I’m always a fan of unusual heroes, so of course I was all over this book!
The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley
(2009, Victorian) 5/21/09
Grade: 4
Lord Ian Mackenzie is considered rather “odd”. Some people call him mad. But widowed heiress Beth Ackerley sees his kindness and his sexual attraction, and wants to get to know him better – in bed and out of it. But will secrets from his past drive them apart?
This book had a slow start. I was intrigued by Ian and Beth in the first couple of chapters, but then the book got bogged down in lengthy introductions of Ian’s brothers (set up for their own books), as well as a complicated murder mystery and long detailed sex scenes. The characters got lost, and I began to wonder if the book was worth finishing. Thankfully, in the second half , the author settled down and focused on Beth and Ian, and the book got much more interesting. I’m no expert on Aspergers, but the characterization of Ian rang true (most of the time), and the author was able to balance Ian’s problems with the romantic necessity of making him capable of a relationship with Beth. I also found Beth an interesting and unique character, with an unusual background that felt very Victorian. The mystery was perhaps a little too convoluted, and it depended too much on bringing in a villain at the last minute, but after the first section, it managed to influence the events of the book without taking over. Overall, I enjoyed the book very much, although it didn’t grab me emotionally (surprisingly, considering the subject), maybe because it took so long to really get going.
It’s surprising, a number of authors have written books about “mad” heroes, but then the books don’t really pay off with a deeply emotional story that focuses on the hero and his problems. Although this book was enjoyable, I was disappointed that so much space was taken up by the mystery, when what I really wanted was more of the hero and less of “who killed the prostitute”. I can think of a couple of other books in the last few years that also had “mad” heroes, but the author didn’t follow through. I wonder why – it seems like readers who are attracted to this kind of story are the kinds of readers who want emotional intensity, not yet another murder mystery or endless pages of sex scenes – but the authors keep throwing the other stuff in there instead of really following through with the angst. Come on, authors, give us what we want! (A selfish demand, I know, but what can I say, I’m a demanding reader! :->)
Karen Wheless
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