Another awesome tale from one of my all time favorite authors. In my opinion, this author can't do wrong. She writes stories that I am more than glad to read, over and over again.

'Once Upon a Tartan' is the second story in MacGregors series and I thoroughly enjoyed every character put forth, from Hester and Tiberius to Fee and our heroes horse, Flying Rowan.

And then, there's the setting of Scotland and another complex plot that will touch your heart. But as usual, it's Ms. Burrowes unique prose that holds my attention from page one and straight to the end.

"A list of known aphrodisiacs had circulated among Tye’s confreres at university, but lemon verbena had assuredly not been among the foods, fragrances, and substances named.

Nor had fresh air, or the scent of heather, or the sound of a burbling Scottish stream, or proximity to tartan wool, but something or someone had so unbalanced the relationship between Tye’s self-restraint and his base urges as to violate every tenet of common sense.

One did not accost decent young women, no matter how much in need of kissing they might seem.

One did not kiss young ladies who had given no overt indication they were receptive to such advances.

One did not allow oneself into compromising situations where any wandering neighbor might come upon one.

But one was also having great difficulty forgetting the kiss, and the compromising situation, and the decent young lady from whom the kiss had been stolen."

Melanie for b2b

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher
( )

I said I was sure to read it in a day and so I did. There is just something with Burrowes romances that makes me wanna read and read and not put them down before I know what happens.

Victorian times, Scotland, and a sad heroine. Hester felt a bit different as she left London in a scandal and is now staying with the McGregors (as her brother in the previous book married a McGregor..and then more, just read it and find out ;). She is looking after young Fiona. Hester was very kind, sweet, curious and getting over what had happened. She had a calm over her that I liked.

Tye, oh Tye. I know he meant well. Yes I liked him cos he was all sweet and caring. But he did not always think what was best for Fiona when he came barging in. But still he was so....so, mmm. I wanted him and Hester together, they made sense. And at the same time I knew the drama was coming and was scared. Even though we all know everything will work out in the end.

Another easy and sweet romance from Burrowes. I like this one the most in the new series. In book 1 too many people fell in love ;) ( )

Good book. Hester and Fiona first appeared in The Bridegroom Wore Plaid. Fiona is the child of Ian's sister Mary Fran and her first (now deceased) husband. His family never accepted the marriage, and has not acknowledged Fiona's existence since then. Mary Fran has recently married Hester's brother, and the are off on their honeymoon. Hester, who is visiting for the summer, has been left in charge of caring for her new niece while they are gone.

Tye has been sent to Scotland by his father to bring Fiona back to England. He expects it to be an easy task, as his father gives him the impression that the girl is living in poverty with a mother who can be bought off. What he finds is something entirely different, which throws his plans completely out of order. He finds that Fiona is well cared for, if a little wild by his standards. But it's his introduction to Fiona's Aunt Hester that makes him realize that things are not going to go as he expected. Upon hearing who he is, Hester has no trouble letting him know just what Fiona's family thinks of his and their actions, and that she is extremely suspicious of why he's there now. Tye figures he'd better take some time and get a better idea of what is happening before making his move.

In the previous book, Hester had been a bright, vivacious and social young woman, ready for her London season. Now, she is quiet and rather sad, having been banished to Scotland by her mother, after breaking her engagement and causing a scandal. She doesn't trust the pompous sounding Englishman, no matter how good looking he might be. She's been fooled before, and refuses to risk it again. Taking on the care of fun loving Fiona is just what she needs.

I enjoyed Tye's first encounter with Fiona. He's brusque and sarcastic, but he is also quite kind. I liked seeing the care he took of her when she hurt herself, and how he indulged her with the ride on his horse. He gives a first impression of being rather pompous, with the large number of big words that he uses, but he also seems to enjoy the way Fiona asks about them. Fiona isn't at all what he expected, and he is surprised by her immediate acceptance of who he is.

Sparks flew between Tye and Hester from the beginning. At first they were antagonistic ones, I loved seeing the way Hester tore into Tye about his family's treatment of Fiona and Mary Fran. Meanwhile, Tye didn't understand why Hester was so wound up, since she is not a blood relation to Fiona. When Aunt Ree invites Tye to stay for awhile, Hester is not happy but has to accept it, and Tye plans to use the time to figure out what to do. At dinner that night, Hester has calmed down some and Tye is on his best behavior. At that point both begin to realize that they are attracted to each other.

They fight the attraction at first. Hester has things in her past that she feels have changed her chances for the future she wanted. She also still mistrusts Tye's reasons for being there. Tye fights it because he knows that what he has to do is going to have consequences he doesn't want to think about. But no matter what they do, the attraction grows stronger. They also begin to get to know each other. I loved seeing Tye's reaction to her confession about her scandal, and the effect it had on her confidence. As Hester learns more about Tye's family, she senses a conflict in him even thought she didn't know what it was. I liked seeing her try to help him through whatever is troubling him. The love scenes between them are sweet, hot, and pretty amusing. Tye's fight for self control gets more and more difficult as Hester gets more confident in herself.

Tye realizes that he wants Hester in his life, and he also figures out that his mission might be more successful if he can bring her along too. His hints to Hester about his intentions have her questioning her feelings and wondering what his really are, since he hasn't said. He makes some critical mistakes in how he handles things, leaving Hester feeling betrayed.

Carrying out his mission from his father has left Tye feeling very conflicted. He suspects that there is something else going on too, and resents being placed in the middle of it. I liked seeing the way that he comes to his senses and does the right thing. Tye's father is a manipulative old goat, and though he has his reasons for what he has done, they are still wrong. I liked seeing Hester stand up to him. There are still problems to overcome, and both Tye and Hester have to face their fears before they can have the future they want. I liked their conversation at the end, and how Hester stood up for what she wanted from him.

One of the things I like best about Grace Burrowes's books is how big a part family plays in them. The closeness and support that is shown by the MacGregors is great. Ian may seem to be pretty laid back, but when the threat to Fiona is revealed, he makes sure that Tye knows just how big a fight there will be. On the other side, Tye's family is pretty dysfunctional. His father is a mean old man who I really didn't like, even after his reasons were revealed. The relationship between him and Tye's mom was one that could have been fixed if they had just talked to each other. Except for her game playing with her husband, I did like Tye's mother. I especially liked her when she met Hester and Fiona, and her attitude toward them both.

Fiona and Aunt Ree were two of my favorites outside Tye and Hester. I liked Fiona's easy acceptance of Tye as her uncle, something that came about because of the relationship she already had with her other uncles. I loved her chatter, and the way she and Tye had their wordplay going on. She could be really sweet, but she also had her moments when she wasn't, making her very believable as a character. She was also quite observant, and I loved seeing her get Hester headed to England with them. Aunt Ree was quite a fun old lady. She was also very observant and had her own ways of getting people to do things. I liked the advice she would give to Hester. She reminded me a lot of Lady Osbaldstone in Stephanie Laurens' Cynster series. ( )

I figured out what the scheming grandfather was up to rather early on, but I still couldn't wait to have everything resolve. Honestly, I would have loved more scenes with the grandmother. She seems like a force to be reckoned with, as does Aunt Joan. I hope Burrowes turns a few novellas to that family. Could be fun reads. ( )

ONCE UPON A TARTAN by Grace Burrowes is another exciting Regency Historical Romance set in Scotland and England. #2 in the "MacGregor" Trilogy, but can be read as a stand alone. See,"The Bridegroom Wore Plaid", Also, see, "Mary Fran and Matthew" a novella. Join Hester MacDaniel and Tiberius Flynn Earl of Spathfoy,(Tye) on a journey of discovery, passion, healing, trust,deception,seduction,loving a child and finding true love along the way. Filled with passion,a secret or two, and love. Oh and I have to say who wouldn't love the feisty,vivacious little Fiona(Fee, to her loved ones),who is what the story is mostly about. Although, Hester has her own issues, so does Tye,together they find their way to each other and hope to save little Fee, from a life away from her beloved mother. Fast paced and passion filled. You will delight in this pair of half Scottish and half English lovers as well as the vivacious little Fee. A compelling story with a bit of humor along the way. I enjoyed the story of Hester and Tye and of course little Fee as well. Who doesn't love a child in the mix. I can hardly wait to see the next installment of the "MacGregor" trilogy. It is sure to be a wonder. I also hope to learn more of these characters along the way. An exciting Trilogy! Take a romp through Regency Scotland as well as a quick romp through England with "Once Upon a Tartan", I dare you too. You will not regret reading this story. Ms. Burrowes is a true storyteller. Her characters are enduring, exciting, and engaging. Her storyline is fast paced, interesting and stimulating. Well done! Received for an honest review from the publisher.

RATING: 4

HEAT RATING: MILD

REVIEWED BY: AprilR, Review courtesy of My Book Addiction and More ( )