A Borrowed Scot by Karen Ranney

April 11, 2011

Can you say Surly?
http://www.karenranney.com/default.htm

Surly: "Irritable sullen and churlish in mood or manner."
Churlish: "Ill-natured. Peevish. Difficult to work with or deal with." see Boorish
Boorish "implies rudeness of manner due to insensitivity to others feelings and unwillingness and ungraciousness."
Loutish...and on and on.

A-l-l of these words describe our hero, Montgomery, one of the most unlikeable guys I've read about in a long time. He's silent, he broods, he turns his face away from the heroine, he goes for long walks communing with the ghosts of his past. He says hurtful things to our especially spunky, likable heroine, Veronica. And, this is really too bad because other than the TSTL moment in the beginning of the book, Veronica is a great character, deserving of a true hero. I think she is the first heroine I've seen who danced around the floor in happiness because she was being forced to marry a stranger and escape her horrible family. She was everything Montgomery wasn't.

Montgomery eventually comes out of his silent-guy persona in the last few chapters of the book, but by then it was too late for me. The only thing that kept this book from colliding with the wall was Veronica. I loved her. I loved how she stood up to Mr. Silent-Guy's rude antics; some of those foot-putting-down moments were quite comical. The only time this couple communicated was when they were having hot steamy sex, lots and lots of mindless hot sex! I guess if it was mindless they wouldn't really be communicating would they? S-o-o, the only time they came together was to have mindless steamy sex. Since Veronica is the strong person in the relationship, she eventually manages to pull Montgomery out of his Grinchland.

You know, I don't mind angsty characters, if they communicate...you don't have to talk someones legs off to communicate, an occasional grunt is allowed. A Borrowed Scot also had a rushed feel about it and along with Mr. Silent-Guy I'd have to say, for me, this isn't one of Ms. Ranney's better efforts.

Time/Place: Victorian England
Rating: Veronica: Montgomery:
Sensuality Rating: Hottt!!!