ARC Review: My Highland Warrior by Miriam Minger

Title: My Highland Warrior

Author: Miriam Minger

Series: Warriors of the Highlands – Book 1

Publication Date: Jan. 19, 2021

Publisher: Oliver Heber Books

Synopsis: Fearsome Scots laird Gabriel MacLachlan must take a bride, but not just any bride. Magdalene, his liege lord’s younger sister is known to be as bonny as any Highland lass but as mad as a loon. Mad Maggie, they call her—and Gabriel has no choice. Not if he wants to put food in his clansmen’s bellies, clothes on their backs, and repair the crumbling castle he calls home. A fat dowry in exchange for a madwoman, whose life will be in danger from the MacLachlan family curse the instant she becomes his wife.

A generations-old curse, an honorable chieftain, a clever beauty—it’s the perfect recipe for a spirited Highland Romance.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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My Review:

A quick historical romance, My Highland Warrior focuses on Gabriel and Magdalene whose unwanted marriage becomes the best decision of their lives.

An arrangement between Magdalene’s brother and Gabriel pulls Magdalene from her perfectly happy existence at a convent. Feigning to be insane to escape the brutalities she thinks will occur if she marries, Magdalene determines to do all that she can to escape her marriage to Gabriel. But the more she gets to know the kind, honorable, and trust-worthy laird, the more she realizes that his love might be worth the risk.

With a power-hungry brother, a generations-old curse, and a large number of people depending on them, this couple has many obstacles in their way. Luckily for Magdalen, whose fake insanity is physically and emotionally taxing on all those involved, Gabriel is a patient man. He’s also quite observant and sees through Magdalene’s act. I liked his character and felt he was developed well.

Magdalene jumps to a lot of conclusions and acts impulsively, and I was sometimes frustrated by her violent and disrespectful behavior. Though she did certain things to convince people of her madness, her amplified actions were, at times, inexplicable and mean-spirited. That being said, I think Magdalene has spent so much of her life under the thumb of unconscionable men that she just longs for safety. Once she finds that, she changes and shows her true self.

The romance is slow-building, though the connection between Gabriel and Magdalene is obvious from the start. Gabriel and Magdalene have great chemistry once they put down their defenses, and their union is sweet and a little spicy!

I also like the secondary characters, especially Gabriel’s nieces and closest friends. The girls were sweet with an exuberance that lightened the tone of the story. Gabriel’s friends were fierce and funny, as well as loyal and honorable, and I’m curious to learn more about them in future books. I’d like to learn more about Magdalene’s sister-in-law too. She definitely has a story to tell, and I’d love to see her find love after the terrible relationship she had with Magdalene’s brother.

Overall, this is a quick and entertaining read that will appeal to lovers of historical romance. Thanks so much to Netgalley, the author, and Oliver Heber Books for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.