To Love a Scottish Lord

August, 2003
 

Excerpt

Hamish MacRae is one of those characters who grab on and don't let go.  Come to think of it, most of my characters are that way.  But he's different.  He's tortured (literally) and brooding, and ashamed of his actions.  He can't quite forget what he did in India, and the price of freedom that he'll always pay.  Mary isn't that enamored of the world, either, but she tries to make it a better place.  She's a healer, who has studied the works of Mathew Marshall, and knows that she can heal Hamish. 

Take a deserted castle in the Highlands, a solitary man and a woman determined to assist him, and you have the core of To Love a Scottish Lord.  Throw in a mystery, a murder trial, and a desperate flight to freedom, and you have the tale of Hamish and Mary, two desperate lonely people who deserve to find love.  No matter what they've done.

I happened to come across some fascinating medical experiments one day and Mary immediately popped into mind.  I wondered if a woman of her time would have the courage to use some of those rather bizarre treatments.  I knew what happened to Hamish at the end of The Irresistible MacRae, when I accidentally clicked on a site for chess, of all things.  My imagination just went off on a tangent, leading to India. 

Learn more about the MacRaes here. 

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REVIEWS

USA Today Bestseller

Romantic Times

4-1/2 Stars

Top Pick

TO LOVE A SCOTTISH LORD is a delightful historical romance that the sub-genre audience will read in one appreciative sitting due to an effective cast that makes readers believe they are on an island in the late eighteenth century. The story line is loaded with action, angst, and suspense. However, the lead couple and several support players turn Karen Ranney's latest tale into a fabulous experience. - Harriet Klausner, July, 2003

Readers will enjoy the departure from reading about young innocent heroines to one about a mature woman who is not afraid of her sexuality. .Ms. Ranney's Highland Lord series continues as she pens another passionate tale richly enhanced with medical details and experiments of the times. She also piques readers' interest with tantalizing glimpses of the youngest MacRae brother. Suan Wilson, Old Book Barn Gazette, August, 2003

TO LOVE A SCOTTISH LORD tells the gentle story of how Mary’s feelings towards Hamish progressed from fascination to love. At first, in part stubbornness, Mary would not allow equally stubborn Hamish to refuse treatment. Hamish begins to change almost immediately when he is around Mary. As much as he’d love to keep his secrets and hard outer shell, Mary manages to delve deep into Hamish.

Karen Ranney writes this passionate story of healing, which is also a story of intrigue and introspection. Just as Mary helped Hamish, he ends up being instrumental when something from her past comes back to her. This twist makes a great book a wonderful book and I found it to be very sensitive and touching.

If you have a tight book budget, or limited reading time, I highly suggest you choose TO LOVE A SCOTTISH LORD and read about these two kindred spirits and how they melded their lives together.

I haven’t read the following books in this series to date, but for information, here they are: One Man's Love, When the Laird Returns and The Irresistible MacRae. I will definitely be seeking these books out, as well as the rest of Ms. Ranney’s library. She’s definitely an author that will sit next to my favorites. Road To Romance

Moving, sensual, and historically rich, To Love a Scottish Lord is definitely a must read for historical romance enthusiasts. Although it's the fourth novel in the author's Highland Lords series, it stands-alone quite competently. So feel free to read about the MacRae family out of order, since you'll probably want to pick up the novels you've missed after reluctantly setting aside Karen Ranney's latest romantic gem.C.L. Jeffries, Heartstrings

 

To Love A Scottish Lord hasn't a bit of melodrama about it. The first half of the book is a slow revelation of Hamish's torture in India and its effect on his body and mind. Hamish is not a bitter man, but he is deeply scarred, and he is holding on to a secret from his captivity that causes him shame. In the second half of the book, Mary is the more prominent character. We discover more about her past, and Hamish is forced to confront his secret in order to help Mary. Both are admirable and lovable characters. Beautiful but silly hoydens and brooding rakes can be so tiresome sometimes; reading a romance with a thoughtful man and intelligent woman at its core was a treat.

To Love A Scottish Lord is the fourth in The Highland Lords series. I will definitely have to go check out the others. Karen Ranney has a beautiful and subtle writing style and there's not a trace of silly purple prose to be found. This book is a real winner. B+,  All About Romance

To Love A Scottish Lord: Book Four of the Highland Lords is one of the best books Karen Ranney has ever written. Her heartfelt cast of characters will penetrate deep into your heart. This is the type of book romance readers crave. Its wide variety of emotional scenes will demand to be read in one sitting. This author never fails to deliver a book that is sure to become a treasured keepsake. I predict this book will be the best-loved historical romance of 2003. Very highly recommended. MyShelf

As is clear from the above, Mary and Hamish have more than a few obstacles to overcome. However, what I enjoyed in the story was the healing process and the funny things that the pair said and did to each other. Karen Ranney involves the reader, making us want the best for her characters. 4th in the Highland Lords series, To Love a Scottish Lord also can stand alone as a tale filled with romance, passion, drama and some wit. BookLoons

With an original plot and a talent for pacing, Karen Ranney propels the story along at a crisp clip without managing to fall into the easy entrapments of most romance novels.  It is a blessing to have a female protagonist who has a mind of her own, a mission in life and knows a thing or two about sex.  This is all the more admirable by the fact that although the story is set in 1782, Mary Gilly is believable as an emancipated woman long before those words existed.

With an ability to move readers from laughter to tears and back at the turn of a scene, Karen Ranney has created an exceptional example of how good a romance novel can really be when the author has the imagination to make it so.  Karri Watson, Curled Up With a Good Book, www.curledup.com.