Seven years have passed since Glynis MacIain made the foolish mistake of declaring her love to Lennox Cameron, only to have him stare at her dumbfounded. Heartbroken, she accepted the proposal of a diplomat and moved to America, where she played the role of a dutiful wife among Washington’s elite. Now a widow, Glynis is back in Scotland. Though Lennox can still unravel her with just one glance, Glynis is no longer the naïve girl Lennox knew and vows to resist him.
With the American Civil War raging, shipbuilder Lennox Cameron must complete a sleek new blockade runner for the Confederate Navy. He cannot afford any distractions, especially the one woman he’s always loved. Glynis’s cool demeanor tempts him to prove to her what a terrible mistake she made seven years ago.
As the war casts its long shadow across the ocean, will a secret from Glynis’s past destroy any chance for a future between the two star-crossed lovers?
“You’ve come home,” Lennox said.
Glynis wanted to pull away but stood still. Precipitous gestures could be misunderstood. Better to allow him to hold her hand than cause a scene, especially when whispers swirled around them.
“It’s the MacIain girl, home after all these years.”
“Wasn’t there some scandal about her?”
“Is this the first time she’s been seen in public?”
Were people recalling those times she followed after Lennox as a child? At five years old she marked him as hers. As a young woman she was prepared to tell him she adored him.
Foolish Glynis.
He must not affect her. She wouldn’t allow it. She was no longer nineteen and desperately in love.
“Why didn’t you come home sooner?” he asked now, still holding her hand.
Instead of answering, she only smiled. The diplomatic ranks did not value honesty and so she became adroit at sidestepping it.
He still smelled of wood and the ocean. Whenever anyone said the word “ship” or she tasted a brine filled breeze, he would appear in her memory with a twinkle in his eye.
The hint of beard showing on this important occasion wasn’t due to any sloth on his part. He had to shave more than once a day to eliminate a shadow appearing on his cheeks and chin.
“I think God wants me to have facial hair,” he said to her. “But God and I are going to disagree.”
He was a foot taller than she was, dressed in black evening wear accentuating his shoulders and height. All his life he’d worked hard and it showed in the breadth of his chest and muscled legs. Something about him, though, hinted at power and always had. In a crowded room people sought him out the way they looked to leaders and confident men.
Lennox Cameron resembled a prince and a devastating Highlander and he’d been the hero of most of her childish dreams.
No longer, however. Too much had happened in the intervening years.
About the Author:
Karen Ranney began writing when she was five. Her first published work was The Maple Leaf, read over the school intercom when she was in the first grade. In addition to wanting to be a violinist (her parents had a special violin crafted for her when she was seven), she wanted to be a lawyer, a teacher, and, most of all, a writer. Though the violin was discarded early, she still admits to a fascination with the law, and she volunteers as a teacher whenever needed. Writing, however, has remained the overwhelming love of her life.
Jennifer’s Review of In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams
Review (4.75 Stars): I’ve been a big fan of Ms. Ranney’s books for quite some time and I jumped at the opportunity to read her new book, In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams. Glynis MacIain has always loved Lennox Cameron but when she declared her love for him as a young girl and received nothing in return but embarrassment, she accepted another man’s proposal which led her to America. Coming back to Scotland after several years away has brought back so many memories of her past and has put her face to face with the one man that she has never forgotten. Lennox has made a name for himself as a shipbuilder while Glynis has been away and now that she is back, he can’t believe the beautiful woman that she has become. She now wants nothing to do with Lennox, but the more she runs away, the more Lennox tries to get her attention. With war waging around them, these two may finally have a second chance at the love that they should have had all along.
Glynis was such a complex and wonderful character for me. She went from this love struck teenager in the beginning of the story to a much more refined and mature young woman. She had been through quite a bit while she was in America and being home in Scotland brought back all those feelings that she had for Lennox the moment that she saw his face. The interaction between Glynis and Lennox was fun to watch over the course of this book because she never knew that he cared about her all along but just didn’t know how to act on those feelings.
Ms. Ranney does an fantastic job of weaving a well-written story that will draw readers in and have you falling in love with her delightful characters. In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams has everything for me, humor, romance, suspense and murder with the beautiful backdrop of historical Scotland that will keep you entertained for hours. I’m dying to read more from Ms. Ranney and can’t wait to read book two in the series.
I love Karen’s books. I really am looking forward to reading Glynisc and Lennox’s story and what happens.Thanks for your review and post.
Carol L
Oh, Karen, you’ve done it again…written a winner of a love story! The struggle that goes on behind Lennox’s and Glynis’s faces, trying to overcome their memories of the past, deny their present feelings…yet giving in to their love for each other…can only be written by a mistress of words. And I’ve no doubt whatsoever that you’ve done it again…just like in your other wonderful stories. Thank you for your writing!
Thank you for hosting today! Great Review!
This sounds really good – thanks for the tour and giveaway!