THE MADNESS OF LORD IAN MACKENZIE

Author: Jennifer Ashley ISBN: 9780843960433 5/2009 HISTORICAL Publisher: DORCHESTER
Time Period: 1881 Scotland and England

It was whispered all through London Society that he was a murderer, that he'd spent his youth in an asylum and was not to be trusted—especially with a lady. Any woman caught in his presence was immediately ruined. Yet Beth found herself inexorably drawn to the Scottish lord whose hint of a brogue wrapped around her like silk and whose touch could draw her into a world of ecstasy. Despite his decadence and intimidating intelligence, she could see he needed help. Her help. Because suddenly the only thing that made sense to her was The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I have to honestly say that I was, and still am torn with my feelings about this book. I want to love it for so many reasons, but there’s something that’s holding me back from giving it that Top Pick rating.

Perhaps it’s because the book's a bit wordy, and I was looking to get to the good parts of the story without a lot of the extras that the author put into it. The storyline is awesome; Lord Ian and his fearsome brothers that will do anything to protect their own, I loved that. The closeness of the family, yet who all seem to have secrets; and even though it’s not precisely their story, you want to know more about them too.

And then there’s Beth, who has come into a fortune of her own from years of hard work, but when summoned by a stranger to warn her from an engagement she finds herself face-to-face with a handsome man who can’t even look her in the eye. But she can feel an attraction that won't let her look away.

I think the first chapter could be the problem, but don’t let it stop you from enjoying the rest of the book. What happened in this chapter could have been condensed to get to the juicier details.

Ultimately, I really do think readers will enjoy THE MADNESS OF LORD IAN MACKENZIE, and I, for one, am eagerly awaiting for the next brother to find his true love! (I wonder which brother it’ll be)?

Sheila Smith