Review: The Texan Duke (Karen Ranney)

spins the tale of a reluctant duke who must choose between his life in America—and the Scottish woman he’s destined to love…From Goodreads: New York Times bestselling author Karen Ranney’s third book in her Duke series

As the ward to the late Duke of Lothian, Elsbeth Carew resides at the ancestral estate of Bealadair. Fiercely attached to the manor, she loves it more than anyone else. When Connor McCraight—the new Duke of Lothian—arrives, Elsbeth does not quite know what to make of the American who has inherited the title but has never even set foot on Scottish soil. The tall, ruggedly handsome Texan sweeps through Bealadair with an air of authority Elsbeth has never encountered.

Connor has no intention of making Scotland his home and hopes to sell the estate as soon as possible. But his plan is jeopardized when he meets Elsbeth. A sweet, gray-eyed beauty, she tempts him in ways no other woman has. As word spreads of Connor’s intention to sell Bealadair, his life is threatened—and the only woman who can save him may be the one he has hopelessly lost his heart to.

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My Thoughts: Not too far into this story of the unexpected and unwilling American heir to a title, I started to make assumptions about the future of the story, the characters, and the inevitable resolution of the angst.  I sort of worked my way through the book in a few sittings, and the more I read, the more I realized that I perhaps I DIDN'T in fact know where all this was going and "know" the characters as well as I thought I did.

 Connor, our unwilling Duke from Texas, has no plans to stay in Scotland any longer than it takes to sell the land and settle the estate.  Of course, it's never that simple, and the story follow his path to understanding that there's some positives in his inheritance and new role.  Elsbeth is the former Duke's ward now trying to find her place in a world where she no longer feels part of the family.  There's a lot of family dynamics and drama involved, and in the end the resolution isn't what I expected from this theme.  Some danger, some drama, and some unexpected character development made this a much more enjoyable read in the end than I expected at the start.

(advanced copy obtained from publisher)