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Highlander Heroes #3
The Shadow of Her Smile
Ada Moncriefe cannot stand by while her betrothed cruelly executes prisoners. She makes a daring plan to free the Scots warriors in the dungeon, only asking that the brave leader take her with him when they escape. Things go horribly wrong, and Ada pays a dear price for her sacrifice. Broken and scarred afterward, she lives a ghost-like existence, having no idea what her future holds. Jamie MacKenna is haunted by the fact that he was prevented from returning to save his men-at-arms and the lass who’d freed them. With greater fervor, he thrusts himself into the war for Scottish freedom alongside the valiant warrior, William Wallace. More than a year later, he stumbles upon Ada Moncriefe in the Scottish Highlands. His guilt induces him to offer her marriage, and despite the tormenting passion that rages between them, he vows never to love her. Soon though, Ada begins to yearn for something more with her hardened warrior husband. As the sun sets on William Wallace’s fight for Scottish independence, Ada and Jamie must both learn to forgive and to open themselves to love.
338 pages, Paperback
First published November 18, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
November 24, 2019
Brutal and Hard to Read
I am not quite sure what I think about this book. I typically enjoy reading Scottish historical romances. This is the first time that I have read this author. Accustomed to, I guess, what one would call slightly more sanitized fiction, I was shocked at the level of brutality in this book. You only get a vague sense of what's to come from the book description, so I had no clue of the intensity of it. The first few chapters of the book are very hard to read; it is difficult to imagine such brutality. I'll admit that I considered not continuing. I also had an issue with the way that much of the narrative prose was written. Much of these early chapters were written in information dump style, where we are told and not truly shown. This makes for tedious reading. So these two ideas combined did not give me a pleasant reading experience at the beginning. The characters are well drawn, and the plot has a lot going on. Still, I had a hard time getting past all the violence and brutality in this book. I guess I'm better suited to light and fluffy historical romance.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
I am not quite sure what I think about this book. I typically enjoy reading Scottish historical romances. This is the first time that I have read this author. Accustomed to, I guess, what one would call slightly more sanitized fiction, I was shocked at the level of brutality in this book. You only get a vague sense of what's to come from the book description, so I had no clue of the intensity of it. The first few chapters of the book are very hard to read; it is difficult to imagine such brutality. I'll admit that I considered not continuing. I also had an issue with the way that much of the narrative prose was written. Much of these early chapters were written in information dump style, where we are told and not truly shown. This makes for tedious reading. So these two ideas combined did not give me a pleasant reading experience at the beginning. The characters are well drawn, and the plot has a lot going on. Still, I had a hard time getting past all the violence and brutality in this book. I guess I'm better suited to light and fluffy historical romance.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
January 4, 2020
Rebecca Ruger has done it again. A fantastic read that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I could not put the book down.
The plot is well developed and the characters are real and relatable. Jamie and Ada have to build their relationship in a difficult time of war when there may not be a tomorrow. This setting leads to a different type of romance as the background of war leads to a more serious mood. Though no one likes the brutality of the time I found it very gripping. There is plenty of chemistry, valuable friendships and loyalty, suspence and angst. I can recomend this book to mature readers as a book of substance.
I received this book as an ARC and willingly leave my honest review.
The plot is well developed and the characters are real and relatable. Jamie and Ada have to build their relationship in a difficult time of war when there may not be a tomorrow. This setting leads to a different type of romance as the background of war leads to a more serious mood. Though no one likes the brutality of the time I found it very gripping. There is plenty of chemistry, valuable friendships and loyalty, suspence and angst. I can recomend this book to mature readers as a book of substance.
I received this book as an ARC and willingly leave my honest review.
January 4, 2023
I love Ada and Jamie. This was such a sweet romance. The only downside was that the things that annoyed me about Anice still annoyed me and I wanted better for Torren. The bit in the epilogue that mentioned everyone was a bit disappointing in that regard. I’m also really curious about where this series will go next! So far I’ve really enjoyed this authors writing. Content warning they this book referenced the torture and related scars often.
January 18, 2020
This is a fascinating story of tragedy, triumph and love. Jamie first meets Ada when she frees him and his companions from the dungeon that her betrothed held them in. They were supposed to take her with them, but she, and the men she was with, were caught. Jamie and the men he was with got away, but they had to go for reinforcements before they could attempt a rescue. Thinking that they had been abandoned, Ada blamed Jamie for allowing her and Will to be tortured. Ada gets help escaping, but soon finds that no one wants to look at the damage the torture left behind, so she lives alone in an abandoned house. She is found by the owner of the house and brought to his home, where they help Ada with her mental recovery. Ada next sees Jamie while there. He's completely shocked when he sees her, she is very angry. Despite the anger, Jamie decides to bring her along on his mission to raise forces to join Will and his battle for the freedom of the Scottish people. Ada is forced to try to forgive Jamie, Jamie is forced to learn to trust. It's a heartbreaking and romantic storyline with sympathetic, likable characters.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.
January 31, 2024
2.5 stars.
Oh I have to tip my hat to the author, I don't know how she could have all these ideas for different plots, settings, characters. Amazing. Simply amazing.
This one was a really sad one initially, that is, cried my eyes out reading about Ada's sacrifice and what happened to her. I felt that she should have vent longer, held her anger longer and put the Hero to misery much, much longer. She's too forgiving. No fun.
After the MCs got married, the story kind of went downhill. There simply wasn't anything gripping pulling the readers to read further, just mundane life at the keep. True, the Hero had some hesitation about his wife - whether she'd betray him like his first wife but that was subtle. Nothing too major. But overall the book was enjoyable.
Oh I have to tip my hat to the author, I don't know how she could have all these ideas for different plots, settings, characters. Amazing. Simply amazing.
This one was a really sad one initially, that is, cried my eyes out reading about Ada's sacrifice and what happened to her. I felt that she should have vent longer, held her anger longer and put the Hero to misery much, much longer. She's too forgiving. No fun.
After the MCs got married, the story kind of went downhill. There simply wasn't anything gripping pulling the readers to read further, just mundane life at the keep. True, the Hero had some hesitation about his wife - whether she'd betray him like his first wife but that was subtle. Nothing too major. But overall the book was enjoyable.
October 26, 2020
This is the third book in the Highlander Heroes series and it feels like it was intended to be a finale or an end to Part 1. Everything is ramped up—the drama, the intensity, the emotions. There's even a reunion with the characters from books 1 and 2. These first three books were released in 2019, then lo and behold Ms. Ruger comes back with three more in 2020, which pleases me to no end because I've been enjoying the heck out of this series. It's so well written with an old world-y and very descriptive style that puts me right there in Scotland in 1305 AD.
Ada Annabel is an outstanding heroine. She's endured unspeakable trauma. These first two chapters are vivid and essential to the story. But Ada is strong and she's a survivor. She took every hit life handed her and still landed on her feet. But she has a daily reminder of the trauma she endured in the form of jagged facial scars that make her an object of scorn. She clings to her hate because it's easier to blame others than to feel the guilt and shame that she keeps buried deep inside. Jamie MacKenna was meant to spare Ada that trauma, but was kept from fulfilling his promise and has felt guilt and remorse ever since. He vows to protect her going forward, but doesn't feel worthy of Ada's forgiveness. They wed, but it's not a marriage for love... until it is, for one of them, and the other resolves not to let that happen. The reader feels what these two characters feel as they process their shared experience and grief, and slowly come to terms with it over the course of the story. They go through a whole host of evolving emotions on their way to forgiveness and trust and eventually love.
Ada and Jamie get a little help from some amazing secondary characters, my favorite of which is Angus. He's got the intuitiveness of a blind man and the wisdom that comes with old age. The inclusion of our favorite characters from the first two books and a terrific epilogue brings this trilogy full circle and to a satisfying conclusion. IMO these three books should be read in order if you want to appreciate them in the way they deserve.
There's a few small editorial issues but that didn't stop me from enjoying this book. It's adventure and history and drama and character studies all rolled into one, and written by a very talented author. I suppose Highlander romances are not for everyone because they can be a bit violent, but that's inherent to this subgenre. So if you like historical romance you should give this series a try.
Ada Annabel is an outstanding heroine. She's endured unspeakable trauma. These first two chapters are vivid and essential to the story. But Ada is strong and she's a survivor. She took every hit life handed her and still landed on her feet. But she has a daily reminder of the trauma she endured in the form of jagged facial scars that make her an object of scorn. She clings to her hate because it's easier to blame others than to feel the guilt and shame that she keeps buried deep inside. Jamie MacKenna was meant to spare Ada that trauma, but was kept from fulfilling his promise and has felt guilt and remorse ever since. He vows to protect her going forward, but doesn't feel worthy of Ada's forgiveness. They wed, but it's not a marriage for love... until it is, for one of them, and the other resolves not to let that happen. The reader feels what these two characters feel as they process their shared experience and grief, and slowly come to terms with it over the course of the story. They go through a whole host of evolving emotions on their way to forgiveness and trust and eventually love.
Ada and Jamie get a little help from some amazing secondary characters, my favorite of which is Angus. He's got the intuitiveness of a blind man and the wisdom that comes with old age. The inclusion of our favorite characters from the first two books and a terrific epilogue brings this trilogy full circle and to a satisfying conclusion. IMO these three books should be read in order if you want to appreciate them in the way they deserve.
There's a few small editorial issues but that didn't stop me from enjoying this book. It's adventure and history and drama and character studies all rolled into one, and written by a very talented author. I suppose Highlander romances are not for everyone because they can be a bit violent, but that's inherent to this subgenre. So if you like historical romance you should give this series a try.
October 24, 2021
The scars that bind.
Ada is betrothed to an evil man and wants nothing more than to escape. When he brings in 6 prisoners, she takes the risk of setting them free with the condition they take her with them. Then it goes horribly wrong. Jamie MacKenna and two others escape but Ada and the other three are captured inside the castle walls and tortured. Ada is the only one to survive but she is horribly disfigured as punishment. When she escapes she hides in the woods to recover over several months. Jamie tried to rescue her from her tormentor but he was too late and he has spent all these months with the guilt of the loss of his friends and Ada, a woman he only briefly met. A year later he meets her again at the home of his friend the Kincaid. She wants nothing to do with him and he only wants to help her. He convinces her to travel with him and William Wallace and their love story begins. This is a great story and I really enjoyed it. The friendship between lairds and between the lairds wives is uplifting. Great characters and great love story.
Ada is betrothed to an evil man and wants nothing more than to escape. When he brings in 6 prisoners, she takes the risk of setting them free with the condition they take her with them. Then it goes horribly wrong. Jamie MacKenna and two others escape but Ada and the other three are captured inside the castle walls and tortured. Ada is the only one to survive but she is horribly disfigured as punishment. When she escapes she hides in the woods to recover over several months. Jamie tried to rescue her from her tormentor but he was too late and he has spent all these months with the guilt of the loss of his friends and Ada, a woman he only briefly met. A year later he meets her again at the home of his friend the Kincaid. She wants nothing to do with him and he only wants to help her. He convinces her to travel with him and William Wallace and their love story begins. This is a great story and I really enjoyed it. The friendship between lairds and between the lairds wives is uplifting. Great characters and great love story.
December 22, 2020
Each book is better then the last!!
Another fantastic book by this author. I’m so thrilled to have found her books! I’m trying to decide which of the three couples I like the best! It’s just impossible to choose. I’ve loved each one and their story. This ending was sad with the death of one of Scotland’s greatest heroes. But a great book yet again!!! I’m on to the next book!
Hope you enjoy reading them as much as I have!!
Another fantastic book by this author. I’m so thrilled to have found her books! I’m trying to decide which of the three couples I like the best! It’s just impossible to choose. I’ve loved each one and their story. This ending was sad with the death of one of Scotland’s greatest heroes. But a great book yet again!!! I’m on to the next book!
Hope you enjoy reading them as much as I have!!
October 6, 2023
For the Love of Scotland and William Wallace
A hard won highland love story, between Jamie and Ada, proving love especially hard wondering was much worthy of the effort. Jamie had been married before and refused to love Ada, because he had loved an unfaithful wife the first time. It should have nothing to do with Ada but Jamie was very obstinate. William Wallace was a predominant character fighting for Scotland's freedom. Wonderful story. Well written by Rebecca Ruger.
A hard won highland love story, between Jamie and Ada, proving love especially hard wondering was much worthy of the effort. Jamie had been married before and refused to love Ada, because he had loved an unfaithful wife the first time. It should have nothing to do with Ada but Jamie was very obstinate. William Wallace was a predominant character fighting for Scotland's freedom. Wonderful story. Well written by Rebecca Ruger.
March 6, 2025
I simply love this series by Rebecca Ruger. The way she puts words together is sublime. I love her characters, their tensions, and the interior monologues from both the male and female perspectives. She always jumps right into the story with interesting beginnings and writes legendary first kisses that make my belly twist in a nice way. I enjoy that you get to revisit some characters from past plots. This story has a nicely satisfying epilogue that unites the first three books.
August 24, 2023
Another fantastic read.....
This one had me sad and crying, such brutal beginnings in this storyline, it gets better with the goodness of Jamie, who has guilt over his friends death. This storyline also has William Wallace in here, which is also heartbreaking how he was killed. Love this series, don't know which is my favorite.
This one had me sad and crying, such brutal beginnings in this storyline, it gets better with the goodness of Jamie, who has guilt over his friends death. This storyline also has William Wallace in here, which is also heartbreaking how he was killed. Love this series, don't know which is my favorite.
April 5, 2026
The Shadow of Her Smile book 3
Ada was to marry to a cruel man and as she noticed this she set out to release prisoners from the cell but asked for them to take her with them. They got split up and she paid for it. A year later they found her and her rescuer found her. They married.
Ada was to marry to a cruel man and as she noticed this she set out to release prisoners from the cell but asked for them to take her with them. They got split up and she paid for it. A year later they found her and her rescuer found her. They married.
May 26, 2020
Never dull
The book is long, but never dull. I was excited to read this book after reading the previous books. This story has its funny moments, but also some sadness. I look forward to reading more books from this author.
The book is long, but never dull. I was excited to read this book after reading the previous books. This story has its funny moments, but also some sadness. I look forward to reading more books from this author.
May 8, 2022
For The Love of Will
Another fine book in this series! This book had all of the adventure and excitement of the first two, with some sad times mixed with the glad times. A truly rich Highland novel.
Another fine book in this series! This book had all of the adventure and excitement of the first two, with some sad times mixed with the glad times. A truly rich Highland novel.
August 14, 2022
shadow of her smile
I liked this story more than others because is more enveloped in the history of Scotland. Rest of the story has an identical content of romance as the other books. It’s very predictable but pleasing.
I liked this story more than others because is more enveloped in the history of Scotland. Rest of the story has an identical content of romance as the other books. It’s very predictable but pleasing.
January 5, 2020
This book hooked me from the beginning. I just couldn’t put it down. I fell for these characters and, what a story just perfect.
January 18, 2020
Beauty is inside
I love Scottish Highlander books. I found it hard to stay interested in this author.
I won't follow this author.
I love Scottish Highlander books. I found it hard to stay interested in this author.
I won't follow this author.
November 6, 2020
I loved the Lairds' captains! Especially Torren!
♥️♥️♥️
Jaime❤️ Ada
♥️♥️♥️
Jaime❤️ Ada
March 13, 2021
Love the depth of each character in this series! Well done!
Well done! Love of family and country and the strength it gives each character to be the best despite adversity!
Well done! Love of family and country and the strength it gives each character to be the best despite adversity!
March 23, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. I love the authors writing style and I always appreciate when an authors characters arent "perfect".
Ada is such a great heroine.
Ada is such a great heroine.
November 12, 2021
Great historical romance
I loved this book. I am hooked on these stories. I realize you have to read the next to find out the whole story.
I loved this book. I am hooked on these stories. I realize you have to read the next to find out the whole story.
November 10, 2022
wonderful read
What a love story. It had me in tears and laughing. Ms. Ruger certainly knows how to tell a story. Wonderfully written and the characters drew you in!
What a love story. It had me in tears and laughing. Ms. Ruger certainly knows how to tell a story. Wonderfully written and the characters drew you in!
April 11, 2023
The epilogue kind of tried to tie it up in a neat bow, but seemed a bit tied up with a bow.
May 3, 2023
If I loved this book less, I might be able to talk about it more. Ada and Jamie will stay with me forever.
November 22, 2023
The Shadow of Her Smile
A long story it was a beautiful ending. It made me cry at places, even sad. But there was a happy ending.
A long story it was a beautiful ending. It made me cry at places, even sad. But there was a happy ending.
June 19, 2024
Jamie and Ada were an interesting coupling. I liked how they brought back the other couples from books 1 and 2 and finished them off in the epilogue.
August 9, 2024
Good story
September 9, 2024
Very Emotional
This story was so heartwretching. First the loss of Will, the torture of the heroine, and the hero’s guilt. The worse was the death of Sir William Wallace.
This story was so heartwretching. First the loss of Will, the torture of the heroine, and the hero’s guilt. The worse was the death of Sir William Wallace.
November 8, 2024
I did the audiobook and I love the readers voice. His accent was awesome
I love this series. No one is perfect and yet they all find someone to love them. Great story line and characters
I love this series. No one is perfect and yet they all find someone to love them. Great story line and characters
January 6, 2025
This book is what I'd been hoping for out of this trilogy. An interesting and nuanced heroine, a hero worthy of her, and a good story to tie it all together.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews