I liked the characters by the end of the book. In the beginning... Not so much. Cailin is great but a little too forgiving. Elspeth was hard headed if not determined.

Even though it starts out on the _eh_ side it does pick up. It was Cailin's side of the story that kept me reading, not Elspeth.

I received a copy for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )

Tension and distrust dog our leading characters!

Having a soft spot in my heart for the mythical and romanticized view of all things Knight Templar, I was excited by the premise. "The wrongful accusations and slaughter of warriors who’d vowed to protect the innocent, men who’d given their lives to serve the Brotherhood’s cause ... sacrificed without hesitation by the duplicitous French monarch' King Philip." The Templars have been secretly disbanded, and the brotherhood lives on to support new causes.
Out of this understanding rises the Forbidden series stories.
I the was captivated! I adored the Knights Templar connection.
It's 1308 in the snow covered Scottish Highlands. Elspet McReynolds, of Tiran Castle, in naught but the clothes she stood in is fleeing the treachery of the Earl of Dalkirk as he murdered her stepfather and mother and dragged away her stepbrother Blar, is confronted by two ragged brigands degenerate laden intent on her! Not good!
A woman's scream in the depths of the quiet forest galvanizes Sir Cailin MacHugh into action. A fabulous beginning!
My Knight Templar, Cailin, is definitely meeting my romantic expectations, the rescuing of a damsel in distress!
Unfortunately that damsel has her own agenda that runs counter to Cailin's and the two will find themselves going toe to toe at almost every turn.
Here's Cailin, whose the real heir to Dalkirk, the current Earl being his treacherous uncle, attempting reclaim his inheritance, following Robert the Bruce's instructions without attracting attention to himself, and he rescues the woman who will turn all that upside down. Why? Because she's absolutely focused on her own path without thought for how she impacts others.
I grew exasperated with Elspet and her inability on important occasions to just think before she acted. I wanted to adore Cailin but in the end his interactions with Elspet were just too wooden. Sure there was some chemistry happening between the two, but I just wasn’t convinced.
So three stars for the first parts of the story. I'm truly sad that for me, the story didn't have the Aha! resolutions it's beginning promised.

A NetGalley ARC ( )

** 3.5 Stars **

Series: Forbidden #4
Publication Date: 8/6/19
Number of Pages: 214

This book was certainly exciting and action-packed. While it is part of a series, you don’t need to have read the other books in order to enjoy this one. It was a good story, but I almost quit reading it before the half-way point because the heroine was so very, very annoying. She was one of the most TSTL, selfish, self-centered, reckless, inconsiderate and foolhardy characters I’ve ever read. I honestly couldn’t understand why anyone, especially our hero, would come to love her. Luckily, there were fewer situations that allowed her to show her TSTL side after the 40% mark or so. She hadn’t changed – just didn’t have the opportunity to show that side of herself.

Elspet McReynolds led a happy life filled with love – until she didn’t. She adored her mother, step-father and step-brother then the unthinkable happened – their Laird, the Earl of Dalkirk, had his knights attack and burn her home, hang her parents, and capture her and her step-brother. He had planned to use her as his mistress, but she managed to escape from Tiran Castle – and now she has to save her beloved step-brother from the dungeon – if he hasn’t already been killed.

It is freezing cold and Elspet is on foot with no money and no resources. She had been to friends she thought would help her, but they were going to turn her over to the Earl. Now, she is even more desperate to save her step-brother – he must be suffering terribly. When she sees two travelers, she decides to steal their coin so she can bribe one of the castle guards to free her brother. Except those travelers discover her and give chase and are about to ravish her when – out of the snow comes a hero to rescue her.

Sir Cailin MacHugh is traveling in stealth. His father was the former Earl of Dalkirk and Cailin is the rightful heir. Both his father and mother were murdered by his evil uncle who also arranged for Cailin’s murder. Luckily, Cailin escaped that fate and soon joined the Knights Templar. Now, after the secret dissolution of the Knights Templar, he has returned to claim his birthright – with the support of Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland.

As Cailin is riding through a nasty winter storm, he hears a scream – then another – and rides to the rescue. He takes the woman, now injured, to the inn in which he is staying so that he can assess her injuries and determine how best to help her. So, imagine his shock and dismay when he awakens from a drugged sleep to find his sword missing – along with the young woman. Furious, he sets out to find the woman and his sword that is the proof of his identity.

Thus began an exciting story filled with betrayal, alliances, friendships – and a matchmaking king.

My rating for this book is 3.5 stars and it could have easily been 4.5 were it not for the TSTL heroine. I guess the thing that disappoints me most is that the author has a military background and should surely know what constitutes a smart, cunning, savvy heroine – and it certainly isn’t acting the way this one did.

I think you’ll enjoy this book if you can get past the heroine in the first 40% of the book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )