Guest Review: Wild Wicked Scot by Julia London

Series:	Highland Grooms #1
Pub. Date:	Dec. 27, 2016
Publisher:	Harlequin
Length:	378 pages

A Highlander and his impetuous young bride discover their marriage of convenience isn't what they expected it to be when poor decisions, family drama, and politics interfere.

Aaran McKenzie was decisive, protective, and had a touch of pride and temper that didn't help their with his new young wife. Her leaving him in the dust shortly after their wedding doesn't help his heart or his confidence. It was hard not to like Aaran because he's..well, he's just a lot more likeable than Margot. A smarter man would have tossed in the towel sooner, but props to Aaran for taking his marital vows seriously. His devotion to his clan and their well-being stood out dramatically among the political pettiness being played out.

Margot Armstrong McKenzie was immature, petty, conceited, and did I mention immature? It took 3/4 of the book before I really believed her sincerity to work on her marriage and even then I was on the fence. Frankly, I didn't like her and had a difficult time warming up to her. If she had her epiphany about her behavior earlier in the book I probably would have respected her choices better, but alas..

The H/h got along well physically-seriously those two had chemistry in spades-but emotionally they didn't get on the same page until well into the later part of the story. Their biggest problem-aside from a forced marriage on her part and obviously different cultural backgrounds-was a severe lack of communication! So many things could have been resolved efficiently if they had simply sat down and actually listened to each other's grievances. 

The political landscape between Scotland and England was intriguing without being overwhelming. I liked how Jacobite twist didn't overshadow the story; instead served a dual purpose highlighting the lack of distrust not only between the couple but also the political players. 

The first book in the Highland Grooms series, Wild Wicked Scot was a good read, even with an annoying heroine. The marriage of convenience trope was decently handled, the political plot was interesting, and the secondary characters provided endless entertainment. While I wasn't completely sold on Margot and Aaran as a compatible couple, the dual point of views kept the story moving along at a decent pace and was interesting enough to finish reading so I would learn what resolution they would come to.