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Scottish Sisters #2
The Lass Wore Black
He was her Highland lover, but would he be her savior?
Catriona Cameron was once famed for her seductive beauty and charm. Now she saw no one, hiding from the world...and no one dared break through her self-imposed exile.
No one, that is, until Mark Thorburn burst into her home, and Catriona's darkened world began to have color again. Thorburn, secretly the heir to an Earldom, claimed he was a footman. But Catriona didn't care about the scandal their passion could cause...for this very touch sparked her back to a life of sensuality, one she thought she'd never have again.
Little does she know that Mark is part of a masquerade. One that will end when they become the target of a madman set on revenge. Mark realizes he will have to do more than win her love...he will have to save her life as well.
Catriona Cameron was once famed for her seductive beauty and charm. Now she saw no one, hiding from the world...and no one dared break through her self-imposed exile.
No one, that is, until Mark Thorburn burst into her home, and Catriona's darkened world began to have color again. Thorburn, secretly the heir to an Earldom, claimed he was a footman. But Catriona didn't care about the scandal their passion could cause...for this very touch sparked her back to a life of sensuality, one she thought she'd never have again.
Little does she know that Mark is part of a masquerade. One that will end when they become the target of a madman set on revenge. Mark realizes he will have to do more than win her love...he will have to save her life as well.
356 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 29, 2013
70 people are currently reading
1310 people want to read
About the author
Karen Ranney
100 books947 followersI’m a writer who’s been privileged to have attained the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Lists.
Although I've primarily written historical romance, I've also written contemporary romantic suspense, a murder mystery, and I'm having a wonderful time writing about a vampire who is being challenged by her new state of being. (The Montgomery Chronicles: The Fertile Vampire and The Reluctant Goddess coming March 12, 2015.)
I believe in the power of the individual, the magnificence of the human spirit, and always looking for the positive in any situation. I write about people who have been challenged by life itself but who win in the end.
Newsletter: http://karenranney.com/subscribe-warm...
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WriterKarenRa...
Website: http://karenranney.com
Email: karen@karenranney.com
Twitter: @Karen_Ranney
Although I've primarily written historical romance, I've also written contemporary romantic suspense, a murder mystery, and I'm having a wonderful time writing about a vampire who is being challenged by her new state of being. (The Montgomery Chronicles: The Fertile Vampire and The Reluctant Goddess coming March 12, 2015.)
I believe in the power of the individual, the magnificence of the human spirit, and always looking for the positive in any situation. I write about people who have been challenged by life itself but who win in the end.
Newsletter: http://karenranney.com/subscribe-warm...
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WriterKarenRa...
Website: http://karenranney.com
Email: karen@karenranney.com
Twitter: @Karen_Ranney
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
June 27, 2013
In a genre saturated with the usual plot props – tales of the ton, seasons, heirs, peerage – it’s always a treat to read a story that can tackle those elements and make them unique. Now, don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy the traditional historical romance novels too, but The Lass Wore Black brings something different to the mix, and I can’t tell you how refreshing that is!
From the cover: Catriona Cameron was once famed for her seductive beauty and charm. Now she saw no one, hiding from the world...and no one dared break through her self-imposed exile.Karen Ranney is an author who’s been around for awhile, and despite my love of historical romance, I hadn’t yet read any of her books. I was pleased to find that her writing is engaging and her characters are interesting people whose stories are worth telling.
No one, that is, until Mark Thorburn burst into her home, and Catriona's darkened world began to have color again. Thorburn, secretly the heir to an Earldom, claimed he was a footman. But Catriona didn't care about the scandal their passion could cause...for this very touch sparked her back to a life of sensuality, one she thought she'd never have again.
Little does she know that Mark is part of masquerade. One that will end when they become the target of a madman set on revenge. Mark realizes he will have to do more than win her love...he will have to save her life as well.
Well, truth be told, I had a problem with Catriona for the first half of the book, but if I had started reading with the understanding that it’s a Beauty and the Beast meets The Ugly Duckling type tale, I’d have been better prepared for her shallow, bitter disposition. That said, there did come a point when she began to see that the woman she had been and the woman she had the potential to be were worlds apart. When she finally cast off her veil, so-to-speak, and allowed herself an honest view of the world around her, she became a truly compelling heroine, one whom I could cheer for.
Mark isn’t your run-of-the-mill historical romance hero. He’s part of a distinguished, titled, family, that’s true, but he’s also a doctor, someone who understands the adage, “Where much is given, much is expected.” He’s a wealthy man, thanks to his grandmother, and he could have easily used that wealth to pay others to care for the needy, but he doesn’t. He’s a man who puts himself right into the thick of things and uses his medical training to help those people who can’t afford doctors and medicines. He teaches them about ways to improve their health and circumstances, and it’s clear he truly cares for those less fortunate than himself. I easily invested in Mark from the start and found him to be an honorable, passionate and very sexy man.
The story itself is intriguing, though not without some minor flaws - I do wish the dialog had felt and sounded more authentic. There was no indication of the Scottish brogue I would have expected, and I missed that. It was Catriona's journey from a bleak existence to a life worth living that made this such a compelling read, and that wouldn't have happened without Mark at her side, sometimes gently guiding her along while other times prodding, but always loving, and never giving up.
The bottom line: The Lass Wore Black is an emotional, romantic, sexy tale. It’s entertaining, engaging, unique, and a story I won’t soon forget!
3.5/5stars
My thanks to Avon Books and Edelweiss for providing me with a copy of this book for review. It’s been such a pleasure!
October 6, 2021
Not my usual selection for romances, although who doesn't like a good Scotsman, this one was intriguing because of another reader's review (thanks, Nenia!). I seldom read books from this period (it seems like I'm usually reading either earlier, or more contemporary) but this one was simply a good read. Both of the MCs were strong, flawed, and compelling - making this a fun and engaging story to read. It is a bit of a turnabout on the Beauty & the Beast story and it appears that the first story, about Catriona's sister, was loosely adapted from Cinderella. You do meet the sister here and find out her story, but it's not necessary to read it to enjoy this one.
The basic premise is that Catriona has been disfigured in an accident and, while her body has mostly healed, she is still a recluse in her aunt's home in Edinburgh. A local physician, Dr. Mark Thorburn, is asked to see if he can assist in her recovery. To that end, he assumes the role of a footman to try to get close to her, and in the process, her heart and his are both captured and eventually healed of old wounds. It's not without the inevitable bumps in the road and misunderstandings and even a few dastardly deeds - but getting to that HEA (and you know there's one eventually) is so much fun. There's a bit of steaminess - and that is fun, too - even with a veil.
Quote I liked:
He kissed her as if the world would end in the next moment and he wanted the taste of her to last him for eternity.
The basic premise is that Catriona has been disfigured in an accident and, while her body has mostly healed, she is still a recluse in her aunt's home in Edinburgh. A local physician, Dr. Mark Thorburn, is asked to see if he can assist in her recovery. To that end, he assumes the role of a footman to try to get close to her, and in the process, her heart and his are both captured and eventually healed of old wounds. It's not without the inevitable bumps in the road and misunderstandings and even a few dastardly deeds - but getting to that HEA (and you know there's one eventually) is so much fun. There's a bit of steaminess - and that is fun, too - even with a veil.
Quote I liked:
He kissed her as if the world would end in the next moment and he wanted the taste of her to last him for eternity.
October 23, 2012
Went from hating the heroine for the first 65% of the book and wanting the villain to just kill her like he wanted to, to thinking "OK, she's finally seen the light and maybe killing her would defeat the HEA of this book" the last 35% but overall, I never did warm to her. She was too conceited, spoiled, vain, mean and just an all around witch to really like her.
Full review to come later.
Full review to come later.
March 4, 2013
I cannot believe I like this as much as I do. 5 stars easy peasy.
I rarely enjoy the Amanda Quick-style historical romance-flowering-under-threat-of-murder genre, but this is proving to be a very involving, emotionally-complex story about a young, heedless and beautiful woman disfigured by scars and the doctor who finds a way to heal her deepest, unseen wounds. Catriona is living as a recluse with her aunt by marriage as she struggles to find life worth living after her beauty's been destroyed.
Her hero, an earl's heir and a doctor, feels a debt of gratitude to her deceased physician father, so he agrees to try to help her and poses as a footman in the aunt's household to oversee her recovery. (She's alienated every other qualified dr. in town.) He also remembers the incandescent beauty who ignored him when he worked with her father, but he finds himself ever more intrigued by the prickly, veiled woman she's become.
The heroine, Catriona, is not an admirable character in usual terms. Before her disfigurement, she was spoiled, manipulative, had traded on her beauty and slept around as an unmarried woman in Victorian Scotland/England. Ick. (Granted, the author explains why, but still, ick.) Afterward, she's sad but a fighter determined not to be an object of horror, ridicule or pity. She finds herself ever more annoyed with and unsettled by Footman's/Mark's impertinent presence. This is very inconvenient, as she's given up any hope of a man wanting her without a literal bag over her head.
But she is not immune to his considerable mojo or happy about her celibate future, so she offers 'Footman' money to have sex with her. The good doctor agrees to the sexual healing she proposes. This proves even more inconvenient for her. And for him. Fee-lings...
Lurking in the background, with murder in mind, is an ex-lover she walked away from, who cannot forgive the insult to his stunted manly pride. His first attempt had left her scarred, but he's determined to finish her off...
Here's what I love:
The author writes well in general, avoiding the usual romance cliches in her descriptions of almost everything. She also brings Edinburgh and its rich and poor enclaves to vivid life with telling details. So I am immersed in their contexts: her shut-in life and his forays into squalor and the consequences of poverty. (He treats the poor in his practice, as well as wealthy, paying patients).
The author's greatest accomplishment, as far as I'm concerned, is that she makes me care about a bratty little 'princess' I'm not inclined to like in the least. By pulling this off, I can understand how the hero finds her gallant in a way that's very touching, and find her equally aggravating. I'm not left scratching my head, why him and her? He's no cardboard cutout saint putting up with her crap. Far from it. He's a goad, an irritant, and he gives her one helluva rogering for her money. He's also a man with strengths, weaknesses and fears of his own that aren't overplayed in Oprah-esque moments.
I wonder what will happen when she's unveiled. Most of all, I care what's going to happen.
I rarely enjoy the Amanda Quick-style historical romance-flowering-under-threat-of-murder genre, but this is proving to be a very involving, emotionally-complex story about a young, heedless and beautiful woman disfigured by scars and the doctor who finds a way to heal her deepest, unseen wounds. Catriona is living as a recluse with her aunt by marriage as she struggles to find life worth living after her beauty's been destroyed.
Her hero, an earl's heir and a doctor, feels a debt of gratitude to her deceased physician father, so he agrees to try to help her and poses as a footman in the aunt's household to oversee her recovery. (She's alienated every other qualified dr. in town.) He also remembers the incandescent beauty who ignored him when he worked with her father, but he finds himself ever more intrigued by the prickly, veiled woman she's become.
The heroine, Catriona, is not an admirable character in usual terms. Before her disfigurement, she was spoiled, manipulative, had traded on her beauty and slept around as an unmarried woman in Victorian Scotland/England. Ick. (Granted, the author explains why, but still, ick.) Afterward, she's sad but a fighter determined not to be an object of horror, ridicule or pity. She finds herself ever more annoyed with and unsettled by Footman's/Mark's impertinent presence. This is very inconvenient, as she's given up any hope of a man wanting her without a literal bag over her head.
But she is not immune to his considerable mojo or happy about her celibate future, so she offers 'Footman' money to have sex with her. The good doctor agrees to the sexual healing she proposes. This proves even more inconvenient for her. And for him. Fee-lings...
Lurking in the background, with murder in mind, is an ex-lover she walked away from, who cannot forgive the insult to his stunted manly pride. His first attempt had left her scarred, but he's determined to finish her off...
Here's what I love:
The author writes well in general, avoiding the usual romance cliches in her descriptions of almost everything. She also brings Edinburgh and its rich and poor enclaves to vivid life with telling details. So I am immersed in their contexts: her shut-in life and his forays into squalor and the consequences of poverty. (He treats the poor in his practice, as well as wealthy, paying patients).
The author's greatest accomplishment, as far as I'm concerned, is that she makes me care about a bratty little 'princess' I'm not inclined to like in the least. By pulling this off, I can understand how the hero finds her gallant in a way that's very touching, and find her equally aggravating. I'm not left scratching my head, why him and her? He's no cardboard cutout saint putting up with her crap. Far from it. He's a goad, an irritant, and he gives her one helluva rogering for her money. He's also a man with strengths, weaknesses and fears of his own that aren't overplayed in Oprah-esque moments.
I wonder what will happen when she's unveiled. Most of all, I care what's going to happen.
September 18, 2021
Setting: Victorian England.
Catriona Cameron was a great beauty who planned on snaring a duke for a husband, but a shooting and carriage accident forever changed her life.
She hides her scarred face behind a veil.
Her distraught aunt calls on Dr. Mark Thorburn to try and heal Catriona.
Well Mark can spare little time for a self-pitying woman, but when he allows Catriona to believe he is a footman, he realizes she is a lost soul, like those he cares for in the slums of Edinburgh. Catriona awakens something in Mark as he urges her to live and love with passion.
Neither one realizes a powerful enemy is stalking Catriona and will stop at nothing until she is dead!
The author spins threads of "Beauty and the Beast" into this wonderful love story.
It's not just romantic and moving, but thought provoking and unforgettable.
The reader gets the opportunity to watch this Heroine grow and change while learning about the power and magic of love.
I have always enjoyed reading Karen Ranney's books, but this one has to be my favorite and highly recommend!
Catriona Cameron was a great beauty who planned on snaring a duke for a husband, but a shooting and carriage accident forever changed her life.
She hides her scarred face behind a veil.
Her distraught aunt calls on Dr. Mark Thorburn to try and heal Catriona.
Well Mark can spare little time for a self-pitying woman, but when he allows Catriona to believe he is a footman, he realizes she is a lost soul, like those he cares for in the slums of Edinburgh. Catriona awakens something in Mark as he urges her to live and love with passion.
Neither one realizes a powerful enemy is stalking Catriona and will stop at nothing until she is dead!
The author spins threads of "Beauty and the Beast" into this wonderful love story.
It's not just romantic and moving, but thought provoking and unforgettable.
The reader gets the opportunity to watch this Heroine grow and change while learning about the power and magic of love.
I have always enjoyed reading Karen Ranney's books, but this one has to be my favorite and highly recommend!
December 6, 2021
RTC!
Content warning: gun violence, explicit sex scenes
Content warning: gun violence, explicit sex scenes
September 26, 2022
DNF @ 82%
I was really intrigued by the idea of a heavily scarred heroine, a reverse Beauty and the Beast tale. But while I liked this at first, it quickly got boring for me. I didn't like the way the story played out, or maybe just the way the so-so writing facilitated that story. While Catriona's fits of anger and self-pity in the beginning were understandable (kind of like the Beast, who rants and rages around his castle in the Disney movie and roars in Belle's face yet still has managed to garner legions of fans *cough* double standards *cough*), I ended up really disliking Mark. He was a devoted doctor, yet he thought less of anyone who didn't live up to his standards of behavior and came off as rather condescending. It was even more annoying since he was supposed to be nice and noble. But he was really just a jerk on the inside. Also, I kept reading until Catriona revealed her face to him, and the description of her scar was such a letdown. After that, I didn't feel like continuing. She literally isn't disfigured in any way that would necessitate a veil and a life of isolation. It's just her leg and arm that bother her, but her leg gets better when she exercises. Her eyes and the better part of her face are still intact. Also, she can still kiss just fine, which is still the most important thing in romance novels. I also didn't think they'd formed that close of a bond, so I didn't see why they wanted to be together so badly. Meh.
I was really intrigued by the idea of a heavily scarred heroine, a reverse Beauty and the Beast tale. But while I liked this at first, it quickly got boring for me. I didn't like the way the story played out, or maybe just the way the so-so writing facilitated that story. While Catriona's fits of anger and self-pity in the beginning were understandable (kind of like the Beast, who rants and rages around his castle in the Disney movie and roars in Belle's face yet still has managed to garner legions of fans *cough* double standards *cough*), I ended up really disliking Mark. He was a devoted doctor, yet he thought less of anyone who didn't live up to his standards of behavior and came off as rather condescending. It was even more annoying since he was supposed to be nice and noble. But he was really just a jerk on the inside. Also, I kept reading until Catriona revealed her face to him, and the description of her scar was such a letdown. After that, I didn't feel like continuing. She literally isn't disfigured in any way that would necessitate a veil and a life of isolation. It's just her leg and arm that bother her, but her leg gets better when she exercises. Her eyes and the better part of her face are still intact. Also, she can still kiss just fine, which is still the most important thing in romance novels. I also didn't think they'd formed that close of a bond, so I didn't see why they wanted to be together so badly. Meh.
September 5, 2022
Deze mini serie is ook in het Nederlands vertaald verschenen - Candlelight Historische roman 1082 en 1100 .
Dit deel vond ik geloofwaardiger dan deel 1 ( kreeg 3 sterren van mij )
Het verhaal is een soort van belle en het beest vertelling maar dit keer is de vrouw het beest . Catriona was ooit een schoonheid aan de buitenzijde maar een tikkeltje minder mooi van karakter . Door een ongeluk is haar uiterlijk dramatisch veranderd en is zij in een diepe depressie beland , kan de knappe dokter Mark haar weer levenslust teruggeven ?
Dit deel vond ik geloofwaardiger dan deel 1 ( kreeg 3 sterren van mij )
Het verhaal is een soort van belle en het beest vertelling maar dit keer is de vrouw het beest . Catriona was ooit een schoonheid aan de buitenzijde maar een tikkeltje minder mooi van karakter . Door een ongeluk is haar uiterlijk dramatisch veranderd en is zij in een diepe depressie beland , kan de knappe dokter Mark haar weer levenslust teruggeven ?
February 17, 2013
Somewhere about halfway through this I realized I’d read and felt kinda “meh” about the first book in this series. I might not have bought this one had I realized beforehand, but I tend to impulse-buy anything that looks at all kilty, so when I saw this it just fell into my shopping cart by magic. Anyway, it turns out not to be a bad thing.
Catriona Cameron is the slutty, selfish sister of Jean in A Scandalous Scot. http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... She's also so beautiful that the first time people see her, they feel like they just got hit by a stun gun.
She's so friggin' gorgeous that, despite the scandals looming in her past (let's just say she's got a few miles on her), she's hooked a duke. The man will be offering for her anytime now.
Shattered glass, screaming horses, and a dead maid later, that life is over. Now, well, let’s just say people who see her have the same reaction—feeling like they’ve been tased—but not for the same reasons. People tell her she’s lucky to be alive. Lucky that she can still walk—albeit with a decided limp. Lucky she still has two arms, even though one doesn’t work so well. Lucky she’s got a future—even tho she’s scarred so badly she scares children and small dogs.
A small suite of rooms in Aunt Dina's house becomes Cat's world. She refuses to eat. She wears black veils, even when nobody can see her. She refuses to light a lamp or come out of her rooms except in the dead of night when everyone’s asleep. She fingers a bottle of laudanum in her pocket, comforted by the fact that, when she can't stand it anymore, she has a way out.
Dr. Mark Thorburn trained under Cat's father and liked the man very much, so when he’s asked to try to help Cat, he agrees. She won’t let a physician in her room, so he poses as a footman—an obnoxious, stubborn footman whose sole duty is to make her eat. And draw her out, and…
Well, that wasn’t part of the treatment plan, but sometimes unorthodox methods work.
Thing is, the accident that destroyed her life wasn’t such an accident. This isn’t a mystery (we know who’s behind it all) but the element of danger brings something to the story that saves it from being too angsty.
Mark falls for Cat, sight unseen—a fresh approach, since so many romances prose on ad nauseum about the heroine’s breasts and hair and jewel-colored eyes. It’s nice to see this guy like Cat for better reasons. And what makes it even more cool is that, when he first hooks up with Cat, she isn’t all that likeable. She’s feeling sorry for herself and prickly as hell, and still as completely selfish as she was when she was a gorgeous, pointless ho. It's his blind, unconditional affection that starts the change in her.
There’s real character growth on Cat’s part in the story; she goes from a character I strongly disliked in the previous book to one I pitied and rooted for, to someone who, with a guy like Mark to inspire her, might just become someone admirable.
I’m giving this one four stars because it had some nice depth, and made me question a few choices of my own.
Catriona Cameron is the slutty, selfish sister of Jean in A Scandalous Scot. http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... She's also so beautiful that the first time people see her, they feel like they just got hit by a stun gun.
She's so friggin' gorgeous that, despite the scandals looming in her past (let's just say she's got a few miles on her), she's hooked a duke. The man will be offering for her anytime now.
Shattered glass, screaming horses, and a dead maid later, that life is over. Now, well, let’s just say people who see her have the same reaction—feeling like they’ve been tased—but not for the same reasons. People tell her she’s lucky to be alive. Lucky that she can still walk—albeit with a decided limp. Lucky she still has two arms, even though one doesn’t work so well. Lucky she’s got a future—even tho she’s scarred so badly she scares children and small dogs.
A small suite of rooms in Aunt Dina's house becomes Cat's world. She refuses to eat. She wears black veils, even when nobody can see her. She refuses to light a lamp or come out of her rooms except in the dead of night when everyone’s asleep. She fingers a bottle of laudanum in her pocket, comforted by the fact that, when she can't stand it anymore, she has a way out.
Dr. Mark Thorburn trained under Cat's father and liked the man very much, so when he’s asked to try to help Cat, he agrees. She won’t let a physician in her room, so he poses as a footman—an obnoxious, stubborn footman whose sole duty is to make her eat. And draw her out, and…
Well, that wasn’t part of the treatment plan, but sometimes unorthodox methods work.
Thing is, the accident that destroyed her life wasn’t such an accident. This isn’t a mystery (we know who’s behind it all) but the element of danger brings something to the story that saves it from being too angsty.
Mark falls for Cat, sight unseen—a fresh approach, since so many romances prose on ad nauseum about the heroine’s breasts and hair and jewel-colored eyes. It’s nice to see this guy like Cat for better reasons. And what makes it even more cool is that, when he first hooks up with Cat, she isn’t all that likeable. She’s feeling sorry for herself and prickly as hell, and still as completely selfish as she was when she was a gorgeous, pointless ho. It's his blind, unconditional affection that starts the change in her.
There’s real character growth on Cat’s part in the story; she goes from a character I strongly disliked in the previous book to one I pitied and rooted for, to someone who, with a guy like Mark to inspire her, might just become someone admirable.
I’m giving this one four stars because it had some nice depth, and made me question a few choices of my own.
January 12, 2013
I think Karen Ranney's Till Next We Meet is one of the sweetest angsty HRs I've ever read, so I was quite pleased to get an advance review copy of The Lass Wore Black. It is totally angsty, but not so sweet. Nevertheless, I liked it, eventually, and would recommend it.
Young, stunningly beautiful Catriona Cameron is swanning her way through the Season when disaster strikes. She is horribly injured in a carriage accident, and her maid is killed. We get to know her several months later, after she has moved to Edinburgh with her aunt. She is still recuperating, but it has become clear that her face will forever be terribly scarred. Catriona naturally is having trouble accepting this prognosis. From her perspective, her life is over. She has become an embittered hermit, rarely leaving the house and never appearing before the servants without a heavy veil.
Into her life bursts a cheeky, handsome footman, hired by her aunt to ensure that she eats regularly and doesn't starve herself to death. It's pretty clear that he is no ordinary footman, but unbeknownst to Catriona, he actually is a medical doctor, Mark Thorburn, who believes he may be able to help her a bit. Mark is the wealthy grandson of an earl, but he has dedicated his life to medicine and spends much of his time attending to the poor. His parents would prefer that he lead the lifestyle more typical of a member of the ton, so he avoids them.
Gradually, very gradually, Mark begins to break through the walls Catriona has erected. As a reader, I became impatient with this part of the story, but really it would not have been very believable if things had moved much faster. Along the way, Mark begins to suspect that Catriona's accident was no accident and that her life may still be in danger. This adds a bit of adventure to the romance.
Above all else, this is the story of Catriona's redemption, helped along -- sometimes to her annoyance -- by Mark. Ms. Ranney has created a wonderfully complex hero and heroine, along with some entertaining secondary characters, and one truly creepy villain. The happy ending does not come easily or quickly, but it's worth the wait. Patience is required.
Young, stunningly beautiful Catriona Cameron is swanning her way through the Season when disaster strikes. She is horribly injured in a carriage accident, and her maid is killed. We get to know her several months later, after she has moved to Edinburgh with her aunt. She is still recuperating, but it has become clear that her face will forever be terribly scarred. Catriona naturally is having trouble accepting this prognosis. From her perspective, her life is over. She has become an embittered hermit, rarely leaving the house and never appearing before the servants without a heavy veil.
Into her life bursts a cheeky, handsome footman, hired by her aunt to ensure that she eats regularly and doesn't starve herself to death. It's pretty clear that he is no ordinary footman, but unbeknownst to Catriona, he actually is a medical doctor, Mark Thorburn, who believes he may be able to help her a bit. Mark is the wealthy grandson of an earl, but he has dedicated his life to medicine and spends much of his time attending to the poor. His parents would prefer that he lead the lifestyle more typical of a member of the ton, so he avoids them.
Gradually, very gradually, Mark begins to break through the walls Catriona has erected. As a reader, I became impatient with this part of the story, but really it would not have been very believable if things had moved much faster. Along the way, Mark begins to suspect that Catriona's accident was no accident and that her life may still be in danger. This adds a bit of adventure to the romance.
Above all else, this is the story of Catriona's redemption, helped along -- sometimes to her annoyance -- by Mark. Ms. Ranney has created a wonderfully complex hero and heroine, along with some entertaining secondary characters, and one truly creepy villain. The happy ending does not come easily or quickly, but it's worth the wait. Patience is required.
May 20, 2018
I did not like Catriona for the majority of the book. She's bitter and mean. However, the author does an amazing job of taking her from that to a humble, caring woman. I did however, really like Mark for all of the book. Hubba hubba! I found the banter when he's pretending to be a footman funny, and I loved his heart. I'm not quite sure what he saw in Catriona though. Ah well, it was an interesting read.
January 17, 2013
ARC courtesy of Edelweiss and Avon.
Mild spoilers ahead.
Main characters:
Mark Thorburn
Catriona Cameron
What I Liked: I loved the way Ms. Ranney redeemed Catriona. If you read A Scandalous Scot you would have hated her. She was spoiled, self-absorbed, vain, arrogant, a liar and a woman who would have done anything if she got what she wanted. In this book she grows and becomes a lovely heroine, not in a snap of fingers, but in a truly believable way.
Mark is a surprise. I expected the man which whom Catriona will fall in love to be handsome, rich, arrogant and that he would give in all her demands. Mark is all those things, but he is also caring and stubborn and, most importantly, knows when to say no.
What I didn't like: The ending seemed a little rushed, but I think that is because I am a sucker for epilogues, and this book didn’t have one.
Favorite character: This one was a tough choice, but in the end I choose Catriona. She started as an egotistical girl, but ended up a wonderful woman. Besides what I said before, I would add that I loved that the author made her a little sexual experienced and actually enjoyed bed sport(this sounds kind of lame, but making love wouldn’t have worked :D). We don’t usually see this in romance, and even less in historicals(if the character isn’t a widow and she hates sex, or if she’s not a prostitute or courtesan), but the author made it work.
I don’t think it’s bad that I admired this and Catriona... Do you?:P
My least favorite character: The maid Artis. She’s a turncoat and then expects to be welcomed back! And let’s not forget Andrew who is an idiot. What normal person would go around and kill the people who don’t return their love?!
This reminds me of Andrew
Favorite scene: the first time he bullied Catriona into eating, very entertaining.
Favorite quote:
"She was his. Catriona Cameron, beauty, termagant, spoiled, willful, surprising, ever-changing, was his, if only for tonight."
“Catriona, you have to be the most infuriating woman I’ve ever known.”
She glanced up at him. He was frowning at her.
“Then you can’t possibly want to marry me.”
“Of course I do.”
“As you see,” she said tightly, “I’ve been just fine without you.”
“Have you?”
Another nod.
He slowly buttoned her nightgown. “I haven’t,” he said.
She glanced at him, startled by his words.
“All my patients have noticed. ‘Are you feeling well, Dr. Thorburn?’ ‘Is anything amiss, Dr. Thorburn? You seem distracted.’ I am distracted,” he added. “My life hasn’t been the same since I met you.”
She didn’t know whether to be insulted or pleased.
Would I recommend the book: For sure! I am not one for book that don’t fallow the usual pattern(look at that book by Millan that I just DNFed), but this one is great! It started with the “Beauty and the Beast” trope, but it grew in so much more. Ms. Karen Ranney wrote a book before this one with Catriona’s sister, but it’s not mandatory to read it, though it does make this story better if you read that one before.
Final rating:5*
Mild spoilers ahead.
Main characters:
Mark Thorburn
Catriona Cameron
What I Liked: I loved the way Ms. Ranney redeemed Catriona. If you read A Scandalous Scot you would have hated her. She was spoiled, self-absorbed, vain, arrogant, a liar and a woman who would have done anything if she got what she wanted. In this book she grows and becomes a lovely heroine, not in a snap of fingers, but in a truly believable way.
Mark is a surprise. I expected the man which whom Catriona will fall in love to be handsome, rich, arrogant and that he would give in all her demands. Mark is all those things, but he is also caring and stubborn and, most importantly, knows when to say no.
What I didn't like: The ending seemed a little rushed, but I think that is because I am a sucker for epilogues, and this book didn’t have one.
Favorite character: This one was a tough choice, but in the end I choose Catriona. She started as an egotistical girl, but ended up a wonderful woman. Besides what I said before, I would add that I loved that the author made her a little sexual experienced and actually enjoyed bed sport(this sounds kind of lame, but making love wouldn’t have worked :D). We don’t usually see this in romance, and even less in historicals(if the character isn’t a widow and she hates sex, or if she’s not a prostitute or courtesan), but the author made it work.
I don’t think it’s bad that I admired this and Catriona... Do you?:P
My least favorite character: The maid Artis. She’s a turncoat and then expects to be welcomed back! And let’s not forget Andrew who is an idiot. What normal person would go around and kill the people who don’t return their love?!
This reminds me of Andrew
Favorite scene: the first time he bullied Catriona into eating, very entertaining.
Favorite quote:
"She was his. Catriona Cameron, beauty, termagant, spoiled, willful, surprising, ever-changing, was his, if only for tonight."
“Catriona, you have to be the most infuriating woman I’ve ever known.”
She glanced up at him. He was frowning at her.
“Then you can’t possibly want to marry me.”
“Of course I do.”
“As you see,” she said tightly, “I’ve been just fine without you.”
“Have you?”
Another nod.
He slowly buttoned her nightgown. “I haven’t,” he said.
She glanced at him, startled by his words.
“All my patients have noticed. ‘Are you feeling well, Dr. Thorburn?’ ‘Is anything amiss, Dr. Thorburn? You seem distracted.’ I am distracted,” he added. “My life hasn’t been the same since I met you.”
She didn’t know whether to be insulted or pleased.
Would I recommend the book: For sure! I am not one for book that don’t fallow the usual pattern(look at that book by Millan that I just DNFed), but this one is great! It started with the “Beauty and the Beast” trope, but it grew in so much more. Ms. Karen Ranney wrote a book before this one with Catriona’s sister, but it’s not mandatory to read it, though it does make this story better if you read that one before.
Final rating:5*
February 12, 2013
THE LASS WORE BLACK by Karen Ranney
How many layers between the real me and the one I let people see?
Having the wrong person love you and too selfish to think of the harm it could bring was what ruined Catriona Cameron. Forced to hide her mistakes behind closed doors and drawn curtains, Catriona refuses to let another man into her heart. Catriona would never have expected a lowly “footman” to be the reason she cannot obtain a moment’s rest.
Dr. Mark Thorburn started out as a footman to gain entry into Catriona’s life and gain her trust. Mark never expecting it was her heart he wanted to capture or that his need for her would obscure all else. The pretense was grueling as she never let him forget his place in the food chain of life not knowing he had more rank and money than she could ever imagine. Mark could see through all the layers Catriona covered herself in to the real woman who was exasperating and exhilarating all at the same time.
The problem that should have resolved itself when the truth is revealed only becomes worse as Catriona’s demon materializes. The journey Catriona has taken to heal the old wounds should pave the way for love to step in but instead someone is trying to crush her spirit once again.
With a spirited exchange of words Karen Ranney has displayed how great romance is written and fascinating characters are developed.
How many layers between the real me and the one I let people see?
Having the wrong person love you and too selfish to think of the harm it could bring was what ruined Catriona Cameron. Forced to hide her mistakes behind closed doors and drawn curtains, Catriona refuses to let another man into her heart. Catriona would never have expected a lowly “footman” to be the reason she cannot obtain a moment’s rest.
Dr. Mark Thorburn started out as a footman to gain entry into Catriona’s life and gain her trust. Mark never expecting it was her heart he wanted to capture or that his need for her would obscure all else. The pretense was grueling as she never let him forget his place in the food chain of life not knowing he had more rank and money than she could ever imagine. Mark could see through all the layers Catriona covered herself in to the real woman who was exasperating and exhilarating all at the same time.
The problem that should have resolved itself when the truth is revealed only becomes worse as Catriona’s demon materializes. The journey Catriona has taken to heal the old wounds should pave the way for love to step in but instead someone is trying to crush her spirit once again.
With a spirited exchange of words Karen Ranney has displayed how great romance is written and fascinating characters are developed.
March 12, 2013
4.5 Stars
I love this author's books and this story was no exception. She has a great way of making the characters so believable and you can really feel their love for each other.
I liked that the two lead characters were a bit different from the norm. It's interesting to see how Catriona learns to accept her scars and her new self. Mark, being a doctor, is quite a change from the usual titled hero in historical romances. He has a different type of confidence that comes from pride in his work instead of a title. Since Catriona's aunt takes on a lot of servants that have fallen on bad times and have secrets in their past, it was totally believable that Catriona knew Mark wasn't used to being a footman, while also not finding it suspicious.
The murder subplot is never my favorite in romances, but I chose to overlook it in my review. I loved the rest of the story so much as well as the characters, that it was easy to look past it.
Overall, a lovely romance with two great leads that are much different from the everyday historical romance heroine and hero.
book sent by publicist and publisher in exchange for honest review
reviewed for http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com
I love this author's books and this story was no exception. She has a great way of making the characters so believable and you can really feel their love for each other.
I liked that the two lead characters were a bit different from the norm. It's interesting to see how Catriona learns to accept her scars and her new self. Mark, being a doctor, is quite a change from the usual titled hero in historical romances. He has a different type of confidence that comes from pride in his work instead of a title. Since Catriona's aunt takes on a lot of servants that have fallen on bad times and have secrets in their past, it was totally believable that Catriona knew Mark wasn't used to being a footman, while also not finding it suspicious.
The murder subplot is never my favorite in romances, but I chose to overlook it in my review. I loved the rest of the story so much as well as the characters, that it was easy to look past it.
Overall, a lovely romance with two great leads that are much different from the everyday historical romance heroine and hero.
book sent by publicist and publisher in exchange for honest review
reviewed for http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com
August 25, 2014
Catriona is beautiful, until she's suddenly not! Mark goes undercover as a footman to try and treat her because he's Curious! She hires him to have sex and then they fall in love! Catriona realizes that she may not be beautiful on the outside anymore, but she can try to be beautiful on the inside! ROLL CREDITS.
I nearly didn't start this (as in, get more than a chapter or two into it) because I was so done with Catriona and her I'm-so-beautiful-men-weep-at-the-sight-of-me schtick. But I pressed on--mostly because I wanted to know exactly how things would play out with Mark--who had seen her before the accident! And knew that she was ~so beautiful!
And it wasn't that bad! It wasn't great, sure, but the narrative did a great job of examining Catriona's selfishness and recasting her as a flawed heroine--which was PHENOMENAL. I still don't like her, but I rooted for her, and isn't that what counts? I wanted her to find love, and live happily ever after, and learn how to exist without her beauty.
That said, I was underwhelmed by Mark's development as well as the villian's whole...thing. Talk about over-the-top Evil with a big E. Ugh.
I nearly didn't start this (as in, get more than a chapter or two into it) because I was so done with Catriona and her I'm-so-beautiful-men-weep-at-the-sight-of-me schtick. But I pressed on--mostly because I wanted to know exactly how things would play out with Mark--who had seen her before the accident! And knew that she was ~so beautiful!
And it wasn't that bad! It wasn't great, sure, but the narrative did a great job of examining Catriona's selfishness and recasting her as a flawed heroine--which was PHENOMENAL. I still don't like her, but I rooted for her, and isn't that what counts? I wanted her to find love, and live happily ever after, and learn how to exist without her beauty.
That said, I was underwhelmed by Mark's development as well as the villian's whole...thing. Talk about over-the-top Evil with a big E. Ugh.
February 26, 2013
My Synopsis:
Catriona was one of the most beautiful woman in all of London. She was being courted by a Duke, and everything she ever wanted seemed to be possible and within her grasp. Then, in an instant, tragedy struck and everything changed. While on her way home, something broke through the windows of her carriage shattering not only the glass but Catriona's face as the shards did their damage. As the carriage overturned, her leg and arm were crushed and broken within the wreckage. In a matter of moments, the beauty she had always relied upon to carry her through was taken from her, leaving her with scars that even her sister flinched at. Told she was lucky for surviving, she wasn't sure she totally agreed with that. Perhaps this was God's way of punishing her for her selfishness and past sins. She definitely hadn't been a saint. Unsure how to cope, she retreated from the world wearing only black as it mirrored her mood. Without her looks Catriona was just a shell of her former self. Her sister had always been the smart one and she'd always been the pretty one. Now she didn't know who or what she was, perhaps the monster the mirror suggested? Abandoning hope, she lost her appetite, refused to eat, and contemplated taking her life. That was when her aunt Dina stepped in and asked a friend for guidance and help.
Doctor Mark Thorburn had known Catriona before the accident although she most certainly never noticed him. He'd done an apprenticeship with her father years ago. He had been one of his favorite mentors and perhaps out of his fondness for him, or his curiosity of the young beautiful woman who had been his daughter, he decided to go above and beyond the call of duty. Realizing she refused to see any more doctors, he opted to pose as a footman who was assigned to stay with her until she ate her meals. What he never could have of imagined when he started his deceitful little plan, was that they would be just what the other needed.
My Thoughts:
This is the sequel to A Scandalous Scot. Catriona was the scandalous sister to Jean MacDonald. Not happy with being reduced to a maid after they're father was hanged for performing a mercy killing on his terminally ill wife, Catriona had an affair with a married man hoping he'd whisk her away. Her soon to be brother-in-law disapproved of the liaison and gave her a choice between being respectable or being someone's mistress. If she chose the former, he'd sponsor her debut into society where she'd have a chance at having a real relationship. Faced with the choices she chose wisely and decided to reform her scandalous ways. With the help of her aunt Dina, she learned how to interact and mingle with members of the ton. Everything she ever wanted seemed within reach when the 'accident' occurred.
Some people think bad things don't happen to good people. If something bad happens, they believe you must have done something to deserve it. But that's not the way the world works. Life has a way of just happening--whether it is good or bad. It's how you react to the bad, however, that truly defines you.
When Mark first started masquerading as a footman he found a woman not only scarred on the outside, but on the inside as well. She had no idea how to reinvent herself. No clue who she really was when separated from her looks. She'd had hopes and aspirations of becoming a wife and mother. Now she doubted if she'd ever attract a male's attention ever again. She kept her face hidden fearing she'd scare children and attract stares. Ironically, now she wouldn't attract them for her beauty, but for her disfigurement.
Mark is a well respected doctor who is a member of the peerage, but if he had to pick between being a peer and a physician, medicine would win out. He loves his work and trying to come up with new ways of helping his patients. He administers to both the less fortunate and the wealthy. While a lot of people like him, he doesn't have much of a social life. He has a tendency to throw himself into his work. As he gets to know Catriona, and sees how she slowly starts to put the pieces of her shattered life back together again, he sees the real Catriona who was buried beneath the spoiled facade she had worn.
Some of my favorite lines/quotes:
- "The world is prejudiced against a great many things," he said. "the trick is to ignore what you can and endure the rest."
"So says and extraordinarily handsome man."
- "Of all the people in the world I might pity, I think I'd label you last. You're a fighter, Catriona, and one of the most stubborn, obstinate, and hard-headed people I've ever had the privilege to meet. You stand your ground regardless of where you are or what circumstance you're facing."
- "I see your beauty, " he said again. "Perhaps one day you will, too."
- 'Passion could bind two people more ably than chains.'
Overall, I gave this one 4 out of 5 roses. Plenty of action, suspense and romance in this one. I liked the patience Mark displayed with Catriona. I loved how he slowly brought her back among the living and gave her hope for the future. I loved how he saw the woman beneath the shattered shell and realized it wasn't just the accident that had affected her but the deaths of her parents, especially her father's that had affected her too. On the Lisa Renee Romance Rating Scale, this one gets a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.
Catriona was one of the most beautiful woman in all of London. She was being courted by a Duke, and everything she ever wanted seemed to be possible and within her grasp. Then, in an instant, tragedy struck and everything changed. While on her way home, something broke through the windows of her carriage shattering not only the glass but Catriona's face as the shards did their damage. As the carriage overturned, her leg and arm were crushed and broken within the wreckage. In a matter of moments, the beauty she had always relied upon to carry her through was taken from her, leaving her with scars that even her sister flinched at. Told she was lucky for surviving, she wasn't sure she totally agreed with that. Perhaps this was God's way of punishing her for her selfishness and past sins. She definitely hadn't been a saint. Unsure how to cope, she retreated from the world wearing only black as it mirrored her mood. Without her looks Catriona was just a shell of her former self. Her sister had always been the smart one and she'd always been the pretty one. Now she didn't know who or what she was, perhaps the monster the mirror suggested? Abandoning hope, she lost her appetite, refused to eat, and contemplated taking her life. That was when her aunt Dina stepped in and asked a friend for guidance and help.
Doctor Mark Thorburn had known Catriona before the accident although she most certainly never noticed him. He'd done an apprenticeship with her father years ago. He had been one of his favorite mentors and perhaps out of his fondness for him, or his curiosity of the young beautiful woman who had been his daughter, he decided to go above and beyond the call of duty. Realizing she refused to see any more doctors, he opted to pose as a footman who was assigned to stay with her until she ate her meals. What he never could have of imagined when he started his deceitful little plan, was that they would be just what the other needed.
My Thoughts:
This is the sequel to A Scandalous Scot. Catriona was the scandalous sister to Jean MacDonald. Not happy with being reduced to a maid after they're father was hanged for performing a mercy killing on his terminally ill wife, Catriona had an affair with a married man hoping he'd whisk her away. Her soon to be brother-in-law disapproved of the liaison and gave her a choice between being respectable or being someone's mistress. If she chose the former, he'd sponsor her debut into society where she'd have a chance at having a real relationship. Faced with the choices she chose wisely and decided to reform her scandalous ways. With the help of her aunt Dina, she learned how to interact and mingle with members of the ton. Everything she ever wanted seemed within reach when the 'accident' occurred.
Some people think bad things don't happen to good people. If something bad happens, they believe you must have done something to deserve it. But that's not the way the world works. Life has a way of just happening--whether it is good or bad. It's how you react to the bad, however, that truly defines you.
When Mark first started masquerading as a footman he found a woman not only scarred on the outside, but on the inside as well. She had no idea how to reinvent herself. No clue who she really was when separated from her looks. She'd had hopes and aspirations of becoming a wife and mother. Now she doubted if she'd ever attract a male's attention ever again. She kept her face hidden fearing she'd scare children and attract stares. Ironically, now she wouldn't attract them for her beauty, but for her disfigurement.
Mark is a well respected doctor who is a member of the peerage, but if he had to pick between being a peer and a physician, medicine would win out. He loves his work and trying to come up with new ways of helping his patients. He administers to both the less fortunate and the wealthy. While a lot of people like him, he doesn't have much of a social life. He has a tendency to throw himself into his work. As he gets to know Catriona, and sees how she slowly starts to put the pieces of her shattered life back together again, he sees the real Catriona who was buried beneath the spoiled facade she had worn.
Some of my favorite lines/quotes:
- "The world is prejudiced against a great many things," he said. "the trick is to ignore what you can and endure the rest."
"So says and extraordinarily handsome man."
- "Of all the people in the world I might pity, I think I'd label you last. You're a fighter, Catriona, and one of the most stubborn, obstinate, and hard-headed people I've ever had the privilege to meet. You stand your ground regardless of where you are or what circumstance you're facing."
- "I see your beauty, " he said again. "Perhaps one day you will, too."
- 'Passion could bind two people more ably than chains.'
Overall, I gave this one 4 out of 5 roses. Plenty of action, suspense and romance in this one. I liked the patience Mark displayed with Catriona. I loved how he slowly brought her back among the living and gave her hope for the future. I loved how he saw the woman beneath the shattered shell and realized it wasn't just the accident that had affected her but the deaths of her parents, especially her father's that had affected her too. On the Lisa Renee Romance Rating Scale, this one gets a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.
March 8, 2017
A Beauty and the Beast tale
What is beauty? What is beastly? In The Lass Wore Black, by Karen Ranney, we get to ponder that question in so many ways. In the prequel to this book, The Scandalous Scot, we met Catriona Cameron. Catriona is one of the most outwardly beautiful women to ever walk the earth. But on the inside, she is the beast. She's one nasty woman. She uses her beauty to get what she wants. She is entirely selfish, mean, nasty, catty, rotten - I can go on and on. I disliked her intensely in the previous book and I could see no way that Karen Ranney could redeem her enough to make her into a heroine. I must say that Karen gave it the good old college try, but in my opinion she wasn't quite successful in redeeming her to the point where I could actually like her.
I am glad I read this book, because I was really really interested in how Ms. Ranney was going to transform this beastly woman into a beauty. Well, first of all she took away her physical beauty. Catriona is involved in a horrific accident in the very beginning of the story. She has some damage to her arm and leg, but most of it is to her face. Catriona hides herself away, in her room, with her face covered by a veil. So now her face is as ugly as her personality. Her whole way of surviving the world, the only thing she knew, what made her popular is now gone. But, she is still a very unpleasant person and I could not feel any sympathy for her. And, that's ok, because I don't think at this point in the story I was supposed to feel sorry for her. I think the problem I had with Catriona wasn't really her but our hero Mark.
While I liked Mark all right, his character wasn't as fleshed out as Catriona. I didn't see him as being strong enough to give a balance to Catriona. And, when I say strong I don't mean some alpha hit-over-the-head-caveman-grunt-guy, I mean his personality was just sort of bland. Catriona was such a strong character; she was so angry, so defeated, so unlikable, that she overpowered the book. Mark's side of the story was weak. He was a nice guy, a good doctor. He loved his work, he saved poor orphans and single mothers, but he was almost boring and he was no match for Catriona. I didn't think they worked together as a couple, plus there were long segments of the book when they weren't together at all. I think it's very rare for a love story to work when the couple is separated for a lot of the book - it's been done in some stories, sad to say not this one just didn't succeed.
While I like the way Ms. Ranney writes, I didn't care for the couple as a couple. Catriona's story was a fascinating try at making a creepy person into a nice person but I felt it didn't completely work. She was too boo-hoo-poor-me for waaay too long - she didn't have her epiphany soon enough. I would have liked to have seen her struggle with her newfound awareness a little bit sooner... and while I liked Mark, he was no match for Catriona. The Lass Wore Black just didn't quite reach the plateau it was reaching for.
KaysBlog
What is beauty? What is beastly? In The Lass Wore Black, by Karen Ranney, we get to ponder that question in so many ways. In the prequel to this book, The Scandalous Scot, we met Catriona Cameron. Catriona is one of the most outwardly beautiful women to ever walk the earth. But on the inside, she is the beast. She's one nasty woman. She uses her beauty to get what she wants. She is entirely selfish, mean, nasty, catty, rotten - I can go on and on. I disliked her intensely in the previous book and I could see no way that Karen Ranney could redeem her enough to make her into a heroine. I must say that Karen gave it the good old college try, but in my opinion she wasn't quite successful in redeeming her to the point where I could actually like her.
I am glad I read this book, because I was really really interested in how Ms. Ranney was going to transform this beastly woman into a beauty. Well, first of all she took away her physical beauty. Catriona is involved in a horrific accident in the very beginning of the story. She has some damage to her arm and leg, but most of it is to her face. Catriona hides herself away, in her room, with her face covered by a veil. So now her face is as ugly as her personality. Her whole way of surviving the world, the only thing she knew, what made her popular is now gone. But, she is still a very unpleasant person and I could not feel any sympathy for her. And, that's ok, because I don't think at this point in the story I was supposed to feel sorry for her. I think the problem I had with Catriona wasn't really her but our hero Mark.
While I liked Mark all right, his character wasn't as fleshed out as Catriona. I didn't see him as being strong enough to give a balance to Catriona. And, when I say strong I don't mean some alpha hit-over-the-head-caveman-grunt-guy, I mean his personality was just sort of bland. Catriona was such a strong character; she was so angry, so defeated, so unlikable, that she overpowered the book. Mark's side of the story was weak. He was a nice guy, a good doctor. He loved his work, he saved poor orphans and single mothers, but he was almost boring and he was no match for Catriona. I didn't think they worked together as a couple, plus there were long segments of the book when they weren't together at all. I think it's very rare for a love story to work when the couple is separated for a lot of the book - it's been done in some stories, sad to say not this one just didn't succeed.
While I like the way Ms. Ranney writes, I didn't care for the couple as a couple. Catriona's story was a fascinating try at making a creepy person into a nice person but I felt it didn't completely work. She was too boo-hoo-poor-me for waaay too long - she didn't have her epiphany soon enough. I would have liked to have seen her struggle with her newfound awareness a little bit sooner... and while I liked Mark, he was no match for Catriona. The Lass Wore Black just didn't quite reach the plateau it was reaching for.
KaysBlog
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2015
I did not read the previous book, therefore had no background for Catriona. In a way I'm glad as I read that many people did not like her selfish ways one bit and it put a damper on their feeling towards her.
However, I really enjoyed the journey she took throughout this book with subtle, and not so subtle, help from her aunt and the doctor.
Catriona and Mark's relationship was fun to follow and the reader couldn't help but cheer them on - they were so made for each other.
I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more books by this talented author!
However, I really enjoyed the journey she took throughout this book with subtle, and not so subtle, help from her aunt and the doctor.
Catriona and Mark's relationship was fun to follow and the reader couldn't help but cheer them on - they were so made for each other.
I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more books by this talented author!
April 23, 2025
great characters with a lovely relationship … the doctor is the sweetest and i love an angry, bitchy heroine but the plot surrounding the romance felt weak in comparison
January 29, 2013
Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: C+
Catriona was the beautiful, spoiled, self-centered sister in A Scandalous Scot who slept with a married man and was asked to be his mistress. Her brother-in-law gave her a choice, be the mistress or become better and live with his Aunt. She chose the latter and tried to make her life something different and better by living with Aunt Dina. But tragedy struck one night when her carriage was attacked. A young woman in the carriage with Catriona died and Catriona was badly scarred on her face and her arm and knee were also injured. She’s now a hermit, refusing to leave her rooms, refusing to eat, wallowing in self-pity. Aunt Dina sends for Mark Thorburn, a physician who has to act as a footman to even get close enough to Catriona, who won’t see any more doctors. He starts off visiting her just to get her to eat, but his presence has her coming to life again, even though she doesn’t want him around at all. But Catriona being mad is better than her having no emotion at all and Mark continues to visit and stir things up in her life.
It was hard at first to like Catriona. I remember her actions from the previous book and found her to be so unlikable, she was all about herself and damn anyone else. I did feel for her and what she went through and what she’ll have to deal with every day now with regards to society because of the accident. She wears heavy veils because she can’t stand the sight of her scars and knows that society will just gossip, children with cry and she doesn’t want to deal with the reactions to her scars. I get that she’s in a bad place right now, but her poor me attitude didn’t bring me to her side early on.
Now, Mark – I loved. He carried the story from the start and he’s what kept me interested enough until Catriona had her attitude adjustment just after the midway point of the book. He’s a physician treating both the wealthy and the poor and he’s running himself ragged. His father doesn’t approve of his work or of him really, but that didn’t stop him from going after what he wanted to do with his life from the time he was a young boy, and that was to be a doctor. He is simply a great hero to read about. He’s dedicated to his work, he has a need to help, but he needs someone too. He needs a person that he can talk to about his day or about his family who will get him. I liked how he acted around Catriona, he doesn’t let her dark attitude or her heavy veil get in his way. He wants to help her, but the biggest thing he does is shake up her life. He gets her out of her bedroom and she starts living again.
…”My only excuse is that I forget everything around you.”
“You do?”
He sighed. “I do. A decidedly odd reaction, one that I’ll need to study. I haven’t been myself since the day I met you.”
She stilled, listening.
“I can see nothing of you, yet I find myself looking toward you, watching you, as if you hold the answer to all the questions I have.”
The first time they have sex, honestly, left a little to be desired. Not in the sexiness factor, they have that happening, but Catriona believes that the only way a man will sleep with her, now that she’s scarred, is if she pays him, so she offers money to Mark. They have sex, she pays him and he takes it. I kept waiting for the scene to be recalled in some way, but it didn’t happen. It was a hot scene for them, but with the way it ended, in a payment, I thought WHAT?!
There’s a murder plot against Catriona that builds throughout the story. I was a lot more caught up with Mark and Catriona, once she got rid of that damn veil, than I ever was with the murder plans. Once Catriona started living and finding a purpose in her life, she became much, much more likable. The wallowing, ‘poor me’ Catriona got old fast and I definitely enjoyed her character more when she started showing some spunk as the story progressed.
Mark carried this story and I’d recommend reading it just to get to know him. Catriona grew on me, although she wasn’t an easy woman to like at the start. I did enjoy their romance, but even more I liked their influence on each other. Mark got Catriona to face her reality and start to find value in her life. Catriona gave Mark something other than medicine to think about, which for as deeply as Mark gets involved with his patients health, having an escape from that is the best thing he can get.
Blog rating: C+
Catriona was the beautiful, spoiled, self-centered sister in A Scandalous Scot who slept with a married man and was asked to be his mistress. Her brother-in-law gave her a choice, be the mistress or become better and live with his Aunt. She chose the latter and tried to make her life something different and better by living with Aunt Dina. But tragedy struck one night when her carriage was attacked. A young woman in the carriage with Catriona died and Catriona was badly scarred on her face and her arm and knee were also injured. She’s now a hermit, refusing to leave her rooms, refusing to eat, wallowing in self-pity. Aunt Dina sends for Mark Thorburn, a physician who has to act as a footman to even get close enough to Catriona, who won’t see any more doctors. He starts off visiting her just to get her to eat, but his presence has her coming to life again, even though she doesn’t want him around at all. But Catriona being mad is better than her having no emotion at all and Mark continues to visit and stir things up in her life.
It was hard at first to like Catriona. I remember her actions from the previous book and found her to be so unlikable, she was all about herself and damn anyone else. I did feel for her and what she went through and what she’ll have to deal with every day now with regards to society because of the accident. She wears heavy veils because she can’t stand the sight of her scars and knows that society will just gossip, children with cry and she doesn’t want to deal with the reactions to her scars. I get that she’s in a bad place right now, but her poor me attitude didn’t bring me to her side early on.
Now, Mark – I loved. He carried the story from the start and he’s what kept me interested enough until Catriona had her attitude adjustment just after the midway point of the book. He’s a physician treating both the wealthy and the poor and he’s running himself ragged. His father doesn’t approve of his work or of him really, but that didn’t stop him from going after what he wanted to do with his life from the time he was a young boy, and that was to be a doctor. He is simply a great hero to read about. He’s dedicated to his work, he has a need to help, but he needs someone too. He needs a person that he can talk to about his day or about his family who will get him. I liked how he acted around Catriona, he doesn’t let her dark attitude or her heavy veil get in his way. He wants to help her, but the biggest thing he does is shake up her life. He gets her out of her bedroom and she starts living again.
…”My only excuse is that I forget everything around you.”
“You do?”
He sighed. “I do. A decidedly odd reaction, one that I’ll need to study. I haven’t been myself since the day I met you.”
She stilled, listening.
“I can see nothing of you, yet I find myself looking toward you, watching you, as if you hold the answer to all the questions I have.”
The first time they have sex, honestly, left a little to be desired. Not in the sexiness factor, they have that happening, but Catriona believes that the only way a man will sleep with her, now that she’s scarred, is if she pays him, so she offers money to Mark. They have sex, she pays him and he takes it. I kept waiting for the scene to be recalled in some way, but it didn’t happen. It was a hot scene for them, but with the way it ended, in a payment, I thought WHAT?!
There’s a murder plot against Catriona that builds throughout the story. I was a lot more caught up with Mark and Catriona, once she got rid of that damn veil, than I ever was with the murder plans. Once Catriona started living and finding a purpose in her life, she became much, much more likable. The wallowing, ‘poor me’ Catriona got old fast and I definitely enjoyed her character more when she started showing some spunk as the story progressed.
Mark carried this story and I’d recommend reading it just to get to know him. Catriona grew on me, although she wasn’t an easy woman to like at the start. I did enjoy their romance, but even more I liked their influence on each other. Mark got Catriona to face her reality and start to find value in her life. Catriona gave Mark something other than medicine to think about, which for as deeply as Mark gets involved with his patients health, having an escape from that is the best thing he can get.
November 6, 2013
In the Lass Wore Black, we find a very vain and spoiled young woman. I think it's easy to not like her, but the whole point of the book is her transformation.
As a young girl, Catriona was always praised for her pretty and she knew it. As the daughter of a doctor she led a comfortable life. But when he is executed for performing euthanasia on his wife (her mother), she's condemned to a life of uncertainty. Luckily she and her sister become maids for an earl. And the sister catches the eye of the earl and they marry and for all intent and purposes have a happy loving marriage (I bet it was very scandalous, but hey it's Scotland, things are a bit different).
Her brother in law (the earl) lavishes Catriona with expensive wardrobes and brings her in a different higher circle of acquaintances. But what's different with this heroine is that she's had 3 lovers in the past. She plays the game of going after men since she can - she's young and pretty and likes men.
But it all changes when on one night she decides to leave London to go back to Edinburgh (she's issued an ultimatum by her brother in law) and she's in a terrible life altering accident.
Her face is horribly disfigured and has other physical ailments. But for someone who relied on her beauty, she's left with nothing and it's a complete shock to her.
She closes herself off, both literally and emotionally in the house of her aunt (by relation). Her aunt deeply cares for her and enlists the help of a doctor to get her out of her funk. The doctor, Mark Thorburn feels he will help her as a favor to his late mentor (her father). I don't think he fully realizes the extent of her injuries. At first, he sees this spoiled young woman, "the princess" as he calls her, who refuses to leave her rooms. He remembers her as a young happy girl who barely noticed him. He's intrigued by her apparent 360 change and wants to see what he can do to help her.
But what they don't know is that there's someone after her. She left the wrong man and he's humiliated that she would leave him and wants to permanently harm her.
A lot of this book is about transformation and some might see what happened to Catriona has her comeuppance or her very unfortunate lesson in humility. Karen Ranney's books are generally pretty angst filled and this one is no different. The heroine lives in several prisons - that of her body, her mind, and her rooms. Her aunt loves her and wants her to move on with her life, but Catriona is so destroyed by her disfigurement and all that comes with it (or so she thinks) - no marriage, no children, no friends, etc. But because of her aunt's unrelenting support she has a doctor who is intrigued by her and is unwilling to let her wallow in her disfigurements. He's the first one to challenge her by goading her, by being annoying, he pushes her to live without her veil and see that life is worth living.
P.S. I didn't realize Jean the maid soon to be countess has her own book which preceded this one, so off I go to read that one!
As a young girl, Catriona was always praised for her pretty and she knew it. As the daughter of a doctor she led a comfortable life. But when he is executed for performing euthanasia on his wife (her mother), she's condemned to a life of uncertainty. Luckily she and her sister become maids for an earl. And the sister catches the eye of the earl and they marry and for all intent and purposes have a happy loving marriage (I bet it was very scandalous, but hey it's Scotland, things are a bit different).
Her brother in law (the earl) lavishes Catriona with expensive wardrobes and brings her in a different higher circle of acquaintances. But what's different with this heroine is that she's had 3 lovers in the past. She plays the game of going after men since she can - she's young and pretty and likes men.
But it all changes when on one night she decides to leave London to go back to Edinburgh (she's issued an ultimatum by her brother in law) and she's in a terrible life altering accident.
Her face is horribly disfigured and has other physical ailments. But for someone who relied on her beauty, she's left with nothing and it's a complete shock to her.
She closes herself off, both literally and emotionally in the house of her aunt (by relation). Her aunt deeply cares for her and enlists the help of a doctor to get her out of her funk. The doctor, Mark Thorburn feels he will help her as a favor to his late mentor (her father). I don't think he fully realizes the extent of her injuries. At first, he sees this spoiled young woman, "the princess" as he calls her, who refuses to leave her rooms. He remembers her as a young happy girl who barely noticed him. He's intrigued by her apparent 360 change and wants to see what he can do to help her.
But what they don't know is that there's someone after her. She left the wrong man and he's humiliated that she would leave him and wants to permanently harm her.
A lot of this book is about transformation and some might see what happened to Catriona has her comeuppance or her very unfortunate lesson in humility. Karen Ranney's books are generally pretty angst filled and this one is no different. The heroine lives in several prisons - that of her body, her mind, and her rooms. Her aunt loves her and wants her to move on with her life, but Catriona is so destroyed by her disfigurement and all that comes with it (or so she thinks) - no marriage, no children, no friends, etc. But because of her aunt's unrelenting support she has a doctor who is intrigued by her and is unwilling to let her wallow in her disfigurements. He's the first one to challenge her by goading her, by being annoying, he pushes her to live without her veil and see that life is worth living.
P.S. I didn't realize Jean the maid soon to be countess has her own book which preceded this one, so off I go to read that one!
January 2, 2015
This is the story of Catriona, Jean's sister from A Scandalous Scot. In that book we saw her as selfish, lazy, and with the morals of an alley cat. In this book she has suffered a horrible injury that has left her badly scarred and hiding from the world. She is quite bitter, feeling that if she doesn't have her beauty she has nothing at all to offer the world or a man. She's pretty much given up on life, though the aunt she lives with refuses to give up on her.
Mark is a doctor who has become friends with Catriona's aunt through their work with the poor of Edinburgh. He is the wealthy grandson of an earl, but medicine is his life. He also remembers Catriona from years earlier when he used to work with her father who had also been a doctor. He listens to Aunt Dina's fears about Caitriona and agrees to examine her and see if he can help. When he goes to her room to do so, she mistakes him for a footman and is incredibly rude to him. He sees that approaching her as a doctor isn't going to work, and goes along with her misconception. He tells her that he has been assigned by her aunt to make sure she eats and won't be leaving the room until she does so. He doesn't understand why he's so drawn to her and determined to help her, but he does succeed at irritating her into compliance.
Meanwhile Catriona is attracted to him, but doesn't see being able to do anything about it because of her scarring. Her arguments with him are beating back the feelings of darkness that she had been experiencing. She goes from wanting him gone, to missing him when he isn't there, though she won't admit that. He has a tremendous influence on her because he pretty much forces her to start living her life again. He wants her to overcome her focus on her looks and see that she can have true value in her life. She doesn't miraculously turn into a kind and loving woman, but she develops an empathy for others that shows a basic change in her character. Meanwhile, Mark's growing fascination with her has him focusing on something other than just his work. He begins to see that she brings some balance to his life. He realizes pretty quickly that his deception probably wasn't the best thing to do, but doesn't know how to fix it. When the truth comes out, he's definitely in trouble, but at least they've gotten to know each other a little. He does take the opportunity to drag her out of her limited world to show her that she's not the only one who has it bad.
Catriona is in danger from an ex-lover who is furious at her rejection of him. He wants revenge and is behind the accident that caused her injuries, only he wanted her dead not injured. He is determined to finish what he started and we see the lengths to which he will go. His actions end up drawing Mark and Catriona closer together. The final confrontation was good and actually pretty realistic.
Mark is a doctor who has become friends with Catriona's aunt through their work with the poor of Edinburgh. He is the wealthy grandson of an earl, but medicine is his life. He also remembers Catriona from years earlier when he used to work with her father who had also been a doctor. He listens to Aunt Dina's fears about Caitriona and agrees to examine her and see if he can help. When he goes to her room to do so, she mistakes him for a footman and is incredibly rude to him. He sees that approaching her as a doctor isn't going to work, and goes along with her misconception. He tells her that he has been assigned by her aunt to make sure she eats and won't be leaving the room until she does so. He doesn't understand why he's so drawn to her and determined to help her, but he does succeed at irritating her into compliance.
Meanwhile Catriona is attracted to him, but doesn't see being able to do anything about it because of her scarring. Her arguments with him are beating back the feelings of darkness that she had been experiencing. She goes from wanting him gone, to missing him when he isn't there, though she won't admit that. He has a tremendous influence on her because he pretty much forces her to start living her life again. He wants her to overcome her focus on her looks and see that she can have true value in her life. She doesn't miraculously turn into a kind and loving woman, but she develops an empathy for others that shows a basic change in her character. Meanwhile, Mark's growing fascination with her has him focusing on something other than just his work. He begins to see that she brings some balance to his life. He realizes pretty quickly that his deception probably wasn't the best thing to do, but doesn't know how to fix it. When the truth comes out, he's definitely in trouble, but at least they've gotten to know each other a little. He does take the opportunity to drag her out of her limited world to show her that she's not the only one who has it bad.
Catriona is in danger from an ex-lover who is furious at her rejection of him. He wants revenge and is behind the accident that caused her injuries, only he wanted her dead not injured. He is determined to finish what he started and we see the lengths to which he will go. His actions end up drawing Mark and Catriona closer together. The final confrontation was good and actually pretty realistic.
December 1, 2012
Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...
A happy childhood wrecked and then a determination to survive brings “the murderer’s girls”, Catriona Cameron and her sister, to quite different stations in life. The sister becomes an earl’s wife while Catriona becomes promiscuous, haughty, willful, and inconsiderate of others. She trades on her beauty to get what she wants. If ever there was anyone ‘looking for love in all the wrong places’ it is Catriona. The horrific deaths of her mother and then her father leave her with an emptiness inside that sends her spiraling out of control—then the wreck—her beauty is gone.
The need for redemption is so often associated with the hero, but in The Lass Wore Black the heroine is the one in need. She is so self-absorbed and overwhelmed with her misfortune that she has become a hermit and is wasting away. Her lack of consideration of others is appalling, yet Dina MacTavish, Catriona’s brother-in-law’s aunt, truly cares about Catriona and seeks help from a doctor friend.
Dr. Mark Thoburn, flying in the face of his father’s wishes, follows his calling and becomes a doctor and even spends much of his time in Old Town tended the destitute as well as tending his rich clients. When his friend Dina MacTavish asks for his help, his well-scheduled and orderly life is thrown off kilter and his ‘best laid plans’ do go astray. He seems a direct opposite of Catriona, yet they are drawn to each other. Their interaction makes entertaining reading as they both learn more about themselves than they are comfortable knowing. The maturing pains are sometimes humorous and other times heart-wrenching.
Aunt Dina MacTavish and Sarah Donnelly, Mark’s housekeeper and so much more, are remarkable secondary characters that give the reader a glimpse of goodness that is sincere and loving. Other secondary characters that reach out and touch the heart are Edeen and her two children that make a home the best they can in the dark, deeps vaults of Old Town where poverty and degradation abound. They along with Aunt Dina help work the miracle of Catriona’s redemption.
Karen Ranney writes such graphic descriptions of the misery and horrors in Old Town the reader can almost feel, smell, taste, and hear the hopelessness and dehumanization of the squalor. Also, her development of the antagonist’s personality makes one shudder at the way his mind functions. Even though I had trouble empathizing with the heroine, I admire the compelling writing style of Ms. Ranney that evokes strong feelings. How she weaves together a story of such diverse characters to get to a happy-ever-after for the hero and heroine intrigues.
A happy childhood wrecked and then a determination to survive brings “the murderer’s girls”, Catriona Cameron and her sister, to quite different stations in life. The sister becomes an earl’s wife while Catriona becomes promiscuous, haughty, willful, and inconsiderate of others. She trades on her beauty to get what she wants. If ever there was anyone ‘looking for love in all the wrong places’ it is Catriona. The horrific deaths of her mother and then her father leave her with an emptiness inside that sends her spiraling out of control—then the wreck—her beauty is gone.
The need for redemption is so often associated with the hero, but in The Lass Wore Black the heroine is the one in need. She is so self-absorbed and overwhelmed with her misfortune that she has become a hermit and is wasting away. Her lack of consideration of others is appalling, yet Dina MacTavish, Catriona’s brother-in-law’s aunt, truly cares about Catriona and seeks help from a doctor friend.
Dr. Mark Thoburn, flying in the face of his father’s wishes, follows his calling and becomes a doctor and even spends much of his time in Old Town tended the destitute as well as tending his rich clients. When his friend Dina MacTavish asks for his help, his well-scheduled and orderly life is thrown off kilter and his ‘best laid plans’ do go astray. He seems a direct opposite of Catriona, yet they are drawn to each other. Their interaction makes entertaining reading as they both learn more about themselves than they are comfortable knowing. The maturing pains are sometimes humorous and other times heart-wrenching.
Aunt Dina MacTavish and Sarah Donnelly, Mark’s housekeeper and so much more, are remarkable secondary characters that give the reader a glimpse of goodness that is sincere and loving. Other secondary characters that reach out and touch the heart are Edeen and her two children that make a home the best they can in the dark, deeps vaults of Old Town where poverty and degradation abound. They along with Aunt Dina help work the miracle of Catriona’s redemption.
Karen Ranney writes such graphic descriptions of the misery and horrors in Old Town the reader can almost feel, smell, taste, and hear the hopelessness and dehumanization of the squalor. Also, her development of the antagonist’s personality makes one shudder at the way his mind functions. Even though I had trouble empathizing with the heroine, I admire the compelling writing style of Ms. Ranney that evokes strong feelings. How she weaves together a story of such diverse characters to get to a happy-ever-after for the hero and heroine intrigues.
November 15, 2012
Okay, I'll just write down some random thoughts here and review it later.
The Lass Wore Black was a very good historical romance read. In the past, I had read many funny Historical Romance novels, such as Julia Quinn's. But The Lass Wore Black, despite its very humorous moments, was more sincere:
A genuinely scarred and flawed heroine, who redeems herself in a way that doesn't feel preachy, a heroine who struggles with her own shallow and petty mind, and her trauma-induced depression.
A character/personality-centered story; even though the hero was described as handsome, and most romance novels are very heroine-centered (if you aren't reading J.R. Ward, that is), there is a difference between, let's say, The Duke and I and The Lass Wore Black:
Catriona is not replacable; Mark isn't just silent, or broody. Something that I found very special: Even though we got to know quite a few things about Mark, he wasn't characterized as "his hobbies", or "his job", but his actual personality. (Like, there are many romance novels with the same hero over and over again, and the only difference is that the one likes soccer whereas the other one really loves to cook.)
Now, I haven't read any other Karen Ranney stories, so it's possible that all of her characters are the same, but from what I can tell of Jean's characterization, they aren't.
I think the thing I like most about The Lass Wore Black, is that Catriona really was/is flawed: She starts as a arrogant, beautiful girl. She really is just that, a girl. But then she loses what she always identified as: Her beauty. Her struggles were very realistic; she wasn't a saint, she hurt herself and others, and she isolated herself. She envied, she felt guilty, she became painfully aware of her selfishness and other flaws. - But thorough the novel, she never stopped being flawed, she just matured. She never became the women healed through love, but she did become a woman. She started to actually see the rest of the world.
Despite that, it's not like the author didn't put a big emphasis on the romance; she did. And it was very sweet, lovely, and sexy. :)
Additionally to that, it wasn't just the story itself that was different from other Historical Romance novels, but also the writing. I can't quite point out where it differed from other novels of the genre, but it slightly did.. But then, I'm not a pro-Historical-reader, so.
I really wonder how it comes I haven't read any truly awful Historical Romance novels (with the exception of one bodice ripper, that is). Maybe because I read so few of them, and they always satisfy my cravings? Or am I just very lucky?
In any case, 4 stars read.
The Lass Wore Black was a very good historical romance read. In the past, I had read many funny Historical Romance novels, such as Julia Quinn's. But The Lass Wore Black, despite its very humorous moments, was more sincere:
A genuinely scarred and flawed heroine, who redeems herself in a way that doesn't feel preachy, a heroine who struggles with her own shallow and petty mind, and her trauma-induced depression.
A character/personality-centered story; even though the hero was described as handsome, and most romance novels are very heroine-centered (if you aren't reading J.R. Ward, that is), there is a difference between, let's say, The Duke and I and The Lass Wore Black:
Catriona is not replacable; Mark isn't just silent, or broody. Something that I found very special: Even though we got to know quite a few things about Mark, he wasn't characterized as "his hobbies", or "his job", but his actual personality. (Like, there are many romance novels with the same hero over and over again, and the only difference is that the one likes soccer whereas the other one really loves to cook.)
Now, I haven't read any other Karen Ranney stories, so it's possible that all of her characters are the same, but from what I can tell of Jean's characterization, they aren't.
I think the thing I like most about The Lass Wore Black, is that Catriona really was/is flawed: She starts as a arrogant, beautiful girl. She really is just that, a girl. But then she loses what she always identified as: Her beauty. Her struggles were very realistic; she wasn't a saint, she hurt herself and others, and she isolated herself. She envied, she felt guilty, she became painfully aware of her selfishness and other flaws. - But thorough the novel, she never stopped being flawed, she just matured. She never became the women healed through love, but she did become a woman. She started to actually see the rest of the world.
Despite that, it's not like the author didn't put a big emphasis on the romance; she did. And it was very sweet, lovely, and sexy. :)
Additionally to that, it wasn't just the story itself that was different from other Historical Romance novels, but also the writing. I can't quite point out where it differed from other novels of the genre, but it slightly did.. But then, I'm not a pro-Historical-reader, so.
I really wonder how it comes I haven't read any truly awful Historical Romance novels (with the exception of one bodice ripper, that is). Maybe because I read so few of them, and they always satisfy my cravings? Or am I just very lucky?
In any case, 4 stars read.
April 6, 2013
I think that Catriona is an interesting character. She is one that has the traits of many of us, self centered and self absorbed. I think that the death of her parents at a young age caused her to realize that life is so fleeting and short so why not get as much enjoyment out of it as you can. So she does. I don't think that even at her worst she was a bad person, she just looked after her self and her needs first. But then she spurns the wrong man, and he does not take it lightly. So he is the cause of an accident that turns Catriona's beauty character into almost a Beast like character with scars and all. So Catriona still in her self preservation mode goes to Edinburgh and basically becomes a hermit.
Her caretaker and chaperone Dina MacTavish decides to put a stop to this, and insists the aide of Mark Thorburn. Mark is a doctor who Dina thinks can out stubborn Catriona. But because Catriona has a deep distrust of doctors, who in the past has not been 100% truthful with her telling her what they think she wants to hear. Mark enters Dinas' household as a footman. The interactions between Mark and Cartiona are so funny at times, its fun to see how Mark gets Catriona to come out of her shell. They banter, they fight they fall for each other. I think that Mark gets Catriona because of his own family, his own father despises the fact that Mark is a doctor. But Mark is set on going his own way, doing what he thinks is best. And in his interactions with Catriona we see that she too comes out of her shell of me-me-me and starts to think about others.
Its too bad that at this time her spurned lover returns and is plotting Catrionas' downfall again. To bad this guy didn't know he met his match with Catriona and Mark. Because Mark will do anything to keep Catriona safe, especially once he realizes that he intact does love her.
This is a fast pace book, filled with Romance, Mystery and Suspense. All in all a very enjoyable book.
Her caretaker and chaperone Dina MacTavish decides to put a stop to this, and insists the aide of Mark Thorburn. Mark is a doctor who Dina thinks can out stubborn Catriona. But because Catriona has a deep distrust of doctors, who in the past has not been 100% truthful with her telling her what they think she wants to hear. Mark enters Dinas' household as a footman. The interactions between Mark and Cartiona are so funny at times, its fun to see how Mark gets Catriona to come out of her shell. They banter, they fight they fall for each other. I think that Mark gets Catriona because of his own family, his own father despises the fact that Mark is a doctor. But Mark is set on going his own way, doing what he thinks is best. And in his interactions with Catriona we see that she too comes out of her shell of me-me-me and starts to think about others.
Its too bad that at this time her spurned lover returns and is plotting Catrionas' downfall again. To bad this guy didn't know he met his match with Catriona and Mark. Because Mark will do anything to keep Catriona safe, especially once he realizes that he intact does love her.
This is a fast pace book, filled with Romance, Mystery and Suspense. All in all a very enjoyable book.
November 3, 2013
Author: Karen Ranney
First published: 2013
Length: 381 pages, 4591 locations
Setting: Victorian Edinburgh, 1863. Includes trips to Old Town.
Sex: Reasonably explicit, not very frequent, comforting. He sleeps with Catriona while he has an understanding with Anne (almost cheating). She was somewhat promiscuous in previous life.
Hero: A physician and heir to an Earldom.
Heroine: Was the BadGirl in previous book, now heavily scarred and wounded in spirit.
Series: Book 2 of 2?
This was one of the most enjoyable, interesting, intriguing romances I've read in a while. It isn't an easy book - the characters are most definitely flawed - but it drew me in and made me stay.
Catriona is scarred. Really scarred. Her face is so damaged it makes children cry.
She has gone from a stunning beauty and a young woman who defined herself solely on her looks to... nothing.
Thoughts of suicide swirl through her head.
She hides from the world. She hides from herself.
And into this life comes Mark.
Catriona starts to feel again. To look beyond herself. To test her boundaries.
There are layers here of love and hope, beauty and evil, lust and passion. The need to touch another. The isolation of fear. And the knowledge of how love can destroy as easily as it creates.
Highly recommended.
Series:
A Scandalous Scot - Morgan MacCraig and Jean MacDonald
The Lass Wore Black - Catriona Cameron and Mark Thorburn
References:
Author's website: http://karenranney.com/
(ISBN 9780062197641)
-CR-
First published: 2013
Length: 381 pages, 4591 locations
Setting: Victorian Edinburgh, 1863. Includes trips to Old Town.
Sex: Reasonably explicit, not very frequent, comforting. He sleeps with Catriona while he has an understanding with Anne (almost cheating). She was somewhat promiscuous in previous life.
Hero: A physician and heir to an Earldom.
Heroine: Was the BadGirl in previous book, now heavily scarred and wounded in spirit.
Series: Book 2 of 2?
This was one of the most enjoyable, interesting, intriguing romances I've read in a while. It isn't an easy book - the characters are most definitely flawed - but it drew me in and made me stay.
Catriona is scarred. Really scarred. Her face is so damaged it makes children cry.
She has gone from a stunning beauty and a young woman who defined herself solely on her looks to... nothing.
Thoughts of suicide swirl through her head.
She hides from the world. She hides from herself.
And into this life comes Mark.
Catriona starts to feel again. To look beyond herself. To test her boundaries.
There are layers here of love and hope, beauty and evil, lust and passion. The need to touch another. The isolation of fear. And the knowledge of how love can destroy as easily as it creates.
Highly recommended.
Series:
A Scandalous Scot - Morgan MacCraig and Jean MacDonald
The Lass Wore Black - Catriona Cameron and Mark Thorburn
References:
Author's website: http://karenranney.com/
(ISBN 9780062197641)
-CR-
March 4, 2013
I expected The Lass Wore Black to be like most other historical romances of this era, but I was pleasantly surprised when it started to do things a little bit differently. This was more than just a romance and after a little bit of a rocky start I found myself enjoying this.
What set The Lass Wore Black apart were its characters. They were very far from perfect and had multiply flaws. They were not necessarily likable but they were human.
Catriona used to be a beauty, she prided herself on her looks and loved the way she could seduce and influence men. She becomes horrifically disfigured after a carriage accident and losses her looks and the powers that came with them. This book explores her recovery and how she finds a different, kinder side of herself once she lost her vanity. Catriona is not always easy to like, at times she is selfish and stubborn, but I could not help but admire her. She handles herself well after the accident, considering the damage that has been done. She rarely self-pities or complains even though she is in a lot of pain. When she wanted to she was capable of great kindness and I ended up really liking her.
Mark is another great character, unlike Catriona he is selfless and lives to help others. He is smart and kind but his actions were not always agreeable. He deserves Catriona (for good reason) but takes it too far. He is not always clean cut, not always the angel he is painted to be but his heart is in the right place.
The Storyline and pacing were great, it never felt rushed and I was never bored. I thought the sex scenes were a little dull but found the romance sweet. Over all I thought this was a charming and at times dark historical romance that dared to be a little different.
What set The Lass Wore Black apart were its characters. They were very far from perfect and had multiply flaws. They were not necessarily likable but they were human.
Catriona used to be a beauty, she prided herself on her looks and loved the way she could seduce and influence men. She becomes horrifically disfigured after a carriage accident and losses her looks and the powers that came with them. This book explores her recovery and how she finds a different, kinder side of herself once she lost her vanity. Catriona is not always easy to like, at times she is selfish and stubborn, but I could not help but admire her. She handles herself well after the accident, considering the damage that has been done. She rarely self-pities or complains even though she is in a lot of pain. When she wanted to she was capable of great kindness and I ended up really liking her.
Mark is another great character, unlike Catriona he is selfless and lives to help others. He is smart and kind but his actions were not always agreeable. He deserves Catriona (for good reason) but takes it too far. He is not always clean cut, not always the angel he is painted to be but his heart is in the right place.
The Storyline and pacing were great, it never felt rushed and I was never bored. I thought the sex scenes were a little dull but found the romance sweet. Over all I thought this was a charming and at times dark historical romance that dared to be a little different.
November 28, 2012
The Lass Wore Black is a historical romance about Catriona, a girl whose entire perception of herself centers around how beautiful she is and her ability to wrap every man she meets around her finger. Until a horrible accident that left her severely disfigured. As a result, she falls into a deep depression, refusing to eat or come out of her room, keeping her face veiled at all times. Her Aunt, fearing that she is fading away, enlists the help of Mark, a local physician, who under the guise of being a "footman", attempts to get her to eat. Thus begins a quite unconventional course of events, especially for the time this story is set in. Throw in a jilted ex lover, some well written sexy scenes, a few unexpected surprises, and you have a good read.
This is my first encounter with Karen Ranney and I will definately be seeking her out again. Even though I haven't read historical romance in quite some time, this was a refreshing read for me. I enjoyed the pace and the dynamic of this story. The love scenes weren't under done or over done, with just the right amount of steam. And a spoiled brat of a heroine turned into someone I might actually like. Well done.
This is my first encounter with Karen Ranney and I will definately be seeking her out again. Even though I haven't read historical romance in quite some time, this was a refreshing read for me. I enjoyed the pace and the dynamic of this story. The love scenes weren't under done or over done, with just the right amount of steam. And a spoiled brat of a heroine turned into someone I might actually like. Well done.
November 2, 2012
it's nice to see a truly flawed heroine who isn't a spectacular beauty or perfect in some way. Catriona (the name annoyed me most of the book for some reason) was a stunning, spoiled, terrible brat until she's horribly scarred. afterwards, she's still a spoiled brat, but in a coddled way. a spoiled brat who's found her world ripped out from her isn't going to change immediatley. she spends a good amount of time trying to find her new place, in her head as well as life. after all, in Society if you aren't pretty you don't matter. I liked that she isn't magically redeemed into a wonderful person, but keeps her personality. she's still spoiled, but also learns that she isn't the center of the universe and so achieves the label of 'interesting main character'. I got the impression that she was still "growing" as well, which I quite liked since so many end with "and they all had lots of beautiful babies and lived happily ever after, the end!" which I don't mind, but this was a refreshing change.
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