ARC Review: A Scot to Wed by Callie Hutton

Title: A Scot to Wed

Page Length: 150

Publication Date: June 8, 2020

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Synopsis: Highlander Laird Evan MacNeil cannot believe Mistress Katie Sterling just shows up at the MacDuff castle with this faded piece of parchment laying claim to the lands he just legally inherited. Not that he really wants to be here in the lowlands, but he has responsibilities to his clan and the exasperating Katie has uprooted the remnants of her father’s clan and moved them across the country to live here. There’s no way he can leave to go back home now.

Katie has nowhere else to go and she refuses to bow down to the arrogant yet undeniably handsome Highlander. She’s had enough with men trying to control her and she is quite capable of handling herself.

Now that Evan must spar with a beautiful lass for the rights to the lands, he will fight to the end. This battle is nothing like the ones his ancestors fought with crossbows and boiling oil. They never wanted to bed the enemy.

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LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon

My Review:

When Katie leaves England for Scotland to claim MacDuff castle as her own, she never expected to encounter the handsome Highlander Evan who also claims ownership of the land. Conflict ensues as each feels they have a legitimate claim. However, as the days progress and more of Katie’s clan arrives, Evan knows he can’t turn them all away. Winter approaches and an even more threatening danger waits for Katie. Can Katie and Evan resolve their issues in a way that satisfies them both? Will they be able to resist the growing attraction and affection they feel for each other?

This is a fun and quick love story that I read in one sitting. Though it is under 200 pages, it is filled with rich development and complex characters. Hutton quickly immerses the reader into the story with witty dialogue and insta-attraction between the two main characters.

The author also uses references that might be familiar to readers including the MacDuff Castle and Fife. I remember these references from teaching William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and I believe that MacDuff’s character in the play is loosely based on history. I love that the Hutton used this setting and reference in her historical romance.

I also enjoyed the romance between Katie and Evan. She is a feisty, brave, and determined woman who attracts Evan from the start. He is intrigued by her strong will and gumption, and he falls for her even more when he sees how kind and fair she is. Katie drives him to distraction, which unnerves the cool and controlled Evan while it amuses his more easy-going brother.

Katie notices Even’s strength and take-charge attitude as well as his “willingness to care for those who were vulnerable.” She admires him and feels things for him that she’s never felt before. What I really like about their relationship is they respect and admire each other, flaws and all. Katie is stubborn, overprotective, and prideful, and Evan is arrogant and bossy. Though these traits cause conflict, the couple accepts each other and tries to understand the other’s point of view. Plus, their friction makes for some spicy romance!

A Scot to Wed is a well-paced and interesting historical romance that I enjoyed reading. With an abundance of interesting and likable characters, a quick-moving plot, great dialogue, a little bit of humor and action, and a lot of romance, A Scot to Wed is worth a read! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Rating:

Favorite Parts:

The romance, of course! Evan and Katie have amazing chemistry, and their love story is fabulous!
The immersive setting and story. It is well-paced, and the writing style easily ingratiates the reader into the story.
The excellent use of dialogue.