29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
With her improper English takes on men in skirts!!, October 7, 2003
This review is from: Men in Kilts (Paperback)
Katie Macalister with her Noble Intentions gave us delights and out-right howls as she blithely waltzed her way through Regency England. In her second book, she taught us romance with Improper English, a brilliantly witty book with characters to live long in the imagination and heart. Her third book found her once again in Regency era, and she proved yet another time she has a way with the clumsy heroine. Her fourth full book finds Katie back in contemporaries, this time doing to the Scots what she did to the Brits in Improper English. Another of her `first person' adventures that will have you laughing till your sides are sore. Personally, I find writing in 1st person a pain, and I usually have a problem reading them. It makes me feel like I am crawling around inside someone's head. However, Katie Macalister is at home in first person, a master at it, so she soon makes one forget this `immediate' narrative is not how everyone should do it. Katie avoids all the 1st person pitfalls that make the structure slightly claustrophobic with all the I, me and my...she sparkles, intrigues and is just one of the freshest voices to hit romance (and young adult, too, as Katie Maxwell for Dorchester's Smooch Line).
So buckle up, for Katie gives you romance, love and the whole damn thing - sheep included. She blows the lid of the time honoured secret of what DOES a Scotsman wear under the kilt? It is wildly comical, and fast becoming Katie's trademark - she gives you the less than perfect heroine. I find it so comfy her females are so very human.
Kathie Williams is a mystery writer in England for a writers' conference. She is a bit overwhelmed by jet lag and ends up sleeping through a big part of the first day - unfortunately it is in the hotel lobby! Not bad enough she naps in public, she drools on her new silk blouse! Embarrassed, Kathie is ready to crawl under the table and hide ...but for one thing: Iain MacLaren. The handsome Scotsman is also attending the mystery writers conference. Sparks fly between the two and suddenly, she believes in love at first sight. Kathie falls desperately for the Alpha Scot, so she is delighted when Iain insists she come visit him in Scotland after the conference ends.
Wow what a storybook romance, right? You meet the man of your dreams, he is to-die-for sexy, has a kilt and does not mind you drooled on yourself in public! Wrong, as Kathie soon finds out. Iain is divorced with two grown sons. The first one hates her on site and thinks she is a floozy. Luckily, the second one is more welcoming. But then, waiting for them is Iain's neighbor, once upon a time lover, and she is determined to break up the romance in quick order.
Despite a man less than forth coming about his true feelings, a neighbor who wants to bury the hatchet - in Kathie's head, a son-in-law to be from hell, and flocks of smelly sheep, love finds a way. Then Kathie has to face a Scottish wedding from Hell, with her domineering mother and Iain's first wife making it the wedding event of the year.
Katie writes about Scotland with a true voice. Being a Scot, I often have the cringe at some of the mistakes of Yank writers when they use Scotland as a setting. She keeps it true, right down to the sheep and the realities of business side of it.
I laughed, I cried. Don't think it gets any better!
Keep them coming, Katie! They are a sparkling delight!
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Be Prepared To Laugh!!!!, November 16, 2003
This review is from: Men in Kilts (Paperback)
Ms. MacAlister has without a doubt the greatest sense of humor! She grabs you with her quirky way of looking at life and love from the very first page and maintains the momentum until the end. I have never laughed so much through out a book as much as I did at this one. Since I have been a displaced Yank in England (I lived there for three years) I not only understood the British/Scottish slang but I understood how Kathie felt during her "love at first sight with yummy scotsman" situations!
I must admit to being frustrated with Kathie a few times but these time were easy to overlook when you consider the other aspects of the story. If you love romance, and laughter you can't go wrong with this story. Ms. MacAlister is a very talented author and I highly enjoyed steping into her world if for only a short time!
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More entertaining than I expected., February 5, 2008
This review is from: Men in Kilts (Paperback)
First of all, I am not a 'romance-reader'. Nothing against them just never interested, but almost every friend I have is a romance-addict so on their urging I gave it a try and this was the book I picked - based entirely on the title/cover.
Second: I enjoyed this WAAAYYYYY more than I thought I would. It was written in a snappy, modern dilect similar to a sitcom. (think early 'Friends' and 'Seinfeld'.) Being from Wyoming I was able to relate to the book on a couple of levels: The sheep-farming grounded the story enough to add some believability and Kathie reminded me so much of the East-coast women who come out here to, ahem: "Save a horse, ride a cowboy" that I was wiping tears out of my eyes from laughing so hard! Yes, the 'fish out of water' premise is a bit ridiculous but hey, from what I've seen and heard from other romance's there is supposed to be a certain amount of "this could only happen in a cartoon" element.
I had my friends read this as well, they did enjoy it although they also felt it may not entirely qualify as a traditional romance novel. (Kathie's sarcasm kind of detracts from more traditionally softer-spoken heriones.) Hence it is perhaps to not all tastes.
I was not swept off my feet but I was entertained BIG time! And even though Kathie was not some one I would go out of my way to be pals with I was glad to see her succeed in her new surroundings, which rarely happens out here when an East-coast transplant knocks boots with some cute cowboy.
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