Highland Spy (The Highland Chronicles #4)

With her father no longer able to continue his job as the king’s chronicler, Bridget takes it up in his stead. When Caleb shows interest in her, she must guard her secret well, for if discovered, both her and her father’s lives would be at stake. This task becomes more difficult when the king commands her father to record the events of the Leader of the Lairds competition, with Caleb as their escort. While Caleb struggles to unravel Bridget’s mystery, someone tries to sabotage the contest, forcing Caleb to act as a spy to uncover the culprit. With lives on the line, decisions must be made with both the head and the heart. 

The fourth installment in the Highland Chronicles series, “Highland Spy” is a historical romance with an authentic feel. The Scottish dialogue adds to this, although it is used so extensively it can be difficult to read, pulling the reader from the story.  However, the characters truly make this a difficult read. They seem somewhat juvenile, exhibiting behavior that might only be accepted in children. In addition, Bridget shows signs of PTSD, particularly in her constant apologizing and unfounded guilt. Then there is Caleb. His obsession with being written into the Book of Chronicles is such that he mistreats her multiple times, ultimately blackmailing Bridget into writing him in. It leaves a bad taste in the reader’s mouth and essentially sours whatever happy ending they have. That being said, the book is full of humor, with secondary characters whose own stories beg to be explored.

Arec Rain