My Dearest Mackenzie

by Rachel Blaufeld

Frankie Burns, brash and bold on the outside, divorced and scarred on the inside, is determined to figure out what really happened with her Paps and his long-lost love, Rosie. Understanding why the duo didn’t find their happily-ever-after is her biggest mission. With every inch of her five-foot-two frame, she’s determined to discover why they were separated and forced to live a life without one another, convinced it will fix her own unhappiness.

Mackenzie Miller, handsome, rich, and one of New York’s most eligible bachelors, keeps everyone at an arm’s length and believes the only barometer to happiness is how wealthy and powerful he becomes. Shoving back his grandmother Milly’s wishes for him to find an everlasting love, he is successful in every other area of life. Abandoned by his mother, fairy tales are not part of Mack’s world, but running his makeup and perfume empire is paramount.

That is… until a feisty blond woman blasts into his life and won’t accept no for an answer when it comes to looking for a connection between his beloved Milly and her beloved Paps. He doesn’t understand the severity of her search. She needs to know the story to fill a gap in her own life.

The twist neither of them expects is falling for one another in the process…

Genres: Romance

Kindle Edition

Published April 25, 2024

About the author

A recent poll of her readers described Rachel Blaufeld as insightful, generous, articulate, and spunky. Originally a clinical social worker, Rachel creates broken yet redeeming characters. She’s been known to turn up the angst like cranking up the heat in the dead of winter. A devout coffee drinker and doughnut eater, Rachel spends way too many hours in local coffee shops, downing the aforementioned goodies while she plots her ideas.

As a side note, Blaufeld, also a long-time blogger and an advocate of woman-run anything, is fearless about sharing her opinion. She captured the ears of stay-at-home and working moms on her blog, BacknGrooveMom, chronicling her adventures in parenting tweens and running a business, often at the same time. To her, work/life/family balance is an urban legend, but she does her best. Rachel has also blogged for The Huffington Post and Modern Mom. Most recently, her insights can be found in USA TODAY Happy Ever After Blog, where she shares conversations at “In Bed with a Romance Author.” 

Rachel lives around the corner from her childhood home in Pennsylvania with her family and two beagles. When she isn’t writing, she can be found courtside, tweeting about hoops as her son plays, or walking around the house wearing earplugs while her other son, the drummer, bangs away.


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Reviews

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

My Dearest Mackenzie is a romance about two people connected by letters. I loved the premise of this one and the fact that the main characters were a little older.

Mackenzie Miller is a 40 something year old bachelor and plans on staying that way. His grandma who raised him always wanted more for him, but he's content without love in his life. Until a spunky blonde comes barging into his life with letters. He doesn't want anything to do with them, but since they are regarding his beloved grandma who has passed, he eventually gives in.

Frankie was closer with her Paps than anyone else in her life and before he died, he gave her love letters he received from his first love. They never made it, but she's curious and has to know more. So she finds her grandson and is bound and determined to see if he has any answers.

I loved watching the journey these two went on to uncover what happened with Jimmy and Milly, but also watching them fall for each other as well. It was sweet and fun with just the right amount of emotion. Mack was a tough nut to crack, but Frankie got him out of his shell. I enjoyed this one lots.

[Petro 🍋 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really really wanted to like this. The idea of the book was promising but in the end I liked the story of the grandparents more than I did with the MCs.

The problem I’ve had with our MCs:
- chemistry was simply not there
- romance was unrealistic (what do you mean u already know her? you’ve only met her)
- was she a little bit “stalkerish” in a weird way at the begging or was it just me? (i mean i understand ur need to know, but.. )

What I did like:
- how the story unfolded between their grandparents
- the secrets and mistery (also again, because of the grandparents love story)

Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC.

[Maria Angie Mendoza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bittersweet and charming romance born from a unique concept.
Both these characters are older and settled in their life except both are missing out on love. In their quest to find answers for their loved one’s past, a heartfelt connection develops between Frankie and Mack that flourishes into something they never imagined.
As they discover the secrets that unfolded between their dearly departed grandparents they make discoveries about themselves and wonder if those lover letters were a map to lead them to each other.

Well paced and likable characters I enjoyed the journey these 2 characters embarked in as they try to piece together what happened between their grandparents and what unfolded between them. An easy read that flowed seamlessly with lots of unexpected surprises that made it even more enjoyable.

[Julie Booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the premise of this story, a mystery to solve via words and a love story that evolves as the mystery is solved, or is it? It is not an easy journey for Mackenzie and Frankie; they have plenty of denial and bumps. As each thinks they know their grandparents best, that is the first hurdle to cross.

Frankie’s tenacity in finding her grandfather’s Rosie and getting Mack on board is refreshing and well-written. Mack is stubborn and will not accept that his grandfather was the only one for his grandmother, who meant so much to him.

Thank you to the Author for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.

[Michele Del Rey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing story that had me feeling all kinds of emotions about the story and the great characters. Could not stop thinking about this book after I closed it.

[Sivya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Took me a minute to get into it (might have been me!) but Mack and Frankie are so likable, human, annoying…they could be your best friends! Loved the interwoven stories and the true angst. And as always, the BEST epilogue!!

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. The premise seemed interesting. I love reading old letters. I love billionaire romances. A lot of other reviewers felt positively about it. It had a lot of the pieces to books I like, but none of the oomph.

I did not finish this book and abandoned it at 35% of the way through. It took me days to even get to that 35%, but I wanted to give the story a chance, as other reviewers enjoyed it so much.

I felt frustrated by the FMC of the series due to her stalking behavior of the MMC - she wants the story of her "Paps," who she discovered loved the MMC's "Milly" through a series of letters from Milly to Paps. However, the FMC (Frankie's) continuous stalking of MacKenzie (the MMC) was obnoxious. This man owed her nothing, especially not part of a love story he didn't even know about. She followed him to his place of work and to events to convince him to help her dig into the story of Milly and Paps historically through letters, but MacKenzie wasn't interested and didn't even know about Paps' existence.

Also, all of the characters had multiple names and nicknames, and I felt it was confusing to keep everyone in line. Some of the nicknames were similar, too. MacKenzie called his grandmother Milly while some of his co-workers called him "Millsy," but although there was a reason they did that (a play on his last name), it just seemed to be a way to add in a nickname without actually adding to the story. It felt unnecessary and excessive, especially when his grandmother was called Milly.

I didn't buy the immediate romance between MacKenzie and Frankie. The fact that he knew she was spunky and a firecracker and all of these amazing things after just meeting her and brushing her off two or three times felt inauthentic. He kept brushing her off, seemingly annoyed, but also intrigued. But at one point, he left her at a restaurant after inviting her out. I felt like I got whiplash from their interactions.

I may give this book another try at a later time, but it wasn't for me at this particular moment.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s not exactly a meet-cute, although Mackenzie Miller thinks that Frances Burns is plenty cute – also feisty and ferocious – which is how she managed to barge her 5 foot nothing self into his usually well-guarded office.

Frankie has a quest that Mack doesn’t even believe in – and he’s not remotely willing to hear her out. He’s pretty sure that her quest is for his money – and he’s been there and done that and is way, way over any further attempts.

But Frankie doesn’t care about his money – or the cosmetics and perfume empire he inherited from his beloved grandmother Milly.

Although that’s not quite right. Frankie is interested in one product and one only. A perfume that is now considered old fashioned and was discontinued long ago. Frankie only cares about “Rose’s Lily” because it was named for the love of her late grandfather’s life.

Frankie found the letters that Milly wrote to James Burns during the year that they fell in love – back when her grandfather and Mack’s grandmother were seventeen. Milly’s father – Mack’s great-grandfather – dragged the young lovers apart and got Milly married off before she even turned eighteen because Milly was Jewish and James Burns was not – and in those days that mattered and it mattered a lot.

But neither James nor Milly EVER forgot the person who was their “One” – not over the course of their long and relatively successful, but separate, lives.

Frankie, whose own tilt at the “Happy Ever After” windmill went down in flames, feels like she needs to learn what happened to that young woman her grandfather loved and lost in order to get some closure on the loss of the person who meant the most to her in this world.

At first, Mack doesn’t believe her. Then again, his mother’s abandonment of him to his grandmother’s waiting arms left him with a whole trunk of emotional baggage that he mostly deals with by running away, including a belief that romantic love doesn’t really exist.

But the irresistible force has met the immovable object – and sparks have been struck no matter how much both Frankie and Mack deny it – and each other – at every turn.

Escape Rating B: This isn’t exactly a dual-timelines story. It is a bit, but not really. Mack and Frankie’s tempestuous relationship – whatever it might be at the time – is always front and center in the story. What they discover about the past really doesn’t change things for them – although it does change some of the dynamics in their present-day relationships with others.

Their journey of discovery, both of their grandparents’ past and of their mutual present, is a story of two steps forward and one step back for multiple reasons – although the biggest reason is that every time they get close emotionally Mack runs away. Often literally. Once leaving Frankie behind in the Hamptons with no transportation.

(Not that ride-sharing isn’t a thing, and not that she doesn’t call one, but really, that’s a douche move. Or at least the move of a man who’s scared of touching his own emotions – let alone anyone else’s. And his behavior dovetails all too well and very badly with Frankie’s fears of abandonment.)

Each time they discover something about the past – it temporarily derails their present. Not because the revelations are so terrible, but because each one peels back a layer of reserve and self-protection and neither of them is really all that great at handling any of THAT.

Even though they should be as both are well into adulthood – and for the most part are doing a decently successful job of adulting. But that also means that their emotional scar tissue is many layers deep – and that scraping at it hurts rather a lot.

I really enjoyed that this was a romance between two people at midlife – and not fresh and dewy 20somethings. Their baggage is real and heavy, but the rewards feel that much sweeter because they were much harder to earn.

At the same time, the story they are searching for, Paps and Milly’s blighted young love, had a lot of resonance for this reader. Not because there’s something like their story in my own family’s history, but because the idea of it, that young lovers could be forcibly separated by a difference in religion – to the point of disownment or declaring the one who married out to be deceased – was very real in my own family. It’s a practice that has changed over time, but there were a few cousins of my parents’ generation who disappeared from family gatherings only to reappear decades later with non-Jewish spouses after the immigrant generation of the family had passed on.

Also, Milly’s real name was Rose and so was my own grandmother’s. So there’s that.

Returning to Frankie and Mack – as the story itself does frequently and often. I liked their midlife romance. I felt that their emotional baggage had weight and heft and made a huge difference both in what brought them together and what kept them apart. I really did enjoy their journey, but as a reader I felt like the book should have ended a bit sooner. The last few chapters dragged a bit because it felt like everything had been resolved and I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.

And it finally did, but when it dropped it was more of a whimper than a thud and didn’t seem to quite justify those last “slice of new life” chapters. Not that it wasn’t nice to see their HEA get firmly planted, but the lingering last bits did, well, linger a bit too long.

But I still did enjoy My Dearest Mackenzie with its dip into the past and its exploration of midlife romance in the present. I didn’t learn that this is might be part in a series until I finished, so I’ll be looking for the author’s loosely connected 40s, Love and Romance series that starts with The Back Nine, the next time I’m in the mood for a bit of romance.

Originally published at Reading Reality

[Bookjunkie_Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You are first in my life, and everyone needed to know that.”

Frances and Mackenzie.

Billionaire romance and sort of a second-chance romance.

This is like reading two romance books in one sitting.

Frances found old love letters of her d3c3ased grandpa... being newly d!vorced herself and trying to find some semblance of hope and closure, she went on a mission to find out who her grandpa wrote to... and here she thought her grandpa's greatest love is Mackenzie's d3c3as3d grandma.

I actually enjoyed enjoyed reading this book. It was funny but also swoon-worthy at the same time. I was excited to turn the pages.

Loved this book! It left me light and inspired.

[Claudia |✨Cushin Violeta's Bookish Realm✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝑼𝒏𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒖𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆. 💗

𝑻𝑹𝑶𝑷𝑬𝑺/ 𝑩𝑶𝑶𝑲 𝑯𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑳𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑺 :📑

💌 Enemies-to-Lovers
💌 Billionaire
💌 Second Chance at love (they weren't together before)
💌 Middle-aged couple (Didn't feel like it, they were 🔥)
💌 Heart-Touching times
💌 Sweet Chemistry

𝑴𝒀 𝑹𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑬𝑾: 📝

I have to say I absolutely loved the concept of this book and the message that you can find love, doesn't matter how late you feel it is; Age is not a constraint when fate has beautiful plans in store for you.

Mackenzie Miller is the billionaire in his mid forties and he's always been the eternal bachelor.
His parents way of life instilled in him that love is not important nor meaningful.

But his dearest Granny Rose had other ideas for her grandchild and even in death she is instrumental in bringing love and light in his life.

Frances is in her late thirties and already done with the whole being a good girl and going the whole yard with the marriage thing. Her ex definitely has taught her a lesson in this.

Now, all she wants to do is resolve the so called mystery of the letters her grandpa received by a woman he called, Rosie.

We see the stubborn, Frances kinda stalking Mackenzie to help her connect the dots and find the answers behind the letters.

Somehow after being relentless, Frances finally ropes in Mackenzie in her mission to find answers and so they begin to understand the incomplete love story of their dearest grandparents.

Frances is bold and feisty and doesn't back down even from the mighty Mackenzie. While Mackenzie has no idea how to handle this little storm that has barged in his life.

As they start spending time together, soon the building chemistry becomes irresistible and yet the tug of feelings become the most difficult to acknowledge.

This one was a sweet one as two souls are brought together by people who didn't get their happy ever after and I have to say, it was very fulfilling and touching, to see them find this chance at love together.

This story is not your typical romance but something that promises hope, finding a connection with the person you'd least expect and a love you earned but didn't think you deserved or would be blessed with. ❤️❤️❤️

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Dearest McKenzie is a slow-burn romance between two jaded people - over 40 McKenzie and late 30ish Frankie. They certainly aren't looking for love but they slowly begin to have feelings for each other that are impossible to deny.

McKenzie is an over 40, very wealthy confirmed bachelor is the CEO of a large make-up company. He was raised by his grandmother, Milly, when his mother abandoned him and he continues to have feelings of not being wanted or accepted. He covers over his feelings by believing that the measurement of a good man is his wealth. Frankie is a 38 year old woman who went through a bitter divorce so she certainly isn't looking for love. Her beloved grandfather has just died and she found letters between him and Rosie who it turns out is Milly. She wants to talk to McKenzie so she barges her way into his office to find out if he knows about the forbidden love between her grandfather and his grandmother. Despite the fact that McKenzie and Milly had been very close, she never mentioned falling in love before she met his grandfather. He isn't interested in the letters and doesn't realize how much this search means to Frankie. He finally agrees to work with her to find out why their grandparent's romance was forbidden and the more time they spend together, the more they begin to appreciate and love each other.

The premise to this story was good -- a forbidden romance during an earlier time and hidden letters that tell the secrets of the romance. Plus a modern couple who have no intention of finding love and who are brought together by the letters. The characters were just ok for me. I liked Frankie - she is feisty and pushy and wants to find out more about her beloved grandfather. It was more difficult to like McKenzie because he was such a closed off person with a big ego. I liked him much better at the end of the book than in the beginning.

If you want a light romance to take up an afternoon of reading, give this one a try. It would be a great Hallmark movie!

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

“She kissed me, and I kissed her back, trying to convey how I felt with my actions since I couldn’t seem to sort out the words.”

Frankie Burns, brash and bold on the outside, divorced and scarred on the inside, is determined to figure out what really happened with her Paps and his long-lost love, Rosie. Understanding why the duo didn’t find their happily-ever-after is her biggest mission. With every inch of her five-foot-two frame, she’s determined to discover why they were separated and forced to live a life without one another, convinced it will fix her own unhappiness.

Mackenzie Miller, handsome, rich, and one of New York’s most eligible bachelors, keeps everyone at an arm’s length and believes the only barometer to happiness is how wealthy and powerful he becomes. Shoving back his grandmother Milly’s wishes for him to find an everlasting love, he is successful in every other area of life. Abandoned by his mother, fairy tales are not part of Mack’s world, but running his makeup and perfume empire is paramount.
That is…until a feisty blond woman blasts into his life and won’t accept no for an answer when it comes to looking for a connection between his beloved Milly and her beloved Paps.

Being in my 40’s myself I am always happy to read an after 40 second chance at love story. These characters are flawed and yet so redeemable. And being just a bit older they have that life experience to pull from when trying to navigate new experiences. This is a super quick read at only 209 pages and I finished it in one sitting. If you like enemies-to-lovers stories with more mature characters then you will enjoy this one!

Thank you to @rachelblaufeld and  @tlcbooktours for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the concept of this book where the hero and heroine meet up due to love letters from a long-ago forbidden romance between their grandparents and My Dearest Mackenzie did not disappoint. Frankie was intent on tracking down the Rose of her beloved Paps letters and the trail had led her to billionaire Mackenzie Miller, but Mac wasn’t receptive at all to his grandmother, the woman who had raised him having had a secret love that she’d kept from him besides her name was Milly so it couldn’t have been her. But Frankie doesn’t take no for an answer and eventually cajoles Mac into helping her find out what had happened all those years before to split their grandparents up.

I loved that the hero and heroine were both mature characters in this almost Hallmarkesque tale but without the usual saccharine sweetness overload. Mac was in his forties while Frankie was in her late thirties. They both seemed to be quite lonely people with very little when it came to their private lives. Divorced Frankie had suffered a great loss while Mac was an eligible bachelor driven to grow the family business but almost against his will, he’s drawn to uncovering the girl his grandmother had been and along the way he falls in love with Frankie. The one thing I didn’t like about this book was Rose/Milly and I can’t help but think Frankie’s Paps had a lucky escape. Perhaps it was losing the love of her life, but she wasn’t nice to her family except for Mac who she chose to lavish her love on to the detriment of her daughter and other grandchildren and if she’d still been alive, she probably wouldn’t have approved of Frankie being with Mackenzie.

[Sunny Shelly Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Dearest Mackenzie is a wonderful contemporary love story with an over-40 hero and 38-year-old heroine connected through a series of love letters their grandparents sent to one another during a very different time. I adored Mack and Feisty Frankie's story, and how this loner billionaire with a complicated family history fell for a spitfire of a woman who would not take no for an answer.

Mackenzie Miller is a bona fide bachelor, married to his work running his family's beauty empire. He was abandoned by his mom, cast aside by his father, and raised by his grandmother. Those abandonment issues run deep, and Mack never planned to settle down. Then one day, Frances Burns literally steamrolls her way into his life, determined to discover the connection between her beloved Paps, Jimmy, and Mack's grandmother, Rosie, aka Milly. At first, Mack wants nothing to do with Frankie and her stack of love letters, but because he finds her attractive, he indulges her mission...

Mack could not predict how much of an impact Frankie would have on his life -- and how much the forbidden romance between Jimmy and Rosie generations ago would end up impacting Milly's future. I loved the journey these two characters took together, the slow burn as they fell in love. Mack didn't show his vulnerable side to many, but he let his guard down around Frankie and he becomes a better man for it. My favorite part was how he called her Frances because no one else did, and that was just his.

My Dearest Mackenzie was a wonderful story of two very different romances, set decades apart, and I enjoyed it very much!

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

[World Of Books 65 · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Dearest Mackenzie by Rachel Blaufeld is a captivating tale that embarks readers on an emotional journey woven with the threads of love letters. Set against the backdrop of a bygone era, these letters hold the essence of a timeless romance between Mackenzie's grandma and Frankie's paps. When Frankie gets the love letters she sets out on her quest to find out the story behind them, leading her to Mackenzie.

What sets this story apart is its embrace of maturity. Mackenzie and Frankie are not your typical starry-eyed youths, but rather individuals who have weathered the storms of life, lending depth and richness to their connection. As they delve into the mystery behind the love letters, their own chemistry ignites, intertwining their lives in unexpected ways.

Through Ms Blaufeld's masterful storytelling, readers are treated to not just one, but two enchanting love stories. The blossoming romance between Mackenzie and Frankie mirrors the timeless passion of their grandparents, proving that love knows no bounds, not even the constraints of time.

Ms Blaufeld's narrative is a testament to the enduring power of love, weaving together past and present in a tapestry of heartwarming emotion that will linger in the hearts of readers long after the final page is turned.

[☆Laura☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gracias Netgalley por el arc


La idea era buena, pero el desarrollo dejó mucho que desear.

Tenemos a Frankie quien es la protagonista y tiene una horrible personalidad. Antes de morir su abuelo le contó su historia de amor con la abuela de Mack, ahora que murió, ella quiere saber toda la historia por lo que busca a Mack para que la ayude a descubrir que les pasó a sus abuelos, pero en lugar de pedirle ayuda llegó exigiendo respuestas, cuando él le dice que no, se le hace buena idea acosarlo hasta que acepte reunirse con ella. Como su vida es infeliz quiere distraerse.

EL romance fue forzado y no veo como Mack se pudo enamorar de alguien como Frankie y ser tan vulnerable apenas conociéndola.
Se comportaban como adolescentes, pero ya tenían 38 y 46 años.

Mi gran problema es que me cayó mal Frankie y una vez que me cae mal uno de los protagonistas es difícil que cambie de opinión y que pueda disfrutar su historia. Ella es la típica persona que le gusta hacer, pero no que le hagan, ya saben la que se lleva, pero no aguanta.


Me sentí mal por la abuela de Frankie, mira que casarte con alguien que no te ama y que dicho esposo lograra que su nieta tuviera como segundo nombre, el nombre de la mujer que amaba. 💔 También sentí feo porque Frankie jamás dijo algo sobre su abuela, parecía más su abuela Rosie.

[Sharon Moritz-rosenthal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary early release e-book prior to release and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This is my first time reading this author and it was a really awesome story. If you love watching Hallmark movies, then I think you will adore this book.

It has a bit of suspense as you can't wait to find out what happened to Paps true love and what split them up. Interwoven into that is the romance that happens between Mac and Frankie as they learn more about the family members involved in the romance.

There were some really awesome moments when I just sighed because while it was sad, it was also so romantic and I loved watching how Mac and Frankie started to get so caught up in their beloved family members past.

When we meet Mac at first, he is a very rich man who has everything he could want except for love. He is lonely and a little bitter. Frankie is looking to believe in love again and so she wants to find out what really happened to her grandfather and why he lost his first love. It was a wonderful journey that I loved going with the characters in this book.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

The idea for this book is great and I loved the overarching story, the love story between the main characters grandparents. But the love story between the two main characters themselves didn't resonate with me as much for some reason. I struggled to figure out when they actually fell in love with each other. Instead of it being a happily ever after to for them, this relationship felt like it was the one that would propel them to the love of their lives.

The dialogue between them was snappy and I loved the interaction with Corey, but Mack's conversations and interactions with his aunt Suzie felt off, I actually felt bad for her. And Frankie's distain for the sister that helped care for her felt a bit selfish - was she not allowed to have her own life? I think these two MCs views of the people around them felt a bit childish, especially for two mature adults.

[PP's Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Dearest Mackenzie by Rachel Blaufel is actually two love stories! Mackenzie and Frances' paths because the unrequited love story of their grandparents. This heartaching story is filled with nostalgia of a tragic past and hope of a bright future. Billionaire Mackenzie Miller couldn't live upto the expectations in his grandmother's last letter. He is emotionally unavailable and career focused and don't believe in forever love as his grandma wanted him to be. Then Frances stormed into his colourless life with her sass, stubbornness and sweetness and letters of her grandfather. It was a heartaching journey of two broken souls finding love again while trying to find answers of a forgotten lost love.


Mackenzie Miller is the perfect alpha hero. Ruthless business. Cold hearted. Hiding his emotional baggage behind mask of indifference. Very few people close to him know his soft core. He is afraid to get hurt and left behind again so he keeps everyone at a distance. But something about Frances made him fall hard and fast, even after he tried to resist her charm. Frances couldn't easily make him believe about the love story of their grandparents but different facts kept coming out and he got invested into the incomplete love story too. Through the mission, they came closer and closer. Frances has been through a lot of grief and pain. She has risen from the ashes. She has overcome the feelings of inadequacy and she has promised herself she will never ever compromise with her self respect and self worth. Even for the charisma and sex appeal of Mackenzie Miller. He made her feel so wanted and cherished and appreciated but she wouldn't settle for anything less than his whole heart. The glimpses of the past through the letters of their grandparents added to the emotional depth of this story. Mackenzie needed someone to challenge him and Frances needed someone to accept her with all her different sides.


This story contains some sensitive issues like religious hate and loss of an unborn child so read carefully.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily through Netgalley

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Frankie and Mackenzie’s journey.
Frankie is divorced and scarred and has made it her mission to find out what happened between her beloved Pap's, and his long lost love Rosie. Mackenzie is charming, wealthy, and one of New York's most eligible bachelors, and is content with his life, despite his beloved grandmother’s wish for him to find everlasting love, which is until Frankie comes blasting into his life seeking answers about his beloved Milly and her beloved Pap's.
This is a well written story which is easy to read, with family, friendships, enemies / lovers, suspense, second chances, engaging and realistic characters, romance, unexpected surprises, and love, which leads to an entertaining contemporary romance.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute story and it reminded me of the movie Letters to Juliet. I liked seeing Mack go from not caring for Frankie and never seeing himself committing to anyone to falling madly in love with Frankie after each encounter they had. Their grandparents love story was heartbreaking and I wish they would’ve gotten some closure but sometimes that just doesn’t happen in life. Overall it was a good story but the biggest issue I had with this book was the fact that there wasn’t a trigger warning for an event that is mentioned throughout the book. Even though it didn’t trigger me I know that there are others out there that it would, especially if they’re blind sided like I was. If there had been a TW page I probably would’ve enjoyed it more.

**I received an arc copy of this book from NetGalley

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet story about a granddaughter looking for answers why her grandfather and a long lost love of his never happened. Frankie needed to know what happened and why. She believes that no one gets the fairy tale ending. Frankie wouldn’t take no for an answer when it came to her and Mack working together to find out what happened between her grandfather and his grandmother. Will Frankie get her fairy tale ending with Mack? Can Mack accept his grandmother’s advice to find love?

An Unique cute-meet!!

CAWPILE: 9.29
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!
Read more from this author? Yes!

Happy Reading!
Melissa

[Priscilla | Books Imperfect Condition · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review ↝ I just love when books pull at your heart strings and this book definitely did that for me. I immediately fell in love with Grandma Milly. The premise of the letters was a wonderful device to tell the story and made it feel all the more unique. Frankie the FMC was ideally my favorite as she worked to change the MMC MacKenzie’s cynical take on love. It was nice to see the characters evolve as their love did. I’m a big fan of dual pov, later in life romances that involve second chances at love, so if that sounds like something you’d also like, I recommend checking this one out.

Many thanks to @rachelblaufeld and @tlcbooktours for my copy of this lovely book!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Dearest Mackenzie is an endearing, sweet, slow burn romance. I liked getting to know Mack and Frankie's about grandparents love story. The letters that Mack's grandmother wrote to her love were great. In fact, the letters were my favorite part of this book.

The romance between Mack and Frankie was slow to develop. Yet, it felt real this way. They were learning how to really live in the moment by learning about their grandparents love and how to love themselves.

Readers who are looking for their next emotional and quick read, should check out this book.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frankie is on a mission to track down the woman in her grandfather "Paps" letter named Rose. She ends up finding Mackenzie Miller. Mackenzie is a billionaire workaholic with no time for love. His grandmother is Rose and she raised him. Mack's world is turned upside down when he meets Frankie. He can't get her off is mind. The two clash but the attraction is strong and won't be denied between them. An intriguing read where old love letters and a forbidden love bring two people together.

[KristieReadsBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful story from Rachel. This one takes us back in time to recount a beautiful but heartbreaking love story between two people that cannot be together.

Frankie is a determine young woman who wants to find answers about her grandfather following his passing. She’s had her share of heartbreak and just wants some answers to the mysterious letters she found.

Mackenzie comes across as a bit of a jerk, is standoffish, cold and a workaholic. But once we get to know him and u swear and his last, we better understand his demeanor and behavior.

Frankie and Mackenzie’s initial meetings are tough and unremarkable. But Frankie is persistent and determine to make Mackenzie listen.

I love the banter and dialogue between these two…along with their friends and other side characters. Their relationship grows so beautifully, they begin to trust and grow more in love as the days pass. I loved the letters and how they discovered so much about their grandparents.

[Becky Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Dearest Mackenzie is a beautiful read. Mackenzie is the head of his family business and hasn't followed his grandmother's final letter yet. Frankie is trying to piece her grandfather's life through letters she finds. She is tenacious when it comes to trying to get Mackenzie's attention. I love how Frankie wears him down. The letters of lost love bring Frankie and Mackenzie closer. Both overcome their past and drop walls as they work together to discover the love their respective grandparent had for the other. I love this second chance of love between Mackenzie and Frankie. I could not get enough of this beautiful read. I loved it so much. You need to click this now.

[Bookskee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this but it did not live up to my expectations. This did not read like a Rachel Blaufeld book I'm used to. Although fast paced, it lacked chemistry and the banter came across as bland to me.. almost DNF but wanted to know how it ended. Also, at first sight..nice cover but don't stare too long...you might have questions..

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually really liked this book. I can't lie, it was kind of cute when she was stalking him at the beginning. I loved seeing a man who thought he could never love, fall so hard for this woman. The rating could be higher but there was a random isnotreal mention which could have been replaced with literally any other country and it would have made no difference.

I received an arc through netgalley.

[Anne OK · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of repetition plagued this story -- I did like the plot and the characters but felt like there was so much more potential to explore that was left behind. The ending came off as rushed and lacking, however, the author tied up the loose ends for a happily-ever-after.