Book Review #bookreview #historicalromance #highlanderromance #netgalley #entangledpublishing #entangaledamara #allisonbhanson #herforbiddenhighlanderhusand
This is a stunningly beautiful novel about family and some of the different forms it comes in, is created, or is made. Allison B. Hanson took me on an emotional ride through the pinning heart of our hero, to the turmoil the heroine faces, to the ups and downs of building a home and understanding the true meaning of family. Hanson's writing is accessible and easily draws the reader in, her story is well paced as she slowly builds a trusting relationship between the hero and heroine over time, and it is extremely heartwarming as dreams are realized in a wholesome and unexpected way. This novel is people by compelling and interesting characters, from the hero and heroine to their friends (from past novels), and they all are definitely at the heart of understanding what family means in this novel/series.
Liam is an orphan who was taken in by the MacKinley clan in his youth when he was found wandering the forest surrounding their keep. They immediately accepted him as their own, even though as he has grown up he has always felt a little on the outside and lost. Liam has dreamed of having a family to call his own, and since he first met the heroine, Evelyn, years ago he has been infatuated with her wanting to call her his own and protect her. Evelyn has a had some very traumatic things happen to her (back before she was rescued by Liam and his clan). Content Warnings for rape and sexual assault, Entangled Publishing is great about listing their content warnings on their website for every book if you need them. The last few years Evelyn has felt less than and tainted in the eyes of her father, so when she sees a chance to escape and make a better life for herself she approaches Liam and they elope. With this new opportunity Evelyn is able to escape her father and take with her the most precious thing she has in this life, her daughter.
I found this novel to be an emotional journey. At the start we see Liam who is longing for a family and has hopes to build that family with Evelyn. He is patient with her, always kind and accepts her daughter as his own from the start. Evelyn has a much harder journey to overcome in some ways, she is untrustworthy of men, she begins the novel really only hoping to use Liam as a means of escape, but he slowly breaks down her walls through his actions. This starts off as a slow journey of two people coming to a deeper understanding of the other. Liam has always put Evelyn on a type of pedestal but as he gets to know her, understand her needs and wants he sees her as human with flaws and insecurities, and this is what makes her beautiful and a person to be loved. Evelyn must learn to trust herself and her heart when it comes to seeing Liam as someone who has only her best interest in mind when it comes to her and her daughter. The representation of communication between Liam and Evelyn is also really fantastic. There are many times when one of the other says something wrong, they always take a beat to understand what happened in the situation and then they seek the other out to better discuss and come to an understanding with each other. I really loved this because it showed me that these two were really working to learn from each other, hear each other and build a stronger foundation for their relationship to flourish. This novel has wonderful consent and watching Liam learn and seek advice on how to make his wife feel comfortable in their growing physical relationship is just wonderful. Liam is such a kind and patient hero, he is always checking in with Evelyn, and making sure she is in control as she begins to trust her body with another. Evelyn also really grows to understand the beauty of a physical relationship that she and Liam can share and how this can open up their trust and understanding of each other.
There are so many other beautiful things I could point out in this novel, but those would be spoilers, so definitely do yourself a favor and pick up this novel if you love a story with strong family growth and understanding at the center of a love story. I would definitely highly recommend!
***Thank you to Entangled Publishing (Amara) and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.***
OUT NOVEMBER 15, 2021