New Release Review! HIGHLAND JUSTICE by Heather McCollum

HIGHLAND JUSTICE
(SONS OF SINCLAIR BOOK 3)
by Heather McCollum
Publisher: Entangled: Amara (April 26, 2022)
Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages

As the new chief of Clan Mackay, Gideon Sinclair knows the importance of maintaining order at any cost. To keep the conquered clan in line, Gideon must mete out ruthless justice or risk losing their precious new peace. But from the moment he meets Cait Mackay—aye, from the moment the sweetness of her lips captures his—all of Gideon’s careful objectivity is well and thoroughly compromised.

Cait knows that kissing the brawny Highlander is a dangerous game. It was bad enough she picked his pocket to feed the children in her care, but sometimes a desperate woman must disguise her crimes any way she can. Only her act of deception has made things worse… Because one kiss with the Highland’s most brutal chief leaves her breathless and out of her depth.

Now Gideon must choose between his duty and his heart when his lovely thief is accused of treason against the king himself.

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Each book in the Sons of Sinclair series is STANDALONE:
* Highland Conquest
* Highland Warrior
* Highland Justice

Review:

Loved!

Cait and Gideon’s story was just wonderful. It put me through the gamut of emotions: Gideon’s initial awkward attempts to be “approachable” to his people had me laughing out loud, his and Cait’s romance made me swoon (fanning myself was also frequently a necessity), hearing about how Gideon and his brothers grew up was heartbreaking, the drama of the climax had me holding my breath and on the edge of my seat, and that epilogue? Brought tears to my eyes.

Phew! Seriously, I’m like a limp noodle here from all this book put me through. I might need to take a day off 😉

I loved watching Gideon figure out how to become his own man, moving out from the shadow their father had cast over their lives for so long. His journey from the guy who sees everything in terms of black and white and is constantly spouting off “the laws” to anyone and everyone to a man who will defy a direct order from his king to keep a promise to the woman he loves was glorious. (Not to mention seeing him go from the guy who is 100% grossed out when his older brother sniffs his baby’s bottom at the beginning to the man who invites goodness knows how many current and future children into his own home by the end…that transformation might have been even better. Definitely more panty-melting, anyway.)

And Cait? I don’t even know if I have the words to do her justice. She’s a kick butt heroine who yes, could have learned to trust a teensy bit sooner, but it’s hard to judge her too much knowing what she’d been through already. She stands up for those she loves and believes in throughout the book, and by the end that includes Gideon and OMG I was there for all of it.

I haven’t read the first two in this series yet, and for the most part that was okay, except the whole (second brother) Joshua-is-supposed-to-be-dead part of it was a bit confusing. (He’s dead as far as the king knows, apparently? But it seems like a lot of other people know he isn’t, so…?) It wasn’t super important to this story, but it did play a role in the last 25% or so. If nothing else, it will inspire me to read the first two books sooner rather than later 😉

Hopefully I will before Bas’s book comes out, at least!

Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.