Highland Renegade Blog Tour plus excerpt

 

Highland Renegade by Cynthia Breeding

Publication Date: September 21, 2020

Entangled Amara

Series: Children of the Mist, Book One

Genre: Historical Romance

Emily, the Dowager Countess of Woodhaven, has received title to lands in the Highlands—MacGregor lands—and after surviving an abusive marriage, she’s determined to make a new start...without a man. She just has to win over the handsome Scottish laird whose family has lived there for centuries. How hard could it be?

When Ian MacGregor heard that the Sassenach countess was actually laying claim to his lands, he figured to scare the aging widow away by showing her the hardships of living in the Highlands. She’d leave before the first snowflake fell. But he never imagined that the widow was young and beautiful and more territorial than a she-wolf. No matter, he’ll prove that a fragile, London woman like her would never survive life without her servants…and if he happens to give her the coldest and most remote rooms, all the better.

Despite his best efforts to freeze her out, things between them heat up. But Highlanders hate the Sassenach, so Ian faces a dire choice—his clan or the irresistible English aristocrat who seems to have taken not only his lands, but also his heart.

“Lush, evocative, and sizzling-hot.” -Ann Major, USA Today bestselling author

Excerpt:

“I do not understand why you are taking us into barbarian country,” Julianna Caldwell complained as their carriage hit a rut in the road and rocked precariously.



“We could very well get killed,” her sister Lorelei agreed, grabbing a side strap to keep from slipping off the seat.

Emily, Countess Woodhaven, shook her head at her younger siblings. “Scots do not go around murdering innocent women.”

“No?” Lorelei sniffed. “I heard they are lawless and cattle thieves.”

“And I heard they steal women and force them to marry,” Juliana added.

Emily put her fingers to her temple and rubbed, hoping to forestay a headache that was already forming. They had been on the road from London for six days and her sisters’ admonishments had grown more stark with each passing day. At first, they had been upset about leaving London and not retreating to a country estate—not that they had a country estate any longer—but as they travelled north, their agitation grew more dire. Yesterday, they had passed over the border at Gretna Green and the landscape had become more rocky as they travelled toward Stirling. Looking out the windows at the increasingly barren terrain had sparked another deluge of anticipated horrors. She certainly wasn’t going to admit that she felt a bit of trepidation too.

“Would you rather have been taken into the convent?” she asked.

That quieted both of them and she felt a bit guilty over using the threat. But it was true. They had no other place to go. Albert Prescott, the Earl of Woodhaven and her recently-deceased husband, had a penchant for gambling and opium that had left her with a mountain of debt. Creditors had circled like sharks scenting blood—not to mention a mistress the old lecher had apparently had for years—after his death, all wanting money. She’d sold the house in Mayfair to pay off the debts, but not the mistress. The country estate was entailed and a cousin who had claimed the title didn’t feel charitable about housing a widow and two young, attractive women. Or maybe it was his wife, the new countess, who didn’t. Either way, they no longer had a home.

“We are sorry,” Lorelei said, her voice subdued. “You are doing what you think best for us.”

Juliana nodded. “We would truly die if we had to live in a convent.”

“Or take the veil.” Lorelei shuddered.

Emily had to smile at the idea of either of them retreating into silence and prayer. At seventeen, Lorelei was vivacious and a natural flirt. Juliana, a year older, was willful and opinionated. “I doubt the nuns would even consider such a thing.”

Lorelei’s expression grew wistful. “We just wanted a Season like our friends.”

Juliana gave her a sharp look. “I told you not to bring that up.”

“It is all right,” Emily said. “If things go the way I hope they will, you can both return to London for next year’s Season.”

While Lorelei’s face brightened, Juliana shook her head. “I do not care if I have a Season or not. What is the point? To marry someone who will try and control me? I will not be forced into that.”

Like she had been, Emily thought, but didn’t voice it.

“You should not bring up Em’s marriage either,” Lorelei said accusingly.

“It is all right,” Emily said again. “It does not matter now.”

Initially, she’d had no choice. When their parents had been killed in a carriage accident five years ago, her father, Baron Caldwell, had little in his bank account. Ever the hopeful entrepreneur, he’d sold his land to invest in new inventions, always telling them that the latest one was sure to be a success and they would soon have money to burn. When the Earl of Woodhaven—forty years her senior—came calling afterwards with his proposal of marriage as well as the offer to take in her sisters, she didn’t see how she could refuse. She’d only been nineteen herself and had no idea of the man’s rotten soul.

But that was in the past. Through some miracle—or perhaps because King George had a passion for science himself and had met her father several times—he’d seen fit to petition Parliament for a special dispensation awarding her the land title to forfeited holdings in Scotland that had belonged to the outlawed Clan MacGregor. She had decided, like Juliana, that no man was ever going to control her again and therefore was determined to handle the land operation herself.

She had been advised that some MacGregors still occupied the land, courtesy for not having fought at the Battle of Prestonpans nearly thirty years ago. She suspected King George also allowed them to stay partially because his mother’s confidant was Lord Bute, a Scotsman whose estates were near Glenstrae.

However, she had also been told having been given the land deed, she was within her rights to have the clan vacate the land. From the records she’d seen, the holdings didn’t seem to be doing well. The profit wasn’t much, but Emily was determined that would change. Since she would need someone’s help in learning everything that needed to be done to manage the land successfully, she’d decided she would simply explain that she intended to be accommodating and allow them to stay. The situation would be beneficial to all of them.

Emily smiled at her sisters and leaned back against the squab. “Everything is going to be fine. You will see.”

About the Author

An avid reader of anything medieval, Cynthia Breeding has taught the traditional Arthurian legends to high school sophomores for fifteen years. She owns more than three hundred books, fictional and non-fictional, on the subject. More information on Arthur, Gwenhwyfar and Lancelot can be found on the Historical Account link.

In addition, she has won numerous awards including the Holt Medallion, Beacon Contest, Barclay Gold, More Than Magic and Ancient City Romance Authors.

Cynthia lives on the bay with her Bichon Frise and enjoys sailing and riding on the beach.

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Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, September 21
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Wednesday, September 23
Guest Post at Novels Alive

Thursday, September 24
Excerpt at Coffee and Ink
Review & Excerpt at SplendeurCaisse

Friday, September 25
Review at Historical Romance Lover

Monday, September 28
Review at Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals

Wednesday, September 30
Excerpt at Passages to the Past

Monday, October 5
Review at Pursuing Stacie

Tuesday, October 6
Review at Books In Their Natural Habitat

Wednesday, October 7
Interview at Books & Benches

Friday, October 9
Review at Novels Alive
Review at Probably at the Library

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on October 9th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

Highland Renegade 

Highland Renegade by Cynthia Breeding
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Such a great slow burn with plenty of mystery to keep you entertained. 

Emily the Dowager Countess of Woodhaven is travelling to Scotland with her sisters after the death of her husband to make a fresh start. 

Ian MacGregor is prepared to make the dowager countess's visit as unpleasant as possible in order to send her packing back to London. He never imagined a beautiful young widow.

Emily sets out to learn how the estate is run, offer advice on how to improve operations and to gain the clan's members trust. She wants to work with them and not just take over. Weird things start to happen. She wakes in the middle of the night and thinks she saw a ghost. But the flash of steel was too real. And now it's certain someone is out to harm the Dowager Countess.

Thank you so much to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

View all my reviews