Highland Crown by May McGoldrick
My Rating: ★★★
I received a copy from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Isabella is a doctor who was once allowed to practice medicine under her husband. Now a widow and on the run from the British government, she finds herself hiding in a fellow widow’s home waiting to be taken to her next destination before she’s discovered. Instead of laying low, Isabella saves a man on the beach, Cinaed, revealing her true nature as well as her location. Hanging on by a thread, Cinaed quickly becomes her savior and lover as the stakes rise and the price on her head and his true family lineage leads them on a journey Isabella never could’ve imagined.
Told in rotating narrators, we follow Isabella and Cinaed. In the beginning, she hides out with a stranger and fellow widow and he gets shot right as he loses his prized ship. Isabella is a strong woman who is aware that she might never practice medicine again if she manages to escape danger with her life. When confronted with an injured man, Cinaed, she can’t sit back and stay quiet. It goes against her code as a practicing physician even though treating the injured could expose her as the rare female physician. Meanwhile, Cinaed is a gruff pirate of sorts with a heart of gold. While he initially wants to help Isabella out because he has romantic interests, he’s really helping because she saved his life and he’s aware that she may need more help than she thinks.
I like Isabella even though she’s stubborn enough to put herself at risk to save a stranger’s life. She’s aware of where her choices can take her and she finds comfort in knowing that her sister and step daughter are safe as long as she doesn’t know where they are, so it’s okay if she gets caught. I loved reading her narration and enjoyed watching her grow throughout the book. I also loved the banter between her and Jean, her fellow widow. I would honestly read a historical fiction novel just following the two if them.
Cinaed is an interesting character but I feel neutral about him. He’s not a good or a bad character, he’s just… there. Because I didn’t really feel him as a character, the romance felt kind of off to me. That said, I thought his family dynamics were interesting, especially when we find out his true lineage. I’d love to see more of him with the family he always thought was his as well as seeing where his journey takes him, Isabella, and possibly Jean. Maybe he’ll grow on me as his story progresses in future books.
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