Highland Scandal [Mass Market Paperback]

I was eagerly anticipating this new series from Julia London, because I am a highland romance junkie. I mean what's not to love, men in kilts, the oftentimes romantic Gaelic language, the raw beauty of the landscape, and did I mention men in kilts...I think you get the picture. I have read many of Ms. London's romances, and have never been disappointed...until now. When I read the teaser line "You deserve to know what it is like to be wholly seduced" I thought, "wow", which unfortunately turned into more of a "huh".

I'm not going to go into much into detail about the book, because frankly the blurb on the back cover pretty much covers it all. It wasn't until I got to about page two hundred, that the story finally started to become somewhat interesting, but even then their story wasn't scandalous. It all seemed like words on a page, and most of them boring & forgettable. The emotions and the characters of Jack and Lizzie never really seemed to come alive for me. I thought the story might become more interesting when it is revealed that Jack's father was an emotional and physical abuser, and Jack fears becoming like him. Yet very little is done with this fact. Lizzie is "almost" engaged to another man, but she and her almost fiancé give each other up without too much thought, or guilt. The few romantic scenes came off to me more "cheesy" than heartfelt declarations of love. But the biggest revealing disappointment for me was the moment Jack decides to appeal to the king on Lizzie's behalf, knowing by doing so he could be sent to his death. This kind of sacrifice almost always gets to me (we're talking major tears and heaving sobs...I'm a sucker for it), but in Highland Scandal this element failed to induce any sense of loss, or sacrifice, which is sad.

The story that I wish Julia would have written was the secondary romance between Lizzie's handicapped sister Charlotte and the highlander sent to protect her, Newton. Charlotte was the family beauty, sophisticated and charming, with her pick of eligible and wealthy suitors, whose world came crashing to a halt after she became paralyzed from a horse riding accident. After the accident she becomes reclusive and bitter, mourns the loss of her dreams, resents the fact that she is dependant on the people that she loves, and feels guilty for being an added burden on their meager resources.

Newton is a modest highlander, who is sent to protect Charlotte when Lizzie is taken to her Uncle's castle to become hand fasted to Jack. Despite Charlotte's abrasiveness, a friendship blossoms between these two unlikely people, and Newton finds endearing ways to bring happiness back to her life. The reader is given very brief glimpses into their romance, but the few scenes we are gifted with are sincerely touching. I wanted more of Charlotte and Newton's romance, and less with Jack and Lizzie. Unfortunately, the epilogue written at the end of Highland Scandal concludes both love stories, so sadly we will never get to fully enjoy the more compelling love story between Charlotte and Newton, and that for me is truly scandalous.

Booklover1335 for Seductive Musings

The main heroine, Lizzie, is everything I hate in a heroine. She is uncommunicative, uncompromising, and whiny. Her horridness is even more obvious since the hero is so reasonable and likeable. He acknowledges the situations and makes the best of it while she whines and attacks him more than once. Both are being forced into this relationship, but she makes it all about her. Oh, I find her so annoying I can't put it into words.

I won't describe the book as others before me have already done so. I am a big fan of Julia London and have not read any of her books that I didn't like. I made it through about 6 chapters of this book before I couldn't stand it anymore. The heroine is self-centered, cruel and whiny and treats Jack, the hero, terribly. The two are forced into a handfasting yet she treats him as though it's all his fault. Jack could be hanged if he didn't accept this handfast, but she could care less. She does whatever she can to get away from him and her uncle even though the uncle has said Jack will be handed over to the bounty hunters if she gets away.

Even her sister is a shrew so I can see how they're related. You wouldn't know these women were 23 and 25 years with such nasty behavior. Jack, on the other hand, looks at the situation with a clear head and resolves to make the best of it. He treats her well while she attacks him with a dirk, kicks him under the table, has him locked up in a shed and on and on.

There was no depth to any of the characters. They seemed fairly one dimensional. I can't believe Julia London wrote such a terrible story and used such miserable, mean female characters!

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