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Clan Sinclair
#3
Karen Ranney
Avon /HarperCollins
June 2014/ ISBN 9780062242495
Historical Romance (Drumvagen, Scotland, 1875) / Sexuality
Reviewed
by Leslie C. Halpern
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The third in New York Times
best-selling author Karen Ranney’s provocative series
about the women associated with Macrath Sinclair, this final
installment focuses on Ellice Traylor, the former sister-in-law
of Macrath’s wife, Virginia. The Sinclairs take young
Ellice and her tiresome mother, Enid (who was once Virginia’s
mother-in-law), into their home, despite no real obligation
now that Virginia’s first husband is dead. The Sinclairs
watch over Ellice and provide her with every imaginable comfort
– except for freedom.
Stifled by her overbearing mother and confined to Macrath’s
mansion at Drumvagen, the virginal Ellice secretly writes
a manuscript for an explicit romance novel, based on other
books she has read and her own imagination. The book is titled
The Lustful Adventures of Lady Pamela and includes her byline.
Ross Forster, the Earl of Gadsden, discovers the scandalous
manuscript hidden inside his carriage while visiting Drumvagen.
When a dreadful storm keeps Ross trapped at Drumvagen for
several days, awkward conversations take place between the
two – in addition to some passionate embraces.
To their embarrassment, Macrath witnesses these embraces and
pushes Ross to do the honorable thing now that Ellice’s
virtue has been compromised. With additional pressure from
Enid, Ross gives in and grudgingly proposes to Ellice –
with one condition: she must not publish her book because
the sexy hero looks entirely too much like Ross, who is running
for public office. After growing up in shame about his father’s
well-publicized ravenous libido, Ross will do anything to
avoid a scandal.
Once married, however, their sexual tension and verbal jousting
become secondary to other issues. Ross has some psychological
demons to fight before he can be a loving husband to Ellice,
including his inability to believe that a virgin could write
a book on sexuality. For her part, Ellice has some self-esteem
issues having grown up in the shadow of her idolized older
sister who died during an epidemic (in the first book, The
Devil of Clan Sinclair). While they slowly work out
their problems, communication between them is sporadic and
others from the Sinclair clan offer help and advice as needed.
Although the first part of the book zips along during their
initial romance, the chapters after their wedding aren’t
quite as much fun. They have many misunderstandings and sometimes
say untrue and/or hurtful things to each other. Ross and Ellice
definitely belong together and it’s frustrating when
poor communication keeps them apart. Even so, The Virgin
of Clan Sinclair makes a fun and satisfying conclusion
to this delightful series.
Reviews
of other titles in this series
Devil
of Clan Sinclair
Witch
of Clan Sinclair
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