If love be love

by Flora Kidd

The young Allans, Nancy, Linda and Don were thrilled when they were left a croft on the west coast of Nancy in particular, who felt responsible for her younger brother and sister and was used to shouldering their burdens, was sure that it was just what Don needed to help him settle down. Nancy will be free at last to make her own plans. Now that her brother was contentedly settled, she dreamed of a suitable marriage for herself. So it was rather daunting when they met the local laird, the dour Logan Maclaine, and found him unwelcoming and sceptical about the whole thing. Laird of Lanmore proved to be a very unsettling influence.Unfortunately, until they got themselves sorted out, the Allans just had to keep accepting Logan’s help and advice, however much Nancy resented having to do so. But did it really matter much, when Nancy was soon going back home to marry Rod Ellis and needn’t ever have anything to do with Logan again?

297 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Flora Mildred Cartwright was born on 1926 in Liverpool, England, UK. The youngest of four children, Flora and her family lived in the same house until she was a teen. In 1949, she graduated from Liverpool University, where she met Robert Kidd, her husband. They moved to her beloved Scotland, where she began teaching, writing, and raised their four children: Richard, Patricia, Peter and David.

Flora Kidd published her first novel, Visit To Rowanbank, in 1966 at Mills & Boon. In 1977, the family moved to Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, where she continued her romance career with Mills & Boon until 1989, when she retired. In 1994, she published the first of the The Marco Polo Project novels, to support a project to build a replica of the 19th century ship Marco Polo.

Flora Kidd passed away on March 19, 2008 at Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.

Reviews

[Naksed · Rating 2 out of 5]

If OM hadn't jilted h, and H's little plot moppet nephew hadn't played Cupid, these two bickering idiots would never have gotten together. Very blah.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars ~ The Allans have had multi-generational ties to farmland on the west coast of Scotland. The land is leased by male heir to male heir, and when Nancy Allan's grandfather died, the option to lease the land was passed down to her brother Don. Since the death of their parents five years before in a house fire, the three Allan siblings have struggled. This news of the leasehold, is the answers to their prayers, especially for young Don who has needed a purpose. So packing up all their belongings into their car of questionable mechanical fitness, Nancy, Don and Linda leave England. They make numerous stops along the way to see historical sites, and at a stop to see Hadrian's Wall, Nancy is distressed to find her 15 year old sister chatting with a very attractive man, and after shooing her sister back to the car, she chastises the stranger for picking up teenagers. Mere miles from the ferry that will take them across to Lanmore where their leasehold is, the car coughs it's last and dies. It's an isolated road, so the three are happy when a car approaches, it's the man from Hadrian's Wall. Nancy's none too pleased to have to accept help from this arrogant man, and when he delivers them to their cottage and seems to know so much about the place, Nancy is shocked to learn that he's actually the Laird of Lanmore, their landlord.

Logan is a bit of a mystery, while it's obvious he loves Lanmore and knows all there is to know about farming the land and raising livestock; he's also a man of the world. He and his brother, Angus, were Grand Prix drivers. Logan ended his career when he was involved in the accident that took Angus' life. When the three Allans arrive in Lanmore to take up the Allan leasehold, he easily sees they intend to make an honest go of things, and so he helps them as much as he can. He gets on well with Don who is eager to learn, and with Linda, who worships him as a hero. But it seems that Nancy lives up to her red hair, and they always seem to be arguing. When Logan brings his young nephew to stay with him, Nancy instantly bonds with the boy. Soon Logan and Neil are daily visitors to the Allans. And though they still spar, Nancy finds herself looking forward to her talks with Logan. Until he starts to question her about her plans to return to England to marry her luke warm fiance.

I was surprised when I went over my reading journal and discovered that this is the first book I've read written by Flora Kidd. In this charming love story, Ms. Kidd brings rural Scotland to life, and uses it beautifully to add depth to her characters. Nancy is unsettled as Logan makes her feel alive, and she finds that she resents the way he seems to be either amused or irritated by her. Logan's the first to realize just how hard Nancy's life has been since their parents death, and using her bond with Neil and his friendship with Linda, he slowly shows her that it's okay to let go, and let her siblings make their own decisions. This love story brought me several hours of pleasant reading.