A Scot to the Heart audiobook

Captain Andrew St. James is shocked to discover he is the heir presumptive to his distant cousin, the Duke of Carlyle. He heads home to Scotland to tell his family of his inheritance. After an unhappy marriage, Ilsa Ramsay yearns for freedom and fun. When she kisses a handsome stranger at a tavern, neither expects a magnetic chemistry to overtake them.This is the second book in the Desperately Seeking Duke series. The book opens with a brief synopsis of the title succession, but then advances as a mostly stand alone story.I enjoyed the first book, but this one was even better. It was a glorious story of two individuals who didn't intend to fall for one another. It perfectly captures that feeling of new love, when everything is exciting and one just can't wait to catch a glimpse of the other. I was definitely feeling the butterflies!Drew is a great cinnamon roll hero, strong and protective but loving instead of overbearing. I loved Ilsa, too! She was sheltered by her father and then isolated by her husband. She was made to feel inferior when she expressed herself, but that didn't stop her. They make a fantastic pair!Now I can't wait for the novella, How the Scot Was Won, so I can find out what happened between Agnes and Malcolm!Tropes: Rags to Riches, Widow, Forced ProximitySteam Rating: 3 (four scenes, but two were short)* I received an ARC (or four) and this is my honest review. #AScotToTheHeart #NetGalley

** spoiler alert ** What do I think?This is the second book in the Duke-finding series. I have to say this is my second Linden-novel and her writing is really good. Not that many repetitions, nice flow, good emotions.Andrew St James is a captain in the army and suddenly becomes an heir to a dukedom. also he is scottish! I thought I wouldn't like him but he was adorable! One of my favourite heroes. He was driven by a need to take care of his wonderful family and therefore he wanted to make the duchess of carlyle happy. Althogh, he fell in love!What I liked:Both H & h was nice people, and I like niceThe h was funny and caring and really braveI did adore the side-characters, the family shop, Drews friendsThey had a houseparty! Love houseparties.What I didn't like:The whole flight-scene, when the h was "covering" for her fatherThe villain did not get what he deservedThe father left me with a lot og questions, why do that to a loved daughter?Steam level: 4/5Rating: 4,5/5 (if it would have been less drama in the end it would been 5)

* Thank you to goodreads giveaway for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is the second book in this trilogy and while I didn’t love it as much as the first book, I still enjoyed it. Drew is the new presumptive heir to a dukedom, so he decides to resign his post in the army and head back to Scotland to prepare his family for the news. Although, not all his family is excited. While there he meets a mysterious woman who happens to be friends with one of his sisters. Even though he feels he should find himself an English aristocrat lady, he can’t help falling for the Scottish lass. Their chemistry together was good and you could see them falling in love. I’m so curious to see who actually becomes the Duke. Now it feels like I have to wait forever for the third book!

His family’s distant nobility is no surprise to Captain Andrew St. James, but his father was disowned by the ducal branch of the family, and he’s never known or expected anything from them. Drew is shocked to learn that he is now the heir to his distant cousin, the current Duke of Carlyle. With his simple soldier’s life upended, Drew has a stiff learning curve to face with all these new expectations and responsibilities, but first he’s taking a trip home to Edinburgh to visit his mother and three sisters and tell them the news.Widowed Ilsa Ramsey is ready to seize her independence and have a little adventure, not settle down into a second marriage. When she learns that the handsome soldier she danced with at a raucous tavern is in fact her friend’s brother and heir to an English dukedom, she reminds herself of all the reasons she could never be with him, despite their strong mutual attraction. But as Ilsa’s friendship with his sister puts her in the same orbit as Drew more and more frequently, they struggle to stay apart.Drew knows the Duchess expects him to marry an Englishwoman with a sparkling reputation and training befitting the title, and lively Ilsa if far from that expectation. Even so, when Ilsa finds herself embroiled in scandal, Drew steps in to help her even as she attempts to push him away. Soon neither of them is willing to forsake their feelings for any duty or expectation.It took a while for me to really get into this book, but I did wind up enjoying it. I loved the Scottish setting as well as the fact that Ilsa and Drew’s relationship begins fairly early on in the book and develops with a fair amount of open honesty and not much game playing. Andrew was a great hero as he seemed to just be a genuinely good man, devoted to his family, and trying to do right by Ilsa, his newfound responsibilities, and his own heart. He was easy to root for. I also found myself cheering Ilsa on, but this was a source of great frustration for me when she refused to stand up for herself and truly assert her status as an independent woman to her aunt and father. I won’t say much more because I don’t want to give anything away, but I wanted more vindication for her and more comeuppance for the villain. I liked that the conflict was mostly external, but Ilsa said some awful things to Drew that she could’ve done a better job of apologizing and making up for, especially after everything he was willing to sacrifice for her. I also thought that the final conflict was cleared away rather quickly and in a manner that wasn’t wholly satisfactory for me, especially after how much of a big deal it was made out to be. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this story and both the main and supporting characters, and I look forward to the next installment in the series.I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have read and loved the first installment in the series (About a Rogue) and this one was even better than I expected. I had this image of Andrew as a very low key, subservient individual but he is everything but. He is fun, he is straightforward, he doesn't beat around the bush about his feelings and what I love most is that he is absolutely dedicated to his family and loves his sisters and his mother enormously. Ilsa, on the other hand, seemed a bit wild at first and I am not a fan either of unconventional women or of widow romances but she grew on me(view spoiler)[the fact that she sneaks into his room at night and seduces him was great - she was a woman who knew what she wanted and had no qualms about asking for it (hide spoiler)] . The two make a marvelous couple, the chemistry is there and the love scenes are steamy enough and now I am dying to know what transpired with Agnes and Duncan in the side story. I really hope there will be a novella or a short story like it was the case with the previous book. Wonderfully written, I absolutely recommend.

Captain Andrew St. James has been in the English Army since he was eighteen. He is the head of his family and sends most of his pay home for his mom and three sisters. One day he is summoned to his colonel's office and told he needs to go to Carlyle Castle. When he gets there he finds out he is the heir presumptive. He goes to Edinburgh to tell his sisters and mother the good news and to see if he can talk them into moving to England. He meets Ilsa Ramsay at an Oyster Bar. They danced and even a kiss was exchanged. But he does not know her name. Ilsa lost her mother when she was four. Her father was not around much. Then she married her father's choice of husband and was not allowed to do anything. Even her aunt who came to live with her father after his wife died was strict about manners and society. She had never been free or allowed to do much. But since her husband had been shot dead in a duel, she was free. She thought Drew was an excellent man, in about all things. He was tall and good-looking and kind. It was fun to read their bantering and joking between them and their siblings. Even his friends were fun to be around.. The author wrote an amazing story and your interest is fully engaged. The characters were just like your own friends and companions. There are also some surprises coming and they will shock you. It does have a little sex but that does not take away from the plot. It is a fun and happy novel but there are some sad spots. I highly recommend the book and hope you liked it as much as I did.I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

4 stars.The first chunk of this book and the second chunk of this book have *very* different problems. First chunk: Adorable! Cute! Hero and heroine dance and kiss at a party, part ways, then he realizes she’s his sister’s best friend? Yes please.It just had what I call the Jen problem — there was nothing keeping this couple from being happy together. Second chunk: The last like 100 pages of this book is where it went a bit off the rails. Holy conflict Batman. There’s a whole book’s worth of crimes and accusations and revelations crammed right here into the last act. And then, rather than letting us see literally any happy scenes at the end, the epilogue is dedicated to setting up book 3. Just a bit much for me. Contains: Scottish (both), army captain, widow, intro by hookup CW: mention of suicide Steam: 3/5🔥

If you are looking into reading books with Scottish heroes without them getting overwhelmingly Scottish (with lingo, clan wars, etc.), if you are tired of romances with unnecessary third act conflicts, or if you are looking for a simple palette cleanser, this is the book for you! It is a perfect mix between a Regency and Scottish romance. I would especially recommend this book to you if you are a beginner to the genre. Tropes: - Scottish Captain hero- strong heroine who does not want to get married- sexy, honorable gentleman hero- steamy, unexpected kiss leads to something more- hero fighting for dukedom and needs a wife- best friend's brotherSummary: While running home to figure out how to claim his dukedom, Captain Andrew St. James has a passionate encounter with Ilsa Ramsay. Ilsa didn’t mean to impulsively kiss her best friend’s brother, she was yearning for adventure and fun after being freed from the captivity of marriage. She tells herself he’s not for her, no matter how tempting he is. But one impulsive kiss leads to another, and another. Spirited Ilsa is none of the things Drew needs in a duchess. Still, when she’s caught in a dangerous scandal, he leaps to her aid without hesitation. And neither family duty nor future obligation can make them ignore what’s in both their hearts.Overall, I really enjoyed this book! If you are tired of reading unnecessary third act conflicts, want to start reading books with sexy Scotts without throwing yourself in the deep end, or want a good pallet cleanser, this is the book for you! This book definitely helped me slowly get out of my reading slump. It had a great mix of adventure, mystery, and romance 🙌🏼 Both main characters were so refreshing, and I loved watching them fall in love with each other. I will admit, I wanted more romance and intimacy from the book, but what we did get was really good. I loved the dynamic and the chemistry between the main characters. I loved watching the two of them be their own person outside of their relationship all while falling so sweetly in love with each other. Ilsa was super independent and fun, I loved her as a heroine. I also love a good sexy, honorable, gentleman hero; Drew was a great hero. You know that sexy, abiding-by-his-moral-code, honorable knight-in-shinning armor vibe? Drew was giving me that the whole time. We don't see heroes that like often enough! As I said earlier, I do wish that we had gotten more intimate moments and more scenes of them falling in love. The subplot was well developed but it did come in the way of their relationship around the end of the book. It was clear that the subplot of the book was definitely taking priority at many points in the book. I honestly didn’t mind it too much. There was crazy fun adventure, mystery, criminals, pillaging, and ghosts! So I was actually very happy with the subplot for most of the book because I was not expecting it at all. I will admit though that the sub-plot did start to lose its spark at the 75% mark; it was mostly written well and weaved nicely into the romance. But I am super pleased to report that there is no unnecessary third act conflict! The conflict in the book was all external. I am so glad we are seeing books that are straying from the unnecessary third act conflict. I root for a couple all the more when they want to be together but their situations are stopping them from being together. It is so much more impactful! This book did a great job with the conflicts and building a believable external barrier in their relationship. Though I did not enjoy this book as much as I did the first one, I really did enjoy myself and am excited to read the next installment in the series 😍 (If you liked The Viscount Who Loved Me, you have to read the first book in the series!) ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/ 5 stars | 🌶🌶/ 5 steamThank you Avon, NetGalley, and Caroline Linden for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

First impressions can be deceiving. Having met Andrew in the first book of this series, I thought him boring and overly willing to please. Boy, was I wrong. Andrew has been told that he is the heir to a dukedom. The current duke is a distant cousin and has been infirmed for several years. Andrew sets out to learn how to run a dukedom and is sent to Scotland on an errand. He plans to make a short visit to his family in Edinburgh where he meets Ilsa, a young widow. Ilsa is a joy who has been set free of a husband who wanted an ornament for a wife. However she’s still hemmed in by an aunt/companion who only cares for propriety and a father who treats her like a child. There is the best house party I‘ve ever read (and I’ve read hundreds of historical romances with house parties), Andrew’s loving family members and friends, a shocking drama and a romance that is wonderfully developed, This is the second book in this series and is a stand alone book. I recommend reading the first book as it is also a great read.Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

I received this arc from NetGalley an exchange for an honest review. I have been anticipating this book since the first in the series!There are two potential heirs in line to a dukedom. The first in line is Captain Andrew St. James, this is his story. The second in line was Maximilian St. James, who we saw in find his match in About a Rogue. At the end of his story, we were left wondering where the Captain ended up. Now, we get to find out his path that he took to find his HEA. To be clear, you do not need to read the first to understand this book, but it is a series that ties together. The heroine of the story is Ilsa Ramsey, and wild and free, sometimes rebellious widow. I love the slow burn romance of this book as well as the first in the series. It makes it believable that it’s not an insta-love story. Both characters are very relatable. They had believable chemistry and I loved the steamy scenes. 😊 Definitely one of my favorite authors because she doesn’t add unnecessary drama in her books. Yes, there is conflict but it doesn’t blow up like your typical romance novels. It’s resolved in a real, mature way.

What a fun and surprising ride this book was!Andrew St.James is a Captain in the army when he's suddenly summoned at Carlyle Castle. The Duke of Carlyle is a distant cousin Andrew never met and who's now at death's door. The Scotsman never expected that he would someday become the next in line to inheritate the dukedom but the current Duke is not dead yet and the dowager Duchess demand that he prove himself worthy of the title for the months to come. Obviously, he'll eventually need an heir so he should find a respectable wife as well😉. Andrew doesn't think he's ready for that life yet or London's life. He take his responsabilities seriously and if it'll give a better life to his mother and siblings, he'll do it gladly. He just can't stop thinking about the pretty stranger who impulsively kissed him while he was back in Edinburgh. And learning that the widow is one of his sister's friend is the perfect excuse to see her again. The scandal part arrive later in the story than I expected and wasn't for the reason I thought but it didn't bother me. It just made the book more entertaining but the real success of it was the characters and their relationship. Obviously, Drew and Ilsa's chemistry was amazing. Like the heroine, I love Drew's playful side. His family dynamic was just as delightful to read! He bicker with his younger sisters but we can feel the affection between the siblings. They play matchmakers without him knowing and he doesn't hesitate to confide in his mother.