Ms. Ranney continues to tempt readers with her romantic tales.  A Scotsman in Love is a poignant tale of how love can conquer all.  The heroine is the survivor of a brutal attack, and the hero suffers a broken heart from losing his wife and daughter in an accident.   Although this is termed a historical romance, it delves into events that could and do happen in this day and time.  The portrayal of two people who feel betrayed by circumstances and life is well done, emotionally charged, and will have readers not wanting to put it down until the last page.

Margaret Dalrousie rose from the ashes of poverty to become a coveted artist.  She supports herself by painting portraits of those who would spit on her if they knew her origins.  All in all, it’s a good life until one night she is accosted, sexually abused, and branded.  Once again, she is destitute because she braved the Russian aristocracy and reported the attack.  In return, her benefactors refused to pay her the wages for her work.

She returns to Scotland and prays she will find a place to stay during the cold winter months.

The Earl of Linnet returns to Linnet Hall to find a cottage on his land has been sold and then bestowed upon the mysterious young woman who walks the boundaries of the hall.  When he finds her practicing with a pistol, he is curious.  However the more he questions Margaret about her origins or her plans for the future, the more he is met with a stern or sarcastic demeanor.  Robert, or McDermott as he is called, commissions a portrait of his dead wife—only to find being too close to Margaret brings him closer to delving into his own devils.