Romancing the Scot

· Swerve
4.6
26 reviews
Ebook
300
Pages

About this ebook

In this stunning series starter by USA Today bestselling author May McGoldrick, meet the new generation of Penningtons...five brothers and sisters of passion and privilege. Enter their aristocratic world...where each will fight injustice and find love.

Hugh Pennington—Viscount Greysteil, Lord Justice of the Scottish Courts, hero of the Napoleonic wars—is a grieving widower with a death wish. When he receives an expected crate from the continent, he is shocked to find a nearly dead woman inside. Her identity is unknown, and the handful of American coins and the precious diamond sown into her dress only deepen the mystery.

Grace Ware is an enemy to the English crown. Her father, an Irish military commander of Napoleon’s defeated army. Her mother, an exiled Scottish Jacobite. When Grace took shelter in a warehouse, running from her father’s murderers through the harbor alleyways of Antwerp, she never anticipated bad luck to deposit her at the home of an aristocrat in the Scottish Borders. Baronsford is the last place she could expect to find safety, and Grace feigns a loss of memory to buy herself time while she recovers.

Hugh is taken by her beauty, passion, and courage to challenge his beliefs and open his mind. Grace finds in him a wounded man of honor, proud but compassionate. When their duel of wits quickly turns to passion and romance, Grace’s fears begin to dissolve...until danger follows her to the very doors of Baronsford. For, unknown to either of them, Grace has in her possession a secret that will wreak havoc within the British government. Friend and foe are indistinguishable as lethal forces converge to tear the two lovers apart or destroy them both.

Ratings and reviews

4.6
26 reviews
Margaret Watkins
November 25, 2017
A Regency story with a difference, Romancing the Scot is adventure and mystery underscored by romance. When Grace finds herself bundled into a crate and hears the nails being pounded into the wood, she is certain that she has reached the end of her time on earth. Emerging from the dark some days later, close to death, Grace has to employ what scattered wits she has left to protect herself from the new danger facing her. Viscount Hugh Greysteil on the other hand, is astounded when the item being shipped to him includes an unknown woman muttering poetry. For the first time since the death of his family Hugh experiences a resurgence of emotions as he does what is necessary to rescue Grace from death and protect her when the past catches up with her. In many ways, Grace is the perfect foil for Hugh as she matches him in wits and intelligence. Unlike many men of that time, Hugh does not have fixed ideas about a woman's place and instead he capitalises on Grace's intelligence. The story only really started to move along after about half way, but in the preceding time the reader is drawn into the fear and wariness that Grace is experiencing as well as Hugh's recognition that his heart is not longer made of stone. When the couple eventually come to recognise their attraction for one another, it is almost too late as their true enemies emerge from the past. I thoroughly enjoyed this well written book. It is well thought out and the mystery surrounding Grace had a surprising end. This story sets the tone for future books in this series, but is nevertheless a standalone with an enchanting view of the future.
1 person found this review helpful
Janet B
November 9, 2017
Hugh Pennington—Viscount Greysteil, Lord Justice of the Scottish Courts, hero of the Napoleonic wars lost his wife & son over six years ago. When he receives an expected crate from the continent, he is shocked to find a nearly dead woman inside. Her identity is unknown, and the handful of American coins and the precious diamond sown into her dress only deepen the mystery. Grace Ware is an enemy to the English crown. Her father, Colonel Ware was an Irish military commander of Napoleon’s defeated army & her mother, was an exiled Scottish Jacobite. When Grace took shelter in a warehouse, running from her father’s murderers through the harbour alleyways of Antwerp, she never anticipated bad luck to deposit her at the home of an aristocrat in the Scottish Borders. Baronsford is the last place she could expect to find safety, and Grace feigns a loss of memory to buy herself time while she recovers. A very well written riveting read, the characterisation is very good both Hugh & Grace are very likeable & it was lovely to see Hugh leave his grief behind & learn to love again. Grace is delightful & is a mature intelligent woman with an ability she is able to put to good use not only for her own sake but for others. The pace of the book is very good & I was loathe to leave it but was too long a book to read in one sitting. There were twists & turns along the way until the reason for the murders in Antwerp was finally revealed. The rest of the Penningtons are intriguing & I look forward to their stories – I’ve already read Gregory’s & loved it, Jo certainly deserves her HEA. I was also intrigued by the parents the Earl & Countess of Aytoun, not realising their story had already been written, so I’ve been & bought it! My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
SG P
March 27, 2018
Like! I'm glad that I didn't have to endure the entire book waiting for Grace to spill the beans about who she was. That makes for a dreadful story and read. I love Hugh and Jo. I hope in the next book that haughty gossiper is humbled!! Great job working in the final characters in the end, making a path for an unexpected twist. Well done.

About the author

Authors Nikoo and Jim McGoldrick (writing as May McGoldrick) weave emotionally satisfying tales of love and danger. Publishing under the names of May McGoldrick and Jan Coffey, these authors have written more than thirty novels and works of nonfiction for Penguin Random House, Mira, HarperCollins, Entangled, and Heinemann. Nikoo, an engineer, also conducts frequent workshops on writing and publishing and serves as a Resident Author. Jim holds a Ph.D. in Medieval and Renaissance literature and teaches English in northwestern Connecticut. They are the authors of Much ado about Highlanders, Taming the Highlander, and Tempest in the Highlands with SMP Swerve.

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.