Customer Reviews

A Scottish Love

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Life pretty much sucks for Shona. She married a man she didn't love, who withered away before her eyes and left her a penniless widow. Her brother, Fergus, was crippled in the war. And she has had to sell everything she owns to take care of him and her companion, Helen. The only thing she has left of value is the family's ancestral castle, and she must part with that too, or else she'll have to become a beggar.

As if all that were not bad enough, her long lost love, Gordon, has come back in her life. Her father talked her out of marrying him before he went off to war and time has not softened their feelings for one another. But even as they are still drawn to one another, neither can get over the wounds of their past.

So Shona works to sell the castle to an American family... a horrible lot of people, while suffering mostly in silence. It's dreadfully depressing. And it's made worse when she begins to see that a lot of her heartbreak is of her own making. Even the love scenes are tempered with sadness and loss. Yes, the ending is happy, but for 90% of the book, I was ready to toss Shona off a cliff (or maybe toss myself off one) to end all the misery.

The book is well written, but it was a downer for too long for me to really enjoy. Even the ancient love story of the ghosts in the castle had a terrible ending. Not quite 3 stars.

I absolutly adore the characters in this book. Shona, a woman who is too stubborn, headstrong, and prideful for her own good, and Gordon, the man who conquers her fears and rekindles the love they once knew. Fergus, Shona's brother, who is trying to live with a war wound and deal with his own feelings of love for an angel of mercy. Helen, not only a companion, but a friend. And a long ago story of love so bittersweet it will squeeze your heart. There were moments that I busted out laughing and moments that I teared up. There was even a moment that I was there, on the hill, listening to outlawed pipes as the sound wrapped itself about me. Karen never fails to deliver, for me. I highly recomend this book to anyone who wants to lose theirself in a world of Scottish charm and love. Just remember, often the road to happiness is a bumpy one. Enjoy the ride!

A SCOTTISH LOVE by Karen Ranney is an exciting historical romance set in 1859 Iverness,Scotland. This author has done it again with "A Scottish Love",while it has its sad times,it is a breathtaking story of love,struggle,secrets past and present,forgiveness,romance,sensual tension,a proud Scottish lass and a proud war decorated Scottish hero. Gordon MacDermond is a handsome,sexy,determined,war hero who has a past history with the beautiful,young widow Countess Shona Imrie Morton. While Shona's brother,Fergus,is home from war with a wounded leg,Shona is taking a secret. They are penniless and must sale their childhood home.This is a story with a need to be told as the characters learn to find forgiveness and true love. "A Scottish Love" will appeal to any reader who enjoys Scottish lasses,Scottish war heroes,historicals,Scotland,romance with maybe a ghost.A great read full of a few twists and turns as well as love and romance. Received for review from Net Galley and the publisher. Details can be found at Avon,an imprint of Harper Collins and My Book Addiction Reviews.

I almost always adore Karen Ranney's books and the ones I don't adore I still like enough not to complain - but I couldn't stand this book! Or to be more precise - I couldn't stand the heroine. She was so rude and hostile to the hero throughout most of the book, and you're thinking something horrible happened, and that he did something unforgivable that you'd find out about later on. But no - she's the one to blame! So she's mean to him because she was stupid! Arrg!! So annoying! Why is he even in love with her? I liked his character until you realized that it was her fault and that she has basically no redeeming qualities other than being beautiful (which is not a quality unless you're shallow) so that made me not like him. I read this book a week ago and I'm still frustrated. I guess every author eventually writes a book that a fan just does not care for.

In 1859 in Inverness, Scotland, war hero Gordon MacDermond visits his ailing best friend Fergus Imrie who was injured while in combat under his command. He is greeted rather coldly by Fergus' sister Widow Countess Shona Morton. She blames Gordon for her sibling's health. He tells his friend he left the army and that his martinet father the General is dead. Shona thinks back seven years ago when his father insisted his son had no future with a wife and that he would marry her out of pity. She needed money to support her and Fergus so she wed elderly Bruce. He died two years ago and she finds she is broke so to support herself, Fergus and her cousin in law Helen Shoma needs to sell Gairloch Castle to visiting Americans.

Shona and Helen head to Gairloch, Gordon takes Fergus with him to his home Rathmor. The Americans arrive several days early. Accompanying obese Mr. Lofton is his daughter Miriam, his bodyguard Helmut and his nurse Elizabeth. When Fergus sees Elizabeth, they stare at each other before he walks out rudely. Fergus recalls Elizabeth caring for his men in the Crimea. He fell in love with her. Gordon asks Fergus to run his local ammo plant as he trusts him while he also knows he still loves Shona.

The ensemble cast is solid with diverse personalities though the Loftus pair is stereotypes of the "Ugly American". The two romances will delight Victorian fans even as each is similar in tone. With a late suspense involving Shona, fans will enjoy the rocky path to true love.

Harriet Klausner

A SCOTTISH LOVE by Karen Ranney

A Scottish Love is the latest release from author Karen Ranney (aka Katherine Storm). Returning to the historical shores of Scotland with Shona Imrie and Gordon MacDermond, Karen writes another storyline sure to capture the heart of every romance fan.

Shona Imrie is broke, penniless, and she has made the decision to sell the family's beloved Castle to a wealthy American, Mr. Loftus and his daughter, Miriam. But to add insult to her otherwise tarnished pride, Gordon MacDermond, her childhood sweetheart, her first lover and the man who proposed marriage 7 years ago, has returned from the Indo-Crimean war, a national hero. And he is everything that she remembered-sexy, tall and handsome. But war comes with a high price-Fergus-Shona's brother and Gordon's best friend, returned 6months earlier, severely wounded and depressed, and now, Shona needs money to pay the bills.

Gordon is still in love with Shona, and does not understand why she refused his offer of marriage 7 years ago. They were lovers, they were in love, and as far as he is concerned, Shona is still his only love. But Shona married a man 40 years her senior, and is now a widow. Why had Shona turned away from Gordon, into the arms of a stranger? And why is she selling Gairloch Castle?

Shona is worried about Fergus, and must see to his health and safety before she leaves for good. When she asks Gordon to care for and take -in Fergus, she is surprised when she finds them both, at his house by the Castle. Thinking Gordon would return to his military career, she is even more surprised to learn he has moved back home, and will continue to operate his father's old munitions factory.

With her friend Helen by her side, Shona embarks on a whirlwind frenzy to clean Castle Gairloch before the `potential' new owners arrive. But, their early arrival from America, sends Shona deeper into debt, as she must now feed and entertain several more people including Loftus's nurse Elizabeth and his bodyguard Helmut. And the stories regarding the castle ghosts, which Shona holds dear, continue to amuse and haunt, the otherwise unhappy guests. Ashamed and broken, Shona offers Gordon her last family jewel, in return for the funds, to buy food for her guests, but it is not the jewels, that Gordon requests in payment. It is her heart.

Meanwhile, Fergus is angry at his sister's decision to sell their family home. But, Shona has never confided in Fergus, as to the depths of their financial problems, and she must now bear the brunt of his anger and sorrow, towards the inevitable loss of Castle Gairloch. But something or someone, has now angered Fergus-and his thoughts regarding the `new owner's ` nursemaid, Elizabeth, have everyone concerned, especially Shona. As Fergus continues to make himself scarce, Shona is left alone with Gordon, to entertain and feed, the American guests.

It is during one of the many castle tours, that Miriam Loftus, sets her sights on Gordon, and declares that Shona and Fergus must arrange a party, to introduce the neighbors, to the new Castle owners.

Realizing she is still in love with General Gordon MacDermond, Shona tries to distance herself from family and friends, but Gordon is forever in her thoughts and dreams. And Fergus's control over his own emotions explodes, when he reveals, that Elizabeth was more than just a nurse. They have a history--a history that has left Fergus depressed and withdrawn.

Throughout the storyline, several secondary stories, manifest themselves within the walls of Gairloch Castle. Gordon's munitions factory comes under scrutiny when both the military and a `secretive' group of gentlemen vie for the rights to option a powerful explosive: a history of love and rejection between Fergus and Elizabeth: a `ghost' in the hidden passageways of the family home: and a recounting of a family mystery that culminates in the discovery of long ago lovers, tortured and left to die.

A Scottish Love is a true romance in every sense of a romance novel. The heroine directs the story, her emotions are real and she is torn between the love of a man and her pride. The secondary storylines and characters add complexity, and although, at times we wonder, why are they here?--in the end, their presence adds layers to the mystery surrounding Gairloch Castle and its' past and present inhabitants. Gordon MacDermond will make you blush, and Fergus will break your heart. But, in true romantic fashion, there is always a Happily Ever After or two or three.

[...]

A Scottish Love is a book impossible to put down once started. Ms. Ranney's novel hooked me from the start and kept me interested and engaged with the characters even after I'd reached `The End'

The story has two clear main characters: Shona and Gordon. From the first page, I felt the tension and the attraction between them. As the story develops, their feelings unfold, past mistakes are brought to light and the characters begin a path of growth and improvement.

Shona reminded me a lot of Margaret Mitchell's character, Scarlett O'Hara. Like Scarlett, Shona faces many hardships in life. She is a woman who does what needs to be done to get through and she does it without shedding a tear even though she's dying inside. Shona is frustrated, sad, and lonely, but she holds back her tears. I am not so strong and more than one tear seeped through my eyes at her circumstances.

Gordon is much like Shona. Strong when he needs to be strong, charming, handsome, and a good man altogether, but like Shona he has a major flaw which keeps him away from happiness: his pride. Too much pride on both characters' part creates setbacks both in their lives and in their relationships. Gordon is better at hiding his pride, and is perhaps not even aware, that he shares the same amount of pride she does. Shona on the other hand, is prideful through and through and that hinders her and keeps her away from Gordon and away from happiness. Besides their pride, both characters are also terribly stubborn. It was extremely frustrating. More than once, I felt like locking them up in a room and not letting them out until they solved their issues.

Throughout the story emotions run raw, painting a vivid picture of hurt and pain between the characters. It was excruciating to read through each of their encounters and their past and hope for them to reunite; that one of them would give in to the love that was so palpable between them.

Finally, it is important to mention the other interweaving stories that play throughout the novel. Craft fully introduced, snippets of past ghosts tell the tragic tale of the Weeping Ghost and the Piper. Woven into the story, Shona's brother Fergus and the nurse Elizabeth also find love and demonstrate that if you're willing, love doesn't have to be as bittersweet as Shona's and Gordon's (though Fergus and his nurse also go through their share of pain).

With memorable characters, a bittersweet story that captivates your heart and leaves behind a message of hope (mistakes can be fixed), A Scottish Love is a book worth reading time and time again.

Originally posted at LAS Romance Reviews

Breathtaking but also more along the serious line with much action and turmoil Throughout this novel. I have been looking forward to it's release date for months!

Only 1/4 way through and the book is way too frustrating (don't want to finish).
The herione is clearly a martyr, her brother his clueless about the poverty, the Americans are way too brutish/spoiled, and Gordon, haven't figured him out at all. The book is way too detailed in description about everything... leaving no substance, too little dialogue, and way too slow moving. One-quater through the book and and only on day 4? UGH!

(2.5 stars) I've been a big fan of Karen Ranney since Till Next We Meet and have read just about every HR she has written. Even the ones with plots I wasn't too fond of are well written and the developing love between H and h is beautifully done, heartwarming and sexy.

Well, this one is well written but the plot was overwrought, the secondary characters too lacking in dimension, and the love story was unbelievably frustrating. Heroine Shona Imrie grew up next door to Gordon MacDermond and they were lovers in early adulthood. For a reason even the H and h couldn't convince me made sense, they separated and Shona married an earl and Gordon went off to be a soldier in the Crimea and in India. Shona's brother Fergus also went off to war at the same time.

Now it's 7 years later. Shona is widowed and penniless since her husband left no provisions for her welfare. Fergus is back from the Crimea, badly injured in the leg. Gordon also comes back, retired from his career as a soldier and a newly-minted baron, awarded the title because of his contributions to improving gunpowder in the army.

Gordon shows up at Shona's late husband's home (soon not to be hers) to see Fergus. He's bitter about Shona's marriage to the earl. She's angry at him for I don't really know what reason and also blames him for Fergus's following him into the army and being wounded. Shona asks Gordon to take Fergus to live with him for a few months. Although not disclosing the reason for this request, she needs to go back to her ancestral home of Gairloch castle, to prepare it for sale to a very rich American.

This sale, BTW, is objected to by Fergus, the heir to the castle and its laird, so I didn't see how she expected to sell without his consent, especially since she does not reveal to Fergus their dire economic situation. Another person she keeps in the dark about her poverty is Gordon. Not only that, but she treats him poorly, as if he is the one to blame for their breakup and her unhappy marriage.

Just a bit more civility and honesty between them would have been welcomed by me. As it was, I was really turned off by Shona's character and wondered when on earth she would be worthy of Gordon, a character I did feel in sympathy with. Many actions and decisions on her part for the majority of this book were very frustrating to me.

In addition, the American tycoon and his daughter who come to finalize the purchase of the castle are so cartoonishly horrendous people that it boggles the mind. And another secondary character who comes with the American entourage (and talk about coincidence) is Elizabeth, who is the tycoon's nurse and had been a nurse in the Crimea, where she and Fergus met. He had, naturally, fallen in love with her there but she had, seemingly, rejected him and the letters he wrote to her afterwards.

Both romances suffered greatly from a Failure to Communicate and I was very exasperated by both couples. Romance is, for me, the most important part of a Ranney HR and the side issues such as mysteries in the castle or the hero's interest in gunpowder failed to make up for it.