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The Devil Wears Tartan

Karen Ranney

   
                 

      

  

 

  

    

      

  

 

      

 

 

Publisher:
Avon

Release Date:
August 26, 2008

Genres:
Historical Romance

ISBN:
eBook
No ISBN
Print
9780061252426
Kindle
No ISBN

Bookmark Rating:
3 1/2 Bookmarks!

Reviewed by
Jennifer Ray

Review Posted:
September 2008

 

Davina McLaren’s own foolish actions earned her the scorn of society, costing her any chance at a decent betrothal.  When her aunt manages to bargain a marriage to the infamous Marshall Ross, Davina is more than skittish, she is downright terrified.  No one quite knows why the mysterious Earl of Lorne is referred to in hushed tones as the ‘Devil of Ambrose’, but Davina isn’t axious to find out.

Upon meeting Marshall, though, she is drawn to that very devil, surrendering her body and her heart to him before she knows what hits her.  But her new husband insists their marriage stay strictly business, only sharing intimacy for the purposes of producing an heir to his title.

There is a lot to like about THE DEVIL WEARS TARTAN by Karen Ranney.  Both the hero and the heroine of the piece, while they are people with flaws, are immensely likable and easy to empathize with.  For me, that is a key element for me to enjoy a book.

The hero, Marshall, is wonderfully conflicted by his torturous past and his current fears that he is losing his sanity.  No matter how much he may love his bride, he is terrified of letting go and doing her some irreparable harm.  Consequently, he does whatever he can to stay away from her.  Easier said than done, of course, and the fun is in watching him lose that struggle.

For Davina’s part, she is a bright spot in his life.  Her inquisitive nature both unnerves him and delights him, and it is no wonder he cannot resist a woman who speaks her mind in a manner devoid of guile and loves with all of her heart.

What was missing for me was a strong antagonist.  While there was a villain in this story, we don’t really feel much of this threat throughout most of the book.  There are very vague ‘hints’ in the form of random thoughts by that character, but they never really feel at all diabolical or like they are more than passing musings.  When the big reveal comes at the end, it feels a bit out of the blue, without real build-up. The plot itself was a good one, but could have benefited from the infusion of more suspense during the story.

Karen Ranney is an author to watch, for sure.  She has a talent for creating believable characters who you can’t help but want to see a happy ending for. 

 

 

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The Devil Wears Tartan by Karen Ranney

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