Highland Velvet (The Velvet Montgomery Annals Quadrilogy Book 2)

Once again a series of books and Jude Deveroux is a excellent writer. I.had read this book before and it was excellent. I couldn’t put the book down. I wanted to start in that era. I decided to collect her series and I’m starting right now. This book arrived brand new in perfect shape. Beautiful cover. I highly recommend this book for reading.

When Bronwyn MacArran's father, a Highland laird (chief), is killed by the English, the conquering king awards Bronwyn in marriage to an Englishman, Stephen Montgomery. Bronwyn becomes laird of her clan; this causes conflict between Bronwyn and her older brother, who was passed over for the title, and between Bronwyn and her English husband, who believes women should be subservient. Though they get along well in the bedroom, Bronwyn and Stephen fight everywhere else. Their stubbornness is partly to blame, but much also stems from their cultures' differing views about warfare, women, and the way those in power interact with those who serve them. Slowly Bronwyn and Stephen change as they fall in love, but misunderstandings, pride, and long-running feuds thwart their progress.I return to The Velvet Series again and again. There are a few editing flaws and minor continuity issues, but the storylines are compelling, intriguing, and skillfully interwoven. There is romance, adventure, mystery, treachery, grief, reconciliation, triumph, and passion. The characters are varied and have very human traits. Of the men in the Montgomery family, one brother is short, stout, cannot read, and is an outlaw who fights for the rights of serfs. One is arrogant and argumentative, another serious and quiet, another jovial and light-hearted. Though the female protagonists each have some unusual strengths, they, too, are balanced by deficits and differences; for example, though one woman was educated to prepare her to run a convent, she cannot sew or cook. Another has a magnificent singing voice, but she is also flat-chested, poor, and rather plain-looking -- qualities rarely found in romance novels. Jude Deveraux writes about brave, exceptional women who overcome bad circumstances, women who conquer their fears to save their man from danger, and to save themselves when facing the challenges of a society that valued women only for their beauty, meekness, and family's status, rather than for their own cleverness and strength. Highly recommended series.

I really enjoyed this reread and the step back in time it gave me. I remember Stephen Montgomery as my first love. Every man I met was compared to him. Sure, I didn't 'meet' a lot of English men who became Scottish and wore a kilt, but I wanted a man to love me fiercely. Stephen loved Bronwyn...and she didn't even deserve it.Bronwyn is fierce and determined. It's hard to be a woman and Laird of your clan. The bloody English have caused pain and heartache for her people. Bronwyn is sickened to learn that the English king wants an English man (of his choosing) by her side as a husband. She must marry her enemy, so it's no surprise she's hardly jumping for joy at meeting her husband to be...and...he's three days late.Historical romances have changed a lot over the years. We expect it to be true to the time...only if there is no raping, pillaging, infidelity or abuse. Hmmm...unfortunately, that's almost impossible. My acceptance of accuracy over romantic fairytales has changed my expectations. I think this was definitely closer to historically accurate than fairytales.

I found the first book in the velvet series, The Velvet Promise, in a pile of old books at a garage sale. Some of the minor details, like the pope can grant a divorce(Not), were wrong but the characters were compelling. I had to read the next book in the series. I was not disappointed. Many Romance novels have no plot. Pleasantly, Highland Velvet has many plots and subplots.The main story is about how King Henry promises a wealthy Highland bride to Stephen Montgomery. Stephen, an Englishman, is hated by his new wife, Bronwyn, and her clan, of which she is the chosen leader. At first Stephen is arrogant and doesn't fit in. He tries to force his ways onto Bronwyn's clan. Stephen is infatuated and lusts after Bronwyn. Stephen doesn't understand her hostility to him. Stephen doesn't understand why he has to change his "superior" ways.Bronwyn, for her part, finds Stephen very appealing, but he is not right for her clan and there is her dilema. She tries to fight her attraction to him, for the good of the clan. She is often quite mean, and physically violent to Stephen. Stephen tries to make the best of it considering there is probably no way he is getting out of the marriage alive. Until, in a drunken rage, Stephen declares he has had enough and will find someone who isn't cold to him. Stephen staggers off into the night. His angry words cause Bronwyn to realize she must also change in an attempt to win him back. She realizes she really does love him, and he is good for the clan.I recommend reading this book as well as the Velvet Promise. The characters are fun to love, and the villans are fun to hate.

Wish more of her books were available on Kindle. But also with Amazon would stop listing items as new titles and saying I don't have them on Kindle already. Apparently bought this one ages ago but it said I did not have it. Think I have 2 of Julie Garwood's Castles as well from Kindle too.

Easy reading and if you get all four great holiday read

Loved it!

Brilliant book could not put in down

Great