11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding!, August 24, 2002
This review is from: A Promise Of Love (Lovegram Romance) (Paperback)
This is my 3rd book by Karen Ranney and I am in awe of this woman's talent! Her characters are so real, not fantasy, happily ever after perfect human beings especially in this story. She doesn't pull any punches and if you are a bit squeamish, the graphic details of the horrific abuses of the heroine and others may be a bit too realistic for you. War is brutal enough, and the atrocities that follow are brutal. The time after the battle of Culloden was one of deprivation and hardship for the inhabitants of the Highlands.
The central character, Judith, is a twice widowed woman who has never seen much kindness or love in her life - not even from her own family. She harbors her emotions like a shield that if let down would probably render a weaker person insane - but great strength and fortitude are traits which have kept her alive up to this point. The beginning story finds her returning home for sancturary, only to have her father barter her away the very next day along with 100 head of sheep to be taken to Scotland.
Upon arriving at the burned out castle of the widower, Scottish laird Alisdair MacLeod, the wily Scotsman Malcom, Judith's escort, with a very quick pronouncement in front of a witness had her wed her almost immediately to his Laird. Interesting bit of Scottish lore how this was done!
Now you have two furious people, having never laid eyes on one another, all of a sudden married! Alisdair was none to happy and neither was Judith but as the characters are drawn out you will experience the magic of love as Alisdair and Judith find that their love and trust can help them to lay to rest their pasts and build on a new future.
This is a wonderful period piece, and if you are not offended by the historical atrocities of the period, you won't be sorry if you pick this up! Outstanding!
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
worth more than 3 stars, January 25, 2002
This review is from: A Promise Of Love (Lovegram Romance) (Paperback)
It is true there are some very graphic depictions of violence. If you can make it through these events you will find a book with a very strong heroine in a time when women were not valued for their strength. The story of Judith and Alisdair takes place in Scottland during a very violent and cruel time. Ms. Ranney knows her history and that man can be very cruel. Above all Ms. Ranney knows that if we fight hard enough and don't give up we can all have a second chance. That if we have the strength, courage and compassion anything is possible. Judith and Alisdair are thrown together. Both are battling demonds within themselves and demonds let loose among the rugged highlands. Both with courage and finally love build a new life and future together. Although disturbing at times the book is well worth reading. I, infact could not put it down. Not often do you come across a book that stands out from the hundreds of books written that all so predictable with the predictable heroes, heroines and plots. The characters are will developed, the plot holds your attention and although we know there will be a happy ending, the story is plausible and it is not like all of a sudden the heroine loves the hero just because there are only 100 pages left and the story needs to be wrapped up. I hope I conveyed that I really liked this book. It disturbed me at times, it made me laugh then cry a chapter later. At the end I gave out a sigh happy to know life a Tyan went on with a bright future full of love and happiness.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Much Too Dark, September 25, 2009
While I adore many of Ranney's books (esp. Tapestry, After the Kiss), this one is waaaaaay too depressing overall. Multiple graphic rapes, sodomy, starvation completely overpower the beauty of the otherwise well-developed love story between the main characters. I just finished it - but I wish I hadn't.
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