Scotsman of My Dreams (MacIain, #2) by Karen Ranney

Jul 16, 2015 WhiskeyintheJar rated it liked it

Shelves: series, historical, regency

****Full Review****

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Suffering from ennui and arrogance, Dalton traveled to America to join in their Civil War. The men that followed him were quickly coined MacIain's Marauders. However, instead of finding the glory and honor of battle, they discovered the hell of war. Dalton survives Manassas only to be brought low by one of his own Marauders, he is shot in the ****Full Review****

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Suffering from ennui and arrogance, Dalton traveled to America to join in their Civil War. The men that followed him were quickly coined MacIain's Marauders. However, instead of finding the glory and honor of battle, they discovered the hell of war. Dalton survives Manassas only to be brought low by one of his own Marauders, he is shot in the face. With the loss of his right eye and almost completely blind in his left, he returns to England only to find his older brother died in a hunting accident and he is now the earl. Trying to acclimate to his new reality and fighting his memories of war, he is somewhat unprepared for Miss Minerva Todd. Minerva's brother, Neville, followed Dalton to America and she demands to know what happened to him but when the earl states that her brother is the one who shot him, she can't believe it. As they search for Neville more questions, clues, and feelings arise, a believed simple assassination attempt may involve more than one MacIain brother and two people who thought they were destined to be alone may just find out they were wrong.

Due to their condensed nature, sometimes romance stories fall into the insta-love trap, this book is the complete opposite of insta-love. For the first 20% or so we have a very gradual leading into our characters, they are very separate at this point as we learn about Dalton and Minerva individually. It creates a bit of a slower start but also a richer one as the reader gets more flushed out leading characters. I had a good foundation for who Minerva and Dalton were and how they would probably attract and challenge one another, which made the anticipation sweeter. After the 20% mark when our leads meet, their verbal skirmishes and battles were fun to read along with.

Minerva was a matter of fact and level headed character that at times came off a bit unemotional and clinical. She is in her late twenties and having decided she will never marry, decides a liaison with her driver will provide her with the opportunity to experience passion. When her driver starts to wish it to be more, she breaks it off. Now, I'm not saying women can't be up for no strings attached sex, we completely can be, I'm just saying this particular character came off somewhat cold in this particular instance, when her overall personality didn't seem that way. (My feelings on this could also be due to how extremely forward thinking Minerva was for the time period she was living in) We the reader, get told Dalton was a rake but we come into the scene during his metamorphosis from easy breezy lad to life is a hell of a teacher man and his character is so much more interesting because of it. His having to depend on people has opened his eyes to how he has never noticed or appreciated the people in his life and with every name he learns and show of gratitude he delivers to his staff or people in his life, Dalton becomes a man worthy of being called a hero.

She startled him continuously, amused him endlessly, forced him to reassess himself, and made him want to be a better man. No woman should have that power.

Dalton and Minerva's romance is gradual, building, and has a bit of the devil is in the details quality. As I mentioned, there is no insta-love here but rather two individuals who slowly but surely come together as their similarities, personalities, minds, and differences become the flint for their fire. The author doesn't knock you over the head with "he got lost in her eyes" but rather has Minerva, without pomp or circumstance, say she knows balance could be a problem for Dalton because she blindfolded herself and then have the reader pop into Dalton's head to see what Minerva trying to experience what he lives does to him. These little devastating emotional moments are what make this couple shine; romance is all in the details.

Minerva and Dalton and their battles, were the star of the show for me. I felt the murder mystery and the romance parts weren't quite in sync or flowed together. The villain was fairly obvious and at times this storyline felt ignored only to also feel dragged on. I didn't read the first in the series, so maybe there was more connection to Dalton fighting in America I missed that could explain why I didn't care about this aspect but I also never felt lost starting the series here. Secondary characters were strong in that they didn't try to steal the show (the neighbor Covington sisters who “watch” over Minerva came very close) but were sketched out enough to create more breadth and depth to our lead's world.

Scotsman of My Dreams was a breath of fresh air with its unconventional characters, not a shy virginal miss or afraid of marriage because of reasons spy to be seen. If looking to indulge in a historical placed in England in the 1860s with nary a ballroom visited, a more grown up feel, and leads that visibly grow to love one another, you'll want to pick this one up. ...more

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Jan 02, 2015 Lady Wesley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, amz-rev, arc-rev, rhr, rhr-update

Karen Ranney writes books that are a consummate blend of history and romance. In the first McIain book, In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams, Glynnis and Lennox’s second chance at love was set in Glasgow, where River Clyde shipbuilders turned out thousands of blockade runners for the Confederates during the American Civil War. That war also serves as a distant backdrop for Scotsman of My Dreams, as our hero, Dalton MacIain, has returned from fighting in America a blinded, broken shell of his former s Karen Ranney writes books that are a consummate blend of history and romance. In the first McIain book, In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams, Glynnis and Lennox’s second chance at love was set in Glasgow, where River Clyde shipbuilders turned out thousands of blockade runners for the Confederates during the American Civil War. That war also serves as a distant backdrop for Scotsman of My Dreams, as our hero, Dalton MacIain, has returned from fighting in America a blinded, broken shell of his former self.

Moreover, upon his return he learned that his beloved elder brother had been killed in a hunting accident, making Dalton the Earl of Rathmoor, a title he neither expected nor wanted. Dalton has become a virtual hermit, drinking to forget the horrors of his past and his present. His handsome face is horribly scarred – one eye is missing and the other is sightless; and his former friends in society have forgotten his existence. He doesn’t trust his secretary, who moves around stealthily and never announces himself, and he has no interest in running his estates. The only semblance of love or joy in his life is his faithful housekeeper, who coddles him with tasty meals and makes him a patch to cover his empty eye socket.

Truly, Dalton’s life is depressing, and the first quarter or so of this book is equally so, but that’s because Karen Ranney is such a good writer than a reader can’t help but feel what the characters are experiencing. So, don’t give up, because into Dalton’s hopeless life bursts Miss Minerva Todd, a most exceptional young lady. Minerva is twenty-nine, wealthy, outspoken, lacking in social graces, and much more interested in archaeology than marriage. She raised her younger brother Neville after their parents’ deaths, but upon his majority he began to carouse and move in Dalton’s hell-raising circle. Now, after accompanying Dalton and friends to America, Neville has gone missing, and Minerva is determined to make Dalton help her find her little brother.

When I said that Minerva “bursts” into Dalton’s life, I meant that literally. First, she breaks into his house but is summarily thrown out. Next, she climbs the garden wall and confronts him face-to-face, finding herself horror-struck by his injuries.

Eschewing the discretion that someone with better manners might have chosen, Minerva blurts out, "What happened to you?” When Dalton threatens to bodily remove her from his garden, she retorts, "You'd have to call for someone to help you.” Never one to back down from a challenge, Dalton strikes back, and the ensuing confrontation is hilarious in its rudeness.

"Are you ugly? I found that women without an iota of appeal often appear strident.”
“I have never measured myself by my appearance.”
“That's a lie. Every woman has.”
* * *
"Should you care so much about the appearance of other people?” she asked. "Especially since your own appearance has been so grievously altered by your stupidity.”
* * *
"I know why Neville came with me. To get away from you.”

These two really don't like one another, especially after Dalton informs Minerva that it was Neville who shot him in the face. Dalton does not know why Neville wanted him dead, but he begins to wonder if perhaps Minerva could be part of her brother's lethal plot.

Now this is romance, so you know that this pair will fall in love, but at this point in the book, it's pretty difficult to imagine how that's going to happen. A less-experienced author might have had love come quickly, but Karen Ranney has the confidence to allow it to come upon them slowly, as Dalton and Minerva reluctantly join forces to find Neville. Minerva becomes his eyes, and notwithstanding his blindness, he becomes her protector. They form a grudging respect for one another, followed by trust, affection, physical passion, and only after all of that – love.

Ranney excels in writing dialogue and their progress is a joy to read, as the couple learns to know one another by talking forthrightly. Both characters are fully realized, as are the several secondary characters such as their respective housekeepers, Dalton's creepy secretary, his investigator friend, Dalton's spoiled younger brother. The element of mystery is well done, but fairly easy to figure out.

My one criticism is that Minerva is a bit too progressive for her time (she took her coachman as a lover, just to experience passion), but she is so darn much fun that I overlooked that. Dalton, however, is just about perfect. In creating a man who transforms from a surly, self-pitying drunken wreck into a man who finds himself thrilled by a woman who despises his wealth, his reputation, and his title, Ranney doesn't put a foot wrong. His blindness is always there, but it does not define him.

And may I just add that I loved Miranda's elderly spinster neighbors, the Covington sisters. Read the book, and you'll see what I mean. ...more

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Aug 23, 2015 Andrea rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-romance, read-in-2015, victorian

** 2.5 stars **

I have a question: Why is the title of this book Scotsman of My Dreams when the man in question is not a Scotsman? Sure, his last name is Scots, as is his ancestry, but this man was a Brit through-and-through. In fact, the only Scot in this book was a distant cousin who had one scene. You're just setting readers up for false expectations.

Speaking of unrealistic expectations, there was this:

She reached down between them and grabbed his erection with both hands, stroking it, measuri ...more

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Aug 17, 2015 Lover of Romance rated it liked it

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

Scotsman of My Dreams was a charming and sweet romance with a sparkle of angst in here. I have really enjoyed what Karen Ranney has done with her books, and Scotsman of My Dreams was no different. I honestly don't know how to express what this story did for me. Now there were times I was in and out of the story (but I have been dead tired all day, so that might have something to do with it). It begins with out heroine searching for her This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

Scotsman of My Dreams was a charming and sweet romance with a sparkle of angst in here. I have really enjoyed what Karen Ranney has done with her books, and Scotsman of My Dreams was no different. I honestly don't know how to express what this story did for me. Now there were times I was in and out of the story (but I have been dead tired all day, so that might have something to do with it). It begins with out heroine searching for her missing brother, and so she goes in search of the one man that should know where he is at. Only the infamous rake who went to the America's to help fight in their Civil War has returned scarred and blind. Needless to say both Dalton and Minerva have a difference of opinions on this subject, because Dalton believes its Minerva's brother that caused his injury, so he isn't all that eager to aid the man that shot him, however, he is fascinated by Minerva. Minerva isn't your average lady, she lives her own life, has had a lover, wears breeches when the need strikes her, goes in search of old objects. Hates balls and parties or even dressing up, she prefers dressing down. Dalton technically is Scottish, but has spent much of his life in England so he comes off as more of a London rake who has gone through some rough patches. Despite his torrid past, he is a character that you just reach out for, because he is emotionally traumatized and you don't see the rogue in him much despite the "rumors". The banter between these two is quite energetic and they definitely have some sparks flying between them.

"I can't kiss you."

"Just a taste of passion," he said

"Absolutely not."

"I have needs," he said with a smile

"As if that's my concern."

"Are you afraid?"

"Of course not. I just don't want to kiss you."

"Not at all?"

"Not one little bit. Not an iota."

"You're fibbing, Minerva"

"I'm not."

He lowered his head, brushed his lips over her heated cheek. To his surprise, she didn't move away. Slowly he traced a path to her lips, breathing against them before placing his mouth on hers. A kiss should be an appetizer. A kiss was a prelude, strings being tuned in an orchestra pit, dawn on an important day. A kiss was not a feast. A kiss was not an explosion of the senses. but this one was.

What was most interesting about this one, was the hint of danger you sense from the very start of the story and it builds and builds gradually until the end. It also doesn't detract from the romance, it tends to even out in the end. Quite a lovely romance that had spark and flare and I had quite a time seeing these characters come alive off the pages. SIMPLY FANTASTIC!!

In Your Wildest Dreams (1)

The Scotsman of My Dreams (2)

An American In Scotland (3)

...more

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Jul 16, 2015 Caz rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, romance-1850-1900s

I gave this a B+ at AAR and somehow forgot to post the review here!

Karen Ranney’s MacIain series moves away from Scotland for the second book, Scotsman of My Dreams, a well-written and very enjoyable character-driven romance featuring a hedonist who returns from war a very different man to the one who went away and the forthright woman who helps him to regain his confidence and find his purpose in life.

Dalton MacIain, the middle of the three sons of the Earl of Rathsmere, was a hellraiser an I gave this a B+ at AAR and somehow forgot to post the review here!

Karen Ranney’s MacIain series moves away from Scotland for the second book, Scotsman of My Dreams, a well-written and very enjoyable character-driven romance featuring a hedonist who returns from war a very different man to the one who went away and the forthright woman who helps him to regain his confidence and find his purpose in life.

Dalton MacIain, the middle of the three sons of the Earl of Rathsmere, was a hellraiser and became something of an icon to the many bored younger sons of the ton who attempted to emulate him. Deciding that life as a rakehell wasn’t interesting or exciting enough, Dalton decided to go to fight in the Civil War in America, and a group of his younger acolytes accompanied him, earning them all the nickname of “MacIain’s Marauders”. The dozen of them who went chose which side they would fight for on the simple toss of a coin, seeing as none of them had any particular loyalty either way; Dalton and four others ended up fighting for the North, while the others took up arms for the South.

Dalton soon discovers that his dreams of action, excitement and glory are just that – dreams – and that the realities of war are far more gruesome than he could have imagined. He is contemplating a return to England when he is shot; and when, after months of convalescence in America and a long sea voyage he arrives home, it’s to be told that his older brother, Arthur, is dead and that he is now the Earl of Rathsmere.

Burying himself away in his London home, Dalton becomes something of a recluse. The bullet which narrowly missed spattering his brains all over American soil took his right eye and has almost completely deprived him of his sight in his left, so he is, to all intents and purposes, blind. He misses Arthur more than he could have thought possible and doubts his ability to run the earldom as well as his brother; he’s purposeless and directionless, drinks too much and wonders whether he’d have been better off if the bullet had done its job.

When Minerva Todd, the sister of one of his merry band, bursts into his home, demanding to know what has become of her brother, Dalton angrily turns her away. The woman is incredibly persistent, however, and refuses to leave him alone until she gets some answers, even going so far as to follow him on the rare occasions he leaves his house. Furious, Dalton eventually tells her the truth; he has no idea where her brother is and couldn’t care less, because the last thing he remembers seeing was Neville Todd aiming a gun at him. Minerva is, quite naturally, horrified and refuses to believe him, but Dalton isn’t interested in what she believes – he may now be blind, but at the time he could see perfectly well, and Todd had attempted to kill him.

Unbeknownst to Minerva, Dalton has already taken steps to find her brother, calling in one of his closest friends, investigator James Wilson. When Dalton tells Wilson that he has recently learned that Arthur’s death may not have been accidental, his friend takes the view that Dalton’s life may still be in danger – and, having gained an idea of who might want him dead, Dalton is inclined to agree.

Realising that Miss Todd is not going to leave him alone, Dalton throws her off balance by inviting her to act as his secretary of sorts. From their encounters so far, he has learned that she will not lie to him, try to cosset him or sugar coat things; she is straightforward to the point of pain sometimes, but that’s exactly what he wants and needs. Minerva agrees, in spite of herself. Even scarred and blind, the earl is as devastatingly attractive as ever, and she is drawn to him in spite of the common sense that tells her that he presents a serious danger to her peace of mind –and her heart.

While there’s a strong element of mystery to this story, the bulk of it is devoted to a very well-developed, tender and often funny romance, and to the rehabilitation of Dalton MacIain. He begins the book as a man wallowing in self-pity and self-doubt, and gradually transforms himself into someone who is aware of his strengths as well as his weaknesses, and who eventually comes to realise that he is more than capable of running an earldom and of taking his rightful place in society. His character progression is very well done, especially in those moments he is brought to the realisation of what a selfish bastard he had been by small things, such as when he wonders whether he ever actually bothered to thank his housekeeper for her excellent work before, or when he realises that he doesn’t know the names of his servants and what they all do. The fact that he is blind obviously means that he cannot return to his previous lifestyle, but it also gives him the breathing space to realise that he doesn’t want to – and that he wants to make something of his life.

Minerva is an unusually forthright heroine, even for a genre that is riddled with them! She is outspoken and sexually experienced, having decided in her mid-twenties that marriage was unlikely but that she didn’t want to go through life without having experienced passion; she eschews corsets, stays and petticoats whenever she can, and even wears trousers (well, a sort of divided skirt!). Her real passion is archaeology, and she looks forward to returning to a site in Scotland that she visits regularly – but has delayed her most recent trip due to her desperation to find her brother. But underneath her tough exterior, is a lonely woman who can be easily wounded, one with a great capacity for love and affection, who spent her life trying to be proper until she realised that propriety wasn’t making her happy. This underlying vulnerability, together with her no-nonsense attitude makes her an attractive and sympathetic heroine.

The mystery element of the story is perhaps overly simplistic, although it does reach a satisfactory conclusion. The romance, however, is very good indeed. Dalton and Minerva are a well-matched pair; neither of them cares overmuch for society’s approval, and they are both stubborn, determined people. The dialogue zings with sexual energy and attraction, and the genuine friendship that develops between them is every bit as enjoyable as the love story. I enjoyed Scotsman of My Dreams very much and am definitely going to be reading the next book in the series. ...more

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Jul 17, 2015 Rashika (is tired) rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2015, cute-love-interests, adult, good-female-leads, e-arcs, historical-romance, decent-romance

Actual Rating 3.5

***This review has also been posted on The Social Potato

Scotsman of My Dreams ended up being a very fun book to read but as much as I enjoyed it, I also thought there was way too much buildup for the romance.

Minerva and Dalton make a fantastic team and while they were a team for huge chunks of the book, they were also on opposite sides for most of the book. So while the tension between them was amazing, I hated that they weren’t on the same side. It meant that it took longer fo ...more

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Sep 22, 2015 Caz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-1850-1900s, audiogals, audiobook, 4-stars

I've given this a B- for narration and a B for content at AudioGals.

The second in Karen Ranney’s current MacIain series, Scotsman of My Dreams is an enjoyable character-driven romance in which the reclusive, wounded hero meets the unusual young woman who is destined to help him rebuild his life.

Hellraiser Dalton MacIain, bored with the predictability of his life in London and wanting excitement, left England with a group of followers in order to fight in the American Civil War. Deciding whic ...more

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Sep 10, 2020 Juliana Philippa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Juliana Philippa by: Ryanne Nichole

Shelves: 0-own, 4-stars, romance, set-in-england, series, series-book-2, hr-hero-titled, hr-series, hr-enemies-to-lovers, hr-hero-nobility

"We're almost always quarreling."
"Is that what you consider it?"
"What do you think it is?"
He considered it foreplay, but he wasn't going to tell her that.

I was turned onto this book by Ryanne and I'm so glad, because it was a lovely read! The relationship between Dalton and Minerva was so fun to watch develop; I loved the bantering between them and how their dynamic evolved. One of the things I love about the Ranney books I've read are that her stories really revolve around the hero and hero

"We're almost always quarreling."
"Is that what you consider it?"
"What do you think it is?"
He considered it foreplay, but he wasn't going to tell her that.

I was turned onto this book by Ryanne and I'm so glad, because it was a lovely read! The relationship between Dalton and Minerva was so fun to watch develop; I loved the bantering between them and how their dynamic evolved. One of the things I love about the Ranney books I've read are that her stories really revolve around the hero and heroine, and their developing relationship; there is a lot of one-on-one time between the two of them, and not a lot of other needless characters or subplots added in as fluff that end up detracting from the main feature. Scotsman of My Dreams was no exception.

There is definite antagonism at the beginning, understandably—(view spoiler)—but it's not over-the-top and it doesn't drag on eternally, or pop up to a ridiculous degree because one of them is trying to fight back against their developing friendship (and then more). With the enemies-to-lovers trope, that happens sometimes and I always find it annoying.

Dalton was clearly a definite asshole prior to the book taking place, but I think the transformation is believable and the Dalton that we see and come to know is really fantastic, and I adored him. Reminded me a bit of Henry from The Improper Bride .

Minerva is a total spitfire and I loved her strong sense of self and independence; it was done very well in that Ranney crafted a heroine who was believably like that, even given the times (as opposed to some of the anachronistic heroines we're seeing more and more frequently in HRs).

Excerpt:

"You can be the most arrogant, autocratic, rude creature it has ever been my experience to meet."

"While you, on the other hand, are impulsive, rash, and given to outlandish behavior with no thought to the consequences."

"You drove me to it."

He inclined his head in her direction.

"I beg your pardon?" he said.

"Never mind."

"Are you blaming me for your sudden decision to leave for Scotland with only your driver in attendance? A man who was once your lover?"

"You needn't shout at me, Dalton."

He hadn't realized he was yelling. He'd never yelled at anyone in his entire life. He was the master of a look, a raised eyebrow, a sardonic quip.

Minerva Todd was making him insane.
[...]
In public, they were almost proper. Here in his home, they reverted to what they were: a man and a woman teetering on the brink of some kind of relationship. He wanted to be around her. He liked having her in his life. She challenged him.

No woman had ever challenged him before. No one—save his mother—had ever made him want to make her proud.

...more

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Jul 30, 2015 Bambi Unbridled rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-netgalley, romance-historical, million-page-challenge, scotland, read-2015

When I was getting ready to start reading Scotsman of My Dreams, I realized that it was the second in the series. I am trying to stay on schedule with my reviews, so I didn't have time to go back and read the first book, In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams. But I got along just fine and didn't feel lost. There was only a small amount of crossover in the characters, so if you are in the same boat as I was, you should do fine. (I will definitely go back and read the first book now.

I totally loved the When I was getting ready to start reading Scotsman of My Dreams, I realized that it was the second in the series. I am trying to stay on schedule with my reviews, so I didn't have time to go back and read the first book, In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams. But I got along just fine and didn't feel lost. There was only a small amount of crossover in the characters, so if you are in the same boat as I was, you should do fine. (I will definitely go back and read the first book now.

I totally loved the leading man in this story, Duncan MacIain. Duncan was a renowned rake who, on a wild hair, decided to go to America to join the Civil War. I had no idea the British joined the Civil War until I read this book (or maybe I learned it in school but it wasn't told in such an interesting way so I just forgot). Anywho, Duncan is severely injured in America and loses his sight, so now he has returned home and is a recluse. Ranney's imagery with Duncan's plight was excellent. She did a good job detailing what he was going through and feeling, and it created an excellent emotional connection with his character.

The leading female, Minerva Todd, was unique for her time. She enjoyed archaeology, digging in the dirt, studying the past, even sewed her skirts to create voluminous trousers. Minerva believed her brother (Neville) to be a sycophant of the renowned rake, and Neville foolishly followed Duncan to American to join the war. Now Neville has not returned and Minerva vows not to leave Duncan alone until she can find out what happened to Neville. Minerva was quite unlike any woman Duncan ever met. She was very practical, honest to a fault, and somewhat shocking in her candor. I liked Minerva very much as well. She was a modern woman for her time, and I liked that she wasn't one of the young debutantes out on the marriage market.

The characterization for this story was excellent - Duncan, Minerva and Mrs. Thompson particularly jumped off the page for me. The title was a tad misleading as the story takes places in London and Duncan is not particularly Scottish (though he is descended from a line of Highlanders). But I enjoyed it nonetheless and I think you will too.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 4 stars / 3 flames. ...more

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Apr 19, 2015 Leone (She Reads too Much Romance) rated it really liked it

As an author Ranney has always been one of my favorites. Majority of her books I have loved, others I have liked, but without a single doubt lingering within my mind I have found Scotsman of My Dreams to be one of best romantic; love stories I've ever read.

If you love romance as much as I do than I am happy to reveal that this book is nothing shy except pure passion. The attraction between Dalton and Minerva was a spark that could not be denied. I absolutely love an author that bring a romance n ...more

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May 28, 2020 Shannon rated it liked it

I read through a lot of reviews after reading this and most of the negative reviews are by people who disliked the heroine because she was too brash, forward, direct, sexual, etc. Seriously? She knew what she wanted and went after it, just like EVERY. SINGLE. HERO. CHARACTER. EVER. Check yourself for sexism, please! Other than that, I wanted to love this enough to give it 5 stars, and there were 5-star moments, but the whole thing left me wanting more of the yearning and for more action. It read ...more

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Aug 11, 2015 SidneyKay rated it it was ok

Shelves: romance-victorian

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. GGAG Alert!! Gigantic Girth and Growing!!

It's been awhile since I've read a Karen Ranney book. I don't know why, she's not one of my auto-buys and this one was receiving good reviews, so what the hey. I'm always on the lookout for a good read. While Scotsman of My Dreams wasn't a super-duper-fantastical read, I did find it a pleasant one.

What we have in this book is a grumpy Gus hero who is feeling sorry for himself. Yes, Dalton used to be a man about town, a rake (a real one) and he didn't have GGAG Alert!! Gigantic Girth and Growing!!

It's been awhile since I've read a Karen Ranney book. I don't know why, she's not one of my auto-buys and this one was receiving good reviews, so what the hey. I'm always on the lookout for a good read. While Scotsman of My Dreams wasn't a super-duper-fantastical read, I did find it a pleasant one.

What we have in this book is a grumpy Gus hero who is feeling sorry for himself. Yes, Dalton used to be a man about town, a rake (a real one) and he didn't have a care in the world. He was also bored, bored, bored, so what better thing to do than have a grand adventure. His idea of a grand adventure was to journey to the United States and join the fighting going on at that time called the Civil War. What a good idea, huh? Not only did he think it was a swell idea, but his group of idiot bootlickers thought it would be fun too. So, they followed him to the United States and when they arrived they flipped a coin to see who would fight for the North and who would fight for the South. See isn't that a fun idea? Well, it isn't long before Dalton's eyes are opened to the cruelty which is war. He loses many of his friends along with his eyesight. Or most of his eyesight. So, now he's back in England wallowing in self-pity; he can't see, he's guilt-ridden because of his idiot friends who followed him into war only to die. I'm forgetting a very important part of the plot. It seems that the reason our hero Dalton is blind is because someone tried to kill him while he was off fighting for the North in the United States Civil War. The last thing Dalton saw before he passed out was one of his friends, Neville Todd aiming a pistol at him. Well since this is romance, Neville has a sister, Minerva. Ta ta ta dah.

Minerva is looking for her brother; he seems to have disappeared. Most everyone thinks he's dead, but not Minerva. She knows there is only one person who can tell her where Neville is, and that one person is Dalton. However, Dalton refuses to see her because he's wallowing. That doesn't deter Minerva. She breaks into his house and forces an audience with him. She blames him for everything that has happened to Neville, she hatesssss Dalton, but as it soon turns out not enough to avoid his bed. Which leads me to a short rant and a discovery of my own double standards. Minerva isn't a virgin and I really don't care, but she was relieved of her golden gate years ago by her footman/carriage guy, whatever he is. His name is Hugo and he's still in her employ and also helping her break into places. He appears to still have feelings for her, she doesn't appear to have anything but friendship for him at this point - only fond memories of some wonderful passion. Here's where my double standard crept in. I was uncomfortable with her being his employer and having a one-time passionate relationship with him. It dawned on me that I was more uncomfortable with her still being his employer than I am when it is a male having a passionate relationship with one of his employees. I'm going to have to sort that out, maybe after so many years of reading, I'm used to a male employer being a user of his subordinates, than a female employer being a user of her subordinates. Don't know, haven't arrived at any conclusion other than the relationship between Hugo and Minerva made me uncomfortable.

While we are talking relationships, in the beginning of this story I didn't sense any strong chemistry between Minerva and Dalton. Maybe that was due to the fact that it wasn't until chapter twelve that they were together for any long period of time. Long. Let's talk about long things, shall we. I had an OMG moment in this book. In fact, I pinned a note that said OMG. Plus this moment was a biggggg (and I do mean big) distraction. It became a yardstick moment. I'd say ruler moment, except a ruler wasn't big enough. Dalton seems to be the proud owner of a mighty big Mr. Toad. Not only did Minerva's forefinger and thumb not touch while encircling this gigantic beam, but his Timothy Toad seems to be nine sprayed fingers long! Now, I don't have big hands by any means, in fact my ring finger is a size five but when I sprayed nine of my fingers out I had to find a yardstick because I came up with a whopping 12 and 1/2 inches. That converts to 31.75 centimeters. This proved to be a really big distraction to the story. I kept asking myself why, oh why do authors insist on writing about such humongous hero handles? Here's the deal: a woman's love canal is between 3 to 4 inches long. Granted, it does expand to accommodate things that come knocking, but really 12 1/2 inches, that's a lot of expanding, a lot of arousing. Yes, it does expand to expel little children, but usually that takes hours and hours of pain to stretch that much. Plus, that's expelling, not oh baby bring it on. Authors, please... If you don't want me reaching for a yardstick make those hero handles normal. They don't have to reach up to the sternum to satisfy! Talk about heartburn!

Back to the story. Except for the major distraction of Toads and yardsticks and sternums I found this a pleasant read - not incredibly fantastical, but pleasant. The chemistry between the couple was lacking in the beginning and then when they do become involved another subplot came along and diluted the chemistry that was starting to form. They were apart too long to begin with, which lessened the time allotted to romance. This is a standard romance, nothing earth-shattering, maybe something for a plane ride. It was ok.

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Dec 27, 2014 Kimia Safavi rated it it was amazing

Loved it!

Scotsman of My Dreams is another great book in MacIain series,it is the story of a former rake,Dalton Maclain,who has return from America scarred, almost blind and unfortunately his older brother died in the hunting accident and now he is the earl.
Now Dalton is a changed man who wants to stay home and deals with his new situations, blindness and being the earl if only the stubborn Miss Minerva Todd, the sister of the man, whom he blames for his blindness leaves him alone.

Minerva is desp ...more

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Nov 17, 2015 Joanne rated it did not like it

Shelves: historical-romance, couldn-t-finish

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Sep 19, 2015 Kate Sherwood rated it liked it

I liked it, cheesy title and all. I liked that the heroine was unapologetically experienced, even back in the day, and I liked it that she more-or-less stood up for herself, even though she was a bit over the top about it sometimes. I liked that the hero was battling physical challenges and the attendance psychological issues.

That said, the mystery plot felt sort of underserved - obvious villain, caught without any significant detective work, with no apparent emotional repercussions for the pers ...more

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Nov 23, 2015 Jessica Grogan rated it did not like it

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Dec 04, 2015 Wendy rated it really liked it

A very enjoyable and entertaining read with an unconventional heroine, a reformed rake, and a lot of really fun banter. I liked this book much more than I expected to, especially given the title, which seemed to fit in with all the other Scotland romances. This was exceptionally good, though, and I will be checking out other books by this author.

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Jun 25, 2015 Sharil rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: scottish-historical-romance

I don't usually enjoy Regency stories or ones in London/England from after the knight era. This was really good...a strong 4, almost 5 stars. Can't wait for the next book in the series. ...more

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Jul 18, 2015 Ghada rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

There is something very endearing about Dalton and miranda. they are by far my one of my favourite characters ever! a must read .

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Jul 28, 2020 Ryanne Nichole rated it really liked it

Dalton Maclain is a renowned Rake who is known for his exploits across London society. He decides to join the American Civil War in order to have some adventure in his life. Little did he know that this decision would alter his life forever. Minerva Todd is a woman ahead of her time. She enjoys archeology and digging in the dirt more than a London ballroom. Her brother followed Dalton to America and never returned. She’s determined to find in out what happened to him, so she doggedly peruses Dal ...more

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Feb 16, 2020 dumbells rated it it was ok

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Apr 19, 2022 Lisa Cudd rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2022-04

I could only give 2 stars to this audio. It could have been such a great story, but the narrator ruined it for me. First of all, when I see Scotsman in the title I assume I'm going to hear a sexy SCOTTISH brogue. This guy spoke like a mixture of a Brit and William Shatner. I constantly felt like I was in Star Trek.

And the heroin was made to sound*breathy* in every sentence. It didn't matter if she was saying the milk is spoiled, she sounded as if she was in the threadless of a seed scene.

So dis ...more

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Jun 08, 2018 Deborah Small rated it really liked it

Minerva Todd and Dalton Maclain are interesting, well-rounded characters. Their interplay is delightful. And well-done. But what I found most interesting, was not Minerva Todd’s unconventional attitude and behavior (for her time)—that’s done so frequently in Romance it’s no longer a hook for me—but Ranney’s skill in _seeing_ the world through Dalton Maclain’s eyes.

Intelligent, and IMO, compassionately written. 4.5 stars

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Mar 01, 2020 Antoinette rated it did not like it

Shelves: romance-novels

The hero is blind - a state of affairs that almost always leads to trite writing, and unfortunately this is no exception. That would be surmountable, except that he's not a strong hero. Moreover, the heroine is - I find - unlikable. I like the idea of an archaeologist heroine who wears trouser-skirts and speaks her mind; I just don't enjoy the execution in this book. The chemistry between the protagonists, therefore, is flat. I couldn't read past page 131. ...more

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Jul 09, 2020 Juliewheatcox.Net rated it really liked it

I loved that story was unconventional. There was an earl, but no balls, no debutante’s, no London society.

Dalton was going through a transition after nearly dying, being blinded, then becoming an earl, all in a short span of time.

Minerva was only interested in finding her brother and Scottish archaeology.

Both were strong characters who didn’t mince words.

I just wish that the romance had gotten started earlier in the book. It was pretty steamy once it did.

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Feb 22, 2022 Izzie rated it liked it

3.5⭐️ Despite the unlikely tolerance the MCs displayed toward each other under unpleasant circumstances, the slow start due to too much internal monologue to explain backstories, and not fleshing out a couple of interesting secondary characters which could have led to a more complex and satisfying read, I don’t feel like my time was wasted on this book.

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Oct 30, 2019 Amanda rated it really liked it

This story was so sweet and had such a strong female lead, I was in love instantly. Being a geologist myself, having a female lead who was an archaeologist was cool and refreshing. It kept me entertained from page 1 all the way to the very last page.

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Oct 22, 2021 Camila rated it really liked it

This book reminds me of Mary Balogh and Stephanie Laurens. It has mistery and a little bit of danger.
The Mary Balogh part, though, is the hability the autor shows giving the characters such a vulnerability and making them so relatable and lovable. This one is so far my favourite on the series.

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May 27, 2017 Oksana rated it it was amazing

They say opposites attract each other...this is a beautiful story about it. I absolutely love Minervas character, how smart she is, how strong and persistent.

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Sep 20, 2017 ksstannard rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Ranney never fails to entertain

Minerva and Dalton's story is filled with quirky characters, lots of action, and a bit of intrigue. P!us, the romance is delightful. ...more

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