Highland Soul (Highland Outcasts #1)

Gavin MacKeefe is known around the town as a Highlander and terrible glutton, loving nothing more than to eat and drink. However, he finds himself in a predicament after breaking two of Old Callum MacKeefe’s rules of the tavern. Due to his rule breaking, he is now sent away as an outcast of the town and must assist the cordwainer’s daughter, Davita, in order to redeem his good graces. His task is to make a new pair of Cordovan leather boots for Old Callum MacKeefe if he ever wishes to enter the clan again. As Davita and Gavin spend more time together, will their feelings for each other take precedence over their duties or will they sacrifice love for their livelihood?

Elizabeth Rose writes an interesting story, filled with enjoyable humor as the Highlanders find themselves getting into trouble. However, this is not an easy book to begin reading. The dialogue can be difficult to follow as it is written to mimic the thick accents of the character’s nationality, but at times the spelling is so off that the words are unrecognizable. If readers can move beyond the difficult dialogue, the plot is entertaining and contains a lot of humor, romance, and bits of historical knowledge on shoemaking. The characters' personalities oppose each other greatly as Davita is headstrong and devoted from the start, while Gavin's character progression happens slowly after he meets Davita. Overall, “Highland Soul” is a unique take on historical romance with just enough humorous moments to bring out a grin.

Sadie Wilson