In Her Highlander’s Bed by Lynsay Sands

source: ARC courtesy of Avon books.
title: In Her Highlander’s Bed
author: Lynsay Sands
published: January 24, 2023
pages: 368
genre: historical romance
trigger warning: physical abuse
first line: Allie?
rated: Nice Highland romance

Book Blurb:
For fans of Outlander, New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands’ newest installment of the Highland Brides series brings us a sweeping tale of passion as a laird’s swim in a loch leads to the love of a lifetime.

An invigorating swim in the loch was exactly what Calan Campbell, Laird of Kilcairn, needed after defeating his enemies in battle. What he didn’t need was a thief running away with his plaid while he swam. Calan gave chase and managed to catch the lad, only the lad turned out to be a lass, and obviously a lady. Having hit her head when he’d tackled her to the ground, the woman was now unconscious and couldn’t explain how she had ended up bruised and naked in his woods. He’d have to take her back to his castle and tend her wounds to learn that.
Kidnapped and forced to wed her clan’s enemy, Allissaid MacFarlane had risked death to escape. But after a struggle over a plaid she tried to “borrow,” she awakens in a strange bed with a strange man seated in a chair beside her. Unsure if he is friend or foe, she claims not to remember her own name or how she’d come to be in the clearing. However, the more time she spends with Calan, the more she falls for this strong, honorable laird. She soon decides she can trust him with her life. . . but can she trust him with her heart?

My thoughts:
In Her Highlander’s Bed by is book 11 in Lynsay Sands Highland Brides Series but can be read as a stand-alone. As the story begins, the Laird of Kilcairn, Calan Campbell, comes upon a knocked out Allissaid MacFarlane. Allissaid has just escaped after being kidnapped and forced to marry a man she does not love who is also an enemy of her family. When Allissaid awakens she finds herself in Calan’s bed with the hunky highlander seated beside her. She doesn’t know if she can trust him so she claims amnesia. That’s very smart of her btw. Allissaid has been badly hurt by Maldouen McNaughton, the man she was forced to marry and she’s badly bruised all over her body.

Once Allissaid starts to trust Calan and realizes she knows his family, she reveals her identity and her story. She and Calan start to gravitate towards one another and Calan is infuriated at how Allissaid has been treated, he wants to get revenge in her name. Much of the story revolves around Calan and his mom and sister taking care of Allisaid while she heals from her injuries and also on trying to figure out a way to get Allissaid out of her arranged marriage.

Overall, this was a nice Highland romance, the plot moved along fairly quickly and I liked the romantic tension between Allissad and Calan. Calan takes good care of Allissaid as she heals in his home. I thought it was a nice touch that Calan’s family is also involved, mainly his mom and his sister. As I mentioned, this is book 11 in series but it’s fine as a stand-alone and there’s references to some of the other characters from the previous books.
Calan is your alpha male wanting to ravish Allissaid and claim her as his own and he did annoy me sometimes with how he had just one thing on his mind. Allissaid is trying to heal for much of the story, she’s badly battered and bruised. It hurts her to move and breathe and she needs to be carried around at one point. Not to mention the mental anguish she’s going through at having being assaulted by Maldouen so Calan trying to be physical with her so much got kind of old pretty quick. Please note, trigger warning while reading for physical abuse on women and there are descriptions of bruises and swelling etc.

Aside from that, I can always appreciate a slow burn romance and that is what these two had. Nothing was rushed between them, so it made it more realistic. If you enjoy Highland romance and an alpha hero with a heroine who is in need of saving, I think you may enjoy this one.

“His kisses had been…Dear Lord, she’d never experienced anything like them, and they’d made her aches and pains fade as other sensations overwhelmed her. The taste, the smell, the feel…Her entire body had tinged and trembled and she’d wanted it to never end.”- In Her Highlander’s Bed by Lynsay Sands, 57% Kindle version

About the author:
LYNSAY SANDS is the nationally bestselling author who is known for her hysterical historicals as well as the popular Argeneau/Rogue Hunter vampire series. With her witty and charming personality, Sands describes books as, “Waking dreams or stories, tales to amuse, entertain and distract us from everyday life.” She’s been writing stories since grade school and considers herself incredibly lucky to be able to make a career out of it. Her hope is that readers can get away from their everyday stress through her stories, and if there are occasional uncontrollable fits of laughter, that’s just a big bonus. Visit her official website at www.lynsaysands.net.-quoted from Goodreads.

Disclaimer: This review is my honest opinion. I did not receive any kind of compensation for reading and reviewing this book. I am under no obligation to write a positive review. My copy of In Her Highlander’s Bed by Lynsay Sands came via Avon Books in exchange for my honest thoughts.