Sandy M’s review of Skies Over Caledonia (Highlands, Book 4) by Samantha Young
Contemporary Romance published by Samantha Young 9 May 24
Allegra and Jared’s romance has been simmering over the years, even as they’ve gone about their lives, avoiding one another so those pesky feelings they have won’t complicate their situation any further. Since they haven’t acted on those feelings, when Allegra needs a solution to the Scottish government telling her she won’t be allowed to visit again for quite some time, she turns to the one person who can help and who needs help in return.
A marriage of convenience is not what either of them thought would bring to them together, but the details of living together without emotion and sex should work. Right? Unfortunately, the desire and lust that consumed them for one brief moment years before is now a conflagration they have to keep under control. Fortunately, despite their valiant efforts at keeping that control tightly reined, the longer they spend time together, doing all those other small aspects of marriage, including lying and acting out feelings for their family and friends, true emotions eventually get the better of them and all bets are off.
Both Jared and Allegra had difficult childhoods, secrets they’ve lived with for so long, that it’s difficult to finally let go and share. But once they do share, everything between them changes. Jared wants to make the fake real, and Allegra is happy to hear that. And when they truly do let loose and enjoy one another, seeing the life they can have together, it’s joyous to watch it all happen. Happiness to the nth degree.
There are conflicts, of course, they have to get through; a mystery that invades that happiness; and Jared’s doubt Allegra belongs in his world keeps resurfacing. I like Allegra’s forthright manner, demanding they talk things through – that’s a huge issue in romance for me. Don’t walk away without talking and working on those issues. So props to Allegra. And to Jared for finally seeing she’s right.
It’s always nice to catch up with a few characters from past books, and those who appear this time are both doubtful and/or happy about this convenient marriage, and they aren’t shy about letting this couple know all about it. As usual, I thoroughly enjoyed Samantha Young’s characters and story telling. She’s not let me down through all of her books I’ve read so far. I have a feeling that will continue well into the future.
Grade: A
Summary:
It’s been five years since Jared McCulloch’s grandfather Collum passed away and he inherited his farm in the Scottish Highlands. After his grandad saved him from his past life, Jared is determined to honor Collum’s legacy. But not only has a series of bad luck put him in danger of losing the farm, his estranged father is disputing the will. In a desperate situation, Jared realizes he’ll do just about anything to save the land.
Even marrying Allegra Howard, a woman he’s avoided at all costs.
A woman who tempts him beyond reason.There’s only one place that makes Allegra Howard feel safe; one place that feeds her artist’s soul. Allegra wants to settle down in Scotland and expand her business. But there’s a hitch: immigration intends to return her to US soil.
Panicked, Allegra finds the one person just as desperate as she is. The same person she’s lusted after for years. In exchange for marrying her, she’ll invest financially in Jared McCulloch’s farm.However, living together only forces them to acknowledge their searing mutual attraction. And with it comes an undeniable emotional connection Jared’s not sure he’s ready for.
Yet, blurring the lines of their arrangement is the least of his concerns when someone begins terrorizing the farm.
Allegra and Jared came together to save what matters most and now that might just be each other. And unless they can figure out which of their pasts has returned to torment them, they could lose their chance at a real future together…
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
