My rating: 4.5 stars/ 5
I am finishing this series with a bittersweet taste because I really don’t want it to end, but at the same time, I am SO happy for my beloved characters and for the point they have reached in their lives. I feel like I have been reading this series for ages, beginning with the original one and coming back to this spin-off, which made my heart melt.
Even if I had another book in my hands, I just couldn’t resist leaving it aside and devouring these stories Sam wrote for us. They are emotional, steamy, full of suspense, and addictive. What more could you possibly want?
“Forever the Highlands” follows Fyfe and Eilidh, childhood friends who become more throughout the years. I didn’t have a lot of time to meet Fyfe, because he was introduced in Lewis’ book as his best friend, but Eilidh and I come a long way into the series. I am in awe of how these kids grew up to have their own stories and I was very glad to join them in their adventure.
Fyfe had a tough childhood, being abandoned by his mom, neglected, and left on his own. Growing up, his upbringing marked him and left him with a lot of insecurities and red flags, beginning with his incapacity of seeing his own value and truly believing he could possibly love someone. Because of this, he kept his distance from Eilidh, even if the signals were so mixed it annoyed the hell out of me. But of essence, Fyfe was really a good guy, loyal and you could see later in the book what other challenges he had to face.
Eilidh on the other side, loved Fyfe since being a little girl and even if she was flirty, her intentions masked, she knew what she wanted. I loved her for her sincerity, for her courage, and even at a young age, she was very mature and devoted. The ups and downs in her career of acting, and her love for writing, made me admire her even more because she was looking for a purpose, and that says a lot. Like any other conflicted character, she found her way back to Ardnoch.
Although I am not a fan of slow-burn romances, it depends on the level of intensity the characters have. In this case, the 2 of them were explosive together and Samantha offered just the right dose of Romance to us, until getting the characters together. You have suspense, you have the same family feeling you get in all of her books, but here you also have melancholia, because you know this is the last time you will read about the Adair family.
I was so eager to read the book that I totally forgot this would be the last book and I am really sad about it. I will miss the romance, the intensity, the familiar atmosphere, and all the love these people have to give and share. My melancholy was at peak levels at a very special epilogue, where we got to say a proper goodbye to all of our characters. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it was special and it brought me through so many feelings – it is not your usual epilogue so prepare your tissues and hold on. 😦
This series will be missed, but I am so looking forward to reading the spin-off of “Dublin Street”, one of my all-time favorite Romance series.
Ramonisme 