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Publisher:
Avon
Release Date:
August 26, 2008
Genres:
Historical Romance
ISBN:
eBook
No
ISBN
Print
9780061252426
Kindle
No
ISBN
Bookmark Rating:
Reviewed by
Jennifer Ray
Review Posted:
September 2008
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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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