My review cross-posted from Wit and Sin

A kind hero forced to play the beast, a heroine who is braver and stronger than she knows, and a romance that is by turns sweet and sensual makes The Devil of Dunakin Castle a wonderful read. Heather McCollum’s writing charms the heck out of me and I loved getting lost in Grace and Keir’s story.

Grace is a wholly endearing heroine. She’s the wallflower type who finally gets a chance to come into her own and she shines. In the beginning of the story, she’s looking for adventure. She gets more than she bargained for when she’s nearly mauled by wolves, rescued by Keir, then snowbound with an injured Keir, and then kidnapped by the man so that she may use her healing skills to heal his nephew (these are not spoilers as they all happen right at the beginning of the story). Grace faces all these obstacles with determined practicality and strong spirit, which I adored. She has more spine than she knows, which she’ll need if she wants to claim Keir for her own. Keir has been groomed since childhood to be the Devil of Dunakin Castle, the great and brutal defender of the MacKinnon clan. His reputation is larger-than-life, making him feared by all except his family and closest friend who know the truth: that Keir is a good, strong, fair man. My heart broke for Keir, who is forced to be an isolated monster and carry out punishments in the name of his increasingly bloodthirsty brother.

Grace is the first woman not cowed by Keir’s reputation. She sees the man beneath the mask and I absolutely loved that. The two of them have great chemistry from the start. They’re the kind of couple that fits perfectly. But with treachery afoot at Dunakin Castle and Keir’s sworn duty as the Devil in the way, the road to happily ever after isn’t an easy one. I was rooting for them every step of the way and their love story is an excellent mix of sweetness and steam.

The Devil of Dunakin Castle is the fourth book in Ms. McCollum’s Highland Isles series, but it can easily be read as a standalone. I have been reading this series out of order and have had no problems other than I desperately want to find the time to catch up because I love Ms. McCollum’s writing. If you’re a fan of Julie Garwood’s Highland romances, then you’re going to love The Devil of Dunakin Castle. It’s a spirited, delightful read with characters who will easily grab your heart.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I loved it. It's an amazing adventurous read. I think the story is quite thrilling with a hint of mystery. Grace is a lovable character, she is courageous, funny, and has the habit of saying whatever is on her mind. Keir is not bad either. He is living behind the mask of "Devil of Dunakin" but have a kind side which only his closest friend sees, and now Grace can too.

Keir saves Grace from wolves and then she saves him from dying. They both feel attracted to each other but there are things that Grace doesn't know about him. To her it's just a grand adventure. To Keir it's a mission to save his nephew.

I liked how the story unfolded, not to mention all the characters. Romance part is also quite interesting, both Grace and Keir have explosive chemistry which made it all the more fun to read. I definitely recommend this book if you like historical fiction.

P.S. I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley.

The ending was unsatisfying. All the other books had H's that were lairds of their castle but this H was basically the cheftain's lackey and executioner. In the end, where do they go? Where will they live?

I probably could have DNFd this one, but there was enough curiosity to see how this captive fantasy played out that I stuck with it. Overall kind of "meh" for me. The ultra-alpha hero + captivity + enemies to lovers just isn't my thing. Which is good self-knowledge to have!

Grace Ellington escaped her country of England due to meddling people only to find herself in the Highlands, with just as many meddling people. They all feel like she needs a man to take care of her. As a result, Grace finds herself needing an adventure! Boy did she get one! A dear friend is expecting a baby and wants a familiar face around. Grace volunteers, but like everything else in her life… not goes according to plan. In her travels, she meets Keir, the Devil of Dunakin Castle. Only he’s not as he seems. His reputation DEFINITELY precedes him, but he really does have a heart of gold. The one problem, his brother is the chief and he’s become a tyrant. Keir, along with his childhood best friend, Brodie, has had to become creative in how Chief Rab’s punishments are carried out.

In the end, Grace is kidnapped by Keir and Brodie because they need a healer. His nephew, Lachlan, is severely sick and needs a healer desperately. Along the way, you fall in love with Keir. You get to see his true nature. He’s funny, charming, and completely endearing. On the flipside, he definitely lives up to his title, judging by his body. Because I’m me, when requesting this book, I didn’t realize it was the fourth book in a series. If you have read the first three, you already love Grace. I fell in love with her by the second chapter. She’s the epitome of a gentle English woman. Together, Grace and Keir not only balance each other out, but they also solve the mystery of what is going on with his clan.

It wasn’t hard to figure out who the villain was. This story was subtle and tender. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Heather McCollum is new to me. I was familiar with the name, but never read any of her work. After reading this, I regret only being familiar with her name and I look forward to reading more of her work!

Good story.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine.
Breadcrumbs dropped for secondary characters to have their own story.
HEA.
Epilogue.

Good story.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine.
Breadcrumbs dropped for secondary characters to have their own story.
HEA.
Epilogue.

This book made me uncomfortable. The “dirty” talking was so creepy. Honestly I had to start skipping that because it made me nauseous.

The characters were ridiculous in this book. I can’t remember but I think I enjoyed the last couple books so I was surprised by how much I disliked this book.