Kilgannon

October 13, 1999
Givens's debut romance--set in England and Scotland in the early 1700s, when tensions ran high during Queen Anne's reign--subtly weaves a tale of personal and historical conflict. Mary Lowell, a sheltered young Englishwoman, is shocked by her strong feelings when she meets barbaric Scottish chieftain Alex MacGannon, Earl of Kilgannon, at a ball in London. After a rocky courtship, MacGannon whisks Mary back to his clan in the Scottish Highlands, where they face danger amid tumultuous rebellion. Alex displays both a sense of humor and unshakable integrity, and Mary's quiet strength is revealed through her first-person narration. The only serious flaw in this well-researched historical is that, in her effort to set up a sequel, Givens fails to resolve major conflicts, a tactic that may leave readers dissatisfied.