep away from her but when he discovers she puts herself in danger helping women not be hurt by Rogues he sticks to her like glue in his determination to keep her safe. The more time they spend together the harder it is to not give in to his attraction to her. He has to stay true to his word to Owen.
How can the tables turn so that Lilias and Nash can be together? A man's honour, especially one who is trying to make up for things that happened in his past, isn't something he can give up. Will Owen finally tell Lilias how he feels? Or maybe he will finally realise that he has been selfish keeping her and Nash apart and let her go?
I love Nash, he is the ultimate tortured hero who doesn't believe he deserves happiness. Lilias, well apart from being terribly naive she is a heroine in her own right. She helps women in need, and she is willing to sacrifice her happiness when the need arises. I will say no more, spoilers and all that!! I can't make up my mind how I feel about Owen, I think most of all I just feel angry at him, but there is a bit of pity there as well. That is one of the things I loved about this story, I could really get involved with the story and love the heroes with a vengeance but dislike the bad characters just as passionately. There was some great laugh out loud moments in this book which made the darker elements acceptable. It was very well balanced and I couldn't read quickly enough to find out how Lilias and Nash could have their happy ever after and I wasn't disappointed.
October 30, 2020
Lilias,
Please don't write to me anymore. I've met someone else. And I'm not hurting. I'd have to feel to hurt and I don't feel anything.
~~Nash
Nash broke my heart. He was seventeen when he first met Lilias, who was just fifteen. They, along with her stuffy friend, Owen, made quick friends with Nash. Owen had no idea how to be a man and what he learned he learned from Nash. That has a lot of significance to the story. Lilias was taken by Nash's good looks, the fact that he wore a kilt, and she could see his legs. She'd never really seen a man's legs before and she liked what she saw. It was obvious to Lilias from the first time they met that there was something different about Nash and she soon found out that he felt so guilty about the death of his twin brother who'd drowned when he fell through the ice of a frozen pond. His parents turning on him over it didn't help matters, plus he was dealing with other issues, too. That was a lot to deal with for one so young and he'd been dealing it with it for a long time. Alone.
Jump ahead seven years. Nash and Lilias haven't seen each other since their last encounter, which was seven years ago. She hadn't known he'd come for visits and had seen Owen, but had never tried to contact Lilias. That hurt her heart. She was in love with him and had been since she first met him. There was a player involved that wasn't being fair nor honest when it came to Nash and Lilias. That just added more angst to the story.
This book has a lot of angst, as a matter of fact. I wanted Nash and Lilias to make a go of this, but there were so many obstacles and so many dishonest, selfish people involved, it was a continuous uphill battle for both of them. Neither wanted to tell the other how they felt and when they finally did, it was so emotional, it took my breath away. But it still wasn't enough. I wasn't sure how they were going to get their happily-ever-after or if they were even going to get one. She fought for him as hard as she could, despite the consequences and the nefarious people involved. She did it with passion, vigor, and love in her heart. It was so good.
This book is filled with feels, not many kisses, and one love scene in the epilogue that was rated PG. I don't really think it needed to be there, to be honest, but considering it's a romance, there has to be some of it in there. To not have it would be a disappointment to many.
This is a solid five-star read and I'm looking forward to the next book. It's about Kilgore who was in the first novel and is also in this one. He's sort of an anti-hero and really does deserve his own story.
*I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily left a review.
Please don't write to me anymore. I've met someone else. And I'm not hurting. I'd have to feel to hurt and I don't feel anything.
~~Nash
Nash broke my heart. He was seventeen when he first met Lilias, who was just fifteen. They, along with her stuffy friend, Owen, made quick friends with Nash. Owen had no idea how to be a man and what he learned he learned from Nash. That has a lot of significance to the story. Lilias was taken by Nash's good looks, the fact that he wore a kilt, and she could see his legs. She'd never really seen a man's legs before and she liked what she saw. It was obvious to Lilias from the first time they met that there was something different about Nash and she soon found out that he felt so guilty about the death of his twin brother who'd drowned when he fell through the ice of a frozen pond. His parents turning on him over it didn't help matters, plus he was dealing with other issues, too. That was a lot to deal with for one so young and he'd been dealing it with it for a long time. Alone.
Jump ahead seven years. Nash and Lilias haven't seen each other since their last encounter, which was seven years ago. She hadn't known he'd come for visits and had seen Owen, but had never tried to contact Lilias. That hurt her heart. She was in love with him and had been since she first met him. There was a player involved that wasn't being fair nor honest when it came to Nash and Lilias. That just added more angst to the story.
This book has a lot of angst, as a matter of fact. I wanted Nash and Lilias to make a go of this, but there were so many obstacles and so many dishonest, selfish people involved, it was a continuous uphill battle for both of them. Neither wanted to tell the other how they felt and when they finally did, it was so emotional, it took my breath away. But it still wasn't enough. I wasn't sure how they were going to get their happily-ever-after or if they were even going to get one. She fought for him as hard as she could, despite the consequences and the nefarious people involved. She did it with passion, vigor, and love in her heart. It was so good.
This book is filled with feels, not many kisses, and one love scene in the epilogue that was rated PG. I don't really think it needed to be there, to be honest, but considering it's a romance, there has to be some of it in there. To not have it would be a disappointment to many.
This is a solid five-star read and I'm looking forward to the next book. It's about Kilgore who was in the first novel and is also in this one. He's sort of an anti-hero and really does deserve his own story.
*I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily left a review.
October 28, 2020
Free-spirited Lilias Honeyfield loves being at the estate in the Cotswolds, her mother is grieving her father so Lilias can sneak out to spend time with Owen & Nash. Owen is the brother she never had but Nash is the embodiment of all her fantasies. Then Owen is injured & Nash leaves. Though it’s been seven years, she has never forgotten the beautiful but tormented man hiding behind the mask of moody boy, nor does she believe she imagined the searing passion between them. But the day Nash Steele finally reappears in Town, the rogue destroys her hope by claiming he never returned her affection. Nash is haunted by his mistakes and the memories of the impetuous, headstrong beauty who breached his heart and soothed his soul years ago. His life is now, and will always be, one of penance.
This is the second book in this awesome series. I make no bones that I love the author’s books & this is up there with the best. Strong characters with plenty of depth, their emotions & feelings were portrayed so vividly. I loved the feisty Lilias who was also willing to marry to save her family even though she'd always & would always love Nash. I adored the tortured Nash who carried the weight of not only his brother’s death but Owen's injuries on his shoulders, he also had always loved Lilias. The road to their HEA made for a lovely read with a few surprises along the way. I was engrossed from start to finish. I look forward to Kilgore's story as he's intrigued me from the start
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
This is the second book in this awesome series. I make no bones that I love the author’s books & this is up there with the best. Strong characters with plenty of depth, their emotions & feelings were portrayed so vividly. I loved the feisty Lilias who was also willing to marry to save her family even though she'd always & would always love Nash. I adored the tortured Nash who carried the weight of not only his brother’s death but Owen's injuries on his shoulders, he also had always loved Lilias. The road to their HEA made for a lovely read with a few surprises along the way. I was engrossed from start to finish. I look forward to Kilgore's story as he's intrigued me from the start
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
January 7, 2021
Lilias and Nash, along with Owen, all met as kids and all became inseparable. Even though Nash loved Lilias, he never believed he was good enough for her and carried the guilt of his brother with him. To stay near her, he taught the younger, inept boy, Owen – how to swim, ride and fish. Those summers were some of the best years of their lives and the first 20% of the book gives you the background of these three friends. Nash disappears after Owen has a riding accident, taking on more guilt that he needs to and going by what Owen wishes, since Owen is also in love with Lilias and doesn’t feel he has a chance with her with Nash around. Fast forward seven years, and things are looking dire for Lilias and her family. Broke, and creditors harassing them, will Lilias agree to marry to help her family, even though her heart has always belonged to Nash?
When Nash returns, he vows to stay away from Lilias, but when Lilias is in danger, he’ll risk his own life to save her, even though it almost kills him to be near. With the ladies in their mission against rogues, Lilias may take one chance too many. This is another great addition to this series, and the characters from book one are back in strong supporting roles. This one will make you want to reach into the pages and hug the characters. This is a fun and steamy regency, and the next book that comes out in February, is about one of my favorite characters in these books, Lord Kilgore. Can’t wait.
When Nash returns, he vows to stay away from Lilias, but when Lilias is in danger, he’ll risk his own life to save her, even though it almost kills him to be near. With the ladies in their mission against rogues, Lilias may take one chance too many. This is another great addition to this series, and the characters from book one are back in strong supporting roles. This one will make you want to reach into the pages and hug the characters. This is a fun and steamy regency, and the next book that comes out in February, is about one of my favorite characters in these books, Lord Kilgore. Can’t wait.
October 26, 2020
5 Stars ***** (But I would give it 10 if I could, because it was that good!). I hated the fact that it ended but I was so happy with the ending & Nash & Lilias were the perfect couple. True love is what they dreamed of, but circumstances of life changed that & now, seven years later, they have a chance to find that love again. I experienced so many emotions - sad, happy, nervous, frustration at misunderstandings, anger etc. I highly recommend this fantastic book & highly recommend the first in this series also (they can be read as standalones). I am looking forward to reading Lady Constantine & Lord Kilgore's book.
I voluntarily read & reviewed the Advanced Reader Copy of this book & all opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read & reviewed the Advanced Reader Copy of this book & all opinions are my own.
October 31, 2020
Three is always a crowd! The guilt that grips Nash keeps him from truly living until he meets the stoppable force of Lilias. She brings out the best in him and it’s only because Owen uses emotional blackmail that keeps them apart. This story takes this trio from childhood to adulthood, but with Owen doing his best to keep the romance between Nash and Lilias from blossoming. Throw the intrigue of SLAR and the capers of these intrepid women into the mix and you have a throughly entertaining book!
June 6, 2024
Re read. I joist didn’t appreciate it as much the second time, not sure why.
I really like this series, all the characters it gives a little flare of regency London and a small taste of Scotland. I really loved Nash and wished for a slightly different ending with the 3rd friend. But I am SUPER excited about Kilgores story!! Julie Johnston is an amazing story teller definitely the top tier!!!
Read Highland Vows series. Amazing!!!!
I cannot wait for the next book. Definitely read in order.
I really like this series, all the characters it gives a little flare of regency London and a small taste of Scotland. I really loved Nash and wished for a slightly different ending with the 3rd friend. But I am SUPER excited about Kilgores story!! Julie Johnston is an amazing story teller definitely the top tier!!!
Read Highland Vows series. Amazing!!!!
I cannot wait for the next book. Definitely read in order.
November 1, 2020
Fabulous story! More than 5 Stars! Lady Lilias and the Devil in Plaid, Scottish Scoundrels: Ensnared Hearts #2 by Julie Johnstone is just fabulous! A heart stirring story, beautifully written with heart and soul this story tells the tale of two 15 year old friends, Lilias and Owen who befriend another, Nash who is 17. Lilias takes Nash into the fold because he needs a friend.
She falls in love with Nash from the start and her heart knows he’s the one and only for her. He’s everything she imagines a hero to be. In her naïveté she doesn’t realize that Owen fancies himself in love with her while she views him more like a brother. And then Nash, of course he’s in love with her. He felt the same connection she did from the start but because of a vow he’s made and the overwhelming guilt he feels for failing to save a loved one he can’t admit that he loves Lilias. He feels unworthy of her.
Lilias is a young woman who at times is given to defy conventions. She’s a true selfless hero with a desire to help those in need. She just knows she can help Nash, if only he would let her.
Nash is mysterious and brooding reminding her of the Gothic heroes she reads about. Oh and did I mention he’s gorgeous and wears a kilt? He honorable and good and Lilias wants to help him overcome his pain.
And then one day he just leaves and breaks her heart in doing so. Seven years later he returns due to family matters.
The author does an absolutely beautiful job creating the characters. They have such depth and range of emotions. She’s filled this story with characters that come off the pages and pulled me into their tale. I was captivated from the opening page and couldn’t put the book down. I didn’t want it to end, it was so good.
Julie’s prose and imagery is so amazing you feel as if you are one with the story. This is a lovely story filled with sorrow, emotions, heartfelt scenes, deceit , villains, secrets, misunderstandings, forgiveness and love. I loved the dialogue and witty banter! The story was paced perfectly and showcases what a fantastic author Julie Johnstone is!
Lilias and Nash had much to overcome to find their happily ever after but love can conquer all. I was excited to see old friends Asher and Guinness from the previous story and can’t wait for Kilgore’s story!
Thank you so much Julie for such a lovely, well written story that was sheer pleasure to read.
She falls in love with Nash from the start and her heart knows he’s the one and only for her. He’s everything she imagines a hero to be. In her naïveté she doesn’t realize that Owen fancies himself in love with her while she views him more like a brother. And then Nash, of course he’s in love with her. He felt the same connection she did from the start but because of a vow he’s made and the overwhelming guilt he feels for failing to save a loved one he can’t admit that he loves Lilias. He feels unworthy of her.
Lilias is a young woman who at times is given to defy conventions. She’s a true selfless hero with a desire to help those in need. She just knows she can help Nash, if only he would let her.
Nash is mysterious and brooding reminding her of the Gothic heroes she reads about. Oh and did I mention he’s gorgeous and wears a kilt? He honorable and good and Lilias wants to help him overcome his pain.
And then one day he just leaves and breaks her heart in doing so. Seven years later he returns due to family matters.
The author does an absolutely beautiful job creating the characters. They have such depth and range of emotions. She’s filled this story with characters that come off the pages and pulled me into their tale. I was captivated from the opening page and couldn’t put the book down. I didn’t want it to end, it was so good.
Julie’s prose and imagery is so amazing you feel as if you are one with the story. This is a lovely story filled with sorrow, emotions, heartfelt scenes, deceit , villains, secrets, misunderstandings, forgiveness and love. I loved the dialogue and witty banter! The story was paced perfectly and showcases what a fantastic author Julie Johnstone is!
Lilias and Nash had much to overcome to find their happily ever after but love can conquer all. I was excited to see old friends Asher and Guinness from the previous story and can’t wait for Kilgore’s story!
Thank you so much Julie for such a lovely, well written story that was sheer pleasure to read.
October 31, 2021
ORCHESTRATED ANGST. WHILE I DO LIKE IT, I ALSO FELT RATHER ANNOYED BY HOW STUBBORN AND BLINDSIDED THESE CHARACTERS WERE.
NASH honest to God vexed me to no end. Why? Because he's so bloody damned honourable, it hurt to see him blaming himself and playing the good samaritan. Has no one told that ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR?! Riddled with the guilt of his brother's death and then causing his friend to be permanently wounded for life, Nash believes he doesn't deserve happiness and I ABSOLUTELY HATED IT when he made the decision for Lilias to be with Owen, even though she clearly loves Nash. How conceited and high-handed of him to make up her mind for her, when he never asked, and she never said so. THAT was a NO-NO for me. Too bad the author never made Lilias rant at him for being that pigheaded. It was almost as good as it was painful to watch him deny himself the woman he loves, all for some misguided sense of honour and mainly guilt that WASN'T EVEN HIS CROSS TO BEAR.
LILIAS's character wasn't given nearly enough time to bloom as she was so mired in woe. 7 years she has loved Nash, but he's only spurned her and made her doubt her self-worth sometimes. And it doesn't help when Owen, the man she believed to be a friend has been the RIFT THAT KEPT NASH AND LILIAS APART. Swear to God, I hated Owen. He was no friend. He was also a liar and manipulator. His love was selfish to the point where it hurt people. In order to have Lilias, he made Nash believed Lilias didn't care for him, and to Lilias, he lied and claimed that Nash is a bad egg who doesn't know how to love her. While we do have the usual, "MAKE THE GUY JEALOUS" scheme, it wasn't overly done and the SLAR in which Lilias is the co-founder puts the characters in close proximity and a situation in which to reveal their true feelings.
OVERALL the characters were alright if it weren't for the whole orchestrated angst plot. It was so cliche, and I don't know...felt like it sort of cheapened the entire story. If I have to be frank, I think LILIAS deserved better than Owen and Nash. She deserved for a man who is willing to fight for her and isn't afraid to let anything else stop him - not even his past. For once, I wanted to see a REALLY SELFISH yet TACTFUL hero. Yes, I know that's a little biased when I condemned Owen for it...but don't you see...anything that is wrong, when done right even if it's towing the line...can be accepted with one eye closed if it means a happy ending for everyone.
NASH honest to God vexed me to no end. Why? Because he's so bloody damned honourable, it hurt to see him blaming himself and playing the good samaritan. Has no one told that ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR?! Riddled with the guilt of his brother's death and then causing his friend to be permanently wounded for life, Nash believes he doesn't deserve happiness and I ABSOLUTELY HATED IT when he made the decision for Lilias to be with Owen, even though she clearly loves Nash. How conceited and high-handed of him to make up her mind for her, when he never asked, and she never said so. THAT was a NO-NO for me. Too bad the author never made Lilias rant at him for being that pigheaded. It was almost as good as it was painful to watch him deny himself the woman he loves, all for some misguided sense of honour and mainly guilt that WASN'T EVEN HIS CROSS TO BEAR.
LILIAS's character wasn't given nearly enough time to bloom as she was so mired in woe. 7 years she has loved Nash, but he's only spurned her and made her doubt her self-worth sometimes. And it doesn't help when Owen, the man she believed to be a friend has been the RIFT THAT KEPT NASH AND LILIAS APART. Swear to God, I hated Owen. He was no friend. He was also a liar and manipulator. His love was selfish to the point where it hurt people. In order to have Lilias, he made Nash believed Lilias didn't care for him, and to Lilias, he lied and claimed that Nash is a bad egg who doesn't know how to love her. While we do have the usual, "MAKE THE GUY JEALOUS" scheme, it wasn't overly done and the SLAR in which Lilias is the co-founder puts the characters in close proximity and a situation in which to reveal their true feelings.
OVERALL the characters were alright if it weren't for the whole orchestrated angst plot. It was so cliche, and I don't know...felt like it sort of cheapened the entire story. If I have to be frank, I think LILIAS deserved better than Owen and Nash. She deserved for a man who is willing to fight for her and isn't afraid to let anything else stop him - not even his past. For once, I wanted to see a REALLY SELFISH yet TACTFUL hero. Yes, I know that's a little biased when I condemned Owen for it...but don't you see...anything that is wrong, when done right even if it's towing the line...can be accepted with one eye closed if it means a happy ending for everyone.
October 31, 2020
Lady Lilias and the Devil in Plaid
Scottish Scoundrels: Ensnared Hearts #2
Julie Johnstone
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lilas Honeyfield has a bit of a secret bottled up inside her. You see she is absolutely convinced that the rich and powerful Duke of Greybourne is meant to be hers and hers alone. If only he would let her help him defeat his inner demons, things might go easier then planned, but seriously do affairs of the heart ever go as planned? She is now engaged to another man that she doesn't want to marry, but
Nash walked away seven years ago.
Through it's been a long seven years without Nash in her life she herself would like to see him one more time. Lilas has breached his heart, and soothed his soul so many years ago, but Lila was never meant to be his. And in the lowest moment went he doubts himself he just reminds himself of the horrific accident he caused soon after they met. Unable to have the woman he desires above all others, he decides his best course of action is to flee. Eventually duty calls him home again, but he intends to keep away from the beauty that he has such strong feelings for. Yet when push comes to shove and dangers threatens her he cannot stand idly by and allow her to be harmed in any way. Now that they are close again, the need he has kept buried has once again showed itself and will not be contained any longer.
now they must fight their way out of the tangled secrets and guilt, turning tragedy into happiness even though the past is ever present trying to destroy the very love that bonds their hearts together.
Julie Johnson is so incredibly talented. What an amazing book. I devoured this book like it was candy. The plot was fabulous and the characters were perfect. I could see Lilas in my head as a no nonsense I'm not taking no kind of lass and as for Nash well he was absolutely swoon worthy. Who wouldn't want a Duke that looked like that and has such a sweet soft side. These two were perfect together.
All in all this book had me on the edge of my seat rooting for the both of them the whole time. Ms. Johnstone you are fantastic and I would advise anyone who loves this genre to try it, and if you don't know try it anyway you just might fall in love with it.
Scottish Scoundrels: Ensnared Hearts #2
Julie Johnstone
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lilas Honeyfield has a bit of a secret bottled up inside her. You see she is absolutely convinced that the rich and powerful Duke of Greybourne is meant to be hers and hers alone. If only he would let her help him defeat his inner demons, things might go easier then planned, but seriously do affairs of the heart ever go as planned? She is now engaged to another man that she doesn't want to marry, but
Nash walked away seven years ago.
Through it's been a long seven years without Nash in her life she herself would like to see him one more time. Lilas has breached his heart, and soothed his soul so many years ago, but Lila was never meant to be his. And in the lowest moment went he doubts himself he just reminds himself of the horrific accident he caused soon after they met. Unable to have the woman he desires above all others, he decides his best course of action is to flee. Eventually duty calls him home again, but he intends to keep away from the beauty that he has such strong feelings for. Yet when push comes to shove and dangers threatens her he cannot stand idly by and allow her to be harmed in any way. Now that they are close again, the need he has kept buried has once again showed itself and will not be contained any longer.
now they must fight their way out of the tangled secrets and guilt, turning tragedy into happiness even though the past is ever present trying to destroy the very love that bonds their hearts together.
Julie Johnson is so incredibly talented. What an amazing book. I devoured this book like it was candy. The plot was fabulous and the characters were perfect. I could see Lilas in my head as a no nonsense I'm not taking no kind of lass and as for Nash well he was absolutely swoon worthy. Who wouldn't want a Duke that looked like that and has such a sweet soft side. These two were perfect together.
All in all this book had me on the edge of my seat rooting for the both of them the whole time. Ms. Johnstone you are fantastic and I would advise anyone who loves this genre to try it, and if you don't know try it anyway you just might fall in love with it.
October 28, 2020
I seriously love a heroine that refuses to follow all the rules, one who will boldly express herself and is thankful her parents allow her to run barefoot....if she pleases. And who wouldn't love a hero broken from his childhood and blaming himself for an event that caused the death of his brother.
As always, this author snags your attention from the first few pages and wraps you into her story.
Lilias is a free spirit, headstrong, independent woman. She's part of a secret group of ladies out to forewarn innocent woman regarding the rogues that attend balls on the prey. From the first moment she saw Nash, she felt she found her true love. But would it fall easily into her lap? No. This is Julie Johnstone's book you'll be reading and in some cases in her other books you'll find them jumping a few hurdles to get to their HEA, but in this case....it's a marathon which makes the ending that much sweeter.
My favorite lines in the book:
And he thought he wasn't good... He was perfect. Never mind she'd only spent a few hours in his company, but he was wonderful. And she was going to mend him so he could be hers.
It's an outstanding read with so many twists you'll wonder if everything will ever come full circle. I was gifted with ARC and would say this book comes with my recommendation!!
As always, this author snags your attention from the first few pages and wraps you into her story.
Lilias is a free spirit, headstrong, independent woman. She's part of a secret group of ladies out to forewarn innocent woman regarding the rogues that attend balls on the prey. From the first moment she saw Nash, she felt she found her true love. But would it fall easily into her lap? No. This is Julie Johnstone's book you'll be reading and in some cases in her other books you'll find them jumping a few hurdles to get to their HEA, but in this case....it's a marathon which makes the ending that much sweeter.
My favorite lines in the book:
And he thought he wasn't good... He was perfect. Never mind she'd only spent a few hours in his company, but he was wonderful. And she was going to mend him so he could be hers.
It's an outstanding read with so many twists you'll wonder if everything will ever come full circle. I was gifted with ARC and would say this book comes with my recommendation!!
October 26, 2020
Wow! What a fun story! “Lady Lilias and the Devil in Plaid” by Julie Johnstone had everything that a great Regency story should have. A brooding hero (Nash), a highly spirited heroine (Lilias), true friends, lively action and one real villain with true love and a happy ending! I very much enjoyed this second book in the Scottish Scoundrels: Ensnared Hearts series.
Ms. Johnstone’s characters have a true life of their own. It is quite easy to “see” the Hero and Heroine when I read her stories. I really like that about Ms. Johnstone’s writing style. Her writing is not fussy, nor does it drag. “Lady Lilia and the Devil in Plaid” moves along at a very nice pace. I nearly read this in one sitting. I did have to stop for food.
I liked that the H/h (Asher and Guinevere) from the book before “Lady Guinevere and the Rogue with a Brogue” was supporting characters for Lilias and Nash. Some characters need to be part of author’s series or even their universe. I love when former H/hs show up in the author’s later books. I like the continuity.
I received a free copy of this book and I am providing my honest opinion. My opinion is “Lady Lilias and the Devil in Plaid” by Julie Johnstone another five-star winner!!
Ms. Johnstone’s characters have a true life of their own. It is quite easy to “see” the Hero and Heroine when I read her stories. I really like that about Ms. Johnstone’s writing style. Her writing is not fussy, nor does it drag. “Lady Lilia and the Devil in Plaid” moves along at a very nice pace. I nearly read this in one sitting. I did have to stop for food.
I liked that the H/h (Asher and Guinevere) from the book before “Lady Guinevere and the Rogue with a Brogue” was supporting characters for Lilias and Nash. Some characters need to be part of author’s series or even their universe. I love when former H/hs show up in the author’s later books. I like the continuity.
I received a free copy of this book and I am providing my honest opinion. My opinion is “Lady Lilias and the Devil in Plaid” by Julie Johnstone another five-star winner!!
October 27, 2020
This is book two in Julie Johnstone’s Scottish Scoundrels: Ensnared Hearts Series. Having loved her Scottish Medieval series of books I was unsure how I would like the return to the regency period, I can honestly say they are great. For me the fact the hero Nash, is dark, brooding and a ruggedly handsome half Scot, has a lot to do with it. He is tortured by his past which draw our heroine Lilias to him. Lilias is light where he is dark, she too lives with a painful past but is determined to not let it break her. They are drawn to each other when they meet as children, but outside forces keep them apart until they meet years later. They are both determined to fight the pull towards one another, each believing the other has wronged them. As secrets are revealed to them they realize a love that has never died and they are incomplete without the other. Julie is one of only a handful of authors that writes from the heart, her characters have depth and are believable. Her heroines are strong, independent women who find heroes that give them the freedom to be who they truly are in a time where most women had no voice or say in their lives. The series gets better and better, I cannot recommend this book enough. A fabulous read from a very talented author.
October 27, 2020
I have been so looking forward to this book since I finished Lady Guinevere and The Rogue With A Brogue. Loved Lilias' character in that book, so could not wait for her story. I was not disappointed! Loved. This. Book. From the Prologue to the Epilogue, Lilias' and Nash take us on a journey spanning 7 years. Seven years of never wavering love for each other but a journey of hurt, misunderstandings and lies by others to interfere in their seemingly hopeless situation. I was entranced with Nash, who has so much integrity from such a young age, but still carries it through to adulthood despite being hurt so badly. Lilias is such a strong, brave, outspoken and marches to her own tune young lady, which I love in a female heroine, and so does Nash.
A definite page turner, "I will just read one more chapter and then turn off the light and sleep," weeell . . . and then it's 2 o'clock in the morning. Needless to say, I just loved this book and highly recommend it. And now, looking forward to Lord Kilgore and Lady Constantine's story in the next book, having Lord Kilgore appearing in the first 2 books and being a 'scoundrel.'
Thank you, Julie Johnstone, as always, for a very entertaining and can't put the book down read!
A definite page turner, "I will just read one more chapter and then turn off the light and sleep," weeell . . . and then it's 2 o'clock in the morning. Needless to say, I just loved this book and highly recommend it. And now, looking forward to Lord Kilgore and Lady Constantine's story in the next book, having Lord Kilgore appearing in the first 2 books and being a 'scoundrel.'
Thank you, Julie Johnstone, as always, for a very entertaining and can't put the book down read!
October 31, 2020
Lies told
Lilias has had a crush on Nash for 7 long years! Their mutual friend Owen said that she was foolish and Nash never loved her! Owen told Nash he owed him for his crushed leg! There are a series of mishaps and mistakes clear up to the end! It's amazing what people call "love"!?? It is an action word of selflessness and kindness! It is not manipulation and lies! What happens when two people ask the right questions lower their guards and are honest?? Absolute mayhem and pandemonium!! All bets are off in thus wild wild ride to a HEA!! Lord Kilgore plays a much deeper role in this story with even more injuries!??? This story is fast passed, heart wrenching and achingly sweet when guns, gambling, blood and knives aren't involved!! This story in one word is UNPUTDOWNABLE!! Amazing wish I could give it 10 stars!!! 💥💥💎
Lilias has had a crush on Nash for 7 long years! Their mutual friend Owen said that she was foolish and Nash never loved her! Owen told Nash he owed him for his crushed leg! There are a series of mishaps and mistakes clear up to the end! It's amazing what people call "love"!?? It is an action word of selflessness and kindness! It is not manipulation and lies! What happens when two people ask the right questions lower their guards and are honest?? Absolute mayhem and pandemonium!! All bets are off in thus wild wild ride to a HEA!! Lord Kilgore plays a much deeper role in this story with even more injuries!??? This story is fast passed, heart wrenching and achingly sweet when guns, gambling, blood and knives aren't involved!! This story in one word is UNPUTDOWNABLE!! Amazing wish I could give it 10 stars!!! 💥💥💎
October 30, 2020
Wow! I am so glad I was given a chance to review this new addition to the Scottish Scoundrels, Ensnared Hearts Series by Julie Johnstone. It is a wonderful romance. I became very enwrapped in the story Julie wove around the main characters, Lilias Honeyfield and Nash Steel, the future Duke of Greybourne as well as their friend Owen, the Earl of Craven. From the moment Lilias first saw Nash, she knew he was meant for her. Lilias is a young woman who does not always behave as expected by society for she is “a fixer” of things. Nash is by nature a “protector” but he is also a young man who is weighed down with guilt. He fights his feelings for Lilias as he believes he isn’t good enough for her. This is a second chance at love story but it’s a rocky road traveled to reach a HEA. Lilias and Nash deal with myriad lies, deception, misassumptions, secrets, and betrayal before they find that love survives all. Rating: 4 ½ - 5 stars; Heat: 3.
October 31, 2020
Julie Johnstone has done it again with a story filled with: A brooding hero, Nash, who blames himself for causing pain & death to those nearest & dearest to him; An unconventional heroine, Lilias, who doesn’t feel the need to obey all the silly rules of society; And finally, a villain up to dirty deeds. All supported by a myriad of characters that move the story on its way to a happy ending. These supporting characters are what make this tale memorable, many were in Lady Guinevere and the Rogue With a Brogue. Not only do Lilias & Nash get their happy ending, but many of the demons from Nash��s past are explained. I am anxiously awaiting Book 3 in the Scottish Scoundrels: Endangered Hearts Series
November 1, 2020
This was a fun read. Lilias was such a free spirit and brave. I loved how she looked past propriety to help protect other women from rogues. I felt for Nash's past pain and present guilt. He was a loyal friend, even though he was torn between two friends. I enjoyed his attempts to protect Lilias even when she felt that she did not need it. Their journey to love was a long hard road with plenty of twists, secrets, and lies. I highly recommend this story.
I received an ARC of this story, and this is my unsolicited review.
I received an ARC of this story, and this is my unsolicited review.
October 30, 2020
This one will touch your heart!!
Deception and lies are the means which Owen uses to get his way. Jealousy could be destructive if not for the help of true friends. It hurts my heart that Lilias and Nash have lost seven years of their lives together. They could lose each other forever if a set of selfless acts and the help of friends don't work to show them the truth, forgiveness and the way to their happily ever after.
Deception and lies are the means which Owen uses to get his way. Jealousy could be destructive if not for the help of true friends. It hurts my heart that Lilias and Nash have lost seven years of their lives together. They could lose each other forever if a set of selfless acts and the help of friends don't work to show them the truth, forgiveness and the way to their happily ever after.
October 28, 2020
I was so happy to get the story of Lilas and Nash and wasn't disappointed! Lilas was the perfect heroine for Nash, especially in helping him get over his guilt. I was glad we got to see Asher and Guin and see how happy they still are. I had guessed a couple of the facts about Nash, but not about Lilias's situation. I'm glad to see Kilgore is getting his story next, the poor man has been used and abused by these ladies for long enough that he now gets his story! I'm also wondering if Lilas and Nash's sisters might get a HEA? Thank you for the advanced copy, I love this series and the ladies in them!
October 30, 2020
His Free Spirit Love
Nash had so much guilt that he was haunted by his mistakes. He saw himself as Lilias’s protector, but he had to set her free. From the minute Lilias saw Nash in his sexy kilt she knew he was hers. He was her Gothic romance hero and she was keeping him. Secrets, guilt, schemes, lies and wild chemistry will hold your interest.
Nash had so much guilt that he was haunted by his mistakes. He saw himself as Lilias’s protector, but he had to set her free. From the minute Lilias saw Nash in his sexy kilt she knew he was hers. He was her Gothic romance hero and she was keeping him. Secrets, guilt, schemes, lies and wild chemistry will hold your interest.
October 31, 2020
I really enjoyed Nash and Lilias’s story! From the beginning I was captured by the attraction between Lilias and Nash and by the numerous misunderstandings that kept them apart. It was also nice to see previous characters appearing in this book. A great story from beginning to end!
October 31, 2020
I love this series...strong women & men worth fighting for. I loved the witty banter between Lilias & Nash, who have known each other for years...I loved all the twists & turns in their relationship & the help they get from well meaning friends...& I’d like to drop kick Owen!
September 20, 2021
Though well written, I found this one pretty boring. This series is also very PG.
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