The Maiden’s Defender

The Ladies of Scotland, Book 2

By: E. Elizabeth Watson

Narrated by: Mhairi Morrison

Training men to be ruthless soldiers is a skill at which Highlander Teàrlach MacGregor excels. He can kill three men with nothing but a sword and a couple of daggers. After he rescues a ward of the king, the beautiful Lady Madeline Crawford, the fierce warrior begins to yearn for a cottage of his own in the Highlands, with the sweet, delicate Madeline as the mother of his bairns.

Madeline begins to see a side of Teàrlach that nobody else has witnessed. The strong silent Highlander takes her to her first fair, teaches her to read, and bestows upon her a passionate kiss—her very first. But Madeline is informed that she is betrothed to another with the blessing of the king, making her and Teàrlach's love forbidden.

Teàrlach, the famed fighter, vows to make Madeline his even if that means bringing down her corrupt warden, and Madeline knows that she must defy the king if she hopes to claim her Highlander.

Contains mature themes.

©2017 E. Elizabeth Watson (P)2023 Tantor

I rarely review but this was worthy of it!

I listen to 2-3 books a week and have done so for about 5 years. I have become tainted because storylines become predicable and romance can become cheesy over time if not well written.

I loved this book. I am embarrassed to admit I almost stopped early on because I thought I knew what was going to happen and thought “same old same old.” I am happy that out of desperation I picked it back up the next day while bored in my doctors offices. So glad I did. This is good writing. The character development is much better than a typical romance novel. I think a great sign is when a book has “inside jokes” tied to characters that make you actually laugh out loud when they appear throughout the story. This book did that to me several times and the story line was not typical and thank goodness did not fall prey to making a jealous woman the plot. I will now proceed to read everything from this author.

Absolutely worth it!