Book Review of Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage (Mackenzie & McBrides)
Title: Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage
Series: Mackenzie & McBrides/ Highland Pleasures
Author: Jennifer Ashley
Date Published: July 6th 2010
Date Read: May 04, 2015
The Blurb:
Six years ago, eighteen-year-old Lady Isabella Scranton scandalized all of London by eloping the night of her come-out ball with the notorious rake, Lord Mac Mackenzie. After three turbulent years of marriage, she scandalized London once again—this time by leaving him.
Now Mac has resurfaced, every bit as charismatic, and with one goal: to seduce Isabella back into his life and his bed even if it means acting like a real gentleman. But when Isabella rises to the challenge of posing nude for Mac's erotic paintings, her pent-up hunger for the decadent rake is exposed as well, and she finds herself unable to resist the smooth strokes of an artist at work.
But someone's been watching them—dangerously close. This ingenious forger with designs on Mac's paintings also sets his sights on Isabella herself. Deciding to become Isabella's protector, Mac vows to never leave her side, whether his independent and proud lady likes it or not.
My Review
5 Scandalous Stars
“Isabella.” The word came out half whisper, half moan. “I’ve missed you so much.” “I’ve missed you.” She touched his face, her hand cool and soft. “I do miss you, Mac.”
I am enjoying the hell outta this series! I was a little fearful when I started this book. I worried that Ian's book would have set the bar too high and this one would never live up to the love I have for Ian. I was so wrong OMG!!!! This book was so damn good. I think I have a weakness for sexy Scottish men.
“It is a game, my love.” He held her gaze. “It is the most serious game I’ve ever engaged in. And I intend to win it. I will have you back, Isabella—in my life, in my house, and in my bed.”
What this book is about
Isabella met Mac 6 years ago at her coming out ball. He stole a dance, then a kiss. That night they run off and scandalously eloped. After 3 years of putting up with Mac disappearing without warning to paint for weeks at a time (God knows where), and always being drunk Isabella had enough. She leaves him. When Isabella left Mac it was his wake up call. Mac loves his wife. He knows he messed up big time, and sets about to get his life in order. He sobers up, and stops hanging out with his drinking friends. It's a few years later and Mac feels he has given Isabella enough time. He misses his wife, and he is ready to win her back! Isabella still loves her husband and misses him so much it hurts. He says he has changed, but he said it many times before. She just doesn't know if she can stand to be hurt again. Can Mac win his wife back, and get her to trust him again?
“I’m not interested in being fair. I’m fighting for our marriage and our life. Fair doesn’t come into it.”
Mac:
“Scandalous debutante,” he said. “With her legs around a wicked lord.”
Isabella met Mac 6 years ago at her coming out ball. He stole a dance, then a kiss. That night they run off and scandalously eloped. After 3 years of putting up with Mac disappearing without warning to paint for weeks at a time (God knows where), and always being drunk Isabella had enough. She leaves him. When Isabella left Mac it was his wake up call. Mac loves his wife. He knows he messed up big time, and sets about to get his life in order. He sobers up, and stops hanging out with his drinking friends. It's a few years later and Mac feels he has given Isabella enough time. He misses his wife, and he is ready to win her back! Isabella still loves her husband and misses him so much it hurts. He says he has changed, but he said it many times before. She just doesn't know if she can stand to be hurt again. Can Mac win his wife back, and get her to trust him again?
“I’m not interested in being fair. I’m fighting for our marriage and our life. Fair doesn’t come into it.”
Mac:
“Scandalous debutante,” he said. “With her legs around a wicked lord.”
Mac yum! Mac is so funny, charming, playful, and sexy. I loved Mac. He knows he made huge mistakes in his marriage, and he works hard to do right by his wife. I love that he and Isabella are faithful to each other even when apart. He is patience while working to win his wife back. He is an artist so he is very passionate. Mac is very giving, and protective of those he loves. He has a very big heart, and is a all around good man.
“I know you can’t. But understand this: I want to take you to bed and have you wake up with me, unashamed, no regrets, no tossing me out before anyone catches us. I want your trust, whole and unblemished. I will keep fighting until I have that.”
She put her hand on his knee and slid it swiftly under his kilt. Mac inhaled sharply. “My, my, you’re good at that. Is that the sort of thing you learned in finishing school, young lady?” Isabella gently twisted her hand around his shaft, and perspiration formed on Mac’s upper lip. “On the contrary. I learned deportment and how to wear a fine hat.” “Nonsense, you had lessons in this. Miss Pringle must have handed out models of cocks, made of plaster of paris maybe.” He took on a high falsetto. “Like this, girls. One, two, one, two. Come along, ladies, don’t slack.”
“Because I’m madly in love with the woman I painted. There’s love in every brushstroke, every dab of paint. I couldn’t paint when Molly posed because she’s only a model to me, like a vase of flowers. You are real. I know what your flesh feels like under my hand. I know how slick your cleft is to my fingers, how your breath tastes in my mouth. I love every part of you. That is what I painted, and no one in the world will get to see these pictures but the two of us.”
Isabella:
“I can’t lose you.” Isabella stroked his hair, her touch so dear to him. “I don’t want to live without you, Mac. I never was a whole person until I met you.”
“I know you can’t. But understand this: I want to take you to bed and have you wake up with me, unashamed, no regrets, no tossing me out before anyone catches us. I want your trust, whole and unblemished. I will keep fighting until I have that.”
She put her hand on his knee and slid it swiftly under his kilt. Mac inhaled sharply. “My, my, you’re good at that. Is that the sort of thing you learned in finishing school, young lady?” Isabella gently twisted her hand around his shaft, and perspiration formed on Mac’s upper lip. “On the contrary. I learned deportment and how to wear a fine hat.” “Nonsense, you had lessons in this. Miss Pringle must have handed out models of cocks, made of plaster of paris maybe.” He took on a high falsetto. “Like this, girls. One, two, one, two. Come along, ladies, don’t slack.”
“Because I’m madly in love with the woman I painted. There’s love in every brushstroke, every dab of paint. I couldn’t paint when Molly posed because she’s only a model to me, like a vase of flowers. You are real. I know what your flesh feels like under my hand. I know how slick your cleft is to my fingers, how your breath tastes in my mouth. I love every part of you. That is what I painted, and no one in the world will get to see these pictures but the two of us.”
Isabella:
“I can’t lose you.” Isabella stroked his hair, her touch so dear to him. “I don’t want to live without you, Mac. I never was a whole person until I met you.”
Poor Isabella, I really felt her pain. She was so young when she married. Her family disowned her for eloping with Mac, her husband drinking and running off all the time then she suffers such a big loss, and Mac isn't there for her. Living in an age when women let their husbands do as they please and just take it, I loved that Isabella respected herself enough to demand her husband treat her right. When he didn't change she left even though she still was madly in love with Mac. She had a lot of courage to stand on her own back then. I understood where she was coming from. She was hurt , but she was still sweet, and caring to him and his family. Isabella is independent, strong willed, playful, and a cheerful person! She is determined to be as happy as she can even when life didn't go the way she planned. I total understand her reluctances to let her husband have another chance.
“I bought gowns I thought you’d like to see me in. I gave tea parties for your friends, so they would be my friends too. I ran fetes to help people who needed help, because I wanted to emulate the way you helped poor artists.”
“But how do I know our time together now won’t be the same as it was before?” she asked, anguished. “With you coming and going without a word, you deciding when we’ll be together and when I need a rest from you? You don’t get to decide everything, Mac.”
"But there are things about the other Mac I still love,” Isabella went on. “I love your humor, your ability to render things harmless by laughing at them. I love your charm. When you were playing with the band on the street corner, you rose to the occasion with aplomb and made your friends look like idiots for ridiculing people. I was so proud to be your wife that night.”
“I bought gowns I thought you’d like to see me in. I gave tea parties for your friends, so they would be my friends too. I ran fetes to help people who needed help, because I wanted to emulate the way you helped poor artists.”
“But how do I know our time together now won’t be the same as it was before?” she asked, anguished. “With you coming and going without a word, you deciding when we’ll be together and when I need a rest from you? You don’t get to decide everything, Mac.”
"But there are things about the other Mac I still love,” Isabella went on. “I love your humor, your ability to render things harmless by laughing at them. I love your charm. When you were playing with the band on the street corner, you rose to the occasion with aplomb and made your friends look like idiots for ridiculing people. I was so proud to be your wife that night.”
“I love you,” Isabella heard herself say. “I love you, my Isabella. I’ve never stopped loving you, not for one single second.”
Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage is a beautiful story of second chance love. Of a husband and wife that made many mistakes, but found their way back to each other. Their love stronger than ever. Mac and Isabella have explosive passion. They love each other and have a deep bond that just made their sex hotter! I love that you get to see a lot of their past relationship in this book, you get to see them meet , fall in love, fight, and see how it all went wrong. So you don't feel like you are missing half the story, like it sometimes feels in second chance love stories. There is lots of Ian and Beth in this book too which just rocks! The Ending OMG the HEA. I was freaking out, all girly giddy , bouncing up and down in my chair and doing a lil happy dance. The ending was so good. It was like a super size happy ending. This series is a hit for me! Anyone who likes beautiful loves stories and sexy Scots in kilts should read this series! So Good.
“Isabella,” he whispered. “I was a selfish, selfish bastard. Do you believe me when I tell you I realize that now?”
I will leave you with one of my favorite moments from this book:
“A gentleman sending you flowers?” Mac asked in a mock gruff voice behind his breakfast newspaper. “Is he a proper sort of gentleman?” “I believe so.” Isabella sat down at her place, fingering the card, which she’d slipped into her pocket. “He has invited me to go walking with him this afternoon.” Mac folded down one corner of the paper, giving her a stern look. “And what have you decided?” “I will accept. Going for a walk in a public place will be most proper. And agreeable.” “Be careful of his intentions. I’ve heard of this Lord Roland’s bad reputation.” “I believe he’s reformed,” Isabella said. “So he tells me.” Mac tsk-tsked. “Be on your guard, my dear. Be on your guard. I believe he paints women—with their clothes off.”
“A gentleman sending you flowers?” Mac asked in a mock gruff voice behind his breakfast newspaper. “Is he a proper sort of gentleman?” “I believe so.” Isabella sat down at her place, fingering the card, which she’d slipped into her pocket. “He has invited me to go walking with him this afternoon.” Mac folded down one corner of the paper, giving her a stern look. “And what have you decided?” “I will accept. Going for a walk in a public place will be most proper. And agreeable.” “Be careful of his intentions. I’ve heard of this Lord Roland’s bad reputation.” “I believe he’s reformed,” Isabella said. “So he tells me.” Mac tsk-tsked. “Be on your guard, my dear. Be on your guard. I believe he paints women—with their clothes off.”
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