Member Reviews
I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.
Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.
However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x
Felt zero chemistry between the characters, and both were super annoying in their own way, like cutouts without much personality. Had an inkling it would devolve into senseless sex romps, but the romance and feelings to back this up just weren't there for me (and they didn't make me like the protagonists any better as the pages wore on)
I think this book was my favourite so far by the author. Don’t ask me why exactly but it might be because of the unusual mix of characters, older woman/younger man, the way they actually met the first time and what led to afterwards from there.
The chemistry, banter and all the ups and downs in the story were so beautiful and hilarious at times to enjoy. Steamy scenes make for some blushing moments as well and I will never say no to those open doors acts.
Love and chemistry have many times worked hand in hand and here’s the prove in this beautiful historical romance.
Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy
Content warnings: minor violence (shooting guns, carriage accident); depiction of PTSD.
This series is Eva Leigh’s Regency take on 80s movies, and I’ve had a brilliant time with all three! This book asks a very important question: what if Andrew from The Breakfast Club got dragged on an adventure with a gender-swapped Ferris Bueller, and they fell in love? This is a fast-paced, action-packed road trip story full of misadventures and only-one-beds, and it’s just hugely fun. Here, Duncan McCameron, an uptight ex-soldier, falls head over heels for charming, adventurous widow Beatrice, even though she’s older than him, drives him mad, and is literally headed to an orgy. There’s no surprises where the story is going, but there are plenty of surprises in how they get there!
As with previous books (see my review Would I Lie to the Duke), hardcore historians might be better giving this series a swerve. I’m more than happy suspending disbelief at historical accuracy if I’m having enough fun, but if you’re a real stickler for the facts then this is not going to be one for you. Specifically, I’m not at all sure the ending made sense from a real-world perspective, but this series is more about escapism, and it pulls that off with panache. Every page of this book is a romp – though there is real character development, it’s done with such a lighthearted, deft touch that it flows effortlessly amongst the chaos of the action. I’m much more of a practical Duncan than an impulsive Beatrice, so I found myself firmly agreeing with him towards the start of the book that she was a bit too silly; however, once I got inside her head and learned her reasons for her behaviour, I found her much more sympathetic too. There were some hints in the previous book that these two had sparks flying between them (when is constant bickering not a prelude to falling in love, in romance?), and it’s clear from the moment they begin spending time together that there’s a strong attraction underneath that mutual annoyance, which is one of my favourite tropes in historical romance!
There’s also something of a resolution to the romantic arcs for the remaining two members of the Union, Rowe and Curtis: their love story together has previously been hinted at, and it’s a satisfying subplot here. I loved the inclusion of a gay couple, but can’t help but be disappointed that this wasn’t a separate fourth book of its own, as I think it would have been so enjoyable. (I fear that it was less that the author didn’t have a story to tell for them, and more that mainstream historical romance publishers don’t want series with a mixture of straight and queer relationships; there’s certainly a thriving indie market for m/m and f/f historical romance! I’m hopeful that the upcoming The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Erica Ridley (an f/f romance where the first book in the series was m/f) will be the beginning of a wave of allowing these stories to be told alongside m/f romance. They’re just as valid and enjoyable.) Long side note about the state of the genre aside, I really loved the way each member of the Union was brought into this story. It’s a nice summation of the series.
I think you’ll already know from the get-go if this is the kind of book you’re going to enjoy or not, so I won’t say much more. It’s an utter romp, and I had a brilliant time reading. This series is going to stay a favourite, and I recommend it to anyone who likes their historical romance joyously fun and a little bit tongue in cheek. Four out of five cats!
I received with thanks an e-arc copy of Waiting for a Scot Like You from Mills and Boon and Netgalley. Even though I have been gifted this book for review all opinions are my own.
This is my review of Waiting for a Scot Like You by Eva Leigh.
Every time I read a book by Eva Leigh and I am blown away by the writing style and the storyline. This book was no exception. I loved the tale of Beatrice and Duncan. This is an enjoyable road trip romance. I enjoyed the grumpy sunshine trope. She is the sunshine and he is a grump. But it works and the chemistry is delightful to read about. As always cannot wait to read more by this author.
Would recommend it if you enjoy a good historical romance.
Waiting for a Scot like You is the third book in the Union of the Rakes series by Eva Leigh. This was actually my first read in the series, but I think that it worked well as a standalone.
The story follows Lady Beatrice Farris, a widow who is trying to live life to the full having spent the bulk of her life stifled by marriage and Major Duncan McCameron who acts as her rule-following escort on a roadtrip to an orgy. Straight off I knew I’d love this because there were great tropes in this book, such as road trip romance and forced proximity/only one bed!
It did start a little slowly, but I loved this and it was a really fun read. Beatrice was a great character, she really stuck to her guns and made sure that she was enjoying everything in her life. She knew who she was and never faltered from this. I also really liked Duncan who started out as stern, responsible and serious. Once he relaxes a little, these traits do remain but his dominant and caring side comes out as well. I also liked how the book didn’t have a ‘traditional’ ending, how Beatrice did not compromise on her plans for her life and how these wishes were respected.
I will definitely be reading the first two when I get a chance as well!
Thank you to Mills & Boon and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Waiting for a Scot like you
By Eva Leigh
Pub date Feb 23 2021
I loved Eva Leigh books and I love her writing style it so beautiful written with so many characters and chemistry between the characters. You get plenty of love scenes you enjoy beautiful ball dancing I would love to be in. This book is all about the rich how they live the famous dancers . I love Duncan characters full of mystery and fun. Lady Ferris such a strong woman who loves her passion for Duncan and loves taking risk. You definitely enjoy this book such a brilliant read.
I normally enjoy Eva Leigh books but this just felt like Porn Without Plot. A few misadventures thrown in for something to break up the very detailed, very vocal sex.
Just not for me.
A Regency road trip is not easy to imagine, but the author manages to create a road trip full of adventure, misadventure and passion when Beatrice and Duncan share a coach and a great deal more. Beatrice is an independent widow determined to live life fully now she can. There are some amusing and poignant moments as she does this. Duncan, a soldier without a war, is all about duty, but meeting Beatrice shows him what life has to offer. The question is, can their attraction lead to a lifetime together?
Whilst this story pushes the boundaries of Regency society, it is fun, romantic and passionate. The likeable main characters have an emotional connection that makes a happy life together possible.
I received a copy of this book from Mills and Boon via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I really loved the characters in this book and having enjoyed the previous two novels in the trilogy was pleased to find that the level of humour and entertaining plot were just as good in this one. However, the send scenes were really not to my taste and would prevent me from recommending this book to many readers that at know. More from this author please but without the four-letter words please!
Waiting For A Scot Like You is a wonderful story of a road trip. Captain Duncan McCameron has been asked by his friend to escort Lady Farris to Nottinghamshire. The two of them couldn't be more different and the journey they embark on shows this up so brilliantly.
I loved both characters and thought they were so beautifully crafted and the story kept me engaged throughout, hoping that Duncan and Beatrice would see how good they were for each other. The story has adventure, plenty of steam and some really funny moments too. A delightful read.
This was a most engaging read about an older lady and a younger man. Beatrice, Lady Ferris is a widow in her mid forties, Major Duncan McCameron is thirty four and a bachelor. They appear to be the complete opposites, Beatrice is determined to live life to the full, experiencing all life has to offer, whereas, Duncan seems to be stiff and starchy and keen on following rules. When they have to take a journey together, they have a number of adventures and a growing attraction. Beatrice sees a different side to Duncan, especially in their passionate moments and he becomes the commanding officer. There is also humour and understanding. Unfortunately, Beatrice has no intention of marrying again and Duncan comes from a family where they all marry. This story moved along at a good pace with plenty of events to keep my interest. I did wonder how their problem would be resolved. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
2.5 Stars generously rounded up
Beatrice Sloane, the Dowager Countess of Farris, is a free-spirited widow. After a stultifying marriage, she is now wealthy and independent and determined to stay so. Captain Duncan McCameron struggles to find a purpose for himself now that the war is over. Discovering his sweetheart had married another whilst he was at war means he’s kept himself closed off from love.
Entrusted to escort Lady Farris to her friend’s estate, these two opposites start on a journey that ultimately involves carriage crashes, secret barn dances, robbers, and an inn with only one bed! But as tensions dissolve into passion, can there be a future for an adventure-loving lady and a duty-bound soldier, or will their differences tear them apart?
This is the third in the series & is easily read on its own. It’s taken me over a week to get my thoughts together enough to write this review. Firstly I nearly didn’t finish the book, which is something I don’t do but a historical romance this isn't - it's a contemporary where the date has been changed by two hundred years & the characters are dressed in clothes from that era. Beatrice didn't behave as a dowager countess would but it was the lack of a solid story that disappointed me the most, there wasn't one, just a series of sex scenes with a weak story line. Don’t get me wrong I've no objection to plenty of sex but there must be a strong story whether it's erotic or sweet. Homosexuality still had the death penalty, living in sin wasn’t acceptable & affected the whole family
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
hilarious, sexy, such a fun read! leigh’s okay with historical romances and the hidden romance trope is incredible and was thoroughly enjoyed. had a decent plot line and steamy scenes (who doesn’t love that!). much enjoyed, would definitely read more of this author.
I received an ARC from Netgalley and Mills and Boon in return for an honest review.
I know the author was inspired by 80s films for this series but quite frankly I never caught a single reference and I truly did not understand why she bothered setting the stories in the time period. I know that authors of regency historical fiction want to make the female characters relevant to 21st-century readers but when history is ignored as comprehensively as the author does in this series, I really do wonder why she didn't simply write a contemporary romance where the characters would fit in perfectly.
I hate to be so crtitical when a writer is clearly talented, and has put in so much effort into her writing but this book pushed the bounds of credibility so far that I was bounced out of the story too many times for comfort. Why ignore the reality of life in 1817 and pretend opportunities for women and gays were something that they were not?
The plethora of disasters that occurred to our hapless couple in what would have been a two-day coach journey simply stretched credulity to the limits. Coaches breaking down and falling into a gorge (did the author look at the topography of that area?), a ferry also collapsing, dancing being banned in a village, I found Beatrice a difficult character to either like or understand. Why would she see an orgy as a natural activity to pursue ? and believe that it would make her happy? That aspect of her goals was never properly explained as far as I was concerned.
I thought her behaviour towards Duncan was ultimately selfish, inexplicable and thoughtless and if the situation had been reversed and it was Duncan refusing to marry Beatrice, I suspect he would have attracted opporobrium. The age gap between them is nothing in modern tgerms but it was odd that it was barey acknowledged let alone discussed until almost the end of the book.
I found it difficult to believe that a woman of Beatrice's age, background and standing would have coped so amazingly well with all problems they encountered on their travels. I think that's because her motivations were never really properly explained.
Duncan was interesting - a fabulous hero and a very well drawn character that I wanted to learn more about and one with whom I sympathised in that he was forced to do all the compromising so that he and Beatrice could be together.
I think if this story had been set in the present-day, in the middle of a tropical rain forest or a desert for example, where the h/H were left to make their way through all kinds of obstacles - I would have enjoyed Beatrice's search for independance and self actualisation. Transposed to 1817 and ignoring the realities of every aspect of life at that time - especially for women - simply annoyed me. The one which really made me laugh out loud was the idea that Duncan would be able to get Lou (a female) employment in the building trade. This was difficult enough in the late 20th century in England, and would have been impossible in 1817 unless it was a small family firm. Girls could not become apprentices, nor could they be journeymen. The hostility and prejudice for a girl trying would have been horrendous and risked all kinds of horrors.
A women's situation in the early 19th century was horrendous, but pretending that a woman could achieve anything she put her mind to is simply not authentic. .
The author is a good writer, flowing prose, suerb dialogue and intriguing plots. I expect I'll be in a minority but whilst this is a very well written and entertaining story - it stretched credulity too far in so many areas that I lost interest.
This would have been a perfect book but for the fact that it was a bit too steamy for me. It had good strong characters and a good plot but spoiled by me thinking ‘oh no here they go again’. I should probably have read the preview a bit more carefully. Well written and edited.
Waiting For A Scot Like You is a M&B Historical Romance written by Eva Leigh. The Countess of Farris, Beatrice Sloane, is a widow, who after escaping a stultifying marriage is living her best life as an independent, wealthy widow. Captain Duncan McCameron, however, is struggling to find himself after the end of the war. His childhood sweetheart has married someone else whilst he was away fighting and he has therefore sworn off love. He has agreed to escort Beatrice to a friend’s estate. This journey involves lots of excitement - a carriage crash, barn dances, robbers and a shared bed. Slowly tension and awkwardness dissolve into passion, but will this passion be enough for two individuals who are poles apart, can the straightlaced war hero and fun loving Countess bury their differences and build a future?
I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Waiting for a Scot Like You see Duncan McCameron, on of the Union of the Rakes, and war veteran, take on his hardest mission yet - escorting Beatrice, the beautiful dowager Countess Farris, to a house party in the north. When they met at Rotherby's house party a few months ago, Beatrice propositioned Duncan, and appeared to be everything he wasn't. He was straight laced, she was fun loving, he was all about duty and responsibility, whereas she wanted to let go of her previous life and be care free for once. For Beatrice, being in a loveless marriage where she wasn't valued or respected, and whose husband only cared about what children she could bear him, was a nightmare, and she is more than happy to celebrate her freedom in whatever way possible, even if it causes a scandal. As they journey together north, it's clear that both Beatrice and Duncan are attracted to each other, but they're very different people, who's pasts have changed them, and who want different things in life. Will they be able to overcome their hangups to be together, or will they be torn apart?
Ever since I read my first Eva Leigh book last year (Would I Lie To The Duke?), she's become a favourite of mine, and I've been dying to get my hands on the final Union of the Rakes book. When my review copy was approved, I couldn't wait to start it, and spent my Saturday morning reading the entire thing. It was glorious. Duncan is such a brooding hero, and he has been every time we've seen him in the past, but we learn so much about him and what makes him tick. The younger son of an Earl, he joined the army, and fully expected to die on a battlefield on the Continent. Respected by his men, he was jilted by his fiancee, days before Waterloo, and feels the guilt of his survival like a curse. All of the McCameron men before him have been honourable, marrying and settling down, whilst not being idle, and he hates the empty expanse of the future before him. He hopes to become an estate manager on one of Rotherby's properties, but first has to escort Beatrice. And Beatrice tests him at every turn. Whereas he wants a regimented itinerary for the journey, she's happy to stop and spend time baking a Bedfordshire Clanger in a coaching inn, or helping a lambing ewe give birth, or even stopping to see some ancient ruins. And, the journey is not without it's difficulties either. Soon, they lose the carriage in a storm, join a wedding party and host an illegal barn dance, get lost in a forest, and find themselves in a home under siege. Life on the road was not simple for the two of them, and the added sexual tension between them doesn't help matters either. They were the swooniest of all of Eva's couples, in my opinion, and it was wonderful reading their romance. Seeing them overcome their differences, and be real and themselves with each other was more than I could ask for, and the epilogue was utter perfection! I'm gutted that the Union of the Rakes series is over, but can't wait for Eva's next series!