Series: MacKenzies and McBrides Book #1
Format: Ebook
Rating: 5 Stars
How I Got It: Purchased
Genre: Historical Romance, Mental Health, Widow
Publisher: Leisure Books
Synopsis courtesy
of Goodreads
The year is 1881. Meet
the Mackenzie family--rich, powerful, dangerous, eccentric. A lady
couldn't be seen with them without ruin. Rumors surround them--of tragic
violence, of their mistresses, of their dark appetites, of scandals
that set England and Scotland abuzz.
The youngest brother, Ian, known as the Mad Mackenzie, spent most of his young life in an asylum, and everyone agrees he is decidedly odd. He's also hard and handsome and has a penchant for Ming pottery and beautiful women.
Beth Ackerley, widow, has recently come into a fortune. She has decided that she wants no more drama in her life. She was raised in drama--an alcoholic father who drove them into the workhouse, a frail mother she had to nurse until her death, a fussy old lady she became constant companion to. No, she wants to take her money and find peace, to travel, to learn art, to sit back and fondly remember her brief but happy marriage to her late husband.
And then Ian Mackenzie decides he wants her.
The first of a new historical series.
The youngest brother, Ian, known as the Mad Mackenzie, spent most of his young life in an asylum, and everyone agrees he is decidedly odd. He's also hard and handsome and has a penchant for Ming pottery and beautiful women.
Beth Ackerley, widow, has recently come into a fortune. She has decided that she wants no more drama in her life. She was raised in drama--an alcoholic father who drove them into the workhouse, a frail mother she had to nurse until her death, a fussy old lady she became constant companion to. No, she wants to take her money and find peace, to travel, to learn art, to sit back and fondly remember her brief but happy marriage to her late husband.
And then Ian Mackenzie decides he wants her.
The first of a new historical series.
Review
Well that happened. I know a lot of people love this but
some people I respect thought it was mediocre so I didn’t know where I was
going to fall. But from page is one I was captured by the writing, story,
characters. It might seem obvious but this reminded me a lot of Flowers from
the Storm by Laura Kinsale but a little less angsty.
Beth and Ian were both great and immediately likeable. I
love a good widow heroine, especially if she isn’t bitter. Ian is definitely a
little odd, but I found him intriguing and he really cares about his family.
Speaking of family—The MacKenzies. They are an amazing
family and full of all the amazing sequel bait I love in historical romance.
And I love how much the brothers love each other. It’s not over-the-top, but
they aren’t afraid to show affection. I already bought the next book so I can
read about Mac and Isabella.
Back to the couple. They have great chemistry. I was torn
because sometimes I liked how sex was easy and emotion was hard, but it did get
a little overdone. They seemed to have the same argumenta lot and that always
starts to bother me.
I was intrigued by the mystery plot. I wanted to know
what happened and thought it was well developed. But I don’t read romances for
those storylines.
The last thing I’ll talk about is the fact that Ian has
Asperger’s. I don’t know anyone with any form of autism and actually don’t know
how accurate this depiction is. But I think it’s a great idea to have a
character suffer from something in a world where no one understands. It really
wasn’t that long ago that any and all mental illnesses were lumped together.
And it’s no secret that I enjoy stories with “different” characters and love
when romances show those characters as deserving of love.
Thanks for reading!
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