First published 2009
Beth Ackerley has finally escaped a lifetime of hardship. Her alcoholic father dragged the family to the workhouse. Her frail mother needed constant care until death. She spent years as companion to a demanding elderly woman. Now widowed and wealthy, Beth plans a quiet life of travel and art appreciation. She wants peace after decades of chaos. Then she encounters Ian Mackenzie. The youngest of the notorious Mackenzie brothers, Ian spent his youth confined to an asylum. Society calls him the Mad Mackenzie and whispers about his strange behavior. The entire Mackenzie clan carries a reputation for violence, scandal, and dangerous appetites that shock both England and Scotland. Their wealth and power cannot erase the rumors about their mistresses and dark desires. Ian collects Ming pottery and pursues beautiful women with equal intensity. When he decides he wants Beth, her carefully planned peaceful future crumbles. She must choose between the safety she craves and the compelling but unpredictable man who threatens to bring drama back into her world.
Genres: romance, adult, adult-fiction, historical-romance, 19th-century
Vibes: compelling, dramatic, emotional, intimate, sensual
Tropes: damaged-hero, enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity, second-chance-at-love
Setting: England, Scotland
Period: 19th century
320 pages · Hardcover · Dorchester Publishing Company, Inc.
Content warnings: abuse, addiction, mental-illness