When A Warrior Woos A Lass by Julie Johnstone

Series: Highlander Vows Entangled Hearts Series Book #5
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical / Medieval, Fiction / Romance / Historical / Scottish
Goodreads

Lena MacLeod has returned to her clan’s home of Dunvegan Castle after suffering through a brutally abusive marriage. She has attempted to be invisible for two years – holding herself aloof from the rest of the MacLeod clan. But everything changes the night of her younger brother’s wedding, when Alex Mac Lean asks her to dance. “A shiver of panic swept through Lena, and she stumbled into Alex’s unyielding body. When she looked up to apologize and put distance between him, the words caught in her throat, her hand frozen on his chest. His heart was racing beneath her palm, as if he was just as bothered by the prospect of a dance with her as she was with him.…. Lena stood there gaping at Alex. As he stared back, it seemed as though a cloak had lifted from his eyes, and the tenderness in their depths sucked the air from her lungs. ‘I ken ye dunnae wish to dance,’ he said in a voice as deep as an endless loch.”

I enjoyed “When a Warrior Woos Lass”, its strong characters and the romantic tension between Alex and Lena were captivating. Alex has his own secret demons that he is battling and it is his shame of these demons that threaten to destroy his relationship with Lena. Although this book is a stand-alone story, I believe I would have appreciated the depth of the characters had I read the rest of the series’ first. I was disappointed in Lena’s quick surrender to Alex. I felt if someone had suffered that severely in a prior relationship, she would have taken much more time to consummate her second marriage. There was some sexual content, but it wasn’t too graphic. However, I did enjoy Lena’s transformation from fearful to brave. I also loved the artwork on the cover. It is a gorgeous picture in my opinion. If you enjoy medieval romance, Johnstone has written a very well-crafted story with wonderful messages of redemption and restoration.