Love For A Reluctant Highland Lass by Emilia Ferguson

An unwanted servant…a villain’s messenger…and evil personified…
Ettie Lomond has always felt unloved and unwanted, and has been told by everyone around her that she’s always been both. She’s different from everyone else, and people in her part of Scotland do not appreciate different. Now she’s being moved to Duncliffe, to a new life among more strangers, though she immediately meets a kindred spirit. Things seem to be looking up for Ettie suddenly, especially when she befriends the lady of the house, the beautiful Lady Marguerite.

An Unwitting Pawn. Garrick Hale has often been on the wrong side of the law—a thug who is no stranger to street brawling—now in the employ of a major shipping magnate. However, his new task is to scope out a castle inland, a place he’s unfamiliar with, and he has no idea that his mission is a decoy. When he meets the lady of the house—not knowing that she isn’t who she seems—he’s immediately taken by her beauty.

Plans for Disaster. Soon Garrick discovers the truth—Garrick’s mission is part of a plot to betray Duncliffe Manor—and Ettie at the same time—to a secret enemy. Now that he’s aware of his mission, Garrick must face his inner demons to either complete this mission or to keep the Manor’s residents safe.

He must work hard to figure out who the enemy is, and how to keep the Manor’s residents safe from harm. He has Ettie by his side every step of the way, but he’ll do anything in his power to keep the Highland beauty safe—even if it means giving up everything. Can Ettie learn to trust her heart when all she’s ever known is cruelty—or is the stranger only in love with her because of who he thinks she is?