‘Devastating in a Kilt’ is my first read by Anna Durand, promising elicit rendezvous between Autumn Flowerday and her ex-husband, Jack MacTaggart, a strapping stranger from bonnie Scotland. When two people separate, things stay separate. But in this read, ‘x’ quite literally marks the spot.
Several characters were introduced throughout the novel, both adding many possible branches for stories in the future, as well as a possible plausibility for confusion if not paying attention. If you’re familiar with a big family/character selection fear not, you will be at one with this novel. If you’re used to something more small-town, focused on the two main characters, you might struggle. Nonetheless, you won’t be short of anything with the broad selection offered to you. However, the main characters are the stars of this novel by far.
Both Jack and Autumn were characters well-written in portraying some degree of how two people from different backgrounds can be perceived sometimes. In this case, as someone from America and Scotland, two different worlds and lifestyles thrown together, twice, in binding circumstances. In particular, Jack’s character hits base with Scottish stereotypes and creative licence both, giving you a character that you both love and want to hit over the head with a bagpipe a time or two. Still, as Autumn herself found out, there’s no way to resist a man—albeit a fictional one—in a kilt. But if you want to see if the legends are true, you’ll have to pick up this book to find out for yourselves!
The characters themselves, both main and supporting, were woven well into the overall storyline to give an in-depth, close-up, no-holds-barred look at two people trying to navigate a whirlwind relationship, as outlined in the book’s blurb. Typically in a book among the many routes characters take, they either know them from childhood/teens and get together as adults, or get to know one another as adults and stay the course. Devastating in a Kilt takes its own spin-off on the latter, with the added dash of whirlwind romance. Getting to know the characters as they got to know one another was an enjoyable journey, feeling as though I was an in-story observer rather than just a reader.
Stepping aside from the characters for a second, let’s talk scenes and pacing. I praise Anna for giving the in-depth time for us to get to know the characters and what happened around them. What I had difficult with was the pacing. Scenes and events within those scenes were sometimes minutes apart, hours at most, and they were split up into different chapters when I feel there was no need. Carrying on the chapter with the next scene would have been fine, as there wasn’t a significant shift in time or heightened importance of some scenes to warrant a chapter change. This would be my only criticism of the whole book, hand on heart.
I came into this as a blind read and despite my previous criticism, I without a doubt loved and enjoyed Devastating in a Kilt. I’m not one who is able to resist a story starring a Scottish hero, or set within the stunning Scottish highlands, and this story written by Anna Durand did not fail to deliver an enchanting read.
I look forward to reading more Anna Durand novels. Hopefully more set within Scotland so we can have even more kilt time!
Four (although I would give it 4.5) stars for Jack & Autumn!