Till Next We Meet

"I am Moncrief." Yes, you are! Wow! What a man! Ranney gives the reader main characters who are vulnerable, a mystery to solve, and a surprise villain. Moncrief is especially notable because he refuses to be a victim of his flawed childhood, using it instead to mold his adult character and thereby serving as an example for Catherine not to be victimized by disappointment. Moncrief awakens Catherine to joy, passion, and love with devotion, tenderness, and commitment. "I fell in love with your words before I fell in love with you." Another good read from the master storyteller Karen Ranney!

I like this author very much, and it is a very sweet, wonderful love story. I rarely write review due to my English limit, but I would like to give my thoughts based on another review for this book - the reviewer was concerned about the title: "Till Next We Meet" has the same meaning as "Until Next We Meet". The preposition 'Till" was used correctly for the title; would have been the same if the preposition "Until" had been used. A similar title was published long before, written by others: "Till We Meet Again" by Judith Krantz; "Till the Stars Fall" by Kathleen Gilles, etc. Was this review helpful to you? and how to add button?

Settting - Quebec and Scotland, 1761 --- When Catherine Dunnan's husband of only a month went off to war she was devastated but his promise to write often did something to soothe her. What she would never know was that he was a truly selfish bounder and had no intention of writing her at all. She would never know this because letters she did receive - letters full of genuine emotion, kindness, and devotion. Catherine would respond back in like fashion, and where she hadn't had time to truly know her husband during their short marriage, she fell passionately in love with the man the letters perceived him to be and when she had word that he'd been killed, she was completely devastated. Colonel Moncrief originally felt sorry for the wife of the man whose dishonorable conduct he'd come to despise, and on a flippant dare agreed to write to the man's wife in his name. For Moncreif the misery of war in a foreign land was eased by the warm and loving correspondence that came back and he guiltily continued the correspondence never realizing that he'd fallen in love. Returning home to take up the unexpected title of duke, Moncreif was disturbed to discover that Catherine seemed to be killing herself over grief of her husband's death. After virtually saving her life, Moncreif announced that he would marry her rather than have her reputation ruined by his actions. He was irresistibly drawn to her but if she ever discovered his secret would she ever be able to forgive him? *** I admit that I am a big fan of Ms. Ranney's novels and her latest novel, TILL NEXT WE MEET, goes a long way in solidifying her place on my auto-buy list. While the plot may not be the most original, it becomes a classic when the brilliance of a great wordsmith imbues the story with intelligence, painting a tableau of words that depict a poignancy that imparts enough emotional intensity to make the reader feel as if they are part of the picture. Ranney is a writer of intelligent sensual romance who leaves an imprint of her work living vividly in your mind long after the last page has been turned. This book is highly recommended reading! --- Marilyn, for www.historicalromancewriters.com ---

In 1761 Canada Catherine Dunnan loves the romantic letters her military deployed spouse Harry sends her. Unbeknownst to Catherine, Harry is too busy womanizing to write her let alone read her replies. Instead trying to do a good deed, his leader Colonel Moncrief responds pretending he is Harry. Catherine comes to Scotland to surprise her Harry. However, Moncrief informs her Harry died. Stunned and filled with grief, Catherine overdoses with an opiate; Moncrief saves her life. As they become acquainted, he offers her protection by marrying her. As Moncrief and Catherine fall in love, apparently Harry's ghost wants to keep them apart though the Colonel wonders if the culprit might be more mortal like one of the deceased philanderer's lovers. This terrific Georgian romantic suspense combines a mystery with a Cyrano like plot as the audience ponders paranormal or human and what will happen to the relationship when (readers will expect the ethical Moncrief will tell the truth) the hero reveals his secret. The lead couple is a likable pair as Catherine ahs fallen in love with her letter writing "spouse" and Moncrief reciprocates even before they have met. Fans will enjoy this fine historical take on the Edmond Rostand classic. Harriet Klausner