A lush setting and memorable characters lift this novel a notch above most tales of romance.
Sakwa begins the Highland Lairds of the Crest series with a romance set in the modern day and 15th-century Scotland.
Gwendolyn Reynolds is a skilled medical practitioner who resides in the modern world. She leaves her familiar life to move to Scotland, led by an unexplainable feeling of fate. The story alternates between Gwen’s modern-day problems and the historical experiences of Greylen MacGreggor, who lived as a Highland laird in 15th-century Scotland. Greylen has lived under the shadow of a prophecy foretelling that his future and his heart are bound to a woman from another time (“The prophecy foretold that these souls would find each other one day. And once they touched, they’d be joined forever, soothing the male’s lonely heart”). A violent storm carries Gwen through time to his world. The romance between Gwen and Greylen is both fiery and tender; Gwen’s contemporary independence frequently conflicts with Greylen’s protective instincts, which produces intense moments that deepen their relationship. The story includes secondary characters, such as Greylen’s first-in-command (Gavin), and Isabelle, Greylen’s sister, who add depth to the narrative through their relationships with the main characters. The novel’s atmospheric setting contributes greatly to its success—the author’s descriptions of Scottish castles, rugged coastlines, and storm-laden skies are vivid enough to transport the reader right alongside Gwen. The tension grows progressively from Gwen’s choice to abandon her life until the critical point when Greylen saves her in a thrilling rescue that combines danger with intense passion. This first book in Sakwa’s series will meet the expectations of historical and time-travel romance readers; the author introduces a determined hero and a noble yet brooding romantic interest whose love endures despite the challenges they face. The narrative advances swiftly while delivering genuine emotional depth. Sakwa’s epic romance shows how love transcends time, prophecy, and reason, and readers will want more of Gwen and Greylen in upcoming books. The novel is both escapist and heartfelt, inviting readers to surrender to the pull of destiny and believe, at least for a while, in the possibility of forever.
A lush setting and memorable characters lift this novel a notch above most tales of romance.Pub Date: July 16, 2019
ISBN: 9781733617215
Page Count: 410
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This rip-roaring romp pivots between past and present and posits the future-altering power of love, hope, and forgiveness.
A time-toying spy romance that’s truly a thriller.
In the author’s note following the moving conclusion of her gripping, gleefully delicious debut novel, Bradley explains how she gathered historical facts about Lt. Graham Gore, a real-life Victorian naval officer and polar explorer, then “extrapolated a great deal” about him to come up with one of her main characters, a curly-haired, chain-smoking, devastatingly charming dreamboat who has been transported through time. Having also found inspiration in the sole extant daguerreotype of Gore, showing him to have been “a very attractive man,” Bradley wrote the earliest draft of the book for a cluster of friends who were similarly passionate about polar explorers. Her finished novel—taut, artfully unspooled, and vividly written—retains the kind of insouciant joy and intimacy you might expect from a book with those origins. It’s also breathtakingly sexy. The time-toggling plot focuses on the plight of a British civil servant who takes a high-paying job on a secret mission, working as a “bridge” to help time-traveling “expats” resettle in 21st-century London—and who falls hard for her charge, the aforementioned Commander Gore. Drama, intrigue, and romance ensue. And while this quasi-futuristic tale of time and tenderness never seems to take itself too seriously, it also offers a meaningful, nuanced perspective on the challenges we face, the choices we make, and the way we live and love today.
This rip-roaring romp pivots between past and present and posits the future-altering power of love, hope, and forgiveness.Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9781668045145
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Avid Reader Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
PERSPECTIVES
SEEN & HEARD
A traditional Regency story enlivened by a well-drawn neurodiverse heroine.
A straitlaced earl is undone by an unruly bookseller.
For a small bookshop, Martin House is getting a lot of attention, thanks to Betsy and Constance, the lovely twin daughters of the family that owns it. Now Constance has left her betrothed at the altar, and though she’s trying to avoid further gossip, when her friend Althea Thompson asks for help breaking her own engagement, Constance can’t say no. Oliver Vincent, Earl of Southwyn, suspects Althea isn’t interested in him, but feels he must marry her anyway to preserve their families’ neighboring estates. He seems to be a kind man, but that doesn’t stop Constance from coming up with a plan to drive him away from Althea, which seems easy enough given that he’s notoriously disciplined and unemotional and thus easy to irritate. But as Constance gets to know Oliver better, she keeps experiencing an inconvenient “fizzy pop of attraction,” which is second only to the intense distraction she’s become to him since he first noticed the “teacup-size tempest” around town. After a slow burn, they do finally explore their mutual attraction, but she’s held back by her many insecurities and he’s worried about the future of the community that depends on his estate, so their scorching attachment may need to be permanently shelved. Fittingly for a romance set in a bookshop that does a brisk business in romantic novels, the charming story incorporates a wide range of beloved tropes, including an only-one-bed scene and a virgin hero. The fast-moving plot also includes cameos from the first book in the series, Good Duke Gone Wild (2024), and can be confusing at first, but after a few chapters the book can be read as a standalone. The story is especially strong when it addresses what Constance feels are her many failings; readers will quickly realize they’re actually symptoms of ADHD, which is later confirmed in an author’s note. Despite the classic Regency setting, the language is often surprisingly modern, but fans of bold heroines won’t mind at all.
A traditional Regency story enlivened by a well-drawn neurodiverse heroine.Pub Date: Aug. 12, 2025
ISBN: 9781538740507
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Forever
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
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