It Happened in the Highlands (Scottish Dream Series, #8… (2024)

Though I tend to always love this author’s writing style and enjoyed Romancing the Scot, book 1 of this series, I’m sorry to report this book happened to start off with elements that just do not sit well with me in my romantic reads. I’m just not a fan of a spineless, cowardly hero who abandoned the heroine 16 years ago by dumping her shortly before their wedding date via a brief note right before he skipped town, all supposedly to do her a favor by sparing her his mean spirited family as in-laws and his future long absences as he still planned to live the life of a sailor after marrying her. Knowing this would create a humiliating scandal on top of the cruel way she was already been treated/gossiped day in and day out by London’s elite made me what to see Wynne walk the plank in shark infested waters, folks. Yeah, thanks for nothing, buddy.

Oh, there is more. She was in love with him and considered him her knight in shining armor, since she would finally be considered respectable/free of the hurtful wagging tongues. She was also ecstatic to have someone 100% unconditionally by her side who would fight for her happiness forever more.

When it was revealed six years later he found time while roaming the high seas to fall in love with another woman, marry her, and father a child that certainly also didn’t help set the stage for me to like this guy. Were we really supposed to be impressed he finally found the courage to stand up to his parents and choose love over their impossible to please expectations. Well, I wasn’t. Instead, I wanted her to fall for Wynne’s best friend/business partner, who was obviously smitten with her. Frankly, anyone but Wynne would have worked.

Josephine, the heroine, deserved better from the get go, folks. You know it isn’t a good sign when about 40% into they share a kiss, and you wish it had never happened. She was truly such a good, caring person that I’m especially sad she missed out on having much of a life these past 16 years. Wynne even admits there were other women before and after his love for Jo had long dissipated. Yeah, she was but a distant memory, basically a regret because he felt guilty she was likely hurt the way he left. Now he thinks he can just snap his fingers and everything will be right as rain. Unfortunately, she still has always been in love with him and never moved on.

No matter how you try to sugarcoat their attraction and feelings for each other, after being reunited almost two decades later, I have too much of a bitter taste in my mouth to listen to Wynne whine about now wanting her.

At 60%, I still had the sinking feeling this love boat of a hero self-inflicted previously doomed and left for dead relationship was still destined for a voyage I did not want to be on. The Titantic like iceberg was Josephine unjustly taking blame for getting dumped by Wynne! Even after him admitting he was at fault, he still did not regret turning his back on he, then six years later marrying someone else his parents would despise even more. All despite the fact, he was supposedly in love with Jo all those years ago! Out of sight, out of mind, I guess, because he found another lady love to replace her. Even used his personal history of seeing Jo so miserable living a life not knowing who her parents were to convince the OW to marry him when she got pregnant with his baby, because she was reluctant to tie the knot with him.

All in all, I’m starting to feel punked. This book must have just been a test to see if we would call the author, who I normally love, out on such absurdity in a romantic read. Rest assured, if this happens again, I will definitely not read anymore of this series.

Title: It Happened in the Highlands, Series: The Pennington Family (Book 2), Author: May McGoldrick, Pages: 239, stand-alone but part of a series, 16 year separation, hero not celibate during separation, OW history with a child, heroine deserved better, didn’t fight for love in the first place, stopped at 75%.

Book 1 - Romancing the Scot
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book 2 - It Happened in the Highlands

(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review, nor is there any affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author/publisher/NetGalley.)

Series: The Pennington Family #2
Publication Date: 3/27/18

This exciting and interesting tale is the second installment in May McGoldrick’s Pennington Family series. It is well paced, well written, and well plotted. Don’t let the book blurb fool you, he didn’t exactly walk away from the betrothal because of the gossip. So, if that description puts you off – as it did me – I’d say give it a chance – because it isn’t exactly accurate. I won’t give you his reasons because you need to read the book to find out. Now, I WILL say that I understand his reasoning, but NOT his timing. He was a very smart and capable man and should have recognized his dilemma long before he did. So, as I said – if that trope bothers you and you are thinking of not reading it because of it – give it a chance, I think you’ll like it.

We met Josephine Pennington (Jo) in the first book of the series – Romancing the Scot. You couldn’t help but like her in that one. She’s no less likable in this one, but I did feel she was a bit of a doormat. I really did enjoy watching her grow a spine. It wasn’t that she wasn’t smart and decisive, she just couldn’t stand conflict – especially when that conflict involved her. She allowed others to gossip viciously about her without any confrontation at all – she’d just run away. That forced everyone who loved her, especially the males, to be more and more protective of her. I was so very happy to see her grow a spine – and use it toward the end of the book. There is a scene with Lady Nithsdale at around the 95-96% mark that you will absolutely LOVE!

Captain Wynne Melfort is the younger son of a hateful, vindictive, spiteful, bigoted Baron – and his mother is as bad as his father. It would take a lot for a very young man to go against them and society. I was glad to learn that he found his bravery and was an accomplished leader in the Royal Navy. I think it took him a while, but he did get there. I believe my main reservation about him is his timing. I do sort of understand his reasoning for jilting Jo, what I question is his timing. Early on in the relationship, he knew ALL of the things he used as an excuse – he could have just skipped the proposal altogether or given her a choice to jilt him earlier. Instead, he made the decision for both of them. Then, he tells her in a letter! Granted, he called on her, but when she was out he left a letter breaking their engagement – say what! Talk about cowardice.

Sixteen years after the broken betrothal, Wynne is retired from the navy and has gone into partnership with his ship’s surgeon. They have opened an innovative hospital for people with mental illness. Wynne is the director of the hospital and the surgeon, of course, is the doctor. (BTW – you’ll love the doctor and I’m sure we will see him in his own story later). Wynne is also a widower with a son, Cuffe (wish I knew how to pronounce that). They are in the Highlands and Cuffe is having a hard time adjusting to the changes in his life.

They have a patient in their hospital who is uncommunicative – but he keeps sketching pictures of the same woman. Once Wynne sees the sketches, he recognizes the woman immediately – it is Jo. Wynne knows how important it is to Jo that she find her origins and Wynne thinks maybe this patient might hold a clue to those origins. So, he has Dr. McKendry write to Jo and include a copy of the sketch. Wynne knows that Jo will come to the hospital to see the patient, and he plans to be away while she is there – except she shows up earlier than expected.

The story leads the two of them into discoveries of many kinds. Discoveries about themselves, discoveries about their feelings for each other, discoveries about how strong they really are – so many things. As they search for Jo’s origins, they have to deal with villains, love and a lonely, unhappy little boy.

While I liked the first book better, this one is still a great read and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

It Happened in the Highlands was a wonderful second chance at love romance between a heroine looking to learn about her past and a hero who discovers that life doesn’t always turn out the way you expect it to.

Lady Josephine Pennington has had to deal with the talk surrounding her birth since the moment she made her debut in society. Born to a woman found on the side of the road who died after giving birth to Josephine, Jo was raised by the Pennington family who always treated her as if she were their own. Despite her family’s love, Jo has always wondered about the woman who gave birth to her and when the opportunity presents itself to find out more about her, Jo can’t help but take it. When that opportunity puts her back in contact with Captain Wynne Melfort, the man who broke her heart sixteen years ago, Jo must learn to trust him again if she wants the answers she seeks.

Josephine is an incredibly kind and caring person despite the way she is treated by those outside of her family. Her dedication to being polite to those who talk about her was admirable and I don’t know that I would have been able to put up with it if I was in her situation. By the end of the book, Jo learns though that she doesn’t have to tolerate the way people speak about her and begins to stand up for herself more. There is one scene near the end of the book where someone who wronged Jo finally got their comeuppance and I was absolutely giddy.

Wynne was where I struggled a bit with this book as I didn’t like his character too much at first. The reasons Wynne gives for breaking off his engagement with Jo felt selfish and it took some time for me to forgive him. While I didn’t love his character by the end of the book, I did like him a lot more than when we started. Wynne’s relationship with his son Cuffe definitely improved his character and was the cause of much of Wynne’s growth as a person throughout the book.

Josephine and Wynne’s relationship moves somewhat quickly but due to their prior relationship it ultimately makes sense. Even after the two realize they are still attracted to one another, it takes some time for them to work through the issue of their broken engagement. I particularly liked that while Jo knows she still has feelings for Wynne, she doesn’t simply forgive him and instead he has to show her how much he cares for her. When their relationship progresses physically it’s well done even if there were less scenes than I personally prefer. One surprise for me was the age of both Jo and Wynne as I’m used to reading romances with younger characters while here the characters are in their late thirties.

There are a few characters from Romancing the Scot who make an appearance in this book and while it was nice to see them again, you won’t be lost if you haven’t read that book. The mystery surrounding Jo’s lineage was well done and kept my interest throughout the book. To me it was obvious early on who her father was, but I liked the way the author chose to reveal the information. I was intrigued by who was attempting to stop Jo from finding out the truth and I liked that she was determined to press on in spite of them.

Overall, I enjoyed It Happened in the Highlands even more than the first book in the series, Romancing the Scot, and I can’t wait for the third book, Sleepless in Scotland, to be released. I would definitely recommend this series if you’re looking for quick, easy reads set in the Scottish Highlands.

**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**

I’m going to try to be fair about this, I really am. This was well-written. The story arc was plotted well. The characters were fully realized. The story slammed into melodrama briefly at the end, with a purely evil, pistol-wielding villain, but righted itself beyond that moment.

But I LOATHED, repeat, LOATHED the hero, Wynne, although the term “hero” doesn’t apply here. In “Romancing the Scot,” a prior book in the series, it was revealed that Wynne broke his engagement to Jo amid scurrilous rumors about her parentage and, after being wounded in a duel by Hugh, Jo’s brother (yay, Hugh!), left England on his Royal Navy ship. Now it’s 16 years later, and we find out why Wynne broke the betrothal 10 days before the wedding, leaving Jo with an unfinished wedding dress, a broken heart, and a devastated future. Oh, and he broke it by letter, not even facing her to do it.

He still believed he was protecting her from abominable treatment at the hands of his family and horrible unhappiness during his long periods of absence. With the war on and his naval duties, he couldn’t have given her the life she deserved.

What a load of horse sh*te. What he did was unforgivable and cruel in the extreme. He left her to not only face rumors about her parentage, but the new and even bigger scandal of a broken engagement. His excuses don’t hold water: if he thought his family would mistreat her while he was gone, he could have left her with HER family, who had protected her all her life. And both he and she knew he was in the navy and would be gone for long periods of time when he proposed and she accepted. As for his inability to protect her, his breaking the betrothal not only failed to protect her, he destroyed her, serving her up as a target for the metaphorical ton firing squad. And he didn’t even have the guts to tell her in person.

What a toad. I would wish Hugh had killed him, but that would have hurt Jo even worse. Barring that, I hoped that Wynne would fall back in love with her while watching her fall in love with someone else—you go, Dr. McKendry. But no.

So here’s my synopsis of the romance:

Man punches woman in face.

16 years later, woman says she doesn’t blame him because she didn’t see it coming.

Which made me want to vomit.

Let me rewrite this book, PLEASE.

Initially I wanted to give it at least 2.5 stars but the more I think of the characters, the more I dislike them...

....And while I was writing this review, I realized I hate the characters even more than I thought at first. I was trying to forgive them, especially the hero, for what he did but the more I think of what happened while H and h were separated, the more I DESPISE the story.

Possible spoilers which I think you'll need

So I love second chance romance and Historical Romance so it wasn't surprising I requested a copy of this from Netgalley. (BTW, they granted me a copy on its publication day.) I was excited to read it right away but as early as prologue, when I read how the Hero, Wynne, broke the engagement with Josephine, I lost interest. It was through a note. LAME!!! Anyway, that's why this review is so late. It took me a long time before I convinced myself to try reading it again.

The side plot about Jo's real origin was actually okay so I have to give it a star. It's still a big part of the plot. But the romance along with the characters don't deserve any star. Why? Well, for me the Hero is really so lame. When I read the description, I got no problem with him ending their engagement, I was expecting he'll have the most valid reason there is. What did I get? A VERY LAME excuse. No, really. It's lame. And worse, he married someone and had a son before his reunion with the heroine. Now I don't have a problem with widower or a single dad, I'm okay with a child being part of the romance between the MCs but it was hinted that he loved her before. I DON'T THINK SO, you COWARD. The more I think it, the more I despise it. I see what he did as major cheating/betrayal. Darn it. It's one of my main hated tropes in novels, in ANY Genre. Maybe it wasn't a direct cheating but it IS for ME. The description should indicate he married someone else so I would've avoided this and there would be lesser 1-star in overall ratings.

And If you haven't read the book, just look at the Goodreads description, specifically this line:

But after he uncovers information that could reveal the truth about Jo’s parentage, Wynne feels bound by duty to right an old wrong and inform her of his find.

Wynne feels bound by duty... years ago, he should've felt the same. He should've thought it was his duty as Jo's betrothed to fight for their love. And saves her from worse gossips. he knew she would suffer more. What kind of a guy would do that? Especially in a Historical novel where a woman's reputation is so delicate. he doesn't deserve a second chance. I don't believe he ever loved her. Not before, not now. If he feels something for her, it's not real love.

I got a problem with Jo as well. She's a doormat. The story hinted she's strong as she'd been living with gossips about her real parentage all her life but she was portrayed differently. I can say she's a good person but not really a strong one and strong personality is what her character needed because duh!!!, the hero is lame...

Oh darn, I should stop now when I still can, because seriously, I'm about to have an endless rant.

Thanks to the publishers for providing me an e-copy thru Netgalley in exchange for my honest review

Really, it makes me sad that I had to lessen the stars from 2.5 to flat 1. I heard the first book in this series was better so I'll try that one. I don't judge a writer by judging only one of his/her works, anyway. :)

A Noël j'avais découvert May McGoldrick et commencé les Pennigtons.

Et je dois avouer que j'étais plutôt intriguée de lire l'histoire de Jo, la sœur aînée , adoptée, que l'on croise dans les romans précédents, qui est un personnage assez calme doux, dévouée aux autres et hantée par l'idée de découvrir vraiment ses origines (et ainsi faire taire les rumeurs insidieuse, qui font de sa mère, "inconnue" morte à sa naissance, une possible prostituée)

D'autant que le héros n'est autre que celui qui, 16 ans plus tôt , avait rompu leurs fiançailles 10 jours avant le mariage... (et s'était pris une balle de son frère Hugh en duel, et paf!).

Mais 16 ans ont passés et on a affaire à des adultes (oui le héros et l'héroïne ont respectivement 38 et 37 ans....).

Wynne s'occupe avec un ami d'un asile dans les Highlands et il découvre un jour qu'un patient dessine inlassablement le portrait d'une jeune fille qui ressemble comme deux gouttes d'eau à son premier (et unique) amour. Il décide de faire en sorte de la prévenir mais sans se montrer. Sauf que, voilà, il la croisera quand même.

Jo, qui a l’impression en voyant les dessins d'avoir enfin une piste, s'élance donc vers les Highlands. Pour croiser son ancien fiancé. Et le fils de celui-ci qui est métis.

Alors j'ai aimé. C'est vrai que Jo n'est pas une héroïne tout feu tout flamme, elle est calme, pleine de compassion, elle a tendance (mais de moins en moins au fil de l'histoire ) à s'effacer. Ce qui est totalement raccord avec son histoire...

C'est vrai que Wynne s'est comporté comme un sagouin 16 ans plus tôt. Mais il le reconnait. Sans doute Jo lui pardonne un peu vite, mais on a affaire à des gens adultes,et elle a sans doute autre chose en tête à ce moment là que de ruminer le passé...

L’autre point intéressant, c'est au travers du personnage de Cuffe, le fils Marron de Wynne et les combats abolitionnistes de la famille de Jo, on a un aperçu de l'histoire de la lutte contre l'esclavage, en Europe, mais aussi dans les îles, en particulier en Jamaïque avec les références aux communautés Marrons*, justement.

*les Marrons sont les communautés formées par d'anciens esclaves en fuite, d'abord indiens puis noirs africains aux Antilles, en Amériques du Sud et à la Réunion et ile Maurice...

Love, love, love May McGoldrick! This is the second book in The Penningtons series and can be summed up with the phrase (sing along with me), "Love is easier, the second time around."

Lady Josephine Pennington is madly in love with Lieutenant Wynne Melfort. He's handsome and kind, and he shields her from the whispers and derogatory remarks of the ton, who cannot seem to forgive her for the mysterious circ*mstances of her birth. She's thrilled when he proposes and is looking forward to living the rest of her life with him.

Jo is therefore devastated when he breaks their engagement. For the next 16 years, she devotes herself to helping those around her and tries to forget Wynne. She helps women who have been battered and betrayed by men and she dotes on her family - seemingly the only people who support and protect her with their love and devotion.

During those same 16 years, Wynne becomes a captain in the navy and ultimately ends up in Jamaica, where he marries when his lover becomes pregnant. His wife dies in childbirth, so he decides to let the child's grandmother raise him. When the old woman grows afraid for her grandson's future, she writes to Wynne, asking him to take over raising his son.

Through a remarkable set of coincidences, Jo and Wynne meet again. She realizes that she's never forgotten him and that he's the only man she'll ever love. Initially, Wynne tries to distance himself from her, but he, too, realizes that their inevitable attraction still exists, and he's totally taken with the woman that she's become. But how can she ever forgive him for the way he ended their relationship? Should she?

Great characters in this sweet historical romance. A real page-turner as several mysteries unfold.

Really enjoyed this one! Focuses on a woman who is adopted and shunned by society because of her mysterious past. However, her adoptive family is extremely supportive. It's a story about second chances at love, about identity, about exploring her biological roots, about the demonstrative love of her adoptive family, showing family is about love and support, not blood. Though blood can also be a strong tie. It also explores the importance of finding out information about one's family and oneself, and how it doesn't deter from the love of those around her.

Wynne Melfort is a captain and second son, but from a respected family that cannot abide the fact their son is in love with a woman who has no history. In an attempt to shield her from his family's vitriol, he ends their engagement. Only to come face to face sixteen years later.

Lady Josephine Pennington is a woman with a mysterious past. All she knows is she was adopted by the Penningtons and they have shown her nothing but love. But she still years for the truth about who her biological family was and why her birth mother was running away. Her brother, now an earl, and her parents and sisters, have been nothing but supportive. But she never got over her one true love.

The mystery of Lady Jospehine unfolds beautifully and yes, I cried. Maybe because I'm an adoptee myself. Great read.

It Happened in the Highlands by May McGoldrick
The Pennington Family #2

Engaged from the beginning I could not put this book down! It made me think and care and invest in the characters hoping they would manage to find a way to the HEA they so richly deserved.

Definitely a second chance at romance love story but with sixteen years apart both Jo and Wynne are different people than they once were and better, in many ways, for their years apart. Both have grown and developed into more interesting, complex and stronger people than they may have had they married years before.

I enjoyed reading this book not only for the romance but for the mystery of finding out what Jo’s background was. I enjoyed the growth of Wynne as he got to know his son better. I found the relationship between Wynne and Jo believable and now want to find out what will happen in the next two books of the series and can’t wait till they are released!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press - Swerve for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 – 5 Stars

I am really torn about this review - the writing was great and the story was gripping, but as a romance novel, it fell flat for me.

Sixteen years ago Lady Josephine Pennington, the adopted daughter of the Earl & Countess of Aytoun fell in love with Lt Wynne Melfort and they were engaged to be married. But ten days before the wedding, Wynne broke the engagement, dueled with her brother and left her without a backwards glance.

Jo has suffered greatly, she knows almost nothing about her birth parents, but rumor and speculation run rampant throughout the ton and is often vicious. After Wynne left her, Jo basically retired from society, she devoted her time to various charities, especially those that care for ruined woman and children. But always in the back of her mind is the desire to find the truth about her birth. Now drawings of a woman who looks like her have given her hope that she had almost given up on.

Wynne Melfort is now widowed with a young son and has retired from the Navy and along with his friend Dermot McKendry, has relocated to Scotland. Dermot has started a hospital for people with traumatic brain injuries, Dermot is the doctor and Wynne is the businessman. When a patient begins communicating by drawing pictures of the same woman over and over, Dermot asks Wynne to help him find the woman. Wynne is shocked to see the face of Jo looking back at him and instructs Dermot to write to Jo, but asks him to refrain from mentioning him.

Jo comes to the highlands and is stunned to see Wynne, she is not ready to confront the past between them and asks him to pretend that it never happened. She meets with Charles Barton and his family and it is oblivious that they recognize her, but they deny it - Charles however, takes Jo's hand and speaks for the first time. Dermot is overjoyed and asks her to stay. His family is not as happy and say they will not leave him at the hospital. Dermot begs them to reconsider and reluctantly, they agree. Jo has mixed feelings about staying, she wants to help Charles and hopefully find out who her mother was, but begin close to Wynne picks at a wound that never healed, especially when she learns he married and had a son.

Wynne denies having any feelings for Jo, he needs to concentrate on building a life for his son., Cuffe. Cuffe is not fitting in and refuses to speak to Wynne. He was raised on Jamaica by his maternal grandmother after his mother died shortly after his birth. He barely knows his father and wants to return to Jamaica. Wynne worries for Cuffe, his mixed blood leads many to believe he is not Wynne's legitimate son and Wynne is very protective and defensive on his behalf, but he feels like he is fighting a losing battle and has yet to bond with his son.

This is a story of second chances, for Jo, Wynne, Charles and even Cuffe. I thought the story surrounding Jo's parentage was excellent and very well done, but I really didn't care for the romance aspect of the story. I felt that Wynne's initial rejection was lame, implausible for the era and given that he married an even more unacceptable woman a few years later even more unforgivable. I also felt like Jo was "just too good to be true", seriously the woman should be nominated for sainthood, she is too understanding, too forgiving and too meek. I felt like the love story unfolded too quickly and they reconciled much too easily. But the mystery of her family was fantastic and made this book well the time I invested to read. So for me, this was a 2 star love story with a 5 star mystery.

I would recommend the book, it is second in the series, but could easily be read as a stand alone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher*

It Happened in the Highlands by May McGoldrick is book Two in "The Pennington Family" series. This is the story of Lady Josephine 'Jo" Pennington and Captain Wynne Melfort. We did meet Jo in the first book 'Romancing the Scot' but feel this can easily be a standalone book.
Jo and Wynne had been engaged about about to get married when Wynne broke things off. After Wynne left to go to the Royal Navy Jo retried from society to do charitable work. Wynne reasons for breaking things off that help somewhat to understand he thoughts behind hurting Jo. Jo who has always had feeling of upset from being adopted because she never her new her blood family but having Wynne break off their engagement just added to that sorrow.
Years later Wynne is retired from the Royal Navy along with his friend and they go forward to open up a place for people with brain injuries or mental issues to be treated. There Wynne learns something related to Jo that brings them forward in meeting again.
But can past hurts be forgiving and can what Jo is learning about herself help in moving forward?
Great Story!

*I've got this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review*

Well, it's one of those books, where is not much that I can say. For me it was just good, nothing special about it.
It seems like I read about such characters many times before, they weren't unique and to be honest, they seemed to be a little bit bland.
The mystery part I enjoyed a lot more, than a romance. And I can tell you why - romance was rushed. I know that Jo and Wyyne knew each other before, but come on after what happened, and how "hurt" (at least it's what she says) Jo was, she forgave him very quickly.
So I gave 2.5 stars just for the mystery part, because until the end I have no idea, who the villain was.

Josephine Pennington was engaged to Wynne Melfort. But the fact that she is a foundling whose background is unknown causes problems in their relationship. The ton gossips have created stories where there were none. And those stories are as vicious and ugly as can be imagined.

Wynne breaks the engagement with a note. Jo's brother duels with Wynne.

Now, 16 years later, Jo is going to be traveling north to see one of her brothers. She receives some drawings which look like her. The drawings come from an asylum on the route to her destination.

When she stops at the asylum, she finds that Wynne is the governor of the asylum and he is there with his son. Cuffe is a mixed race little boy who has been taken from his Grandmother in Jamaica. He is in an unfamiliar place with a father he does not know and they are living in an asylum.

This book is part of a series, but it is easy to read as a stand alone. The relationships and previous events are explained fully. This is a terrific series and this book is one of the reasons for the terrificness.

The plot is filled with historical facts which add interest to the story. And the story is definitely one which held this reader's interest.

Jo finds some hints which lead her to start a journey to discover her family. That is one of the themes of the story. Wynne and Cuffe developing a relationship is another part. The treatment of patients who have mental illness is an ongoing focus.

Although these are serious topics, this is an uplifting story. Jo's ability to regain her personal power is very moving. The unconditional love Jo received from her adoptive family is a gift she has always had. But, for a long time she allowed the gossips and ugliness to defeat her.

Wynne has never forgiven himself for abandoning Jo. He also has no idea how to relate to his son. He is trying to build a completely new life for the two of them.

There are hurdles to overcome, but those hurdles disappear along the way. There is one of the most villainous people ever, but the villain is defeated.

And there are reminders of all the reasons Jo and Wynne loved one another long ago.

This is a wonderful book which held my interest from beginning to end. I have been a fan of the authors for quite some time and this is books is a strong example of their skill.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are completely my own.

I've never read May and took a chance when the ARC was offered to me. I am SO glad I did. I now have a new Historic Scot author to add to my favored list! This was a great story about prejudice and how gossip hurt others. It's about knowing the value of yourself and trusting that inner core of strength.

Lady Josephine Pennington was born in the streets of London witnessed by her adopted mother while her unknown birth mother died from her labors. Jo was fully embraced by the Pennington family and treated as one of the many siblings she grew up with. Unfortunately there were others in the "ton" who also witnessed her birth and never let others forget her uncertain heritage with their malicious whispers. All her life Jo tried to ignore the whispers, her family surrounding her jumping to her defence. When she was presented to the Queen for her "coming out" and put forward in the "marriage mart" she caught the eye of young Captain Wynne Melfort. He saw the slight to her heritage and sought her out to ease her hurt. During their courtship he was ever there, quick to defend and give her support. Even to his parents who did NOT favor their courtship. Ten days before they were to be married he received his Navy orders that he was to ship out to fight in the war not knowing when he would return. The realities of not being there for her and knowing his parents would make her life hell, made him realize he couldn't go through with the marriage even though he loved her dearly.

Years pass and Jo has become a "spinster" heiress who uses her wealth to help women and children who need support and have nowhere to turn. She gets a clue in the post of someone who might know who she is and decides to investigate on her way to visit her brother who's going to be a father for the first time. This starts the adventure as it's retired Captain Melfort who sees the clue and makes sure she gets it. He's planning to stay out of her path when she arrives but you know how plans go. I loved how these two find their comfort zone and renew the passion between them. I'm a sucker for second chance stories and guardian protector heroes. This one hit all my favorite "hot buttons" for story lines.

Just loved this adventure! Thank you May McGoldrick and St. Martin's Press for the NetGalley ARC of this book. I'm sorry it's late but well worth the time I took to read the story. I will be seeking more stories from this Husband-Wife writing duo.

This is the second book in The Penningtons series, I haven't read Book 1 but this book can hold its own just fine.

Lady Josephine Pennington and Lieutenant Wynne Melfort hold each other in great affection, a regard which stood the test of time. Separated for sixteen years, their feelings for each other hasn't dimmed.

As Fate would have it, Jo and Wynne meet again. The undeniable attraction still bounces off between them. But their painful past is hanging over their heads.

Jo has been raised by Earl and Countess Aytoun with love and devotion. But her heart longs to know her birth mother and father. As she searched for the truth about her parentage, with the assistance and unwavering support of Wynne, she uncovered secrets, lies, deceit, and betrayal by her own kin!

This is an absolute gem of a book, a family saga, paying respect to multi-cultural characters, and their cultures. It also touched the plight of mentally ill patients and the different ways of treating them. Wynne and Jo are stellar hero and heroine. I wept and rejoiced for them. The secondary characters, young and not-so-young are interesting and engaging.

This is my honest review of an eGalley copy from the publisher which I voluntarily read. All opinions are mine.

Another winner for May McGoldrick! In the next in The Pennington’s, we take up adopted daughter Lady Josephine’s tale. The author gives us a great story-a little mystery, a lot of redemption, and a romance that makes your heart pound! Bravo!
Lady Josephine Pennington has always been talked about. She’s learned to live with it. Found by the muddy roadside in the arms of her dying mother, spectators called her the bastard of a whor*. No matter the love she received from her family, the pain is there. After a failed betrothal and a short marriage, Jo is content to throw herself into her charity, helping women just like her mother who find themselves in a situation with no one to turn to and nowhere to go. But Jo’s world is tilted when sketches of her arrive from a mental hospital in Scotland. Is this a clue to her mother’s identity?
Captain Wayne Melfort has spent 16 years trying to forget Josephine Pennington. He’d left her reLizing he would be at sea for long periods of time and what kind of marriage would that be. By setting her free, he was giving her a chance at happiness. Having been widowed, he’s brought his son home to Scotland. He wants to build a home for him and help his friend get his mental facility on firm ground. But when one of the patients starts sketching Josephine’s face over and over, he knows he must reach out and help find clues to her past. But can he do so without those feelings he’s tried to deny coming out?
Lady Katherine and Captain Melfort’s story is one of second chances, forgiveness, and discovery.

I loved seeing how Jo had matured and found a peace for herself and her situation. Wynne was racked with guilt for most of the story, but how they resolved their problems with the past was perfect. Cuffe was a great addition to family and setting as well. The updates on Grace and Hugh was wonderful to see. The antagonist threw me off a little, it wasn't the person who I exactly thought it was, but I'm glad the ending turned out as it did. Pretty much perfect justice in the end! Thank you NetGally for the ARC!

Jo Pennington dealt with snide remarks as long as she could remember. Adopted by the Penningtons as a newborn, there were nasty insinuations about her parentage as long as she could remember, eased by her loving adoptive parents, but they hurt all the same.
Enter Lt. Wynne Melfort and their engagement in her first season, and his subsequent crying off and it just gets worse for her.
Jo dedicates her life to her family and her aid to women and orphans, and searching for more information on her birth mother, until she get sketch of herself along with a letter requesting her help with a patient.
Things get strange and she perseveres with the aid of Wynne and the doctor to achieve both goals, only to find they are still in love, and the reasons for their failed relationship are discussed and laid to rest for their own HEA.
Woven with hope, despair, love, envy jealously and cruelty, Ms.Goldrick covers a range of human emotions and gives the couple the strength to rise above them. It is a wonderful read evoking hope despite obstacles.
I requested and received an ARC from Netgalley to peruse.

I received this book from net galley and publisher for an honest review. Thank you!!

This novel was a delightful read involving mystery, romance, and forgiveness. Sometimes, your first love remains your only love, as with Lady Josephine Pennington. She was jilted by Lieutenant Wynne Melfort days before they were to be married. Jo was completely devastated. Who would want to marry someone who was not a true Pennington and does not know who her birth parents are. 16 years later, Captain Wynne Melfort, discovers something that could lead to Jo's birth parents and feels duty bound to do so. He did not take into account the feelings he still had for her and deeply regretted how he ended their engagement. Both still thought of the other and kept tabs on them. Jo started as timid girl who became a woman with her own mind. She is afraid to let her heart be broken again by Wynne and pushes him off when he tries to explain to her his reasons for ending their engagement. Still, the heart wants what the heart wants. The mystery behind Jo's past brings them together, but someone wants to keep the truth hidden. As they travel in the Highlands, the truths are revealed, but will both being willing to accept it and rekindle the love they had?

Received an ARC via NetGalley

When Lady Jo and Wynne Melfort meet for the first time, there is an instant connection. They have both found someone that can understand them and love them. Lady Jo has had a wonderful adopted family, but does not know who her biological family was/is. She has been insulted a lot of her life because people assume that her mom was a prostitute. When she meets Wynne he does not care about what the gossip is going around. Wynne’s parents were not nice and they were not very supportive. Suddenly Wynne breaks their engagement with just a note. Jo is devastated and retreats into helping her family and those less fortunate. Wynne continues in the Navy and becomes a Captain while traveling all over the world. There is a very surprising reason that Jo and Wynne meet again 16 years later. Jo finally has a chance to find more information on her background. Will Wynne be there to support her or will he disappoint her again? Even though heartbreaking, was the break up good for both of them? I enjoyed this book a lot. I enjoy Jo and her adopted family the Penningtons and look forward to the next book in the series.

Lady Jo Pennington was adopted, but her family was great, supportive and so loving. She became engaged to Captain Wynne Melfort, but he broke it off when he got his orders to go to war. He felt he could not protect her.
She had been slander by the ton, all of her life and they didn't even know what happened.
The characters had depth and a great love of life. The descriptions of some of the beautiful scenery, they saw were amazing. I loved it where Jo got Kissed after sixteen years of waiting for Wynne. There is a lot of heart to this tale and I enjoyed every moment. But boy, was I tired in the A.M, had to finish it.
I received this ARC free and voluntarily reviewed, it.

SPOILERS--SPOILERS
Wynne the Zero was scum of the earth IMHO. He dumps her two weeks before the wedding. With a hastily written note which he left with the butler by the way. Why you ask? Well he explains 16 years later. His mommy and daddy really didn't like her because she's adopted and her real parents are probably riff raff. Plus he was going off to sea and wouldn't be around to protect her. From what? She was already the subject of intense gossip. Were his parents going to start shooting at her? She had a large extended and loving family. They weren't shipping out. They would have been there for her. His actions put her in an embarrassing and mortifying position. No wonder she's still single 16 years later.

He on the other hand has moved on. He goes on to have affairs. Then five years after the breakup he marries a Jamaican woman of color who is part of the anti slave movement and has a baby. His parents don't like her either but he doesn't care. Unfortunately the wife dies in childbirth so he tosses junior to his mother in law and sails off. into the sunset. Ten years later grandma begs him to take junior back as Jamaica is in the middle of a slave revolt and she is worried for his safety. Sounds like a grandma. But she might of thought twice if she realized he was going to be living in a lunatic asylum. Well upstairs really. He only needs to go into the asylum when he is forced to read to the patients when he is being punished. He takes it in stride though because he's 10 years old going on thirty. Poor kid. I'd bitch too if I went from running barefoot on the beaches of Jamaica to the cold damp highlands. On top of which he has to live with Wynne. Yuck

On to Jo. Lovable. Likable Jo. She has spent the last 16 years doing good works and kind deeds. And hanging onto her virginity. Good thing because when she sees Wynne she realizes she still loves him. She loves his son. She loves his dead wife. In fact Wynne can do no wrong in her rose colored world. So when he finally gets around to a half hearted apology. Remember it's his parent's fault. She tells him that it's her fault also for being timid. WHAT???? Give yourself a shake Jo. This guy is an ass. This happened at around page 146. (I bought it at BN. I had a gift card. They number their pages.) Anyway a dnf. Much more groveling by our saintly heroine and I'll barf. May Mcgoldrick and I have come to a parting of the ways. I didn't like the last book in this series and this was is even worse. No plausibility to their stories. Done. Finished. Deleting.

I loved this second addition to the Pennington Family series! Jo was a beloved character in the first book, so I was really looking forward to reading her story next. Hers is a bit different from your typical romance, in that she is in her late 30s and lives a fairly independent life. This made the story very interesting to me, as I got to see another side to life in the early 19th century that you don't typically get insight into. It was definitely a magical story, filled with tragedy and lost love and fated reunions, but it was also an educational story of how life was far from a fairy tale and that the wealthy had many dark secrets to hide.

Jo Pennington was an orphan, born from a mother assumed to be a prostitute, and saved by a kindly family with influence enough to give her a good life, if not a life free from gossip. Many believe the worst of her though, and her peers regularly ridicule her. Ten days before her wedding to Lieutenant Wynne Melfort, she receives a letter from him breaking off their engagement, and her life is forever changed. Sixteen years go by, and she has made a life for herself helping destitute women and their children. She still wonders who her parents were though, and she still thinks of her long-lost love. One day she receives yet another letter - this time from a doctor claiming that one of his patients has been drawing sketch after sketch of a woman who looks eerily similar to herself. Thus she is drawn towards the answer to a painful mystery in her life, and with it comes a reunion with the man who broke her heart so many years ago.

Jo was by far the winning character in this dramatic story! She was such a strong character and a heroine that any woman of today could look up to for inspiration when everything in your life seems to go wrong. She had to overcome so many things - finding out she was adopted, having no birth parents to speak of, enduring the vicious tongues of those around her, being abandoned by her fiance - that it's amazing she was so stable when she came back in contact with Wynne Melfort. Personally, I would not have been so calm, and he would have gotten much more of a tongue-lashing from me than he received from Jo. Wynne is a hero that I both loved and hated at the same time. While I liked the person he had become by the end of the book, I was really irritated with how he treated Jo when they were engaged. He literally left her to fend for herself, and it was infuriating for me as a reader. When the dueling scene between him and her brother arrives early on, I was quite satisfied with the outcome. He witnessed how the ton treated Jo, tried to protect her, and when he couldn't protect her to his satisfaction, he decided she would be better off humiliated and abandoned. Makes total sense. The fact that he mans up towards the end of the book with regards to Jo and his son was a testament to his character growth. Unfortunately, not enough time had passed between the time I read the first chapter and the last for me to completely get over my anger. Oh well.

I love this author's writing and highly recommend it to readers of historical romance! The stories are always multi-dimensional, with thrilling mysteries and fascinating insights into history, and I am never, ever bored. I can't wait to read her next book.

**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review.**

Publisher's Description:
It Happened in the Highlands is the next book in the new historical highland series, The Penningtons, from USA Today bestseller May McGoldrick...

Lady Josephine Pennington was jilted by her fiancé once rumors spread about her questionable origins. Her adoptive parents have always provided her with the love and protection she’s needed to feel secure, and over the last sixteen years she’s molded herself to meet the expectations of others. When she receives a package containing sketches where the subject is eerily familiar, Jo believes she might have found a clue to the identity of her birth mother.

When Captain Wynne Melfort ended his engagement to Jo Pennington sixteen years ago, he never imagined he would see her again. But after he uncovers information that could reveal the truth about Jo’s parentage, Wynne feels bound by duty to right an old wrong and inform her of his find. He didn’t expect for feelings long thought dead to resurface, for in his mind a love departed was gone forever.

As they strive to unravel the mystery of her birth, Jo must learn how to trust the man who’d once rejected her and Wynne must reconcile his head with his heart. But as secrets of the past begin to surface, evil forces will stop at nothing to keep Jo from uncovering the truth and reclaiming her legacy. Together, Jo and Wynne must fight the deadly menace lurking deep in the Highland mists.

My Thoughts:

This well written book is the newest edition in the Pennington series.
A story of second chances and answers to mysteries discovered the characters are well developed and the storyline is an engrossing one.
I couldn't put it down and finished it in two sittings.
This engrossing book has it all, young love, heartbreak, honor and a more mature second chance romance.
Can Jo Pennington and Wynne Melfort make the most of their rediscovered love?
Will the mystery of Jo's origins lead to their demise?
I gave this sometimes delightful and other times exasperating tale 4.75 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization. These characters are not new to the readers of this husband and wife author duo. They were previously introduced to us as children so their adult characters are new to us.
This book gets a sensual rating of 4 of 5 flames.
Wynne has been married before but Jo has spent the past sixteen years chastely looking on and dreaming of her first and only love.
Although part of a series this book can easily be read as a standalone title.
There is no need to read this series in any particular order.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley to read and review.
This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Loved this book. I was hesitant at first because Wynne and Jo were betrothed 16 years ago when they were both about 21 years old and Wynne ended up breaking it off without giving Jo a good explanation, just a written note. Hugh, Jo’s brother, challenged Wynne to duel for Jo’s honor and almost succeeded in killing Wynne.

Now, Captain Wynne Melfort is a director of a mental health institution, retired from the Royal Navy and has a 10-year old son (he’s a widower). Meanwhile, Jo’s life hasn’t really changed at all. She is a 37-year old spinster, still living at home with her brother Hugh and his new wife (from the previous book in the series) and their baby.

Lady Jo Pennington isn’t really a Pennington - she was adopted by Hugh’s mother when she was just a baby and her young mother died near the Pennington estate. No one knew anything about the mother except that her name was Jo and she didn’t mention a husband or family. Of course that meant the gossips were especially cruel and said Jo’s birth mother was a whor* and that means Jo is one as well. That’s why she has shrunk in on herself and doesn’t really socialize much, although she started a home for unwed mothers and their children.

Then, one of the patients at the mental health institution starts drawing the same woman over and over again. Wynne recognizes the woman - it is Jo. He has the doctor of the institution write Jo and ask her to meet the patient because he knows Jo has always wondered about her past and thinks this patient may have a clue to her heritage. Thus Jo and Wynne meet again even though they both thought they would never see each other again. And then Jo and Wynne realize there is something strange going on about the patient’s family and that they appear to be hiding something. But what? And does it have to do with Jo?

I will definitely continue to read this series.

Lady Josephine Pennington was jilted by her fiancé sixteen years ago & she has never married. Her adoptive parents have always provided her with the love and protection she’s needed to feel secure. When she receives a package containing sketches where the subject is eerily familiar, Jo believes she might have found a clue to the identity of her birth mother.
When Captain Wynne Melfort ended his engagement to Jo Pennington sixteen years ago, he never imagined he would see her again. But after he uncovers information that could reveal the truth about Jo’s parentage, Wynne feels bound by duty to right an old wrong and inform her of his find. He didn’t expect for feelings long thought dead to resurface, for in his mind a love departed was gone forever.
As they strive to unravel the mystery of her birth.
I’m so glad Jo has her story she won my heart as a secondary character in her brothers’ books. Another lovely read from the author I found it very hard to put down & read it in under a day. The characters are vwery well fleshed & the story flows very well. Cuffe is delightful & the way his character develops from a sullen little boy to a generous, caring youth is very well handled. I began by disliking Wynne for his treatment of Jo many years ago but as his reasons were revealed I could forgive him but felt he handled it very badly. I ran through a gamut of emotions reading the book from laughter at Wynne & Hugh’s meeting to Jo’s heartbreak after speaking to the curate. I look forward to the remaining two Pennington sisters having their stories.

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

it happened in the highlands is a second-chance at love story that addresses some real issues like adoption and identity and race. wynne melton and jo pennington had been engaged once, when they were young and innocent. he was going off to war and she was overwhelmed by a society that didn't quite know where to place her.

he broke her heart. and he nearly died for it. and sixteen years later they meet again. this time when a patient at the mental hospital he helps manage draws images that bear her likeness. there is a mystery afoot. and it might reveal the secrets of jo's birth and her circ*mstances.

wynne has never forgotten her. he's never forgiven himself for how he handled things. but jo doesn't want to dwell on the past. she wants to move forward. except neither of them can forget the hold they had on each other's hearts back then. it's a hold that is still evident in the present.

and so they find their way back to each other. and they learn about who they really are. jo quite literally. but wynne shows us growth as a character too. sometimes i'm not always sure about second-chance stories because i find that there is too much to forgive, too much atonement required. and yet, jo isn't ever bitter, and when she does finally allow wynne to explain himself, she only makes him do it once. her forgiveness is freely given. and that makes all the difference.

**it happened in the highlands published on march 27, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/st. martin's press (swerve) in exchange for my honest review.