Highland Thief

Book: Highland Thief by Alyson McLayne Series:The Sons of Gregor MacLeod, Book #5 Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca Release Date: August 24, 2021 Overall Rating: 5/5 Stars Blog Rating : 5/5 Saltire Flags (Scotland 1432) This all started twenty years ago, with Laird Madadh MacAlister leading five clans in attacking Gregor MacLeod's keep and losing. Giving his word to his deceased wife Kellie, Gregor promises to find a solution and peace among the feuding Clans. He comes up with a plan: each Laird has to give them his heir, their oldest son for fostering. Each son is destined to be the next Laird, if their fathers do not agree they will be punished by death! Each Laird reluctantly agrees, with a promise they will see their boys again and MacLeod will not harm the boys in any way. Gregor MacLeod is thinking with his head not his heart wholeheartedly agrees! He knows if they were his blood kin he would have asked the same. (Scotland 1453) This is the Kerr MacAlister’s story, who is the last unmarried foster son of Gregor MacLeod, obviously not his biological father, but the father of his heart! Kerr wishes Gregor was his biological father with all his heart, as his foster father’s prediction came true that Kerr’s biological father, Madadh MacAlister would one day try to kill him! Kerr recently comes home to find his sweet mother murdered, leaving her body for the livestock to gnaw on which made him sick. Madadh attempts to murder Kerr his own son, but does not succeed and in defense and for the murder of his sweet mother Kerr kills his own father In his own defense! Now Kerr is the Laird of Castle MacAlister and determined to win hIsobel (Izzy) MacKinnon, the beauty of the highlands that owns his heart! For the past four years he decides the beauty of the highlands would one day be his bride. Kerr hasn’t even touched or looked at another woman since making this earth shattering decision, he also hasn’t asked the lady in question either. A woman he does not realize when she was fifteen he had rejected and broke her heart! Isobel (Izzy) MacKinnon has known Kerr MacAlister since she was only two months old and has loved him the majority of her life! That was until she was fifteen years old and Kerr being deep in his cups rejected her affection and broke Izzy’s tender heart! In retaliation Izzy hardened her heart and has been trying to set traps for her humiliation mostly with animal dung! Except Kerr knowing her so well can trick him! He spots the tracks just by the expression on her lovely face before she can even set her smelly trap! However since setting his sites on her he also chases off any man that shows an interest in his Izzy! After all nobody ever accused Kerr of being a nice man, but when Kerr MacAlister makes up his mind about something nothing and no one can change it! For Izzy it is very annoying, but at the moment it is helpful since she isn’t interested in anyone else! So she doesn’t have to reject anyone herself with Kerr chasing all her would be suitors away. Plus the fact she keeps having these intimate-steamy-hot dreams about Kerr! It is also so exasperating! Another problem for Kerr is feeling he has tainted bloodlines and nowhere honorable or good enough for his highland beauty. As his father was a wicked sadistic monster which everyone in his clan feared, he was especially brutal to women and children. Now he wonders that is his future and should he let the woman of his heart go due to his bad tainted blood? Not realizing his vicious father was not capable of loving anyone but possibly himself! On top of that someone wants to take over his clan and kill him and his people. Isobel and Kerr end up going on this journey together that puts both their lives in jeopardy. This journey will reveal their true feelings for one another, meeting new friends, including a kind wolf and it’s owner, plus enemies who want to kill them. Find out the result of Gregor MacLeod’s last unmarried son. Will he win this highland beauty or feel he will never be good enough for her highland perfection?

4-4.5 Stars! This is the last book in the ‘The Sons of Gregor MacLeod’ series but the first that I’ve read and can be read as a standalone. I love a good historical Scottish romance especially when it has a strong female main character! This author is up there with the best historical Scottish romance authors, think Amy Jareck, Eliza Knight, Tanya Anne Crosby, Suzanne Enoch, Shana Galen, & Bronwen Evans. I’m definitely going to be reading the rest of the series and I highly recommend this book! It’s got action, heat, passion, adventure, sexy times, sad bits, and witty banter - the perfect balance for an awesome book. I want a brawny, sexy highland Warrior, with the Scot’s accent, to love me like Kerr loves Izzy! Anyone know a sexy Scotsman’s looking for love? Haha! Kidding, sort of! *I received this book at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*

I absolutely love this series. I have read all of the books. Each was a stand alone book that ties to the other books and characters. I hope there will be one last book that brings a close to the big mystery and includes more of Ericak and Siv. The characters are great love Gregor and all his foster sons.