I don’t read a lot of Scottish historical romances, but when I read the blurb for Her Accidental Highlander Husband by Allison B. Hanson, I knew that I had to read it. I love the marriage of convenience trope, especially when it’s instant, and this book did not disappoint.

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The summary:

Her Accidental Highlander Husband
by Allison B. Hanson

Publication Date: September 28, 2020
Entangled Amara
eBook; 277 pages

Series: Clan MacKinlay, Book One
Genre: Historical Romance/Scottish

Marian Fletcher Blackley, Duchess of Endsmere, has been on the run from the English Crown for weeks since killing her abusive husband…no matter that it was self-defense. She has only one safe place to go—the MacKinlay clan in Scotland, where her sister is the laird’s wife.

War Chief Cameron MacKinlay has vowed never to marry after witnessing his widowed mother’s grief. He has his lands and his clan, and that’s enough for a good life. When one day a sprite of a lass comes running out of the forest with hounds nipping at her heels and an English bounty hunter not far behind, he feels compelled to save her by claiming the disheveled duchess is his wife. But he certainly didn’t intend to marry her for real!

And now he’ll do anything to protect her…

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Despite being a huge historical fiction fan, I don’t tend to read a lot about those hot Scots in kilts – though Jamie Fraser from the show Outlander does it for me. But marriages of convenience are my jam, so I was eager to join this blog tour!

Mari flees London after murdering her husband, who has abused her for many years. Finally, she fears for her life enough that she takes action and kills him. Her husband not only beat and isolated her for their entire marriage so she has no friends and connections and she is Scottish and her husband was a duke. She knows she will hang. Mari hasn’t spoken to her sister in years but figures the law will be less likely to look for her there than her father’s home, so that is where she runs to. However, the English law is hot on her tail. When she arrives on the Mackinlay land, the first person she sees is Cameron. She knows that he is her only chance, so she runs into his arms and tells him that his lady, Kenna, is her sister. Cameron claims that they are married, and the two are handfasted in his doing so. Legally, they are wed. Since he claims she’s not the fugitive the men are looking for, they have to return with a warrant to claim her.

In the months it takes for the English to return with the proper documents, Mari and Cameron fall for one another, despite both having their guard up. Cameron is a war chief and doesn’t want to marry, let alone have a love marriage. He doesn’t want to be distracted during a battle, and he doesn’t want a wife or children to mourn him. Mari never planned to wed again after her awful first experience, but Cameron is gentle and understanding with her and helps her to heal. It takes some time, but they let go of their insecurities and worries to be together.

Of course, the law finally does catch up with Mari. The couple and their friends – Mari’s sister Kenna and her husband, the Mackinlay laird Lach – must figure out how to keep Mari safe and their family together.

Overall, I loved this one. It was both steamy and sweet. The sex scenes were hot, and these two really loved one another, first as spouses/friends, soon as spouses/friends with benefits, and eventually as true lovers. The only thing “more” I wanted was some additional detail at times. I found myself doubting the accuracy of the legal process in this one, but then some last minute details that I could have used earlier in that section legitimized it.

Her Accidental Highlander Husband has a content warning of domestic abuse (physical and emotional), kidnapping, and the mention of rape, loss of a child, and familial sexual abuse. These are all tough topics but dealt with very well. This was a 4 star read for me! My thanks to Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, the author, publisher, and NetGalley for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

About the Author

One very early morning, Allison B. Hanson woke up with a conversation going on in her head. It wasn’t so much a dream as being forced awake by her imagination. Unable to go back to sleep, she gave in, went to the computer, and began writing. Years later it still hasn’t stopped.

Allison lives near Hershey, Pennsylvania. Her contemporary romances include paranormal, sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery suspense. She enjoys candy immensely, as well as long motorcycle rides, running and reading.

Watch an interview with the author here.

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Her Accidental Highlander Husband by Allison B. Hanson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a fun, steamy, and sweet romance. I haven’t read this author before, nor do I read a lot of Scottish romance, but I love the marriage of convenience (especially when it’s instant) trope and this did it justice. Thanks to the author, HFVBT, publisher, and NetGalley for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review. The full review will be at https://bitchbookshelf.com on October 15.

View all my reviews

Book Club Questions

1. Explain the relationship dynamic between Mary and Cameron.
2. How do Mary and Cameron help one another heal and grow?

Find out more about how I rate books here.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, September 28
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Wednesday, September 30
Review at Novels Alive

Friday, October 2
Guest Post at Novels Alive

Sunday, October 4
Review at Tangents and Tissues

Monday, October 5
Review at SplendeurCaisse

Wednesday, October 7
Feature at CelticLady’s Reviews

Friday, October 9
Excerpt at Passages to the Past

Monday, October 12
Feature at What Is That Book About

Wednesday, October 14
Review at Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals

Thursday, October 15
Review at Bitch Bookshelf

Friday, October 16
Review at Coffee and Ink
Interview at Books & Benches

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on October 16th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

Accidental Highlander Husband

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