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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.
Book Four of the Highland Pleasures (Mackenzies) series.
- Sales Rank: #554533 in Books
- Published on: 2012-04-03
- Released on: 2012-04-03
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 6.79" h x .88" w x 4.37" l, .32 pounds
- Binding: Mass Market Paperback
- 320 pages
Review
"Ashley demonstrates her gift for combining complex characters; emotionally compelling, danger-tinged plotting; and a delectably sensual romance into one unforgettable love story." ---Booklist Starred Review
From the Author
I'm pleased to present another episode in the saga of the Mackenzie family. This time, Hart has met his match. Reunite with brothers Ian, Mac, and Cameron, nephew Daniel, and the growing family in this series of my heart.
For more information on the series, including character sketches, book blurbs, information on what's coming next, and the Mackenzie and McBride family trees, visit jennifersromances.com and choose "Mackenzies" from the right-hand menu.
About the Author
Jennifer Ashley is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty-five books and a dozen novellas. Her books have been won RWA's RITA award (given for best romance books of the year), RT Reviewers Choice awards, Prism awards (best fantasy romance), and others, and been given starred reviews in Booklist. She also writes as award-winning author Allyson James, and award-winning mystery author Ashley Gardner. For more information, see Jennifer's website at jennifersromances.com.
Most helpful customer reviews
75 of 84 people found the following review helpful.
A resounding "meh"
By Alpha Reader
** Contains SPOILERS of past books in the 'Highland Pleasures' series **
Hart is the notorious eldest Mackenzie brother. He is a ruthless politician in the House of Commons, currently with his sights on becoming Prime Minister. But Hart has a reputation outside of Parliament too... a reputation that has stalked him since his youth when it was the worst kept secret that he kept a house on High Holborn for his mistress, Mrs Palmer, where they practiced dark delights.
Rumours of Hart's notoriety followed him into his marriage with Lady Sarah Graham (a duke's daughter), who died in childbirth, along with Hart's son. Rumours swirled that Lady Sarah was fragile and timid, scared-to-death of her overbearing husband and too weak for childbirth.
But even before Lady Sarah, there were rumours about Hart's first cancelled engagement to Lady Eleanor Ramsay, a woman of noble Highland birth. Nobody outside of the tight-knit and tight-lipped Mackenzie clan quite knows what happened between Hart and Eleanor, to have her jilt him and live the next eight years a spinster... but there are rumours, always rumours.
Tongues are set to wag yet again where Hart is concerned, since it is reported that he has taken Lady Eleanor into his home (for "secretarial work"). Curious that she would re-enter his life, right when he is challenging Prime Minister Gladstone on the Irish Home Rule Bill, and incurring the wrath of Irish nationalists as Hart is set to force a vote that could see him become Prime Minister. Even more curious is that Hart recently announced to his family that he was looking to take a wife. Could Hart be returning to the woman who jilted him eight years ago? And if so, does he think he can hold onto her this time?
`The Dukes Perfect Wife' is the fourth book in Jennifer Ashley's `Highland Pleasures' historical romance series.
This is the one I have been waiting for since I first read Ashley's delicious highlander series. Hart Mackenzie, eldest of the clan, was presented as a dark and foreboding man, not to be trifled with. Readers have gleaned bits and pieces about Hart over the course of the series . . . from rumours about his timid and dearly-departed wife, Sarah, to his mistress, Mrs Palmer, whose jealousy drove her to violence. And we slowly pieced together Hart's romantic past that included a Lady Eleanor Ramsay, who jilted him years ago (for reasons unknown) and chose a life of spinsterhood instead. Jennifer Ashley did a wonderful job of enticing fans to Hart's story . . . stringing us along with his sad past and bull-headed personality (not to mention rumours of his particular bedroom activities!). It's safe to say that Hart's story is one of the most anticipated of all the Mackenzie males - but, dare I say?, there was more enjoyment in the build-up than the delivery.
Ashley set Hart and Eleanor's story in motion at the end of Cameron's book, `The Many Sins of Lord Cameron'. Eleanor Ramsay was introduced to us in that book, as a close friend of Cameron's wife, Ainsley. We met Eleanor when Ainsley came to her seeking advice on how to deal with Mackenzie men, and received some curious words of wisdom from a woman who jilted one of them eight years ago; "They entice you, these Mackenzies, first with their wickedness and then with all that is heartbreaking." Eleanor appeared again towards the end of that book . . . when she approached Hart with a small conundrum. Knowing full well that Hart was in the race to be Prime Minister, Eleanor broke the delicate news that she had received some potentially-damning photographs of Hart, taken in his youth - photographs in which he is gloriously unkilted and naked as a jaybird.
Thus, `The Duke's Perfect Wife' starts where `Many Sins' left off - with Hart having recently declared to his family that he intends to remarry, and with Eleanor approaching him with a problem that conveniently places her in his household, when she insists on searching for the origin of the photos.
Accompanying Eleanor to London is her doddering academic father, Lord Ramsay. Also staying at Hart's townhouse (to keep scandal at bay while Eleanor resides there too) is his brother Mac, his wife Isabella and their children. Of course, it's not long before more Mackenzie's invade Hart's home - partly out of curiosity over Eleanor's stay.
Eleanor and Hart were engaged eight years ago. They were very much in love, and Eleanor lost her virginity to the delectable eldest Mackenzie . . . but then something went wrong. Mrs Palmer, Hart's mistress of seven years at the time, revealed herself to Eleanor and warned her off marrying Hart (making mention of his bedroom antics). Throughout a lot of `Perfect Wife', Hart reflects on his broken engagement with Eleanor and regrets harsh words he flung at her when she left him . . . but Hart curiously maintains that Eleanor was not jealous of Mrs. Palmer (especially since Hart had not been with his mistress since he started courting Eleanor).
Part of this book is about Hart and Eleanor reopening old wounds from their past, so that they may heal . . . and this was a bit of a problem for me. Eleanor's reasoning behind leaving Hart eight years ago didn't quite sit right. I won't give anything away, but it seemed an unlikely response from a woman who had recently learned that her fiancée and love of her life not only kept a house for his mistress . . . but filled it with other women too. Even more frustrating was the fact that in present time, Eleanor and Hart don't really talk about Mrs. Palmer in the context of her being Hart's mistress and companion. Indeed, Eleanor just seems to accept that, despite Mrs. Palmer's callous nature, Hart was with her for a little over a decade. Hart admits that the naked photos of him were in fact taken by Mrs. Palmer, during the early days of their relationship. I thought then, that it was especially curious Eleanor didn't poke and prod at Hart's old relationship with Mrs. Palmer - because she mentions many times how happy Hart looks in these photos. The photos, though erotic, also capture a care-free and genuinely happy Hart in his youth. Coupled with the fact that Mrs. Palmer was part of the reason behind their break-up . . . I couldn't believe that Eleanor didn't want to know more about Hart's feelings for his old mistress. I can't believe she didn't want to know if he was at his happiest with her, as those captured smiles in the photos would suggest? The most Eleanor mentions of Mrs. Palmer and Hart's relationship in this context is when she points out that he went back to her, after their engagement was broken off. Even that would have surely rankled? Especially if he was as furious with Mrs. Palmer as he seemed to be, for speaking with his fiancée behind his back? And yet, he stayed with her? Eleanor seems reluctant to speak too much about Hart's deeper feelings for Mrs. Palmer, since she did turn out to be a villain and is now dead . . . but I read a humungous pink elephant in the book that was never addressed.
I would also have liked Eleanor to poke more at Hart's bedroom proclivities because so much is made of them being naughty and nasty, something done hush-hush and under the deepest of secrecies. Yet, once Hart and Eleanor re-heat their romance, it's all pretty tepid . . . Honestly, the way Jennifer Ashley built up the mystery and danger around Hart and his tastes, I was expecting some 18th century BDSM, at the very least. Alas, it's all very 18th century vanilla. Don't get me wrong, Hart is still a Mackenzie and therefore breathtaking . . . but this isn't the dark, brooding and tormented Hart I had built up in my mind. Actually, and curiously, I found Cameron Mackenzie to be a far darker protagonist. I thought Cameron had more skeletons in his closet than Hart, and was more interesting for it.
And, my final complaint about `Perfect Wife' was Ashley's preoccupation with Hart's political side-story. I think Ashley really veered off course when she wrote so much about Prime Minister William Gladstone and the Irish Home Rule Bill, the basis behind Hart calling out Gladstone for a vote in parliament and the brown-nosing he had to do to win seats . . . y'know what? I get that Hart had to be a legitimate politician and be playing a crucial political game. But I could have done without the factoids about Irish Home Rule and the House of Commons. In an historical romance, I'd rather not be given a parliamentary history lesson cause it's not really conducive to sexy times.
A few things did work for me. Lady Eleanor Ramsay is indeed a formidable love interest for Hart. She's lovely and charismatic, a chatter-box and stubborn as an ox. I rather loved her, and Ashley has indeed written another fiery ferocious lady for one her Mackenzie men.
I also really loved that another focus of this book is on Hart's relationship with Ian. Hart feels particularly protective of his youngest brother, and has done ever since he took beatings from their beast of a father to protect Ian. Furthermore, Hart was there when their tyrannical father sent Ian to the insane asylum. He was the one who freed Ian, and promised he would never suffer ever again.
I got quite choked-up at the brotherly bonding between Ian and Hart in this book, and it was my favourite aspect of the whole story. I really felt like it was Ian's story coming full circle - the fact that throughout a lot of the book he was given the opportunity to return the favour, and save Hart for once. And I especially liked Ian's role because there were plenty of scenes with him and Beth and their children. Eleanor hasn't seen Ian for a long time (she was there when he was in the asylum) so it was nice to understand what a transformation Ian has undergone, from someone who knew him before Beth.
I will admit that I had high expectations for Hart's book, and unfortunately `The Duke's Perfect Wife' just didn't live up to those expectations. Hart wasn't the brooding, scarred Duke I had hoped to see redeemed . . . and as disappointing as his supposedly `dark bedroom antics' were, even more frustrating was Eleanor's lack of prodding into his past relationship with the duplicitous Mistress Palmer. I did like Eleanor, and was happy to read such a fine woman paired with Hart. And I especially loved the focus on Ian and Hart's brotherly bond in this book. But overall, I would say `The Duke's Perfect Wife' gets a resounding "meh".
I am now most looking forward to Daniel's book, titled `The Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie' (now *that's* a promising title!) which is scheduled for October 2013. Before that we have `The Seduction of Elliot McBride' coming in January 2013 . . . although, I don't know how I feel about Elliot's book coming at all. He's not a Mackenzie, he's Aisnley's brother (Cameron's brother-in-law). I can't help but wish Ashley would write a spin-off McBride series, and bump up Daniel's much-anticipated Mackenzie finale. But I shall reserve judgement, and suitably lower my expectations (lesson learned!) . . .
30 of 35 people found the following review helpful.
not enough love/chemistry btw H/H
By doing too much online shopping
I was really looking forward to this book but it did not live up to the expectations beause it was ALL about Hart! El was just a supporting character in his life not a full partner. I did not feel that the love was equal from both sides. He moved on to achieve what he wants in life after they break up, while having numerous mistresses etc and she's left tucked away in a corner waiting for him. Other things that did not work:
1. The reason for the original split was just silly! She broke up with him over his treatment of his mistress who's not a nice person (as we know from Ian's book)! I really don't get El actually... she's not mad or even slightly jealous about his naked pictures taken by an evil ex-mistress. She pines for him and collects pictures and articles about him in a scrapbook. Their seperation is not addressed until much later and she acts like they've been friends all along when there were many issues that need to be addressed.
2. He didn't love her all that much. I prefer books where the hero really falls for the girl. In this book however, he gets married and goes back to his mistress etc etc while she's tucked away saving herself for him? These types of story lines are not appealing, sorry. **Spoiler** Even towards the end of the book, Hart choses to stay away rather than be with her in order to "finding himself".
The book just didn't work. I liked the other books in the serie, but this one missed the mark. Good thing I borrowed it from the library!
34 of 41 people found the following review helpful.
The Split Personality of Hart McKenzie **Warning: Spoilers Included**
By Amazon Customer
It's difficult for me to write a review about a book I initially liked, but I have to lessen my rating for the book because the author did not stay true to the character of Hart, as he was introduced to us in The Madness of Ian McKenzie, book 1 in this series.
Quite frankly, I thought Hart McKenzie in book 1 was a despicable human being. The way he played with people, and especially women that he liked to control sexually, I found just awful. The way he treated his brother Ian, too, was despicable. So three years ago I had wondered how Jennifer Ashley would redeem him when she came around to write his story.
Apparently, the author's way of dealing with the awful Hart McKenzie of book 1 was to whitewash him for book 4. Granted, Hart and his brother dealt with horrific abuse from their father, but Hart dealt with his abuse by trying to control and manipulate people and by using and abusing women in sexual games. This is a man who needs to be in therapy, not in a relationship. His brothers also had trouble dealing with their terrible past, but none of them were as cold, intrinsically cruel and abusive as Hart. I am not at all surprised that Eleanor threw him over 13 years before for the way Hart treated his mistress, because she saw he would probably end up treating her the same way. Quite frankly, I had a lot of trouble believing that an intelligent, resourceful women like Eleanor would stay in love with someone like Hart for 13 years. It just wasn't believable to me. She deserved a lot better, in my opinion.
In book 1, Hart was a man who terrified the women he was with, both his mistress and his wife and various other women. For instance, there was one scene in book 1 where, in the midst of having sex with a prostitute (right after Ian had just had sex with her mind you, as Hart had asked Ian to do this in order to get information out of her), he asphyxiates her, which is an extreme and very dangerous way to gain a sexual high. Appparently in book 4, he never went to such extremes as they were glossed over as just being some games in which he likes to tie women up and Elenaor was game to being tied up, but I HIGHLY doubt Eleanor would have welcomed asphyxiation. There is a big difference between tying somebody up and cutting off their air supply, the latter which can lead to death. Suddenly, Hart was described as a man who has tame BDSM needs rather than the man who had dark and dangerous sexual needs, as he had been when he was introduced.
Another thing I found unbelieveable was how dedicated Ian was to Hart in book 4. In the first book, Hart used Ian's genius for mathematics and other things to his advantage, tasking him to do things at a snap of his fingers, using him whenever he saw fit. Ian let him do it, because Hart had saved him from their father and the asylum. At the end of the book, Beth, Ian's beloved wife, almost died and part of the reason that she nearly died was due to Hart's previous lifestyle coming back to haunt him. Ian told Hart off and told him he would not be used by Hart again for whatever schemes Hart had in mind, as Beth nearly died due to Hart (albeit it was indirectly due to Hart). All of a sudden in book 4, Ian has forgiven and forgotten all - mind you Ian has a photographic memory so he can't forget anything that happens - and Ian is completely devoted to protecting Hart and improving his life and bringing him happiness. It simply didn't make sense to me, especially given how devoted Ian is to his wife Beth.
When I started to read the Duke's Perfect Wife, I had forgotten a big part of Hart's story from book 1, as I had read it three years ago. However, upon re-reading The Madness of Ian McKenzie after this book, I just couldn't reconcile the Hart from book 1, who was a cruel, manipulate human being who played with and discarded people, including his own brother Ian, with the Hart from book 4, who was supposed to be kind, but misunderstood and who liked people to think he was bad, but really he wasn't. This left a bad taste in my mouth. You can't just erase someone's sins from one book to the next and whitewash him in order to be able to make him the hero of book 4.
A flawed hero is one thing; a cruel, manipulative and abusive "hero" is another. Hart falls into the first category for The Duke's Perfect Wife and into the second for The Madness of Ian McKenzie. While I truly liked the book before I re-read the first book in the series, after revisiting Hart from book 1 I just cannot like it now. I do not believe Hart deserved a happy ending for all the reasons I have described above and because I couldn't just gloss over his sins from book 1 as the author has done.
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