∎ [PDF] Gratis Heaven Forbids Karen Ranney 9780821758670 Books

Heaven Forbids Karen Ranney 9780821758670 Books

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Heaven Forbids Karen Ranney 9780821758670 Books

My first impression as I was reading this book was that it felt very old skool. Like a Kathleen Woodiwiss, Shirlee Busbee, Laurie McBain or Rebecca Brandewyne. In fact, it had the vibe (if not the sheer scope and epic-ness),of one of my very favorite Brandewyne books ever, Forever My Love.

For one thing, this romance novel is not very romance novel PC. The H&H commit eyes wide open, unapologetic adultery with each other. Heroine is a widow Kathryn Siddons who had a pretty unhappy life to this point. She grew up the acknowledged bastard of a lowlander Earl. However the only privilege that granted her was a formal education and an advantageous marriage. Except her so-called advantageous marriage was to a man who physically abused her. After his death she just wanted to get away from the place where all she ever felt was shame.

With no money (she had no dowry when she was married), no prospects and a son to take care of she consents to being to companion of her niece, Sarah and travel with her to her new home in the Scottish Highlands as she marries the powerful and rich Hugh MacDonald.

Hugh contracts an arranged marriage in order to hedge his bets against what he sees as future sweeping changes in Scotland. He believes his alliance with Sarah's powerful (but poor) family will provide the necessary bulwark.

Hugh and Kathryn fall in love at first sight. The only problem is, it is on the eve of his wedding to Sarah. As the whole party travels to the MacDonald land, Hugh and Kathryn fight an attraction that only increases the longer they are in each others presence.

The book is very well written and the first half is full of longing glances and fraught conversations between the forbidden lovers. Ranney really knows how to string out the sexual and romantic tension between these two people who really shouldn't mooning over each other, but totally are.

Added to that there is the threat of war and lots of portentous signs and ominous feelings. This is set during the time of the Jacobite rebellion in 1745 that is famous for the scorching defeat of the Scots at the battle of Culloden. This was another reason this book felt closer in spirit to romances of the 80s than of those that came later. It had that darker, grittier tone that seemed to lay over those older romances like a blanket. Even so, this book does most of it's war stuff off stage so-to-speak so I never felt the characters were really as involved or as in danger as they could be.

For those that really, really, really dislike even the merest hint of adultery stay far, far away from this book. Hugh and Kathryn are totally in love and he's married. At first they just talk about it and think about it a lot. But then they decide to consummate their love. So they are in full physical adultery for quite a bit of the book. To add insult, Sarah is not made out to be a mean or evil person. She's simply clueless and a bit of a drip. I'm glad Ranney didn't try to justify Hugh and Kathryn's relationship by making Sarah someone to despise. I think by making Sarah so...simple, she actually knocks the h/h off the pedestal they often occupy in romance.

I don't dislike adultery in romance novels. I am often curious how authors can use it in romance because I don't see it as a black and white issue. Depending on how it is written and handled, it can royally piss me off or it can make me think. This author had the latter effect on me. I think she sold her story even with the adultery element. I felt very sorry for Sarah but not because she was being cheated on by her husband. She had issues were way beyond mere adultery.

All in all a very good book and definitely a dollar well spent.


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Heaven Forbids Karen Ranney 9780821758670 Books Reviews

I thought it was another wonderfully written story by Karen Ranney. She writes intelligently with obvious detail to the history behind the story. Her characters are so well drawn she makes you feel as though you really do know these people and would never tire of being part of their lives. You will definitely enjoy reading this very interesting historical love story.
Adultery.

A sticky wicket in a romance novel, to be sure. There are readers who won't touch this subject with a barge pole, while to others it doesn't matter in the slightest. Somewhere in the middle are those who will read it, but insist that it be treated with some sensitivity. The author then treads a fine line - how sympathetic to portray the H/h? How UNsympathetic to cast the (wronged) spouse? Any HEA is never truly that - no one escapes unscathed when this happens.

Heaven Forbids is an love story of epic proportion, the type that makes you hear swelling soundtracks and picture that beach scene in "From Here to Eternity". It is full of desperation and longing, heartbreak and healing. As a matter of fact, it is fairly old-skool in terms of the writing and the scope of the story.

Kathryn and Hugh virtually fall in love at first sight, when neither of them knows the other's identity. Of course, the compelling stranger Kathryn cannot forget is none other than her niece's betrothed. Kathryn is sent as a companion for Sarah as she travels to live with her new husband. She knows from the outset that she cannot have Hugh. He is equally as aware of Kathryn; and even more cognizant of his duty to his wife and his clan.

The expression "they fought their feelings" is trite, but that is exactly what they do. They try desperately to keep their relationship as that between the Laird and his wife's companion, but they cannot. They are drawn to each other as moth to flame. It is dark, it is painful, and it is desperate.

There is no villain in this triangle, no shrewish wife or scheming mistress. Sarah is basically a non-entity (much as happens in real life, I'm afraid). She simply doesn't factor into the equation, other than for the fact that she holds the position of Hugh's Lady. The H/h are not bad people. They do not commence their affair in a trivial way, nor do they seek excuse for their actions. They are anguished by their choice but in the end the pain they suffer by not being together is greater than the pain they would cause by acting on their feelings.

For those looking for a traditional villain in their romance there is one here (other than the folks in the love triangle). Set in Scotland around the time of the Jacobite rebellion, there is also war, madness and tragedy, just to round things out. Nothing gratuitous, everything has its place in the narrative and it all falls together just as it should.

As I said at the outset, when you write a story where the lovers are also adulterous, the HEA can't be full of sunshine and flowers. It needs to be realistic and not insult the reader. The best ones are bittersweet, as happiness gained at another's expense should never be treated lightly.

A super-angsty, old-skoolish read with a noble Hero and a strong heroine. If you can handle the adultery, Heaven Forbids is more than worth the time to read. Ms. Ranney has done a superb job.
Kathryn is a widow she had suffered a loveless marriage but has a son she loves. She goes with him to .Nenverness to be a servant and companion to her newly married neice Sarah. Hugh is her husband and he also does not love Sarah she is young,spoiled and boring, Kathryn and he fight there attraction to each other but eventually gives in. I know a lot of people do not like to read about adultery in a book but the author does a wonderful job of relating it in this book. The book is not a happy light novel. The book has a lot of heartbreak, war is also an issue.I think this is a book you won't forget right away. If you want to read a book about love conquering everything this is the book for you.
My first impression as I was reading this book was that it felt very old skool. Like a Kathleen Woodiwiss, Shirlee Busbee, Laurie McBain or Rebecca Brandewyne. In fact, it had the vibe (if not the sheer scope and epic-ness),of one of my very favorite Brandewyne books ever, Forever My Love.

For one thing, this romance novel is not very romance novel PC. The H&H commit eyes wide open, unapologetic adultery with each other. Heroine is a widow Kathryn Siddons who had a pretty unhappy life to this point. She grew up the acknowledged bastard of a lowlander Earl. However the only privilege that granted her was a formal education and an advantageous marriage. Except her so-called advantageous marriage was to a man who physically abused her. After his death she just wanted to get away from the place where all she ever felt was shame.

With no money (she had no dowry when she was married), no prospects and a son to take care of she consents to being to companion of her niece, Sarah and travel with her to her new home in the Scottish Highlands as she marries the powerful and rich Hugh MacDonald.

Hugh contracts an arranged marriage in order to hedge his bets against what he sees as future sweeping changes in Scotland. He believes his alliance with Sarah's powerful (but poor) family will provide the necessary bulwark.

Hugh and Kathryn fall in love at first sight. The only problem is, it is on the eve of his wedding to Sarah. As the whole party travels to the MacDonald land, Hugh and Kathryn fight an attraction that only increases the longer they are in each others presence.

The book is very well written and the first half is full of longing glances and fraught conversations between the forbidden lovers. Ranney really knows how to string out the sexual and romantic tension between these two people who really shouldn't mooning over each other, but totally are.

Added to that there is the threat of war and lots of portentous signs and ominous feelings. This is set during the time of the Jacobite rebellion in 1745 that is famous for the scorching defeat of the Scots at the battle of Culloden. This was another reason this book felt closer in spirit to romances of the 80s than of those that came later. It had that darker, grittier tone that seemed to lay over those older romances like a blanket. Even so, this book does most of it's war stuff off stage so-to-speak so I never felt the characters were really as involved or as in danger as they could be.

For those that really, really, really dislike even the merest hint of adultery stay far, far away from this book. Hugh and Kathryn are totally in love and he's married. At first they just talk about it and think about it a lot. But then they decide to consummate their love. So they are in full physical adultery for quite a bit of the book. To add insult, Sarah is not made out to be a mean or evil person. She's simply clueless and a bit of a drip. I'm glad Ranney didn't try to justify Hugh and Kathryn's relationship by making Sarah someone to despise. I think by making Sarah so...simple, she actually knocks the h/h off the pedestal they often occupy in romance.

I don't dislike adultery in romance novels. I am often curious how authors can use it in romance because I don't see it as a black and white issue. Depending on how it is written and handled, it can royally piss me off or it can make me think. This author had the latter effect on me. I think she sold her story even with the adultery element. I felt very sorry for Sarah but not because she was being cheated on by her husband. She had issues were way beyond mere adultery.

All in all a very good book and definitely a dollar well spent.