ARC Review: Her Accidental Highlander Husband by Allison B. Hanson

My Review:

After Marian Fletcher Blackley, Duchess of Endsmere, kills her abusive husband in self- defense, she flees to her sister’s clan in Scotland in search of refuge. Pursued by authorities in England, Mari runs into Cameron MacKinlay, the War Chief of her sister’s clan, and, in attempting to save Mari, Cam claims her as his wife. They agree to remain wed in name only since neither really wants to be married. But can they resist their growing feelings for each other, and what will happen when her past comes back to haunt her?

Her Accidental Highland Husband is a captivating and steamy historical romance with well-developed characters and a page-turning plot. Cam is a patient man, more attuned to his wife’s needs than his own. I find his character interesting, as his personality is so different from the stern warrior facade he presents to the world. Cam is funny and sometimes awkward. He is affectionate and warm, and he is amazing with children. In contrast, Cam is also fierce, bloodthirsty, and relentless in battle. He is a protector, a gentle giant, passionate with a good heart, all of which endears him to Mari.

Mari is a fascinating character, as well. A victim of abuse and on the run from her past, Mari struggles with fear, guilt, and shame. She longs to feel safe again, and living with Cam goes a long way toward her healing. Mari never had freedom, bound by the expectations of her family and the abuse of her first husband, but living with Cam and her sister’s family changes things for her. It changes her. Under their protection, Mari grows more confident and self-assured.

The romance between Mari and Cam is, of course, one of my favorite parts of the story. I love how awkward Cam initially is with Mari. This strong and confident male is brought to his knees by an unassuming and frightened woman, which makes him a little less intimidating and even more appealing in Mari’s eyes. Cam is smitten with Mari from the start. He admires her strength, resilience, and bravery, and he finds her charming and beautiful. Here’s Cam in one of my favorite swoon-worthy lines:

He swallowed and managed to nod, thinking he’d gladly give her his last morsel and waste away into dust if she asked it of him.

I just love the way Cam feels about Mari! However, Mari and Cam both resist their feelings. Cam’s recollections of the past and his mother’s grief over losing her War Chief husband, and Mari’s abuse at the hands of her first husband make both of these characters afraid to love.

Another fantastic aspect of the story is the character’s reverence for books and the written word. As Mari and Cam get to know each other, they use writing as a way to express feelings that prove too difficult to say out loud. When Mari is separated from her sister, they also write to each other, as do other characters in the story. The use of letters throughout the novel adds to the character development and plot progression and appeals to the book lover and writer in me.

I’ve always enjoyed being around books. Being in this room, I can almost feel them tugging me toward their secrets. All the things they already know that are just sitting there, waiting for me to learn them too.

Cam

Her Accidental Highlander Husband is a great story for readers who like steamy historical romances with well-developed characters and an interesting story-line. Though it is the second book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone. Thanks so much to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Rating:

Favorite Parts:

• The romance, of course! Mari and Cam have a wonderful, steamy, chemistry-laden romance, and it is positively swoon-worthy.

• The well-paced plot.

• The fantastic writing! I love the author’s style.

Favorite Lines:

We both know it’s one thing to tell ourselves something, and another to know it in our hearts as truth.

You are lovely. There’s not a one of us save the little ones who doesn’t near scars. Wear yours with honor, lass, for only a survivor is able to wear scars.

His wife had spent most of her life being told what to do and how to do it. She’d been a prisoner all her life, both in her father’s home and the duke’s. He wanted nothing more than for her to be free.