The Duke's Perfect Wife (MacKenzies & McBrides, #4) in Crazy Challenge Connection

Apr 05, 2012 Megzy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: victorian-era, scotland

I was hoping Eleanor keeps away from Hart or, as I call him, "heartless" for another ten years or more; of all the brothers, he was the "sick" one.

In The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, I found Hart McKenzie to be a despicable human being. He manipulated his brothers and others for his own selfish gain. He treated his mistress, his wife, various prostitutes he employed in a separate house, and his sister in-laws like dirt. He had no regard for anyone. This is a man who beds and asphyxiates a pros I was hoping Eleanor keeps away from Hart or, as I call him, "heartless" for another ten years or more; of all the brothers, he was the "sick" one.

In The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, I found Hart McKenzie to be a despicable human being. He manipulated his brothers and others for his own selfish gain. He treated his mistress, his wife, various prostitutes he employed in a separate house, and his sister in-laws like dirt. He had no regard for anyone. This is a man who beds and asphyxiates a prostitute right after Ian had sex with her by his explicit orders to find out if she was planning to blackmail him.

He protected his mistress even when he found out she was a murderer and almost killed his sister in law. He mourned for her in ways he never mourned for his wife or new born son and never really apologized to Beth or Ian.

In book 4 we learn more about his mistress. We learn he knew well about her jealousy and all she would do to keep him. He should have been very aware of what really took place in book 1. This is a woman who took it upon herself to go and let Eleanor know about his other house and what was going on in there. She destroyed his betrothal to Eleanor, the only woman he says he loved. What did he do? He gave the house to his mistress and as soon as his wife and newborn son were dead, he started going back. He treated Angela better than his wife or Eleanor. Angela, who would hire a virgin maid, lock her up, threaten her and serve her on a silver platter to Hart so he can enjoy deflowering her. While Angela, his mistress, was living the lap of luxury and wearing the most expensive clothing and jewels, Eleanor was living in poverty and destitution. If he really loved and cared for her, he would have purchased her father's scientific books anonymously. It is my belief that he wanted to destroy her as he said when she gave him back the engagement ring and that he enjoyed knowing she was poor and dependent upon the aid and generosity of people who used to work for her father. Why? Because he was a cruel, manipulate human being who played with and discarded people, including his own brothers. What I deducted from these 4 books was that he loved and appreciated others that were as despicable, heartless and manipulative as him - no wonder he mourned Angela's death. He might disagree but by all his actions he showed us Angela was the only woman he thoroughly loved. He cared for her, protected her, accepted her as who she was with all her faults.

In book 4 we are to believe the sexual extremes that he didn't want to talk about were nothing but taking nude pictures and some very mild games in which he likes to tie women up. I don't think so! I've read the first book and watched through Ian's eyes what he enjoyed doing in a bedroom with open door and Ian has impeccable memory.

I understand lately a lot of authors are introducing mild BDSM in their books because they see the interest and book sell and what I think is because they don't want to repeat the sex scenes from other books in the series, but trying to redeem a despicable character by saying he is who he is because he needs to control and dominate in and out of a bedroom is utter non-sense. ...more

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Jul 04, 2018 fleurette rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-romance

Oh, the MacKenzie brothers... How not to love them?

I know that not everyone likes Hart (I meant not every reader, that he is not widely liked in the book-world is obvious) but I do like him as much as all the other brothers. He is a very complicated character, deeply wounded and unhappy. Reading the previous books, I was waiting for his story and I like what I got. Hart's complicated personality makes the story satisfying. And Eleanor is a great heroine, but this is not surprising looking at th ...more

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Dec 28, 2020 D.G. rated it it was ok

Shelves: historical-romance, audiobook

This was bad.

This was a story that didn't know what it wanted to be. Was it about family? About politics? About a couple rekindling a romance? About a man accepting his sexual proclivities? On the latter, Ms. Ashley chickened out on developing the story around Hart's sexual kinks, which had been hinted throughout the series. His supposed "dark desires" came out at the end, during a boring (and very mild) bondage scene. More time was spent on the naked photographs, which by the way, didn't seem l ...more

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Mar 01, 2011 Amanda rated it liked it

Shelves: alpha-males, romance-historical, bonny-scotland, spinsters-wallflower-ugly-duckling, large-families, read-in-2013

This was a fun read, though not nearly as good as the first few books in the series. Of course, not much can compare to The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, but I would have thought that it would at least come close.
The plot was good but not very substantial, and although the characters (Hart especially) were interesting, there wasn't a whole lot that was different from the first few books. Eleanor was very irritating at times and there were several scenes when I grew as frustrated with her as Ha ...more

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Jan 15, 2016 ☘KathyD☘ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-romance, genre-romance-series, genre-historical-fiction, book-kindle, audio-audible, pages-200-299, genre-erotica, genre-regency, zz-2016, book-reread

Another great installment with the MacKenzie brothers! It was nice to get to know Hart better. He has been rather one-dimensional, with snippets of his past creeping in here and there. As the oldest brother, he shoulders quite the responsibilities and his past actions and such light the path to the man he became. Eleanor was a fun, quirky character from beginning to end. She was a great fit to the stuffy aristocrat that is his Grace, the Duke.

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Dec 10, 2013 PepperP0t rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-regency, adult, series, smexy-erotica, mystery, romance

Book 4 of this series, still has me enchanted with the world of the Mackenzie's as Hart Mackenzie, Duke of Kilmorgan himself sets out to claim a bride. But not just any bride. None will do for Hart McKenzie, but Eleanor Ramsey. The Eleanor from his youth, the Eleanor that he never stopped loving, the Eleanor that jilted him, the Eleanor that keeps his secrets and the Eleanor that still makes his blood race.

Hart has been quite the blusterer and heavy-handed browbeater throughout the series under Book 4 of this series, still has me enchanted with the world of the Mackenzie's as Hart Mackenzie, Duke of Kilmorgan himself sets out to claim a bride. But not just any bride. None will do for Hart McKenzie, but Eleanor Ramsey. The Eleanor from his youth, the Eleanor that he never stopped loving, the Eleanor that jilted him, the Eleanor that keeps his secrets and the Eleanor that still makes his blood race.

Hart has been quite the blusterer and heavy-handed browbeater throughout the series under the guise of protecting his family as he chased his political ambitions. The danger of Hart's aspirations are sharply brought to bear and the family has even more reason to band closely together. Someone has sent rather risqué photos of Hart to Eleanor's home. Eleanor uses the photos as an excuse to see and then gain employment with Hart, partially to help Hart and partially because she really needs the job. While Hart is concerned about the photos, he is more concerned with having Eleanor within his household and makes that a condition of her employment. The photos could ruin not only Hart's reputation but the standing of his family in society as well.

Eleanor has been discussed in each of the books and appeared briefly in the last installment, so she's a familiar though unknown quantity going into this read. While Eleanor and Hart seem suited they both seemed a bit stiff and formal (IMO) and on this read alone I didn't warm toward either of them. Eleanor was smart, charming and well liked by the other characters but Hart did not offer as much charisma, grace and romance as I require from a hero. Eleanor and Hart went thru the motions and mechanics for a romance but I didn't feel the chemistry between them. The storyline plodded along with bits of intrigue and drama strewn throughout but I didn't find it as compelling as some of the other installments and didn't like sex being the way into or out of a situation for them or that Ian being the trick pony trotted out for all situations and answers. The many flashbacks and recollections were wearying for me and in places the storyline felt too overfull to flow smoothly. My warm spots for the rest of the McKenzie clan were treated to glimpses of them to help round out the storyline. While I liked this outing and thought it was fairly well done, it is not my favorite of the series. ...more

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May 14, 2015 Shan ~A~ rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio, in-series-or-trilogy, erotic, historical-romance

Finally, Hart's story is told.

I have basically been salivating waiting to get to this book, and what does Ms. Ashley do by the end? Leave me wanting more in this series.

Hart and Elle were once betrothed. If you have been reading this series you know that it did not come to fruition. Now, they are once again back in each others presence. A very clever individual has made it that way.

The path to realizing they still have feelings for one another is filled with exasperation, tension, and a bit of ...more

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