THE NAKED BARON

Author: Sally MacKenzie ISBN: 9781420102536 4/2009 HISTORICAL Publisher: KENSINGTON
Time Period: Regency

Tell Me What You Want... New to London society and rather…awkward…Lady Grace Belmont would just as soon hide behind the palm trees as dance with a man she doesn’t know. But Baron Dawson is on the hunt for a wife. Grace’s generous curves and remarkable height do not intimidate him. In fact, it would be more accurate to describe his reaction to the charming newcomer as lust. Before Grace can so much as gather her thoughts, she finds herself in his arms, committing one shocking impropriety after another. The Baron’s devilish attractiveness—to say nothing of his splendid muscles—is simply impossible to resist. Her beloved aunt and chaperone advises patience, but Grace is not about to listen. The handsome baron is whispering such delightful things in her ear…

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I am familiar with Ms. MacKenzie’s Naked series, the first one being THE NAKED DUKE. I laughed so much when I read that book. It was full of comedy, and the story and writing were fantastic. So you have to understand that I was looking for similar excitement when I picked up THE NAKED BARON.

In the beginning, you are transported to a London ball room. Here the author takes you back and forth between four characters: Lady Grace Belmont, who becomes the love interest of David Wilton, the Baron, and Lady Kate Oxbury, who becomes involved again with Alex Wilton after many years of being separated due to an arranged marriage that her brother insisted upon. Kate remained the obedient sister and married the elderly Lord Oxbury, but in the back of her mind, she couldn’t help but wonder what life would have had been like if she had married Alex instead.

And here is were this story stays focused, on Alex and Kate, their budding romance, and the hurt from the past that threatens to separate them again. That was fine, and it had the makings of a great storyline, but I thought the focus should have been on the naked Baron. I expected to read about a naked baron and his funny antics, not poor, feeble Aunt Kate that had to be asked in every chapter if she was ok, but then turned into a siren in the bedroom.

Grace and Alex were so worried about their relatives that their romance took a back seat. I was reading and waiting for the sparks to start flying for this couple, something to keep the story true to the naked theme, but there was nothing. I was disappointed. The title was deceiving; the book should have been named THE RETURN OF AUNT KATE AND ALEX.

Sheila Smith