Beyond the Thistles by Samantha Young

I've read the first four books in the Adair Family series by this author and they were all 4 or 5 star reads. So I was so excited to see another series coming out that takes place around Ardnoch!

Sloane is a very young American mom who is on the run from her dangerous ex and is working as a housekeeper at the Ardnoch Estate. She has a ten-year old daughter named Callie who is best friends with Lewis, one of the Adair Family children - anyone else hoping for a future childhood best friends to lovers romance with Lewis and Callie?!

Anyway, Walker works security on the estate and came to have that position because he was Brodan Adair's private bodyguard. And Sloane has become close friends with Monroe, Brodan’s wife, so while Walker and Sloane do work together on the estate, they spend a decent amount of time together outside of work at family functions. Sloane has a crush on Walker but he seems immune to her flirting and advances.

That is, until a threat comes into Sloane’s life and Walker immediately steps in to protect her and Callie. So now there’s some forced proximity thrown into the mix which leads to some progress between Walker and Sloane. But it also means Walker is forced to face his own demons.

I’m not sure what there is to dislike about this book - tortured broody hero who is soft for the heroine and even smiles with her daughter, a beautiful mother/daughter relationship between Sloane and Callie, some twists that I didn’t expect with the suspense elements of the story AND SLOANE IS A BADASS WHO PROTECTS HERSELF! I mean, sure, Walker helps, but Sloane was amazingly scrappy when faced with danger.

Beyond The Thistles is out on KU now!

This story is set in Scotland. What’s your favorite country to read about in novels?

Thank you to Valentine PR and the author for an advanced copy to review.