The MacInnes Affair

Lara MacInnes travels to Scotland to search her family history. While staying with the Glendennings she discovers that there is a strong history between the two families. An old feud going back to the time of the Jacobites. However her very great grandfather Lachlan MacInnes fell in love with Elspeth Glendenning. The past and the present mirror each other as Lara falls in love with Iain Glendenning. The stories of present day as well as from the 1800 unfold as you turn the pages of The MacInnes Affair.

Blair McDowell writing will have you falling in love with the mists and moors of Scotland as you follow both pairs of MaCinnes and Glendennings. Scotland is as much of this story as the characters are. The work the author has put into this book is obvious through her descriptions of the land, the clothing, language, traditions and the overall setting of the stories. Quite an enjoyable escape, I thank the author and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read The MacInnes Affair and offer my feedback.

A double romance, set in Scotland and ranging between the present-day and mid 19th century. Lara MacInnes, a Canadian rancher's daughter, visits Scotland in search of peace and recovery from a non-starter romance. Staying with old friends of her mother, who live in a magnificent castle from which they cater for discerning tourists, she rapidly becomes smitten with their son, Iain Glendenning, and he with her, and their somewhat bodice-ripping romance forms the present-day aspect. Whilst clearing out the old cottage they discover the diaries of Elspeth Glendenning from the 1850s. Hers is the more interesting romance, with Lachan MacInnes, yes, Lara's umpteenth great grandfather, as their families fought on different sides during the somewhat earlier Jacobite Rebellion. There's the death of her father, the apparent murder of Lachlan, not to mention political intrigue, the death of her first husband and her trial for that murder. In the meantime Lachlan has lost his memory and eventually emigrates to Canada and gets married. We then jump back to present-day with Lara and Iain having misunderstandings but fortunately we get over that fairly quickly and they start delving into the archives to find out what happened to both Elspeth and Lachlan. Much more interesting. How the two stories come together is of course satisfying as is the end. The description of the Scottish landscape and social aspects is well done and I felt at home most of the time and in both time periods. Mostly the use of the language was ok and read easily to me. I do have two niggles - one, Lara has a 5 hour drive from Balmoral to Nairn I seem to remember - na, hour and a half, perhaps two as on 'wrong' side of the road, otherwise a highly scenic route somewhere; two, I'm beginning to wonder whether it is how Americans hear what Scots say, as it's a frequent occurrence I'm finding in similar settings.. Iain, in particular, is always using "ye" - we don't or we dinna - and I'm afraid it just feels contrived to me. I even listened very carefully to other folk in the local supermarket on Thursday and heard nairy a one "ye". Ach weel, a lovely little story with interesting facets. Thanks to NetGalley and The Wild Rose Press for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The MacInnes Affair is a captivating romance, set in two time periods. I was initially drawn to the beautiful cover and was soon immersed in the doomed romance between Lachlan MacInnes and Elspeth Glendenning, in the mid-1800s. After the Battle of Culloden, the two clans of MacInnes and Glendenning whilst not sworn enemies, were not on good terms. It is only when the present-day Lara MacInnes arrives at the estate of the Glendenning’s for a vacation, that she meets Iain Glendenning, the heir of the Laird of Athdara. What makes for such an enjoyable read is that Lara finds herself drawn to Iain, yet uncertain of his feelings for her. Whilst trying to make sense of her feelings for him, having recently split up from her fiancée, she begins to read the diary of Elspeth and the tragedy of her romance and love for Lachlan, the younger brother to a laird.
Both romances are told alternately, each with their own battles, but whilst Iain and Lara are able to overcome their battles, the heartbreak for Elspeth and Lachlan drives the story. Having said that, I did feel that Iain and Lara’s initial battles kept me engrossed in the storyline. This is an amazing story, that is conveyed with detail for the surroundings and with intensity. Neither of the two romances overshadows the other and I found myself racing through this book yet savouring each moment between the couple. An amazing story that I thoroughly enjoyed.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

On holiday in Scotland, Lara MacInnes stays with the friend of her mother & in a trunk discovers the journals of Elspeth Glendenning a woman who loved Lara's own great-great grandfather, Lachlan MacInnes, in the mid-eighteen hundreds. With the help of Iain Glendenning, a handsome Highlander, Lara traces the path of this long-ago romance. Their research unearths mystery and murder.
This is the first book I’ve read by the author & it won't be the last, I loved how the book spanned two eras & having two romances too, one of which was straight forward where the other was quite the opposite. The pace of the book was very good & as it hurtled to the climax I was almost breathless awaiting the result. Strong characters of depth too, I love Lara, Iain, Lachlan & Elspeth & all their trials & tribulations, the ending had me in tears.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I enjoyed this book from the start. It has got two story lines, one in the present and one in the past. Both are love stories, but not everything goes smoothly to say the least. The book is well written. What I didn't like was that both story lines were a case of instant-love. I am always a bit annoyed when that happens. The ending came a bit too sudden to my liking. All in all I did enjoy this book.