Hello bookish friends!

Hope you are doing well! I am on a roll this week with my reviews of the books in the Penn-Leiths of Thistle Muir series! How thrilled I am to have discovered this series after it has been completed! After finishing Love, Practically, I could go right into Malcolm and Viola’s story which was such a treat! Adjacent But Only Just by Nichole Van is an incredible story!

I adored this beautiful story of healing and hope. And the title is one of my favorites ever. I think it is so poignant and beautiful.

Book Summary: “Viola Brodure, gentlewoman and celebrated authoress, faces a personal dilemma suited for a novel—everyone wishes for her to make a love match with Ethan Penn-Leith, the famous Highland Poet. And by everyone, she means everyone—her father, her adoring readers, the gossip columnists, and her patron, the overbearing Duke of Kendall. Why, even Queen Victoria herself has given a nod of approval to the match. After all, the popular novelist and the famous poet are the perfect heroine and hero for their own love story. A literary dynasty waiting to be born.

The problem, of course, is that Viola has never met Ethan, not in the flesh, at least. She has read about him and devoured his poetic writings, but does the man himself live up to his dashing reputation?

Malcolm Penn-Leith exists in twilight. He manages his farm, Thistle Muir, in the shadow of the Scottish Highlands. As the older brother of the renowned Ethan Penn-Leith, Malcolm tends to his prized cows while Ethan basks in the limelight. Harder still, Malcolm lives under a cloud of grief after the death of his wife five years ago.

But then Miss Viola Brodure arrives in Malcolm’s wee village, intent on meeting Ethan & beginning a courtship. Viola—petite, blond, shy, & English—is nothing like Malcolm’s late wife. And yet, Viola awakens a piece of his heart that he thought lost in the abyss of his grief.

For her part, Viola is surprised to find herself more attracted to the stoic Malcolm than the charming Ethan. So now what? She isn’t meant to fall in love with the man adjacent to Ethan Penn-Leith. That’s not the plot she had outlined. After all, Malcolm and Viola are not the match made in heaven that everyone wishes to see. As social pressures mount, can Malcolm and Viola overcome the weight of his past and the expectations of her future to forge a new path together?”

My heart aches for Malcolm after the tragic experiences he endures in the first book. To see him find love again was a balm to my heart. The grief he carries in this story is heavy and so very sad. It feels like he won’t be able to overcome it and although he seems satisfied in his life at the bottom of his canyon of grief, I hoped for more for him. Seeing him open up and connect with Viola was so beautiful! It’s love at first sight (after a fashion) and I loved the way their love heals him in ways he didn’t think possible.

Viola is such a delight! I loved her background as an authoress and seeing how she wants to use her gift to affect change. She is hindered in that hope by a few intense people (mostly the Duke of Kendall who I can’t wait to get to know in book 4!!!) and her severe asthma but that does not douse her spirit or her determination to make a difference. I loved how Malcolm sees her, truly sees her. They connect in such deep, meaningful ways and I was cheering for their happily ever after even when it seemed impossible.

While Viola and Malcolm were truly made for each other, there are elements of this story that are heavy and hard. Discussions of death of spouse and children occur throughout the story. Also, there is some lack of communication at times. I did enjoy the stone throwing and truths when everything was revealed. Even amidst the themes of loss, grief, & fear, there is so much hope, vibrancy, & life in this story. I love how Malcolm and Viola create beauty that heals their souls.

I am loving these books so much! So excited to share my thoughts on Ethan’s story in book three!!

Any Nichole Van fans out there? Which are your favorites?
What are your favorite historical series?