ROGUE WITH A BROGUE is Book two in Suzanne Enoch's Scandalous Highlanders series. I loved the first book in this series, and I ended up liking this one just as much. I don't think it's absolutely necessary to have read the previous book to enjoy ROGUE WITH A BROGUE because Suzanne Enoch does a good job of establishing the background and context for the characters and the current circumstances. However, I do recommend reading Book one because Ranulf, the hero of that book, is a delicious Highlander hero.

I would describe ROGUE WITH A BROGUE as Romeo and Juliet -- if the lovers were older, smarter, and Scottish. I love how the hero and heroine first meet in this story. The story opens with a masquerade and Arran is wearing a fox mask and Mary is wearing a vixen one. There is a definite feeling that the meeting is fated. They are two people who never would have gotten together on their own if not for a chance meeting. It's all the more romantic that they don't know who they really are. Unfortunately for them, who they really are causes all kinds of problems for their romance. Arran is from clan MacLawry and Mary is a Campbell and that is a problem. Their families have been enemies for a very long time.

Arran makes a great hero. He starts off being a guy who doesn't really believe in love, is not looking for it, and doesn't understand why his older brother is acting so out of character because of it. Then he meets his match. I love the reasons he falls for Mary. He loves her intelligence and witty conversation, in addition to finding her physically attractive. I also really like that he doesn't do the one thing that drives me crazy in historical romances. He doesn't try to push her away for her own good and try to manipulate her. There are obstacles to them being together, but they are both aware of them and he discusses things with her and allows her to make her own choices. There were many opportunities for him to have been more aggressive and force his position, but he didn't. Instead, he took steps to give her more freedom to make whatever choices she wanted to make. He wanted her to choose a life with him, not as the best alternative, but because that's what she really wanted. I love that -- a sexy, strong guy who respects his woman.

The heroine in ROGUE WITH A BROGUE makes this story stand out. I like Mary Campbell. She is intelligent, considers the big picture before making decisions, and is no pushover. Her family turns out to be very different than she had always believed, but she handles her changing world very well. Liking both the hero and heroine makes a big difference and has a lot to do with how much I love ROGUE WITH A BROGUE.

ROGUE WITH A BROGUE is a sexy highlander romance with great characters and an exciting journey. I recommend this book to anybody who likes sexy and caring heroes, smart heroines, and stories that will keep your interest from beginning to end. I look forward to the next book in this series!