When a Lady Kisses a Scot is the fourth book in the Her Majesty's Most Secret Service series by Tara Kingston. This is the first book I have read in the series, and while there are clearly some carried over characters and relationships this book can be read as a stand alone.
Rose Fleming has been presumed dead for the last decade. It required leaving everything—and everyone—she loved behind, including MacAllister Campbell. But faking her death allowed her to stay safe until the threat posed by a mysterious villain had passed. Believing it’s finally safe again, she returns...and runs smack into the only man she ever loved. But Rose was wrong and the stalker she escaped years ago still has her in his sights. Ten years ago, Mac mourned the death of the woman he loved. It’s taken years to heal his heart only to discover that not only is Rose still alive, but still in grave danger. Mac can forgive Rose’s deception, but he’d never be able to forgive himself if he didn’t protect her from the evil still stalking her. The only thing worse than losing her once would be losing her again... and he won’t let that happen.
When a Lady Kisses a Scot is a romance that had a great deal happening, but somehow felt like it was missing something. Rose ran for her life as a teen- with little understanding of what she was running from. MacAllister has been working hard and making a difference. Neither of them had forgotten each other from when they met in their youth and only met again by chance as Rose's life is in danger again. I rather liked both characters, and I liked getting to see the story from both of their perspectives. I thought their personalities, reactions, and banter were all good. I thought that the inner dialogues were good for the most part, but there was just so much mooning about the other that I got to the point where I was skimming some of it waiting for conversations or action to begin again. The mystery and danger surrounding Rose was mixed- some parts were very well done and intriguing while other things just were left vague and with few answers. When the action was happening I was invested and curious about what might be happening next, but I felt like there was too much of some of the unimportant pondered over and over while the critical information was often glossed over or included in passing. It was just such a missed bag for me- what I enjoyed was fantastic, while other moments had me looking to see how much of the book was left.
When a Lady Kisses a Scot is a good historical romance with a lot going on. I think fans of the series will want to pick it up but I would recommend other first time readers check out from the library to see if you enjoy the writing style.
