The Making of a Highlander: Midnight in Scotland, Book 1 Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Elisa Braden (Author), Ruth Urquhart (Narrator), Tantor Audio (Publisher)

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Everyone wants handsome adventurer John Huxley to settle down - family, friends, London society. Everyone except John. He's evaded too many scheming title huntresses to trust in happily ever after. Now, a vow made to a dying friend has him locked in a land dispute with a stubborn Scot who offers one way out: Win the Highland Games. John likes a challenge, but this one's impossible. Still, with training from the Scot's stepdaughter, victory might be within reach. He only has to teach the fiery, foulmouthed, breeches-wearing lass how to land a lord. It seems "impossible" is just getting started.

Everyone calls her Mad Annie. True, her best friend is a ghost. And yes, her greatest talents involve cooking for giants and taunting ridiculously handsome Englishmen. But she's not mad - she's desperate. To save her friend, Annie must marry a lord. The trouble is no lord will look twice at a hoyden like her. This calls for "Lady Lessons", and she knows just the uptight Englishman to provide them.

When Annie's family is targeted by a dangerous enemy, John is tempted to stay, to fight, and to win the greatest prize of all: a fiery lass' tender, loyal heart.

Contains mature themes.

Listening Length

11 hours
Author

Elisa Braden
Narrator

Ruth Urquhart
Audible release date

November 24, 2020
Language

English
Publisher

Tantor Audio
ASIN

B08NRF2657
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	11 hours
Author	Elisa Braden
Narrator	Ruth Urquhart
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	November 24, 2020
Publisher	Tantor Audio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B08NRF2657
Best Sellers Rank	#139,385 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #3,268 in Historical Romance (Audible Books & Originals) #4,024 in Scottish Historical Romance (Books)

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

1,044 global ratings

5 star		68%
4 star		22%
3 star		8%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Romantic!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 5, 2022

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Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋💋
Intimate Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes!

Should I read in order?
Yes, and you should start with her Rescued From Ruin series. I picked this one up, and it was enjoyable, but there is character overlap from the previous series, and out hero in this book, John Huxley, has a number of sisters that are married in that series with their own stories. I found myself wishing I had started there.

Basic plot:
John is fixing up his Scottish estate and locked in a property dispute with a stubborn Scot that refuses to budge. He challenges him to win the Highland Games and he’ll get what he wants. Annie agrees to train him if he will teach her to be a lady – she’s desperate to save her friend and marrying a lord is a necessity for her.

Give this a try if you want:
- 1825 Scotland setting (Glenscannadoo)
- Hero/heroine bargain – John will teach Annie to be a lady if she helps train him for the Highland Games
- A very light touch of paranormal
- Medium steam – 3 full scenes but they are lengthy and developed, also some fade to black/remembered so it may feel hotter to you
- I felt like this was a slow burn (could have just been my mood and interrupted reading of this book!)
- Hero loves first – he fights it a bit but once he decides it’s glorious
- Highlander heroine and English hero
- A bit of class difference feel
- Secret identity

Ages
- Hero is 34 and heroine is 24

My thoughts:
This book! I ended up LOVING it. I really struggled in the beginning. Life and just lots of interruptions I think really slowed the down the start for me. I kept putting it down and picking it up repeatedly. It felt a bit like the beginning was dragging for me and I kept moving on to other things instead. I started in January 29th and just finished so it took me over a month...

Well shame on me.

Because when I sat down and gave it an honest chance I just fell more and more in love with it. Few books really bring it the second half for me. If I am not sold on a book by 40% or so it usually doesn’t happen. But it did here.

I loved John as a hero. He was a bit standoffish at first – and you learn about why and his hurt later in the book. But I ended up enjoying how protective he was of Annie. He takes care of people – you can tell with his family and how much they love him and he shows it here – even before he has ties to Annie he repeatedly goes out of his way to do the right and good thing. I was worried at first we would have another hero that spent the book refusing to marry because of his past, but thankfully it took a complete 180 from that.

Annie was so unique. I really liked her spunk and her fearlessness. Despite being judged and bullied, she has such a big heart and cares for those around her. She still has her humor and her spark.

I just really loved them together! This was one of those romances that I felt the love – so many I don’t really feel that. I believed their love, I am convinced as I close the book they go vibrantly into their HEA. I love when a story paints a clear picture of that for me.

I love how much food and cooking was mentioned in this one. I loved that Annie showed her love through food and the men she cooked for mentioned it many times. Even if a fit of jealousy, John wonders who’s she’s going to make bread and gravy for.

As far as the paranormal aspect goes – well I’ll admit it was a little weird at first. But towards the ending I actually quite loved this part of the book.

5 people found this helpful

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Trosado

4.75 Stars!!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 21, 2022

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Elisa Braden has slowly become a one-click author for me. Yet, I almost overlooked this book due to a paranormal element that was mentioned in some reviews. I want to thank a couple of reader friends for their encouragement to look past that element and read the book for its fabulous heroine and romance. In the end, the PNR aspect wasn't overly prominent and it actually endeared me to a small, but the special character in the book, Reggie. While obviously not diagnosed in this historical, he quite possibly had Down’s syndrome. The author created this sweet and special boy, who along with Annie, were the only ones aware of Finley’s presence - an apparition borne of Scottish lore (possibly a selkie.) Beyond that small element, this was foremost, and specifically John Huxley and Annie Tulloch’s love story.

... and what a wonderful love story it was. The romance between John and Annie was perfectly plotted. It was lighter on the angst with no indecisive dithering from either party. The author also forgoes bleak backstories and horrible parentage and writes about two adults who are well-loved and supported by their families. At the same time, Annie is deemed "mad" by some in her village, but the support of her family is evident in her sass and tenaciousness. While John is reluctant to love after being hurt in the past, he's still optimistic that he can attain a marriage that mimics his happily married parents and siblings. Annie's family was most prominently featured throughout and I enjoyed the crazy interactions between them all, as well as some of the more poignant moments.

In the end, I loved almost everything about this story. Annie was one of the most delightful heroines that I've read in a historical and John was a lovely hero all around. Their romance was beyond swoony and the tension was fantastic. The suspenseful moments were also very well done with a nice lead-in to the next book featuring Annie's brother, Broderick. Definitely, a top favorite historical read.

2 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Annie and John 🥹😍

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 7, 2022

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Annie is my FAVORITE heroine of all time! I love love John as well. What a wonderful book, I couldn’t put it down. Lots of laughs and endearing moments from the couple. One of the best books I’ve read this year. Kleypas is my favorite author, but with this book, Elisa Branden has become my second favorite author. Can’t wait to read Broderick and Kate story.

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Naz

Enchanting

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 14, 2020

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I’ve been waiting for this one in an agony of impatience for months! And devoured the book in one sitting. Then cursed myself for rushing through it and went back to the beginning to savour the story again.
After bidding a reluctant farewell to Elisa Braden’s beloved Rescued from Ruin series, The Making of a Highlander is the first in Elisa’s highly awaited Midnight in Scotland series.
John Huxley has spent his life following adventure, despite his family’s pleas for him to find a nice girl and settle down. His travels eventually land him in the highlands of Scotland, bound by a promise to a dying friend. Now he is stuck here over a land dispute with his disagreeable neighbour and the only way out is if he can win a seemingly impossible challenge – win the Highland games. John definitely needs help.
Annie Tulloch has spent the last year teasing and taunting the handsome and stubborn Englishman who will not take the easy way out and just sell his land to her stepfather. When he accepts her Da’s wager she see an opportunity to strike a bargain. Annie has her own reasons for needing to marry a Lord. She will train John for the games and he will teach her how to be a refined Lady.
I was absolutely enchanted by this story. Elisa is one of my very favourite authors and she doesn’t put a foot wrong here.
I adored John. He was the perfect gentleman. Strong, honourable, passionate and tender but absolutely ferocious in his need to protect and care for Annie. He has faced disappointments and trauma in his youth which is why it takes him a while to realise his feelings for Annie. But when he does – wow!
Annie is incomparable. A true highland lass, she is the perfect blend of sweet and sassy. Growing up among five strapping men with no female influences she was certainly a little rough around the edges at first but she made a natural transition into her femininity – and John did not know what hit him! I liked that Elisa did not give her a complete character transition as sometimes happens in these types of stories. She was constant throughout. She is so sweet, fiercely loyal and tireless in her love for those she cares for.
As with all of Elisa’s stories, there are some beautifully well rounded secondary characters in this. From Annie’s gruff Da Angus, her strapping and protective brothers, the lovely Mrs Baird and the wonderfully eccentric Mrs MacBean. What a delight she is! Although no one can replace the unparalleled Dowager Marchioness of Wallingham, Mrs MacBean certainly provides entertainment! And Finlay just melted my heart and adds a touch of the mystical. We even get a little fix of the beloved Huxley clan again.
The story has all the elements you can hope for in a novel. It is deeply emotional in parts – John’s revelation about his past trauma is surprisingly affecting, the teasing Annie bore all her life and my heart just ached for Broderick and what he went through. The humour is at times subtle and often downright laugh out loud. [Mrs MacBean and her talks of John Brodie and his caber – actually any of Mrs MacBean’s memories!] And of course, there is plenty of passion.
Elisa is just a very, very clever writer and I am so glad I stumbled upon her with her very first book The Madness of Viscount Atherbourne. She really brought the Scottish Highlands to life and has introduced a wonderful set of new characters. I can’t wait to follow their stories.
I was gifted an ARC for my honest opinion but I have ordered my own copy.

9 people found this helpful

Zoomer

Bluidy hellfire!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 15, 2020

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I am a fervant admirer of Ms Braden yet I hate with a passion those overly niche "Highland" romances with plaid and heather and "wella-wella", "verra," "bluidy" hackneyed Jock-ese nonesense. What a surprise I got. Readers of Ms Braden's earlier work will have met a Scottish hero and may even have read my review of the said tale. I admired her skill at not allowing the "thing" (the Scottishness) get in the way and become THE "thing. It was just "A" thing. And here again it is just a thing. A thing that develops naturally and coats everything with a lovely glaze. A light-touch Highland milieu. The hero - a minor character from the Rescued from Ruin series meets the red-haired heroine with sass and attitude, and fiery banter and red-hot sauce ensue. The imperious Lady Wallingham and her apposite and acerbic comments have disappeared to be replaced by a daft old biddy who reminisces on her past and somewhat dubious sexual encounters - all veiled by highland euphemisms - who I am sure will be a leitmotif in the rest of the series. Did I fancy the hero? Not so much - which is a little disappointing. Did I recognise the heroine - again not so much but that was less disappointing. What comes across, yet again with Ms Braden's writing is a deep care for her setting; you can smell the heather. She also write steamy sexual prose which is of the highest quality. It is this that shows a very deft skill. There is nothing crude or awkward; nothing to make you cringe or recoil or go "eww", just lovingly written highly sensous scenes. I love her work for this. That may seem a very singular reason for following an author but when it's as good as this then why go elsewhere? Looking forward to the next one.

4 people found this helpful

Give me all the books

Brilliant New Series

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 14, 2020

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I've always been a huge fan of Elisa Braden's books and am very happy to say I'm a huge fan of this one too!! The book centres around John Huxley (brother of the Huxley sisters of Rescued from Ruin Series) and the lovely Annie from Scotland and her family (including some very dishy highland brothers). This was an original storyline with both the main characters having heart wrenching secrets (particularly John) which explains their drive and behaviour. There were numerous comedy moments (and comedy characters) as well and my husband came in to see why I was laughing so loudly. As with all Elisa's female leads Annie is a strong and rambunctious wee woman at heart and she is definitely one of my top ten female leads. Can't wait until the next book 😍

Just a wee note to say that I received an advance copy of the book but my review above reflects my own opinions.

3 people found this helpful

Fiona Murphy

A wonderfully magical book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 14, 2020

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Wow! Wow! Wow! Elisa Braden has done it again! How on Earth she thought of the storyline for this new book and new series (yippee!), I don’t know. This lady is a genius.
If you have read Elisa’s previous series you would know to expect that John Huxley, future Earl of Berne, would feature in a brand new series set in Scotland. This book was very different from those in the Rescued from Ruined series. Every bit as brilliant, the plot contained something extra: magic and mystery. Wonderfully crafted Scottish characters who perplexed John Huxley, especially Annie Tulloch. This amazingly determined girl proved that she deserved her own true love - although he had to be persuaded this was a fact. The repartee between them had me in stitches at times and more humour is provided through the character of Annie’s friend, the aged Mrs Macbean. I am so glad that we shall see more of her in future books!
Annie is able - she has to be, living in a house with five big, loud Scotsmen - loyal and full of fire. John is still what you might expect of an English gentleman in the 1820’s. But they bring out the best in each other and their growing friendship brings out the best in each of them. Even if Annie has to work really hard to get John share his knowledge and help turn her into a lady, while she in turn helps him develop skills to participate in the local Highland games and win some land from Annie’s stepfather.
Now, what extra does The Making of a Highlander have? Magic. This is woven beautifully into the plot so that it is entirely believable. The appearance and disappearance of little Finlay had me spellbound. What a wonderful touch. What a wonderful magical book!

2 people found this helpful

cheryl

Everything you want from a story!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 14, 2020

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This was a riveting read. How I loved the characters of Annie and John! This book had everything, the amusing banter between Annie and John ( the things Annie said!), passion, the love of their families and well as some very vindictive and cruel people. I enjoyed the way that John was so protective of Annie, albeit in a subtle way. Annie was so strong and feisty and completely different from anyone John had met before. Their growing relationship was not without its trials. There is also a mystical element that gives an added interest. This is the first in a new series and I look forward to reading the next in the series.

3 people found this helpful

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The Making of a Highlander: Midnight in Scotland, Book 1 Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

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