Catriona
Cameron was once famed for her seductive beauty and charm. Now she saw
no one, hiding from the world...and no one dared break through her
self-imposed exile.
No one, that is, until Mark Thorburn burst
into her home, and Catriona's darkened world began to have color again.
Thorburn, secretly the heir to an Earldom, claimed he was a footman. But
Catriona didn't care about the scandal their passion could cause...for
this very touch sparked her back to a life of sensuality, one she
thought she'd never have again.
Little does she know that Mark is
part of masquerade. One that will end when they become the target of a
madman set on revenge. Mark realizes he will have to do more than win
her love...he will have to save her life as well.
**********
In a genre saturated with the usual plot props – tales of the
ton,
seasons, heirs, peerage – it’s always a treat to read a story that can
tackle those elements and make them unique. Now, don’t get me wrong, I
do enjoy the traditional historical romance novels, too, but
The Lass Wore Black brings something different to the mix, and I can’t tell you how refreshing that is!
Karen Ranney is an author who’s been around for awhile, and despite my
love of historical romance, I hadn’t yet read any of her books. I was
pleased to find that her writing is engaging and her characters are
interesting people whose stories are worth telling.
Well, truth
be told, I had a problem with Catriona for the first half of the book,
but if I had started reading with the understanding that it’s a Beauty
and the Beast meets The Ugly Duckling type tale, I’d have been better
prepared for her shallow, bitter disposition. That said, there did come
a point when she began to see that the woman she had been and the woman
she had the potential to be were worlds apart. When she finally cast
off her veil, so-to-speak, and allowed herself an honest view of the
world around her, she became a truly compelling heroine, one whom I
could cheer for.
Mark isn’t your run-of-the-mill historical
romance hero. He’s part of a distinguished family, that’s true, but
he’s also a doctor, someone who understands the adage, “Where much is
given, much is expected.” He’s a wealthy man, thanks to his grandmother,
and he could have easily used that wealth to pay others to care for the
needy, but he doesn’t. He’s a man who puts himself right into the thick
of things and uses his medical training to help those people who can’t
afford doctors and medicines. He teaches them about ways to improve
their health and circumstances, and it’s clear he truly cares for those
less fortunate than himself. I easily invested in Mark from the start
and found him to be an honorable, passionate and very sexy man.
The story itself is intriguing, though not without some minor flaws - I
do wish the dialog had felt and sounded more authentic. There was no
indication of the Scottish brogue I would have expected, and I missed
that. It was Catriona's journey from a bleak existence to a life worth living that made
this such a compelling read, and that wouldn't have happened without Mark at her side, sometimes gently guiding her forward while other times prodding, but always loving, and never giving up.
The bottom line:
The Lass Wore Black is an emotional, romantic, sexy tale. It’s entertaining, engaging, unique, and a story I won’t soon forget!
My thanks to Avon Books and Edelweiss for providing me with a copy of this book for review. It’s been such a pleasure!
