Book Review (and a Giveaway!): Miss Leslie’s Secret by Jennifer Moore

Decorated war hero Conall Stewart has spent ten years envisioning his return to his beloved Scottish Highlands. But now, with the days of battle finally behind him, it seems that his dreams of home have been in vain: the land of his youth lies in ruins, and his family is gone. Though he will never stop searching for his kin, Conall knows he must begin again.

But when he takes on a rented farm in a nearby town, he finds far more than the fresh start he was looking for . . .

After catching a mischievous local lad stealing, Conall returns young Jamie to his mother, Aileen Leslie—and finds the woman’s coddling of the child maddening. What Conall does not realize is that Aileen hides a frightening secret: her devoted protection of Jamie is all that shelters them from discovery by a dangerous man from their past.

Drawn together by circumstance, Conall soon develops a fatherly relationship with Jamie—as well as romantic feelings for Aileen. But even as the couple accepts their growing affection for one another, time runs out for Aileen and her son: after years of hiding, they have been found. Conall lost his family once—he will do all in his power not to let history repeat itself . . ..

GENRE: Regency ‘clean’ Romance
PUBLISHER: Covenant Communications
RELEASE DATE: September 15, 2017
PAGES: 240

Scottish. Highlander. War Hero. In a kilt. You’re welcome.

But swoony Conall Stewart isn’t all there is to love in Miss Leslie’s Secret. For starters, red-headed imp Jamie will steal your heart, especially as Conall takes the fatherless boy under his wing and teaches him how to be a gentleman. (The bowing! Be still, my heart!) Also in the ‘things to love’ category is the Scottish history, the Highlands setting, and the townsfolk of Donaid. From Davy and Catriona to Mrs. Ross and Mrs. Campbell, there is much to be said about friendships and meddling ‘auld’ ladies 🙂

And then there’s Aileen, a young woman thrust into a situation for which she may have been ill-prepared but at which she has excelled. Her fierce love for Jamie, as well as her inner strength, make her a heroine that is Conall Stewart’s undoing – and his match.

Bottom Line: In Miss Leslie’s Secret, Jennifer Moore has crafted a sweet story with characters who move into your heart and a romance that may begin slowly but ends strong. Historical tidbits are woven seamlessly through the story, and the setting becomes its own character more than once. While I wish the romance had begun a bit earlier, I also enjoyed watching their friendship grow first. Yes, the child-Jamie stole my heart but I’m also hoping we get a story with man-Jamie as a hero. The epilogue left some room for this possibility, so I’m gonna go ahead and hope!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4 stars / Sweet and romantic

KissingBook Level: 3 / May forget to breathe on occasion

Jennifer Moore is a passionate reader and writer of all things romance due to the need to balance the rest of her world that includes a perpetually traveling husband and four active sons, who create heaps of laundry that is anything but romantic. Jennifer has a B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Utah and is a Guitar Hero champion. She lives in northern Utah with her family, but most of the time wishes she was aboard a British frigate during the age of sail.

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