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MacIain #1
In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams
The New York Times–bestselling author delivers “an exciting, poignant and passionate romance that promises to begin a memorable series” (Romantic Times, 4 1/2 Stars).Karen Ranney’s series debut spins the intriguing story of a beautiful widow and a devilishly handsome shipbuilder . . . Seven years have passed since Glynis MacIain made the foolish mistake of declaring her love to Lennox Cameron, only to have him stare at her dumbfounded. Heartbroken, she accepted the proposal of a diplomat and moved to America, where she played the role of a dutiful wife among Washington’s elite. Now a widow, Glynis is back in Scotland. Though Lennox can still unravel her with just one glance, Glynis is no longer the naïve girl Lennox knew and vows to resist him.With the American Civil War raging, shipbuilder Lennox Cameron must complete a sleek new blockade runner for the Confederate Navy. He cannot afford any distractions, especially the one woman he’s always loved. Glynis’s cool demeanor tempts him to prove to her what a terrible mistake she made seven years ago.As the war casts its long shadow across the ocean, will a secret from Glynis’s past destroy any chance for a future between the two star-crossed lovers?“[A] story of passion, forgiveness and intrigue which takes place in Glasgow, Scotland in the 1860s . . . There were several surprising plot twists in the final few pages of the novel. LOVED the ending!” —Fresh Fiction“Overall I enjoyed how the different elements of the story come together in the end, for a full satisfying read that will captivate you. A STELLAR ROMANCE!!” —Addicted to Romance
390 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 27, 2015
54 people are currently reading
978 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 84 reviews
January 26, 2015
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
4.5 Stars!
This book was one of the best historical romances that I have read in a very long time. I read a large variety of books and I really like to mix things up so I don't read all that many historical romances anymore. Historical romance can sometimes be a little bit predictable but that did not apply to this book at all. This book made me question why I don't read historical romances more often.
This book is set in Scotland during the time of the American Civil War. As I read this book, I realized that I never gave a lot of thought as to how an American War would have impacted other areas of the world. I think that the Civil War and its impact on Scotland added a very interesting element to the book.
Glynis has always had feelings for Lennox but when she hears that he has plans to marry she leaves her homeland heartbroken. She soon finds herself married and living overseas in the United States. After seven years she returns to Scotland after the death of her husband. Her feelings for Lennox have never changed.
Lennox is still very single and has never married. He now runs his family's shipbuilding company with ships high in demand during this time of war. Lennox is one of those men who seem to be able to fix everything and he worries about a man trying to get close to Glynis.
The chemistry between the pair was wonderful and I loved that this couple actually talked to each other. Glynis was a little hesitant to share her past with Lennox but she comes around eventually. I loved the secondary characters in this book, Glynis's mother, the town busybody, and Lucy all added to the story even though I often wanted to slap them because of the way that they acted.
When faced with difficulties, Glynis and Lennox met them head on. Glynis's reaction to the rumors being spread was simply priceless. There were a few really touching scenes in this book as well a well developed mystery and action.
I would highly recommend this book to fans of historical romance. I have previously read a novella by Karen Ranney but this is the first full length book by that author that I have had a chance to read. I definitely plan to read more books by Karen Ranney in the future.
I received a copy of this book from Avon Books via Edelweiss for the purpose of providing an honest review.
4.5 Stars!
This book was one of the best historical romances that I have read in a very long time. I read a large variety of books and I really like to mix things up so I don't read all that many historical romances anymore. Historical romance can sometimes be a little bit predictable but that did not apply to this book at all. This book made me question why I don't read historical romances more often.
This book is set in Scotland during the time of the American Civil War. As I read this book, I realized that I never gave a lot of thought as to how an American War would have impacted other areas of the world. I think that the Civil War and its impact on Scotland added a very interesting element to the book.
Glynis has always had feelings for Lennox but when she hears that he has plans to marry she leaves her homeland heartbroken. She soon finds herself married and living overseas in the United States. After seven years she returns to Scotland after the death of her husband. Her feelings for Lennox have never changed.
Lennox is still very single and has never married. He now runs his family's shipbuilding company with ships high in demand during this time of war. Lennox is one of those men who seem to be able to fix everything and he worries about a man trying to get close to Glynis.
The chemistry between the pair was wonderful and I loved that this couple actually talked to each other. Glynis was a little hesitant to share her past with Lennox but she comes around eventually. I loved the secondary characters in this book, Glynis's mother, the town busybody, and Lucy all added to the story even though I often wanted to slap them because of the way that they acted.
When faced with difficulties, Glynis and Lennox met them head on. Glynis's reaction to the rumors being spread was simply priceless. There were a few really touching scenes in this book as well a well developed mystery and action.
I would highly recommend this book to fans of historical romance. I have previously read a novella by Karen Ranney but this is the first full length book by that author that I have had a chance to read. I definitely plan to read more books by Karen Ranney in the future.
I received a copy of this book from Avon Books via Edelweiss for the purpose of providing an honest review.
May 5, 2019
Once when you were mine
I remember skies
Reflected in your eyes
I wonder where you are
I wonder if you
Think about me
Once upon a time
In your wildest dreams.b
As I read this book, I kept thinking of the Moody Blues' lovely ballad "Once Upon a Time.” Later I read on Karen Ranney's website that the song's lyrics reminded her of Glynis and Lennox's story and inspired this book's title.
Karen Ranney delivers a passionate second-chance romance, international espionage, and a solid history lesson in her latest book. The story takes place in Glasgow, Scotland, but the events of the American Civil War loom large in the background of Glynis and Lennox's lives.
After several years in Washington, D.C., with her diplomat husband, recently widowed Glynis has returned to Glasgow to find that the once-prosperous family mills are suffering because the Union blockade of southern ports is preventing shipments of cotton from leaving America. Her brother, Duncan, searches for a solution, but he is on the verge of having to close down. On the other hand, his best friend Lennox's shipyard is thriving by building swift blockade runners for the confederates. As he would with a real brother, Lennox would like to help, but Duncan's pride will not allow for that.
And then, after disappearing from Glasgow for seven years, Glynis walks into a reception honoring Lennox's father. Lennox finds her changed from the "irrepressible” girl he had known. She is still beautiful, but "she's brittle. Very polite, excessively so. She smiles at you but her eyes are flat.” But Lennox is intrigued, and attracted, and he is not going to allow Glynis to ignore him. The more she tries to pull away, the more determined is his pursuit.
Glynis is a sympathetic heroine who let her girlish humiliation lead her into a quick marriage to an acceptable man she barely knew. Although he dies before our story begins, Ranney gives the reader a vivid description of an obsequious toady at work who becomes a petty tyrant at home. He molded her into the perfect diplomat's wife, but in doing so he almost destroyed the real Glynis. (She is deeply ashamed of some things she did in America, and her secret leads to complications with Duncan. I didn't entirely buy into this, but that may just be my modern sensibility.)
Lennox is a delicious hero: handsome and rich, of course, but devoted to his family and in a way rather lonely. Their interactions are fun to watch, and the romance is very satisfying.
Ranney has populated this world with vividly drawn secondary characters. There is the visiting American planter Gavin Anderson, a Confederate blockade runner full of charm and bonhomie (think Rhett Butler) and his English wife Lucy who constantly complains about everything in Scotland. Glynis's girlhood friend Charlotte, and her family, portray the snobbery of Glasgow society and are almost comical in their awfulness. Sinister American Matthew Bauman, whom Glynis knew in Washington, lurks in the shadows and may be a spy. Or a saboteur. Or a murderer.
Which brings me back to the history. Great Britain was officially neutral during the American Civil War, but Scots engineering and business ingenuity helped the Confederacy sustain the war effort while London turned a blind eye. Shipbuilders along Glasgow's River Clyde were said to have employed 25,000 men and boys during this time. Vast fortunes were made, and Glasgow was full of spies from both the Union and the Confederacy. Sabotage of ships under construction was a constant worry. At the same time, Scotland's mills were suffering from a lack of cotton, and the arms in/cotton out blockade runners were practically the only way to get keep the mills running. Even so, the cotton-spinning industries never recovered from the effects of the war. (And did you know that the magnificent Clydesdale horses that we American love to watch in beer commercials were bred to haul lumber and supplies for the Clydeside industries?)
This is what I love about reading historical romance: the ingenious use of real history as a backdrop for stories of love, and Ranney excels in this. Of course, the love affair between Glynis and Duncan is the main story, and it is not overshadowed by the history. But the secondary plots – gossip, blackmail, bankruptcy, spying, sabotage, snobbery, and murder – keep this intricate story humming along nicely. The structure and pacing are excellent; I kept turning the page to find out what would happen next. What more can a reader ask for?
I remember skies
Reflected in your eyes
I wonder where you are
I wonder if you
Think about me
Once upon a time
In your wildest dreams.b
As I read this book, I kept thinking of the Moody Blues' lovely ballad "Once Upon a Time.” Later I read on Karen Ranney's website that the song's lyrics reminded her of Glynis and Lennox's story and inspired this book's title.
Karen Ranney delivers a passionate second-chance romance, international espionage, and a solid history lesson in her latest book. The story takes place in Glasgow, Scotland, but the events of the American Civil War loom large in the background of Glynis and Lennox's lives.
After several years in Washington, D.C., with her diplomat husband, recently widowed Glynis has returned to Glasgow to find that the once-prosperous family mills are suffering because the Union blockade of southern ports is preventing shipments of cotton from leaving America. Her brother, Duncan, searches for a solution, but he is on the verge of having to close down. On the other hand, his best friend Lennox's shipyard is thriving by building swift blockade runners for the confederates. As he would with a real brother, Lennox would like to help, but Duncan's pride will not allow for that.
And then, after disappearing from Glasgow for seven years, Glynis walks into a reception honoring Lennox's father. Lennox finds her changed from the "irrepressible” girl he had known. She is still beautiful, but "she's brittle. Very polite, excessively so. She smiles at you but her eyes are flat.” But Lennox is intrigued, and attracted, and he is not going to allow Glynis to ignore him. The more she tries to pull away, the more determined is his pursuit.
Glynis is a sympathetic heroine who let her girlish humiliation lead her into a quick marriage to an acceptable man she barely knew. Although he dies before our story begins, Ranney gives the reader a vivid description of an obsequious toady at work who becomes a petty tyrant at home. He molded her into the perfect diplomat's wife, but in doing so he almost destroyed the real Glynis. (She is deeply ashamed of some things she did in America, and her secret leads to complications with Duncan. I didn't entirely buy into this, but that may just be my modern sensibility.)
Lennox is a delicious hero: handsome and rich, of course, but devoted to his family and in a way rather lonely. Their interactions are fun to watch, and the romance is very satisfying.
Ranney has populated this world with vividly drawn secondary characters. There is the visiting American planter Gavin Anderson, a Confederate blockade runner full of charm and bonhomie (think Rhett Butler) and his English wife Lucy who constantly complains about everything in Scotland. Glynis's girlhood friend Charlotte, and her family, portray the snobbery of Glasgow society and are almost comical in their awfulness. Sinister American Matthew Bauman, whom Glynis knew in Washington, lurks in the shadows and may be a spy. Or a saboteur. Or a murderer.
Which brings me back to the history. Great Britain was officially neutral during the American Civil War, but Scots engineering and business ingenuity helped the Confederacy sustain the war effort while London turned a blind eye. Shipbuilders along Glasgow's River Clyde were said to have employed 25,000 men and boys during this time. Vast fortunes were made, and Glasgow was full of spies from both the Union and the Confederacy. Sabotage of ships under construction was a constant worry. At the same time, Scotland's mills were suffering from a lack of cotton, and the arms in/cotton out blockade runners were practically the only way to get keep the mills running. Even so, the cotton-spinning industries never recovered from the effects of the war. (And did you know that the magnificent Clydesdale horses that we American love to watch in beer commercials were bred to haul lumber and supplies for the Clydeside industries?)
This is what I love about reading historical romance: the ingenious use of real history as a backdrop for stories of love, and Ranney excels in this. Of course, the love affair between Glynis and Duncan is the main story, and it is not overshadowed by the history. But the secondary plots – gossip, blackmail, bankruptcy, spying, sabotage, snobbery, and murder – keep this intricate story humming along nicely. The structure and pacing are excellent; I kept turning the page to find out what would happen next. What more can a reader ask for?
May 7, 2025
”Lennox Cameron resembled a prince and a devastating Highlander and he’d been the hero of most of her childish dreams.
No longer, however. Too much had happened in the intervening years.
She had grown up.”
Well, butter my butt and call me a Sassenach, but I never though a historical romance could be so… boring.
Glynis Maclain has been in love with her brother’s best friend for as long as she can remember. So when she finally plucks up the courage to plant one on Lennox Cameron, she becomes utterly humiliated to find out that he has an apparent Russian sweetheart that he conveniently forgot to mention. So Glynis picks up the remains of her fragile heart and accepts a marriage proposal (which is really more of a business arrangement) from an American diplomat. She leaves Scotland behind to become the dutiful politicians’ wife, but when he dies she returns to Scotland… and Lennox.
That’s a very succinct plot summary of this book. A more accurate summary is this:
Glynis and Lennox make out. Glynis runs away. She comes back. She tries to forget about him but can’t. She repeatedly asks and pesters Lennox about his past and current love affairs, all the while trying to get up the gumption to ask why he didn’t chose her. All the while, he, in his infinite Scottish daftness, can’t seem to be able to tell her that the reason he broke off all those proposals of marriage was because that kiss she planted on him left such a lasting impression that no one could compare to her.
COMMUNICATE, PEOPLE. DOESN’T ANYONE IN SCOTLAND KNOW HOW TO FREAKIN’ COMMUNICATE??!!
It honestly took 355 pages for them to actually confess their feelings and finally admit that they love each other. Good Lord, those two people could have saved me so much time if they had just, I don’t know, talked about it sooner.
We do get some side plots on the shipbuilding business Lennox owns, the mill business that Glynis’ family owns, Confederate spies, Glynis’ dick of a husband, and how much a certain character hates Scotland.
How can you hate Scotland? It gave us Sam Heughan. That’s enough to love it right there.
This book was just so dreadfully dull that I just couldn’t bring myself to invest too terribly much into it. Even the two leads weren’t that memorable, and their love scenes were extremely vanilla compared to some others that I’ve read (that’s a sentence I never thought I would hear myself saying, considering how anti-bodice ripper/historical romance I was a few years back).
Leave this book near the Scottish Highlands and high-tail it out of there, because with such a boring plot and vanilla leads, you're more likely to fall asleep with this book rather than feel ooey and gooey inside.
Side Note: Scots know how to hold a grudge. A lot is made out of the English/Scottish dislike in this book, and my family can personally vouch for that. My father traveled to Scotland as a young man with a tour group. They got around mainly by bus. During one of those bus trips, they bus changed drivers. As soon as the new driver got onto the bus, he looked the passengers in the eye and said,
"If there are any Campbells on this bus, you can just go on ahead and get off"
The guy was referring to the Campbell Massacre of 1692, to be specific. So I guess the message in that whole story was: don't piss off a Scot.
No longer, however. Too much had happened in the intervening years.
She had grown up.”
Well, butter my butt and call me a Sassenach, but I never though a historical romance could be so… boring.
Glynis Maclain has been in love with her brother’s best friend for as long as she can remember. So when she finally plucks up the courage to plant one on Lennox Cameron, she becomes utterly humiliated to find out that he has an apparent Russian sweetheart that he conveniently forgot to mention. So Glynis picks up the remains of her fragile heart and accepts a marriage proposal (which is really more of a business arrangement) from an American diplomat. She leaves Scotland behind to become the dutiful politicians’ wife, but when he dies she returns to Scotland… and Lennox.
That’s a very succinct plot summary of this book. A more accurate summary is this:
Glynis and Lennox make out. Glynis runs away. She comes back. She tries to forget about him but can’t. She repeatedly asks and pesters Lennox about his past and current love affairs, all the while trying to get up the gumption to ask why he didn’t chose her. All the while, he, in his infinite Scottish daftness, can’t seem to be able to tell her that the reason he broke off all those proposals of marriage was because that kiss she planted on him left such a lasting impression that no one could compare to her.
COMMUNICATE, PEOPLE. DOESN’T ANYONE IN SCOTLAND KNOW HOW TO FREAKIN’ COMMUNICATE??!!
It honestly took 355 pages for them to actually confess their feelings and finally admit that they love each other. Good Lord, those two people could have saved me so much time if they had just, I don’t know, talked about it sooner.
We do get some side plots on the shipbuilding business Lennox owns, the mill business that Glynis’ family owns, Confederate spies, Glynis’ dick of a husband, and how much a certain character hates Scotland.
How can you hate Scotland? It gave us Sam Heughan. That’s enough to love it right there.
This book was just so dreadfully dull that I just couldn’t bring myself to invest too terribly much into it. Even the two leads weren’t that memorable, and their love scenes were extremely vanilla compared to some others that I’ve read (that’s a sentence I never thought I would hear myself saying, considering how anti-bodice ripper/historical romance I was a few years back).
Leave this book near the Scottish Highlands and high-tail it out of there, because with such a boring plot and vanilla leads, you're more likely to fall asleep with this book rather than feel ooey and gooey inside.
Side Note: Scots know how to hold a grudge. A lot is made out of the English/Scottish dislike in this book, and my family can personally vouch for that. My father traveled to Scotland as a young man with a tour group. They got around mainly by bus. During one of those bus trips, they bus changed drivers. As soon as the new driver got onto the bus, he looked the passengers in the eye and said,
"If there are any Campbells on this bus, you can just go on ahead and get off"
The guy was referring to the Campbell Massacre of 1692, to be specific. So I guess the message in that whole story was: don't piss off a Scot.
February 15, 2016
I have tried to read Karen Ranney's books several times, always ended up being disappointed. I don't think I have given more than 1 1-star review to a writer before. This is my second for Karen Ranney. I don't know how one could tell a story like she does. Going here and there and everywhere without a clear aim of what needs to be achieved in the chapter.
She has a lot of secondary characters and the lead characters are as character-less as water. They simply have no taste. Glynis and Lennox had a second chance romance going in this book. Glynis was obviously pining for Lennox whereas Lennox hardly noticed her. If one is expecting some kind of rekindled passion between Glynis and Lennox. one would be disappointed. What we have is bland conversation, lots of boring details about the roles these Scots supposedly played in the American civil war, a little bit of spying action, shipbuilding and cotton. It just reads like a mix of all the usual historical romance elements with no particular focus on any genre, the Great Britain in the 19th century, Scotland and highlanders, espionage, Russians, ships and cotton, it is as if Ms. Ranney could not decide on her favorite sub genre so she decided to write a book which resembles a goo of mashed potato. I am very close to formally declaring that I am giving up on this writer. The only good thing I can say about the book is the cover. Avon knows how to do a cover.
She has a lot of secondary characters and the lead characters are as character-less as water. They simply have no taste. Glynis and Lennox had a second chance romance going in this book. Glynis was obviously pining for Lennox whereas Lennox hardly noticed her. If one is expecting some kind of rekindled passion between Glynis and Lennox. one would be disappointed. What we have is bland conversation, lots of boring details about the roles these Scots supposedly played in the American civil war, a little bit of spying action, shipbuilding and cotton. It just reads like a mix of all the usual historical romance elements with no particular focus on any genre, the Great Britain in the 19th century, Scotland and highlanders, espionage, Russians, ships and cotton, it is as if Ms. Ranney could not decide on her favorite sub genre so she decided to write a book which resembles a goo of mashed potato. I am very close to formally declaring that I am giving up on this writer. The only good thing I can say about the book is the cover. Avon knows how to do a cover.
March 24, 2022
This was pleasant enough. Great narration and a good story. Brother's Best Friend and a second chance romance. More like a romance that never quite came to be when they were young.
It was a very slow burn though and I was bored with the plot in a few ways.
4 Stars
2.5 on the spice scale. (There wasn't much spice but they were.... very hot when it happened.)
It was a very slow burn though and I was bored with the plot in a few ways.
4 Stars
2.5 on the spice scale. (There wasn't much spice but they were.... very hot when it happened.)
February 15, 2015
Could not get very far with this one. The story takes place during the American Civil War and the Civil War is an important component of the story, even though it is nominally set in Scotland. The hero builds ships to break the Union blockade of Confederate ports, and is basically on the side of the South. The bad guy works for the Union government. Ranney describes the hero as "disliking" slavery - at this point I had to set the book away (throw it away, in fact)! Ummm, no, there is no "liking" or "disliking" where slavery is concerned - it is a crime against humanity, like genocide or mass rape. The author lives in San Antonio, Texas, and maybe as a Southerner she has a bone to pick with the Union side about its treatment of the South after the war, but that doesn't excuse the wishy-washy statements about slavery now in the 21st century.
October 4, 2015
This book was such a chore to get through because it was so boring. I kept hoping things would pick up but they never did. I don't think that top shelf for it should be historical romance because this book was about the mill and the shipyard and the American Civil War and the romance was simply a subplot. The American Civil War is the centre of the story -- even though it's happening an ocean away and there's no one from the story directly involved in it. Oh, and nearly ever single person the reader meets gets a scene from their POV so that just took away even more from the romance aspect.
The writing of the book lacks any and all emotion. There's no payoff or emotional impact from events that the reader should be looking forward to. I say should because the preceding scenes leading up to these events are written so dispassionately that the reader isn't really left looking forward to anything.
The synopsis sounded like there was going to be some major emotional payoff but nope! There was absolutely none, in my opinion. At the end of the prologue, Glynis leaves Scotland for America. And, then, at the beginning of the first chapter, she's already been back in Scotland for a week. The other issue with the prologue is that the reader doesn't develop a connection to the characters so there's no real emotional impact when she gets her heart broken and leaves. All of the major plot points were dealt with in this way -- no emotion. Whether it's her departure and return, her past in America and even the proposal, marriage and the I Love Yous. There's no buildup to these events and no emotion and it all just kind of happens. I thought there'd be more to their eventual relationship but the book ends up concentrating more on events to do with the mill and shipyard and the war than the relationship between Glynis and Lennox. I blame the author's writing on this because she doesn't write so the reader develops a connection to her characters.
In a romance novel, it's pretty much a given that the two protagonists will be getting an HEA...which is why the journey to getting there is fun to read. In this book, you wonder how they'll get there..only for them to think, think, think...and then be kind of forced together due to circumstances. They spent seven years apart and, once she's back, there's absolutely no courtship or a build-up of a romantic relationship between them -- things just happen and then they're married. Even at their damn wedding, Glynis is getting distracted. She starts musing on other things and her thoughts are only brought back to the ceremony when Lennox tells her "We're married" and she says "oh." I agree with the other reviews that say they tread the same thought territory over and over because the author does. It's so damn repetitive and boring.
The story is also dragged out because the I Love Yous don't happen immediately. I don't understand why Lennox holds back on saying it because, unlike Glynis, he's already aware of her feelings because Duncan tells him. He also had absolutely nothing to lose at this point because they're getting married and there's no reason not to do so...oh, other than the author just wanting to drag things out. Glynis also does Lennox wrong because she doesn't tell him the truth before she marries him. It's not fair to him considering something as serious and permanent as marriage.
There were also a lot of things that were left unanswered at the end or just plain annoyed me. Why did Glynis take nearly two years to return to Scotland after Richard's death? She said her voyage was paid for legation, so it's not like she had to work to earn the money for passage. Glynis keeps thinking about the "paces" Richard put her through...but what were they? As a whole, the entire seven years are basically skipped over and her life in Cairo and Washington is completely tell and no show. Also, the rumours about Lidia that sent Glynis packing in the first place? Lennox is surprised by them, while Eleanor, Glynis's mother, said they were all over the place. Were that the case, wouldn't Lennox have heard about them??? Someone would've mentioned them to him. Oh, and the sudden mention of Lennox's mother at the end? What was the point of that? Duncan also completely disappears part way through and the mill, which was a major issue in the beginning, is forgotten (other than a draft Glynis passes to Duncan through her mother). I thought Glynis was serving as Duncan's bookkeeper?? She serves like one day and it's never mentioned again.
The writing of the book lacks any and all emotion. There's no payoff or emotional impact from events that the reader should be looking forward to. I say should because the preceding scenes leading up to these events are written so dispassionately that the reader isn't really left looking forward to anything.
The synopsis sounded like there was going to be some major emotional payoff but nope! There was absolutely none, in my opinion. At the end of the prologue, Glynis leaves Scotland for America. And, then, at the beginning of the first chapter, she's already been back in Scotland for a week. The other issue with the prologue is that the reader doesn't develop a connection to the characters so there's no real emotional impact when she gets her heart broken and leaves. All of the major plot points were dealt with in this way -- no emotion. Whether it's her departure and return, her past in America and even the proposal, marriage and the I Love Yous. There's no buildup to these events and no emotion and it all just kind of happens. I thought there'd be more to their eventual relationship but the book ends up concentrating more on events to do with the mill and shipyard and the war than the relationship between Glynis and Lennox. I blame the author's writing on this because she doesn't write so the reader develops a connection to her characters.
In a romance novel, it's pretty much a given that the two protagonists will be getting an HEA...which is why the journey to getting there is fun to read. In this book, you wonder how they'll get there..only for them to think, think, think...and then be kind of forced together due to circumstances. They spent seven years apart and, once she's back, there's absolutely no courtship or a build-up of a romantic relationship between them -- things just happen and then they're married. Even at their damn wedding, Glynis is getting distracted. She starts musing on other things and her thoughts are only brought back to the ceremony when Lennox tells her "We're married" and she says "oh." I agree with the other reviews that say they tread the same thought territory over and over because the author does. It's so damn repetitive and boring.
The story is also dragged out because the I Love Yous don't happen immediately. I don't understand why Lennox holds back on saying it because, unlike Glynis, he's already aware of her feelings because Duncan tells him. He also had absolutely nothing to lose at this point because they're getting married and there's no reason not to do so...oh, other than the author just wanting to drag things out. Glynis also does Lennox wrong because she doesn't tell him the truth before she marries him. It's not fair to him considering something as serious and permanent as marriage.
There were also a lot of things that were left unanswered at the end or just plain annoyed me. Why did Glynis take nearly two years to return to Scotland after Richard's death? She said her voyage was paid for legation, so it's not like she had to work to earn the money for passage. Glynis keeps thinking about the "paces" Richard put her through...but what were they? As a whole, the entire seven years are basically skipped over and her life in Cairo and Washington is completely tell and no show. Also, the rumours about Lidia that sent Glynis packing in the first place? Lennox is surprised by them, while Eleanor, Glynis's mother, said they were all over the place. Were that the case, wouldn't Lennox have heard about them??? Someone would've mentioned them to him. Oh, and the sudden mention of Lennox's mother at the end? What was the point of that? Duncan also completely disappears part way through and the mill, which was a major issue in the beginning, is forgotten (other than a draft Glynis passes to Duncan through her mother). I thought Glynis was serving as Duncan's bookkeeper?? She serves like one day and it's never mentioned again.
July 3, 2024
More like 3 1/2. It was fine. I don’t think I bought that Lennox just realized that he loved Glynas all of a sudden and then wanted to marry her. He had to know of her feelings for years.
I did think this was better than the second one.
I did think this was better than the second one.
February 1, 2015
Glynis Maclain once loved Lennox Cameron, but when he didn’t return her love, she married
someone else and left her home, and went to America, and her life changed forever. She is now a widow, and has finally returned to her home, to her family, but she is determined to not let Lennox break her heart again. Lennox is a shipbuilder, and very successful, but has never married, because there has only been one woman who has held his heart…Glynis. Now that she has returned, a widow, he is bound to show her what they can be together, but only if Glynis will let go of past hurts and betrayals and open herself up for love again…
What I loved most? Everything…hehe I know I know…but I truly loved this one, and what a great beginning to a new series. I really can’t tell you the exact name of the series yet, since that has yet to be revealed, so I have just guessed that it is about “Scottish Dreams” and the second book comes out this spring, which I am very excited about. Karen Ranney is such a wonderful author, and her talent in creating romances is beyond superb. As I am sure you know, Ranney writes her books centered on a Highlander theme, and this book is more in the Regency era. We also see aspects of the civil war, and I loved having that aspect. Its not a major element to the plot, but the certain qualities of it add a certain depth to the story you don’t expect to see. And the supposed villain, kinda turns out to be not what you really expect, and I loved seeing the varying aspects that combine this one into a winning romance that won my attention from beginning to end.
The characters in this story are truly unique and I found their personalities to compliment the plot really well and in ways that surprised me. Lennox Cameron, is quite successful and goes after what he wants. He is a fabulous hero, but I felt like the story focused more on Glynis than it did on Lennox. We see more inside depth on her character, and of her past a bit, and how her previous marriage changed her, but what I also liked is how this story really implements the self discovery of herself even more than you expect, and I liked seeing her inner strength show more, and we see how she is a great match for Lennox. Even though we don’t see as much of his character as we do of Glynis, we do see his struggles a bit, and how their personalities really mesh together in a way that is just wonderful.
This love story is quite a winner for me, I had so much fun with these two, and boy do they know how to add conflict to their relationsip, and they don’t make it easy on themselves and just admit their feelings to each other…oh no they have to do this long mating ritual, but the final outcome is definitely worth the wait. Overall I enjoyed how the different elements of the story come together in the end, for a full satisfying read that will captivate you. A STELLAR ROMANCE!!
someone else and left her home, and went to America, and her life changed forever. She is now a widow, and has finally returned to her home, to her family, but she is determined to not let Lennox break her heart again. Lennox is a shipbuilder, and very successful, but has never married, because there has only been one woman who has held his heart…Glynis. Now that she has returned, a widow, he is bound to show her what they can be together, but only if Glynis will let go of past hurts and betrayals and open herself up for love again…
What I loved most? Everything…hehe I know I know…but I truly loved this one, and what a great beginning to a new series. I really can’t tell you the exact name of the series yet, since that has yet to be revealed, so I have just guessed that it is about “Scottish Dreams” and the second book comes out this spring, which I am very excited about. Karen Ranney is such a wonderful author, and her talent in creating romances is beyond superb. As I am sure you know, Ranney writes her books centered on a Highlander theme, and this book is more in the Regency era. We also see aspects of the civil war, and I loved having that aspect. Its not a major element to the plot, but the certain qualities of it add a certain depth to the story you don’t expect to see. And the supposed villain, kinda turns out to be not what you really expect, and I loved seeing the varying aspects that combine this one into a winning romance that won my attention from beginning to end.
The characters in this story are truly unique and I found their personalities to compliment the plot really well and in ways that surprised me. Lennox Cameron, is quite successful and goes after what he wants. He is a fabulous hero, but I felt like the story focused more on Glynis than it did on Lennox. We see more inside depth on her character, and of her past a bit, and how her previous marriage changed her, but what I also liked is how this story really implements the self discovery of herself even more than you expect, and I liked seeing her inner strength show more, and we see how she is a great match for Lennox. Even though we don’t see as much of his character as we do of Glynis, we do see his struggles a bit, and how their personalities really mesh together in a way that is just wonderful.
This love story is quite a winner for me, I had so much fun with these two, and boy do they know how to add conflict to their relationsip, and they don’t make it easy on themselves and just admit their feelings to each other…oh no they have to do this long mating ritual, but the final outcome is definitely worth the wait. Overall I enjoyed how the different elements of the story come together in the end, for a full satisfying read that will captivate you. A STELLAR ROMANCE!!
July 28, 2024
Review from 2015
B- for narration / B for content, so let's say 3.5 stars.
In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams is the first in a new series from this popular author, and is set in Scotland in the 1860s. As well as having an intriguing historical background, it features a second-chance romance, which is a favourite trope of mine; and the audiobook version is narrated by Ralph Lister, someone I’ve listened to before and wanted to hear again.
Glynis MacIain has been in love with her brother’s best friend, Lennox Cameron, ever since she was a girl. Aged nineteen, she declares herself – but before he can respond, Lennox allows himself to be called away and Glynis is heartbroken, seeing his actions as rejection. She then hears rumours that he is about to announce his betrothal and runs away to London in despair where she marries an up-and-coming diplomat who is very soon posted abroad.
Seven years later, she returns home a widow, and a markedly different person from the vivacious, outspoken young woman who left so precipitately. She’s now very self-contained and poised, pasting her particular “Washington smile” onto her face at social gatherings to conceal whatever is going through her mind. Her husband trained her not to show emotion and forced her to bury her naturally outgoing nature so that Glynis has almost lost her true self. Her feelings for Lennox haven’t changed, but experience has made her more cautious and determined not to allow her emotions to overwhelm her and open herself up to such hurt again.
Lennox hasn’t married in the intervening years, although Glynis learns of a short-lived betrothal some years ago. He was surprised and hurt when she ran off so suddenly for no reason that he could discover; yet while he is wary of the emotions seeing her again evoke in him, he is more than willing to explore the possibility that there could be something more than friendship between them.
One of the things I liked most about this story was the historical background, which is one I haven’t come across before in an historical romance. The setting is Scotland during the years of the American Civil War, and I knew nothing about the wider impact of that conflict. Great Britain was officially neutral, but the government seems to have turned a blind eye to the fact that Scottish shipbuilders were building ships capable of breaking through the Union blockades and thus helping to sustain the Confederate cause. It appears that Glasgow was a hot-bed of espionage and intrigue and there was a vast amount of money to be made – but the flipside was that the lack of cotton coming from America meant that the mills which relied on it were struggling to remain in business, and the only thing keeping some of them from going under was the supplies coming in on the illegal blockade runners.
Glynis’ brother is one such mill owner, and their family business is in danger of failing because they are unable to obtain the cotton they need to keep going. Duncan MacIain is Lennox’s best friend, but although Lennox has made a huge amount of money from his shipbuilding business and would like nothing more than to help his friend out, Duncan’s pride won’t allow him to accept a loan or handout.
On top of her worries about her brother and his business, her own financial situation (her husband left her nothing) and the resurgence of her feelings for Lennox, Glynis is also keeping secrets concerning her time spent as a diplomat’s wife in Washington. One of the reasons she tries so hard to hold herself aloof from Lennox is because she’s not proud of her former life and some of the things she had to do, which appear to have come back to bite her in the leg in the form of Matthew Baumann, a man with whom she had dealings she would rather forget.
Add to all this a murder, a mysterious shipyard “accident”, blackmail, espionage… there’s a lot going on in the story, but I never felt as though any of it detracted from the central romance between Glynis and Lennox. There are a set of well-developed secondary characters, from charming plantation owner Gavin Anderson and his English wife, Lucy, who complains about everything in Scotland, to Glynis’ childhood friend Charlotte, who now fancies herself a leader of Glasgow society.
Lennox is a wonderful hero – honourable, steadfast and caring, and he and Glynis are very well suited. Although Glynis is hesitant at first, she gradually opens up to Lennox about the truth of her marriage and life in Washington, and I enjoyed listening to her regain her self-confidence and former liveliness through their interactions. The romance proceeds at a good pace, and the couple has great chemistry – although I’ll admit to sniggering a bit at the part in which she likens his wedding tackle to an eager puppy!
I’ve listened to Ralph Lister before ( Charming the Shrew ) and while I had a few reservations about his narration, I enjoyed it reasonably well overall. He speaks in a slightly husky baritone which is attractive and pleasant to listen to and he reads the narrative expressively and at a good pace. One of the issues I’d had with the earlier performance I’d heard was with the way in which he voiced the heroine; she seemed to be shouting all the time and it sounded as though Mr Lister was having problems sustaining the higher pitch he’d opted to use. I’m very pleased to report that that is not an issue here at all; his performance of Glynis is very good, her tone is measured and there’s nary a screech within earshot!
I’m afraid I can’t report so favourably on the other matter I took issue with, which was to do with accents. The story is set in Scotland so naturally the majority of the characters speak with Scottish accents (apart from Glynis, who lost hers, a couple of Americans and a woman who sounds like she could have come direct from the cast of EastEnders!). Unfortunately, Mr Lister’s Scottish accents still leave something to be desired, although I do recognise that I’m particularly picky on this issue and it may not be so problematic for other listeners. His accent sounds suitably authentic, but my issues are to do with pronunciation and consistency. There are times when the accent comes and goes, and there are some phonetic groupings which are poorly pronounced throughout.
I would really like to hear Mr Lister narrate an historical romance that isn’t set in Scotland, as the rest of his performance in this is very good indeed – which is what’s so frustrating. If it weren’t for the problem I’ve outlined above, I’d be grading his narration at a B+ at least, but that one thing is such a big part of the book and narration that it’s impossible to ignore.
B- for narration / B for content, so let's say 3.5 stars.
In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams is the first in a new series from this popular author, and is set in Scotland in the 1860s. As well as having an intriguing historical background, it features a second-chance romance, which is a favourite trope of mine; and the audiobook version is narrated by Ralph Lister, someone I’ve listened to before and wanted to hear again.
Glynis MacIain has been in love with her brother’s best friend, Lennox Cameron, ever since she was a girl. Aged nineteen, she declares herself – but before he can respond, Lennox allows himself to be called away and Glynis is heartbroken, seeing his actions as rejection. She then hears rumours that he is about to announce his betrothal and runs away to London in despair where she marries an up-and-coming diplomat who is very soon posted abroad.
Seven years later, she returns home a widow, and a markedly different person from the vivacious, outspoken young woman who left so precipitately. She’s now very self-contained and poised, pasting her particular “Washington smile” onto her face at social gatherings to conceal whatever is going through her mind. Her husband trained her not to show emotion and forced her to bury her naturally outgoing nature so that Glynis has almost lost her true self. Her feelings for Lennox haven’t changed, but experience has made her more cautious and determined not to allow her emotions to overwhelm her and open herself up to such hurt again.
Lennox hasn’t married in the intervening years, although Glynis learns of a short-lived betrothal some years ago. He was surprised and hurt when she ran off so suddenly for no reason that he could discover; yet while he is wary of the emotions seeing her again evoke in him, he is more than willing to explore the possibility that there could be something more than friendship between them.
One of the things I liked most about this story was the historical background, which is one I haven’t come across before in an historical romance. The setting is Scotland during the years of the American Civil War, and I knew nothing about the wider impact of that conflict. Great Britain was officially neutral, but the government seems to have turned a blind eye to the fact that Scottish shipbuilders were building ships capable of breaking through the Union blockades and thus helping to sustain the Confederate cause. It appears that Glasgow was a hot-bed of espionage and intrigue and there was a vast amount of money to be made – but the flipside was that the lack of cotton coming from America meant that the mills which relied on it were struggling to remain in business, and the only thing keeping some of them from going under was the supplies coming in on the illegal blockade runners.
Glynis’ brother is one such mill owner, and their family business is in danger of failing because they are unable to obtain the cotton they need to keep going. Duncan MacIain is Lennox’s best friend, but although Lennox has made a huge amount of money from his shipbuilding business and would like nothing more than to help his friend out, Duncan’s pride won’t allow him to accept a loan or handout.
On top of her worries about her brother and his business, her own financial situation (her husband left her nothing) and the resurgence of her feelings for Lennox, Glynis is also keeping secrets concerning her time spent as a diplomat’s wife in Washington. One of the reasons she tries so hard to hold herself aloof from Lennox is because she’s not proud of her former life and some of the things she had to do, which appear to have come back to bite her in the leg in the form of Matthew Baumann, a man with whom she had dealings she would rather forget.
Add to all this a murder, a mysterious shipyard “accident”, blackmail, espionage… there’s a lot going on in the story, but I never felt as though any of it detracted from the central romance between Glynis and Lennox. There are a set of well-developed secondary characters, from charming plantation owner Gavin Anderson and his English wife, Lucy, who complains about everything in Scotland, to Glynis’ childhood friend Charlotte, who now fancies herself a leader of Glasgow society.
Lennox is a wonderful hero – honourable, steadfast and caring, and he and Glynis are very well suited. Although Glynis is hesitant at first, she gradually opens up to Lennox about the truth of her marriage and life in Washington, and I enjoyed listening to her regain her self-confidence and former liveliness through their interactions. The romance proceeds at a good pace, and the couple has great chemistry – although I’ll admit to sniggering a bit at the part in which she likens his wedding tackle to an eager puppy!
I’ve listened to Ralph Lister before ( Charming the Shrew ) and while I had a few reservations about his narration, I enjoyed it reasonably well overall. He speaks in a slightly husky baritone which is attractive and pleasant to listen to and he reads the narrative expressively and at a good pace. One of the issues I’d had with the earlier performance I’d heard was with the way in which he voiced the heroine; she seemed to be shouting all the time and it sounded as though Mr Lister was having problems sustaining the higher pitch he’d opted to use. I’m very pleased to report that that is not an issue here at all; his performance of Glynis is very good, her tone is measured and there’s nary a screech within earshot!
I’m afraid I can’t report so favourably on the other matter I took issue with, which was to do with accents. The story is set in Scotland so naturally the majority of the characters speak with Scottish accents (apart from Glynis, who lost hers, a couple of Americans and a woman who sounds like she could have come direct from the cast of EastEnders!). Unfortunately, Mr Lister’s Scottish accents still leave something to be desired, although I do recognise that I’m particularly picky on this issue and it may not be so problematic for other listeners. His accent sounds suitably authentic, but my issues are to do with pronunciation and consistency. There are times when the accent comes and goes, and there are some phonetic groupings which are poorly pronounced throughout.
I would really like to hear Mr Lister narrate an historical romance that isn’t set in Scotland, as the rest of his performance in this is very good indeed – which is what’s so frustrating. If it weren’t for the problem I’ve outlined above, I’d be grading his narration at a B+ at least, but that one thing is such a big part of the book and narration that it’s impossible to ignore.
May 4, 2024
This book is a second-chance romance featuring a Scottish shipbuilder designing blockade runners for the American Confederacy, the impact on Scottish mills lacking southern cotton, spies and espionage, murder, arson, pedophilia, blackmail, and lots of harmful gossip.
And somehow this author manages to turn all that into something so stultifyingly boring it defies description. How?
First, by making the heroine stunningly stupid and having her push the refresh button on that stupidity repeatedly during the course of the book.
Secondly, by always using 700 words when 7 would do.
Thirdly, by making the story 95% introspection, 5% action. Using, again, 700 words when 7 would do.
Fourthly, by making nothing clear so that thoughts, feelings, actions have to churned through again and again.
Fifthly, by throwing so many obstacles and delays and doubts between the two main characters that the reader loses interest in their romance completely.
This was everything I never want to see in a historical romance ever again.
And somehow this author manages to turn all that into something so stultifyingly boring it defies description. How?
First, by making the heroine stunningly stupid and having her push the refresh button on that stupidity repeatedly during the course of the book.
Secondly, by always using 700 words when 7 would do.
Thirdly, by making the story 95% introspection, 5% action. Using, again, 700 words when 7 would do.
Fourthly, by making nothing clear so that thoughts, feelings, actions have to churned through again and again.
Fifthly, by throwing so many obstacles and delays and doubts between the two main characters that the reader loses interest in their romance completely.
This was everything I never want to see in a historical romance ever again.
no-way-jose
May 4, 2024Note to self: second-chance, spies and espionage, murder, arson, pedophilia and blackmail/harmful gossip. All things I would not enjoy.
February 3, 2015
4.5 Stars
Glynis Smythe has adored Lennox Cameron, her older brother’s best friend and their neighbor for her whole life. At the age of five, she claimed him as hers. At nineteen, she decided it was time to make her move. She summoned him to meet her in a private room, where she threw her arms around him and kissed him. Lennox is at first stunned, then as he begins to respond, they are interrupted by a lady who would prefer to keep Lennox for herself. Still bemused, Lennox allows himself to be led away, not realizing that Glynis would take that as rejection. When Glynis hears rumors that there is an imminent engagement between Lennox and this same lady, she takes off for London. There she meets an aspiring diplomat, who feels she could be molded into the perfect hostess for him. He proposes a businesslike marriage, and Glynis, never wanting to have to face Lennox and his soon-to-be wife, accepts. They are wed immediately and leave for America.
Now, seven years later, widowed, and without any means of support, Glynis returns home to Scotland. The rumors of Lennox’s impending marriage were just that – rumors. He is still single. When Lennox sees Glynis for the first time in seven years, he notices several things. First of all, she’s more beautiful than ever, but her joy and vivaciousness are gone. Her smile is brittle, she is overly polite, and her eyes are flat and lifeless. She also seems determined to spend little time with him. For her part, Glynis is dismayed to find that she still is overwhelmed by Lennox. All the time apart has not lessened her love.
A second chance at love is one of my favorite tropes, but there is so much more to this story. It takes place during the American Civil War, and that had far reaching effects, both for Lennox’s shipbuilding business and for the diplomatic circles Glynis moved in. As quoted in this book, “War is hell,” and it caused people, including Glynis, to do things they wouldn’t normally do. As Glynis tries to move on, her past comes back to haunt her.
Karen Ranney has written an absolutely captivating story with so much happening. Lennox is one hot Scot – protective, honorable, strong, and off the charts sexy. There is murder, blackmail, treachery, secrets, gossip, arson, passion, and heartbreak – all leading to an exciting and engrossing read. The focus, though, is the wonderful love story, with a most satisfying happy ever after that was seven years in the making.
Review appeared at rosesareblue.net
http://wp.me/p3QRh4-6H
Glynis Smythe has adored Lennox Cameron, her older brother’s best friend and their neighbor for her whole life. At the age of five, she claimed him as hers. At nineteen, she decided it was time to make her move. She summoned him to meet her in a private room, where she threw her arms around him and kissed him. Lennox is at first stunned, then as he begins to respond, they are interrupted by a lady who would prefer to keep Lennox for herself. Still bemused, Lennox allows himself to be led away, not realizing that Glynis would take that as rejection. When Glynis hears rumors that there is an imminent engagement between Lennox and this same lady, she takes off for London. There she meets an aspiring diplomat, who feels she could be molded into the perfect hostess for him. He proposes a businesslike marriage, and Glynis, never wanting to have to face Lennox and his soon-to-be wife, accepts. They are wed immediately and leave for America.
Now, seven years later, widowed, and without any means of support, Glynis returns home to Scotland. The rumors of Lennox’s impending marriage were just that – rumors. He is still single. When Lennox sees Glynis for the first time in seven years, he notices several things. First of all, she’s more beautiful than ever, but her joy and vivaciousness are gone. Her smile is brittle, she is overly polite, and her eyes are flat and lifeless. She also seems determined to spend little time with him. For her part, Glynis is dismayed to find that she still is overwhelmed by Lennox. All the time apart has not lessened her love.
A second chance at love is one of my favorite tropes, but there is so much more to this story. It takes place during the American Civil War, and that had far reaching effects, both for Lennox’s shipbuilding business and for the diplomatic circles Glynis moved in. As quoted in this book, “War is hell,” and it caused people, including Glynis, to do things they wouldn’t normally do. As Glynis tries to move on, her past comes back to haunt her.
Karen Ranney has written an absolutely captivating story with so much happening. Lennox is one hot Scot – protective, honorable, strong, and off the charts sexy. There is murder, blackmail, treachery, secrets, gossip, arson, passion, and heartbreak – all leading to an exciting and engrossing read. The focus, though, is the wonderful love story, with a most satisfying happy ever after that was seven years in the making.
Review appeared at rosesareblue.net
http://wp.me/p3QRh4-6H
February 4, 2015
Posted on What I'm Reading
I thoroughly enjoyed In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams. I love the inner dialogue Glynis and Lennox have during this story. It was a lot of fun to read. So, we have Glynis and Lennox and they have both loved each other for a long time, but pride seems to get in their way. Since the pride is the big issue, neither one of them wants to admit mistakes. Terrible downfall that pride. A wounded Glynis runs off and marries another, and she eventually comes back after seven years. By the way she comes back a widow and she aims to stay far away from Lennox no matter what her heart says. Lennox was hurt when she up and left another, and he never understood why. However, he vows to stay away from her.
Love this story, because we watch these two try everything to stay away one another. Yet, they seem to be in the same area. Fate is a fickle bitch. So, we have that going on, and we still have more to story. In the blurb it talks about Lennox helping the Confederates cause by building ships. He decides to try to protect Gavin Whittaker and his wife by taking them in. First off, Gavin's wife is not very pleasant. Wait, she's downright awful, and she has nothing nice to say about anything. Kind of important to remember Gavin and his wife. Then we have another key player in the story Mathew Baumann and he's sniffing around for the union army.
Overall, In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams is a fantastic story about second chance love. I found myself not wanting to stop reading for anything. I kept telling myself one more chapter. I'm excited to see what direction the story goes. Lennox and Glynis are wonderfully stubborn. I love Glynis character the most, because at the beginning the book you see her as this wild and freed person. However, life's circumstances changes her, and you wonder what went on in her marriage with her first husband. So, we slowly got to see glimpse what she went through. She had a lot of courage, which I admire. Lennox is lovable. Yes, a page turner and I can't wait for more.
Copy provided by Avon via Edelweiss
I thoroughly enjoyed In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams. I love the inner dialogue Glynis and Lennox have during this story. It was a lot of fun to read. So, we have Glynis and Lennox and they have both loved each other for a long time, but pride seems to get in their way. Since the pride is the big issue, neither one of them wants to admit mistakes. Terrible downfall that pride. A wounded Glynis runs off and marries another, and she eventually comes back after seven years. By the way she comes back a widow and she aims to stay far away from Lennox no matter what her heart says. Lennox was hurt when she up and left another, and he never understood why. However, he vows to stay away from her.
Love this story, because we watch these two try everything to stay away one another. Yet, they seem to be in the same area. Fate is a fickle bitch. So, we have that going on, and we still have more to story. In the blurb it talks about Lennox helping the Confederates cause by building ships. He decides to try to protect Gavin Whittaker and his wife by taking them in. First off, Gavin's wife is not very pleasant. Wait, she's downright awful, and she has nothing nice to say about anything. Kind of important to remember Gavin and his wife. Then we have another key player in the story Mathew Baumann and he's sniffing around for the union army.
Overall, In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams is a fantastic story about second chance love. I found myself not wanting to stop reading for anything. I kept telling myself one more chapter. I'm excited to see what direction the story goes. Lennox and Glynis are wonderfully stubborn. I love Glynis character the most, because at the beginning the book you see her as this wild and freed person. However, life's circumstances changes her, and you wonder what went on in her marriage with her first husband. So, we slowly got to see glimpse what she went through. She had a lot of courage, which I admire. Lennox is lovable. Yes, a page turner and I can't wait for more.
Copy provided by Avon via Edelweiss
September 17, 2019
Glynis MacIain sebenarnya sudah mencintai Lennox Cameron sejak masih kecil. Tapi saat Glynis berusia 16 thn, dgn su'udzon dia mengira Lennox akan menikahi gadis lain, Glynis berakhir menikahi Richard Smythe. Richard ternyata seorang dubes yg pedofilia. Dan setelah 7 thn pernikahan yg tidak membahagiakannya, Richard mati dan membebaskan Glynis utk kembali ke Glasgow kota kelahirannya dan bertemu kembali pada cinta pertamanya.
Dgn setting abad 19 pada masa Revolusi Industri, author menggambarkan kota Glasgow ini sbg pusat galangan pembuatan kapal yg sudah mendunia, diwakili dgn sosok Lennox yg kharismatik. Glynis tadinya ingin minta bantuan keuangan pada Lennox utk membantu kakaknya, tetapi malah berakhir dgn tuduhan sbg salah satu tersangka pembunuh Kapten Whittaker dan digosipkan bertelanjang ria di kebun dgn Lennox oleh istri Whittaker. Tidak ada jalan lain selain mereka menikah. Tapi Glynis belum tenang sblm menemukan siapa pembunuh sebenarnya Whittaker. Apakah Matthew Baumann yg membunuh krn selama ini Baumann mencoba memeras Glynis? Ada apa dgn masa lalu Glynis di Amerika yg membuatnya terjebak oleh Baumann?
Novel ini plotnya lamban dan bertele-tele, terlalu banyak narasi dan terutama di paro awal juga terlalu seringnya narasi dari pihak Glynis yg sedang galau. Romance antara Glynis dan Lennox nyaris kering dan tawar sebelum mereka menikah. Dan gaya penceritaan romance author mengingatkan saya pada gaya tulisan author Jane Feather, yg kaya dgn detil-detil setting background tapi "lemah" pada romansanya. Karakter Glynis dan Lennox tidak ada yg istimewa bagi saya, tidak bikin benci juga tidak membuat saya terpesona, so so saja. Novel ini sedikit menarik krn ada unsur misterinya, utk menemukan siapa pembunuh sebenarnya (yg sudah gampang diduga).
Dgn setting abad 19 pada masa Revolusi Industri, author menggambarkan kota Glasgow ini sbg pusat galangan pembuatan kapal yg sudah mendunia, diwakili dgn sosok Lennox yg kharismatik. Glynis tadinya ingin minta bantuan keuangan pada Lennox utk membantu kakaknya, tetapi malah berakhir dgn tuduhan sbg salah satu tersangka pembunuh Kapten Whittaker dan digosipkan bertelanjang ria di kebun dgn Lennox oleh istri Whittaker. Tidak ada jalan lain selain mereka menikah. Tapi Glynis belum tenang sblm menemukan siapa pembunuh sebenarnya Whittaker. Apakah Matthew Baumann yg membunuh krn selama ini Baumann mencoba memeras Glynis? Ada apa dgn masa lalu Glynis di Amerika yg membuatnya terjebak oleh Baumann?
Novel ini plotnya lamban dan bertele-tele, terlalu banyak narasi dan terutama di paro awal juga terlalu seringnya narasi dari pihak Glynis yg sedang galau. Romance antara Glynis dan Lennox nyaris kering dan tawar sebelum mereka menikah. Dan gaya penceritaan romance author mengingatkan saya pada gaya tulisan author Jane Feather, yg kaya dgn detil-detil setting background tapi "lemah" pada romansanya. Karakter Glynis dan Lennox tidak ada yg istimewa bagi saya, tidak bikin benci juga tidak membuat saya terpesona, so so saja. Novel ini sedikit menarik krn ada unsur misterinya, utk menemukan siapa pembunuh sebenarnya (yg sudah gampang diduga).
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August 11, 2016Glynis' obsession with Lennox is annoying the shit out of me. Does this book get better, or should I cut my losses?
April 2, 2018
Story as fairly good. Audiobook reader was horrid!!! Being a frequent audiobook listener, this is important. This guy...I won’t get another by him, no matter the author
August 5, 2023
I wanted to like this one more than I did. Firstly, I feel like the narration ruined the reading experience. If it had been narrated by another, perhaps I could have liked it more. That being said, I also felt like not a lot happened during the story and perhaps the events of the time, spurring the actions (lack there of) of the characters was just a time period I couldn’t find myself being drawn into.
August 19, 2015
Good second chance story with a bit of mystery and a different background than most historical romances. I really enjoyed the setting of Glasgow and the merchant classes as a break from London and the nobility. I also learned some things about the American Civil War that I didn't know before. I love it when an author does the research to ensure that their stories are accurate.
Glynis and Lennox had grown up together as neighbors, with Lennox being her brother Duncan's best friend. When she was eighteen, she gathered her courage and told him how she felt and kissed him, only to have him stare at her in shock. To make matters worse, she heard that he was going to marry someone else. She fled to London, where she accepted the proposal of a British diplomat, then going with him to America. Seven years later, she returns to Glasgow as a widow, happy to be back home with her family.
But things have changed. Her family has fallen on hard times thanks to the war. Their cotton mills have been hit hard by their inability to get shipments from the South. Her father died right after she married, and her brother is trying to keep the business going. On the other hand, Lennox and his family have done well with their shipbuilding business. His crafts are in high demand by Confederate blockade runners. She is surprised to find out that he has never married.
The first time that Lennox and Glynis see each other after her return, there are sparks. But Lennox notices changes in her, ones that seem to have beaten down the spirit he remembers. He's missed her and thought of her often over the years. He's intrigued by and attracted to the woman she is now, and is determined to get to know her again.
She is still just as attracted to him, but she can't give in to it. There is too much that she has seen and done that keeps her from believing that she could ever deserve having him back in her life. Her life with her husband hadn't been a happy one. The man she thought he was turned out to be very different. The more I learned about him, the less I liked him. Everything she went through made her a stronger person, even though she didn't always see it. She hopes that being back home will enable her to move on with her life, until someone from her past shows up with plans of his own.
I really enjoyed seeing the rekindling of the relationship between Lennox and Glynis. She had never doubted her love for him, but because of her past she is determined to stay away from him now. The problem is that Lennox isn't cooperating, and the effect he has on her makes it hard for her to stick with her intentions. Lennox hadn't realized his feelings for her until it was too late, and now that she's back he's determined to get his way. I enjoyed their interactions; thanks to the long history they have together they are frequently very amusing.
There's one scene between them that gets witnessed by a rather nasty woman, who then proceeds to attempt to destroy Glynis and Lennox's reputations, which only forces them together. But both of them let their pride get in the way of sharing their feelings, leading to misunderstandings and a lack of trust. Lennox is also protective of Glynis, if only he could find out just what he's protecting her from.
Both Glynis and Lennox were dealing with the effects of the American Civil War. Lennox and his shipbuilding business have been very successful at building ships that are capable of running the Union blockade of the South. Though Great Britain was technically neutral in the war, there were quite a few businesses that ignored the government's position. There is someone who seems very determined that Lennox not be able to fulfill his latest order. When his purchaser is murdered right there in the shipyard, he's determined to find out who is responsible. Glynis has someone from her past who is blackmailing her, trying to get her to spy on Lennox and his business. She's ashamed of some of the things in her past, and is afraid of what could happen when Lennox finds out. I loved seeing how she found the courage to do what she had to do, and how she went about doing it. There was an interesting twist to the identity of the murderer and it wasn't who I expected it to be.
Glynis and Lennox had grown up together as neighbors, with Lennox being her brother Duncan's best friend. When she was eighteen, she gathered her courage and told him how she felt and kissed him, only to have him stare at her in shock. To make matters worse, she heard that he was going to marry someone else. She fled to London, where she accepted the proposal of a British diplomat, then going with him to America. Seven years later, she returns to Glasgow as a widow, happy to be back home with her family.
But things have changed. Her family has fallen on hard times thanks to the war. Their cotton mills have been hit hard by their inability to get shipments from the South. Her father died right after she married, and her brother is trying to keep the business going. On the other hand, Lennox and his family have done well with their shipbuilding business. His crafts are in high demand by Confederate blockade runners. She is surprised to find out that he has never married.
The first time that Lennox and Glynis see each other after her return, there are sparks. But Lennox notices changes in her, ones that seem to have beaten down the spirit he remembers. He's missed her and thought of her often over the years. He's intrigued by and attracted to the woman she is now, and is determined to get to know her again.
She is still just as attracted to him, but she can't give in to it. There is too much that she has seen and done that keeps her from believing that she could ever deserve having him back in her life. Her life with her husband hadn't been a happy one. The man she thought he was turned out to be very different. The more I learned about him, the less I liked him. Everything she went through made her a stronger person, even though she didn't always see it. She hopes that being back home will enable her to move on with her life, until someone from her past shows up with plans of his own.
I really enjoyed seeing the rekindling of the relationship between Lennox and Glynis. She had never doubted her love for him, but because of her past she is determined to stay away from him now. The problem is that Lennox isn't cooperating, and the effect he has on her makes it hard for her to stick with her intentions. Lennox hadn't realized his feelings for her until it was too late, and now that she's back he's determined to get his way. I enjoyed their interactions; thanks to the long history they have together they are frequently very amusing.
There's one scene between them that gets witnessed by a rather nasty woman, who then proceeds to attempt to destroy Glynis and Lennox's reputations, which only forces them together. But both of them let their pride get in the way of sharing their feelings, leading to misunderstandings and a lack of trust. Lennox is also protective of Glynis, if only he could find out just what he's protecting her from.
Both Glynis and Lennox were dealing with the effects of the American Civil War. Lennox and his shipbuilding business have been very successful at building ships that are capable of running the Union blockade of the South. Though Great Britain was technically neutral in the war, there were quite a few businesses that ignored the government's position. There is someone who seems very determined that Lennox not be able to fulfill his latest order. When his purchaser is murdered right there in the shipyard, he's determined to find out who is responsible. Glynis has someone from her past who is blackmailing her, trying to get her to spy on Lennox and his business. She's ashamed of some of the things in her past, and is afraid of what could happen when Lennox finds out. I loved seeing how she found the courage to do what she had to do, and how she went about doing it. There was an interesting twist to the identity of the murderer and it wasn't who I expected it to be.
July 8, 2020
Sadly I couldn’t get into it. It was very repetitive and too much internal dialogue going on. Both MCs where just meh!
January 23, 2015
In the start to a new series, Karen Ranney brings the intrigue and heat with In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams.
Set against the political machinations of the American Civil War as we reunite Glynis MacLain, now widowed owner of the MacLain cotton mills with her former lost love Lennox Cameron, shipbuilder.
Years ago, Glynnis and Lennox were acquainted when her romantic lack of sensibilities led her to pronounce her love for him, to which he had no response. Devastated and angry, she soon accepted another man’s proposal, and fled to America with him. In the years that have passed, Lennox has made a success of himself as a shipbuilder of some renown, but there are rumors and whispers in Glasgow, not all about others.
When Glynnis returns to Scotland a widow, she is concerned with the continued difficulties posed by the American Civil War, and the effect of the cotton shortage on her mills. Being away from home, her correspondences were limited with Scotland, although many of the rumors did sneak over. So, not only is she concerned for her own financial future, she finds herself trying to sort fact from fiction, managing the tricky political climate and reestablishing herself in Glasgow society.
Ranney manages to imbue this story with so many different elements to bring the time and politics to the reader in an easy-to-understand way, while adding in a touch of mystery, murder and mayhem all wrapped up underneath the flirtation and budding romance between Glynnis and Lennox.
Their interactions are wonderful: funny, clever, fast-paced and laden with humor and emotion that shows the true connection between the two. While not over-emphasizing societal stricture, dress or background, those subtle descriptions are dropped lightly throughout the story, giving readers plenty of information for visualization, as well as (in the case of Charlotte) adding to the character’s personality and foreshadowing their likability. Ranney has several different lines of subplot that twist through the main love story between Glynnis and Lennox, that keep the reader wondering who did what, and who can they believe. One can’t help but feel for Glynnis and Lennox as they sort through everything that is happening.
You need look no further to see why I love my historic romances – with a story so full of intrigue, heart, history and turmoil, you get it all in a manageable bite as you are transported to the world between the pages.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review for The Jeep Diva. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Set against the political machinations of the American Civil War as we reunite Glynis MacLain, now widowed owner of the MacLain cotton mills with her former lost love Lennox Cameron, shipbuilder.
Years ago, Glynnis and Lennox were acquainted when her romantic lack of sensibilities led her to pronounce her love for him, to which he had no response. Devastated and angry, she soon accepted another man’s proposal, and fled to America with him. In the years that have passed, Lennox has made a success of himself as a shipbuilder of some renown, but there are rumors and whispers in Glasgow, not all about others.
When Glynnis returns to Scotland a widow, she is concerned with the continued difficulties posed by the American Civil War, and the effect of the cotton shortage on her mills. Being away from home, her correspondences were limited with Scotland, although many of the rumors did sneak over. So, not only is she concerned for her own financial future, she finds herself trying to sort fact from fiction, managing the tricky political climate and reestablishing herself in Glasgow society.
Ranney manages to imbue this story with so many different elements to bring the time and politics to the reader in an easy-to-understand way, while adding in a touch of mystery, murder and mayhem all wrapped up underneath the flirtation and budding romance between Glynnis and Lennox.
Their interactions are wonderful: funny, clever, fast-paced and laden with humor and emotion that shows the true connection between the two. While not over-emphasizing societal stricture, dress or background, those subtle descriptions are dropped lightly throughout the story, giving readers plenty of information for visualization, as well as (in the case of Charlotte) adding to the character’s personality and foreshadowing their likability. Ranney has several different lines of subplot that twist through the main love story between Glynnis and Lennox, that keep the reader wondering who did what, and who can they believe. One can’t help but feel for Glynnis and Lennox as they sort through everything that is happening.
You need look no further to see why I love my historic romances – with a story so full of intrigue, heart, history and turmoil, you get it all in a manageable bite as you are transported to the world between the pages.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review for The Jeep Diva. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
June 9, 2015
Glynis MacIain has known Lennox Cameron most of her life and loved him just about that long. When she foolishly declared her love for him with a passionate kiss at a ball given by her father for his Russian business partner and was met with silence, Glynis fled to London where she met and wed Richard Smythe, up and coming member of the British delegation. Now, seven years later and widowed, Glynis has returned to her family in Glasgow, Scotland. She's also not the girl Lennox remembers; Glynis has secrets, is very reserved and vows to resist Lennox's charms at all costs. With the Civil War raging in America and Lennox building blockade runners for the Confederacy on the Clyde, Glynis will soon find herself caught up in the Washington past she hoped to leave behind. Add to that one very nasty English bride who's spreading rumors about Glynis and Lennox and soon there's no choice but to wed in the strict society of Glasgow. But will their secrets tear them apart?
If only their foolish pride (as other reviewers have mentioned)had prevented them from acting on their feelings all those years ago, what heartaches could have been avoided? I enjoyed this book not only from Glynis' and Lennox' story but also, from seeing another side to the effect the Civil War had on others; we don't often think of that. Stubborn, stubborn people are Glynis and Lennox; they nearly lost each other several times over!
If only their foolish pride (as other reviewers have mentioned)had prevented them from acting on their feelings all those years ago, what heartaches could have been avoided? I enjoyed this book not only from Glynis' and Lennox' story but also, from seeing another side to the effect the Civil War had on others; we don't often think of that. Stubborn, stubborn people are Glynis and Lennox; they nearly lost each other several times over!
May 30, 2016
*3.5/5* L'intégralité de ma chronique ici: http://lune-et-plume.fr/retour-a-glas...
[...] Mais j’ai quand même passé un très bon moment de lecture. C’est un roman qui se lit tout seul, très rapidement, l’intrigue comme je le disais plus haut est vraiment intéressante que ce soit du côté de la Guerre de Sécession, de l’économie de l’Ecosse à cette époque-là où des aventures de notre héroïne qui sont liées aux éléments précédents. L’écriture est toute douce même si peut-être un petit peu lente par moment, c’est reposant. L’auteure prend le temps de travailler ses personnages qu’ils soient principaux ou secondaires, de les façonner, à tel point que nous avons vraiment envie d’en savoir plus sur certains. Je me doute bien que nous allons en retrouver par la suite en tant que héros, mais il y en a un, j’ai vraiment des doutes et c’est dommage, parce que j’ai vraiment envie d’en savoir plus, de savoir ce qu’il va devenir. Croisons les doigts.
Pour conclure, une lecture agréable, pas la meilleure de la collection pour le moment mais assez chouette pour que je lise le prochain roman de l’auteure qui sera publié en France en septembre. [...]
[...] Mais j’ai quand même passé un très bon moment de lecture. C’est un roman qui se lit tout seul, très rapidement, l’intrigue comme je le disais plus haut est vraiment intéressante que ce soit du côté de la Guerre de Sécession, de l’économie de l’Ecosse à cette époque-là où des aventures de notre héroïne qui sont liées aux éléments précédents. L’écriture est toute douce même si peut-être un petit peu lente par moment, c’est reposant. L’auteure prend le temps de travailler ses personnages qu’ils soient principaux ou secondaires, de les façonner, à tel point que nous avons vraiment envie d’en savoir plus sur certains. Je me doute bien que nous allons en retrouver par la suite en tant que héros, mais il y en a un, j’ai vraiment des doutes et c’est dommage, parce que j’ai vraiment envie d’en savoir plus, de savoir ce qu’il va devenir. Croisons les doigts.
Pour conclure, une lecture agréable, pas la meilleure de la collection pour le moment mais assez chouette pour que je lise le prochain roman de l’auteure qui sera publié en France en septembre. [...]
December 8, 2016
DNF -- at 17% Chapter 7 -- I like historical novels. One of the things that I like is the predictability of the story and plot. I love the unique characters in the familiar stories. I do not like westerns though or stories about the American Civil War. There is nothing romantic about war.
While the cover led me to believe that the story was about Scotland, I should have paid closer attention to the synopsis of the novel. This book takes place during the American Civil War with that as a major plot feature. There are no lairds or ladys, just shipbuilders and mill owners. Glynis seems to have an interesting character but it is taking too long to find out her secrets and Lennox is just boring so far. I have too many other books that I would like to read so this goes in the DNF shelf.
While the cover led me to believe that the story was about Scotland, I should have paid closer attention to the synopsis of the novel. This book takes place during the American Civil War with that as a major plot feature. There are no lairds or ladys, just shipbuilders and mill owners. Glynis seems to have an interesting character but it is taking too long to find out her secrets and Lennox is just boring so far. I have too many other books that I would like to read so this goes in the DNF shelf.
December 14, 2016
Why oh why did I not delete this book from my phone? Uggggggh. Was this thing written by the Riddler?
Every single sentence is a question. After a statement we get like 3 questions and then some late addition and then another question.
A new history romance has been started. Will it be the same as the other ones? Will there be some innovation introduced by the author? Will these characters be reliable and internist? Maybe I should buy it and find out. But what if it turns out to be horrible disappointment?
On and on and on they go in circles just questioning and putting dilemmas and thinking themselves into circles. I pity the author if this is how her thoughts usually flow cuz the constant questioning would drive any one insane.
Every single sentence is a question. After a statement we get like 3 questions and then some late addition and then another question.
A new history romance has been started. Will it be the same as the other ones? Will there be some innovation introduced by the author? Will these characters be reliable and internist? Maybe I should buy it and find out. But what if it turns out to be horrible disappointment?
On and on and on they go in circles just questioning and putting dilemmas and thinking themselves into circles. I pity the author if this is how her thoughts usually flow cuz the constant questioning would drive any one insane.
February 19, 2024
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
I liked this well enough though I thought some of the plot points and characters were a little…tiresome and grating. I liked Glynis and ultimately felt really bad for her and the toxic situation she felt like she had to put herself in due to Lennox and mixed feelings. Lennox, too, was likable and his love for Glynis and what they felt for one another was really genuine and sweet.
By grating side characters I mean Charlotte, Lucy, and Baumann. They were all equally annoying and infuriating and for a lot of the book (until the reveal really) I wondered what the point of each of these characters were. I’m glad though that Glynis eventually felt comfortable with Lennox to confide in him about each of these characters and her awful dead husband, Richard. I really feel like Richard groomed Glynis and he truly didn’t give a care about her but rather what she could do for him. It made Glynis’s strong romantic feelings for Lennox all the more better and enjoyable due to how comfortable she was around him.
The writing in this historical romance was good and the plot was rather intricate, all things considered. I’d be interested to read the remaining books in this series but it’s not at the top of my list.
I liked this well enough though I thought some of the plot points and characters were a little…tiresome and grating. I liked Glynis and ultimately felt really bad for her and the toxic situation she felt like she had to put herself in due to Lennox and mixed feelings. Lennox, too, was likable and his love for Glynis and what they felt for one another was really genuine and sweet.
By grating side characters I mean Charlotte, Lucy, and Baumann. They were all equally annoying and infuriating and for a lot of the book (until the reveal really) I wondered what the point of each of these characters were. I’m glad though that Glynis eventually felt comfortable with Lennox to confide in him about each of these characters and her awful dead husband, Richard. I really feel like Richard groomed Glynis and he truly didn’t give a care about her but rather what she could do for him. It made Glynis’s strong romantic feelings for Lennox all the more better and enjoyable due to how comfortable she was around him.
The writing in this historical romance was good and the plot was rather intricate, all things considered. I’d be interested to read the remaining books in this series but it’s not at the top of my list.
July 8, 2024
What do couples not talk to each other like the adults they are supposed to be.
This could have been a great book, but the miscommunication trope was so overdone that I had to take off stars.
First bad decision, Glynnis loved Lennox from when they were very young. A misunderstanding from her end, and she's married and off to America.
Second bad decision, as an ambassadors wife, she hears talk and shares it with a guy, who's a spy (the villian)
Third bad decision, she comes back as a widow, still in love with Lennox, but does not communicate her feelings or the threat from the villain, even after Lennox marries her.
Overall, she's an idiot. Lennox, on the other hand, realizes Glynnis is what he needs when she comes back, fairly quickly. He's honorable and marries her when exaggerated rumors spread about them. He's smart and works very hard. He tells her he loves her. But she still does not tell him her secrets. Annoying!!
The writing is very good. The historical stage was unique too (American civil war impact on Scottish people), and the hero is awesome.
This could have been a great book, but the miscommunication trope was so overdone that I had to take off stars.
First bad decision, Glynnis loved Lennox from when they were very young. A misunderstanding from her end, and she's married and off to America.
Second bad decision, as an ambassadors wife, she hears talk and shares it with a guy, who's a spy (the villian)
Third bad decision, she comes back as a widow, still in love with Lennox, but does not communicate her feelings or the threat from the villain, even after Lennox marries her.
Overall, she's an idiot. Lennox, on the other hand, realizes Glynnis is what he needs when she comes back, fairly quickly. He's honorable and marries her when exaggerated rumors spread about them. He's smart and works very hard. He tells her he loves her. But she still does not tell him her secrets. Annoying!!
The writing is very good. The historical stage was unique too (American civil war impact on Scottish people), and the hero is awesome.
July 19, 2018
This book was horrible and such a chore to finish! I couldn't stand the heroine, she was so stiff and her inner dialogue was so monotonous and no matter how many times she told herself to tell the truth, when it came time to amp-up, she always chickened out. What the hell did the guy see in her?
Speaking of the guy, he wasn't all that great either. He would have all these plans to tell her how he loved her and loved her for years, but when it came to the proposal (which only happened after they had spent a total of many 2 hours together, with all their scenes combined!), he only used the excuse of money to help her family's mill.
It felt like the side characters were taking over the story from the main characters. Whenever the main characters had a moment to be alone, there was always another character butting in and when they were actually alone - it's as if the power of communication escaped them completely to the point where I seriously questioned the IQ of both these people.
Speaking of the guy, he wasn't all that great either. He would have all these plans to tell her how he loved her and loved her for years, but when it came to the proposal (which only happened after they had spent a total of many 2 hours together, with all their scenes combined!), he only used the excuse of money to help her family's mill.
It felt like the side characters were taking over the story from the main characters. Whenever the main characters had a moment to be alone, there was always another character butting in and when they were actually alone - it's as if the power of communication escaped them completely to the point where I seriously questioned the IQ of both these people.
May 1, 2025
Not sure why I finished this book. I will not be reading any more from this author. I want to read about confederate army sympathizers as much as I want to read about Nazi sympathizers. History has shown that there was a right side and a wrong side in both of these wars and this author has obviously been fed the B.S. that is taught in the South that attempts to re-write history. I kept waiting for some lesson to be learned or some epiphany to occur to the main characters, but that never happens. Even the Author’s Note ignored the issue. I don’t care if there actually were Scottish ship builders who sold ships to the confederate army because they were more interested in the bottom line than morality. It’s gross and morally reprehensible.
May 17, 2025
A Spy Thriller?
A spy thriller set during the American Civil War, begins and ends in Scotland. The premise of the book is intriguing, however, the story plods along, dragging the reader to the eventual end.
Not the best novel by this author. I finally finished it. Yay, me! Truly, I had read 70% of the book before the plot began to make sense.
There was too much fodder and little enough story, most of which could have been left out.
A spy thriller set during the American Civil War, begins and ends in Scotland. The premise of the book is intriguing, however, the story plods along, dragging the reader to the eventual end.
Not the best novel by this author. I finally finished it. Yay, me! Truly, I had read 70% of the book before the plot began to make sense.
There was too much fodder and little enough story, most of which could have been left out.
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