Forever the Highlands, the final book in The Highlands series by Samantha Young is now live!

Oh my heart, what an amazing read! An angsty and emotional brother’s-best-friend, friends-to-lovers romance, this is such a beautiful story! Two amazing characters on their own incredible journeys fight hard for their happy ending in an intense and chemistry-filled, slow burning love story, I was completely swept up in this story and I loved every minute of it!

 

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Blurb

He’s her brother’s best friend. She’s totally off-limits. But when life takes an unexpected turn, she’s the only one he wants at his side…

Fyfe Moray raised himself. His only real family is his best friend, Lewis Adair. For that reason, Lewis’s sister Eilidh is totally off-limits. Fyfe is in deep denial about their intense attraction. Thankfully, Eilidh is a famous actor living in London while he runs his cyber security company from the Highlands. They’re worlds apart. Until one day, Eilidh reaches out asking for a lifeline and Fyfe can’t bring himself to turn her away.

Acting isn’t what Eilidh Adair expected. As a kid, she wanted to be just like her famous uncles. But the double-edged sword of fame cuts deeper than expected. Afraid to admit she’s made a mistake, Eilidh is spiraling. The only person who knows the truth is Fyfe, but her childhood crush has developed into a love he won’t return. Yet when she comes home intent on starting over, Fyfe can’t seem to stay away. His confused feelings might just be the end of them. Until a woman from Fyfe’s past abandons the baby daughter he never knew he had.

Now a single father, Fyfe needs support. He just never expected Eilidh to be the one he needed most. Fyfe can’t believe how quickly he falls for his child and how rapidly his world view changes. He’s ready to admit the truth: he’s madly in love with his best friend’s sister. And Fyfe’s done wasting time.
But someone else believes Eilidh belongs to them. Someone who has been watching her far longer than she realizes. Just when she thinks she might have everything she wants, Eilidh finds herself caught in the crosshairs of a person intent on destroying everything she holds dear.

 

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Review

5 stars

Oh my heart, what an amazing read! An angsty and emotional brother’s-best-friend, friends-to-lovers romance, this is such a beautiful story! Two amazing characters on their own incredible journeys fight hard for their happy ending in an intense and chemistry-filled, slow burning love story, I was completely swept up in this story and I loved every minute of it!

This is the final book in The Highlands series, which is a spin-off from The Adairs series. You don’t need to have read the earlier books, but of course you’ll definitely be more invested if you have. I adore both of these series, and I feel like I’ve watched little Eilidh grow up since she was introduced as the young daughter of Thane Adair, so it feels like full circle that her beautiful story finishes off this world.

Eilidh has achieved her dream of becoming an actress and is living in London as the star of a popular TV show. But fame is not all that she expected and she’s struggling to cope with it all and is wondering if she’s made a horrible mistake. When she needs help, Fyfe, her longtime crush and best friend of her older brother, Lewis, is there for her and becomes a lifeline in a difficult time.

Fyfe had a hard life, ignored and ultimately abandoned by his mother, Lewis and the Adairs are the only family he has ever known. Despite his difficult childhood he is a good guy who has built a successful business and leads a good life, but he carries baggage and avoids relationships, preferring casual hook ups that avoid emotion. Fyfe is aware that Eilidh has feelings for him, and though he has a soft spot for her, he’s kept his distance, knowing that she’s off-limits, and not wanting to hurt her in any way.

I loved Eilidh.
I just wasn’t capable of loving her the way she loved me.
She deserved more than I could give.

This book takes us back in time a little bit to watch the development of Fyfe and Eilidh’s relationship. Their friendship is complicated by Eilidh’s unrequired love for Fyfe, and his attraction to her that is a growing impossible for him to ignore. It’s angsty and intense, and the sexual tension is sensational as we watch their relationship shift and change as they work to figure out their lives and their feelings for each other.

I wanted someone to love me enough to want to fight to be with me.

Their situation comes to a head when Eilidh returns home to the Highlands. She wants a fresh start and she needs her family, and Fyfe is a big part of that. With them now in close proximity, their relationship continues to be a bit of a rollercoaster, and I was so invested in them. My heart ached at what they were both going through, and their confusion over their feelings and their situation, but even with all the difficulties and all that is happening in their lives, Fyfe and Eilidh are there for each other in all the ways, and I loved seeing them support and care for each other through such huge lows and highs.

“It boggles my mind that you could imagine a man would ever be settling for you. Don’t you know how spectacular you are, Eilidh Adair?”

OMG, I am usually all about an epic romantic hero, but it was Eilidh who stole my heart in this book. The strength that she shows is just incredible. Firstly, to follow her dreams, then to realise that it wasn’t what she wanted, and to take active steps to change her situation. She loves Fyfe unconditionally, and I was amazed by her bravery in putting herself out there for him, and so impressed with how she viewed her situation and how she worked so hard to find her happy place.

Not to be overshadowed in any way, Fyfe shines as a damaged hero who is figuring himself out, dealing with his issues and fighting for his happy ever after. It’s a beautiful journey for as we watch him watch him learn how to love with an open heart, he grows so much, and I adored his story and the way his character developed.

“I am done taking you for granted, Eilidh Adair,” he whispered in my ear. “I know the woman in my arms is the most extraordinary bloody woman I will ever have the good fortune of knowing. I promise to never let a day pass without making you feel special as you’ve made me feel all these years.”

And every moment of the pain is so worth it to watch them work through it and find their way forward together, because when the long-awaited love story finally came, I was in romantic heaven! Every moment of the build-up creates an epic love story for these two and it’s sexy, intense, playful and beautifully emotional, and I loved seeing these two finally find their way to each other.

“I’m pretty much as in love with you as a person can get.”

The extended Adair family and friend group all appear, and I loved seeing them again. This is a tight-knit bunch, and the strong connections and themes of family are beautifully written, with scenes that melted my heart. I loved Eilidh’s protective uncles, and her relationship with her parents and siblings is so, so special. There’s even an extended epilogue which gives us a glimpse into the worlds of each of the couples from the series – from the hero POV – and I adored getting to see everybody again as they are living out their HEAs.

This is such a beautiful read. An emotional and engaging love story that made me feel so much, I adored these characters and couldn’t put this book down, finishing it on the biggest high. It’s a fave for 2024.

5 huge stars.

An Advanced Reader Copy was generously provided by the author for an honest review.

 

Highlands Series

 

A spin-off from the fabulous Adair Family series – you don’t have to read this one first, but I highly recommend this series!

 

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Meet Samantha

Samantha Young is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. She’s been nominated for several Goodreads Choice Awards. Samantha writes adult contemporary and paranormal romance, YA urban fantasy and YA contemporary fiction and is currently published in 31 countries.

She resides in Scotland.

 

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