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Customer Reviews (9)

3 1/2 Erotic....short and simple and to the point!
Starts out with a lust at first start scenario and then leads to a threesome. Meet at a part he has to leave before he finds out who she is and then they meet again with a friend of both of theirs for a threesome. They learn that they are both after the same job in a small time as a veterinarian and it goes from there.

I like how this story actually does have a plot well and everything just isn't tied into a bow nice and perfect within the first 10 pages of the book. Yes, they lust after each other, but they really have to like/love each other towards the end to help them deal with all their issues. Wish the kid was in it more. I like when a child mixes things up!

Really like this one.
This was a really hot read! Tracy Marx is trying to find a new start. She is Divorced and she is now a mother to her nephew since her sister recently died. She is trying to find a job as a Veterinarian in a town where Men rule and women stay home with there kids. She also needs to find her self esteem since her ex-husband deceided to take it with him. Tracy meets up with a old friend, Rowdy. He tells her that that he could be her dreams come true..man/women/man action. She takes him up on his offer. Tracy doesnt know who the third will be and she really doesnt care until she is introduced to Dolan Crane, a Veterinarian who is trying to run her out of town bacause she is sniffing around in his territory and he has never even meet her before.

The sparks start to fly and before long they forget all about being adversaries. Dolan is so into her and that he wants her all to himself. Dolan must share becase this is Tracey's dream and if he wants to be with her and he is going to have to deal with. The more time Dolan spends with Tracy the more possessive he becomes. Dolan shows her that she doesnt need two men to please her and he can take care of her just fine.

Tracy would like to take a chance with Dolan but she is afraid that Dolan will leave her like her ex and she hasnt even told him about her new son.

You have to read this book to find out how they hurdled all of the obstacules in oder to find true love. Also read all the ways Dolan and Rowdy made Tracy crazy with want. I could not put this book down I read it in one day.

Fabulous follow-up to Take Me
I really liked this story. A LOT. This is Dolan's story, the sexy veterinarian we first met in Take Me by Mackenzie McKade. A very touching love story about two wounded people who need to decide of they want to take a chance on potential heartbreak. The sex is incredible, the emotions intense, and the characters complex and compelling. WELL worth your money and reading time, I highly recommend it.

Really bad editing
This book was a struggle to get through. The poor grammar, incorrectly conjugated verbs ("grinded"? do they mean "ground"?), and sentences that, well, just didn't make sense were extremely distracting. The story was OK, and this could have been a decent read. Unfortunately, I found myself wanting to circle the errors in the text and add them up. I've read several other McKade stories and enjoyed them, so the less than stellar editing of this one was particularly disappointing.

COULD BE BETTER
THE BOOK STARTED OUT PRETTY GOOD BUT IT SOON GOT A LITTLE BORING. IN MY OPINION THE SEX SCENES COULD HAVE HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE HEAT. THE CHARACTERS ALSO WERE LACKING DEPTH.YOU NEVER GET A SENSE OF WHY THEY ARE THE WAY THEY ARE. ... Read more

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The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie ... Read more

Customer Reviews (97)

Wonderful
I think this book is so great. The Author did a wonderful job of showing his problems and making him charming despite them. She made him a strong character and yet someone who needed to be taken care of. I can't get over how much I loved this book. I bororowed it from the library but am going to order this because it is a keeper!

Tremendous.
I won't spend a huge amount of space repeating what everyone else has said, but this book blew me away.Lord Ian is so well-crafted, his character so rich, I kept going back to reread passages to see how Ashley developed him.The writing is brilliant, the pacing deft.Five stars.

one of the best books ever read
This is; by far, one of the best books that I have ever read...& I read a lot of books!While looking back through my Kindle, this is one of the few books that I remember the characters & the story-

wonderful, wonderful
This is NOT your mother's regency romance.This is a real book.The plot was extremely well thought out with no glossing over unexplained details.They covered everything in the most satisfying way.You could really feel how damaged the hero was and the heroine was not your basic, palpitating, shy virgin.
I loved it.The sex was hot and steamy and the dialogue was great.
Kudos to Jennifer!

Her best so far
I have read most of Jennifer's books and have to say this is my absolute favorite. ... Read more

Product Description

One tempting heiress. Two sexy cowboys. Three means fun beyond her wildest dreams—until her Cord starts to unravel.

Customer Reviews (3)

Very hot!

Take Me was a re-read for me, and its still just as sexy the second time around. If you've ever wanted to spend the night with two hot cowboys - you'll want to read this one!
Cord has wanted Cait for years - but her rich dad is determined that the two of them will never be together. Cord isn't rich enough or good enough for his daughter. So two years ago, he sent Cait off to stay with her mother in Paris. Now she's home again, and Cord wants her just as much now as he did back then.
Cait wants Cord all to herself - and not just for one night. But she figures she needs to be careful dealing with him so as not to scare him away. When the opportunity presents itself for her to spend the night with not only Cord, but his sexy cousin Dolan too, Cait can hardly believe her luck!
Take Me is a quick read - but although its short, the characters are strong and the emotions real. I found myself wanting to see these two overcome the odds against them. And the love scenes - which are wonderfully numerous - are erotic and varied. It never feels like a repeat - each scene is an original. I can't wait to read Dolan's story - Take Me Again. If sexy cowboys and a little menage action are your thing, you'll want to get this book - trust me!

Hot, hot and hot.
Did I say hot? This is a great story that involves cowboys and one hot woman. Need I say more? Without giving away any spoliers, just let me say that this one kept me reading into the night. It's that good. I'd recommend it, as well as Male/Female/Male and Romantic Hedonism: Two Erotic Novels.

Take Me
After two years, Caitlyn Culver is back in town and she's out to get what she wants.Despite her father's threats against him, what she wants is rancher Cord Daily.Aware of the truth behind Cord's wicked reputation, Cait decides to beat Cord at his own game. The luscious cowboy soon finds himself tied up and left wanting in her father's barn.Cait better watch out because paybacks can be hell...of the most delicious sort.

Cord has loved Cait for years, but that doesn't mean he's going to let the vixen get away with her trick.With his cousin, Dolan Crane, Court treats Cait to a passionate night beyond their wildest dreams.When dawn breaks, reality sets in, and Cord finds he isn't the only one who wants Cait.Will Dolan make his move on Cait? Will Cait's father make her choose between the life she's always known and the future she could have with Cord?

Take Me is the first story I've read by Mackenzie McKade and it won't be my last!Cait is a character I would love to be friends with and who wouldn't want to spend a night in the arms of Cord and Dolan?What impressed me most about Take Me (besides the sexy cowboys) is the natural emotional complications which arose after the trio's passionate encounter.I dreamily sighed over Cord's possessiveness and I admired how Ms. McKade handled Dolan's attraction to Cait.In the hands of another author, Dolan's desire to start a relationship with Cait might have annoyed me or detracted from the tale.However, this is not the case; Ms. McKade deftly handles the emotions of all involved and I was more than happy with the story's ending.Take Me is an engaging read, filled with likeable characters and deliciously hot love scenes.Sinful, yet satisfying, I greatly enjoyed Ms. McKade's book.

Shayna
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

4 1/2 Hearts from TRS!
Ms. McKade has done it again and has created a unique smoking-hot story full of love, loss, distress and danger. Irreplaceable characters make this story extraordinary. Paige and Nathan's characters are more than credible. The dialogue between the characters is realistic and helps bring the characters to life. Their friends and family are great secondary characters. Nathan's daughter is absolutely adorable and completely capable of wrapping the reader around her little finger. The chemistry between Paige and Nathan is still there despite the years that have separated them. The scorching hot sex scenes make this one sensual adventure you wouldn't want to miss and yet the sex scenes can be so touchingly tender at moments too. With years of heartbreak between Nathan and Paige, their emotions are constantly running on high and will keep the reader on the edge of her seat waiting what will happen next. With this fast paced read, the reader won't even have a chance of thinking about putting the book down. If you enjoy reading contemporary romances where there are fantastic characters, smoking hot sex scenes and a fast paced plot with just enough danger to add a little extra spice to the story, this is a book you won't want to miss. - Jacquelyn R. Ward

Merry Christmas, Paige
Fate, in the form of an emergency in-flight tracheotomy, lands Dr. Paige Weston in Kauai rather than her planned destination of Fiji.While most people wouldn't mind spending Christmas in Kauai, for Paige it's the last place she ever wanted to see again.Five years ago Paige met and fell in love with Nathan Cross, only to have his ex-girlfriend appear on the scene a week before their wedding to announce that she was pregnant.Paige's dreams were shattered when Nathan walked out on her, and the intervening years have barely dulled the hurt of love lost.Still, with the hospital in Kauai severely understaffed due to an emergency, Paige can't see the harm in helping out for one night...until she discovers her first patient is Nathan's daughter.

As soon as his divorce was finalized, Nathan was planning on flying to Paige and atoning for the mistake of leaving her.Imagine his surprise when the woman he loves and left turns out to be the doctor tending to his daughter's cut.After five years of yearning for her, Nathan isn't about to let Paige go.But neither Paige nor Nathan's lives are as simple as they once were, and getting his second chance with Paige won't be as easy as saying "I love you."

Christmas is the time for miracles, including a second shot at happily ever after in this sizzling reunion story by Mackenzie McKade.Nathan and Paige are two people clearly meant to be with one another, but being in love and in lust with one another was never their problem.Old wounds, not to mention Nathan's manipulative ex, stand in their way.While it's true that Nathan made major mistakes in his past, the way he cares for his loved ones (particularly Paige and his utterly adorable daughter, Cami) went a long way to him winning me over.Paige, in turn, is a generous and forgiving soul who can't resist falling back into Nathan's arms, but at the same time realizes more than he the difficulties they face, in that it isn't possible to simply pick up where they left off.

Ms. McKade knows her way around, under, and through a love scene, and Merry Christmas, Paige definitely shows this.Readers are in for a naughty good time in Kauai as Nathan and Paige make up for five years apart, in every way.I always enjoy Ms. McKade's books, and Merry Christmas, Paige is no exception.

Shayna
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

mixed feelings...
5 years ago Paige and Nathan had a whirlwind romance and became engaged.He had recently come out of a bad relationship with someone else.His ex showed back up pregnant.Thus ended Paige's happiness.They moved on with their lives but in complete misery.Then came the day they saw each other again and there began Nathan's quest to win Paige back.

Let me just start by saying that MM is one of my favorite authors.It really pains me to say anything negative about one of my favorite authors' books.But this book was very difficult for me to finish.Paige was the kind of female I never thought I would read in one of MM's books.In my opinion, she was completely weak and a pushover.She almost immediately gave in to Nathan, even after his horrible betrayal.She was desperate for his love and was willing to take it any way she could.I absolutely hate that.She'd done nothing but pine for him and never allowed herself to meet anyone new.I know he pined for her too but he was married with a child.It was painful for me to read a story that included such a weak minded heroine and such a disgustingly malicious exwife.Nathan barely stood up to her and he allowed himself to be ruled by her and his guilt.I'm just beside myself with disappointment.I love all MM's books.Its almost as if someone else wrote it, except for the fantastically sexy love scenes.Yes, everything always works out in the end in these love stories.Yes its incredibly romantic and you can sense how much they love each other.But I just can't believe they didn't have to work quite a bit harder to make things come together.In a horrible situation like this, you have a trust and hurt that would take a long period of time to rebuild and heal.You have an awful exwife that will, no doubt, be a horrible pain in your side for years to come, and a daughter that is painfully affected by her parents' divorce...that in itself will create some difficulty.If I was Paige, I would have been WAY more hesitant to give the relationship a chance... at least not without some major effort and time first.Truly, this could have been even more realistic and powerful if it had been maybe 75 pages or so longer.Give some realistic "working" time to build up the relationship.Read it and you will see what I mean.

I'm so sorry to say all this about one of MM's books.I am a huge fan, and I will continue to read all her books.She is truly one of my faves and incredibly talented!But this one was really tough for me.Maybe I'm the only one.But I will still always be a fan. ... Read more

Product Description
Not long before her fiftieth birthday, Mackenzie Phillips walked into Los Angeles International Airport. She was on her way to a reunion for One Day at a Time, the hugely popular 70s sitcom on which she once starred as the lovable rebel Julie Cooper. Within minutes of entering the security checkpoint, Mackenzie was in handcuffs, arrested for possession of cocaine and heroin.

Born into rock and roll royalty, flying in Learjets to the Virgin Islands at five, making pot brownies with her father's friends at eleven, Mackenzie grew up in an all-access kingdom of hippie freedom and heroin cool. It was a kingdom over which her father, the legendary John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas, presided, often in absentia, as a spellbinding, visionary phantom.

When Mackenzie was a teenager, Hollywood and the world took notice of the charming, talented, precocious child actor after her star-making turn in American Graffiti. As a young woman she joinedthe nonstop party in the hedonistic pleasure dome her father created for himself and his fellow revelers, and a rapt TV audience watched as Julie Cooper wasted away before their eyes. By the time Mackenzie discovered how deep and dark her father's trip was going, it was too late. And as an adult, she has paid dearly for a lifetime of excess, working tirelessly to reconcile a wonderful, terrible past in which she succumbed to the power of addiction and the pull of her magnetic father.

As her astounding, outrageous, and often tender life story unfolds, the actor-musician-mother shares her lifelong battle with personal demons and near-fatal addictions. She overcomes seemingly impossible obstacles again and again and journeys toward redemption and peace. By exposing the shadows and secrets of the past to the light of day, the star who turned up High on Arrival has finally come back down to earth -- to stay. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (142)

Fortunately Mackenzie lived to tell her story
Having read a great many show biz biographies and autobiographies, I can honestly say that this very brave story stands out from the pack.I remembered Mackenzie Phillips from "One Day at a Time", but I was only slightly aware of the harrowing life she led for so many years.This was like sitting down with a close girlfriend and having her confide in just you.

Many have questioned whether her allegations of incest are honest or not.My belief is that Mackenzie's telling the truth, just like she did about virtually every aspect of her life (so far), both the good times and the bad.She portrays her life with such openness.Given the amount of drugs she snorted and shot up, she's more then fortunate to be alive, she must really have an iron constitution.

Thanks Mackenzie for a truly spellbinding story.Wishing you a long and happy life, free from chemical dependencies.

Another Celebrity Exhibition
I found High on Arrival to be chock full of sensationalism and hyped up stories of another self-important celebrity. While the story was interesting, and I do genuinely feel sorry for Ms. Phillips having to deal with such a horrible childhood, she tells a lot of tall tales. For someone who spent the greater part of her life under the influence of "massive amounts of drugs", she describes events in such detail that I just can't believe them to be entirely true. (I found this to be a similar theme in Maureen McCormick's book)

She had a promising career, but destroyed it by her own means. She had horrific role models in the forms of all the adults in her life. She glances over more important details to stress drug-fueled events, drops names and makes assumptions about her father's "friends" without having concrete evidence, and jumps around in the timeline of her life with reckless abandon.

She is resentful of being fired from One Day at a Time and blacklisted in Hollywood, and also of the police report where she claimed she "would never ask a cop for coke".The delusion of celebrities is that the world owes them a favor.A "real" job wouldn't give you 3, 4, or 20 chances.

It seems as though she has created her own little world of exaggerated importance. It's amazing how many "celebrities" have all these horrible stories to tell, releasing books when they happen to be dropping off of the radar. People who are serious about getting off of drugs don't appear on reality television to get sober. Let's make no bones about it, Ms. Phillips was paid for that appearance and this book, which does nothing but glamorize the Hollywood lifestyle and make me question her true motives. However, I wish her all the best in staying clean.

Best Book I Have Read in Years!
I could not stop reading this book from the moment I picked it up, and I still cannot stop thinking about it and talking about it.It is an amazing story, and I have the utmost respect for MacKenzie Phillips after reading this.I am not sure how she turned out to be such a deeply thoughtful, humble, and responsible person -- she is an inspiration to me!

Easy to read, hard to put down
For anyone who was asking themselves, "how could a daughter have a relationship with her father that is so beyond acceptable?" this book has the answer. You can feel her desperate need for her Fathers love and approval and she just accepts that her father lived by his own rules. Heartbreaking and eye opening, she did not want to hurt those that loved him by letting the truth be known while he was alive. Lets a non addict see and feel how it feels to be an addict and through it all her heartfelt kindness shines. For anyone that has been through any form of sexual abuse, you understand the self blame. That man took advantage of his daughters need to be high and need for the love of her father and it looks to me like she took it in any form she could get.Shame on him and all the friends that knew this was going on. Stay strong Mack!

False advertising!
I was looped in by the sensationalism of someone who supposedly had a consensual incestuous affair because I saw it on Oprah.Well, I really just wanted to get some understanding on what she meant, as she was elusive in the interview.Also, I wanted to read about what would make someone do something so far from normal societal standards.It was like a freak show you know you shouldn't go to, but still can't resist but go on in and watch.So I got the book.

Instead, I got a book that was all about addiction, which is what the title does say.However, she must have been told by the PR people to focus on the incest, as that was what would sell the book.Because honestly, the book was quite boring.There were a few interesting stories about famous people like Mick Jagger (why didn't he sue?), but it's actually really boring after a while.Drug addicts do the same thing over and over again, and it was quite monotonous after about 100 pages into it.

I was surprised that she glossed over the incest, as she had made such a big deal of it on Oprah.She made it seem like it was all in the book, just buy it and you'll see why and what I did.Instead, she just kind of says...oh, yeah and I may or may not have done it with my dad.It was all the drugs, anyway.Then the book ended.I felt like what she did discuss was wisely edited for gross-out reasons, but I wanted to know what she felt about it.I wanted to know her perspective.I was not interested in acts because that's gross.I wanted to understand why she would consent.However, instead, she acted like it was the drugs (and it was), but that her father was awesome, and she just could not resist his will.The only blame she does seem to place is on herself for being totally in love with him, but that is not true.She was high and manipulated, and I honestly think she's still in love with him.It wasn't anything she said, it was just a tone.She spoke of him as a hero (in parts away from the incest topic), so it was weird.

I know she's still working through this, but my big complaint is that it seemed like she gave false advertising.She made it seem like she had figured it out and maybe gotten some perspective on why she did it.However, it seems that she just mentioned it as a footnote without explanations, insight, or cause.

Not worth the read.I skipped passages because I got bored with drug stories.There is some gross stuff, so adults only! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

The heroine's name isn't even correct!
Ok, the back of the book says that the heroine's name is Alexis Knight, but the whole book has her name as Alison Grant. Hello? I was so confused by this that it nearly distracted from the entire story.I thought the book was not up to Ms. McKade usual fun eroticism and the characters lacked development. This one was a disappointment for me.

5 blue ribbons from Romance Junkies
Alexis `Allie' Knight's life has been forever altered and she has no idea what happened or why.She's spent the past year recovering physically and mentally from a trauma she suffered while working as a documentarian for a pharmaceutical company in the Amazon.Somehow she managed to escape the fire that engulfed the compound where she was staying and was found by a tribe who cared for her until she regained enough of her memory to return home.Only the home and life she remembers have undergone some major changes which she's going to find hard to accept - and all of them seem to involve her friend, Jake.

Jake O'Malley may have once been a shy, four-eyed bookworm but he's definitely changed a lot since Allie last saw him.Jake has been in love with her for years but she'd never seen him as anything more than a friend.Since her disappearance a year ago, he'd spent a lot of time with Allie's mother waiting for word from Allie - up until two weeks ago when Mabel passed away.Now he's the proud owner of Allie's childhood home and he's making changes that are just as titillating as they are shocking.

Jake had given up hope of ever seeing Allie again so coming home and finding her handcuffed to his bed is a dream come true.The only trouble is instead of her expression being desirous, she's spitting mad and their friend Johnny Cane, one of Arizona's finest, is a direct recipient of all her ire.He'd grown up with Allie and is well aware of her temper.For her safety as well as his own, he's restrained her in order to relay the news that the house she's entered no longer belongs to her mother.Not only has Allie lost a year of her life to amnesia, but she missed her last opportunities to be with her mother.Everything Allie's known and loved is gone or no longer belongs to her.Allie isn't going to take Jake's possession of her mother's house lightly and Jake isn't going to give it up without a fight.Together they may just find a way past the grief of losing a woman they loved but it's going to take some self discovery and a sexual awareness that will bring them together - just like Jake dreamed.Hopefully they can discover what really happened in the Amazon and the identity of who is trying to kill Allie before it's too late.

Mackenzie McKade's LOST BUT NOT FORGOTTEN takes readers on an emotional journey along with the characters.Allie's turmoil over her memory loss, mother's death and current circumstances really pull at your heartstrings.I couldn't help but like Jake.His love for Allie shines through the pages just as strongly as his determination to not allow her headstrong personality to set the tone for their relationship.LOST BUT NOT FORGOTTEN contains a combination of memorable characters, hot BDSM scenes and enough suspense to keep you engrossed in the story until the very end.

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)

LostBut Not Forgotten
Alison Grant had been doing research for a pharmaceutical company deep in the Amazon before literally vanishing off the face of the earth.No one was certain if she was alive or dead.Jake O'Malley had missed his high school friend every day she had been gone those long four years, and his first conversation with her after coming home had to be that her mother had died while she was gone.He landed her another blow when he told her that he now owned her mothers house.Jake couldn't just let it be auctioned, so he sunk his last penny into buying it because he couldn't imagine Allie living anywhere else.He loved her, even after all this time, he simply loved her.

Alison didn't disappear, she was injured on the research expedition in which she now knew important data had been stolen, and while she was dealing with amnesia, she was suspected of stealing the research.She didn't know what to do, but agreed to stay with Jake until she could make some decisions.When the first phone call came in as a hang up, she brushed it off as a prank, but when they continued, she got a little nervous.Allie was also trying to brush off her growing feelings for Jake.They could barely keep their hands to themselves, and when they could stand it no longer gave into the lust that was out of control.Allie was surprised to learn of Jake's darker dominant sexual tastes, but found herself craving things she never dreamed of.

When Allie is shot, Jake vows to protect her, and find out what is going on.He has a sickening feeling that she is the target.The strange phone calls were coming in more frequently, and the police became involved when the caller finally became bold enough to tell her she was a dead woman.There was no doubt now that she was in danger.

Jake and Allie make such a terrific pair!He has loved her most of his life, and has been waiting for her to come back to him.Allie is a strong woman, but has been pushed beyond her limits, and welcomes Jake's help.Their friendship is evident, and seeing the relationship evolve is heartwarming.Plenty of very sexy and erotic scenes throughout this story.Characters are well developed, and cleverly written.

Suspenseful romance with plenty of steam!
Jake had always dreamed of having Alexis Knight handcuffed to his bed, but finding the long-lost Allie in just this state when he returned home took him completely off guard.But hanky panky is the last thing on either of their mind at the moment.Allie has just regained partial memory after having amnesia for the last year, and Jake knows he must be the one to deliver some devastating news to his life-long friend and crush.

Allie has been lost for so long, and she needs more than anything to come home to something familiar.What she finds instead is that her entire world has changed, nothing is as she left it, and even her childhood friend Jake has changed in ways she never dreamed of...Surely Jake didn't look this hot before?He certainly never managed to aggravate her as much then as he does now.Worse, he seems to take a certain delight in doing so.And her quiet friend Jake wasn't this dominant - was he???

A few near accidents almost take Allie's life, and suddenly they don't look quite so much like accidents anymore.It becomes ever more evident that someone has made Allie a target, and if Jake can't protect her, he will lose her forever.

Mackenzie McKade has a reputation for the ability to make readers feel everything her characters feel.Her newest release, Lost But Not Forgotten, is a prime example of this talent!McKade ran us through the gamut of emotions in this book:fear, love, desire, pain, and more.With everything that happened to these characters, my emotions were right along with them every step of the way.Truly, it is the kind of writing that makes you forget these are fictional characters instead of friends, even if just for a short time.

The character of Alexis `Allie' Knight absolutely broke my heart.What she has been through for the last year, with only the hope of coming home to sustain her, and what she finds when she returns is just heart wrenching.If she had not come home to find her best friend Jake there to stand by her in this time of her greatest need, I am not sure how she would have coped.Although she is a strong, independent woman, the trials this woman has suffered are enough to thrust anyone past their breaking point.Dependable, trustworthy Jake proves the perfect salve to her wounded soul.

Jake is probably one of the most stand-up heroes you will find in a romance novel who never comes across as unrealistic.Jake seems real.He seems possible.I find myself hoping against hope that I will meet a man like Jake who can slip easily into his role as my best friend and lover just as Jake did for Allie.But this good guy is no pushover - in fact he is an oh-so-sexy Dominant who knows what he wants and exactly what his lover needs in the bedroom, and he is more than ready to prove it to Allie.

There were enough small clues in the suspense plot that I was able to deduce the identity of the villain in this story, although the motivation behind the culprit's dastardly actions were definitely a surprise when the big reveal came.Still, figuring out who the villain was early did not detract in the slightest from the excitement at the end of the story when everything culminated in a very exciting action scene.

Lost But Not Forgotten is a must read for anyone who enjoys tension ridden suspense plots and explosive love scenes in their romance novels!I've read it twice already and know that I will enjoy it again and again through the years. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (9)

Copycat
I thought the book started good, in fact I bought it due to a sneek preview from another of her books. But once you got into it the similarities to Feehans books was too much. I wanted something original not a copycat version of something I had already read. She is a good writer but needs to stay away from another writers stuff and use her own imagination. When I want McKade I want to read her, if I want Feehan I'll pick up her book instead.

Enjoyed this book....
I've read Mackenzie McKade books before and found this one just as enjoyable.The heroine, Charlene, finds herself buried alive after agreeing to meet an informant in a cemetary.Our male lead, Devin is a vampire who rescues her and discovers she is his lifemate, the lightness that will balance out his darkness.Charlene isn't like any woman he's dealt with and keeps him hopping to keep her out of trouble while she's investigating a rogue vampire.The story also includes Devin's hunky brothers who I'm assuming will eventually get their own stories(yippee).The story was fast paced and fun, the heroine was headstrong to the point of wanting to knock some sense into her at times but still a good read.

Not the best introduction to a new-to-me author
This was the first Mackenzie McKade book I've read, and while I'm willing to give her another chance, I was not impressed.The writing seemed to be choppy, and there were several times when I was like..."Wait a minute...what?".Then, I'd have to go back and reread, and even then, I wasn't completely clear on what was occuring.The story and characters had a huge amount of potential, but for me, it didn't follow through.

Repeatedly Annoying Heroine
After enjoying Fallon's Revenge, I was very disappointed in Six Feet Under.My biggest complaint is Charlee is the classic Too Stupid to Live heroine. Despite repeated attempts on her life and those she cares about, despite an insane killer vampire becoming fixated on her, despite her lover cautioning and warning and begging her to stay where she is safe, she just keeps sashaying out on her own, often after dark.Note to Stoopid: Just because you are ticked off at your overprotective brothers and vampire lover, you still shouldn't storm out of the house AT NIGHT in a huff when people are waiting to kill you.Though I did start to sympathize with the bad guys on that score.

In the end, TSTL is a cheap and easy way to move the plot forward.How do I get the characters into the next exciting action scene?Everyone is safe and cozy inside right now.I know!TSTL Heroine will leave safety AGAIN and be attacked AGAIN and be rescued AGAIN and be told AGAIN to stay where she is safe. Rest; reflect; repeat several times.

In Fallon's Revenge, the heroine is also frequently putting herself in danger but in that book, she has an extremely compelling reason for her behavior.And Fallon's vampire lover is able to keep up with her and even cut her off at the pass now and then.Charlee is just willful and yes, stupid, while Devin ineffectually attempts to reason with and/or control her. Maybe incredible stupidity is an evasive technique or even a weapon that can be used against vampires.I never thought of that before.I hope I never need to think of it again.

erotic, funny A must read!
A spunky female lead, a Alpha hunky male and lets not forget each have two brothers. Thats alot of men. Charlene is a private detective who takes on a murder case to solve. She gets rescued by none other than her mate Devin. Charlene has two pesky, hunky older brothers. Devin spends the entire book trying to convert Charlene over to vampire. You will have to read it to find out if she does.
The murder plot made this book a page turner. The sex scenes were steamy but the best being the foursome with Devin and his brothers. The scenes were explicit, graphic and had variety (:)
After I finished this book in three hours, I immediatly went online to see if this author has started writing a sequel with the other brothers in it. I love this family and would like to see more. I will definitly buy whatever this author continues to pen. ... Read more

Product Description

Legacy bond them--betrayal will test them--but, love and a little bit of magic will keep them together.

Customer Reviews (3)

A Warrior's Witch
Returning home because of his father's death, Conall Lachlan plans to take over his clan.On the way to his home, he stops in the woods and sees a most wondrous site; a beautiful female Berserka and when he catches her scent, his inner wolf has to have her.It is only after their joining that Conall realizes just how obstinate and stubborn his witch is.

Sabine Macleod doesn't understand the unease that is coursing through her veins; she figures it is due to Samhain.Naked inside her sacred circle, she calls to the four corners of the Earth.Power surges through her and when she finishes her siren's dance, she is held within strong arms and gives in to her body's craving.It is only afterward that Sabine realizes what she has done and flees into the night.

Sabine and Conall must own up to what happened between them in the forest when they encounter each other at Sabine's home.With a marriage forced between them, they come to an agreement of sorts.They agree that while they want and need each others body, their truce is only skin deep; that is, until an unknown source threatens Sabine's very existence and Conall had to defend her against those that wish her dead.

Well, she has done it again.Once more Mackenzie McKade has woven a tale that is totally enjoyable and fun to read.Not only was I treated to a great plot but I was able to fully become immersed into the happenings of two lovers trying to make the best of a situation that fate removed from their control.A Warrior's Witch contained all the elements that I want in a novel.Historical setting, paranormal aspects, and a love unlike any other.Pure reading nirvana!

In my opinion, Mackenzie McKade's stories keep getting better and better.I find myself applauding her versatility to write different genres.To me, she is one of those authors whose talent flourishes with the way she molds and make her characters noteworthy and realistic.Now, if she could just write a bit faster...

Talia
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

4.5 blue ribbon Romance Junkies review
For ten years Conall enjoyed his life of adventure and travel.With the recent death of his father, he has to return to Scotland and assume the role of chieftain for the Lachlan clan.Conall and his men have a full day's ride to go before reaching home, they hope to lodge at a neighboring ally's castle.At least he hopes that they're still allies. . .they share an ancient bloodline that makes them vastly different from regular humans.They're Beserka - men with the ability to shape-shift and possess extraordinary abilities.Each group of Beserka is gifted with a totem, and Lachlan's is the wolf.

Sabine inherited her mother's witch heritage as well as her father's lineage.Normally Beserka traits only develop in boys, girls are believed to never inherit the trait.To make Sabine even more of an oddity, she possesses the Macleod totem of the feline but she has the ability to change into whatever form she chooses.Sabine possesses a strong-willed spirit and a desire to be independent, what will happen when Conall recognizes her as his lifemate? For a Beserka, finding a lifemate is often a lifelong challenge.

Sabine stands naked in a clearing and calls out to the Goddess for guidance as she draws strength from the elements around her.She's aware that something in missing in her life, but doesn't know what.In the sanctity of the circle she is safe because no evil can enter.Apparently that doesn't include a lifemate intent on claiming the woman who will belong to him.

Mackenzie McKade's A WARRIOR'S WITCH is a short story that readers are going to love.Sabine is no `woe-is-me' maiden looking for a hero to rescue her, she's a strong young woman who simply just wants to be accepted by the people around her and there's no doubt she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself.Conall has no doubt that Sabine is his lifemate but getting his clan members to accept her without prejudice proves to be impossible.It's a huge struggle with surprising results you won't want to miss.

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)

A tantalizing tale full of passion!!
When Conall Lachlan first returns to Scotland to fulfill his duties as clan leader due to his father's death, he encounters Sabine. He is sure they are destined to be together but Sabine knows that since Conall is Berserka and she is from Wicce heritage, they should not be together. When Sabine's father steps in and forces her to marry, Conall takes his reluctant bride back to his castle only to discover that his clan members were not happy with his choice of bride. When weird things start happening around the castle such as salt being in the water and poison in the wine, the clan all point the finger at Sabine and Conall will have to choose between his wife and his clan.

A Warriors Witch is a tantalizing tale full of passion, conflict, and angst. Sabine is a perfect mix of innocence and piety while charming readers and drawing them into her world. Conall makes a great leader with his strength and fairness while also showing his vulnerable side. Mackenzie McKade has done a great job of creating a world that is perfectly balanced with entertaining characters, mystery, and some really hot love scenes. This story gets 5 Angels.

By Tammy
Fallen Angel Reviews ... Read more

Product Description
They say cowboys don’t cry… Apparently they don’t forgive and forget either. A story from The Perfect Gift After four years, Lori Dayton is returning to Safford, Arizona to spend Christmas with her family and face her past. She has reservations about seeing Dean Wilcox again. But time hasn’t changed her. She still loves Dean more than ever. Time heals all things… Yeah right! Lori still heats Dean’s blood like no other woman. Even after all she’s done, he can’t resist the urge to take her in his arms, feel her body pressed to his. He wants her naked against him, just like before.

Can he forgive her, as well as himself, for that dreadful night when they lost so much?

Customer Reviews (2)

;0)
I love Dean and Lori's story from start to finish. For a short story you got a lot out of it. I wish there was a follow up with the brothers. i wasn't really expecting much from the book but i loved it.I really like the ending how he proposes to Lori that was truly sweet.

5 Klovers - Courtesy of CK2S Kwips & Kritiques
Home for Christmas, it is the first time Lori Dayton has returned to Safford, Arizona since that fateful time when she lost Dean Wilcox.Not only did she lose his love, but she earned his hatred.How can she bear to face him again?

But face him she does, albeit unintentionally.When her brother drags her off for a drink at the local tavern, she runs into Dean and his accusing glare right away.Still, she does her best to avoid him.But fate has a way of intervening when you least want it to...

Seeing Lori again, Dean can't deny the compelling attraction he still has for her.But they'll never be able to forget the past, will they?More importantly, does he even want to try?

Oh my gosh.I BAWLED throughout this amazing story.If Mackenzie McKade set out to twist her readers' hearts and run their every emotion through the wringer when she wrote Second Chance Christmas, then she certainly succeeded with this reviewer.As far as tear-jerkers go, this story is right up there with one of her previous books, Lisa's Gift, which makes me tear up every time I even think of it.

Aptly titled Second Chance Christmas, this is a story of reunited lovers that find forgiveness for each other during the holidays.Having been driven apart by misunderstanding and tragedy years earlier, both Lori and Dean have suffered without each other, their tragedy exacerbated further by the fact that they lost each other because of it.

As the story unwinds, and we discover the reason for their separation, our hearts break.But when this couple finds their way back to each other for good, we really see what an uplifting romance this truly is.I didn't just read this book, I felt every word of it deep in my soul.I will carry this romance in my heart for a very long time.

**This story is also found in the print anthology The Perfect Gift**
... Read more

Product Description
In Mackenzie's Magic, Maris regains her memory, while in Silver Bells, a single dad finally meets his match, and in A Wild West Christmas, Priscilla ties the knot at the Double R Ranch. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Weak Plot Development
All of the Mackenzie books in the series are really really good, and this book feels like it could have been a really good book, but it was very short and didn't have a chance to fully develop into a good story.

Fluffy, lightweight novella with typical romance novel characters.Not enough time for relationship development.
MACKENZIE'S MAGIC by Linda Howard.

STORY BRIEF:
Maris is a horse trainer.Someone plans to harm her favorite horse, and Maris is hit in the head.She wakes up in a motel room the next day with a concussion.Mac is with her.He was recently hired to work with her on the horse farm.Together they try to figure out what is going on and what to do about it.Maris has no memory of what she was doing before she was injured.Maris realizes she is attracted to Mac.

REVIEWER'S OPINION:
This was about half the length of a typical romance novel.It was a "falling in lust" story.There was no time for any relationship development.It was shallow.I wanted more intrique, unique characters, and more interesting plot and dialogue.But if you loved the series, you might like this out of curiosity.

After the mystery and danger is over, a chunk of time is spent with Maris' family in Wyoming.There is the cute little toddler, all the hunky men, their wives and children.Everyone is loving and protective.It was a pleasant time.

OTHER BOOKS:
There are five Mackenzie books.The first three were much better than books 4 and 5.This is book 4.For a list of my reviews of all five books, see my 5 star review of Burn posted 7-11-09.

CAUTION SPOILER:
I didn't understand the scene in which Maris was hit in the head (which was told and not shown).Apparently the bad guy was starting to inject the horse when Maris arrived.He hits her in the head causing a concussion, but she is able to get on the horse and ride away.Can one be concussed and still mount and ride?Why couldn't the bad guy finish the injection as she was mounting?I wanted more details and showing, not telling.

DATA:
Kindle count story length: 1462.Swearing language: mild.Sexual language: mild.Number of sex scenes: 1, about a page long.Setting: current day mostly Kentucky and Wyoming.Copyright: 1996.Genre: contemporary romance.

The weakest of the Mackenzie stories
This story is ok but not near as good as the others in the Mackenzie saga. I didn't like the way it started out with Maris waking up and not knowing where she was or who she was with. This story was too unbelievable.I realize the other Mackenzie stories aren't believable either but they're a lot more enjoyable than this one.This one was too short to do justice to what could have been a decent story.

please include with the mackenzie bundle of stories
This is another good story in the mackenzie series.this story is too short and it should be placed in the mackenzie bundle of stories.it really is not worth the two dollars it cost.i would have loved to have read it along withtthe other stories.is there any way kindle/amazon can arrange for this.....

Boring
Save yourself the $2 and get one of the free kindle books instead. This book was a waste of my time. ... Read more

Product Description
Just looking for a good time…Waiting tables in a bar full of no-good cowboys isn't Lacy Mason's idea of fun. But between her daughter's illness, endless doctor bills, and her college tuition, she needs the money.What she could really use is a night of no-holds-barred passion and no-strings-attached sex. Too bad she has sworn off cowboys for life…A guy walks into a bar…Full-time executive and retired cowboy Wyatt Anderson is drawn to Lacy from the moment he sees her. But she's an enigma. Daring and assured one moment and hesitant the next, it's as if something haunts her. Only willing to give him one night, Lacy clings tightly to her secrets.Unfortunately for her, what Wyatt wants, Wyatt gets. And he definitely wants Lacy… ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

More than meets the eye...
Lacy Mason is done with cowboys. They're all no-good, love 'em and leave 'em types and she's not going to fall for another one. Until she sees Wyatt walk into the bar she works in. He's six-feet plus of yummy goodness she can't wait to try!
Wyatt thinks Lacy is the hottest thing he's seen in a long time. And when she says "yes" to his invitation to meet him after her shift is over, he can hardly believe his good luck. But after their night of passion, he can't get her out of his mind.
A Tall, Dark Cowboy is a great book, in so many ways. It has some wonderful messages, about the importance of not making snap judgments without knowing all the facts, and how important it is for us to have someone in our life we can lean on when times get tough. Its an emotional story - it had its heartbreaking moments, and lots of laugh-out-loud moments too. The sex was scorching, and plentiful!! Lacy and Wyatt's chemistry was explosive. I definitely recommend this one if you're a fan of good-looking cowboys!! Ms. McKade knows her stuff!

One hot cowboy and one hot read...
Lacy Mason is on a mission to make her and her daugther's life better. Working at a cowboy bar to make enough money to pay for her daugther's hospital bills and her college education wasn't all that glamorous, but the job paid the bills. Wyatt Anderson is a sexy cowboy sho Lacy think will be a moment or two of pleasure. The characters differ in many aspects, but the driving force of sexuality and passion keep them coming back for more. The love scenes are amazing, but never lose sight of the story or heart of the story. This is a highly recommended read.

A Tall Dark Cowboy
Glad that I spent the money for this purchase.The book grabs hold of you from the first page until the last page.There were times you wanted to scream and times you wanted to cry.I enjoyed every page and the characters came alive with every page you turn.Make sure you give time to really enjoy this book, it is one of the few that actually deserves your time.

Joyfully Reviewed!
Lacy Mason has a rule: No More Cowboys. She plans to stick to her own personal decree even though every part of her being wants to be with a man tonight if only to help her forget that her daughter is ill and in desperate need of a heart. Lacy is standing firm on this rule until she claps eyes on gorgeous cowboy, Wyatt Anderson.

Wyatt is tall, and dark, and he has a package wrapped in Wranglers that any woman would love. Though Lacy does her best to disregard him, Wyatt refuses to be ignored and proceeds to set Lacy's insides on fire. Meeting Wyatt after her shift ends, Lacy experiences with him the most sensual, erotic sex she has ever known. Protecting her heart and sure that the encounter is just a one-night stand, Lacy sends the devastating cowboy on his way almost before the sheets cool. What Lacy doesn't know is that Wyatt refuses to bow out of her life without a fight.

Wyatt Anderson, Vice President of Dunbar Semiconductors, and retired rodeo cowboy, can't believe his eyes or his heart. Spotting Lacy, Wyatt is instantly entranced and knows that he won't sleep tonight until he tastes the beautiful woman. His dream comes true and he and Lacy have explosive, bone-melting, satisfying sex throughout the night. The next morning, everything comes screeching to a halt when Lacy makes it clear, this was just a one night deal. He doesn't understand why Lacy is willing to just walk away. Wyatt doesn't want to let her go but; until Lacy is prepared to open up to him, he may have to do just that.

There is nothing better to me than a cowboy in love with his woman and wanting to take care of her without stealing her independence. Wyatt is that type of man. I instantly fell in love with him as I began to read. The further into the book I got, the more I loved him. And he didn't disappoint me. As for Lacy, she is strong, yet
vulnerable; independent, yet needing comfort. Both characters completely swept me away. As for the love scenes, they simply made me melt.

A Tall Dark Cowboy is a must read. A MUST read! The more Mackenzie McKade writes the better she gets, and A Tall Dark Cowboy shows her writing talent from beginning to end. I could not put this book down until I finished. Then, I found myself going back and picking it up again, just in case I missed something. It goes without saying that I highly recommend this book. Whether you are a fan of westerns or not, A Tall Dark Cowboy will make you tingle!

Natalie S.

The cover picture is deceptive
When I saw the cover for this book, it was so hot that it made me want to buy the book, but the story was not that exciting, and too predictable.No fire, and the characters I felt were too weak.You want HOT; read Lora Leigh. ... Read more

Product Description
Mackenzie's Mountain

Mary Elizabeth Potter is a self-appointed spinster with no illusions about love. When she meets Wolf Mackenzie, a man with a chip on his shoulder the size of Wyoming, she sets out to convince the whole town he's a man worth loving. But Wolf's not sure he's for the taming of Wolf Mackenzie.

Mackenzie's Mission

Night Wing—the revolutionary test plane with a top secret weapons system—is Colonel Joe "Breed" Mackenzie's number one priority—and weapons expert Caroline Evans his number one distraction. When someone on the inside sabotages Night Wing, Caroline's late hours and expertise come under suspicion, forcing Joe to choose between allegiance to his country…and love for his prime suspect. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

mackenzie's legacy mackenzie's mountain mackenzie's mission
Linda Howard quickly became one of my favorite authors. Her stories of strong men and women are well writen and catch your interest . I am looking forward to reading more of her novels.

The BEST of the Mackenzies!!!
Hey!

I absolutely adored both of these books!!!! Mackenzie's Mountain is a great novel about a schoolteacher (Mary) who just can't let Joe Mackenzie quit high school, so she sets off up the mountain that he lives on with his father, Wolf, to see what she can do to get him back in school. What she finds up on that mountain is a passion she's never imagined existed before with a tall, tough and rugged warrior with a past. Wolf, for his part, has been to jail for a rape he didn't commit and isn't willing to ruin Mary's reputation in their small town, so he refuses to begin a relationship with the sweet lady.

Then, a real rapist is on the loose in this quaint, little town and targeting people who are close to Joe and Wolf Mackenzie. And Mary is one of the top targets on his list...

Mackenzie's Mission is about Joe Mackenzie all grown up and in the Air Force. He meets Caroline, a weapons expert who is working on a top secret weapons system for their latest fighter plane, and finds himself instantly attracted to the prickly beauty. Caroline is overwhelmed by her first taste of passion and initially falls back on her old stand-by of treating men with disdain and instantly going on the defensive. But Joe uses the excuse of the other men's attraction to Caroline to make her agree to pretend to date him so she won't be bothered by the obnoxious fighter pilots (or, at least, so he claims). Caroline reluctantly agrees to fake date Joe, but then the dates become all to real.

But there is one little problem that these two have to overcome before they can really get together. It just so happens that there's someone on the base who's sabotaging the weapons system and all evidence is pointing to Caroline...

These two books are the best in the Mackenzie series, and I think they are some of the best books Linda Howard has written in her entire career. I love these books, and am so glad to add them to my Linda Howard collection!

If you love a good dose of mystery, a great, steamy romance, and reading about two powerful, aggressive characters learning that they are simply meant for each other, these books are for you. Hope all this helps you potential buyers and I hope every one of you has a wonderful day!

Luv ya,
Tashi :)

Finally
Thank you so much! It was a birthday present and arrived very promptly with time to spare. thanks again

Absolutely Fabulous Linda Howard
So, I admit that I'm a Linda Howard fan - I have every single book she's ever published.But, these are 2 great books - perfect for anyone who's never read a Howard before.Her books combine adventure with suspense and romance to perfection.

With her ability to set the scene, you feel like a friend of the Mackenzie family - listening to the story of how Mary and Wolf met and how Joe's really made something of himself.There are suspenseful moments of laughter, outrage, excitement, and pride, and of course those steamy, drool-worthy moments that make you blush and turn green with envy at the same time.

It's impossible not to like these stories.Be sure to get "Mackenzie's Honor" for the stories of Zane and Change as well as "Mackenzie's Magic" (always part of an anthology since it's a novella) to round out the set.

Linda Howard writes the best hero's in the genre and always delivers a do-not-miss book.For other great Linda Howard books, start with Shades of Twilight (5 stars), After the Night, Mr. Perfect (another 10) or Dream Man - all great books.

Wolff and Joe
I thought the premise of this series was fantastic.It deals with bigotry, hate, and love.Reading about Wolff and his son Joe meeting their match in Mary is such a joy.Then knowing what Joe goes on to do with his life is just superb.I really wish that she had gone on to do books on the other brothers. ... Read more

Product Description
Breaking the rules—to heal a broken heart.

Ties That Bind Book 2

Years of neglect and disappointments have molded Jessica Evans into a strong,independent woman, determined to live life by her rules. The only place she'swilling to relinquish control is in the bedroom. Even then, it's only on herterms.

A safety net of multiple partners keeps anyone from getting too close. Thatis, until one sexy cowboy throws a snag in that net, big time. Not only doesWade Peterson make her body burn, he's crossed the line. The damn man wants tomarry her.

Customer Reviews (4)

An Enjoyable Read - Recommended
A story about a cowboy who falls hard for a strong-willed and most independent woman whom he shares with his best friend. Wade and Jessie are perfect for each other, although Jessie is jaded by the thoughts of marriage she has difficulty opening up and trusting Wade completely. Instead, she confides in Clancy (their 3rd in the ménage) who knows all that she has experienced in her past, they support each other. Unexpectedly, her father drops off her young sister and Jessie is reminded of her troubled past of abandonment and abuse. Wade wants to be the man who she will confide in but he has to give her space to let her come to him on her own. There are hot sexy scenes loaded with passion and a romantic story. It's short and sweet and can be read in one sitting.

Bound by the Past- A Joyfully Recommended Title
Neglected as a child and subjected to countless disappointments, Jessica Evans doesn't want to believe in either love or relationships.Determined to keep true feeling at bay, Jessie uses ménages with her best friend Clancy and other men as a safety net.She can enjoy the dominance she craves in the bedroom, but on her own terms.But Jessie's safety net is torn away from her when Wade Peterson asks her to marry her.Though she turns Wade down, Jessie still can't get him out of her mind.And if the struggle to tamp down on her feelings for Wade wasn't hard enough, Jessie's past soon resurfaces with additional complications that unsettle her hard won control.

Wade is crushed when the woman he loves rejects his marriage proposal.However, the sexy-as-sin cowboy isn't about to give up so easily.He might be willing to share Jessie with Clancy to keep her, for now, but the desire to have Jessie only for himself soon becomes too much.Will Wade be able to win Jessie's trust and show her that true love and happily ever afters can exist?

Mackenzie McKade does it again!Bound by the Past is an emotional, engaging, sensual read I could not put down.Wade is meltingly sexy, patient, dominant, and loving - the epitome of the perfect hero.In the hands of a lesser author I might have become frustrated with Jessie and her determination to stay distanced from Wade.However, Ms. McKade made me understand Jessie's fears and sympathize with her.I adored her and loved watching her grow into someone who was able to accept love and give it in return.As for Clancy, Jessie's best friend and the third in the couple's threesomes, he has me crying out for his story.He's kind but tormented, supportive of his friends but in need of someone to love him and help him overcome his own past.

Bound by the Past is the second in the Ties That Bind series, but can be read as a stand alone.There is a brief mention of the hero and heroine of the first book, Bound for the Holidays, but having not read that book (yet), I don't feel I missed anything for this particular tale.I dearly hope Ms. McKade continues this series with books for Clancy and Wade's siblings.

At turns tender and titillating, Bound by the Past is a book I Joyfully Recommend.Ms. McKade delivers a fantastic, blazingly hot tale with characters that will capture your heart and a romance that is truly sigh worthy.

Shayna
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

5 blue ribbons - recommended read!
Wade Peterson isn't a man to settle for just one woman - he loves them all but one woman in particular has snuck into his heart.Despite Jessica's refusal of his proposal a year ago, he's decided that she belongs to him and he'll do whatever he has to in order to make her feel the same way about him.

Jessica Evans has no illusions about who she is or what she wants in her life.Her own background taught her that the only person she can count on is herself.The only trouble is she has very strong feelings for Wade which no amount of denial seems to assuage.

After Jessica shot down Wade's proposal he hightailed it out of San Antonio for Arizona to lick his wounds.She'd claimed that she simply isn't the marrying kind but he's not willing to lose hope just because she's obviously scared of a commitment.Wade approaches her at the auction stockyard where Jessica works as the manager and is hurt that she acts like she hasn't even missed him over the past year.He's well aware of her sexual appetite and fully intends to use it to his advantage.Jessica loves kinky sex and by having multiple partners she's been able to keep her distance emotionally - or so she thinks.Wade can barely stomach sharing her with anyone but Clancey, Jessica's longtime friend with benefits, gives her a perceived safety net.Wade has known Jessica since high school but he knows very little about her past and the secrets she's guarded so closely.

Just when Jessica thinks she can hold Wade at bay her past comes back to haunt her and she finds herself face to face with a smaller version of herself.Thanks to Clancy Wade had a bit of forewarning that Jessica didn't have a happy childhood but he never anticipated coming face to face with the man who made Jessica's childhood a living hell.Is Wade prepared to accept Jessica along with all her `baggage' and can he convince her that she can trust him to never purposely hurt her - physically or emotionally?

Oh my!I have to tell you that I don't believe I can adequately express the emotional roller coaster I experienced while reading BOUND BY THE PAST.Jessica and Wade's relationship is full of ups and downs and some unexpectedly heart wrenching scenes as Jessica has to decide if she's going to trust Wade or not.The reason behind Jessica's refusal to allow anyone close to her is stunning and heartbreaking but it makes her a strong character and someone that women could admire.Out of all the characters in this story it's the secondary characters who bring it to life in a truly unique way. My heart broke for Clancey.He's suffered his own disappointments and his feelings for Jessica go beyond friendship though it doesn't appear that he realizes that until it's too late.I cried for him more than once while reading this story

BOUND BY THE PAST is the second book in Ms. McKade's TIES THAT BIND series. BOUND FOR THE HOLIDAYS was the first book . . .and now I'm praying that we'll see at least one more story to add to this series.Clancey deserves his own story and I have to tell you if there's a man out there who deserves a happily-ever-after then Clancey's your guy!

Beautifully written Ms. McKade.This is definitely a story I'll be adding to my keeper shelf.

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)

Bound by the Past
Wade Peterson wanted Jessica Evans with a passion and lust he had never known.He had always been the one that just wanted to have fun, but things were different with Jessie.He wanted to possess her, and make her his - his alone.He was tired of sharing her with her with their childhood friend Clancy, and doing everything her way by her rules.At Christmas he had made the colossal mistake of proposing which sent her running.Wade knew she cared about him more than she was willing to admit, so he would just ease her into their relationship slowly to give her the time she needed to get used to it.

Jessie had made a pact with her best pal Clancy when they were kids to never marry.They had both had abysmal childhoods, and had plans to never repeat what they went thru.She was terrified because Wade brought out feelings in her she had never experienced, and was afraid of.Clancy knew she loved Wade, and even though it broke his heart, he pushed her where she was afraid to go.Directly into Wade's loving arms.

Wade never dreamed that their life could be so good.He finally had the woman he had wanted for all time, and she was all his.While Jessie was still a little new at loving and having a family, he could tell she was born to be part of his large family.When her horrible for an excuse father showed up on her doorstep, and dumped his small daughter Shelby on them, he knew immediately she was meant to have a family of her own.Just when they thought everything they ever wanted was in their grasp, Jessie's father showed up threatening to take Shelby away along with Jessie's heart.

Jessie had never allowed herself to believe in anything permanent because in her experience it always fell apart, and so she never gave love or family a chance.Wade helped her to see what was possible if you allowed love to touch your heart.While the encounters between Wade, Clancy, and Jessie were hot, you always knew where Jessie's heart belonged.This story has many touching moments, but yet some very steamy scenes.Good balanced delivery! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (16)

A New Author For Me
This book was awesome.....the third one I've read by this author and by far my favorite!The story was excellent...kept me wanting more.I would have to say I prefer reading threesome between between two men and one woman would be my choice, but the author did a great job with these three characters.The emotions between these three characters were overpowering.I had a hard time reading the book at the end because I was crying so much.I read in another view that the BDSM was a bit too much and my thoughts were the complete opposite, they were much milder than other books.I have to say this book is not like the other two books I've read by this author.You will not be sorry you read this.

Good but frustrating
There were many things I liked about this story, but at the same time much that left me wanting. Several reviewers hated the ending--but I liked it.It kind of "made" the book and made Lisa a much more complex character.Actually, I thought Lisa was the most mysterious and interesting of the characters.Truthfully I thought the relationship between her and Jana was more compelling than that between the H/h, Nicolas and Jana. I was not bowled over by Nicolas at all--as another reader stated, he seemed to playing at his role of Dom and seemed a little immature at times, preening at having two woman under his control.

In spite of all the talk about Lisa and Nicolas not being compatible, I didn't see any compelling connection between Nicolas and Jana. Lisa made the book for me and I wish we had learned more about her--at the end instead of a single letter revealing her true motives, I wish there had been a journal or something giving more detail. In the end the story did linger with me, but mainly because of Lisa and her gift.

lisas gift was a wonderful thing
i loved this book dont usually like threesomes but it worked really well in this book it just shows how unselfish love can be

Hot, Steamy & Sweet rolled into one
This book was so hot & steamy. I was reading it while waiting at the doctors office and when they took my blood pressure, it was high, and it is never high!! The book was filled with hot steamy love, yet very very sweet. Lisa was one of the most thoughtful people to provide such a wonderful gift for her best friend.

A touching love story
Erotic love story.A woman helps her friend overcome her abusive past, so she can find love and go on with her life. ... Read more

Product Description

Mackenzie Blue is hitting the trails!

Customer Reviews (5)

Things get wild for Zee!
It's time for the annual Brookdale Academy camping trip. This time Ally's coming along! But when there's trouble among friends, is the trip going to be too wild for Zee? Plus Landon's in her class too, and Zee might still be crushing on him. Zee soon realizes she's growing up in more ways than one. Plus Zee's brother wasn't lying about the mysterious Mountain Man lurking around, was he?

Friends Forever showed a true test of friendship and staying true to oneself, but was still a lot of fun.I liked the issues of growing up mixed with outdoor adventure aspect, as well as the students' hesitation to be outdoors due to lack of technology. If the new books in the series are anything like the first three, this will be a series I keep reading.These are good books for showing girls how to keep their heads and hearts in the right place when.

Author Tina Wells is a young marketing executive and certainly has her finger on pulse of tween entertainment. The Mackenzie Blue books are perfect for the tuned-in teenager. The Jonas Brothers, Blackberry, iPhone, all the trappings of 2010s tween all appear in the dialogue. It's all very now. The bright packaging is adorable, with illustrations as each character (as a kid, I would've LOVED that) and will attract fans of The Dork Diaries and other girl-centric illustrated series. There's also a large element of "going green" woven in the plot, another appealing element to this new generation where "green" is more than just a color.

This is a charming and fun book, sure to be a big hit with Mackenzie Blue fans,
Twelve-year-old Mackenzie Blue Carmichael, or Zee to her family and friends, is about to embark on an adventure of a lifetime. Her seventh-grade class is setting out on the Brookdale Mountain camping field trip for a whole five days. Zee is nervous about being away from her parents and older brother for so long, but she will have her friends by her side. What could be better than that?

Well, having her BFF Ally by her side, too! Ally and Zee have been friends forever, but then Ally's family moved to France. While her parents are traveling, Ally came back to stay with Zee's family for two weeks. And since Ally used to be a student at Brookdale Academy, she gets to join the others for the camping trip. What could go wrong?

As with all adventures, lots! First of all, there is no cell phone coverage up on the mountain. And then there are the biting bugs, wild animals, quaint toilet facilities and the tromping around in the wilderness getting sweaty in front of her crush, Landon. But all of that is worth it to spend time with Ally and her new closest friend, Chloe. Unfortunately, Ally and Chloe aren't getting along as well as Zee had hoped. Zee stresses on how to get them to like each other. They had all planned to be in the end-of-camp talent show together, but feelings are getting hurt and plans are falling apart.

And then there's the other stress factor --- the spooky legend of the Mountain Man. Zee's older brother is the first one to mention him, a crazy old hermit living alone on the mountain, who comes down to the cabins searching for his missing leg. Surely, her brother is just teasing, but Zee can't help the shivers of fear that ripple down her spine. And then, late at night, when the others are asleep, she hears thumps and a voice calling out for his missing leg. Could the creepy legend actually be true? Zee turns to her diary to unload her fears, tears and cheers, hoping she can survive her week at camp.

In FRIENDS FOREVER, Tina Wells takes spunky Zee to the mountain wilderness, opening up a whole new set of adventures/disasters for her to survive. The storyline moves fast with hilarious ordeals, spooky encounters and a bit of romance. Diary entries, including pro/con lists, heartfelt concerns and funny drawings add a shift of pace and extra insight to the main character. And speaking of the main character, Zee is lovable, full of energy, adores music, and has a big heart, just begging readers to be her friend. She deals with real-life problems, creating a bond with her audience. Artist Michael Segawa does an excellent job on the illustrations, which are full of character and very expressive.

This is a charming and fun book, sure to be a big hit with Mackenzie Blue fans, along with those new to the series, as one does not need to have read the first two installments to enjoy this one. And fans will be happy to know that book #4, MIXED MESSAGES, is releasing in November.

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman

.
A quite enjoyable 3rd installment to this fun MG series.This time around the kids end up at camp for the week and with secret crushes, Mother Nature, and a some unexpected "changes" in the works, they have they're hands full!Oh, did I mention the mysterious Mountain Man who is suppose to inhabit the area around the camp?Yeah...best if they steer clear of the words after dark.Recommended read for fans of the MG genre, whether young or young at heart, there is fun to be had in this series.Happy reading!

Still Smiling!
What could be better than a week at camp with all your friends? Well, not having to worry about bugs and wild animals and weird bathrooms . . . or the mysterious MOUNTAIN MAN! And how come Mackenzie's friends are arguing? What's a girl to do?!

I'm still smiling from reading this book, #3, and the previous Mackenzie Blue book--yes, I'll confess, I read them straight through one after the other. Looking forward to the next book scheduled to come out in December, as well.Mackenzie Blue: Mixed Messages

You also won't want to miss the Mackenzie Blue website where you can check out Kathi's closet, take a quiz to see which character you are, see the lost diary, get green tips from Jasper and money tips from Marcus. Oh, and you can even read about the author, Tina Wells!

a gr8 book
i love this book! it is for girls 10 and up. this is diffenately heart touching story ... Read more

Product Description
After eight seasons in London, Lady Jane Parker-Roth is ready to quit the dull search for a husband in favor of more exciting pursuits. So when she encounters an intruder in her host's townhouse, she's not about to let the scoundrel escape. Until she discovers she's wrestling a viscount - Edmund Smyth, the one noble she wouldn't mind meeting in the dark. And when their struggle shatters a randy statue of the god Pan, even more mischief ensues. Edmund was indeed searching for evidence of a scandal, but the shocking clues inside the nude statue are far from what he expected. The same can be said of Jane, who shows a talent for interfering in his affairs. And as his quest becomes more than a little improper, he finds the impetuous Lady has a talent for that as well. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Sweet, cute, lighthearted
I loved this book - it was fun and lighthearted.It requires the suspension of disbelief needed for historical romance, but in my mind, that is the point of reading these kinds of books. If I wanted drama and depressing angst, I wouldn't pick a historical romantic comedy.I like Sally MacKenzie's writing style and I enjoy her heroes and heroines - they are genuinely nice people without a boat load of issues that are belabored at every turn.I appreciate that since it is so different from many popular romance writers.

I don't know how to put this...
the initial premise of the book, the meeting of the hero and heroine, is so disturbing to me that I don't know how to "title" a book review.Jane surprises an intruder in her (borrowed) home.They grapple, he overpowers her, then they begin to kiss and whatever.And she likes it.

In real life, when a stranger breaks into your home and sexually assaults you, it's a felony.A lifelong nightmare for the victim.Certainly not the beginning of a romantic fantasy that will sustain a book - or a marriage.

The rest of the book, as far as I could bring myself to read, was a typical pretends-to-be-a-historical-romance-because there are a few archaic words thrown in, with references to the fashions of the times and horse-drawn carriages, while the dialogue and behavior is bizarrely unusual even for a contemporary situation.But I never could get past the idea that Jane was in love with the man who assaulted her.My ability to suspend disbelief could not stretch that far.Gross and disturbing.

Humorous Regency
I've read all of the series (except The Naked Laird), and this was definitely one of the best ones.

This one has to be the funniest for sure. The others have had a part or two that are humorous, or a line here and there, but this one has a recurring pattern that creates mental images that make it hard not to smile.

The heroine, Jane Parker-Roth, is the sister to the hero from The Naked Gentleman, John Parker-Roth. She has moments where she seems smart and strong, but then she has others where she is more dependant and niave. For some reason when she was first introduced in Gentleman I thought she was rather blunt and said scandlous things, but in this book she really didn't. She did several scandlous things, but she really didn't speak quite as bluntly as I expected.

The hero, Edmund Smyth, Viscount Motton,was introduced in The Naked Baron, even though he was talked about a little in Gentleman. He was the viscount who held the house party with the crazy aunt with her monkey and parrot. Both he and his crazy aunt (she was a supporting character for a good portion of this book) were true to form of how they were written about before.

In this book, he is doing some undercover spy work, which it is alluded to he has some experience in this department, but we're never really told what or how much, really why he even accepted his current mission--or what it really means to the person who asked him to do it. His past experience must not have been much if he couldn't solve any of the clues himself and the herione could... Anyway, his character is very likable as he helps to protect Jane and slowly falls for her.


The only thing that I found a problem (others may not) is that this author isn't a fan of dialogue tags (Edmund said, Jane asked, etc.) and sometimes this became a problem when there were a lot of people in the conversation, and a couple of times I had to try and figure out who exactly had said that.

Too Many Giggles To Count (B- Grade)
Edmund Smyth, Viscount Motton is close to going mad. His bevy of aunts has come to stay with him, including his Aunt Winifred who has a pet parrot that won't behave. If that isn't bad enough, he has to break into the estate of the late Clarence Widmore and find a mysterious sketch of French spies drawn by the deceased artist. Motton has to keep a close watch at those around him, because any member of the Ton could possibly by the elusive killer who is only known as "Satan". But Motton gets more than he bargains for when he is caught in Widmore's library by the spinster, Lady Jane Parker-Roth.

Lady Jane is in London for her eighth season, and at the ripe old age of twenty-four she is comfortable with her spinster state. Jane and her mother are renting Widmore's penthouse and when she goes into the library to grab another novel to read, she is hauled up against a male chest and kissed senseless. She is giddy over this because the man in question is one she has admired from afar. Motton has no choice but to tell Jane about his mission. She is more than willing to help him. Things become even more complicated when they figure out that there are many incriminating papers hidden in various statues of Pan all over London. And those papers have been secreted away in a very specific part of the statue, which is more phallic in nature.

Motton puts his foot down and refuses Jane's help, but seeing as she is used to being ordered around from her older brother, she has years of practice in getting around any obstacle that may come her way. Motton has no choice but to keep a watchful eye on Jane and soon she is joining him on his mission with very surprising results. He begins to see Jane in a different light, where he wouldn't mind kissing her again and welcomes those thoughts of marriage with the plucky, well bred you woman. But he must find out who Satan is, why Widmore drew so many shocking and naughty pictures of the member of the ton, and keep Jane safe while trying to keep his passions in check whenever he is around her.

Sally MacKenzie has written another delightful and funny book in her Naked series with The Naked Viscount. Sally has a such knack at writing such endearing characters. Readers will surely chuckle more than once over Motton's thoughts and actions regarding Jane. The man is smitten with Jane the moment he kisses her in a darkened library and is confounded over his feelings to the point where he can't think of anything else but seducing her. The banter and dialogue back and forth between Motton and Jane is close to slapstick, although there is an issue of too much head jumping and change in the point of view between the two that occurs many times throughout the story. This may lead to some confusion for the some.

The drama is a bit on the ridiculous side, and the way Jane channels her own investigation techniques will have you in stitches. Jane has a bad habit of grabbing specific parts of the statue Pan's anatomy to find what she wants. Every time she does, it drives Motton batty because he wishes he was on the receiving end of her touch.

The Naked Viscount is a light fun historical romance with some outlandish action on the parts of the main characters. But in all, this latest by Sally is one amusing read.

Katiebabs

new author....disappointed
This is my first book by Sally Mackenzie.This was an interesting story.Bookaholics Reviewer did a nice job summarizing the book, however I must respectfully disagree about her star rating.

The characters were well fleshed out to me, even the secondary characters.Most of the setting was vivid.The search for the Pan's was great fun and my favorite part of the book. That said I have quite a few issues with the story.

*****!!!SPOILERS BELOW!!! Read at your own risk*****

I absolutely hated the heroine(Jane).I wanted to slap her repeatedly through out the story.Both she and the Hero (Edmund) claim she is intelligent however, I much prefer the description of birdwit, featherbrain,Bedlamite, or ninny.I do believe the author used all of those and more at some point in the book.One of the reasons Jane seemed to give this impression to me was it took her more than 2/3 of the way through the book to even believe she was in any kind of danger at all.She just came off to me as a scatter-brained twit.As a tie in, why did Jane, who had been almost injured numerous times at this point and who is looking for a salacious picture hiding peer's dirty secrets think it absolutely impossible that the Oxford street scene not happen just as Edmund said? Maybe I'm being repetitive, but another thing that frustrated me-Edmund would point out to Jane facts that frightened her, hoping to make her cautious and then she would blink, scoff, and conclude Edmund was only trying to scare her(exaggerating).

Edmund I can't say was much better.Supposedly he has some spying under his belt, but I didn't get the feeling that that was all that true.He seemed competent enough, I just got a sense he might have only dabbled in spying and not for the government even, more so for his own agendas.Honestly I could not see what he saw in Jane other than a nice body.They had nothing in common, no interests, no friends, nothing.You get the feeling if Jane and Edmund had not had the run in in the study, they would never have gotten together-possibly having Jane go on to be a spinster and Edmund marrying someone else, even though Edmund was good friends with Jane's brothers.So you would assume they would meet again, just not having the same results.

An odd part not really important, but thought I would put out there any way,Why are all 10 of Edmund's aunts unmarried spinsters?Either I understood it wrong, but the book makes it sound like none of his aunts have ever been married. Especially since 5 of them were daughters/sisters to a viscount.Which seems highly unlikely at this time period.

What time period is it by the way?(1819) We know it's regency England, but we're never given a specific time.I learned the 1819 from the back of the book in the Dear Readers note.

I must also mention I found the character flipping of Jane to be annoying....meaningshe's supposed to be 24 with a mother that's an artist(that paints nudes) who was very open in discussions about marital subject matter, who's not shy about grabbing Pan's male member/talking about it and yet spends balls among the potted palms, is too shy to even speak to Edmund in years prior, gets embarrassed easily, and seems to lack conversational skills in Edmund's proximity.Which leads me to my next issue...

Is it me or were there an awful lot of "Er, Em"'s in this book? The dialogue didn't seem to flow very well.Most of the dialogue seemed to be there to explain the plot to the dumb reader as opposed to part of the plot meant to tell the story.

*****End of Spoilers*****
All in all I found this book a quick, light hearted romance.Nothing really new or different.The excerpt for her next book The Naked King sounds much better.I'll give her another try, however my expectations are now pretty low.Definitely not a keeper. ... Read more

Product Description

This special 10^th-anniversary collection combines two of the best-loved North Light watercolor guides available—The Watercolorist’s Essential Notebook and The Watercolorist’s Essential Notebook: Landscapes. Clarifying and simplifying the various aspects of painting with watercolor, Gordon MacKenzie’s The Complete Watercolorist’s Essential Notebook will encourage and challenge you with new possibilities.

Rather than a list of rules, this is a collection of principles, concepts and general information designed to expand your creative process. Mackenzie shares with you tips, techniques, ideas and lessons for a sure path to creative fulfillment and better watercolor paintings.

Product Description
Night Wing—the revolutionary test plane with a top secret weapons system—is Colonel Joe “Breed” Mackenzie’s number one priority. And weapons expert Caroline Evans is his number one distraction. When someone on the inside sabotages Night Wing, he cannot overlook Caroline’s late hours and expertise. Now Joe has to choose between allegiance to his country and love for his prime suspect….

“You can’t read just one Linda Howard!” — New York Times Bestselling author Catherine Coulter ... Read more

Customer Reviews (37)

She did not do Joe justice
I loved the first book Mackenzie's Mountain- and Joe's character had a lot of potential but this book fell flat for me- I did not feel the chemistry for the 2 main characters-I hate when an author makes a girl go from virgin who has never dated to wanton sex goddess- not believable- and Joe falls madly in love after having amazing sex- it takes more than that to fall head over heels

Enjoyable book
I liked the book and characters just fine.Joe needed a strong woman to measure up to him. The plot just seemed to contrived.Joe seemed too perfect.Caroline seemed too intelligence and innocent.Just too many toos.

I read this one right after McKenzie's Mountain.Some distance between the two would probably given this one a better chance to stand on it's own two feet without so many comparisons.There wasn't the sense that things came hard to these two so the rewards could seem deserved.

I probably am not putting this well.The first book captured some emotions that this one did not.I enjoyed it anyway.It passed the time nicely and I would like to read more books about the McKenzies.

Enjoyable story of lust and love.
I loved the character Joe, whose natural abilities and hard work take him to the top in his field of air force fighter pilots.He is in charge of testing and developing a new jet.Caroline is on the project team.He tells her she should pretend to have a romance with him so the other pilots will leave her alone.This is the story of her romance with Joe.It was a nice story.There were bad guys as well.Sexual language: mild.Number of sex scenes: four.Copyright: 1992.Genre: contemporary romance.

I liked Joe better in "Mountain"
Give me the determined 16 year-old from Wolf's story, rather than the domineering 35 year-old here.This older Joe really didn't live up to his potential from the first book.Yes, he has achieved his dreams but he is harder and more pushy in this book.Rather than seducing Caroline into a relationship he basically just informs her that he will have her - no romance at all.He calls her "my woman" more than he does by her name, and their sex scenes are all lust, no tenderness. Yes, the sex is hot, but when Joe tells Caroline "you'll lose your cherry" I actually cringed.Is he a grown man or a frat boy?He doesn't hesitate to suspect Caroline of a crime and then just gives her a light apology afterwards.I guess we are expected to chalk it all up to a stereotypical fighter jock mentality, but I was hoping he'd turn out more like his dad, whom I adore.Probably not fair of me, but there it is.

Hot, hot, hot. Joe MacKenzie is awesom
I loved this book. Joe MacKenzie is sexy personified. His control, strength, and sexuality left me breathless. This book is one of a series of five MacKenzie books. I can't wait to track down the others! I'm a new Linda Howard fan, that's for sure. ... Read more

Product Description
Sophisticated. Scandalous. In fact, Miss Sarah Hamilton, a proper Philadelphian, finds London society altogether shocking. How can it be that she has awakened from her innocent slumber to find herself in bed next to a handsome - and exceedingly naked - man? The laughing onlookers standing in the doorway are no help whatsoever and surely this amorous lunatic cannot be a duke, as he claims. She is compromised - though she most certainly will not marry him! James, the Duke of Alford, is enchanted by his unexpected bedmate - and not at all afraid of her pink-cheeked fury. True, the circumstances and place of their meeting are most unusual, but the spirited American who's pummeling him with a pillow is an incomparable beauty. If Sarah will only listen to his perfectly reasonable explanation, James is sure that he can capture her heart...forever. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

Wonderful Surprise!
I was wonderfully surprised by this author and this delightful, light and lively story.Quick read.Fun characters.Sure it's not true to the period in that all of the main characters are solid members of the ton while showing true distain for it and propriety goes out of the window frequently.An easy read.

Great first book
LOVED THIS BOOK to think its her first published book she did great wow. The Duke James is my favourite hero i have read in a long time loved how he treated all the women in his life. I will definitely be buying all her books

Fun and lighthearted, but with incongruous dark moments
Up until a certain point, I quite enjoyed this book. The characters, especially the hero, are great fun. The hero's friends have a lot of potential, and I'm not surprised to see that both have their own books devoted to them later in the series. The hero and heroine seem to genuinely like each other, and the conflict between them, caused by the heroine not wanting to rush into a marriage with a rake, seemed as plausible as can be found in Regency romance. The love scenes were a little steamy without being over-the-top. These are all points in favour of 'The Naked Duke.' However, there was one main aspect of the story that just didn't make sense to me- that of the Duke's cousin trying to kill him to claim the title for himself.

The idea of the over-eager heir is a common one in historical romance, but in this case I didn't like either Richard's character, or the way his evil plans were treated. Firstly, Richard is such a strange character. From the moment he appears on the page, every single character seems to comment on how evil he looks, and

*SPOILERS TO FOLLOW*

soon after the start of the novel we find out that he is both unkind to women to the point of rape and a murderer. Oh, and he's gay, for some reason. And slightly tortured, although the author only touches on this once before returning to the underlying theme of insanity. A stereotypical villain is again, no major problem, and can divert attention back to the hero and heroine, but what I really didn't like or understand was his final attempt on the heroine's life, or more correctly, her reaction to it. I won't go into too much detail, but he comes very close to raping the heroine before the hero rescues her. And yet, the heroine doesn't seem to be at all traumatized and happily sleeps with the hero when they return home. I found this to be unlikely after such a brutal sexual assault; perhaps I would have been more convinced if the author hadn't been so detailed about what was threatened.

My main complaint about this novel is that it seems oddly poised between a light-hearted comedic romance and a dark tortured one. Oh, and at one point, the hero refers to someone being 'hung' as a punishment. People are never hung, they are hanged. Pedantic, but it stuck in my mind. I might try the author's later romances; perhaps they don't have such a strange dichotomy.

Startling, but riveting.
The first thing anyone can say about The Naked Duke is the fact that this is not your mother's bodice ripper. There is a fair amount of violence in this novel, from rape and murder to attempted rape, and assault and more murder. But that being said the novel itself is very well written and these added elements while making it a little harsher also make it more exciting.

Sarah Hamilton is not your typical heroine of a romance book. She is from America and goes to England when her father dies to see her uncle the Earl. Sarah finds out when she arrives that her uncle has died, and all she's left with for family is her drunkard rake of a cousin. But don't count Robbie as a complete sot yet he does come through in the end. Sarah is also older and very naive raised relatively sheltered life with some spinsters. But in the end that doesn't stop her traitorous body from reacting to what she feels.

The Duke of Alvord is an even more of an unlikely person to find in real life let alone in a romance novel. As a 30 year old male, his nickname spread by his vicious cousin Richard is Monk, and shockingly well deserved. But I find these facts to be refreshing in a romance novel. These two people who are relatively innocent in the ways of the bed sheets find themselves unexplainably drawn to one another. It's nice to see them fight and struggle with it, like a normal person would. Struggling to keep a claim on their morals when wanting to give into the desire that flames between them.

The Naked Duke is an excellent read and if you're looking for something a little fresh in your historical romance genre this book will do it for you. It is a part of the "Naked" series, and I think it's a great start to the series. Based on this book I plan without a doubt to continue on and see what the other naked fellows are up to.

fun story!
This book came in a timely manner and is a great read. I would recomend it for those who love a little romance and a lot of laughs. ... Read more

Product Description
Now You Can Effectively Parent Your Strong-Willed Child
Does your child constantly misbehave and ignore or refuse your requests for proper behavior? Is your relationship with your child based on conflict instead of mutual respect and cooperation? With the help of this groundbreaking book, you can create a positive, respectful, and rewarding relationship with your child.
Inside are proven techniques and procedures that provide a refreshing alternative to the ineffective extremes of punishment and permissiveness. Parents and teachers alike will discover how to effectively motivate the strong-willed child and achieve proper conduct. You will learn how to:
·Understand and empathize without giving in
·Hold your ground without threatening
·Remove daily power struggles between you and your child
·Give clear, firm messages that your child understands and respects
·And much more!
"Eminently useful and readable! This book should be a part of every parent's and school's reference library." —Judy E. Hunt-Brown, principal, Elk Grove Unified School District
"A grand book that teaches everybody in the family new skills and encourages more peaceful, socially acceptable lives at home, school, in the office, or in any social group." —Barbara O'Donnell, principal, St. Francis Elementary School
"A highly recommended eye-opener; beautifully documented." —Stewart E. Teal, M.D., clinical professor of child psychiatry, University of California, Davis ... Read more

Customer Reviews (148)

Best Resource Yet!
I have a "strong willed" 4 year old with sensory integration issues, and I have read a number of books and visited with multiple professionals(OT, developmental pediatrician, MHMR), and this book has been the most helpful resource yet!It gave me practical, effective ideas to use with my son and boy, has it worked! I no longer feel stressed and frustrated. I saw the difference almost immediately. I can't recommend this book highly enough to other parents with "difficult", "challenging" or "strong willed" children.

Life changing!
I just want to thank the author of this excellent book for taking the time to understand strong willed children and showing other parents how to also. I have been having problems with my 3 1/2 yr old daughter. Like most strong willed children, she is very smart and she can also be very sweet and kind, but most of the time in our house there is chaos. If you have never had one of these children, I'm sure you are sitting back saying, "all that kid needs is a good spanking!" and normally when kids misbehave I would agree, but that is what I have been doing and it has been completely ineffective. It only makes her angrier, and more frustrated. I have been trying time outs, but they also have not been working. Out of desperation I ordered this book, and it has explained everything so clearly. I was to the point of thinking that, despite her intelligence, there was something wrong mentally with my daughter. I knew she was stubborn, but I had never heard of strong willed children. This book showed me that not only is nothing wrong with my daughter, but that I can change her behaviour just by changing the way I react to her. I noticed today was so much easier, I clearly stated in a calm voice what I did or did not want her to do, and if she disobeyed then I (calmly) put her in a room by herself, set the timer and held the door shut. She has gotten into the habit of backtalking, which I cannot stand, but instead of yelling, spanking or otherwise drawing attention to it, the book instructs parents to ignore it completely, because the only reason she does it is to start a fight with me. There was a minimum of backtalking today! I have known for a while that what I was doing wasn't working with her, but I had no idea what the right methods were. Thanks to this book I have all the tools I need to calmly, wisely, and effectively parent my strong willed child.

For the Child of AVERAGE Will
Although I wasn't crazy about the author's derogatory tone toward any parent who spanks, I found this to be a great basic parenting book.It is not, however, truly geared toward parents of strong-willed children.The underlying premise of the book is simply, "Make your limits clear, enforce them - period - and your child will comply."As the parent of a very strong-willed preschooler (as well as a more "average"-willed grade schooler), I find this, frankly, offensive.His strong implication is that if my child is not behaving, overall, the way I would like her to be, then it must be because I'm permissive or overly harsh.

Actually, the children he describes in his examples are clearly not exceptionally strong-willed, because they all respond very quickly to simple consequences.They may not be exceptionally compliant, but neither are they particularly strong-willed.The strong-willed child will find any way humanly possible to circumvent consequences - or just hold out until they're through and then return to what he was already doing.Unfortunately, time outs (enforced as necessary by physically carrying the child to his room and then holding the door shut until time out is over) is the only suggestion he makes that I can imagine actually working with a strong-willed child.Even if I wanted to use time outs for everything, they don't work for everything, so the book still leaves parents of strong-willed children without the ability to consistently enforce the house rules.

To offer a few examples:
A situation is described in which a child arrives at the author's office and refuses to stop twirling his chair.As a consequence, he's told to sit in a stationery plastic chair. and he reluctantly complies.This would only work if we were prepared to physically place her in the other chair and then hold her there, probably screaming, the entire time we attempted to hold a conversation.

In another instance, a child was refilling his squirt gun from an off-limits faucet.As a result, he lost the use of the squirt gun - by handing it over to his mother.My strong-willed child would never have handed over the gun; unless we could forcibly remove it from her hands without fear of harming her (for instance, by accidentally breaking one of the fingers she has clamped around it), and then literally lock it away until she's allowed to have it back, this would never work.

As a final example, a preschooler is described as dawdling over getting dressed for preschool.She's given twenty minutes to finish getting dressed, at which point the clothes are gathered into a bag and loaded into the car along with the half-dressed child.We are told that the child will "scramble to finish getting dressed." Mine would not.Even if she would, how can a young child safely get dress in the backseat of a moving vehicle?

All in all, I really did find this a good presentation of basic parenting principles.But for those who are already familiar with sound parenting, and seeking techniques that work with very stubborn children, it really isn't helpful.

Eminently Effective
SETTING LIMITS offers the most effective method that will get any strong-willed child (or any child) to listen & cooperate beautifully. First the author lists nine traits to help parents understand the temperaments of their children. A strong-willed child tests, resists and protests while the compliant children respond to discipline fairly well. Once a strong-willed child is identified, the book uses running through red lights as an example to illustrate how a strong-willed kid needs to receive consequence to learn the rule. If a police comes and gives only lectures, sermons and second chances, the message is that it's okay to run through a red light if one can put up with the annoying preaches (the permissive approach). And imagine again, the police comes and he yells, screams and spanks with anger then the kid will probably feel he has been wronged(the punitive approach). Most parents alternate between the two and such inconsistency will cause more frustration and confusion.

The central idea of the book is so simple but it works like magic. When a child has done something wrong (running through red lights), give them consequences(tickets) right away. Strong-willed child will test, challenge but they are actually asking parents to hold firm and carry out consequence in a calm and respectable way. As a parents match their action with their words consistently, children learn to respect and take their rules seriously. Every success story told is a difficult child redeemed - a child that is STRONG and WILL listen very well now.

What a relief!
I'm only on page 35 of this book, but what an eye-opener it is already!It was all right there in front of me; I just couldn't see it for all the emotional turmoil.I am now confident my husband and I will be able to get our family life back on track. We were parenting our daughter the way WE were parented, and we were in the "compliant child" category.We could not understand how the methods our parents used with us were not working with our child.It's a huge comfort to realize we weren't really doing anything "wrong" per se.We just need to do it differently with our strong-willed daughter.While I've only scratched the surface with this book, I would already highly recommend it to other parents struggling with a strong-willed child. ... Read more