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mpursell21's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
2.5
ilaurin's review against another edition
3.0
Week heroine which I did not particularly liked and made strange decisions. The hero I liked, he was strong and intelligent and willing to open up in case it brings him his loved one. The story had moments but overall not a particularly good book for my taste.
scoutmomskf's review against another edition
4.0
I had mixed feelings about this book. Overall, I liked it. The first half was rather slow and a bit hard to stay interested in. The beginning would also have a chapter or two of the present time, then a chapter of flashback for the backstory, another chapter or two in the present, then flashback, etc. This went on for quite a while. I prefer my backstory mostly all at once - the constant back and forth was sometimes hard to follow. Things definitely picked up in the second half and I enjoyed it much more at that point.
Virginia was an American heiress, brought to London by her father to marry a man with a title. He didn't care what she wanted, she would basically go to the highest bidder. In the meantime, Virginia had met a Scottish man, a self-made millionaire, who understood her. They would meet at balls or other places where she could escape, and talk about politics, science, literature or anything that caught their fancy. They fell in love, but her father wouldn't even consider Macrath as a suitor. She was forced to marry the earl and forbidden to see or speak to Macrath.
Less than a year later, her husband was dead, and she discovered that all the money she had brought to the marriage had been used to purchase land that was then left to the cousin who inherited the title. Virginia and her mother- and sisters-in-law, were left with nothing unless Virginia had produced a son. Her mother-in-law, whom I DID NOT like at all, convinced her that she needed to quickly find a man who could get her pregnant with a child she could pass off as her husband's. Virginia did not like that idea at all, but could see no other option to keep them from becoming destitute. So she ran off to Scotland to try to seduce Macrath.
Macrath was stunned to see Virginia show up at Drumvagen. He had been unable to forget her after her marriage and had buried himself in his work. He was happy to have her there and hoped to make her want to stay. He was very willing to show her "how it's supposed to be between a man and a woman". After just a few days he's devastated to find out she has no intention of staying in Scotland, but returning to London. They part ways, and he heads off to Australia on business and she returns to London to take care of her family.
Unsurprisingly, she does end up pregnant and has a son, who the world assumes is her husband's. The baby is just a few months old when smallpox sweeps through London and Virginia becomes quite ill. Macrath returns to London about that time, and discovering the truth about the child, takes the baby back to Scotland while Virginia is ill, without telling her. She chases after him before she is fully recovered. When she arrives, he is still furious at her deception and refuses to allow her in the house or to see the baby. Over the next couple weeks she is stuck in a cottage on the estate and still unable to see the baby. By this point, Virginia has finally started to find a backbone and refuses to be kept away. I really enjoyed her determination and seeing what she does.
Over the next few weeks, Macrath begins to soften toward Virginia a little as he sees what a good mother she really is. Virginia also sees Macrath's happiness in being a father. But she still refuses to consider staying in Scotland, determined to keep up the deception and protect her family. It is getting harder for each of them, as their feelings for each other have only gotten stronger. The conflict could have been greatly reduced if she had just told him what the problem was.
Things were also complicated by her late husband's personal assistant, who was obsessed with Virginia. He was determined to have her for himself, and willing to do anything to get her. Over the course of the book he went from creepy to obsessed to dangerous. His appearance in Scotland added a layer of intensity that finally brought Macrath and Virginia together.
Virginia irritated me through most of the book because of her unwillingness to tell Macrath what was going on. She did have redeeming qualities. I liked her determination to take care of her son herself, no turn him over to nannies and we nurses. She was also kind to her in-laws, even though the mother-in-law was a piece of work. I didn't like that woman at all. Virginia was also pretty down-to-earth. She really didn't care about the benefits of the title. But until she became a mother, I found her to be rather a doormat.
Macrath I liked a lot. He made something of himself through his own hard work. He was true to himself, not trying to change to fit in with the aristocracy. I liked the way he treated Virginia like an intelligent human being when they had their discussions in the first part of the book. I completely understood his anger when he found out about the baby. I even understood his actions when Virginia came to Scotland, even though I felt he could have handled things a little better. I liked seeing him soften toward her, and realize that he still wanted her in his life. I thought his pursuit of her was pretty sweet.
Virginia was an American heiress, brought to London by her father to marry a man with a title. He didn't care what she wanted, she would basically go to the highest bidder. In the meantime, Virginia had met a Scottish man, a self-made millionaire, who understood her. They would meet at balls or other places where she could escape, and talk about politics, science, literature or anything that caught their fancy. They fell in love, but her father wouldn't even consider Macrath as a suitor. She was forced to marry the earl and forbidden to see or speak to Macrath.
Less than a year later, her husband was dead, and she discovered that all the money she had brought to the marriage had been used to purchase land that was then left to the cousin who inherited the title. Virginia and her mother- and sisters-in-law, were left with nothing unless Virginia had produced a son. Her mother-in-law, whom I DID NOT like at all, convinced her that she needed to quickly find a man who could get her pregnant with a child she could pass off as her husband's. Virginia did not like that idea at all, but could see no other option to keep them from becoming destitute. So she ran off to Scotland to try to seduce Macrath.
Macrath was stunned to see Virginia show up at Drumvagen. He had been unable to forget her after her marriage and had buried himself in his work. He was happy to have her there and hoped to make her want to stay. He was very willing to show her "how it's supposed to be between a man and a woman". After just a few days he's devastated to find out she has no intention of staying in Scotland, but returning to London. They part ways, and he heads off to Australia on business and she returns to London to take care of her family.
Unsurprisingly, she does end up pregnant and has a son, who the world assumes is her husband's. The baby is just a few months old when smallpox sweeps through London and Virginia becomes quite ill. Macrath returns to London about that time, and discovering the truth about the child, takes the baby back to Scotland while Virginia is ill, without telling her. She chases after him before she is fully recovered. When she arrives, he is still furious at her deception and refuses to allow her in the house or to see the baby. Over the next couple weeks she is stuck in a cottage on the estate and still unable to see the baby. By this point, Virginia has finally started to find a backbone and refuses to be kept away. I really enjoyed her determination and seeing what she does.
Over the next few weeks, Macrath begins to soften toward Virginia a little as he sees what a good mother she really is. Virginia also sees Macrath's happiness in being a father. But she still refuses to consider staying in Scotland, determined to keep up the deception and protect her family. It is getting harder for each of them, as their feelings for each other have only gotten stronger. The conflict could have been greatly reduced if she had just told him what the problem was.
Things were also complicated by her late husband's personal assistant, who was obsessed with Virginia. He was determined to have her for himself, and willing to do anything to get her. Over the course of the book he went from creepy to obsessed to dangerous. His appearance in Scotland added a layer of intensity that finally brought Macrath and Virginia together.
Virginia irritated me through most of the book because of her unwillingness to tell Macrath what was going on. She did have redeeming qualities. I liked her determination to take care of her son herself, no turn him over to nannies and we nurses. She was also kind to her in-laws, even though the mother-in-law was a piece of work. I didn't like that woman at all. Virginia was also pretty down-to-earth. She really didn't care about the benefits of the title. But until she became a mother, I found her to be rather a doormat.
Macrath I liked a lot. He made something of himself through his own hard work. He was true to himself, not trying to change to fit in with the aristocracy. I liked the way he treated Virginia like an intelligent human being when they had their discussions in the first part of the book. I completely understood his anger when he found out about the baby. I even understood his actions when Virginia came to Scotland, even though I felt he could have handled things a little better. I liked seeing him soften toward her, and realize that he still wanted her in his life. I thought his pursuit of her was pretty sweet.
brittanyt's review against another edition
3.0
Okay, I think I bought this book, because it has “devil” in the title. The storyline is kind of crazy! Virginia is an American heiress who has been brought to England to find a husband. She meets Macrath Sinclair, a wealthy self made man and they fall in love. Her father refuses to let her marry him and instead makes her marry an Earl. Her husband is sickly, but is also mean and treats Virginia and the rest of his family horribly. He dies one year into their marriage. He intentionally leaves his family destitute, so his mother in law comes up with a plan to save the family: Virginia needs to get pregnant with an heir, so they can retain rights to the earldom. Virginia goes to Macrath.
I don’t even want to tell you the craziness that ensues for the rest of this book. There is smallpox, a kidnapping, a stalker – it is perfectly unbelievable! I love high drama, so I was here for all aspects of this book. I didn’t really connect with the characters as much as I would have liked though. I liked Macrath, so I was not a fan of Virginia for following through with her mother in law’s plan. Virginia grows a lot throughout the book and finally finds her backbone, but I just wanted to shake her at times. This was a book where the hero and heroine really needed to sit down and lay all the cards on the table to realize THERE WAS A REASONABLE SOLUTION! This was the first Karen Ranney book I have read. While it’s not my favorite, I will continue to test the waters!
I don’t even want to tell you the craziness that ensues for the rest of this book. There is smallpox, a kidnapping, a stalker – it is perfectly unbelievable! I love high drama, so I was here for all aspects of this book. I didn’t really connect with the characters as much as I would have liked though. I liked Macrath, so I was not a fan of Virginia for following through with her mother in law’s plan. Virginia grows a lot throughout the book and finally finds her backbone, but I just wanted to shake her at times. This was a book where the hero and heroine really needed to sit down and lay all the cards on the table to realize THERE WAS A REASONABLE SOLUTION! This was the first Karen Ranney book I have read. While it’s not my favorite, I will continue to test the waters!
jackiepreston's review against another edition
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Rape
Moderate: Death and Pandemic/Epidemic
aqtbenz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Violence, and Sexual assault
Minor: Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Death
twistinthetale's review against another edition
2.0
Struggled with this book. I found the heroine annoying for her poor choices, lack of backbone, lack of communication. Even the hero was flawed for me and his attraction to Victoria was never well expressed. There was a lack of chemistry and the romance always seemed forced. I did appreciate that Victoria had a lot of growing to do as a person but it was a long journey and, really, it was only in the last 50 pages or so that I felt this book found its feet. Others in the series-don't think I can persist.
loverofromance's review against another edition
4.0
I have really enjoyed this author over the years, and even though I haven't read too many of her books, I was very delighted to get a chance to get a copy of this ARC through Avon and Edelweiss. I think out of all of books I have had the pleasure of reading from this author, this one would be at the top of my list. I would recommend it to anyone, it does have a bit of betrayal and distrust between the couple especially with how they began. However I found that from beginning to end I was entertained and there wasn't one moment of boredom. I could honestly conduct a hour or two long conversation about this book, but I wont take that long LOL
It begins with when they first fall in love, they start to slowly court, and their relationship is sweet and tender and innocent. Virginia is a American, and has come to England with her father to find a husband. Macrath has worked hard his whole life to get as accomplished as he is now. When Virginia's father demands that she marry a Count, she realizes that she will have to give up the man she loves. A year later Virginia has just recently become a widow, and according to her mother in law, she must get pregnant immediately. Knowing she has no other choice, she decides to go up to Scotland to find Macrath, and seduce him. Virginia's feelings for him coming washing back the moment she is back in his arms and then leaves him again. Macrath isn't one to be used, or to give his heart twice to the same woman. So he decided to leave for a while, and heads down to Australia for a year. When he returns he decides to visit Virginia on a impulse, but he finds that she is barely recovering from a deathly sickness, and finds out that he has a son, that she never told him about. So deciding to turn the table on her, and before Virginia knows it she is chasing after Macrath, only to find herself in a situation where she could lose herself in him, and doesn't know if she could have the strength to leave or stay with him forever.
The Devil of Clan Sinclair is quite a sensational story that swept me off my feet. I loved how their sweet romance turns into a vital love story where the focus is about the love that lasts. This couple goes through quite a bit of hurdles, and at first I didn't like Virginia, I had a hard time getting used to her character. She seemed to me to be the type that would be not willing to fight for who you love. She seems to be lacking some spine, she could have been a bit more bolder. However I had no issues with Macrath, he never gave up on Virginia no matter how much she hurt him. I loved his strength and perseverance. In the end though, I enjoyed seeing how the story plays out, and it ended up be a endearing story that won my heart over in the end!! A story I would recommend to anyone that enjoys a sensually filled romance that is bound to endear you.
It begins with when they first fall in love, they start to slowly court, and their relationship is sweet and tender and innocent. Virginia is a American, and has come to England with her father to find a husband. Macrath has worked hard his whole life to get as accomplished as he is now. When Virginia's father demands that she marry a Count, she realizes that she will have to give up the man she loves. A year later Virginia has just recently become a widow, and according to her mother in law, she must get pregnant immediately. Knowing she has no other choice, she decides to go up to Scotland to find Macrath, and seduce him. Virginia's feelings for him coming washing back the moment she is back in his arms and then leaves him again. Macrath isn't one to be used, or to give his heart twice to the same woman. So he decided to leave for a while, and heads down to Australia for a year. When he returns he decides to visit Virginia on a impulse, but he finds that she is barely recovering from a deathly sickness, and finds out that he has a son, that she never told him about. So deciding to turn the table on her, and before Virginia knows it she is chasing after Macrath, only to find herself in a situation where she could lose herself in him, and doesn't know if she could have the strength to leave or stay with him forever.
The Devil of Clan Sinclair is quite a sensational story that swept me off my feet. I loved how their sweet romance turns into a vital love story where the focus is about the love that lasts. This couple goes through quite a bit of hurdles, and at first I didn't like Virginia, I had a hard time getting used to her character. She seemed to me to be the type that would be not willing to fight for who you love. She seems to be lacking some spine, she could have been a bit more bolder. However I had no issues with Macrath, he never gave up on Virginia no matter how much she hurt him. I loved his strength and perseverance. In the end though, I enjoyed seeing how the story plays out, and it ended up be a endearing story that won my heart over in the end!! A story I would recommend to anyone that enjoys a sensually filled romance that is bound to endear you.