The majestic landscapes of the Scottish Highlands have been stirring the hearts of romantics for countless centuries, and Samantha Young’s aptly named series continues to echo the romantic allure of its idyllic setting with yet another unputdownable love story, this time of the marriage-of-convenience kind. She pairs a pragmatic, self-reliant Scottish farmer with the rebellious younger daughter of a Hollywood power couple, in this slow-burning, friends to lovers romance that hits all the right emotional beats. An absolute must-read!
“We’re married. I’m your husband and you’re my wife. And we have eighteen months to decide if we want to stay that way.”
Growing up in the shadow of two celebrity parents has not come without challenges for Allegra Howard. Seen only as the wild child of Hollywood director Wesley Howard and retired supermodel Chiara Howard, people have always made assumptions about her based on what they think they know about her. Allegra’s every teenage misstep was used as proof that she was nothing more than a spoiled, Hollywood princess with impulse control issues, no one knowing that every one of those missteps had been a cry for help from a heartbroken, angry young woman who’s felt abandoned for a very long time by those she loves the most.
“Life is hard, Jared. And painful. Not even money can protect you from that. I’m not who you think I am, and I’d like it, if going forward, you could just treat me … as a person and not as Chiara and Wesley Howard’s daughter.”
Despite her tumultuous past, and away from her family’s wealth and influence, twenty-five-year-old Allegra has worked hard to carve her own path in life and to establish herself as an independent artist. And after years of trying to fit into a life that never quite fit her, she found home in Scotland. But one lapsed visitor’s visa later, and Allegra suddenly stands to lose the only home she’s ever held dear. Enter Jared McCulloch—highlander, farmer, landowner, man in dire need of capital to save his beloved grandfather’s farm, and Allegra’s unrequited crush. So, she concocts a plan to benefit them both—he marries her so that she can stay in the country, and in return, she gives him access to her very substantial trust fund in order to save his farm. And she somehow manages to convince Jared to go for it.
“I’d do anything to stay here. So no. I don’t regret it.”
“I’d do anything to keep the farm,” Jared replied gruffly. “So I don’t regret it either.”
But from the moment they start sharing a roof over their heads, the lies begin to weigh on them. They fake to be head over heels in love with each other in front of everyone they know while secretly trying to keep their attraction in check behind closed doors. They try their hardest to be friends without letting it turn into something more, but it’s only a matter of time before their control snaps and their marriage becomes very very real, especially in the bedroom.
“Hold on to the headboard. Don’t let go.”
Life has taught them both, however, that love only works if both people believe in it, and they both need to trust that they can forge a new path for themselves, together. As always, Samantha Young leaves no stone unturned when bringing characters to life, forever showcasing her insight into the intricacies of human emotions and relationships. A tale of love, sacrifice, familial dysfunction, and new beginnings, that captivates the reader with its tropey, marriage-of-convenience set-up, but it is its tender depth that lingers with you long after you turned the last page.
My skin flushed hot at the dark, hungry look he threw my way. No one had ever stared at me with such abject longing and desire.
I whispered his name.
His nostrils flared. “Fuck it,” he snarled as he charged me. He hauled me against his body as his lips crashed down over mine.
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The Highlands - Recommended Reading Order
(standalone stories with interconnected characters)
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