Alec Mackenzie's Art of Seduction (Mackenzies & McBrides, #9)
Jennifer Ashley
Alec Mackenzie earns a living in exile as an art instructor, a cover for his search of several countries for his missing brother. Lady Celia, an Englishwoman who refuses to marry gentlemen her martinet mother chooses for her, is sent to Alec, the mysterious Scottish recluse, for drawing lessons–her family commands her to learn a skill if she’s put herself off the marriage mart. Alec decides that the courageous Celia needs to expand her talents in painting the human figure, especially that of the male... Celia is intrigued by the man who pretends his name is Mr. Finn. He’s a Scotsman, she deduces, but he can’t be one of the Highlanders who rose against the king, else she’d be allowed nowhere near him, and he’d be under arrest or already dead. But as Celia lets her curiosity guide her, she uncovers more about Alec, including his name, his title, and the fact that he was indeed one of the Highlanders at Culloden. She sees the loneliness in Alec, his terrible sense of loss, his tenderness toward his daughter, and realizes he’s a complex man trying to survive now that his home has been destroyed. She also wonders why he’s left the safety of France to come to England, and the learns that he believes she’s the key to finding his missing brother. But Celia unravels too many secrets, which put not only her life and Alec’s but also her heart in grave danger. Note: Alec Mackenzie is the brother of Malcolm from The Stolen Mackenzie Bride. He is an ancestor of the Mackenzie family whose story begins with The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie.
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Your rating:
04.25/5.
Very fun, very cutesy, very demure. A strong novel (it has "being fake Irish", sexy art lessons, breaking your brother out of prison, LESBIANS?, Ian Mackenzie narrative framing device), but it's honestly really hard for Ashley to follow up the kind of INSANE run of the first four Mackenzie books.
Mackenzie/McBride MacRanking:
1. The Duke's Perfect Wife (I stand by my cancelled king Hart Mackenzie; and so does Eleanor with her Hart Scrapbook)
2. Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage (a truly great marriage in trouble book that gets that the marriage in trouble setup requires an actual Flopmarriage)
3. The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (I'm controversial but brave for ranking this third, but it's nonetheless pretty fucking stellar and Beth's "Dear Penthouse, You won't believe this happened to me in the carriage" diary entry will live forever)
4. The Many Sins of Lord Cameron (Cameron's a single mom who works two jobs, and both jobs are "horse")
5. Rules for a Proper Governess (the Sound of Music if Maria was a street urchin who stalked Captain Von Trapp, therefore it's QUITE a winner)
6. Alec Mackenzie's Art of Seduction (again, so fun, enjoyed all of the sexy art stuff, and has a VERY good virginity loss moment, Alec is a feminist etc)
7. The Stolen Mackenzie Bride (a fun star-crossed lover adventure, but Mal and Mary aren't as interesting as everyone else)
8. The Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie (this probably would rank about TSMB if not for... elements)
9. The Seduction of Elliot McBride (bad)
And none for Lloyd Fellows even though his novella was actually quite cute (and would've been better as a full-length book) features baby Hart Mackenzie being an asshole as an actual child, which only makes me love him MORE.
0Alec Mackenzie and Celia Soandsomebody (her name is gone from my brain). He’s a highlander undercover looking for his bro. She’s an English lady with a horrible mom, “ruined” by scandal. He’s pretending to be an art teacher. They have the hot for each other.
There’s some intrigue here, some escapes, danger, baddies. Gruff but loving Scots, gentle and stubborn English lass. I got what I wanted.
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