Blog Tour Book Review: The Highlander's Holiday Wife by Vanessa Kelly

About the Book:

Title: The Highlander’s Holiday Wife

Author: Vanessa Kelly

Series: Clan Kendrick #5

Page Length: 352

Publication Date: Sept. 27, 2022

Publisher: Zebra

Synopsis: It’s Christmastime in Edinburgh, but Lady Samantha Penwith’s secret mission takes no holiday: the Highlands-born lass vows to find the assailants who murdered her beloved husband, founder of a charitable school for orphaned boys. On her latest undercover excursion, she closes in on a pair of armed attackers and interrupts another assault, then disappears into the darkness, leaving the lone victim mystified–and lucky to be alive…

Braden Kendrick may be the sensible brother, yet the dedicated doctor routinely ignores the dangers of his late-night calls to the city’s slums. But when a fleet-footed rescuer saves his life, he’s determined to uncover the stranger’s identity. And once he does, he’ll find himself facing his own past loss for the first time–and more than willing to risk his heart again, just in time to make the Clan Kendrick’s Christmas celebrations more festive than ever…

LINKS: AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | INDIEBOUND | TARGET

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My Review:

The Highlander’s Holiday Wife is another wonderful addition to the Clan Kendrick series! The story follows Samantha, a strong and resourceful woman determined to find her husband’s killer and the missing children she believes have been kidnapped. During one of her nightly escapades, Samantha saves Braden, a doctor who is attacked by local thugs, and they end up working together to figure out what has happened to the children and her husband. Their story is intriguing and suspenseful as they race against time to save those that can’t save themselves.

I love Samantha! She is so kind and caring yet strong, both emotionally and physically. And she’s a badass! I would definitely not want to take her in a fight. She is well trained and uses her skill to protect others. An independent woman who does not bow to the societal constraints inflicted upon her, she proves over and over again that she is as capable, intelligent, and able as any man.

Braden is another admirable character who has devoted his life to helping others. He and Samantha are alike in that way. They have such a lovely romance with equal amounts of passion and friendship, and I love that their marriage of convenience turns into something more. They’ve both suffered loss in love, and having a second chance at it is something neither ever expected.

The story also reveals many of the struggles people faced at this time, including gender biases, classism, and prejudice. It’s interesting – many of the people who are held in high regard in society are the most morally bankrupt and selfish, whereas those considered less than are actually the more admirable characters. It definitely says something about the superficiality of society and how misguided and ineffectual the rules of society are. Samantha and Braden, and the entire Kendrick clan prove that in spades.

I adore the Kendrick clan and was so happy to see many of the characters from previous books in this one. I always love finding out how their lives have progressed and changed since the conclusion of their stories, and we find out a bunch in this story. Angus, the beloved grandfather, has a great part in the story, and I adore him! He’s so fun and supportive, and his fierce love for his family is as evident as ever. The Kendrick’s are an amazing support for each other, and they are the epitome of what a strong and supportive family unit looks like.

Samantha has her own family, though they’re not all related. After suffering the loss of her husband and child, Samantha holds those she loves closely and fights to keep them together even though her hard and uncompromising father-in-law threatens to tear them apart. Samantha, her sister-in-law, and the other members of the household prove that family isn’t just blood relatives.

I love this series and always look forward to reading books by Vanessa Kelly. A story of love, healing, redemption, and more, The Highlander’s Holiday Wife will appeal to readers of historical romance and romantic suspense. Thanks so much to NetGalley, HF Virtual Book Tours, and Zebra for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Rating:

Favorite Parts:

The romance.

The intrigue.

The Kendricks!

Favorite Line:

You’re a true heroine, my love. Trust me when I say I’m utterly humbled by you.

About the Author:

Vanessa Kelly is a USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author who was named by Booklist, the review journal of the American Library Association, as one of the “New Stars of Historical Romance.” Her Regency and Scottish-set historical romances have been nominated in a number of contests, and she has won multiple awards, including the prestigious Maggie Medallion for Best Historical Romance. Her books have been published in eleven languages.

Vanessa’s first Clan Kendrick book, The Highlander Who Protected Me, was a USA Today, Barnes & Noble, and BookScan bestseller. The subsequent Clan Kendrick books have all been BookScan bestsellers, and several hit the top 50 on the Barnes & Noble mass-market bestseller list. Her previous series, The Renegade Royals, was a national bestseller, as was The Improper Princesses Series. My Fair Princess was named a Goodreads Romance of the Month and is a USA Today and BookScan bestseller.

Vanessa also writes USA Today Bestselling books with her husband, under the pen name of V.K. Sykes.

You can find Vanessa at vanessakellyauthor.com or at vksykes.com. For all of Vanessa’s latest news and contests–and to receive a free story–please sign up for her newsletter on her website.

When she’s not dreaming of plots for her next Regency novel, Vanessa is writing USA Today Bestselling books with her husband, under the pen name of V.K. Sykes.

You can find Vanessa at vanessakellyauthor.com or at vksykes.com. For all of Vanessa’s latest news and contests–and to receive a free story–please sign up for her newsletter on her website.