This was my second book from Lynsay Sands. Different series, different subgenre but equally enjoyable. I've tried a few Highland romances but this was the first I've finished. It's about a very spirited young woman, Evelinde, who gets taken away from her evil stepmother in order to marry the Devil of the Highlands who's actually a very decent decent guy. He doesn't like to talk much, so people assume the worse. Three of his family members, including his former wife, have also died under mysterious circumstances so everyone believes him to be a murderer as well. Evelinde and Cullen have an instant physical attraction, but most of the book is them figuring out how to function as a married couple as they sort of this murder mystery. Cullen has a lot traditional values, he doesn't believe he needs to talk much and a wife's only job is to obey and trust implicitly and Evelinde bucks up against that in a bit that feels appropriate for what little I know of this time period.

This book really sold me with the instant chemistry between the mains and the funny situations Evelinde finds herself in. She's a bit of too stupid to live character, but her actions make enough sense and the circumstances she finds herself in are pretty funny. I'm pretty sure she's only eighteen-ish so you're able to let go of a lot of her behavior because she's young and has lived a very sheltered life. ( )

Their first interaction was ridiculous, but it got a bit better as it went along. I liked their misunderstanding of love languages, that seemed very buyable. Minor- All his efforts to show her care in the beginning weren't nearly as obvious as he supposed, and she was pretty much entirely unaware of them until they were 'translated'. I also liked the hero's increasing attempts to actually communicate with words. The mystery was a bit wobbly, but wasn't awful. And the heroine was more bumbling than I care for, but on the better end of that type, and rescued herself a good portion of the time. ( )

3.75

Listened to audio narrated by Marianna Palk. Interesting accent, easy to listening.

Evelinde is married off to the 'Devil' by her wicked step-mother, only Cullen isn't the devil, just a man not bothered to quell rumors. Cullen is a man of few words believing his actions are more important than words. Unfortunately this leads to a lot of pain and heartbreak on Evelinde's side. Even though Evelinde has suffered many losses, she's still a sweet, gregarious girl, that seems to have a knack for getting into trouble.

Cullen and his clan comes across as very set in their ways, their mantra is 'it's always been done that way' and so when Evelinde tries to make improvements she gets a lot of resistance.

Change seems to come only when someone is endangered and eventually Cullen finds his silence and lack of change has done more harm than good and makes changes, I just wish he'd done it a bit early in the story because the connection between the too seemed lacking until then.

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Hmm, I'm thinking Cullen and Evelinde (love that name for some reason) are going to be really good for each other. Their first meeting reveals a lot about where I think this book is going and I'm excited!
There are some great humorous moments, subtle but there. There were also a lot of lines which made me giggle like a school girl. Even though Cullen doesn't speak much, he seems to have a way with words.
Although I was initially excited about this book, there wasn't much that stood out from this story for me. The murder mystery was just good enough to keep me reading to find out who the culprit was. The whole book felt very generic to me, like maybe I had read the same story time and time before. The setting is the 1200s in Scotland but frankly it could have been set in any time period and place. The Scots of course have their accents, yer and verra, but other than that the author does a poor job of making the reader feel the time and place. (Marsha Canham's "Highland" series does an exceptional job at giving the reader a feel for the Highlands) The book is simply mediocre and I am glad I didn't spend money on it.
It was a super fast read and did have couple great lines in it but I just know in a week I will have forgotten all about it; well except for the cover and how much it looks like "Madmaritgen" Val Kilmer from "Willow".

C ( )

Devil of the Highlands
4 Stars

Synopsis
Forced into an arranged marriage with a man known only as "The Devil of the Highlands", Evelinde d'Aumsbery is expecting the worst but soon discovers that marriage may be just what she needs. Cullen Duncan needs a wife to bear his children and follow his orders but realizes that Evelinde is so much more that he could have hoped for.

Review
Light and fluffy, historical cozy mystery set in the Highlands.

Very little world building and virtually no historical background but the characters are engaging and the plot is quite good (once you get past the silly shenanigans in the beginning). The romance is cute and the murder mystery is compelling enough to keep turning the pages.

Cullen is your typical alpha male/sexy highlander who finds the woman of his dreams in the most unexpected of places. He is not that big on words but more than makes up for it with his actions.

Evelinde is a sweet if quite ditsy and clumsy heroine. She has numerous TSTL moments but for some reason they come across as endearing rather than irritating.

The writing is simple and flows making this a quick and effortless read. Recommended for those in need of light fare that is not too taxing on the brain. ( )