The Seduction Of Elliot McBride (Mackenzies & McBrides #5)

I have very much enjoyed this talented author’s MacKenzie series (Victorian England and Scotland) and many of her paranormal Shifter series (modern urban fantasy) as well. In fact, some of the MacKenzie books, especially the one about Beth and Ian, are among my all-time favorite romantic historical fiction. Although their settings are very different, the best books in both these series have in common good writing, careful plotting, a compelling story, a little leavening humor, appealing and highly individual characters, and above all convincing emotional connections between lovers, family and friends. These are given time and reason to develop, so that falling into their world is effortless.

Unfortunately, none of these important elements are to be found in “The Seduction of Elliot McBride.” It’s awful, not a work of a mature writer at all, very far beneath the quality of the earlier MacKenzie series books in every way. In fact, I have a theory that this book may have been produced by quickly putting a few patches into an early unpublished work of the author and expected to coast on the quality of her MacKenzie books. If so, it sinks like a stone.

(A few spoilers ahead) The two lead characters knew each other slightly as children and each had a crush on the other. (The hero was having very graphic fantasies about her even when they were 16.) He goes off to India and becomes (1) extremely wealthy, (2) sort of a Scottish/Indian ninja, and (3) captured and tortured for years and years so that he has some kind of severe PTSD-like condition on his return. (Of course, the years of horrible torture have had no effect on his roguish good looks or his physical or sexual functionality.) He moves into a remote, falling-down fake Scottish castle that comes complete with a ridiculous stereotypic old Scottish grump with a musket and a stereotypic young, strapping red-headed Scots lad who insists on piping them into the dining room. But Elliot wants the woman he hardly knows but has fantasized about all these years so he goes to break up her nuptials. Meanwhile, she has grown into a pampered young lady fond of running her father’s homes and making lists to organize everything. She obviously knows nothing of real emotion or priorities because she is at the altar waiting for a bridegroom whom she doesn’t like or have any use for. Fortunately, he has eloped with his piano teacher without informing her. So she goes to an adjacent chapel to overcome her embarrassment and sits down — right on the dozing Elliot! Surprise, surprise, she thought he was in India. So, since all the wedding guests are still waiting, they suddenly decide to marry each other instead and do so. He packs this pampered, hyper-organized virgin off to his falling-down remote castle and they immediately, and I mean immediately, start having wild, dress-ripping, roaring sex. Again and again. Everywhere. Including, the day after their arrival, on the dining room table, with yelling and ripping and everyone in hearing distance at midday. Oh, and later that day she finds out accidentally that the little girl who came with his Indian servants is his daughter! And those Indian servants are disturbingly servile stereotypes as well, which is unlike Ashley’s better writing, just as the many extremely contrived plot lines (which I won’t bore both of us with here) and unconvincing relationships are. There is nothing I can point to as a reason that makes this book worth reading.

Interestingly, Ainsley, who is a good heroine in the earlier (well-written) book starring her and Camerons MacKenzie, tells her husband in that book about the PTSD-like symptoms of her brother Elliot McBride of the current (bad) book to give him hope that he can heal from his own past terrors. This tends to reinforce my suspicion that the Elliot McBride book is a patched-up version of an old unpublished manuscript predating the MacKenzie books. There are also a few parallels with Ian MacKenzie’s difficulty in being around people and being susceptible to “muddles.” But that is as far as the similarity goes. I suggest you read the Mackenzie books by this author, starting with Ian’s, but give this poor-quality, annoying book a miss.

** 3.25 stars **

I liked this book better than Hart and Eleanor’s story. I liked both Juliana and Elliot separately as well as a couple. They were likable and had wonderful chemistry. Every book in this series features a couple that already know each other (except Ian and Beth) and this one is about two people knowing each other most of their lives and carrying a torch for as long. There was a fair amount of sweetness between them when both Juliana and Elliot confessed their feelings and especially how long they had them. I enjoyed it juxtaposed with Elliot’s daily struggles with PTSD. I do not care how the author went about making Elliot all better in regards to aforementioned PTSD but I enjoyed her descriptions full of dark images and anguished emotions.

The whole intrigue/suspense angle didn’t work much for me. I think people forgave too easily and resolutions came about too conveniently, but we can’t have it all perfect. I am glad to say that in this story the MCs mostly communicated with each other avoiding many misunderstandings along the way. The book was nice. It read easily and was steadily paced with some predictable outcomes but overall enjoyable.

Until this book the first one with Ian and Beth was my favorite. This one ties it. I loved this book. Most books in this genre the heroine has the tragic past and has to face her demons with the help of the hero. Well this series turns that idea upside down. It is the male lead , Elliott who has the horrible past and has to overcome it with the help of the female lead, Juliana. The story was well written, the characters multidimensional. I love this series one good book after another! Elliot and Juliana’s story is mesmerizing. A great read! Don’t miss it!

The story started out good and interesting. And then midway through the story it dragged. There were too much characters involved and I found myself skimming through the pages wondering when it will end. Also, some editing is needed.

Spoilers ahead. There were some twists like the PTSD of the hero, the issue with the ex-colleague/friend, the issue with the dead ex mistress and his child with her, the assassins going after the ex-colleague/friend, the blackmailers. In all of these I did not feel the romance despite the addition of mild sex scenes. It felt like an ordinary story with things happening and being resolved and many characters involved that it was hard to keep track of who is who in whose life. The plot did not take me on a journey of love and it is my only expectation of a historical romance. The last chapter felt like an epilogue so that was good.

I was initially planning on reading more books from the series but I have decided to put it off. It will just have to stay in my reading list in the meantime.

I would have given this book 5 stars except for 1 thing: Priti. She didnt really have a major roll in the book so I dont understand why she even existed. Why was it that the hero had to have had been the one to father the child when it could have been the other guy since they were sleeping with the chick at the same time. And she happened to love the other guy and not the hero. Otherwise I absolutely loved this book. The hero and heroine were great! I just had a hard time getting past the kid.

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