Romance

I am marking this one as a DNF. I just really struggled with this one and it also wasn't what I was expecting it to be. This one just wasn't clicking for me and I have been trying to read this one for over a week and its just not clicking for me. So I am passing on this one unfortunately. I might try this later in ebook sometime. I don't think the narration is working for me very well, not as much as I expected it to be. ( )

An American in Scotland is the third book in the MacIain series. The book takes place during the American Civil War. In the beginning of the book we are introduced to Rose Sullivan who has just traveled from America all the way to Glasgow, Scotland. She has come to see Duncan MacIain, who is the Scottish cousin of her brother-in-law Bruce MacIain who is the American side of the family. She has a business proposition, she wants to sell him cotton. Duncan had reached out to Bruce before about buying cotton from him, Duncan who owns a mill, can make great profit from this, but due to clash of personalities the deal falls through. Rose hopes that Duncan will have renew interest in buying the cotton that will save her family from starving and the proceeds will help them keep Glengarden, the family plantation. Rose is expecting to meet some kindly elder gentlemen but is shocked when first sees Duncan who she is instantly attracted to. She then falls in a dead faint due to exhaustion and lack of nourishment. She is nursed back to health by Duncan’s mother and the family servants. Rose sees for herself how caring Duncan’s family is, and not the savages that Bruce makes them out to be. Duncan and his family automatically assume that Rose is Bruce’s wife and that he died in the war leaving he widowed. Rose doesn’t correct them on this, but she does feel guilty for deceiving them. The truth is that she cannot stand Bruce, and wishes that he was dead. Bruce had tortured her both emotionally and physically, and he is sadistic bastard all around, who left his family to fend for themselves while he went off to war. Duncan agrees to buy the cotton from Rose because it will help his mill, and also he wants to stay close to Rose. As they set sail on the Raven to head to America, Rose has no idea that Bruce has survived the war, and has returned to Glengarden.

Overall , I really like this book, I got through it really quick, and it was not hard to read. Its been a minute since I picked up a romance, and this book is making me want to read romance full time. When I got this I didn’t realize that it was the third book in a series. Which I was excited about because I don’t want to leave this world yet. Though I do suggest reading the previous two books, I don’t think its necessary that you have to read them in order. The Only thing that I was a bit confused on was Olivia ( Lennox’s mother) But I managed to pick up what was going on as I continued with the story. Despite her dubious background and that she abandoned her children I found myself liking Olivia. Who was a complex character to say the least. Another character I love was Rose, I just loved her spirit, and how passionate she about issues she cared about. I felt that she was very well suited for Duncan. I think that they complimented each other, and changed each other for the better. Plus, I like that characters actually treat each other with respect throughout the book, instead of the usual love hate thing going on. The only real problem I had was that I thought some of the plot lines were a bit contrived. Like Bruce forcing Rose to work and live amongst the slaves. I just don’t see Rose’s sister allowing that, even if she didn’t like her sister, she would be protective of her family’s reputation. It would not look good on the family that one of its members is working and living amongst the slaves .I also took issues with Duncan who was against slavery, but he had no problem with purchasing cotton which was made with slave labor. Which I thought was hypocritical. Plus I wanted to see more of Claire ( Roses sister) She was pivotal in the plot, I would have liked to hear her more from her point of view than what other characters thought of her. Other then this, I really enjoyed this book. I highly recommend this book. ( )

Good book, though a little slow at the start. Rose arrives in Glasgow at the end of her rope and the end of her resources. The Civil War has hit her family hard back in South Carolina, and she has come to see if the Scottish branch of the family will brave the blockade and purchase the last of their cotton. She's taken some liberties with the truth in order to ensure that she'll be listened to.

Duncan is a mill owner who is struggling to keep his business going. The war in America has made it difficult to get the cotton necessary to do so. The arrival of his cousin's beautiful young widow gets his attention, especially when she faints at his feet. Her proposition is interesting, but could it be even more dangerous than it appears?

There were sparks between Rose and Duncan from the very beginning. It was fun to see the effect that they had on each other. Duncan was constantly finding himself distracted by her beauty. He was so intrigued by her that he would come home for lunch every day and leave work earlier than usual, just to be able to spend time with her. Rose is just as intrigued by Duncan, and begins to regret her deception. Duncan had previously decided not to accept Bruce's offer to sell him the cotton. He didn't care for the impression he got of Bruce's character and lifestyle from the letters he received and was reluctant to support it. His conversations with Rose only reinforced that decision. Rose is desperate to get Duncan to buy their cotton. She needs that money to support the few people that are left living at the plantation. I loved his surprise at finding himself giving in to her pleas.

Rose has a mind and will of her own. When she sets out on a course of action there isn't much that can get her to change. As hard as Duncan tried to get her to stay in Scotland while he retrieved the cotton, he could not get her to agree. Nor would she agree to remain in Nassau. It was fun to see Duncan start to respect and expect Rose's willingness to express her opinions and stick to her decisions. Forced into close quarters on the voyage, it isn't long before their attraction gets the better of them. I enjoyed seeing him realize his feelings first, and express them in an incredibly romantic way for such a previously controlled man. It took Rose a little longer because of her fears, but she too is eloquent in her expressions of love.

Things take an unexpected turn when they arrive in South Carolina and discover that Bruce is back home from the war. He has lost a leg and his cruel nature has become even worse. I ached for Rose as she learned the heartbreaking truth about her sister's attitude toward her. Things got a bit intense when Bruce tried to exact his revenge upon Rose. Help came from an unexpected source, and Bruce ends up as the focus of someone else's revenge. That was very satisfying. Duncan and Rose also receive some unexpected good news that contributes to the success of their trip.

I enjoyed the epilogue and seeing where everyone is a few months later. I loved the teasing that was going on among all the family members. Their love and support is obvious, but there is also a great sense of fun now that they have all found their loves. ( )

This is the third book in the MacIain series, which focuses on descendants of Highlanders in the latter half of the 19th Century. Once the MacIains fled Scotland after the Rising, the three brothers scattered to England, America and Glasgow. While [b:Scotsman of My Dreams|23657164|Scotsman of My Dreams (MacIain, #2)|Karen Ranney|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424383959s/23657164.jpg|43264211] featured the English branch of the family, [b:An American in Scotland|25654630|An American in Scotland (MacIain, #3)|Karen Ranney|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1438663003s/25654630.jpg|45475928] focuses on the Glasgow and American branches. While there is some character crossover in each book, you won't be lost if you haven't read the earlier books.

Duncan MacIain is a mill owner in Glasgow, but the American Civil War has nearly bankrupted him due to the shortage of cotton coming out of the South. The need for cotton to support his people leaves Duncan conflicted as he abhors slavery, and does not look favorable on the self-absorbed grandiose Bruce MacIain, who owns a plantation in Charleston. Trying to keep the mill afloat has taken all of Duncan's attention, so he has not given any thought to marriage or a family. Duncan was a beta male, an honorable and soft-spoken caretaker of his family and tenements. There were no whispers of rakish or rogueish behavior... he even quietly slipped to Edinburgh on occasion when he needed to take care of his manly needs. I liked Duncan and was cheering for him, but I didn't have a grand passion where he was concerned.

The MacIains are surprised when a fiery-haired American woman shows up at their door in widows weeds offering to sell the very cotton that Bruce MacIain had refused to sell his Scottish cousin. After Bruce went off to fight for the Confederacy, leaving his family to fend for itself, Rose took over the running of the plantation. As an abolitionist, she has always clashed with Bruce and the southern way of life. But she shows up in Scotland desperate to sell the last cotton harvest and keep the rest of the family (her sister and niece and remaining slaves) from starving. Only to sell the cotton, Rose thinks she has to pose as Bruce's widow and she keeps up the charade for a good portion of the book. The whole deception made me disinclined to like Rose. She had many opportunities to come clean and every time she let it pass I thought less of her. However, once all was revealed and I learned Rose's tortured story, it eased my antipathy for her. The story picked up after that.

Obviously writing a historical set during the time of slavery is difficult - there are many social and moral issues to navigate, but you also want to stay true to the time period. I think [a:Karen Ranney|68758|Karen Ranney|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1213660190p2/68758.jpg] did a good job with those parts of the story. She didn't gloss over the atrocities of the time, but I think Rose's ideals and abolitionist activities provided a nice counterbalance. The story did drag for me in the first half, but the pace picked up once Rose's deception was revealed and I enjoyed the rest of the story.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Avon via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars / 3 flames. ( )