TO LOVE A SCOTTISH LORD

Author: Karen Ranney ISBN: 0380821060 8/2003 HISTORICAL Publisher: AVON
Time Period: 1792

A Lord Not Meant to Marry Hamish MacRae, a changed man, returned to his beloved Scotland intending to turn his back on the world. The proud, brooding lord wants nothing more than to be left alone, but an unwanted visitor to his lonely castle has defied his wishes. While it is true that this healer, Mary Gilly, is a beauty beyond compare, it will take more than her miraculous potions to soothe his wounded spirit. But Mary's tender heart is slowly melting Hamish's frozen one…awakening a burning need to keep her with him -- forever. A Lady Who Dares Not Love Never before has Mary felt such an attraction to a man! The mysterious Hamish MacRae is strong and commanding, with a face and form so handsome it makes Mary tremble with wanting him. Already shadowy forces are coming closer, heartless whispers and cruel rumors abound, and it will take a love more pure and powerful than any other to divine the truth -- and promise a future neither had dreamed possible.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Boy, does Karen Ranney know how to pull at my heart strings! In book four of The Highland Lords series, she does just that--and then some. Her writing style is truly like no other, for all her characters become real and remain in your mind for quite some time. But, what grabs my attention the most is her tortured heros!

Hamish McRae is a humble Ranney hero that has been broken by life (Boy, has he!) and is in need of rescue from himself. Enter Mary Gilly, a widow healer with some baggage of her own. Together they enjoy a brief affair, but when Mary is wrongly accused of a crime, they both find that the affair is not enough.

Though this book is my least favorite of the series, I still felt so much for the hero that I could barely concentrate on the rest of the story! I was greatly reminded of my favorite Ranney book, MY BELOVED. This is definitely a top pick for me simply because of the emotions it evokes.

Shannon Johnson