A #review of Heartbreak and Honor (Highland Heather Romancing a Scot Series Book 3) by Collette Cameron

Today I review Heartbreak and Honor by Collette Cameron, Book Three in the Highland Heather, Romancing a Scot series.

Pages -  257 

Publisher -  Soul Mate Publishing 

Published -  December 2, 2015

Sold by -  Amazon Digital Services LLC

Genre -  Historical, Regency Romance

Series -  Highland Heather, Romancing a Scot #3 of 6

Language -  2/5

Sexual Content -  4/5

Narrative -  3rd P

Would you risk your life to rescue a woman you don't know?

Abducted by a band of renegade Scots, Highland gypsy Tasara Faas blackens her rescuer's eye when the charming duke attempts to steal a kiss. Afterward, Tasara learns she's the long-lost heiress Alexandra Atterberry and is expected to take her place among the elite society she's always disdained.

Lucan, the Duke of Harcourt, promised his gravely ill mother he'd procure a wife by Christmastide, but intrigued by the feisty lass he saved in Scotland, he finds the haut ton ladies lacking. Spying Alexa at a London ball, he impulsively decides to make the knife-wielding gypsy his bride, despite her aversion to him and her determination to return to the Highlands.

The adversary responsible for Alexa's disappearance as a toddler still covets her fortune and joins forces with Harcourt's arch nemesis. Amidst a series of suspicious misfortunes, Lucan endeavors to win Alexa's love and expose the conspirators but only succeeds in reaffirming Alexa's belief that she is inadequate to become his duchess. 

Okay cover art.

Fairy Tale-like story line or plot, but this Highland (not Highland) romance held my interest, thus my slightly higher rating.

Interesting characters and plot devices utilized in a way that made it somewhat of a page-turner.

There is mystery, but there are also too many aside characters to have to keep track of, including one called Harrison Peterson, and when he was referred to as Harrison OR Peterson, I had to wonder who the new guy was in the story, it became that confusing.

At Amazon, this is tagged as being Humorous, yet I don't recall giggling at any time in the reading of this tale, but that could just be me and the fact that it simply went right over my head.

Some of the negative reviews at both Amazon and Goodreads (this time, it seemed they copy/paste their reviews for both websites) agreed that the style was a bit off, and that it took too long to get to the point even if we all knew who was behind the dastardly scheme fairly early on.

They also didn't care for the insta-love and insta-sex (too graphic and lengthy as well) aspects and I will agree, but then I always do agree that INSTA- needs to be abolished if we are ever to return to real and true ROMANCE in the Romance genre of novels.

Also, it is a HIGHLAND series, but neither the H nor the h were Scottish, so I remain baffled.

To me, I would have to say that the author's style has improved from her early days (which is no big surprise) but that the choppy, incomplete sentences scattered throughout are not flattering or easy to read & comprehend.

I enjoyed the story and its round-about way toward the HEA, though.

I liked the two leads and their interactions, and I also felt that Lucan read well and came off as a true gentlemen of that era.

I was also sympathetic to Alexa's plight, though it did become tedious for her to continue to stick to her 'not worthy' mentality.

This may be borrowing as far as plot devices and story line go, but the whole thing was genuine and unique from the author's perspective, which just means that the story IS unique in its telling.

Anyone wanting to read Historical Romance with some Intrigue thrown in for effect will enjoy reading this series.

Though this book is part of a series, it is a stand-alone novel.

Highland Heather, Romancing a Scot

Triumph and Treasure #1

Virtue and Valor#2

Heartbreak and Honor #3

Scandal's Splendor #4

Passion and Plunder #5

Seductive Surrender #6 Coming May 2108

**Be sure to check out the Castle Bride Series, which inspired the Highland Heather Romancing a Scot Series. You'll meet some familiar characters, and if you want to read Katrina Needham's story, read To Tame a Scoundrel's Heart.