Sandy M’s review of The Highlander’s Choice (Marriage Mart Mayhem, Book 5) by Callie Hutton
Historical Romance published by Entangled Scandalous 14 Jul 15
This is my first book by Callie Hutton, and I’m not sure it was the best place for me to start. I love Scottish historicals, so figured The Highlander’s Choice would be right up my alley and I’d devour it like I do all in this genre. As they say, things don’t always go as planned.
My biggest issue with this story is that there’s really nothing here we haven’t read before. There is the underlying aspect of not judging a book by its cover, prejudice isn’t a pretty picture and shouldn’t be practiced, that type of thing. Again, with the way even that is done here, it’s nearly by rote. Lady Sybil believes all Scots to be wild barbarians, but travels with her best friend to the Highlands to help the lady marry one of those barbarians. There she meets another of the same ilk, Laird Liam MacBride, who believes all Englishwomen are pampered brats. Of course, when they first meet, they think they’re right in their beliefs as their interactions with one another bear out.
As you’d think, the more time they spend together while waiting for the wedding, the more their preconceived ideas fall by the wayside. Liam is delighted Sybil wears pants when out riding and she’s surprised that he reads Jane Austen. Sybil intends to hold out for love, which she truly believes in because of the successful marriages in her family. Liam’s mother adds to their conflict as she sprays venom during a visit – which seems a bit out of balance once her issue is revealed.
Sybil and Liam themselves are likable enough; she’s loyal and though she comes from a well-to-do family, she’s not pampered, and Liam has integrity and honor, as you would expect. Since this is the fifth book in the series, I have no idea if I’m truly missing anything by not reading the earlier books. We meet a lot of the characters from those books, and I do have a few questions about some of them, but not enough to make me curious enough to pick up their stories at this point.
Maybe I should have started at the beginning.
Grade: C-
Summary:
Lady Sybil, sister to the Duke of Manchester, is traveling to the wilds of Scotland with her best friend, Lady Margaret, who is to be married. Sybil cannot understand why her friend would consent to marrying a Scot, when everyone knows they are whiskey swilling, bed hopping brawlers.
Laird Liam MacBride, best friend to Laird Duncan McLaughlin is at McLaughlin’s home for the wedding. He holds a great deal of sympathy for his friend who is marrying a Sassenach when everyone knows Englishwomen are spoiled, demanding princesses.
Sybil and Liam clash from their very first meeting. Then why is it they are so aware of each other when the castle is full with dozens of other guests? And why do they keep finding themselves in each other’s company?
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
What annoys me is when authors use a name that was extant in the time. There was a Duke of Manchester, so the author didn’t google the name, or didn’t think it mattered. It matters, especially to people who know the period, so they’re thinking, “Hang on, the Duke of Manchester didn’t do that.”
Noble Scotsmen in the period were very much like any other member of the nobility. They even went to school at Eton, and went to London for the season, so to think like that is downright nuts. And “Laird” doesn’t mean lord, and it isn’t a title or anything, it’s a bit like the English “squire.” They didn’t use an accent. That was as vulgar as a duke talking like a yokel.
The book seems hopelessly off base historically, from the bit I read (she even spells “whisky” as “whiskey” which is enough to get you murdered in Scotland) so probably best enjoyed as a fantasy.
It is a pretty cover, though.
Guess it’s a good thing I don’t know the history like you do, Lynne, or this one would have been worse off than it is. Though I read all romance as fantasy and historical accuracy isn’t as important to me as it is to others, if it’s way off base and used as you talk about, then it matters to me if I’m familiar enough with it. And I agree about the cover. I even like those with your infamous “prom dresses”! LOL