The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (Berkley Sensation) [マスマーケット]

Oh, oh, oh! I loved, loved, loved "The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie" by Jennifer Ashley! I began the book two hours ago and could NOT put it down. I laughed and I cried from both sadness and joy. The characters and the plot are at times mysterious and softly heartbreaking, but the ending is probably one of the best I've ever read.

She is Mrs. Beth Acklerly, the impoverished daughter of a sham French peer and a disowned daughter of an English squire. She was saved from life on the streets by a poor vicar and widowed shortly afterward. For the last several years, she served as companion to a rich widow who left Beth her entire fortune at her death. Not long afterward, she becomes engaged to Sir Mather; mostly just to avoid being alone. Then...she meets the infamous Mad Lord Ian MacKenzie.

He is Ian MacKenzie and his childhood is the stuff of nightmares. Being nobly born didn't do anything for Ian but make it easy for his father to have him locked away in an asylum from the age of eleven where he suffered ice baths, shock treatments, and other unspeakable 'treatments' until his father died and his brother, the new Duke immediately had him freed. He still has difficulties with crowds, but reads a book a day, has a perfect memory for anything he's seen, heard, or read, and has many other characteristics of a genius. He can become lost in the perfection of a raindrop or the line of a drawing. He's blunt, suffers from headaches, and uses sex to forget. Then he meets a woman whose mere touch can still the noise with eyes of the most beautiful blue...and Mad Lord Ian is lost.

Two flawed characters who come together in what must be one of the most unusual meetings I've ever read. They have both learned from their pasts to see beyond the surface and what they find in each other has got to be one of the more beautiful and romantic stories I've ever read. I've been a fan of Jennifer Ashley's stories, but I just can't gush enough about this one. The vulnerabilities of each character and the growth of their relationship entwined with a murder mystery and the joys and pains of a family that today we would call dysfunctional really tugged at my emotions. Four brothers, each with their own type of 'madness' that I would call genius--I can't wait for the next MacKenzie story and was mightily disappointed to find out "Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage" isn't scheduled to release until 2010!!!

Jennifer Ashley also writes scorching paranormals under the name Allyson James so I guess I'll have to be content with her upcoming releases under that name. But I have to say that for me, "The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie" will be a hard story to top. The prose, the plot, the characters, and the pacing were all top notch and it's a story that will stay with me and make me smile whenever I remember. How's that for a recommendation?

I am not going to go into detail on the story. The other reviewers have done a great job already. What I do want to say is what a wonderful job Jennifer Ashley has done depicting Ian, a hero with Aspergers (highly functioning one). I can picture Ian examining the Ming bowls in his unorthodox ways. Ian's lack of eye contact, photographic memory, ability with numbers, fixation with patterns, straight forwardness, and uncensored comments made him very real to the readers.

Beth, the heroine, is no mousy girl. Her gumption to stand and defend Ian against others highlight the courageous woman she is. When Beth has an issue, she comes right out and questions Ian and gets a resolution. If only Ian and Hart were so upfront with each other.

Ashley didn't have any quick fixes for Ian's condition (rightly so). But, we know Ian and Beth's love and devotion for one another will help them navigate the world they live in.

This is truly a wonderful read. Now, I am anxiously waiting for the books on the rest of the Mackenzie brothers.

Lord Ian MacKenzie and his brothers have quite the reputation. Rumors abound. He may be wealthy but he is worse than a scoundrel --- Lord Ian MacKenzie is a murderer. As a youth, he was confined to a mental asylum. Dark and dangerous, Lord Ian MacKenzie should come with a warning sign: Beware. His very presence leads to scandal, scandals that can ruin a woman. When Lord Ian enters the opera box of Mrs. Beth Ackerly and her fiance, his lack of manners surprises her. Having recently inherited enough money to have a few more choices in her life even as a widow, Beth just wants to settle into a more comfortable life. When her fiance leaves the box, suddenly her whole word turns upside down! He breaks every rule of polite society taught to her by her mentor, Mrs. Barrington. In a society that values an outer expression of appearance of dignity, restraint, and even prudery, Lord Ian MacKenzie is a man not afraid to take pleasure in a woman. In a moment, he asks her to marry him! She refuses, of course, but this is not the last she will see of Lord Ian MacKenzie! Inspector Fellowes is determined to solve the brutal murders of two women and he will do anything to trap Lord Ian even if it means using Beth to trap him. While her desire for Lord Ian grows, so do the threats around her. Can she find out the truth behind Lord Ian's dark past secrets and if she does, will she still love him?

In the first of the HIGHLAND PLEASURES series, Jennifer Ashley introduces readers to all four MacKenzie brothers, men known for their wildness and passions. Jennifer Ashley takes her readers on a journey of passion and intrigue from England to Paris to Scotland. From the very beginning, Lord Ian breaks all the rules of Victorian society. Daring and sensual, he could make a lady swoon just from his look or words to say nothing of his touch. Mystery and innuendo surround his past. Mrs. Beth Ackerly is just the woman to risk it all. Beth has a daring and determination all her own that matches Lord Ian's, step by step. As a married woman who has known love in the past, she is unafraid to stand her ground. Lord Ian's passion might just teach Beth that she wants more out of life than comfort and the rules. Darkness and secrets trap Lord Ian's soul, making him unable to love a woman fully, but something about Beth is different. Can she help him break through and face his demons and at what cost to herself or him?

THE MADNESS OF LORD IAN MACKENZIE is dark and sensual historical romance at its very best. From the very first scenes, passion captures the imagination with its intensity, audaciousness and decadence. Jennifer Ashley leaves the reader poised on the edge, an edge where danger lurks around every corner, inside and outside. Scottish Lord Ian MacKenzie is the classic tortured, wounded soul and then some. Beth Ackerly is a most refreshing heroine! Although Beth possesses a certain amount of innocence even as a widow, above all, she has a determined courage to pursue desire even in the face of danger. The love scenes between the two have a delightful mix of pure sensuality and fearless tenderness. Exciting subplots and a seemingly unsolvable mystery add a suspenseful atmosphere to keep the reader glued to the pages.

Jennifer Ashley paints a portrait of the Victorian world that encapsulates all the historical contradictions of a period known for its prudery but which seethes with passion underneath. In Ian's past, the reader discovers the darker side of Victorian society. From the opera to memories of the mental asylum, the setting takes the reader on an exquisite historical romantic adventure. Even the happy ending will delight Victorian lovers with its echoes of the great Victorian writer, Charles Dickens, but be warned, THE MADNESS OF LORD IAN MACKENZIE is passionate romance like nothing Charles Dickens wrote! Jennifer Ashley takes the reader on a dangerous passionate journey that reaches down to the depths of the inner soul. Awesome!

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