| Title | : | The Beast of Aros Castle (Highland Isles, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 197 |
| Publication | : | First published January 30, 2017 |
Tor Maclean, the new chief of Aros Castle, has sworn off marriage. Despite his efforts to scare away the Englishwoman his father arranged for him to wed, Tor is nonetheless drawn to her passion and beauty. But he doesn't know if he can forgive the untruths that have come to light for a chance at a once in a lifetime love...
The Beast of Aros Castle (Highland Isles, #1) Reviews
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Rating boosted up due to sexy narrator voice
It’s amazing how a mediocre book can still be enjoyable because of a narrator’s Scottish accent. Half the time I was hearing this book but not listening to it one bit. I was zoned out on the deep timbre of Tim Campbell’s voice while drifting in and out of an asmr coma.
The story itself was short and uncomplicated, but the premise was based on a lie that the heroine told and it was hard to root for her. Ava, an impoverished orphan, trades places with her cousin Grace, the daughter of an Earl, in an arranged marriage with the Chief of the MacDonald clan in the highland isles of 1400 Scotland. No real explanation is given as to why Grace’s dying father has arranged the match, but we go along with it anyway. Ava needs to flee Grace’s evil, moustache twirling older brother, who has expressed an interest in raping her for some reason. Grace does not wish to marry the ‘Beast of Aros Castle’ so Ava agrees to take her place. So she’s fine marrying a beast to avoid being raped by a beast…ok…. I guess we can go with that.
Once they reach the castle, the beast (named Tor) doesn’t actually want to marry and Ava must convince him she is hearty and worthy. Tor doesn’t wish to marry because he was betrayed by his first wife, who faked a pregnancy to marry him, but then conveniently died.
So through the magic of lust, Tor agrees to marry Ava, who he thinks is an Earl’s daughter and thinks marrying an English noblewoman will keep King Henry off his lands, for whatever reason, French invasion? I dunno it wasn’t clear on the details. Very very loose premise here but let’s go with it because muscular men in kilts are hot.
The big issue in this is that Ava continues to lie to Tor and lie WITH Tor to get pregnant with his heir. He never knows she is a nobody and starts to care for her.
This next part contains spoilers.
Ava does not ever reveal that she is keeping a huge secret from him until she is forced to when Grace’s brother finds them and comes to claim her. She tells Tor everything and has him protect Grace by pretending he is married to her and that Ava is dead…huh?
Ok, men in kilts, men in kilts, plot doesn’t matter….
Ava then gets found out and her evil pursuer grabs her and brings her back to England, all the while whispering his dirty intentions to her, telling her all of the evil raping he will be doing. I think he twirled his moustache a few times here and cackled evilly.
Anyway Tor comes after her, but is delayed to build tension in the plot, and shows up just in time to save her. Wooo how lucky, amirite?
They return back to his clan but he is then called away before they can work out their relationship, more contrivance to build tension.
Then we have a catty ow from the village, who used to be Tor’s lover, appear and chases Ava out of the castle.
Tor returns to find Ava gone and goes to bed, the ow tries to seduce him, and he lets her for a bit but then realizes he doesn’t want anyone but Ava: ie his dick stays limp when naked ow kisses him in his bed. He goes to get her and all is forgiven and they get remarried immediately. Also she is pregnant with his baby.
So overall the story was mediocre at best, it was a fairytale style historical so not big in accuracy or period details. The characters were one dimensional, Tor was big, gruff, muscular and Scottish. Ava was small, sweet and delicately English. This will pass the time, reads quick, but is better done in audio so you can drift in and out, not thinking too much about the squishy lack of detail and the last minute insertion of catty ow for no real reason. -
I just couldn't find the usual humor in this one...
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This is the story of a lie told to save a life, but that grew and grew until it came out at the worst moment possible!
I'm not overly fond of lie trope, but here the heroine told it for a worng reason. I understand that Grace is afraid, but why keep telling the same lie when you met the hero and undersatood that he was not the beast?
And keeping it for such a long time?
I could also understand Tor's anger when he discovers it.
But I liked that she understood it too and din't act like an upset idiot.
Apart from this, the story was nice and I liked it! 3,5 stars rounded to 4! -
This just came out on audio so I thought I would give a listen on Hoopla. I absolutely HATE the ending! I marked it down another star because it really ruined the book.
Prior comments:
I really enjoyed the vast majority of this book. It had a good story, a few interesting secondary characters and a likable hero and heroine.
The OW drama brought down my score. If not for that this would have been a 4.5 or 5 stars
Safety gang -
Reread: 2017
Read:2018
Reread: 9/16/20
Excellent Scottish romance! I loved the characters, the setting, and the unique storyline. There are also so many hot steamy scenes. I rooted for this couple and dread when the H figures out he's wed the wrong girl. This whole series is great! -
'The Beast of Aros Castle' by Heather McCollum is book One in the "Highland Isles" series. This is the story of Tor and Ava. Ava was taken in by Grace's family when she was a baby. Grace and Ava are like sisters with Ava being the more protective one of the two. So after Grace's mother died there is just the father and the stepbrother, Grace and herself. Problem is that the father is now sick and the Step-brother is evil. He wants Ava and has tried a few times to take her. In addition, he has even started to make advances to his step-sister Grace. Ava comes up with a plan to help Grace and her escape but setting up a Marriage to Grace's father business friend. So they are both off to Scotland with Grace sitting to marry and Ava being maid/companion. But Grace gets cold feet when she hears what a 'Beast" Tor is. So they switch places but when they arrive Tor refuses to let them in because he doesn't want to marry. Ava gets him to agree to give them a chance to get to know each other. Tor first wife was a dishonest and he does not wish to marry again because he doesn't trust his next wife to be honest either.
Wow...this book hit so many emotions along with some funny spots. I truly enjoyed this book and can't wait for more by Ms. McCollum! "My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."
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Rating: 5 stars
Though I dislike stories where lies and deception are part of the plot, I really like the h, Ava Sutton, and the reasons binding her to the deception made me feel sympathy. Tor Maclean, called the Beast of Aros Castle, is everything you could want in a kilt-wearing, sword-wielding Highland Scotsman. And more. With that said, all the supporting characters with a few nicely hammered out twists and turns made this a story I could not put down until I was forced to stop listening. The narrator, Tim Campbell, makes it all believable and his Highlander accents will have your heart racing, especially when he is speaking as Tor. -
The Beast of Aros Castle 'The Beast of Aros Castle' by Heather McCollum is book One in the "Highland Isles" series. This is the story of Tor and Ava. Ava was taken in by Grace's family when she was a baby. Grace and Ava are like sisters with Ava being the more protective one of the two. So after Grace's mother died there is just the father and the stepbrother, Grace and herself. Problem is that the father is now sick and the Step-brother is evil. He wants Ava and has tried a few times to take her. In addition, he has even started to make advances to his step-sister Grace. Ava comes up with a plan to help Grace and her escape but setting up a Marriage to Grace's father business friend. So they are both off to Scotland with Grace sitting to marry and Ava being maid/companion. But Grace gets cold feet when she hears what a 'Beast" Tor is. So they switch places but when they arrive Tor refuses to let them in because he doesn't want to marry. Ava gets him to agree to give them a chance to get to know each other. Tor first wife was a dishonest and he does not wish to marry again because he doesn't trust his next wife to be honest either. Wow...this book hit so many emotions along with some funny spots. I truly enjoyed this book and can't wait for more by Ms. McCollum! "My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."
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Another surprisingly, pleasant read. I particularly liked that the H/h get a lot of page time together, especially at night before they were married. The kisses were sweet and tender as well as the wedding night. There’s even a brief love scene in a lake although the transition from the wedding night to that love scene was a little choppy.
I felt the woman the hero previously slept with was unnecessary. She was only there for three instances to cause a minor conflict between the H/h. -
I read this book in 2 hours. It's really nothing special. Weak plot and bland characters. It's readable though. Expect a cookie cutter English woman with Scottish laird story minus the historical details. Picture 2 horny people parading around one pretending to be Scottish and the other English. I am generous with my 2 stars. There are much better offerings in this sub genre.
Spoilers ahead.
Quick recap of the story: Ava, maid and companion to Lady Grace Ellington, ran away with her mistress to avoid falling victim to Grace's evil brother. Both women seemed naive and hav little depth in them. But run away they did to save themselves from a miserable life. Their plan was for Grace to marry this Scot with a nickname the beast of Aros Castle, Tor MacLean, who wasn't all that beastly and in fact just a man dreaming of marrying a woman for love. Something did not match in Tor MacLean. He was supposed to be this burly beast who would protect his home on Isle of Mull against the English until his dying breath. Then there he was, acting all mushy and saying things like I wonder whether one could marry for love. Suffice it to say, not the most attractive highlander I have met.
Ava and Grace decided to switch identity so Ava married Tor. But why they wanted to do that, honestly I could not comprehend. It just seemed like Heather McCollum needed the heroine Ava to tell a lie because Tor was tricked into marrying his late wife. This scheming bit would serve as a conflict for the lead characters in the book. So Ava married Tor under false pretense and of course sex was fantastic and now they were happily married (you can imagine me rolling my eyes). Evil brother showed up and Ava had to come clean with her lies. Tor acted angry. Ava went with said evil brother to save Grace while she was pregnant. Tor saved Ava, misunderstanding continuing a little longer for Tor's wounded pride. Tor apologized. Ava apologized and the prince and the princess lived happily ever after. The end. -
It’s a classic, folks. The Beast of Aros Castle had all the classic elements I’ve come to enjoy in a great romantic read from this particular genre. Reluctant to love doesn’t even begin to describe Laird Tor. This handsome, mountain of muscle has been manipulated in the past, and he’s too manly to ever let that happen again. But those big strong walls around his heart don’t stand a chance when Lady Ava storms his castle ready to do whatever is necessary to protect herself and her lifelong friend, Grace, from an evil threat.
With engaging writing that flowed seamlessly across the pages, I journeyed along with this sassy/sweet/loyal heroine and the stubborn/been burnt before widow hero as their chemistry/attraction then ultimately love would not be denied. But when the truth is finally revealed regarding Ava and Grace’s identity, Tor’s past and pride puts this main couple in jeopardy of being ripped part, especially with the predictable return of an evil villain.
Speaking of predictability, the author did a great job of taking what could have been a too predictable story line and turned it into a suspenseful, romantic tale filled with angst, danger, twists and turns, and a very sweet, heart-melting conclusion.
Here’s to hoping you’ll feel the same about this one, my fellow Scottish romance book-loving friends. This “new to me” author has definitely caught my attention, and I hope to read the rest of this series and more books by her, as well.
Rating: 4.5 stars, would have been 5 stars if not for the brief OW drama.
Romance Safety Gang;
Title: The Beast of Aros Castle, Series: Highland Isles (Book 1), Author: Heather McCullom, Pages: 228, stand-alone but part of a series, HEA, Verra steamy scenes, sassy/sweet/loyal virgin heroine, laird/widow hero reluctant to wed/love, OTT evil relative villain, some OW drama, no OM drama, hiding a secret, no love triangle, attempted rape scene, pushes her away.
(This review is based on advanced reader copy provided via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased, fair review. No compensation was provided to this reviewer, nor is there any affiliation between the reviewer and author/publisher/NetGalley.) -
Le résumé a attiré mon attention (sachant que ça fait un bout de temps que je n'ai pas lu un roman, c'est un exploit) et l'histoire s'est montrée à la hauteur. Il y avait quelques anachronismes, mais rien de très dérangeant. J'ai beaucoup aimé la relation des héros, surtout au début, et l'on a le droit à deux, trois scènes cocasses !
Cela m'a un peu fait penser aux romances historiques en Ecosse de Judith Garwoord et Johanna Lindsay. -
3.0
I enjoyed the writing style but was not a fan of the deception trope. -
I enjoyed this book. I'll admit I mostly read fantasy but once in a while I enjoy a historical fiction and this book delivers. There weren't any surprises, in fact I found the book fairly predictable but I was satisfied. A fun fluff read!
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A good start to the series. Well written.
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I’ll admit it: this is another one where the cover absolutely was the reason I wanted to read the book. In fact, I was slightly worried with the word “beast” in the title that it might be too… something … for me. But, I love highlanders, and I love the tiny islands that surround my dream land of Scotland. So, yep… this was not a difficult choice. “The Beast of Aros Castle” paid off and successfully provided a lovely jaunt across the sea.
The Story-
Ava is a commoner that was taken in by a noble family in England; she’s more than a servant, but not treated exactly as family, especially by the horrific brother who is soon to inherit upon his father’s death. Fearing rape, forced marriage and other terrible outcomes, Ava and Grace, her best friend and daughter of the family, scheme to escape by marrying Grace off to a Scottish laird. When Grace fears going through with the marriage, Ava decides to step up, pretend to be Grace, and marry Tor Maclean herself. The plan is to eventually slip away and live on their own in Scotland, away from threats. Tor is not interested in marrying again after being deceived the first time around. But, this feisty woman refuses to give up, and a man can’t hold out forever, can he?
My Thoughts-
I really loved Ava for her wit, intelligence and courage. Honestly, as much as I liked the hero, I’m not entirely sure he’s good enough for her. The relationship between her and Grace added to the story; I just love it when we see a healthy female relationship where they support each other. The bad guy is really bad (perverse, evil, plotting), and I thought the resolution was extremely satisfying. There are some great twists and surprises in this story, and I became very invested in Ava.
The Bottom Line-
The island setting was refreshing for a Scottish-set romance, and the heroine is certainly more than your typical damsel-in-distress. I’m already scouring Heather McCollum’s backlist for more! 4 stars -
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Addicted To Romance
I will be honest that this book took me over a week to read, and I don't think it was the actual story and the writing, but I just wasn't in the reading mood this past week. I did find this book pretty intriguing even if it contains secrets and lies and of course when the truth does come out its at the WORST time it could come out.
The story begins when our heroine, Ava Sutton, is fleeing with her best friend Grace to escape a man that would use them for his own means, who is also Grace's brother who is cruel. Ava is the smart and cunning of the two, she devises a plan that will help them escape Grace's brother and his evil plans for them. But they will have to hide their true identities. And she must convince the Tor Maclean to marry her, to save their lives. But what starts out as a innocent lie to save their lives turns into something far dangerous and one where Ava begins to lose her heart to this big and brawn highlander who has his own trust issues and has been betrayed before and the last thing Ava wants to do is hurt Tor...because he has been so good to her. But then their enemy has tracked them down and she might have to risk losing the man she loves to save him and his clan...but will their love be enough against their enemies?
I actually had a blast with this story and even though I read it over several days, I always was pulled in quickly into the story. What we have here though, is a highlander romance that is built on secrets. And yes you understand why these two ladies are keeping this secret, because it could cost them their lives if they tell the truth and also they don't want to put this clan in danger. But as the story progresses we see the conflict that Ava feels about not telling Tor the truth. Tor is a wonderful hero though. Yes he does have trust issues, and he has been betrayed before. But he is also hardworking, honest, will do anything to protect his people and is kind. I loved how protective he is of Ava even after the truth comes out, no matter how hurt he is or angry he is with Ava, he will do anything to see her safe. Now Ava isn't a doormat nor is she a woman in need of a knight in shining armor, she is strong herself and can defend herself and she does it quite nicely. I loved how her brain works and that she never gives up and how protective she is of those she cares about. This is where Ava and Tor are SO much alike, because of what they are willing to sacrifice for those they love the most.
I am curious to see how this series will progress and seeing how it is connected in the future. I am having a fun time with this author and her writing though. She really brings a good balance of Scottish history and romance together. And man the way she writes her heroes....yep just GRAB her books and you will see why I am falling in love with her writing style and the SWOONS!!! SIMPLY CAPTIVATING!
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Another tremendous heroine
She was awesome. I loved when he was looking her over, she neighed like a horse. It was so cute but she did lie to him about who she was. She was trying to protect her friend and pretended to be het but it all went to he!! in a hand basket when he found out the truth. And then at the end he let his ex lover kiss him. Thank goodness he didn't like it or I would have thrown my Kindle. I still didn't like that he let her but he loved the heroine so I can't complain. I loved the ending when he came to the cottage. It was really sweet. Great book and I am loving this trilogy. I read the series and books out of order. But I still like them. As long as the heroes are faithful and honorable that is. -
I started reading this book in August. Four months later, I finally finished this book.
Since I only read 10% of the book before picking it up again 4 months later, I was a little spotty on the details. I backtracked, skimmed a bit and was easily caught back up again regarding the who, what and why behind Ava’s lies regarding her identity.
Overall, this book was enjoyable enough. I would have preferred some more moments between Ava and Tor to solidify their relationship and commitment to one another. Instead, I got some sex scenes (which frankly, weren’t detailed enough) and the couple playing hide-and-seek with one another after doing the deed. Yes, you read that correctly.
ANYWAY, I appreciated the uptick in drama for the last 50 pages and I finished the book satisfied.
I peeked at the next installment in this series and book #2 book involves a heroine with amnesia.
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Plutôt 3,75/5.
J'ai bien apprécié les personnage. Mon point noir est le mensonge qui traine et dont on sait que ça va faire boom quand ça va se savoir mdr ! Donc cette attente de l'aveu est un peu frustrante. -
The Beast of Aros Castle by Heather McCollum
Highland Isles #1
The first book I read by this author was the second book in this series. I was hooked but could not get my hands on the first book in the series. Having given up on that I moved on only to have come across a copy recently. It is always nice to be able to read all of the books in a series in order, but this series does not require that as each book is capable of standing alone. That said, it is nice to have read Tor and Ava’s story…finally.
What I liked:
* Aveline “Ava” Sutton: orphan taken in by the Ellington family, friend and companion to Grace Ellington, not really a member of the family. I liked her spirit, willingness to take care of Grace and inspiration to get away from Vincent Ellington. The lie was not the best choice but perhaps her only choice…or the only healthy one.
Torquil “Tor” Maclean: strong, dependable, damaged, closed off, a good man that proves not to have a heart of stone. A bit stubborn but finally wises up.
* Grace Ellington: a good friend to Ava, more of a sister than a superior, a bit of a mouse but she does come into her own later in the series and finds a great HEA, too.
* Mairi and Joan: sister and mother of Tor and both strong women. I wished Mairi had not had to go through what she did BUT do remember her story and how she found her HEA in a later book.
* The interaction between Ava and Tor – until the lie was revealed – that was a bit of a bummer
* The men on Aros: more than one could star in his own story
* A good introduction to the series
* All of it really except…
What I didn’t like:
* Vincent Ellington: a bully and brute that deserved what came his way…eventually
* The lie…I suppose it was necessary to create tension but…
* Mairi’s situation at her new home after she married
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? I already have :)
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4-5 Stars -
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7/30/17 - 99 cents on Kindle
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I heart author Heather McCollum's books. :D The characters she brings to the pages whether they are dastardly, comical, charming or downright sizzling - they never cease to entertain from one page to the next. In Ms McCollum's latest novel, The Beast Of Aros Castle, Ava and Grace's crusade held all sorts of challenges and obstacles, not the least of which their subterfuge/deception. Tor from the start added a few beats to this readers heart ;) Even the secondary characters in the story were stand outs in what was a stellar start to the Highland Isles series.
Review copy received from Entangled Publishing via Netgalley -
Another swoon worthy read by Heather McCollum! It's authors like this one that makes my love of historical romances just keep getting stronger and stronger!! I love the touches of humour throughout her stories as well:)
This is Tor and Ava's story and I'm still giggling at the "neigh" comment when they first meet! Ava will do anything to protect Grace, even go as far as to switch places with her and marry Tor. However, she didn't expect to start having feelings for him and with the secrets she keeps from him, she knows it will hurt him terribly, especially since he'd been hurt before by his lying first wife. As for Tor, he vows he has no heart and will never marry again! Famous last words! lol Living on the Isle of Mull and with the English breathing down his neck, all he wants is to protect his clan, he certainly doesn't need a wife to complicate his life!!
From start to end, I was enraptured with this story! -
I found this book on netgalley and received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. I was initially drawn to this book for a few reasons. The cover caught my eye (yummy!) and the blurb sounded fun – who doesn’t love a good Highland story every now and again? While I have never read anything else by Heather McCollum, it is the first in a series, so I knew I wouldn’t be missing out on any backstory, inside jokes, or character nuances. It was published by one of my preferred publishing houses, as well, so I decided to give it a go.
Honestly, I loved this book and enjoyed it more than I probably should. When taken apart, it is nothing exceptional – the writing is good, but it uses several common writing tropes. The characters are familiar, but frustrating. The villain and the overall plot are laid out from the very first page and everything unfolds predictably. And, while it is set in 1522, there was nothing that really anchored it to that time. It could just have easily been set 200 years earlier or 200 years later. But, that summation really does not do justice to the story’s warmth, the well-developed characters, and sense of empathy and relatability the story conveys. This is a book that is certainly worth more than the sum of its parts!
As for the hero and heroine in this story, Ava and Tor, well, I thought they were charming, flawed, and infinitely relatable. Ava is very brave, but also a bit foolish, rushing full speed ahead with her plans when she hasn’t fully thought them through. For most of the book, I wished she and Grace would confide their plight to Tor or any of the secondary characters, which was wholly frustrating, but also understandable when they’re trying to survive day to day. Tor has relationship PTSD and is understandably skittish around Ava. Despite his moniker, he is honorable and can be charming, though he has a way to go before the beast will be warm and fuzzy. He is also very proud and stubborn, which works in his favor in some areas, but holds him back in others. He was particularly slow to speak, and very stubborn, in the last 10% of the book and I mostly wanted to kick him (and Bridget) in this shins for being so frustrating.
In general, I liked this book. For now, it works as a stand-alone novel, but I look forward to more books in this series. If you’re looking for a fun, familiar Highlands romance, I can enthusiastically recommend this one. -
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher*
I liked this book.
Ava and Grace are desperate to escape Grace's vile half brother Vincent. So they hatch a mad scheme to marry Grace off to a business associate of her father's in Scotland.
Tor is the chieftain of the Maclean's of Mull and is referred to as the Beast of Aros. His father has recently passed and asked Tor to marry his associates daughter to protect the clan from the English. Tor has flat out refused to marry Lady Grace. Tor was married once before and betrayed by his wife, he really doesn't trust women and especially not English women.
Grace is terrified of the "Beast" and Ava decides that she will impersonate Grace and marry Tor in her place. When they arrive they are informed that Tor will not marry Grace and that they can just go back to England. This is not an option for the ladies and Ava finagles her way to the castle.
Tor is struck by Ava's beauty, but still refuses to let them stay or to consider marriage. The first scene where they meet is absolutely hilarious and Ava manages to convince Tor to let them stay and consider marriage.
The story is entertaining and at times emotional. There are some very funny moments, some steamy loves scenes, lots of secrets, a jealous ex-lover, some terrifying and violent moments and a whole host of secondary characters. The book is pretty well written and flows well, but the ending was a bit disappointing, I felt like there were many things that needed to be addressed that where just ignored. I think an epilogue would have gone a long way to clearing up these issues and could have made this a 5 star book.
I did enjoy the book and would recommend it and I would definitely read more from this author.
