Book Review of To Tame a Highland Earl (MacLean Highlander Novel Book 1) by Tarah Scott

Book Title: To Tame a Highland Earl (A MacLean Highlander Novel #1)

Genre: Historical Romance

Pages: 306
Author: Tarah Scott

Date Published: 14 May 2014

Synopsis:

A man torn between two worlds. Both need him… neither wants him.
Groomed for a life amongst the English aristocracy, Lord Erroll Rushton is unexpectedly thrust back into his father’s Scottish world when the Englishwoman he compromises refuses to marry him.
No gentleman breaks into a lady’s bedchamber...but then, no lady sleeps with a pistol under her pillow.
Miss Eve Crenshaw will marry for love or won’t marry at all. When London’s most notorious rakehell breaks into Eve’s bedroom in the dead of night and compromises her beyond repair, she plans a daring elopement that shocks even the earl.

Review:

To Tame a Highland Earl by Tarah Scott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

This is a fantastic historical romance. I loved it!

Lord Erroll Rushton is a wonderful character. I really liked him. He is a man used to getting his own way and is a bit of a ladies man. When his honour is called into question, he makes a rash decision to confront his accuser, but due to a case of mistaken identity, finds himself in an even bigger mess.

Eve Crenshaw is also a wonderful character. I really liked her. She is a stubborn woman who made a mistake as a young girl. Now older and wiser, she is determined to marry for love. When Lord Rushton mistakenly enters her room instead of her sister's, Eve is determined to extricate herself from the situation she finds herself in.

I hadn't read a historical romance in years, so when I was offered the chance, I took it as it made a nice change from the usual paranormal romances I normally read. I had forgotten how much I actually enjoy reading "bodice rippers". I used to read a lot of Barbara Cartland books as a teen, but once I found the paranormal romance genre, they fell to the wayside. Which is really sad, because I have now come to realise that I have missed reading these types of books.

This story hooked me from the first page. The characters were well thought out and they felt real. The bedroom scene in the beginning made me snicker, because I could picture it so clearly; it was quite comical in content. In fact I really loved the way the author described all the scenes as they unfolded; I could picture them so clearly and I felt like I was actually there. There is an amazingly daring kidnapping attempt, danger lurking around in horse drawn carriages and an all round smoldering romance that got my heart pumping! I must admit though, that I was not particularly enamored with Eve's younger sister, Grace, who came across as selfish and more than a little bit manipulative. She's definitely ambitious about securing herself an important position within Society. In a way, I pity the poor fool who either falls for her, or decides to marry her. Don't get me wrong, she does have a heart, but she is not exactly wearing it on her sleeve either. The story gets even more interesting when the characters arrive in Scotland and the Earl's home in Mull. There, we meet even more of Lord Rushton's family; they are certainly a lively bunch! I liked meeting Erroll's brother, Ash, as well as his mother, the Marchioness and his cousins. They are all wonderful characters too. This book has had me on a roller coaster ride of emotion. I was very sad when I reached the end of the story, because I really wanted to keep reading. However, since I have now renewed my love for historical romances, I will be on the look out for more books in this genre to read in the future.

Tarah Scott has written a wonderful historical romance novel. I loved her fast paced writing style and the flow was absolutely wonderful. I have another one of her books, not a historical romance but a paranormal one, sitting on my "want to read" list. I am going to have to add her historical romances onto there too! She has found a fan in me!

Due to scenes of a sexual nature that are a little on the explicit side, I do not recommend this book to readers under the age of 16. However, I highly recommend this book if you love historical romances with sexy men and stubborn/strong females. - Lynn Worton

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