Of all the people to fall in love with…

Synopsis

To find love, they need to dig deep.

When kind-hearted archaeologist Rhona Lamond has her precious research stolen, she returns home to the Isle of Mull, lost and frustrated. An island project that tugs at Rhona’s soul comes up, and she’s desperate to take it on. But there’s a major problem.

Property developer Calum Matheson has a longstanding feud with the Lamond family. After a plot of land he owns is discovered to be a site of historical importance, his plans are thrown into disarray and building work put on hold. Calum doesn’t think things can get any worse, until archaeologist Rhona turns up. Not only is she a Lamond, but she’s all grown up, and even stubbornly unromantic Calum can’t fail to notice her – or the effect she has on him.

Their attraction ignites but how can they overcome years of hate between their families? Both must decide what’s more important, family or love.

My review

Archaeologist Rhona Lamond is not the kind of person to bloat about her research. However, on her latest dig she discovers that not everyone is like her, and some people aren’t even ashamed of even steal her research work.
With no other prospects in view, she return frustrated and disillusioned back home, to the Isle of Mull. When she learns about an island project that is just er cup of tea, she wants to take the job. There is only one ‘minor’ problem… The land that could be a site of historical importance is owned by Calum Matheson. And let him be the person that the Lamond family has a longstanding feud with…
But Rhona feels the pull of the site and Calum needs an expert to investigate his land further. Rhona and Calum couldn’t be more different, yet their attraction starts to grow. But is that enough to make years of hate disappear and will their families be ready to bury the hatchet or is their love doomed before it even started? 

Archaeology is not my cup of tea. I wouldn’t have the patience to dig a piece of land, hoping to find just *something*. I think I would be very disappointed when my hours of work appear to be for ‘nothing’ as no discovery would be made.
But I understand the importance of this job, so I admire those people who have a real passion for it. 

This story had a very big ‘Romeo & Juliet’ vibe. The Lamond and Matheson families have a feud with each other that is lasting for years. What has happened years ago isn’t revealed immediately, but we know it involved Calum and Rhona’s brother Arran. And whatever happened, that left a mark on both families, as the Lamonds aren’t afraid of badmouthing the Mathesons, and the Mathesons have to live with being stared after, even if there is no cause to it. 

The vibe I felt, is because of Rhona and Calum, obviously. Because with feuding families, there will be members that will do the unthinkable and fall in love with their rivals… 

There is a lot of myself I recognized in Rhona. She is a kind person, and her family, even if they don’t understand all her choices, is very important to her. She would do anything for them, even if her sisters drive her crazy.
She is also the person that, to avoid a big row, would let some injustice pass. Even if she did the discovery at the beginning of the book, she sees it as a team effort, and doesn’t mind if the spotlight is not on her.
But that also means that people who have no scruples, will take advantage of Rhona’s goodness.
So when Rhona does the unthinkable, working for Calum, I was cheering for her, because she finally did what she wanted to do. 

Of course the first times Rhona and Calum are together on the site, things are strained and awkward. Calum’s behaviour doesn’t help in the process. Not that he is rude or something like that, but he is just very wary and is a closed character.
I had so much fun seeing Rhona and Calum together, from how Calum didn’t want to get his clothes dirty, or how things are being said, unintentional of course, with a double meaning.
But I also loved how they started to get closer, understand each other better and even fell in love with each other. And how even having an old crush is being revealed put a smile on my face.  

But falling in love was, for as I see it, the easiest part. Because the both main characters know that their both families will be against them being together, especially as we see how awful the Lamonds react when they discover that Rhona went on a boat trip with Calum… And their behaviour towards the Mathesons in general was not something I could 100% agree with. I saw where they were coming from, but their behaviour was just so over the top, seeing also how they somehow keep sabotaging everything the Mathesons do… 

I immediately liked Calum’s parents, because despite the Lamonds’ efforts, his parents are just ‘chill’ people. They also feel angry towards the Lamonds, but they are okay with just ignoring them. 

If this were just a romance story, I would have liked the story anyway. But it is the growth of both main characters that made me love the story. We see Rhona maturing a lot in this book. Initially she let a little bit people walk over her. But slowly she realizes that she has to fight for her own happiness and have the recognition she deserves. Why should anyone be allowed to steal her work and get away with it?
We also see how she sees that there is more to what happened between Calum and Arran. And she wants to know the truth.
She also stands up to her family, and that made me proud of her, as it was long due. 

Also Calum makes a huge evolution in the book. We know he is a gentle person, but his past has scarred him so much, that he is afraid to lose control. But, thanks to Rhona and his best friend Will, he understands himself better. And seeing him opening up, and doing things he never imagined to do, warmed my heart. 

This book shows us how love can allow people to be themselves, or even find themselves again. Like I said, it has so many ‘Romeo & Juliet’ vibes, without the dramatic ending, even if there were some frustrating bits in this story!
You never know beforehand who you fall in love with, but even the most unexpected person can bring you the greatest joy and happiness in life. And falling in love can also end a feud that was maybe caused for the wrong reasons but lasted far too long. All of that, is the power of love.