REVIEW: The Witch of Clan Sinclair by Karen Ranney

The Witch of Clan Sinclair by Karen Ranney: Karen Ranney is one of those “Scottish” authors, who write romances based in Scotland or about Scots. And boy, does she write some great stuff. “The Witch of Clan Sinclair” is consistent with her record, and was a book I throughly enjoyed.

It’s 1872, and the winds of change are starting to blow. Mairi Sinclair is an usual woman; she manages and edits a newspaper, the Edinburgh Gazette, and believes that women and men should be treated the same. To that end, the beginning of the book finds her and her cousin Fenella attempting to enter the Edinburgh Press Club so that they can listen to a lecture by a famous author. They are thwarted first by a door guard, and secondly by the Lord Provost of Edinburgh (similar to a mayor), Logan Harrison, both telling her that women are not allowed to listen to the lecture because they cannot be members of the club. Although she is angry, she is taken in by the Lord Provost’s looks and demeanor:

…standing nearly toe-to-toe with the Lord Provost, with him looking half Highland warrior, half gentleman Scot. Or is she could have ignored his strong square jaw, full lips, and his sparkling green eyes.

Mairi is so angry, and so upset with herself that she found Logan attractive, that she spends all of the night writing a derisive poem about him and the unfair treatment of women, which she publishes the next day as a broadsheet. Logan, a hard working and fair Lord Provost, is looking for the perfect political wife. He, however, is equally intrigued by Mairi, and orders his assistant to prepare a dossier about her. When he finally gets a hold of the broadsheet he is angry, and goes to confront her himself. They have an odd, if civil verbal confrontation, and Mairi is pleased with herself, until she finds out that many of her readers are angry and her sources refusing to speak to her, and so she goes to Logan’s house to see if he has set up intimidation tactics. What she find is Logan in a dress kilt, and he ask her to stay for dinner. She very daringly asks if he was “bare-arsed” under his kilt, and he invites her to find out for himself. Mairi, to her surprise and his, actually does reach under his kilt and check… to find that he is wearing a leather “truss” for support. Both are a little shocked by her bold behaviour, and later they both separately realize how much they are drawn to each other:

Her mind intrigued him. Twice, tonight, she’d surprised him. Once, when she’d taken his dare and touched him. Had she known how much he wanted to grab her with both hands and haul her up into his arms for a kiss?

and for Mairi’s part:

He could charm the feathers off a bird. All it took as one smile, starting low and finally reaching his beautiful green eyes. Or a touch of his hand, gentle and almost tender, proving that he knew his own strength and never used it against someone smaller and weaker.

They both fight their attraction, but it is undeniable. Her life also becomes a series of misadventures. Mairi is nearly stoned to death after she give a speech to a Scottish suffrage organization. Later, she receives threatening letters, and then more dire things happen. Through it all, Logan fights to be with her, although Mairi is highly resistant to commitment and wary of men due to an unfortunate and unwise liaison with someone who deserted her.

The secondary characters are lovely, I especially enjoyed her cousin Fenella and her love Allan, and Logan’s housekeeper Mrs. Landers. Edinburgh itself is nearly a character, and is well described. The main characters seem so different, a noble politician and a brash, glass-ceiling breaking young woman, but even the characters realize that they are in essence very similar people. As Logan sees it:

He’d never before been so fascinated with a woman. She was contrary, opinionated, fierce and determined. Probably the closest to his own personality than anyone he’d ever met.

As I mentioned in the beginning, I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it. It’s not perfect; this is a long book, 384 pages in paperback, and the path to happily ever after is long also. Additionally, after a while the lengthy “my lady doth protest too much” interactions can get frustrating for the reader. But the relationship between Logan and Mairi has such chemistry and energy it keeps you reading, and rooting, for that happy ending.

Book Info:

Publication: April 29th 2014 by Avon

Logan Harrison is looking for a wife. As the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, he needs a conventional and diplomatic woman who will stand by his side and help further his political ambitions. He most certainly does not need Mairi Sinclair, the fiery, passionate, fiercely beautiful woman who tries to thwart him at every turn. But if she’s so wrong for him, why can’t he stop kissing her? He is completely bewitched.

Mairi Sinclair has never met anyone like Logan Harrison, the perfect example of everything she finds wrong with the world. He’s also incredibly handsome, immensely popular, and impossible to resist. His kisses inflame her and awaken a passion she can barely control.

Can two people who are at such odds admit to a love that would bind them together for life?