Unwrapping a Review of TO BED THE BRIDE, an All For Love novel by Karen Ranney

Greetings my darling readers, I know I’ve been remiss in providing you reviews of good reads this past year and I apologize. Life has a hold on me which does not allow me much reading time. I have tried to make up for that in publishing my own good reads for you and I hope you’ve given them a try. In an attempt to make up for my neglect, I have been offering up guest reviews for you to enjoy by my dear friend, Connie Fischer. I hope you have been following them.

However, today I am actually sharing my review of a book I actually got to read, thanks to the lovelies at Avon for sending me a print copy of TO BED THE BRIDE, an All For Love novel by Karen Ranney—and it only took me three weeks to read. It will take you a lot less time, I promise. TO BED THE BRIDE is releasing November 26, 2019.

***provided to me by the publisher but I am sharing an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for TO BED THE BRIDE:

New York Times Bestselling Author Karen Ranney’s captivating series concludes with a tale of opposites whose attraction scorches a trail from the Highlands to the glittering halls of London—and courts scandal at every turn . . .

Politics has introduced MP Logan McKnight to many fascinating people, but the lady he encounters on the lands bordering his ancestral Scottish home outshines them all. Eleanor Craig of Hearthmere seats a Thoroughbred like a queen, knows as much about world events as any of his colleagues—and is engaged to one of the worst men Logan knows. She also seems lonely, so Logan brings her a friend. Thus should their acquaintance end, yet it’s only just begun.

The puppy Logan delivers is every bit as irresistible as the man himself. How could this stranger sense the isolation Eleanor suffers among her scheming, snobbish extended family and fiancé who control her life? It’s even worse in London—until she begins meeting Logan secretly in a secluded park. Their passionate connection frees Eleanor, body and soul. But discovery threatens disgrace—or worse.

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My Review:

Eleanor Craig is a lonely woman, unsure of herself, or her place in the world. Her father had instilled in her that family comes first and the family estate, Hearthmere, is of utmost importance and her responsibility. When Eleanor meets a handsome stranger while out on a ride, she mistakes him for a simple shepherd. She is instantly both unsettled and annoyed by him.

MP Logan McKnight has met and encountered many people through politics but none are as interesting, charming, or as smart, in his opinion, as the lovely stranger he discovers is his neighbor in Scotland. Logan is immediately attracted to Eleanor. He admires her horsemanship, intelligence as well as her looks, but can she’s unhappy and lonely. He believes there’s much more to her. With the hope of giving her some joy and possibly bringing her out of her shell, he sends her an adorable puppy.

Initially Eleanor is outraged and then intrigued by Logan and his gift. She decides to return the puppy, but ends up becoming too attached to it. (Who wouldn’t?) After she returns to London, she finds herself more and more trapped by her family—truly nasty and toxic people. When she encounters Logan at her aunt’s house she discovers he is actually an upcoming and coming Member of Parliament. As it becomes more and more apparent how little respect or affection her family has for her and the man to whom she is engaged, the Earl of Westcott, is a despicable creature as well, she turns to Logan for friendship and emotional support.

Karen Ranney does a wonderful job in her historical writing of making us feel as if we are there. I have to say this story touched my heart very hard. Having people around you who belittle, demand of you, and treat you as if you’re nothing is true toxicity. I was easily able to step into Eleanor’s shoes and found her to be a truly heartbreaking and tragic figure. Her aunt and cousins were Cinderella’s wicked stepmother and stepsisters personified.

I do wish there had been more interaction between Eleanor and Logan while in Scotland but then I understand the perceived status separation while there, which did not allow it. Once back in London, their status more the same, their friendship grows and even though they must meet in secret, it’s apparent to both their feelings of friendship are growing to something far more…even as they fear being found out.

TO BED THE BRIDE, the final book in the All For Love trilogy, by Karen Ranney might be my favorite of the three and I’ve enjoyed each one. This one pulled at my heartstrings a bit more and had me hoping Eleanor could have a better life, and had me hoping she could extricate herself from her horrible family and get rid of her fiancé. Logan is caring, charming, and respectful of her even as he wishes her for his own. He’s a great friend and we all know where that can lead. This is an intriguing friends to lovers story with some truly nasty villains.

Each book in the All For Love trilogy can be read as standalones and for those who truly love historical romance, I highly recommend them all, but definitely read TO BED THE BRIDE. Oh…and puppy Bruce is such a delightful treat from Karen. He’s adorable and makes me miss my Marco so much.

Happy Reading Everyone!!

TO BED THE BRIDE, an All For Love novel by Karen Ranney, Avon Books, available November 26, 2019 in print, ebook, and audio at:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple Books | Indiebound

Books-A-Million | GooglePlay | Target | HarperCollins | Audiobooks

Unwrapping a review of TO WED AN HEIRESS, an All For Love novel by Karen Ranney

Greetings my darling readers, I know I’ve been remiss in providing you reviews of good reads this past year and I apologize. Life has a hold on me which does not allow me much reading time. I have tried to make up for that in publishing my own good reads for you and I hope you’ve given them a try. In an attempt to make up for my neglect, I have been offering up guest reviews for you to enjoy by my dear friend, Connie Fischer. I hope you have been following them.

However, today I am actually sharing a review of mine of a book I actually got to read recently…yay! – TO WED AN HEIRESS, an All For Love novel by Karen Ranney.

***purchased for my own reading but I am sharing an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for TO WED AN HEIRESS:

Rebellion drove Mercy Rutherford to Scotland to escape the possessive grip of her fiancé. But it’s fate that lands her in the crumbling highlands castle of Lennox Caitheart. A dreamer with visions of inventing airships, he’s most certainly mad. Handsome beyond words, he’s also causing an irresistible flutter in her stomach beyond reason. When Gregory arrives to see their arranged marriage to its bitter end, Mercy desperately turns to Lennox with an offer of her fortune—and her hand in marriage.

The Earl of Morton has a reputation for being a daredevil eccentric, but even he is hesitant to engage in such a rash proposition—no matter how utterly beguiled he is by the wildly independent American heiress. And yet, with so much at stake, how can he possibly say no? But when their unconventional union grows into a passionate and inseparable love, more than Gregory’s obsession threatens them. Now, Lennox and Mercy will have to risk more than their hearts to save it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

My Review:

Nearly killed by a strange flying contraption upon her arrival in Scotland, Mercy Rutherford was wishing she was back home and safe preparing to do the mundane things of which her life consisted until she made the decision to travel to visit her mother’s Scottish relatives. The inventor of this strange flying boat with sails comes to their rescue when the carriage crashes and she and her maid are injured. She is intrigued by him and him by her until he learns who she is and his sudden change in attitude leaves her bewildered. It isn’t until she arrives at her great uncle’s home and her grandmother basically tells her to go back to where she came from and don’t let the door hit her in the butt on the way out that she learns the problem. Claiming she can’t travel until her maid’s injury is healed, she knows as soon as Ruthie is well, they would return home. In the meantime, her aunt welcomes her well enough and soon she learns Lennox Caitheart, the Earl of Morton is the last of his clan after the death of his brother in a carriage accident which also took Mercy’s cousin. Now she understands the bitter blood between these two families—although, her grandmother doesn’t seem to like anyone.

Before his brother died, Lennox was studying to be a doctor. But with the death of his brother, he became the earl so he left school and returned home only to discover the Macrorys had interfered with several business deals which the former earl had established, and now he was penniless. Worse, the family’s rundown castle was now his to support as well. Feeling life had dealt him a raw deal he had become pretty much a hermit and was attempting to support his family’s estate by selling his inventions. 

Now caught in the middle of a feud, Mercy and Lennox are inexplicably drawn to each other and their banter is even chuckle-worthy at times, even as the antics of Mercy’s family are enough to make anyone crazy. Both stubborn yet passionate about their lives, their freedoms, and rather about each other, neither Lennox nor Mercy will openly admit it. However, when Mercy’s not going to take no for an answer fiancé, Gregory shows up, Mercy knows she’s running out of time. But she does have a solution. She proposes a deal with Lennox—she provides the money he needs to get back on his feet if he marries her. When his pride gets in the way and he refuses, she feels defeated and with her father coming to Scotland, she knows she will have no choice but to return home and marry Gregory even though she knows her happiness lies with Lennox. Will Lennox change his mind? Will he put aside his pride and realize what a gift in Mercy he is losing?

Passionate, headstrong, proud, and wanting more from life than what they are getting, Lennox and Mercy are perfect for each other. Like Romeo and Juliet, they love each other despite their families. This story features some truly likable characters doing their best to survive some rather despicable ones with some secondary characters doing their best to push these two together. There is emotion galore, a few laughs, great banter, some steam, definitely family drama, and a grand romantic gesture which brings them a happily ever after.

I highly recommend TO WED AN HEIRESS by Karen Ranney if you like a strong-minded heroine caught between a rock and hard place but desperately trying to dig her way out, and a hero with a huge heart you just can’t help but fall in love with while wanting to knock him upside the head for being so stubborn. Although part of a series, this story can easily be read as a standalone but well worth the read. Plus…if you hurry, it’s currently on sale for a discounted price. Yay!

Happy Reading Everyone!!

TO WED AN HEIRESS, an All For Love novel by Karen Ranney, Avon Books, available now in print, ebook, and audio at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks. 

Unwrapping a Review of TO LOVE A DUCHESS, an All For Love novel by Karen Ranney

I have been reading Karen Ranney’s exceptional historical romances for years but TO LOVE A DUCHESS took me by the heart and wrung me out. Emotion is something we enjoy in romance…it’s one of the main reasons we read it...TO LOVE A DUCHESS gives it to us in spades. This first book in the new All For Love Trilogy is a great start and I can’t wait to see what comes to us in the next two.

***print copy provided by author and in return, I am sharing an honest and unscripted review in thanks. 

Blurb for TO LOVE A DUCHESS:

From New York Times Bestselling Author Karen Ranney comes the first book in a royally romantic and deeply emotional new series about taking risks and allowing the power to love satisfy the questions of the heart...

Undercover as a majordomo, spy Adam Drummond has infiltrated Marsley House with one purpose only—to plunder its mysteries and gather proof that the late Duke of Marsley was an unforgivable traitor to his country. At the same time, Adam is drawn to a more beguiling puzzle: the young and still-grieving duchess—a beauty with impenetrable secrets of her own. For Drummond, uncovering them without exposing his masquerade will require the most challenging and tender moves of his career.

That a servant can arouse such passion in her is too shocking for Suzanne Whitcomb, Duchess of Marsley, to consider. Yet nothing quickens her pulse like Drummond's touch. It's been two years since the duke lost his life in a tragic accident—and even longer since she's been treated like a woman. But when Drummond's real mission is revealed, and the truth behind Suzanne's grief comes to light, every secret conspired to tear them apart is nothing compared to the love that can hold them together.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Suzanne Whitcomb, the Duchess of Marsley, lost her husband in a tragic accident and since that day, she has simply been making it through each day, surviving. She feels no joy, no inspiration in living until a new man enters her life—her new majordomo. For the first time in her life, she feels as though she exists. He listens to her, hears her opinions, and when her story comes to light, believes her. As a companion, he makes her feel less alone but as a man, he awakens something in her she’s never experienced before. But she’s a duchess and he, only a servant.

Adam Drummond is a spy. He is a member of the Silent Service. Growing up in Glasgow was hard so as a boy, he joined the army which provided him with food, safety, and place where he could feel he belonged. Still his life wasn’t easy even as his career was successful. A decorated hero, he obtained the rank of Lieutenant. But then grief visited him in the form of losing his wife in a truly horrible attack. Now as member of an exclusive part of the War Department, he has been given the mission of gathering proof that the late Duke of Marsley was a traitor to his country. Going undercover as the majordomo in the home of a man he despised in life proves to be one of the most difficult assignments of his career. Positive the duke was guilty, he knows it’s his grieving duchess who will pay the ultimate price and now Adam is torn between his duty and his growing affection for the beguiling and puzzling widow. How can such a lovely, deserving of better woman grieve so desperately over such a horrible man as the Duke of Marsley?
More so, how can he ever leave her once his mission is done? A lowly boy from Glasgow can never have a duchess.

I loved this story, I inhaled this story. It was an emotional heart-breaker from the start. The depth of emotions these two lived with was so incredible that I worried neither would ever open up to the other but when they did, the journey to falling in love and their eventual HEA was worth the perils.

Tragedy, history, secrets, along with twists and turns, danger, suspense, and the determination of these two extraordinary characters, Suzanne and Adam, create a compelling, page turning experience that makes the ending all the sweeter. This is now my favorite Karen Ranney read. She poured so much heart and sorrow into these two lovers that their attraction was a must or they would surely have been swallowed by their own deep sadness. Plus, Adam is now very high on my book boyfriend list. 

I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a read where they become so wholly engrossed in the emotions of a story and the love lost then newly gained that they will sit down with a full box of tissues and not stop reading until they get their HEA. This is one of those reads. I can’t wait to see what the rest of trilogy brings us. Huzzah, Karen.

Happy Reading Everyone!

TO LOVE A DUCHESS, an All For Love novel by Karen Ranney, Avon Romance, available now in print and ebook at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

Don't forget to check out my debut romance!
Folks are loving it and I think you will too.

Unwrapping a Review of THE WITCH OF CLAN SINCLAIR, a Clan Sinclair novel by Karen Ranney

Not too long ago, I read and reviewed THE DEVIL OF CLAN SINCLAIR, book one in the Clan Sinclair series by Karen Ranney. Although my review wasn’t as favorable as some may have liked it to be, it didn’t keep me from moving on to the next book in the series, THE WITCH OF CLAN SINCLAIR, and oh, my goodness, am I glad it didn’t. And how about that cover - it's so gorgeous!

***Print copy received as part of a giveaway presented by the author and I am happily sharing my honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for THE WITCH OF CLAN SINCLAIR:

The next sizzling romance in New York Times bestselling author Karen Ranney's Clan Sinclair series...

Logan Harrison is looking for a wife. As the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, he needs a conventional and diplomatic woman who will stand by his side and help further his political ambitions. He most certainly does not need Mairi Sinclair, the fiery, passionate, fiercely beautiful woman who tries to thwart him at every turn. But if she's so wrong for him, why can't he stop kissing her? He is completely bewitched.

Mairi Sinclair has never met anyone like Logan Harrison, the perfect example of everything she finds wrong with the world. He's also incredibly handsome, immensely popular, and impossible to resist. His kisses inflame her and awaken a passion she can barely control.

Can two people who are at such odds admit to a love that would bind them together for life?

*               *               *              *              *

Mairi Sinclair is a woman before her time. She’s working in a man’s world in a man’s job and must hide behind her brother’s name in order to do so, but the success or failure of the Edinburgh Gazette is hers, and hers alone. When confronted with a man’s world reaction to wishing to enter a man’s domain to hear an author speak, her reaction is one which starts something she never expected – a revolution of change and a change of heart about love.

Logan Harrison has a high respect for society, and for women, but everything he believed he knew about women flies out the window when he encounters the stubborn and incorrigible, Mairi Sinclair. Planning a continuing future career in politics, as the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Logan believes he must find the perfect politician’s wife but when his attraction to the least likely candidate keeps him entangled, he knows his heart must lead the way if he can convince her of the same.

THE WITCH OF CLAN SINCLAIR by Karen Ranney had me hooked from the first pages and kept me turning the pages as these two incredible characters both denied and pursued one another, and their uncontrollable attraction to each other. I loved the strength and passion of Mairi Sinclair, and the incredible gentleness of this amazing man, Logan Harrison, who commanded respect and wielded power effortless. Karen created a story which, while it centered on Mairi and Logan’s relationship, like the spokes of a wheel, the secondary characters had their own trials and tribulations, which gave the story depth and humility. When trouble ensues, it’s not just one who siphons out the culprit, or culprits but instead, it’s as an extension of one that the many discover the truth. The cast of THE WITCH OF CLAN SINCLAIR make this story rich, full, complete, and allow a very romantic happily-ever-after for Mairi and Logan.

I highly recommend THE WITCH OF CLAN SINCLAIR, book two of the Clan Sinclair series by Karen Ranney. If you didn’t read the first book, it’s okay, this one works well as a stand-alone but if you truly want to know the characters as a whole, and understand the dynamics of the many, it will make the reading of this one so much better. THE WITCH OF CLAN SINCLAIR will entertain, inspire, outrage, and leave you feeling so contented and happy for Mairi and Logan, you’ll want the story to continue long after it’s finished.

Happy Reading Everyone!

THE WITCH OF CLAN SINCLAIR, a Clan Sinclair novel by Karen Ranney, Avon Romance, available now in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

***click on links above or cover below for purchasing information

remember even pennies per sale help keep this blog alive.

Thank you.

   

Unwrapping a Review of THE DEVIL OF CLAN SINCLAIR by Karen Ranney

Always a fan of Karen Ranney’s historical romances, I was eager to experience her newest series, The Clan Sinclair series, starting with THE DEVIL OF CLAN SINCLAIR. With a title like that, it could only mean an adventure featuring a sexy Scot. Right? Oh yeah!

***Purchased for my personal reading but I’m sharing my thoughts with you in an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for THE DEVIL OF CLAN SINCLAIR:

For Virginia Traylor, Countess of Barrett, marriage was merely the vehicle to buy her father a title. Widowhood, however, brings a host of problems. For her husband deliberately spent the money intended for Virginia and her in-laws, leaving them penniless—unless she produces an heir. Desperate and confused, Virginia embarks on a fateful journey that brings her to the doorstep of the only man she's ever loved...

He's known as The Devil, but Macrath Sinclair doesn't care. He moved to a tiny Scottish village in hopes of continuing his work as an inventor and starting a family of his own. He bought the house; he chose the woman. Unfortunately, Virginia didn't choose him. Macrath knows he should turn her away now, but she needs him, and he wants her more than ever. Whatever game Virginia's playing, Macrath intends to win—one wickedly seductive deed at a time...

*               *               *               *               * 

When her husband dies without an heir, Virginia Traylor, Countess of Barrett finds herself in dire circumstances since the estate will pass to a cousin unless she can produce a son before time makes it impossible. Whereas she has options, in desperation, she turns to the man she loved and hoped to marry before her father forced her into a failed marriage with the Earl – the self-made, very handsome and very wealthy Macrath Sinclair.

Still in love with Macrath, and knowing he is still in love with her, Virginia seduces him and becomes pregnant. She then passes the child off as her dead husband's and keeps the truth from Macrath. When he discovers the truth upon visiting Virginia in London where she’s fallen ill, Macrath steals the baby away back to his home in Scotland. Virginia follows Macrath and desperately tries to convince him to relinquish her son. More truths are exposed when her husband’s servant, Paul, follows her to Scotland. As lies are exposed, trouble ensues, and soon Macrath is fighting to protect Virginia and his son before a murderer can take them both from him.

It took me a while to get hooked by THE DEVIL OF CLAN SINCLAIR by Karen Ranney, mainly because I had trouble keeping things straight between the past and present entries, but I’m not one to give up on a book so I kept with it, and I am very glad that I did. Once the story began to unfold, and the lies began to untangle, this second-chance romance between Macrath and Virginia blossomed into a tale that tugged at my heartstrings. I began to see Virginia as a woman with a goal and a formidable love for her child as well as the man she truly desired, rather than the conniving woman she started out as, and the one who threatened to destroy Macrath’s heart.

Karen Ranney always writes complex characters and storylines but this one had a few more twists and turns than usual, which kept me intrigued. I’m not going to say anything further for fear I may give away spoilers, which are better left discovered by you. I am going to recommend that if you enjoy a formidable hero, a conniving heroine, and a treacherous interloper who only wants what he wants without accepting the consequences, THE DEVIL OF CLAN SINCLAIR by Karen Ranney is one that will keep you intrigued – well, once you get into it, that is. But trust me, your patience will pay off.

Happy Reading Everyone!

THE DEVIL OF CLAN SINCLAIR, book one of the Clan Sinclair series by Karen Ranney, Avon Romance, available now in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

***click on links or cover below for purchasing information

remember even pennies per sale help keep this blog alive.

   

Great News and Great Deals on Avon Romance Novels!

Avon Romance and NOOK 

have some great news!

From March 21st through March 24th, the following books will be promoted as part of the START A NEW SERIES promotion Nook is doing. These are all the first book in an excellent Avon series and a great way to meet new authors and enjoy some fabulous new series.

Come back during those days and use the links to get to the books for a great deal at $1.99 each!

LOVE AND OTHER SCANDALS  – Caroline Linden

ONE RECKLESS SUMMER – Toni Blake

WHEN THE MARQUESS MET HIS MATCH – Laura Lee Guhrke

DEVIL OF CLAN SINCLAIR – Karen Ranney

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT – Lori Wilde

THE WEDDING FAVOR – Cara Connelly

THE RETURN OF BRODY McBRIDE – Jennifer Ryan

BLITZING EMILY – Julie Brannagh 

A LITTLE TOO FAR – Lisa Desrochers

CRAVE – Monica Murphy

Happy Reading Everyone!!

Unwrapping: Review of A DANCE IN THE DARK by Karen Ranney

I love the idea of re-publishing books because, like fashion, sometimes what is old is now sometimes new. I believe that’s the case for A DANCE IN THE DARK by Karen Ranney. This dark yet sweet paranormal historical fantasy-style romance has so much to say. Kensington Publishing originally published it in 1998 in the anthology, AFTER MIDNIGHT. Recently re-released as a stand-alone, I think it’s going to achieve a new life among new readers.

***eCopy provided by author as a gift for subscribing to her newsletter, but I delighted in reading it and of course, am presenting my honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for A DANCE IN THE DARK:

Louisa is an heiress who is truly not beautiful. Douglas is a man who isn't simply a recluse. When Louisa finds a friend in Douglas, he knows it's the very worst thing that could happen to her. In the darkness, however, almost anything is possible.

*             *             *             *             *

Louisa Patterson wants to escape her world, her life, and the prospect of marriage. An heiress to one of the wealthiest estates in England, she is most definitely the catch of the Season even as she’s the least attractive. Plainly put, Louisa Patterson is only as attractive to the many men seeking her hand, as her wealth is extensive.  

Douglas Traherne wants nothing to do with the outside world. A self-proclaimed hermit, he lives in a cave at Hodges Hill, which just happens to be part of the large estate at Bainbridge Hill owned by Arthur Patterson. He carries a secret that he finds himself unable to keep from the young woman who insinuates herself into his life, his domain, and without intent, into his heart.

A DANCE IN THE DARK by Karen Ranney is captivating, somewhat sad, yet sweet in its ugly duckling theme. Louisa believes herself to be ugly, not just unattractive, but actually ugly. She hears the snickers when she enters a room, the horrible insults launched at her back as she passes by, and knows that no man truly wants her for anything more than her extensive dowry. When she encounters the dark stranger who lives in a cave, keeps to the shadows but whose soothing voice and demeanor intrigues, and attracts her, she soon learns that there is more to a person than what is reflected in the mirror, or in others’ eyes. Douglas fears that trying to live in the world alongside those who are so different from him endangers all who cross his path. Soon he learns that whereas normal is a concept which all humans strive to obtain, no one is truly normal and he may be accepted for his differences more easily than he expects.

This dark, sweet novella about love overcoming diversity and that beauty is in the eye of the beholder will keep you enthralled from the beginning moments, when Louisa discovers the cave home of Douglas to the reveal of his dark secret, a lovely dance in the moonlight, and their eventual happily-ever-after. I highly recommend reading A DANCE IN THE DARK by Karen Ranney for any number of reasons listed above, but mostly because it’s just that good – in fact, I wish it had been longer.

Happy Reading Everyone!

A DANCE IN THE DARK by Karen Ranney, originally published by Kensington Publishing, re-released and available in ebook formats for 99¢ at Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

***click on links above or cover below for purchasing information

   

Unwrapping: Review of A SCANDALOUS SCOT by Karen Ranney

Being a big fan of Karen Ranney to begin with, both of her work and her person, she never fails to brighten my day with her delightful posts on her blog - I have been especially looking forward to her newest release, A SCANDALOUS SCOT or ASS as we have come to affectionately refer to it, for some time. Lucky me, as an Avon Addict, I received a copy in this month's goodies. A SCANDALOUS SCOT by Karen Ranney released, June 26, 2012.

Blurb for A SCANDALOUS SCOT:

One scandal was never enough . . .

After four long years, Morgan MacCraig has finally returned to the Highlands of his birth . . . with his honor in shreds. After a scandal, all he wants now is solace-yet peace is impossible to find with the castle's outspoken new maid trying his patience, challenging his manhood . . . and winning his love, body and soul.

Jean MacDonald wants to leave her past behind and start anew, but Ballindair Castle, a Scottish estate rumored to be haunted, hasn't been the safe haven she envisioned. Ballindair's ancestral ghosts aren't as fascinating as Morgan, the most magnificent man she's ever seen. Though their passion triggers a fresh scandal that could force them to wed, Jean must first share the secrets of her own past-secrets that could force them apart, or be the beginning of a love and redemption unlike anything they've ever known.

                       *                     *                    *                    *                    *                   *

Jean MacDonald came to Ballandair with her sister, Catriona, to escape a life ruined by tragedy and scandal. Now the pair work as maids under the care of their aunt, Mary MacDonald who is the housekeeper of the great house of the 9th Earl of Denbleigh, Morgan MacCraig. Keeping to herself and doing her duties as maid to the best of her abilities, Jean spends her free time reading about the ghosts who inhabit the great house and hunting them at night. Never did she expect to find herself tumbling over the Earl or becoming entangled in a lie that may lead to further ruination for herself, her sister and cost her aunt her prestigious position at Ballandair.

Morgan MacCraig has come home to his ancestral home to escape the ruination caused by his wife's numerous infidelities and his resulting divorce of her. Feeling rejected, somewhat emasculated, betrayed and angry, his returning to Ballindair in such a state leaves him with the worst feeling of all - a great sense of failure as a MacCraig and not worthy of filling his father's shoes as the 9th Earl of Denbleigh. Never did he expect to find himself forced to undo a wrong by marrying one of the maids who intrigues and mesmerizes him despite her plainness.

A SCANDALOUS SCOT by Karen Ranney starts out rather slow causing this reader, I have to admit, to hesitate wanting to continue but since I'm not one to give up easily on any book, I soon found myself sucked into a splendid story. Despite the slow beginning, once the characters revealed their depth of personality, the story soared with mischief, steamy romance and familial troubles that are easily related to on many levels.

Karen Ranney has always written with flair, detail and strong character portrayals and A SCANDALOUS SCOT is no exception to her writing talents. Aside from the slow start, A SCANDALOUS SCOT is a 'Cinderella' story with a slightly evil sister, rather than an evil stepmother, who redeems herself in the end with an undeniable sibling love and a 'Prince Charming' who lives up to his calling once his Countess brings out his best and most honorable self.

A SCANDALOUS SCOT by Karen Ranney is a delightful historical highland romance that once delved into will ensnare you and delight you straight through to the end with its happily-ever-after ending. In fact, I believe this ending, especially the last part, is one of the best I've ever read with its ...  If a ghost could be said to smile, he did. - A SCANDALOUS SCOT

Happy Reading Everyone!

A SCANDALOUS SCOT by Karen Ranney, Avon Romance, available now in print and ebook formats.