Betting the Scot

Declan Sinclair is a Highlander who believes his dreams never lie. When he spots Caya at a public house, he knows instantly she is the woman in his dreams & his future wife. Though her brother, Jack had promised never to gamble again, he engages Declan in a card game and the prize is the lovely Caya. Caya Pendarvis has no time for childish things like dreams or fairy-tales or love. She’s the sacrificial lamb on her way to the far north of Scotland to wed a wealthy merchant in exchange for settling her brother’s gambling debts. I enjoyed the book it was a slow burner & it took some time for the story to ‘get going’, the characters were well portrayed. I absolutely loved Declan. I liked Caya but at times wanted to shake her. The story flowed well but I found it a gentle read & found my attention wandering at times at the start of the book but it certainly came alive in the second half. There’s some twists along the way & of course Caya’s brother Jack causes some problems. I loved Peter & would like to see him all grown up & then there’s Magnus who sees himself after so many years of hiding behind his beard. This is the second book in the series & could well be read by itself, I look forward to reading more from the author My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

The Highlands of Scotland, 1817 Can a man really see his future bride in a dream? He can if he is Declan Sinclair whose dreams always come true and his clansmen know it. Declan has been dreaming of a lass that will be his bride for three years but the dreams have started to come closer together. Sitting in a tavern with his cousins he looks over and sees Caya Pendarvis, the girl of his dreams down to her yellow hair!! What Declan does not know is that she is with her brother Jack ,who has already sold her off to a merchant to pay his gambling debts and they are waiting to meet her betrothed the next day. Caya and Declan lock eyes several times and there seems to be a spark. As Caya goes up to her room for bed, Declan walks over to Jack and introduces himself. Well one thing leads to another and a card game ensues with the prize being beautiful Caya! How could Jack lose the game when Caya is already promised to another! Of course Declan wins! When Caya finds out what happened, Declan gives her a choice of waiting to marry her merchant or go with Declan to his home. She does pick him but Declan intends to woo her so she will want to be his wife. I loved this story with the adventure and the braw hero who is really a little shy but has a wonderful smile with a twinkle in his eye. Can Declan win Caya who only wants to be loved for herself and feel worth something? Jennifer Trethewey again tells a wonderful story of two people who were meant to be. I mean it is not everyday a man dreams about his future wife and that dream comes true!!

I am voluntarily submitting my honest review after receiving an ARC of this ebook via NetGalley. Betting the Scot is the second in the Highlanders of Balforss series. I did not read the first book in the series, but had no trouble following the plot of this second installment. That said, perhaps I might have enjoyed this book had I read Lucy and Alex's story first. Despite an interesting story line, likable characters and an enchanting setting, this was not one of the better novels I have read. The main problem is in the story's pacing. After a promising start, the middle of the story really drags, and then rushes on to a fast and furious finish. Perhaps a little less dithering about whether Declan and Caya should or should not be courting and more time spent getting to know each other's backgrounds would make the middle more interesting.