Sold to a Laird: (2010-06-23) 
When Douglas Eston approached the Duke of Herridge looking for an investor for his latest invention. He was hoping for money, but got a bride instead. What started off as her father's last cruel act toward her turns out to be the best thing that ever happened to Sarah. Douglas shows Sarah passion, love, and the extent of her father's greed. Will she see the later before he destroys the man she's come to love?

It's a shame that Sarah's father doesn't see her for the intelligent, capable woman she is. She single handedly runs the family estate and would have loved him unconditionally had he only showed her one ounce of affection in return. Sarah is endearingly guileless and innocent as well as stubborn and cautious. Douglas had to be clever in the seduction of his wife. His approach is a heady mix of giving and taking. While it is an arduous undertaking at times, it is extremely rewarding for both of them. Douglas is patient and kind. He's unobtrusively authoritative. Sarah is a reluctant bride whose heart becomes engaged when the stranger she married turns out to be the man of her dreams. Sold to a Laird's history, characters, and even its villain are compelling. It is a charmingly sensuous story.


Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I LOVED this book!: (2010-05-26) 
You know how you're in the middle of a series and waiting to get the next in the series? That is what happened to me and so I decided to read this book in between by Karen Ranney. It was the first one of her books I have ever read. Holy cow, it won't be the last! The new book I have been waiting for comes in, and it SITS because I cannot put this book down! Lady Sarah is a wonderful heroine, and Douglas the hero is so sweet and sexy the way he slowly wins her it defines seduction. They hastily marry because of her father, but the sexual tension builds slowly and this author really knows how to tell a riveting tale. You will not go wrong reading this book. I finished it in one day.

Not Bad: (2010-04-12) 
I thought this book was not bad. It seemed a bit slow but overall, not bad. The heat was good and I thougth it had great moments of romance. I would recommend this book to someone else, although I would also state, probably won't be your favorite

Gentle love story: (2010-02-12) 
When Lady Sarah Baines, daughter of the Duke of Herridge, is offered to Douglas Eston, a man seeking investors for his diamond manufacturing process, he sees something in Sarah that makes him go along with the deal. Douglas Eston has worked his way from the gutters in Perth to become a successful man but he's a little out of his depth with Sarah. Is she icy cold or is all her emotion and love invested in her home, Chavensworth, where her dying mother lives?

I like the first part of this story very much, where Douglas and Sarah begin to get to know each other. Douglas is an unusual man in stories like this in that he's fairly passive, allowing Sarah to live her life as she wishes and not pushing her into anything new until she is ready for it.

I felt the second half of the story wasn't as successful, with the action moving briefly to Scotland (although many of the scenes there felt a bit odd) and then a short spell in London with a danger/rescue plot that never felt convincing.

And the title of this book? It has a scottish feel with a tartan on the front cover but our Scottish hero, who shows almost no trace of his Scottish birth, becomes the Laird four pages from the end - and rather out of the blue. This isn't a Scottish book for those who enjoy that side of the novel, it's more of an English Country House story, although with the usual Americanisms to grate at times. Neither character felt particularly convincing, the settings and side characters also felt a little wooden. This was an OK read but nothing to get excited about.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2010

A bit of a muddle: (2010-01-30) 
I am fan of Karen Ranney's books and usually find them to be thoughtful, emotional romances that focus on relationships. I was disappointed with this book which I found to be a muddle of ideas. This left me feeling as if there were a number of loose ends and inconsistencies that left me feeling confused and bored. Douglas felt a little too 'new age' and Sarah was a little too devastated with grief. I adored the beginning of the book but the end drifted into melodrama. The mirror made no sense to me at all - one red herring. The other red herring was the trip to Scotland, and Douglas' background, which never really came to anything in terms of plot devise...and so I can go on.

Much prefer "A Scotsman in love", which was Ranney's previous offering.