The Highlander's Holiday Wife

Written by Vanessa Kelly

Narrated by Ruth Urquhart

Filled with saucy wit, surprising twists, and unforgettable lovers, the latest novel in award-winning and USA Today bestselling author Vanessa Kelly's captivating historical romance series puts the most levelheaded Kendrick at the center of a passionate and perilous adventure.



It's Christmastime in Edinburgh, but Lady Samantha Penwith's secret mission takes no holiday: the Highlands-born lass vows to find the assailants who murdered her beloved husband, founder of a charitable school for orphaned boys. On her latest undercover excursion, she closes in on a pair of armed attackers and interrupts another assault, then disappears into the darkness, leaving the lone victim mystified—and lucky to be alive . . .



Braden Kendrick may be the sensible brother, yet the dedicated doctor routinely ignores the dangers of his late-night calls to the city's slums. But when a fleet-footed rescuer saves his life, he's determined to uncover the stranger's identity. And once he does, he'll find himself facing his own past loss for the first time—and more than willing to risk his heart again, just in time to make the Clan Kendrick's Christmas celebrations more festive than ever . . .



Contains mature themes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Sep 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9781666188189

Vanessa Kelly

Vanessa Kelly is a bestselling author of historical mystery and historical romance. She has won multiple awards, including the prestigious Maggie Medallion for best historical romance. She is a USA Today, Barnes & Noble, BookScan, and Amazon bestseller several times over. To date, her books have been published in eleven languages. After receiving her MA in English literature from Rutgers University, Vanessa spent several in the Ph.D program at the University of Toronto, studying women authors of the 18th Century. She worked as a researcher for many years, and currently resides in Ottawa, Canada, with her husband. Visit her at VanessaKellyAuthor.com.

[bookscookslooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There is nothing like a fast paced, light read to make all of the holiday hullabaloo fade away into nothingness. And The Highlander’s Holiday Wife is the perfect escape when all around you is threatening to just consume you in a ball of unbaked cookies and presents that need to be wrapped.

Pick up this book and escape into the Highlands for a fun and admittedly mindless journey with the hero and heroine as they navigate their way toward their happily ever after. It IS a romance so you know they will find one. No shocking secrets shared here I am sure.

I have not read any other of Ms. Kelly’s books so I don’t know of the siblings’ stories but you can find them all to keep you busy throughout the cold winter months. Now and again I love nothing more than to indulge in a fun romance novel as it takes me back to my younger days when they were all I read. This book fits that bill perfectly

A truly enjoyable novel with engaging characters and a fun storyline. Plus the happily ever after that we all crave in a book now and again. It would make a great gift for the reader in your life.

[scoutmomskf · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. The fifth book in the Clan Kendrick series features Braden, the "boring" Kendrick. From the time he was a child, Braden was focused on his goal of becoming a doctor, motivated by a desire to help his younger brother. Though Ryan was healthy by the time Braden reached his goal, Braden had found his calling. Unlike his rambunctious brothers, he had always been a quiet, serious man but has been even more so recently. He devotes long hours to his work with the poor in Edinburgh, where we find him as the book opens.

Braden has never had a problem with his safety wandering the streets of Edinburgh's slums late at night until now. Unfortunately, two armed thugs seemed determined to end his "interference," and it seemed likely they would succeed. Luckily he's rescued by a pair of avenging angels - one massive, and one small, quick, and - female? He is thankful, intrigued, and determined to discover who she is.

Lady Samantha Penwith is a widow on a mission. Two years ago, her husband was murdered, and no one could be bothered to investigate. With her faithful servant by her side, she prowls Edinburgh slums, looking for the truth. She's recently added another quest - children are disappearing from the orphanage/school her husband founded. The last thing she needs is a nosy doctor poking around.

Braden and Samantha are brought together by a mutual friend, Dr. John Blackmore. John suspects Samantha's mission and worries about her safety. He is also a member of the board of the Penwith Foundation and is one of the few members backing her plans for the Foundation. John believes Braden will be an additional voice for good on the board, and the scenes involving his attempts to convince Braden are pretty amusing. Meanwhile, Samantha wants nothing to do with Braden, afraid he will figure out she is his rescuer. In fact, it takes little time for Braden to do so.

Braden and Samantha are determined, independent, and intelligent. He quickly realizes that nothing will stop Samantha from her mission. Instead of trying to stop her, he listens to her concerns, suspicions, and ideas and then offers to help her. He is also the voice of reason that balances her impulsiveness. There is a fair amount of push-and-pull between them as they delve deeper into their searches.

I enjoyed watching their relationship develop. Both have the pain of love lost in their pasts and a reluctance to risk their hearts again. However, neither can deny the attraction that grows between them. Braden is the first to realize the truth of his feelings for Samantha but is sensitive enough to give her the space and time she needs to adjust to their growing relationship. Samantha's instinctive trust in Braden goes a long way toward opening her heart to him.

Samantha has another problem in her life. Her husband's grandfather is a controlling old man who has never approved of Samantha. She and her husband cared for his deaf younger sister, Felicity, while Lord Beath would instead have confined the girl to his estate. With Roger's death, Lord Beath constantly threatens to take Felicity away from Samantha if she does anything to bring scandal to the family name. I heartily disliked his attitude towards and about Felicity, especially when he appeared and started making threats again. It didn't help that he despises the Kendrick family. I loved seeing the family rally in Samantha's support and laughed out loud as they spiked the man's guns by using their more significant connections.

Lord Beath gets his licks in, though, when he stumbles on Samantha and Braden sharing a passionate kiss. Braden had already suggested one surefire way to keep Felicity with Samantha - marry him. Lord Beath's appearance expedited the necessity. I loved watching Braden and Samantha settle into married life. By this time, Braden is head-over-heels in love with Samantha, exercising great patience and restraint while he waits for her to love him back. When that point is reached, though their intimacy is closed door, there is no doubt about their feelings.

The mystery of the murder and the missing children is never far from Braden and Samantha's minds. I enjoyed following their progress as they chipped away at the puzzle. When a question about the Foundation's finances raises a red flag, Braden and Samantha recruit his brother Logan to help. The pieces come together quickly, revealing a more elaborate scheme than previously suspected. The intensity ramped up when Felicity was taken, and I was on the edge of my seat as I watched Braden, Samantha, and the Kendricks work together to bring her home. The final confrontation was a nail-biter, and I loved that Samantha was in the thick of it. The epilogue was great and an excellent conclusion for the book.

You can't have a Clan Kendrick book without involving other family members. In this case, it is mostly Logan and Donella, as Braden lives in their house. I loved the interactions between Braden and Logan. It was fun to see Logan attempt to get Braden to add a little balance to his life, and Braden agreed with Logan and then did as he wished. There is no doubt of their love and respect, but each has the Kendrick stubbornness. I loved Logan's thirteen-year-old son, who can talk rings around his father and is well on the way to being as intelligent as his uncle Braden. Life at the Kendrick home becomes even more chaotic when their boisterous and mischievous grandfather shows up. Angus is always good for a laugh over his self-delusions and antics; this was no exception. There is also no doubt about his love and loyalty for his family, even as he creates chaos around them. The youngest Kendrick, Kade, has a prominent role in this book, and I can't wait for his story.

[eyes92c · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dark deeds and second chance love

Bliss! I love Dr. Braden Kendrick. Great opening with the likeable doctor in trouble, the get your throat cut sort of trouble. He’s rescued by an unlikely couple. A huge man and a woman carrying a sword hidden in a walking stick. Curiously his rescuers showed no inclination to talk with him, they had him follow them through alleyways to safety, communicating with each other using some sort of sign language. They disappeared when the watchman drew near.
Meanwhile, children and a couple of young girls have been disappearing from the charity run by the widowed Lady Samantha Penwith. She’s worried. It’s unusual. Her Board ignores her. She’s also convinced her husband Sir Roger was murdered as he tried to get to the bottom of things. Samatha is determined to track down his murderer. Coincidentally, Braden is asked by his colleague Dr. John Blackmore to join the Board of the Penwith Philanthropic Foundation to help Samantha extend the vision of her husband.
Samantha has another problem. Her niece is deaf and is living with Samatha in Edinburgh attending a specialist school. Roger’s father, Lord Beath doesn’t see the need. He wants to hide Felicity away in the country, and now that Roger is dead he’s threatening to do that. Any excuse and it will be done.
Dark deeds pepper the story as love unfolds.
I love the Kendricks’ support of each other. The whole clan are a joyful gift. This is a sparkling addition to the series. Romance and mystery in an historical setting, brought to life with their struggles and derringdo attitudes.

A Kensington Books ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

[barbararogers-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Barbara’s rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

I have loved the Kendrick brothers since the very first book in the series. You know I love them because I’m reading them despite all of the very modern language in them. Frankly, it is off-putting, but I like the brothers and I like their HEAs, so I ignore the anachronisms the books are filled with – bottle rockets, billfold, mad about, dodgy, money laundering, blood bank, loonies – to name just a few. Things like that are so very simple to research . . . sigh.

When we first met Braden Kendrick (in the first book), he was a boy who dreamt of becoming a physician so he could heal his younger brother, Kade. Now, we see him as a man and a gifted, seasoned, physician. Braden has always been quiet and serious, but for the last few years, he’s done nothing but work – day and night. There is a reason for that.

Lady Samantha Penwith’s husband, Roger, was murdered two years ago. His murder caused another tragedy, which then caused another tragedy. Samantha is just beginning to come back to life – if you can call it that. Her life has a single focus – find Roger’s murderers – and the children who have gone missing from the orphanage they run. At night, Samantha and her trusted servant, Donny, haunt the labyrinth of passages in Old Town Edinburgh looking for the children and the killers. One night, she and Donny save the life of the young, handsome physician who runs a clinic in the roughest streets of Old Town. Oh, My!

When Braden and Samantha’s paths cross again, Samantha is definitely NOT in favor of him having any entanglements with her orphanage, her charity, her school, or her foundation. However, something is amiss and she knows she needs help to solve it.

Braden and Samantha both have secrets and hurts in their pasts, and they have to get past those before they can find their HEA. Because I liked Braden so very much, I hated to see him marry under the circumstances he did. It was nice that it all worked out, but I’d have liked a much more toe-curling romance for him.

Figuring out who the villain(s) are isn’t a hard task at all. So, if you are a mystery buff, don’t read this for the mystery. It really isn’t much of a spine-tingling romance either, but it is a nice story and I’m glad I’ve read it. I think there is only one more book in this series – Kade’s book. I’m not sure about that, but I look forward to seeing him get his HEA.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.