The Virgin of Clan Sinclair by Karen Ranney
Historical Romance
E book, 384 pages
May 27, 2014
Avon

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote:
“Why were you talking to the livestock?”
“Because no one else wanted to hear what I had to say.”

Ellice Traylor has a secret. Under her demure innocent appearance beats the heart of a passionate imaginative woman who pens erotic naughty stories. Ellice plans to publish these stories and live her life on her own terms. When her mother begins to push her towards marriage, Ellice knows she has to do something before she ends up married and under some man’s thumb. When a solution presents itself, Ellice takes a chance and finds herself in the arms of a man more conventional than her mother.

Ross Forester, the Earl of Gladsden, likes his life neat and orderly. No scandals is his motto. When he encounters a beautiful young lady climbing out of his carriage, he is annoyed and intrigued by this thoroughly maddening stowaway.

Ross finds and reads Ellice’s manuscript;  stunned that a supposed virgin has such a delicious imagination. Suddenly he finds himself wondering what other sensual fantasies she has hidden beneath her prim and proper person. He finds out when they are found in a compromising position and pushed to marry.

Can an uptight Earl find love and happiness with his unusual bride? And how will the heroes in Ellice’s stories compare to the flesh and blood man she married?

Ellice has lived for years under the shadow of her deceased sister. The beautiful one. The perfect one. The socially acceptable one. Her mother of does everything she can to undermine Ellice’s self confidence and it almost works. Almost. Ellice pens all her frustrations and desires into erotic stories centering around her alter ego, Lady Pamela. Lady Pamela has lovers and does what she wants. Nothing and no one can humiliate her or make her feel less. She is who Ellice is deep inside where no one can see.

Ross is an emotionally closed off man who walks the straight and narrow. His father’s libertine ways cast a long shadow over Ross’s life and he works everyday to clear those shadows away. A widower who doesn’t want to marry again, he spends his time avoiding merry widows and advantage seeking mamas. When he finds and reads Ellice’s manuscript, he is dismayed to find the hero is almost the spitting image of him. When he learns Ellice seeks to publish it, he does whatever he can to dissuade her. He cannot have the world thinking he is Lady Pamela’s secret lover.

“Are you saying my book is folly?” She didn’t know whether to be insulted or pleased.
He turned, faced her and folded his arms.
“I warn you, Miss Traylor, that I wield a significant amount of influence.”
“Am I supposed to be afraid of you?”
“Change the hero’s appearance, then. Agree to publish the book anonymously.”
Slowly, she shook her head.
“Why the devil are you being so obstinate?” he asked.
No one had ever called her obstinate before. She’d been considered conformable, easy to sway, a malleable personality.

This is where the fun begins.

The Virgin of Clan Sinclair is book three in Karen Ranney’s Clan Sinclair series but is structured as a standalone. An amusing heartfelt story that brings together a young woman determined to get out from underneath her mother’s thumb and a staid Earl who’s trying to live down the reputation left by his father. Ms. Ranney crafts a delightful romance around two extremely personable characters whose actions hide the hurt buried deep within them. Though the story starts out a little cumbersome as we are introduced to our hero and heroine and Ranney sets up the storyline, the pace soon picks up and you are swept up into their lives.

I love historical romances that make me laugh and this one did that. Ellice is a delightful heroine whose prim and proper facade hides a wonderfully fresh and dry wit. She is very intelligent, astute, and quite stubborn when she puts her mind to something. She drives Ross to madness and forces him to abandon his rigid control. Something he desperately needs.

“You’re a very annoying female. I trust you will not continue to be so after our marriage.”
She put the pen down. “I’m very certain to be exactly the same way as I am now,” she said.
He glanced at her.
“Are you always so honest?”
She thought about it then ruefully shook her head. “No, but I feel compelled to tell you the truth. Why shouldn’t I? You’ll discover it yourself soon enough.”

Ross is quite proper. When his wife died, he disappeared inside himself and vowed nothing would stop him from cleansing the taint from the family name. Watching Ross fight his attraction for Ellice was sad and frustrating. He finds her guilty for crimes others have committed and often leaves her confused and hurt. His past has left him unable to completely trust anyone.

Their physical attraction is apparent from the beginning with a potent mixture of heat and lust as these match wits with word sharpened swords. I loved that Ellice often took certain matters into her own hands. Though she originally looked to Ross to be her knight in shining armor, she eventually learns that only she can ensure her own happiness.

“No,” she said. “I’m not going to hear any more protests from you. You would think you’re the frightened virgin, not me.”
“Are you frightened?”
She stopped in the act of removing her bodice and considered the question.
“No, actually, I’m not. I’m just annoyed.”
“Annoyed?”
She frowned at him. “If you make love the way you kiss, I doubt I’ll be disappointed. But why should I have to beg you to bed me?”

While the romance is the main theme of the book, there are multiple subplots that expand the book’s scope. We meet Ross’s mother whose methods to attract a certain merchant left me giggling. Ellice’s pseudo family is an eclectic mix whose independent natures are what spurs Ellice to making a bid for her own. I admit I was a little dismayed that her family allowed Ellice’s mother to constantly belittle her without much interference.

Plenty of dry humor intertwines within the story, balancing nicely with the emotional journey of our couple. I especially liked that our hero isn’t a jerk. Not to say he isn’t an arse at times, because he is. And he jumps to conclusions a lot. But he soon learns his lesson when dealing with his bride and repents in a proper manner that leaves the readers no doubts to his feelings for her.

“Macrath once told me that love is like lightning. That it strikes when you least expect it.”
“Have you been struck by lightning?” she asked, breathless.
“Yes,” he said. “I find I have.”

Overall Rating: B

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