Harlequin Historical #216: MacKenna's Promise

From the back cover: The final meeting? Meg MacKenna had come to find her husband for only one reason: to get a divorce. She needed her freedom if she was to marry kindly old Arthur and provide for her daughter's future. But slave traders had very different plans for little Jenny. Cameron MacKenna hadn't seen his wife, Meg, in four years, and he'd never seen his daughter. Suddenly he was afraid he would never see either of them alive again. Kidnappers had taken his little girl, and Meg had set off alone across the plains of Kenya to find her. But even if Cameron could rescue his wife and child, could he bear to see them return home to another man? And my review: This was the first book I had ever read by this author, and I was impressed. The book starts off with a often-used theme: the shotgun wedding. The author shows her talent right away in making this opening scene compelling, and not at all stale. The characters were both wonderful - the kind that jumped right into your heart. He was a good man (you could see this right away), and she was so plucky and feisty that it was impossible not to root for her. The problems keeping them apart were real and valid, not the stupid misunderstanding you seem to find so often in romance novels. The author has done splendid background research, and she made Kenya come alive for me. She did a wonderful job of weaving in the historical detail without distracting from the plot. The romance was well written - and the author didn't take the easy way out by using lust and sex to hold her characters together. This book had a very good balance of action, suspense and romance. This was a very enjoyable book, and while it wasn't a keeper, I would still recommend it. I will be keeping an eye out for this author's other works.