You will scream with frustration at his inability to deal with some of the simplest of things. I guarantee when you read this book, you too will fall in love with Ian Mackenzie. She fiercely protects Ian just as much as his brothers do. She keeps her head about her in the most dire of situations and even stands up to Hart when the need arises. And when she falls in love with him over the course of such horrible things that happen to them both, you know she’s the one for Ian. But it’s the way she is with Ian, loving, kind, helpful, that endears her to the reader. When Ian meets her, he makes sure Beth is well aware of her fiance’s appetites. She is a widow but engaged to be married to a man who keeps mistresses aplenty. Of course, to deal with Ian and his affliction, a strong heroine is needed and Beth Ackerley is perfect. We meet him and his estranged wife in Ian’s book and the mysteries and conflict for their story are set up and ready to go.

Each brother will get their own book, with Mac’s next. It was Ian’s oldest brother, Hart, laird of the clan, who made sure Ian was released from his hellhole the day their father died it was their father who put Ian there in the first place, all to save his worthless hide from a crime that Ian witnessed. I so enjoyed the little glimpses of emotion we got from each of the brothers when dealing with or talking about Ian. They love him fiercely and, of course, protect him from himself when things get rough because of his condition. That brings me to the next part of the book that I like the best. And all of that is doubled in the fact that in the era this story takes place, people have no idea what is wrong with Ian and he spends ten years in an asylum. Ashley does one heck of a job showing us his frustration when he doesn’t understand certain aspects of speech or human emotion, but then his innocence and his extraordinary gifts are astounding. I came much too close to missing one of the best books I’ve ever read.ĭespite his “madness,” Ian Mackenzie is a terrific hero. Talk about misjudging a book way too early. What? I had that feeling you get when you want to put a book down and not go any further. I have to tell you, when reading the first few pages of this book, I was so sure I wasn’t going to like it. Historical Romance published by Leisure Books 28 Apr 09 Sandy M’s review of The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (Highland Pleasures, Book 1) by Jennifer Ashley

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