ARC Review: The Duke’s Perfect Wife by Jennifer Ashley

 

 
Describe the book in three words

Suz: I love Hart…hmm or maybe Contains Hot Highlanders!

Annie: HART.IS.MINE.

Suz: ACTUALLY, I think you will find Hart is mine

*tug of war over Hart commences, Suz wins ofcourse, hehehe!*

The cover: Love it or Hate it?

Suz: Not a fan, I think that the other covers are better, especially Cam’s book!

Annie: LOVE IT! It’s Paul Marron. In a Kilt. As Hart Mackenzie. Must I go on?

Hart Mackenzie: Sexy Dominant Highland God or Controlling Manipulative Bully?

Suz: Definietly sexy highland god with a nice wide dom streak, I loved that about Hart. I don’t think he would be the same if he wasn’t quite as manipulative and interfering as he was. You know that it all comes from a place of love, he just wants to protect his family and those he loves and he thinks he is the best man for the job!

Annie: It’s quite obvious what my answer would be to this one. Hart is a Highland god through and through. His dominant tendencies in and out of the bed make him so irresistible! How can you deny a man who knows exactly what he wants and how he wants it? Not only do we see Hart’s dominance and arrogance in this book, but we also see the vulnerable and parental side to him as well. Ashley does a great job of displaying different sides to Hart’s character.

What did you think of Eleanor Ramsey?

Suz: I really like El, I loved her habit of talking on and on and despite having a fairly hard life struggling through poverty, she never whines, she just gets on with it cheerfully. And what I really really loved about her was that she never backed down from Hart and that she was never afraid of him, as deep down she knows she can always trust him. She was a great heroine

Annie: El is my newest favourite historical romance heroine. I loved her spunk and attitude and the way she keeps Hart on his toes. Despite the fact that her family is in an uncomfortable position, she doesn’t allow the burdens of life to dampen her spirits. She’s a fun, flirty gal who knows how to handle a man like Hart Mackenzie and I have to admire that talent. Not many can match someone so bold as a Mackenzie highlander.

Hart and El, were they a match made in heaven?

Suz: I am not normally a fan of rekindled romance, but I do think that El and Hart were a great couple. Hart needed El, she stopped him from becoming a shell, who only have his political ambitions for succor. I did think this book would be hotter then it was. There is some steamy scenes, but I think Cam and Ian’s books were far more erotic.

Annie: Absolutely! There’s no question. The chemistry is potent from page one and undeniable throughout the rest of the book. El matches Hart in the way they are both determined to see through certain events until their expected results happen. While I thought the sex scenes would be more steamy and involve ..err…something extra, the love scenes between Hart and El were still fantastic.

The MacKenzie clan has grown from four solitary brothers to a horde of mini Highlanders and their wives, what do you think of the familial relationships and their inclusion in the book and their affect on Hart?

Suz: I think one of the best things about the Highland Pleasures series is the relationship that the four brothers have with eachother. The brotherly bonds are especially strong as they all lived through an abusive childhood, terroized by their father. Hart being the eldest has always protected his brothers, first from their father then from themselves and it has been the keypoint in his life. What was great about this book was it showed the tight connection that Hart and Ian (my two favourite Mackenzies!) had. Hart would do anything for Ian and is almost more like a father then a brother.

Annie: Actually, one of the biggest reasons why I follow this series is because of the big familial relationships throughout the series. Ian plays a big part of this book and I loved reading about him again. In this book, we see more of Hart’s experiences with his abusive father and the possible fallouts of their actions if Hart didn’t do what he did. I LOVE the fact that Ashley incorporates a different kind of love in her romances. Romantic love is important, but a family is what makes a character’s life full.

Any general thoughts on the book, and will you be looking forward to the next one The Seduction of Elliot McBride?

Suz: I loved this book! I have been looking forward to Hart’s book since the The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie and I wasn’t disappointed it was a heartwrenching and emotional book and I can’t wait to see what What Ms Ashley has in store for us next.

Annie: YES! After devouring this book, it actually makes me want to go back and read the rest of the series to relive my favourite moments until the next book comes out. I’m actually regretting the fact that I read so quickly.

Any Favourite Quotes?

“We’re Mackenzies,” Mac said, his gaze steady. “Remember that we break what we touch.”

That was what Hart Mackenzie always wanted, she realized. For others to surrender to him, to let him be their master. Not because he wanted to punish them, or to have his own way, but for their own good, beacuse he wanted to take care of them. Those who didn’t understand that dashed themselves to bits on him.

“You were supposed to burn this,” Hart said. He couldn’t get up, could not move, drained from what he’d just read.
Eleanor closed the door and came to the table littered with letters. “I couldn’t, somehow.”
He noticed that she did not need to ask which letter he meant. “Why not?”
“I don’t know, really. I supposed, because, of all the people you could have told, you chose to tell me.”
“There was no other person,” Hart said. “No one in the world.”

*ARC provided by publisher

[about-author author=”Jennifer Ashley”]