The Rebel of Clan Kincaid

Wow!! It was a great story. I couldn’t put it down until I finished.

5 Stars!

Best read if you are already familiar with the first in the series, this book moves on to answer more questions that were unanswered from the first, or threads that felt simply dropped, as the author did seem to get a bit mired in the multiple twists and turns. Fortunately, this book was mostly devoid of those lost threads and the overload of red herrings and plot twists, much to the betterment of the story. But, we are now dealing with the story of Magnus, who has just learned that he is actually the son of murdered Laird Kincaid, and his life as he knows it is a lie. Reeling with that information, and furious over the deceptions, Magnus needs to discover why the lie was perpetrated, and what advantages can claiming the title bring him. The better of the two “brothers” Magnus has the honor and personality to best suit a Laird, but unfortunately Hugh, lecherous and cruel, is soon to wed.

Tara and her sister have been ‘managed’ by their guardian, the Earl of Buchan a brother of the King. Separated after their parent’s death, Tara’s sister went to court while Tara has spent the past 5 years living with the nuns in relative safety. But news of her sister’s death and Buchan’s announcement that she, the second sister is now betrothed to the man who was to marry her sister. Confused? Yep – there were again several competing elements in this one, but the threads, at this point are reasonable to follow. Bundled into a carriage and taken from the convent to her new home, the journey is disrupted by brigands and Tara is in peril. Expecting the final death blow, Tara’s attacker is suddenly struck down, and she is rescued by a man she never sees. A short conversation ends with a little flirting, and the two are left with many questions and thoughts.

From here, the connection between Tara and Magnus proceeds rapidly, as Maguns seeks to protect her from Hugh and discover just why he was raised in the Alwyn household, not knowing his true identity. Tara, for her part, had unanswered questions about her sister’s death. Both need and deserve answers, and there are still plenty of twists in the struggle for power as the question about the Kincaid legacy and who will lead the clan come to a head.

Better reading than the first, there were issues with too many secondary characters and undeveloped threads. Several from the first book were simplyl left there, and a few in this didn’t resolve either. For me, I’d prefer a few less twists and red herrings in favor of developing some of these ideas more fully: for example, just what part does the death of Arabel influence or play into these struggles? Furthermore, for a young woman of the time, 5 years into life with the nuns, she is far too immodest and modern for this setting. With the efforts made to highlight the era, the struggles and the social structure, this diversion was glaring and felt more than a bit inconsistent. Ignoring that issue, however, the story is gripping and a real page-turner, even if I still have more unanswered questions than I would like at the end.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.