Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Review: The Scandalous Secret of Abigail MacGregor

The Scandalous Secret of Abigail MacGregor (MacGregors Highland Heirs: Book 3) by Paula Quinn

Publication Date: 03/31/2015
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Imprint: Forever
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: 384
ISBN-101455519499
ISBN-13978-1455519491

(Received for an honest review from Forever)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound, itunes

Paula Quinn on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series:

MacGregors Highland Heirs

1. The Seduction of Miss Amelia Bell
2. The Wicked Ways of Alexander Kidd
3. The Scandalous Secret of Abigail MacGregor

Coverart:


Excerpt from The Scandalous Secret of Abigail MacGregor, courtesy of the author's website

Synopsis:

A LADY'S MISSION . . . 

Known for her beauty and boldness, Abigail MacGregor must preserve her clan's dangerous secret: that her mother is the true heir to the English Crown. If the wrong people find out, it will mean war for her beloved Scotland. To keep peace, she embarks for London, unprepared for the treachery that awaits-especially from her wickedly handsome escort. He is the enemy, but his slow, sensuous kisses entice her beyond reason . . . 

A WARRIOR'S TEMPTATION

General Daniel Marlow, loyal knight and the kingdom's most desirable hero, would rather be on the battlefield than transporting a spoiled Highland lass. But Abby MacGregor is unlike any woman he's ever met, in a ballroom or in his bedroom. Captivated by her daring spirit and seduced by her lovely innocence, Daniel must choose between betraying his queen or giving up the woman who would steal his country-and his traitorous heart.


Thoughts:

Paula Quinn brings readers the third book in the MacGregor's Highland Heirs series, The Scandalous Secret of Abigail MacGregor. This is a story of the turbulent pasts of both England and Scotland. Readers who love historical romance can't wrong with this one. Quinn's characters are well drawn and intriguing, while the premise of the book is complex and riveting. Secrets, betrayal, an assassination attempt, all of these things and more come into play in this novel. Quinn is on a roll with this series and this is the best book yet.

Having read the other two books in this series, I was excited to review this one. Paula Quinn has what it takes when it comes to historical writing. She uses her imagination liberally and comes up with something that is not only entertaining, but historically plausible. It didn't happen this way, but could you imagine if it did? Quinn could and did. Loved it! 

Quinn has done her homework with this one. Being of Scottish descent means I take it seriously when a writer takes on a story involving the Highlands or Scotland in general. I want there to be a certain amount of authenticity in the writing. It's one thing to write about the Regency period that has been thoroughly saturated. Any good historical writer that is worth his/her salt could probably come up with something good, without a lot of research. Tackling the Highland spirit along with the difficult relations between England and Scotland, that's a little more ambitious and Quinn does it with style here.

I loved Abigail. She was a true Highland lass. She was strong, courageous and independent. And she was stubborn as an ox... LOL! She had some sass to her and it was no wonder Daniel was stunned by her. Just a wonderful character and very well written. It was interesting seeing her grow and change throughout the book. Fall in love tends to do that to you. Daniel's change was incredibly gratifying as well. Going to from a Jacobite Killer to a Jacobite lover in one fell swoop. Great characters, with great chemistry. Quinn knows how to write a good love scene and fans to like books more on the romantic side get a great balance with this book. Lots of political intrigue and lots of lusty encounters. That's Scotland for you!

Bottom Line:

The best part of the book for me was the fact that not only Abigail but the rest of the MacGregor's have a part to play in this story. I also liked the whole Queen of England play in this novel. I wanted a lot of romance and I got it. I wanted a lot of mystery and political espionage and I got that too. Quinn is word master. Her skills at bringing her characters and the scene to life were simply magical. You gotta read this one... it's just that good!

The Scandalous Secret of Abigail MacGregor is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!




About the Author:


Paula Quinn is a New York Times bestselling author and a sappy romantic moved by music, beautiful words, and the sight of a really nice pen. She lives in New York with her three beautiful children, six over-protective chihuahuas, and a loud umbrella cockatoo. She loves to read romance and science fiction and has been writing since she was eleven. She's a faithful believer in God and thanks Him daily for all the blessings in her life. She loves all things medieval, but it is her love for Scotland that pulls at her heartstrings.

To date, four of her books have garnered Starred reviews from Publishers Weekly. She has been nominated as Historical Storyteller of the Year by RT Book Reviews, and all the books in her MacGregor and Children of the Mist series have received Top Picks from RT Book Reviews. Her work has also been honored as Amazons Best of the Year in Romance, and in 2008 she won the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence for Historical Romance.

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