To Wed an Heiress
by Karen Ranney
Series: All For Love Series
Genre: Adult Historical Romance
Publisher: Avon Books
Publication Date: March 26, 2019
Rebellion drove Mercy Rutherford to Scotland to escape the possessive grip of her fiancé. But it’s fate that lands her in the crumbling highlands castle of Ross Caithart. A dreamer with visions of inventing airships, he’s most certainly mad. Handsome beyond words, he’s also causing an irresistible flutter in her stomach beyond reason. When Gregory arrives to see their arranged marriage to its bitter end, Mercy desperately turns to Ross with an offer of her fortune—and her hand in marriage.
The Earl of Morton has a reputation for being a daredevil eccentric, but even he is hesitant to engage in such a rash proposition—no matter how utterly beguiled he is by the wildly independent American heiress. And yet, with so much at stake, how can he possibly say no? But when their unconventional union grows into a passionate and inseparable love, more than Gregory’s obsession threatens them. Now, Ross and Mercy will have to risk more than their hearts to save it.
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Review:
To Wed an Heiress stands out among the recent historical romances that I’ve read in that even though it takes place in 19th century Scotland, several of the characters–Mercy, her parents, aunt, and grandmother–are still feeling the effects of the recently-ended American Civil War. We don’t see any of the characters on American soil at all, but you can’t deny that the relatives that Mercy has used as an excuse to leave her home to see (not actually a spoiler: they’re not the real reason she left) have had their lives permanently altered because of the War Between the States. I’d like to hope that it’s the reason for Mercy’s grandmother’s truly appalling behavior, but suspect that it isn’t really. My sympathy for her was over the first time she showed up on the page.
Fortunately, the characters we really showed up to see–Mercy and Lennox–are far more sympathetic. I loved how Mercy did what she could to take her life into her own hands, even though at times it seemed like a losing enterprise. When things looked their bleakest, she used what little power she had to make herself heard. She 100% deserved the HEA she reaches in the end. Lennox was more than a little aggravating at times–if only I could have reached into the book and given him a good shake! Or seven–but he managed to pull his head out of his posterior in the end with a grand gesture that brought tears to my eyes and almost made me forget all of my earlier exasperation with him 😉
I didn’t notice anything that really connected this story to the first in the series ( To Love a Duchess )–admittedly, I could have missed something, but I believe it’s safe to say that this book works just fine as a standalone. I don’t see any obvious connections to the next either ( To Bed the Bride ) other than the Scottish setting, but you’d better believe it’s already on my TBR! (The fact that there’s a puppy in it is only a part of the reason… 😉 )
Rating: 4 stars / A-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
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 an overwhelming love of her life.
Website https://karenranney.com/
Goodreads https://goo.gl/aR97Eb
Amazon http://amzn.to/2ylo5ty
