Review: The Seduction of Elliott McBride by Jennifer Ashley

Series: Mackenzies and McBrides Book #5

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Pages: 291

Rating: 4 Stars

How I Got It: Purchased

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Berkley Sensations

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

 

Juliana St. John was raised to be very proper. After a long engagement, her wedding day dawns—only for Juliana to find herself jilted at the altar.

Fleeing the mocking crowd, she stumbles upon Elliot McBride, the tall, passionate Scot who was her first love. His teasing manner gives her an idea, and she asks Elliot to save her from an uncertain future—by marrying her…

After escaping brutal imprisonment, Elliot has returned to Scotland a vastly wealthy yet tormented man. Now Juliana has her hands full restoring his half-ruined manor in the Scottish Highlands and trying to repair the broken heart of the man some call irredeemably mad. Though beautiful and spirited, Juliana wonders if that will be enough to win a second chance at love.

 

 Review

 

This book had a lot of my catnip in it. Plus, I really enjoy Jennifer Ashley's writing.

 

This combines two tropes: marriage of convenience-which is a favorite-and unrequited love-which I don't like so much. But they worked very well together here. It probably helps that they both always loved the other.

 

Juliana was a fabulous heroine. She's strong, intelligent, and open-minded. She's a big list-maker which I connect with. And I really liked her relationship with her step mother. It's really easy to go full Cinderella with step parents.

 

Elliot had a lot of the characteristics I like. He is physically scared, but more interestingly, has PTSD. That is a major conflict for him and I love watching him deal with it. He has to figure out how to fit the new Elliot into his old life.

 

The romance was good and you could feel the attraction between Elliott and Juliana. I certainly cared about them and liked reading about them figuring out what it means to be a couple. I believe in the power of love, but there may have been a bit too much of the idea that love will fix PTSD.

 

Overall, this was beautiful story and I would recommend it. This is a really good series, too.

 

Thanks for reading!

Holly 

Review: A MacKenzie Family Christmas by Jennifer Ashley

Series: MacKenzie and McBrides Book #4.5
Format: ebook
Rating: 5 Stars
How I Got It:  Free on ibooks
Genre: Historical Romance,
Publisher: Self-published

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

 

The Mackenzies gather for a clan Christmas and New Year's in Scotland. In the chaos of preparations for the celebration--the first of Hart and Eleanor's married life--one of Ian's Ming bowls gets broken, and the family scrambles to save the day. Daniel busily runs a betting ring for everything from the time Eleanor's baby will arrive to whether Mac's former-pugilist valet can win a boxing match to who will be the first of the many guests to be caught under the mistletoe. Ian begins a new obsession, and Beth fears the loss of one of his precious bowls has made him withdraw once more into his private world. 

Review

I picked this up for free on ibooks and figured I would read it since it's Christmas time. It's a great companion to the MacKenzie series and is just like a big epilogue-type book.

The story follows all the couples (up to book 4) and some side characters. I really liked seeing them all cute and Christmasy. There are some issues because it's a story, but mostly it's warm and fuzzy.

I felt like there was a ton of Ian and Beth. Maybe it's only because they are my favorite couple. I always love getting in Ian's head and trying to see the world the way he does. And their "conflict" surrounding the Ming bowl played on my heartstrings.

This was exactly what I thought it would be. And it made me so happy and excited for the holiday season. I freaking love the MacKenzie family.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Review: The Wicked Deeds of Daniel MacKenzie by Jennifer Ashley

Series: MacKenzies and McBrides Book #6

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Pages: 357

Rating: 4 Stars

How I Got It: Purchased

Genre: Historical Romance,

Publisher: Berkley Sensation

Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault/rape

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

Daniel Mackenzie lives up to the reputation of the scandalous Mackenzie family—he has wealth, looks, and talent, and women love him. When he meets Violet Bastien—one of the most famous spiritual mediums in England—he immediately knows two things: that Miss Bastien is a fraud, and that he’s wildly attracted to her.

Violet knows she can’t really contact the other side, but she’s excellent at reading people. She discerns quickly that Daniel is intelligent and dangerous to her reputation, but she also finds him generous, handsome, and outrageously wicked. But spectres from Violet’s past threaten to destroy her, and she flees England, adopting yet another identity.

Daniel is determined to find the elusive Violet and pursue the passion he feels for her. And though Violet knows that her scandalous past will keep her from proper marriage, her attraction to Daniel is irresistible. It’s not until Daniel is the only one she can turn to that he proves he believes in something more than cold facts. He believes in love.

 

Review

It took me a little while to get into this one. And I wasn’t sure about Violet or Daniel which was kind of sad because I really liked young Daniel in the previous books. Their relationship was also a little insta-lovey for me. But overall it was well developed and I liked the story.

Like I said before, I didn’t particularly click with Violet or Daniel in the beginning. But I did end up liking them. I really like that Violet is smart and into mechanics. My brain doesn’t work that way so it basically went over my head, but I can appreciate that it in a character. And I like that Daniel is so honest. Often romance heroes will be secretive and non-emotional, but he says what he means.

This was probably the latest set historical I’ve read which was kind of weird. I mean Daniel is building a freaking car. Most of the technical stuff made no sense to me, but I like some good competence porn.

And I enjoyed Ms. Ashley’s look at spiritualism. She did a good job of showing how people could use “tricks’ but not condemn them for pretending to be a medium. And there was a balance in the story so you can make your own choice to believe or not believe.

In the end, I liked the relationship between Daniel and Violet. It did start a little fast for me, but then it slowed down and developed very well. Even though they were clearly attracted to each other they became true friends with mutual respect before being romantically involved.

Probably my favorite thing in this book is the MacKenzie family. I think I’ve said that in every review of these books, but it’s true. They are a fantastic loving family. And I’m so glad they continue to be involved in each other’s lives, because it shows how much they care. I love a good family in a book.

Thanks for reading!

Review: The Duke’s Perfect Wife by Jennifer Ashley

Series: MacKenzies and McBrides Book #4

Format: Mass Market Paper Back

Pages: 296

Rating: 4 Stars

How I Got It: Purchased

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Berkley

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

Lady Eleanor Ramsay is the only one who knows the truth about Hart Mackenzie. Once his fiancee, she is the sole woman to whom he could ever pour out his heart.

Hart has it all--a dukedom, wealth, power, influence, whatever he desires. Every woman wants him--his seductive skills are legendary. But Hart has sacrificed much to keep his brothers safe, first from their brutal father, and then from the world. He's also suffered loss--his wife, his infant son, and the woman he loved with all his heart though he realized it too late.

Now, Eleanor has reappeared on Hart's doorstep, with scandalous nude photographs of Hart taken long ago. Intrigued by the challenge in her blue eyes--and aroused by her charming, no-nonsense determination--Hart wonders if his young love has come to ruin him . . . or save him.

 

Review

I didn’t know how I felt about Hart going into this, because he’s been fairly distant win the other books. But I did really like Eleanor and Hart’s story. This is a reunited lovers story and I got the backstory I thought was missing in Mac and Isabella’s story. A big bonus for this one: more Ian.

Eleanor is fantastic. She is very independent and self-assured. And she never loses that which I liked. She really pushes Hart who needs to know he isn’t God. I didn’t like Hart as much as Eleanor, but I did like him. It was especially nice when he would be vulnerable or interact with Ian.

Their romance is good. I was good. I wanted them together and I really liked the look back at their original courtship. And Ms. Ashley did it in a different way by using different techniques like old letters.

One problem I did have is one of the issues in their relationship. There was a lot of emphasis on Hart’s sexual past and how he thought Eleanor would be disgusted if she found out. It just wasn’t as big of a deal as it was made to be.

That epilogue though. It was so cute and exactly the kind of epilogue I want when I’ve been reading a series about a family.

Thanks for reading!

Review: The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley

Series: MacKenzies and McBrides Book #3

Format: Mass Market Paper Back

Pages: 320

Rating: 4 Stars

How I Got It: Purchased

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Berkley Sensation

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

 Cameron Mackenzie is a man who loves only horses and women—in that order—or so his mistresses say.

Ainsley Douglas is a woman with a strong sense of justice and the desire to help others—even if that means sneaking around a rakish man's bedchamber.

Which is exactly where Cam finds her—six years after he caught her the first time. Only then, she convinced Cam she was seeking a liaison, but couldn't go through with it because of her husband. Now a widow, she's on a mission to retrieve letters that could prove embarrassing to the queen. Cam has no interest in Ainsley's subterfuge, but he vows to finish what they started those many years ago. One game, one kiss at a time, he plans to seduce her. And what starts out as a lusty diversion may break Cam's own rules—and heal the scars of a dark and damaging past...

Review

This is my least favorite in the series. It’s still a good historical romance with strong characters. And it definitely set me up to be excited for Hart and Daniel’s books.

Ainsley was fantastic. I can’t really say why, but I really like her as a character. She’s a good and kind person. I also really liked her interactions with Daniel. They helped humanize both of them. And I typically don’t like kids in books.

Cameron is a likeable character. With him, I really liked seeing him with the horses and Angelo. But I wish Ms. Ashley had gone further into his past and his relationship with his wife. I’m very interested in exploring the emotional ramifications of that. The story still worked, but I wanted a little more.

Thanks for reading!

Review: Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley

Series: MacKenzies and McBrides Book #2

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Pages: 316

Rating: 4 Stars

How I Got It: Purchased

Genre: Historical Romance, Marriage in trouble, reunited lovers,

Publisher: Berkley Sensation

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

Six years ago, eighteen-year-old Lady Isabella Scranton scandalized all of London by eloping the night of her come-out ball with the notorious rake, Lord Mac Mackenzie. After three turbulent years of marriage, she scandalized London once again—this time by leaving him.

Now Mac has resurfaced, every bit as charismatic, and with one goal: to seduce Isabella back into his life and his bed even if it means acting like a real gentleman. But when Isabella rises to the challenge of posing nude for Mac's erotic paintings, her pent-up hunger for the decadent rake is exposed as well, and she finds herself unable to resist the smooth strokes of an artist at work.

But someone's been watching them—dangerously close. This ingenious forger with designs on Mac's paintings also sets his sights on Isabella herself. Deciding to become Isabella's protector, Mac vows to never leave her side, whether his independent and proud lady likes it or not.

Review

I do like the first book more, but this was still a great book. And I think most of the differences between them come down to personal preference. That may not be fair, but it’s true. And Jennifer Ashley has completely lured me into her web. I just put the next four books in the series and can’t wait for them to arrive.

Spending more time with the MacKenzies was great because I love them soooooo much. They are a freaking great family. Plus, there was more Ian and Beth.

Mac and Isabella are both great characters. I liked them in the first book and was intrigued by their story. I’m definitely a fan of marriage in trouble stories. The characters lived up to my expectations, but the plot was a little bit of a letdown. Mac, especially, was interesting because it’s a look at alcoholism which I don’t often see in historicals.

I don’t really want to talk about the forgery/mystery plot. I guess it was well done, but I don’t really care about it. I don’t have any complaints about it.

Overall, I liked the romance and they have chemistry. But sometimes I would just get annoyed. For a huge part of the story they were very static and that drove me crazy. I also would have like more of their backstory-especially pre-separation. I cared about them, but I feel like that would have gotten me more invested.

I’m definitely enjoying this world and the characters. They are great historicals and I would recommend them hands down.

Thanks for reading!