Book Review: Her Highland Rogue by Violetta Rand

Her Highland Rogue – Violetta Rand

*Warning – may contain spoilers*

Author: Violetta Rand

Publisher: Loveswept

First published: 2016

Cover: pdf eBook

Pages: 200

Blurb:  (Taken from Goodreads)

Errol MacRae’s days of gallivanting across the Highlands are nearing an end. His father’s health has taken a turn for the worse, and rumours are swirling that the crown intends to transfer ancient lands into the hands of the MacKenzies, the clan the MacRaes are sworn to defend. Errol expects to lead his men into battle soon. So he isn’t pleased when his father instead sends him to retrieve a beautiful flame-haired lass who has fled into the mountains.
Orphaned as a young girl, Aileana vividly remembers how the MacRaes rescued her and welcomed her into their clan. For ten years, she has served them loyally—until the night she’s nearly despoiled by one of the laird’s captains. Aileana risks her life and her reputation to seek refuge in the snow-capped peaks of the Five Sisters, the one place that has always felt like home. But after the strong-armed, strong-willed Errol tracks her down in a blizzard, she finds herself tempted to risk something even more dangerous: her heart.

History of my copy: I was given a free pdf copy of this book by through Bewitching Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. I will be featuring a spotlight of this book tomorrow.

I read this book rather quickly as, once I finished my exams, I realised how soon my stop on the book tour was. However, I did have time to read it thoroughly and didn’t skim read it.

Another note is that this book contains a couple rather descriptive adult themes, so I wouldn’t recommend this book for anyone under 18 (unless they deem themselves mature enough), or anyone who dislikes sexy scenes. They aren’t very long though and can easily be skipped without missing anything of the story.

Plot: Her Highland Rogue focusses on two main characters – Errol McRae, son of the laird, and Aileana, the girl the McRae clan rescued when she was young. It’s a story of self-discovery, romance and deciding whether the man she loves or her family is more important.

         Aileana has yearned to know of her heritage for a long time and, when she runs away, she discovers Sgùrr living in the mountain who turns out to be her long-lost mother. Errol, however, finds her and returns her to the tribe. Chased away again by the nasty Broc, Aileana once again returns to Sgùrr who then takes her to meet her long-lost father who happens to be brother to the laird of the enemy clan – the MacDonalds.

         Aileana ends up having to choose between remaining with her family, or returning with Errol to wed him.

Setting: One thing that drew me to this book was its setting. My father’s family is Scottish and although I have only been there once, I am fascinated by the country. I’ve never read a book set in the Scottish Highlands but, after reading Her Highland Rogue, I certainly will look at reading one again.

               Rand isn’t the best at describing the setting, in my opinion. Her Highland Rogue seems to focus much more on the characters and their interactions, which is a shame because when you have such a wonderful setting at your disposal, I think you should make the most of it.

Characters: The two main characters are Errol and Aileana. I think Errol was a little two-dimensional and that the story would have benefited from a little more evidence of his feelings for Aileana before she ran away. Although they worked well as a couple, they felt a little forced at first. Errol suited the title of ‘Highland Rogue’ as he was a brash, rowdy young man who tended to disagree with his father. However, it is clear that there is a gentleman inside him as he is very concerned for Aileana’s welfare.

               Aileana, on the other hand, was a much more enjoyable character. She was fiery and complimented Errol well. She was a little naïve and over-reacted in some situations, but that just added to her character, making her a little different to the typical red-headed beauty.

To read or not to read: Read. Her Highland Rogue is a decent quick read, especially for those who love a bit of romance with a twist and in a different setting. I personally would love a prequel to discover more about Sgùrr and Cian, as well as the relationship between Errol and Aileana as they grew up.