Product Description

A man in the shadows

Some say he is dangerous. Others say he is mad. None of them knows the truth about Marshall Ross, the Devil of Ambrose. He shuns proper society, sworn to let no one discover his terrible secret. Including the beautiful woman he has chosen to be his wife.

A fallen woman

Only desperation could bring Davina McLaren to the legendary Edinburgh castle to become the bride of a man she has never met. Plagued by scandal, left with no choices, she has made her bargain with the devil. And now she must share his bed.

A fire unlike any they've ever known

From the moment they meet, Davina and Marshall are rocked by an unexpected desire that leaves them only yearning for more. But the pleasures of the marriage bed cannot protect them from the sins of the past. With an enemy of Marshall's drawing ever closer and everything they now cherish most at stake, he and Davina must fight to protect the passion they cannot deny.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #202511 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-01
• Released on: 2008-08-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 384 pages

About the Author

Karen Ranney began writing when she was five. Her first published work was The Maple Leaf, read over the school intercom when she was in the first grade. In addition to wanting to be a violinist (her parents had a special violin crafted for her when she was seven), she wanted to be a lawyer, a teacher, and, most of all, a writer. The violin discarded early, she still admits to a fascination with the law, and she volunteers as a teacher whenever needed. Writing, however, has remained an overwhelming love of hers.

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable Victorian romance
Despite the clearly Scottish-themed title, this book wasn't particularly Scottish in feel; instead it was an exploration of how a young woman, married to a man she doesn't know, begins to chip away at her husband's reserve and to try to forge a future with him.

The husband in question is the Earl of Lorne, a Scotsman who had a distinguished career in the foreign service until he was imprisoned by the Chinese and tortured. Since his return to England he has shunned society and lives alone in his castle, finding himself succumbing to visions and fearing the onset of madness. Because of his responsibilities to his title he realises he needs to get an heir and so arranges a marriage with a local woman, Davina McLaren, whose reputation was ruined by an indiscretion and who is likely to remain a spinster.

Davina isn't the shy, retiring type of young lady, however. She finds herself wed to the Earl of Lorne, otherwise known as The Devil, and yet she barely sees him. Davina is something of a bluestocking and rather direct in her speech and she tries to learn about her husband and to forge some kind of a friendship. As she uncovers his secrets she may also uncover love, and she may be called upon to fight for the future of her marriage and even the life of her husband.

I very much enjoyed this book with its central romance, initially not particularly encouraging but gradually becoming something of warmth and understanding. There are occasional nods to the Scottish setting and the Victorian era, with reference to the opium trade with China, but overall this is a romance developing from an arranged marriage. There were some rather unfortunate errors in the text, including likening a character to a chipmunk (an animal not seen in the UK) and various characters speaking American words in the Scottish setting, and the habit, oft-found in American-authored novels, of the heroine retaining her maiden name as a middle name after her marriage - something that almost never takes place in the UK. I was also not entirely convinced by some of the behaviour of the characters, certain plot elements seemed rather too unlikely and the siege of the lunatic asylum at the end felt pretty far-fetched. However this was overall a good read and Davina was a rather unusual heroine and one to whom I warmed.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

The devil you say
Ms. Raney has given us a wonderful novel with characters who have so much depth that you can't help but fall in love with them. Marshall Ross the Earl of Ambrose came back from China a changed man who lived through torture and the loss of half of his men, he needs a wife to carry on the name and so he chooses Davina McLaren to play the role, he wants a wife of convenience who will give him an heir and leave him alone but Davina has other plans, she has secrets of her own but wants to chase away the ghosts that haunt Marshall and be a wife in every way. See where the road takes these two unfortunate lovers.

Completely unexpected winner
Karen Ranney has outdone herself. I've read some of her other books, but they are average compared to The Devil Wears Tartan. This is a marvel! The silly book jacket and title are misleading. Ranney's story is deep, dark and fascinating. Her characters are real and extremely sympathetic. Davina, her heroine, is that curious, obstinate, courageous yet endearing type of character that has been used over and over in Romance. But, Ranney somehow makes Davina completely original. I loved her. And Ranney's hero, Marshall, is a mysterious, tortured individual with a dark past. But, he's also an interesting, intelligent and thoroughly original character - not cookie cutter at all. Ranney is masterful with her descriptions of Scotland. But, she sets the story in the Victorian era with both characters fascinated with ancient Egypt. Truly unique. This book was very reminiscent of Deanna Raybourn's Victorian mysteries. But, this was wholly a romance too. The story centers on Davina and Marshall's growing relationship, which in the end, transcends the darkness. The Devil Wears Tartan is marvelous. Don't pass this up because of Avon's ridiculous book jacket. Ranney has written a smart, wonderful novel.