How to Marry a Royal Highlander by Vanessa Kelly

How to Marry a Royal Highlander by Vanessa KellyThis is the first one of this series that I’ve read, and the last one to be released, but it stands well on its own with hints of the fun to be had in the previous novels.

While not quite sure what to expect, I enjoy historical romances and the Scottish highlands offer such fodder for the romantically inclined. Imagine my surprise when I learned not only were Eden and Alasdair already constantly at odds, but that Alasdair is engaged to be married…to someone else.

As the plot unfolds, and I use the term “plot” intentionally because there are several going on in this novel, we learn that all can turn out well if only they manage to break with tradition, convince certain people to follow what they truly desire (Eden, or Edie, being one of those people), and manage to survive assassination attempts all at the same time.
Toss in Edie’s fascination with history and a grandfather who hates all English but has a soft spot for anyone as enraptured by his castle and its history as he is, and you start to get an inkling of the romp this book turns out to be.

Edie and Alec (Alasdair) are like mischievous children with their scheming and cutting repartee, but both have good hearts and a sense of honor that’s delightful even as it buries them in trouble. Edie’s mother is a wonder as she drives her daughter to pieces while Alec’s father is truly good and his grandfather a real character. Alec’s cousins are a mess of trouble with their misunderstandings and misguided acts and yet there’s something likable about each of them.

The book is a rollicking good time with interesting people in an interesting place. It’s also a complicated story where the right action and the one they long for aren’t always the same thing, or at least do not appear to be. There are explicit sexual encounters between Alec and Edie, but she holds out until there’s a thorough commitment between them…though the road still contains some serious obstacles.

I found How to Marry a Royal Highlander to be much like a game of Clue. Everyone is up to something, everyone has strong motives, and all those “up to”s conflict with each other to create enticing chaos. An enjoyable, light read.

P.S. I received this title from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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