It can be hard to resist the siren song of a brand new Scottish romance sitting on the book store shelf. Kilgannon is one of those meaty books with a sexy Scottish hero who says things like “Ye ken?” and “Aye, lass.” I have a soft spot for such heroes myself, and I did like Kilgannon. However, any reader who starts this book needs to know exactly what she’s getting into, because it’s really more like half a book. If you’ve read Marsha Canham’s Pride of Lions and Blood of Roses combo, then you’ll know what I’m talking about. Fortunately, if you get caught up in this particular story, you only have to wait until next month for the next book, entitled The Wild Rose of Kilgannon.

The story is told entirely in the first person point of view of Mary Lowell, a pragmatic English lass who is going through the motions of a season and is almost engaged to Robert Campbell, an influential Scot who is well connected in the English government. Then a handsome highlander shows up at a party, and he can’t take his eyes off her. His name is Alex MacGannon, and he’s tall, blond, and handsomely kilted. Soon Mary is just as enamored of him as he is of her. But Mary comes from an aristocratic background, and although Alex is an Earl he is a Scottish one who lives in a remote castle. Several of Mary’s acquaintances discourage the match, and there are many bumps along the way, but eventually Mary and Alex marry.

While this book is clearly labeled as an historical romance, it does not follow the usual formula. It is a love story, but Mary and Alex are in love with each other when they marry, and the rest of the book is spent dealing with conflicts at Alex’s home, Kilgannon, most of which lead up to the Scottish uprising of 1715. The book ends when that rebellion is just about to begin, with Alex riding away to join it.

I enjoyed this book, especially at the beginning. It doesn’t take long to get attached to Alex and Mary, and their courtship is fun to watch. They are both interesting characters, and since the story is told entirely from Mary’s point of view, the reader can really understand what she is thinking and feeling. The story changes somewhat after Mary and Alex marry. While still enjoyable, the conflict, most of which centers around Alex’s difficulties with a traitorous brother, is not quite as compelling. However, the second half of the book does gradually build up to the climax of Alex leaving, and I am interested enough to definitely want to read the next book.

Kilgannon has some other aspects to it that potential readers should note. The first is that it is not a story in a hurry; the pace is slow, and generally not full of action. I rather liked the ambling nature of the plot, but if you crave action and banter, this might not be the book for you. The second thing to note is that while Alex and Mary make love often, the bedroom door is firmly closed. This takes some getting used to, because several times the author allows readers to see some of the preliminaries, and then abruptly fades to black. Perhaps her reason for this is that writing a love scene from the first person does make things more – well, personal. Anyway, if you’re looking for a book that’s one foot on the floor, this definitely fits the bill.

All in all, I liked this book and its characters, and I am interested in hearing the second half of the story. Just be aware that this book is just part of a story. Don’t pick it up if you don’t want to be in it for the long haul.