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Dominick #1
Moonstruck Madness
She's one thing by day, something else altogether by night...
After escaping the slaughter of her clan at a young age, Scottish noblewoman Sabrina Verrick provides for her siblings by living a double life, until the night she encounters the Duke, and her secret and all she holds dear is threatened...
He's so disillusioned, he's completely vulnerable...
With his inheritance at stake, Lucien, Duke of Camareigh, sets a trap for the Scottish beauty with the piercing violet eyes, never imagining what will happen when the trap is sprung...
As their lives become irreversibly entangled, Lucien and Sabrina become each other's biggest threat, as well as their only salvation...
After escaping the slaughter of her clan at a young age, Scottish noblewoman Sabrina Verrick provides for her siblings by living a double life, until the night she encounters the Duke, and her secret and all she holds dear is threatened...
He's so disillusioned, he's completely vulnerable...
With his inheritance at stake, Lucien, Duke of Camareigh, sets a trap for the Scottish beauty with the piercing violet eyes, never imagining what will happen when the trap is sprung...
As their lives become irreversibly entangled, Lucien and Sabrina become each other's biggest threat, as well as their only salvation...
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 1977
202 people are currently reading
2034 people want to read
About the author
Laurie McBain
17 books155 followersLaurie McBain was born on October 15, 1949. She was always passionate about art and history, and her father encouraged her and helped her write her first historical romance. At twenty-six, Laurie became a publishing phenomenon with her first historical romance. Her first novels "Devil's Desire" and "Moonstruck Madness" each sold over a million copies. She was one of the pioners of the new romance style with Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. But, after the death of her father, she decided to retire from the publishing world in 1985, with only seven romances written.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews
July 20, 2025
4.5 stars! Moonstruck Madness is an old school historical romance (published in 1977) that had been on my TBR for a few years.
The story grabbed my attention right from the start! It opens in 1746 at Culloden Moor. Sabrina is watching her clan entering the battlefield of Culloden, her grandfather proudly leading his clan through the call of arms and then the whole clan being shot down immediately. Sabrina ends up fleeing to escape Scotland with her Aunt Margaret and siblings (her older sister Mary, brother Richard). The story then cuts to 5 years later, it’s 1751 in England and we catch up to Sabrina where she’s now a highwaywoman!
This is a shorter read (less than 400 pages) for how much is actually packed into this read! I love how much adventure, high stakes, and drama is packed into old school historical romances. I loved Sabrina, a Scottish noblewoman turned highwaywoman who is determined to try and provide for her family. Her relationship with her family was sweet to see, her sister Mary actually has visions of the future (her loved one’s futures specifically) and their brother Richard has vision problems so they take him to get glasses. The hero is Lucien, Duke of Camareigh. He has a scarred face, his grandmother is trying to arrange a betrothal for him, so when his inheritance is at stake, he sets up a trap for the highwaywoman (who he assumes is a man at first).
Lucien and Sabrina have an immediate connection. He is very taken with her and I loved their banter and her sass. This book was a huge deal at the time it was originally pub’d (1977) because of how very consensual their relationship is on page. They do spend the night together and we get some on-page encounters that are briefly described/hinted at. While I really loved the first half of the book, the second half did start to get a little too congested with plot (it needed a little bit more space/time to breathe). I liked Lucien’s relationship with his duchess grandmother, she pushes him in a sassy, lovingly way and has some fun interactions towards the end with Sabrina too. All in all, I’m so glad I finally got to this one! I’d definitely check out more from this author. I’ll end this review with some sassy banter between Lucien and Sabrina:
“Defy me?” Lucien asked incredulously, giving Sabrina a sardonic glance. “She wouldn’t think of doing such a thing, would you, Sabrina, my love?”
“Think of defying you, Lucien,” she said with a sweet smile. “Why, I’ve never given it a thought—I just do it.”
The story grabbed my attention right from the start! It opens in 1746 at Culloden Moor. Sabrina is watching her clan entering the battlefield of Culloden, her grandfather proudly leading his clan through the call of arms and then the whole clan being shot down immediately. Sabrina ends up fleeing to escape Scotland with her Aunt Margaret and siblings (her older sister Mary, brother Richard). The story then cuts to 5 years later, it’s 1751 in England and we catch up to Sabrina where she’s now a highwaywoman!
This is a shorter read (less than 400 pages) for how much is actually packed into this read! I love how much adventure, high stakes, and drama is packed into old school historical romances. I loved Sabrina, a Scottish noblewoman turned highwaywoman who is determined to try and provide for her family. Her relationship with her family was sweet to see, her sister Mary actually has visions of the future (her loved one’s futures specifically) and their brother Richard has vision problems so they take him to get glasses. The hero is Lucien, Duke of Camareigh. He has a scarred face, his grandmother is trying to arrange a betrothal for him, so when his inheritance is at stake, he sets up a trap for the highwaywoman (who he assumes is a man at first).
Lucien and Sabrina have an immediate connection. He is very taken with her and I loved their banter and her sass. This book was a huge deal at the time it was originally pub’d (1977) because of how very consensual their relationship is on page. They do spend the night together and we get some on-page encounters that are briefly described/hinted at. While I really loved the first half of the book, the second half did start to get a little too congested with plot (it needed a little bit more space/time to breathe). I liked Lucien’s relationship with his duchess grandmother, she pushes him in a sassy, lovingly way and has some fun interactions towards the end with Sabrina too. All in all, I’m so glad I finally got to this one! I’d definitely check out more from this author. I’ll end this review with some sassy banter between Lucien and Sabrina:
“Defy me?” Lucien asked incredulously, giving Sabrina a sardonic glance. “She wouldn’t think of doing such a thing, would you, Sabrina, my love?”
“Think of defying you, Lucien,” she said with a sweet smile. “Why, I’ve never given it a thought—I just do it.”
October 12, 2015
Moonstruck Madness by Laurie McBain is a 1977 Avon Publication.
When I noticed a couple of Laurie McBain's books were up for review on Netgalley, I didn't hesitate to request them. I am thrilled to see some of these books are being released in digital format. However, when I started on “Chance the Winds of Fortune”, I realized the book was the second in the series. I didn't see the first book up for review, so I went into my vintage and collectable bookshelf to see, if by some minor miracle, I had a copy of this book. Being a big fan of Laurie's I did keep many of her books, so I was relieved to discover that I did still have a copy. YAY!
Written way back in the late 70's, this book might be tossed into the 'bodice ripper' category, but frankly, I didn't feel that way about it. Yes, there are some uncomfortable treatments of women, but despite what many would like to believe, these depictions were accurate and true to the time period.
Other than that, this book is pretty much a standard historical romance for the time frame it was written in.
Sabrina has left her beloved Highlands of Scotland for England with her aunt, sister and young brother. They are not well off, and Sabrina takes part and even devises some dangerous stunts in order to keep her family afloat, until she crosses the Duke of Camareigh, who puts her little enterprise out of business. In order to survive, Sabrina will have to escape her father's plans for her, which leads her right back into the arms of Lucien Dominick.
I loved this story! It's a real classic and is tame enough that modern readers will find it just as enjoyable now as romance lovers did when the book was first published. Sabrina is bold, daring, and a woman who doesn't give up without a fight. I loved her determination, her cleverness, and her fiery passion.
Lucien was absolutely hilarious most of time, as the author depicted him so authentically. He is haughty, arrogant, and manipulative too, but his punishment is having to deal with Sabrina, the love of his life, who always keeps him begging for more.
The secondary characters were also key in this story and give it a very tiny paranormal element as well. There is lots of action, adventure, drama, and emotions in this one, and the writing is simply wonderful. When I read these older books, and find myself swept away , so immersed in another world, never wanting the story to end, I can start to feel a little wistful, wishing there were more books like these being written in present day. Thankfully, a publisher has seen the worthiness of these novels and are reissuing them, breathing new life into them, so that hopefully, a whole new generation will come to love these classics too. 5 stars!
August 24, 2023
3.5
Five stars for the rollicking good fun, swashbuckling, and mustache twirling incestuous sibling villainy.
Zero stars for the eye rolling romance and sex scenes.
I suppose this means I’m not a fan of the romance genre. Does anyone have any recommendations on novels full of the adventure and costumes with minimal misogyny?
Five stars for the rollicking good fun, swashbuckling, and mustache twirling incestuous sibling villainy.
Zero stars for the eye rolling romance and sex scenes.
I suppose this means I’m not a fan of the romance genre. Does anyone have any recommendations on novels full of the adventure and costumes with minimal misogyny?
March 30, 2020
Scottish Heroine, masquerading as a Highwayman and a scarred English Duke make for an Absorbing Love Story!
Set in 1746 in Scotland (prologue) and 1751 in England, this is the story of Sabrina Verrick, the Scottish noblewoman, who along with her sister and brother survive after their grandfather, Laird of the MacElden clan is brutally slain by the English at Culloden Moor. They escape to England where they live in the country at the rundown estate of their father, an English marquis who abandoned them as children. There, to feed her family, Sabrina becomes the highwayman “Bonnie Charlie,” robbing the rich to aid the poor.
One man she robs, Lucien, Duke of Camareigh, a gambler and a rogue, is no English fop as are most of Sabrina’s victims. A self-made man, he decides to trap the wily bandit and have his revenge. Once he captures “Charlie” speaking “his” shoulder, the duke realizes “Charlie” is a beautiful young woman. When she won’t reveal who she is, he decides to try seduction.
Superbly written, you’ll find this one hard to put down. I love the logic of McBain’s intricate plot…no improbable moments here. No contrived black moments. Only great storytelling and suspenseful action. The dialog is clever and the characters wonderfully developed. Sabrina is courageous, good hearted and rebellious to the end and Camareigh is a tough alpha male, just the kind we like to see fall to love’s power.
McBain paints vivid pictures of Culloden (to start with) and then the English countryside thereafter, putting you right in the scene. It is so well done. Reading this just reminded me that a 5-star classic never goes out of style. Written in 1977, it sold a million copies. I see why.
I highly recommend it.
This is the first in the Dominick trilogy. Here's the list:
Moonstruck Madness (1977) Sabrina and Lucien
Chance The Winds Of Fortune (1980) their daughter, Rhea and Dante
Dark Before The Rising Sun (1982) Rhea and Dante (cont’d.)
Set in 1746 in Scotland (prologue) and 1751 in England, this is the story of Sabrina Verrick, the Scottish noblewoman, who along with her sister and brother survive after their grandfather, Laird of the MacElden clan is brutally slain by the English at Culloden Moor. They escape to England where they live in the country at the rundown estate of their father, an English marquis who abandoned them as children. There, to feed her family, Sabrina becomes the highwayman “Bonnie Charlie,” robbing the rich to aid the poor.
One man she robs, Lucien, Duke of Camareigh, a gambler and a rogue, is no English fop as are most of Sabrina’s victims. A self-made man, he decides to trap the wily bandit and have his revenge. Once he captures “Charlie” speaking “his” shoulder, the duke realizes “Charlie” is a beautiful young woman. When she won’t reveal who she is, he decides to try seduction.
Superbly written, you’ll find this one hard to put down. I love the logic of McBain’s intricate plot…no improbable moments here. No contrived black moments. Only great storytelling and suspenseful action. The dialog is clever and the characters wonderfully developed. Sabrina is courageous, good hearted and rebellious to the end and Camareigh is a tough alpha male, just the kind we like to see fall to love’s power.
McBain paints vivid pictures of Culloden (to start with) and then the English countryside thereafter, putting you right in the scene. It is so well done. Reading this just reminded me that a 5-star classic never goes out of style. Written in 1977, it sold a million copies. I see why.
I highly recommend it.
This is the first in the Dominick trilogy. Here's the list:
Moonstruck Madness (1977) Sabrina and Lucien
Chance The Winds Of Fortune (1980) their daughter, Rhea and Dante
Dark Before The Rising Sun (1982) Rhea and Dante (cont’d.)
April 8, 2012
As a young girl, Sabrina Verrick witnessed her grandfather's death after the battle of Culloden, and those are scars she'll carry with her forever. Sabrina and her two siblings return to their family home in England, and without their father off galavanting in Europe, to make ends meet she becomes the infamous highway bandit Bonnie Charlie. One day she robs the wrong man - Lucien, Duke of Camareigh - and he's hot to catch that bandit and stop *him* once and for all. That is until he thinks he's trapped *Charlie* and gets the surprise of his life.
This being a romance novel and all I suspect you have a good idea where the story goes from there. This wasn't a bad read by any means, but there were just too many silly twists with Swiss cheese sized plot holes that keep me from rating this higher. One night of hot sex with a complete stranger and it's true love forever? She robs people to raise money to give her grasping father money so he won't marry them off? Amnesia?
Gah! Sabrina is just too stubborn for words and never uses the common sense she was born with (much stamping of feet). Lucien is just too dark and moody, and way OTT in the super-hero Duke department. I also got very tired of always hearing about his awful scar that terrified all the ladies. I got it the first time around and didn't need to be clubbed over the head over and over and over again. I might have rated it lower than three stars, but things did pick up with a mystery at the castle in the Highlands, and Sabrina finally grew up and stopped stamping her feet. This is one of those old school romances, and while reasonably entertaining for a brain candy mood, it does show its age and might not suit every reader - consider yourself warned.
This being a romance novel and all I suspect you have a good idea where the story goes from there. This wasn't a bad read by any means, but there were just too many silly twists with Swiss cheese sized plot holes that keep me from rating this higher. One night of hot sex with a complete stranger and it's true love forever? She robs people to raise money to give her grasping father money so he won't marry them off? Amnesia?
Gah! Sabrina is just too stubborn for words and never uses the common sense she was born with (much stamping of feet). Lucien is just too dark and moody, and way OTT in the super-hero Duke department. I also got very tired of always hearing about his awful scar that terrified all the ladies. I got it the first time around and didn't need to be clubbed over the head over and over and over again. I might have rated it lower than three stars, but things did pick up with a mystery at the castle in the Highlands, and Sabrina finally grew up and stopped stamping her feet. This is one of those old school romances, and while reasonably entertaining for a brain candy mood, it does show its age and might not suit every reader - consider yourself warned.
July 15, 2020
Fantastic!!
Read
April 28, 2023I loved it until I didn't!
The setup is great: Sabrina Verrick flees Culloden Moor when she's a child, and when we next see her she's a vengeful young woman who robs aristocrats under the guise of 'Bonnie Charlie.' Bonnie Charlie robs the Duke of Camareigh one time too many, and the duke, who becomes Sabrina's love interest, swears he'll get his revenge.
The Robin Hood aspect of this is fleshed out quite well, and it has more of an "eat the rich" attitude than I normally expect to find in older historical romance novels. But there's one thing that newer historicals have mostly done away with that's present here, and I really wish it wasn't.
The setup is great: Sabrina Verrick flees Culloden Moor when she's a child, and when we next see her she's a vengeful young woman who robs aristocrats under the guise of 'Bonnie Charlie.' Bonnie Charlie robs the Duke of Camareigh one time too many, and the duke, who becomes Sabrina's love interest, swears he'll get his revenge.
The Robin Hood aspect of this is fleshed out quite well, and it has more of an "eat the rich" attitude than I normally expect to find in older historical romance novels. But there's one thing that newer historicals have mostly done away with that's present here, and I really wish it wasn't.
June 8, 2024
Young lady masquerade as a highwayman. The scarred Duke , is held up on the road . He then plans to catch the highwayman. When setting a trap, he then finds out it’s a young lady that robbed him.
Interesting enjoyable story, with lots happening .
Interesting enjoyable story, with lots happening .
July 13, 2021
Moonstruck Madness is old school in a clichéd, but still an oh-so-perfect way. For the very reasons some reviewers dislike this book, I adore it. Written in 1977, Moonstruck Madness was Laurie McBain’s second and, in my opinion, her best book.
The Characters:
The heroine, Lady Sabrina Verrick watches on as the Scots lose at the bloody Battle of Culloden Moor. The eldest daughter of a deceased Scotswoman, and an itinerant English Marquess, she and her family are without resources. As she’s responsible for her two younger siblings, she packs them off to England to their London home. Her father is more interested in his young Italian bride than caring for his children. It's up to Sabrina to figure a way to support her family.
The hero is His Grace, the golden-haired Lucien Dominick, Duke of Camareigh. When we first see him, he’s challenged to a duel by a young hothead. At dawn, he makes quick work of his opponent, displaying his sword-fighting talents.
Lucien’s face bears a dashing scar from when one of his cousins had cut his face as a child.
Speaking of Lucien’s cousins, they share a strange quasi-incestuous relationship and are the obvious villains of this book, conniving to have Lucien done away with and obtain the Dukedom. Lucien’s grandmother wants to see Lucien married and Lucien seems resigned to seek a wife, but certainly not one for love.
The Plot:
So Sabrina takes on the wild idea to become a highwayman. With the help of two burly locals, she takes on the name “Bonny Prince Charlie,” puts on a mask and hat, deepens her voice into husky timbre, wraps herself in a tartan, and holds up the rich nobles who travel the dark country roads in their coaches.
Lucien, after being robbed and taunted by the Bonny Prince, snares a trap to catch "him."
I love how Sabrina and Lucien have a sword fight, Lucien gets the best of her, as he is the better swordsman. They engage in tender lovemaking, there is no force, no dominance. I’ve said before in other reviews, Laurie McBain might have been old-school, but she was never a bodice ripper author.
When it's discovered Sabrina is pregnant, the Marquess in a rage whips her mercilessly, only for Lucien to put a stop to the brutality and carry her off in his arms.
That's more or less the first 1/2 - 2/3 of this book.
Unfortunately in the second half, Sabrina and Lucien are at odds for too long. However, it does pick up towards the end as a search for hidden treasure brings them back together.
Final Analysis of Moonstruck Madness:
I adored this book. the first time I read it, I was in my twenties and loved it. The second time, I was in my thirties and enjoyed it a little bit less, but still found it a thrilling read. As I said, the end falters a bit because the two stubborn hotheads are at odds for too long, nevertheless, this story was an entertaining, swashbuckling romance.
The Characters:
The heroine, Lady Sabrina Verrick watches on as the Scots lose at the bloody Battle of Culloden Moor. The eldest daughter of a deceased Scotswoman, and an itinerant English Marquess, she and her family are without resources. As she’s responsible for her two younger siblings, she packs them off to England to their London home. Her father is more interested in his young Italian bride than caring for his children. It's up to Sabrina to figure a way to support her family.
The hero is His Grace, the golden-haired Lucien Dominick, Duke of Camareigh. When we first see him, he’s challenged to a duel by a young hothead. At dawn, he makes quick work of his opponent, displaying his sword-fighting talents.
Lucien’s face bears a dashing scar from when one of his cousins had cut his face as a child.
Speaking of Lucien’s cousins, they share a strange quasi-incestuous relationship and are the obvious villains of this book, conniving to have Lucien done away with and obtain the Dukedom. Lucien’s grandmother wants to see Lucien married and Lucien seems resigned to seek a wife, but certainly not one for love.
The Plot:
So Sabrina takes on the wild idea to become a highwayman. With the help of two burly locals, she takes on the name “Bonny Prince Charlie,” puts on a mask and hat, deepens her voice into husky timbre, wraps herself in a tartan, and holds up the rich nobles who travel the dark country roads in their coaches.
Lucien, after being robbed and taunted by the Bonny Prince, snares a trap to catch "him."
I love how Sabrina and Lucien have a sword fight, Lucien gets the best of her, as he is the better swordsman. They engage in tender lovemaking, there is no force, no dominance. I’ve said before in other reviews, Laurie McBain might have been old-school, but she was never a bodice ripper author.
When it's discovered Sabrina is pregnant, the Marquess in a rage whips her mercilessly, only for Lucien to put a stop to the brutality and carry her off in his arms.
That's more or less the first 1/2 - 2/3 of this book.
Unfortunately in the second half, Sabrina and Lucien are at odds for too long. However, it does pick up towards the end as a search for hidden treasure brings them back together.
Final Analysis of Moonstruck Madness:
I adored this book. the first time I read it, I was in my twenties and loved it. The second time, I was in my thirties and enjoyed it a little bit less, but still found it a thrilling read. As I said, the end falters a bit because the two stubborn hotheads are at odds for too long, nevertheless, this story was an entertaining, swashbuckling romance.
July 23, 2016
See tags - my feelings were all over the place with this one. I decided to give it a 4 since I was convinced this would be a 5 the first 50% of the book and then it went down to a 3 the last 50%.
First, regarding the Audible part, that was awesome. The narrator was great and the whispersync between the audio and the kindle version was flawless. I LOVED it.
Now on to the story itself. I loved the first half. It was improbable, implausible, and completely OTT - but boy was it fun! There was never a dull moment from the Scottish battlefield in the beginning when the heroine (Sabrina) was 12-13yo and barely escaped to England with her life, to the first time we see her highwayman alter ego, Bonnie Charlie, at work when she is 17.
Sabrina was the daughter of an English Marquis and the Scottish daughter of a Highland Laird. Her mother died in childbirth having her younger brother, Richard, so they all went to live with the Laird in Scotland. Otherwise, they would have starved, since their father was a neglectful piece of work who abandoned his children completely, leaving them unchaperoned (unless you count batty Aunt Margaret).
Sabrina and her siblings live happily in Scotland for 5-6 years until the Laird is killed in a battle with the English. After that, they return to her father's home in the English countryside and almost starve until Sabrina takes the obvious route and decides to become a highwayman (at 14-15). So improbable! Yet still fun and entertaining.
Sabrina herself was cocky, overconfident and used to having her own way, as she had only her much more timid older sister, 10yo brother, and batty aunt around. She ruled the roost. However, to balance it out, she was charming, not at all snobbish, and generous. She was absurd yet endearing and I was able to forgive her flaws due to her age and circumstances. She had managed to feed, clothe, and keep her entire family in relative comfort for their station. Remarkably she was this extremely successful, flamboyant, masked highwayman who never harmed anyone and was never harmed.
Then she screws up.
She robs the dinner party of a local Lord, which was reckless to begin with, but then she compounds it by taunting the arrogant, handsome yet scar-faced guest - Lucien, Duke of Camareigh. She compounds her mistake by holding up his coach a few chapters later and daring to slap him across the face when he taunts her. Now Lucien is pissed and determined to kill Bonnie Charlie. Sabrina falls right into his VERY obvious trap and is nearly killed in a sword fight with the Duke. That is when he realizes he is a (very beautiful) she.
He nurses her back to health and she ends up giving up her virginity to him - partially to force him to let down his guard and partially because of her traitorous body. Lucien is besotted and vows to make her his mistress, buy her a house, etc, etc. At this point he does not realize that she is the daughter of a Marquis. Sabrina realizes she's in love with Lucien, but knows she can't accept such a position in his life and sneaks away the next morning. Lucien feels duped and is still horny for her, so he tracks her down and discovers her true identity. Then gets his revenge by ruining her reputation to prevent her marriage to a drunken slob of a Duke that her greedy father was forcing on her. (The crap, broke father turned up with his new wife after a 10yr absence and decided to sell his 2 beautiful daughters in marriage).
Sabrina's father is enraged by his thwarted plans and begins beating Sabrina with a riding crop until Lucien rides to the rescue. He has realized - quite conveniently - that Sabrina is the perfect solution to all his problems. He has to wed before a certain date or lose his inheritance (yes, that old gem) and Sabrina is both desirable and a "Lady", making her acceptable to the grandmother enforcing the deadline. Plus, he's already compromised her, therefore marriage would welcomed by her greedy father and not such a shock to society. Of course, Lucien also has deeper feelings for Sabrina that he doesn't fully realize.
And here's where it begins to fall apart.
Sabrina is angry with the Duke and claims to hate him at this point. Understandable. He had humiliated her and prompted the beating from her father. But the lengths she goes to in order to thwart him go FAR beyond OTT hokey, fun into TSTL land. Seriously, I'd be here all day if I chronicled her selfish stupidity and this review is already too long.
Then she gets very selective amnesia, the Duke marries her while she doesn't remember hating him, and they are complete lovebirds for a while. Lucien having realized he is head over heels in love with her. Oh, and she's pregnant.
Of course, eventually she remembers, hates Lucien again and proceeds to be a complete brat for the next year. He is a dumb ass himself and instead of wooing her and admitting he's fallen in love with her, he gives up and goes to London where he may or may not have a mistress. While he's gone, Sabrina runs off to Scotland to save her treasure seeking little brother BY HERSELF (she's a Duchess, she could have brought a small army with her!).
After she and her brother have a bunch of misadventures in Scotland, she and Lucien finally have their HEA when he comes after her and rescues her from a crazed Highlander.
So, yes, a lot of complaining for 4 stars, but it really was overall entertaining, the narration was engaging, and there was always something going on. I just wish the author hadn't turned Sabrina into such a childish idiot in the last half of the book :( I was so stoked by this book and it was quite the letdown. A heroine can be tough without being TSTL (see Elenora from Jennifer Blake's Notorious Angel for an excellent example).
As an aside, this book appears on many bodice ripper lists, which I don't get. There's no rape or forced seduction, which IMHO is the hallmark of a bodice ripper. The H does slap the heroine once, but it didn't bother me like it normally does. Sabrina had just slapped him and he just slapped her back out of instinct and instantly regretted it. Historically speaking, any other man would have probably beat the living crap out of her at some point. Since I read the re-issued edition, I do wonder if this wasn't a case of selective editing to be more PC and in line with today's romance novel standards. Hmmmm.... will have to ask my fellow BR fans. Shutting up now.
First, regarding the Audible part, that was awesome. The narrator was great and the whispersync between the audio and the kindle version was flawless. I LOVED it.
Now on to the story itself. I loved the first half. It was improbable, implausible, and completely OTT - but boy was it fun! There was never a dull moment from the Scottish battlefield in the beginning when the heroine (Sabrina) was 12-13yo and barely escaped to England with her life, to the first time we see her highwayman alter ego, Bonnie Charlie, at work when she is 17.
Sabrina was the daughter of an English Marquis and the Scottish daughter of a Highland Laird. Her mother died in childbirth having her younger brother, Richard, so they all went to live with the Laird in Scotland. Otherwise, they would have starved, since their father was a neglectful piece of work who abandoned his children completely, leaving them unchaperoned (unless you count batty Aunt Margaret).
Sabrina and her siblings live happily in Scotland for 5-6 years until the Laird is killed in a battle with the English. After that, they return to her father's home in the English countryside and almost starve until Sabrina takes the obvious route and decides to become a highwayman (at 14-15). So improbable! Yet still fun and entertaining.
Sabrina herself was cocky, overconfident and used to having her own way, as she had only her much more timid older sister, 10yo brother, and batty aunt around. She ruled the roost. However, to balance it out, she was charming, not at all snobbish, and generous. She was absurd yet endearing and I was able to forgive her flaws due to her age and circumstances. She had managed to feed, clothe, and keep her entire family in relative comfort for their station. Remarkably she was this extremely successful, flamboyant, masked highwayman who never harmed anyone and was never harmed.
Then she screws up.
She robs the dinner party of a local Lord, which was reckless to begin with, but then she compounds it by taunting the arrogant, handsome yet scar-faced guest - Lucien, Duke of Camareigh. She compounds her mistake by holding up his coach a few chapters later and daring to slap him across the face when he taunts her. Now Lucien is pissed and determined to kill Bonnie Charlie. Sabrina falls right into his VERY obvious trap and is nearly killed in a sword fight with the Duke. That is when he realizes he is a (very beautiful) she.
He nurses her back to health and she ends up giving up her virginity to him - partially to force him to let down his guard and partially because of her traitorous body. Lucien is besotted and vows to make her his mistress, buy her a house, etc, etc. At this point he does not realize that she is the daughter of a Marquis. Sabrina realizes she's in love with Lucien, but knows she can't accept such a position in his life and sneaks away the next morning. Lucien feels duped and is still horny for her, so he tracks her down and discovers her true identity. Then gets his revenge by ruining her reputation to prevent her marriage to a drunken slob of a Duke that her greedy father was forcing on her. (The crap, broke father turned up with his new wife after a 10yr absence and decided to sell his 2 beautiful daughters in marriage).
Sabrina's father is enraged by his thwarted plans and begins beating Sabrina with a riding crop until Lucien rides to the rescue. He has realized - quite conveniently - that Sabrina is the perfect solution to all his problems. He has to wed before a certain date or lose his inheritance (yes, that old gem) and Sabrina is both desirable and a "Lady", making her acceptable to the grandmother enforcing the deadline. Plus, he's already compromised her, therefore marriage would welcomed by her greedy father and not such a shock to society. Of course, Lucien also has deeper feelings for Sabrina that he doesn't fully realize.
And here's where it begins to fall apart.
Sabrina is angry with the Duke and claims to hate him at this point. Understandable. He had humiliated her and prompted the beating from her father. But the lengths she goes to in order to thwart him go FAR beyond OTT hokey, fun into TSTL land. Seriously, I'd be here all day if I chronicled her selfish stupidity and this review is already too long.
Then she gets very selective amnesia, the Duke marries her while she doesn't remember hating him, and they are complete lovebirds for a while. Lucien having realized he is head over heels in love with her. Oh, and she's pregnant.
Of course, eventually she remembers, hates Lucien again and proceeds to be a complete brat for the next year. He is a dumb ass himself and instead of wooing her and admitting he's fallen in love with her, he gives up and goes to London where he may or may not have a mistress. While he's gone, Sabrina runs off to Scotland to save her treasure seeking little brother BY HERSELF (she's a Duchess, she could have brought a small army with her!).
After she and her brother have a bunch of misadventures in Scotland, she and Lucien finally have their HEA when he comes after her and rescues her from a crazed Highlander.
So, yes, a lot of complaining for 4 stars, but it really was overall entertaining, the narration was engaging, and there was always something going on. I just wish the author hadn't turned Sabrina into such a childish idiot in the last half of the book :( I was so stoked by this book and it was quite the letdown. A heroine can be tough without being TSTL (see Elenora from Jennifer Blake's Notorious Angel for an excellent example).
As an aside, this book appears on many bodice ripper lists, which I don't get. There's no rape or forced seduction, which IMHO is the hallmark of a bodice ripper. The H does slap the heroine once, but it didn't bother me like it normally does. Sabrina had just slapped him and he just slapped her back out of instinct and instantly regretted it. Historically speaking, any other man would have probably beat the living crap out of her at some point. Since I read the re-issued edition, I do wonder if this wasn't a case of selective editing to be more PC and in line with today's romance novel standards. Hmmmm.... will have to ask my fellow BR fans. Shutting up now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2023
Well that was undesirable
August 27, 2022
Sabrina is a lady by day, but by night she rides as a highwayman, trying to keep her family afloat. When she clashes with the Duke of Camareigh, her schemes begin to unravel.
There is not as much swashbuckling adventure as you usually get in these old bodice rippers, but that was more than made up for by the genuinely strong-willed heroine and her rather sensible reasons for clashing with the hero. Lucien is rather arrogant though, and I am not completely convinced he learned his lesson.
The plot was engaging through, though it becomes rather meandering at the end as McBain ticks off various subplots. I liked the style of writing, vivid without becoming overwrought.
There is not as much swashbuckling adventure as you usually get in these old bodice rippers, but that was more than made up for by the genuinely strong-willed heroine and her rather sensible reasons for clashing with the hero. Lucien is rather arrogant though, and I am not completely convinced he learned his lesson.
The plot was engaging through, though it becomes rather meandering at the end as McBain ticks off various subplots. I liked the style of writing, vivid without becoming overwrought.
June 25, 2024
In another lifetime, I would have gobbled up this swashbuckling historical romance, complete with requisite scarred hero and cross dressing heroine who robs the rich to feed the poor. Part Robin Hood, part Zorro, this novel is definitely well written, with meticulous attention to minutiae of the period, however, the vast cast of characters, continuous contrived coincidences, and twisty plot developments became increasingly more implausible and juvenile.
Probably the best part of the novel was the terrifying and vivid description of the real life battle at Culloden Moor in 1746, one that rang the death knell for an entire culture and marks the beginning of the upheaval in our heroine's life. But what follows is rather tedious and dull.
My tastes in HR have definitely veered into dark and gothicky lately so this well-crafted novel that could have held me captive only a few years ago unfortunately could not pass muster presently. DNF at the halfway mark.
Probably the best part of the novel was the terrifying and vivid description of the real life battle at Culloden Moor in 1746, one that rang the death knell for an entire culture and marks the beginning of the upheaval in our heroine's life. But what follows is rather tedious and dull.
My tastes in HR have definitely veered into dark and gothicky lately so this well-crafted novel that could have held me captive only a few years ago unfortunately could not pass muster presently. DNF at the halfway mark.
April 5, 2013
Scottish Heroine, masquerading as a Highwayman and a scarred English Duke make for an Absorbing Love Story!
Set in 1746 in Scotland (prologue) and 1751 in England, this is the story of Sabrina Verrick, the Scottish noblewoman, who along with her sister and brother survive after their grandfather, Laird of the MacElden clan is brutally slain by the English at Culloden Moor. They escape to England where they live in the country at the rundown estate of their father, an English marquis who abandoned them as children. There, to feed her family, Sabrina becomes the highwayman “Bonnie Charlie,” robbing the rich to aid the poor.
One man she robs, Lucien, Duke of Camareigh, a gambler and a rogue, is no English fop as are most of Sabrina’s victims. A self-made man, he decides to trap the wily bandit and have his revenge. Once he captures “Charlie” speaking “his” shoulder, the duke realizes “Charlie” is a beautiful young woman. When she won’t reveal who she is, he decides to try seduction.
Superbly written, you’ll find this one hard to put down. I love the logic of McBain’s intricate plot…no improbable moments here. No contrived black moments. Only great storytelling and suspenseful action. The dialog is clever and the characters wonderfully developed. Sabrina is courageous, good hearted and rebellious to the end and Camareigh is a tough alpha male, just the kind we like to see fall to love’s power.
McBain paints vivid pictures of Culloden (to start with) and then the English countryside thereafter, putting you right in the scene. It is so well done. Reading this just reminded me that a 5-star classic never goes out of style. Written in 1977, it sold a million copies. I see why.
I highly recommend it and the others in the trilogy:
Dominick Series:
Moonstruck Madness (1977) Sabrina and Lucien
Chance The Winds Of Fortune (1980) their daughter, Rhea and Dante
Dark Before The Rising Sun (1982) Rhea and Dante (cont’d.)
Set in 1746 in Scotland (prologue) and 1751 in England, this is the story of Sabrina Verrick, the Scottish noblewoman, who along with her sister and brother survive after their grandfather, Laird of the MacElden clan is brutally slain by the English at Culloden Moor. They escape to England where they live in the country at the rundown estate of their father, an English marquis who abandoned them as children. There, to feed her family, Sabrina becomes the highwayman “Bonnie Charlie,” robbing the rich to aid the poor.
One man she robs, Lucien, Duke of Camareigh, a gambler and a rogue, is no English fop as are most of Sabrina’s victims. A self-made man, he decides to trap the wily bandit and have his revenge. Once he captures “Charlie” speaking “his” shoulder, the duke realizes “Charlie” is a beautiful young woman. When she won’t reveal who she is, he decides to try seduction.
Superbly written, you’ll find this one hard to put down. I love the logic of McBain’s intricate plot…no improbable moments here. No contrived black moments. Only great storytelling and suspenseful action. The dialog is clever and the characters wonderfully developed. Sabrina is courageous, good hearted and rebellious to the end and Camareigh is a tough alpha male, just the kind we like to see fall to love’s power.
McBain paints vivid pictures of Culloden (to start with) and then the English countryside thereafter, putting you right in the scene. It is so well done. Reading this just reminded me that a 5-star classic never goes out of style. Written in 1977, it sold a million copies. I see why.
I highly recommend it and the others in the trilogy:
Dominick Series:
Moonstruck Madness (1977) Sabrina and Lucien
Chance The Winds Of Fortune (1980) their daughter, Rhea and Dante
Dark Before The Rising Sun (1982) Rhea and Dante (cont’d.)
March 1, 2011
This book was originally written in 1977, and wow, have times changed for historical romances! And boy am I glad!
Lucien is not the type of hero who should be put on a pedestal. Most of the bad things that happen to our heroine are his fault, but he wants to be praised when he fixes them again. The book timeline goes a little like this: fight (and we're talking Ronnie and Sammi on Jersey Shore style fighting, not playful banter) jump into bed, fight, jump into bed, repeat. This style of story just isn't for me. I understand that a lot of readers are into alpha males, even though I'm not, but Lucien is another breed altogether.
The part of the book where Sabrina has amnesia and actually believed she was in love with Lucien was my favorite part. This was a happy, loving romance! But of course, it was based on forgetting all the unforgivable, deal-breaking things that Lucien had done.
This book was definitely written in a stylized way, that I really don't see used any more. I'm sure there are readers who like to read about this rough sort of love, but it's not for me. This book made me appreciate the world of today's historical romances even more!
ARC sent by publisher in exchange for honest review
reviewed for http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com
Lucien is not the type of hero who should be put on a pedestal. Most of the bad things that happen to our heroine are his fault, but he wants to be praised when he fixes them again. The book timeline goes a little like this: fight (and we're talking Ronnie and Sammi on Jersey Shore style fighting, not playful banter) jump into bed, fight, jump into bed, repeat. This style of story just isn't for me. I understand that a lot of readers are into alpha males, even though I'm not, but Lucien is another breed altogether.
The part of the book where Sabrina has amnesia and actually believed she was in love with Lucien was my favorite part. This was a happy, loving romance! But of course, it was based on forgetting all the unforgivable, deal-breaking things that Lucien had done.
This book was definitely written in a stylized way, that I really don't see used any more. I'm sure there are readers who like to read about this rough sort of love, but it's not for me. This book made me appreciate the world of today's historical romances even more!
ARC sent by publisher in exchange for honest review
reviewed for http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com
October 31, 2015
I got the other two books in the Dominick series as ARC's and I am going to reread this one first. I read it as a new release way back when and it is going to be fun to revisit this series. I don't read much Historical Romance these days and it will be fun. I was even going to dig it out of my physical library, but now have it as an e-book. I am so happy that these wonderful books have been re-issued as e-books and that they have been reissued so a whole new generation can read the very best Historical-Romance books ever written.
First published in 1977, Moonstruck Madness does not show it's age. It's story of Sabrina, a young girl of 12 during the Battle of Culloden in 1746 where her grandfather was killed. Angus wisely knew the cause was hopeless and hid the families treasure. After his death, Sabrina, her sister Mary, brother Richard and Aunt Margaret fled to England where they took up residence in their absentee father's home. With no money to support them Sabrina becomes the highwayman, Bonnie Charlie. Eventually she robs the wrong nobleman and Lucien, Duke of Camareigh, takes it as a personal affront and lays a trap for Bonnie Charlie, netting the lovely Sabrina. She escapes but leaves a part of her soul with the Duke.
This is a tale of strong wills and even stronger love as these two, Sabrina and Lucien, do everything possible to escape what is their destiny.
First published in 1977, Moonstruck Madness does not show it's age. It's story of Sabrina, a young girl of 12 during the Battle of Culloden in 1746 where her grandfather was killed. Angus wisely knew the cause was hopeless and hid the families treasure. After his death, Sabrina, her sister Mary, brother Richard and Aunt Margaret fled to England where they took up residence in their absentee father's home. With no money to support them Sabrina becomes the highwayman, Bonnie Charlie. Eventually she robs the wrong nobleman and Lucien, Duke of Camareigh, takes it as a personal affront and lays a trap for Bonnie Charlie, netting the lovely Sabrina. She escapes but leaves a part of her soul with the Duke.
This is a tale of strong wills and even stronger love as these two, Sabrina and Lucien, do everything possible to escape what is their destiny.
February 11, 2009
I read this book when it first came out in the mid 1970's. It was one of the first explicitly erotic romance novels (along with Rosemary Rogers' "Sweet, Savage Love"), and it had a profound impact on my adolescent sensibilities.
Sabrina Verrick, a Scots-English noblewoman in exile in England with her sister and little brother after Culloden, has taken to the roads as the highwayman Bonnie Charlie to support her family. During a daring theft at a dinner party she meets Lucien, Duke of Camareigh, who swears to put a stop to Bonnie Charlie's crime spree. Their story unfolds with plenty of plots, captures and escapes, seduction, intrigue, and wildly passionate sex.
As with many of these older romances, hero and heroine don't always treat each other well, but I recall that McBain created a strong enough relationship between them to make me believe in their love.
It's been years since I last read this book, but I keep a copy on my shelf for old time's sake. I should probably re-read it one of these days.
Sabrina Verrick, a Scots-English noblewoman in exile in England with her sister and little brother after Culloden, has taken to the roads as the highwayman Bonnie Charlie to support her family. During a daring theft at a dinner party she meets Lucien, Duke of Camareigh, who swears to put a stop to Bonnie Charlie's crime spree. Their story unfolds with plenty of plots, captures and escapes, seduction, intrigue, and wildly passionate sex.
As with many of these older romances, hero and heroine don't always treat each other well, but I recall that McBain created a strong enough relationship between them to make me believe in their love.
It's been years since I last read this book, but I keep a copy on my shelf for old time's sake. I should probably re-read it one of these days.
February 27, 2019
The premise caught my attention at first, I'm a sucker for characters disguising themselves. The idea of a lady dressing as a man and committing highway robbery was irresistible to me.
She’d never come up against someone like the Duke before. He was ruthless, mean, vengeful–and intelligent. And, he had caught her
I liked the dynamic between Lucien and Sabrina in the beginning; the book started out as a solid 4 star read. Sabrina was a strong female lead, and it was refreshing to have a heroine unafraid of using a gun. Many of the side characters failed to capture my interest though, and I often found myself bored and skimming.
The writing was good, I'm still interested in trying Laurie McBain's other books. This was a lighthearted read, but mostly unremarkable.
She’d never come up against someone like the Duke before. He was ruthless, mean, vengeful–and intelligent. And, he had caught her
I liked the dynamic between Lucien and Sabrina in the beginning; the book started out as a solid 4 star read. Sabrina was a strong female lead, and it was refreshing to have a heroine unafraid of using a gun. Many of the side characters failed to capture my interest though, and I often found myself bored and skimming.
The writing was good, I'm still interested in trying Laurie McBain's other books. This was a lighthearted read, but mostly unremarkable.
May 6, 2017
This was the first historical romance novel I read. I bought it at a garage sale for 50 cents and it started a whole new life for me. By the early 80's I was back in college and knew I wanted to write. Eventually I sold my first book in 1988, a historical romance novel. When I wrote BEWITCHING, I made the hero Alec a duke because of Lucien in MM.
May 9, 2015
I skimmed alot. The plot was good but it became a little boring after awhile.Skimmed quite a bit actually. Going by Goodreads ratings-2 stars, 'it was ok.'
August 3, 2023
This started off with the slaughter of a Jacobite clan and a girl surviving when most of her relatives are killed in, quite literally, one shot. Sabrina (I kept thinking of Sabrina the teenage witch lol, but definitely not a witch) survives and the Englishman who let her go encounters her again in the future. As this is a historical romance, you can guess where this is going. I'm giving this a 3.5 ⭐. It wasn't bad but it definitely wasn't a top favorite either.
May 22, 2021
Read several times back in the days. Haven’t picked this up for years now but remember re-reading it all the time.
Leaving 5 ⭐️ for the sake of memory memoirs.
Leaving 5 ⭐️ for the sake of memory memoirs.
June 29, 2011
I am really shocked to see how high some of the ratings are for this book. I mean, did we read the same thing?
I will say that I liked the overall plot idea, with a strong heroine in Sabrina who does what she needs to do to provide for her sister and her brother. Family is really important to her, and she is really protective of them. I enjoyed her interactions with her sister Mary and her younger brother Richard most of all. Any time that she engaged in dialogue with Lucien, I wanted to quickly turn the page and move on to another part of the story--preferably anything that would get me closer to the end so I wouldn't have to keep reading.
Their love story is not at all convincing, nor is their relationship a healthy one. Lucien basically tricks Sabrina into marrying him, and doesn't have the decency to try and tell her the truth until it is too late and she starts remembering on her own how she felt about him before her memory loss.
This book is more about deceit, obsession, and lust than it is about romance and love. If that's your thing, then give it a try. If you want something sweeter, I suggest you look elsewhere.
I will say that I liked the overall plot idea, with a strong heroine in Sabrina who does what she needs to do to provide for her sister and her brother. Family is really important to her, and she is really protective of them. I enjoyed her interactions with her sister Mary and her younger brother Richard most of all. Any time that she engaged in dialogue with Lucien, I wanted to quickly turn the page and move on to another part of the story--preferably anything that would get me closer to the end so I wouldn't have to keep reading.
Their love story is not at all convincing, nor is their relationship a healthy one. Lucien basically tricks Sabrina into marrying him, and doesn't have the decency to try and tell her the truth until it is too late and she starts remembering on her own how she felt about him before her memory loss.
This book is more about deceit, obsession, and lust than it is about romance and love. If that's your thing, then give it a try. If you want something sweeter, I suggest you look elsewhere.
March 11, 2011
MOONSTRUCK MADNESS by Laurie McBain is a fast-paced, engrossing novel of the difficult choices people make to survive in a cruel world.
After losing everything in the aftermath of the 1746 Scottish Battle of Culloden, Sabrina must find a way to support her family. Her unorthodox method incurs the wrath of the arrogant and powerful Lucien, Duke of Camareigh. Again and again, these two strong personalities clash in a titanic battle of wills, even as an unwilling attraction seizes them both. But Lucien is promised to another and must marry to secure his estate.
Sabrina is bold almost to the point of recklessness as she does what she needs to in a harsh Georgian England which casts women as pawns. The utterly arrogant Lucien, although too abrasive for my taste, is appropriate to this period when an aristocrat's word was law. The villains, also, were too villainous for me, but again, are in keeping with this era of extremes.
As powerful now as at its first publication in 1977, MOONSTRUCK MADNESS transports you to a fascinating world of high drama and high stakes where power reigns until love finally wins.
ARC provided by Sourcebooks
After losing everything in the aftermath of the 1746 Scottish Battle of Culloden, Sabrina must find a way to support her family. Her unorthodox method incurs the wrath of the arrogant and powerful Lucien, Duke of Camareigh. Again and again, these two strong personalities clash in a titanic battle of wills, even as an unwilling attraction seizes them both. But Lucien is promised to another and must marry to secure his estate.
Sabrina is bold almost to the point of recklessness as she does what she needs to in a harsh Georgian England which casts women as pawns. The utterly arrogant Lucien, although too abrasive for my taste, is appropriate to this period when an aristocrat's word was law. The villains, also, were too villainous for me, but again, are in keeping with this era of extremes.
As powerful now as at its first publication in 1977, MOONSTRUCK MADNESS transports you to a fascinating world of high drama and high stakes where power reigns until love finally wins.
ARC provided by Sourcebooks
December 3, 2021
Okay I read it, I read it all, in fact, I finished the book last night and haven't read anything since and I still can barely remember what I read, that's how not intriguing I found it. 🤭
Obviously Moonstruck Madness was good enough to keep me going till the end, also, I feel it good to mention that I do love a ton of old school bodice rippers, so it wasn't the genre I found off-putting. Honestly, I think what did me in was the overt use of adverbs and every single adjective that ends in "ly."
Every sentence was like:
She smiled happily and gaily laughed at his silly loquatiously, flagrantly, and garishly told retelling of his unambiguously, flirtatiously, strongly worded tale.
🤦🏼♀️
Sometimes less is more and McBain could have benefitted (a lot) from an editor telling her to curtail some of her "ly's."
Aside from that, I just wish a little more could have happened, it was a big, long, non-adventure that I thought was building to something great! But the final scene was just like "and then the end."
I didn't hate it but I didn't like it either, it was just.... there.
Obviously Moonstruck Madness was good enough to keep me going till the end, also, I feel it good to mention that I do love a ton of old school bodice rippers, so it wasn't the genre I found off-putting. Honestly, I think what did me in was the overt use of adverbs and every single adjective that ends in "ly."
Every sentence was like:
She smiled happily and gaily laughed at his silly loquatiously, flagrantly, and garishly told retelling of his unambiguously, flirtatiously, strongly worded tale.
🤦🏼♀️
Sometimes less is more and McBain could have benefitted (a lot) from an editor telling her to curtail some of her "ly's."
Aside from that, I just wish a little more could have happened, it was a big, long, non-adventure that I thought was building to something great! But the final scene was just like "and then the end."
I didn't hate it but I didn't like it either, it was just.... there.
Read
March 6, 2014I MUST have read this; who could resist that cover back in the day?
March 7, 2011
I’ve really enjoyed some of the older romances that are being republished today. It allows newer romance readers like me to discover some remarkable romance reads that are truly timeless. It’s how I first discovered Laura Kinsale, but before accepting any offer to review a book I check it out the best that I can. I like to read the back cover copy, and an excerpt if I can to see if it might be something that I would enjoy reading...after all time is short, and no one likes to waste their precious reading time. Luckily with a book that is being republished it’s easy enough to find reviews and opinions so I was fairly confident that Moonstruck Madness would be a book I would enjoy reading because of all of the glowing recommendations...and after all the book sold over a million copies back in 1977 so it should be a great read, right? Unfortunately, all of my somewhat careful vetting let me down this time.
Moonstruck Madness follows the life of Sabrina Verrick, granddaughter to a Scottish Laird, and daughter to an English Marquis. Her story begins during the Jacobite rising in Scotland where she witnesses the defeat of her grandfather and his men and she and her two siblings along with an Aunt flee Scotland to return to England to escape most certain death, only to find an impoverished and neglected estate where they have to do whatever they can in order to provide for themselves.
At a young age Sabrina finds herself the sole provider for her family due to the absence and negligence of the only parent she has left who they haven’t seen for over twelve years. As a young woman of spirit and daring personality she creates a persona of “Bonnie Charlie” who takes from the rich who can afford it, and gives to the poor who need it, but risks the hangman’s noose every time she masquerades as the thief. While risky, she’s never felt truly in danger until she robs the wrong man, Lucien, the Duke of Camareigh who becomes single mindedly determined to catch the thief who has been terrorizing the neighborhood.
Lucien is a man resigned to the fate of marrying for reasons other than love in order to gain the inheritance that his grandmother is holding ransom. He is a man that probably suffers ennui like most titled aristocrats, until he encounters “Bonnie Charlie”. His plans for Bonnie Charlie alter when he discovers that “Charlie” is not a young lad, but in fact a beautiful young woman. A seduction ensues, and circumstances find the two married despite their love/hate relationship while escaping death more than once.
Moonstruck Madness has a much larger scope than most romances that are being written and published today. And there are times that I really miss that, but in this case I felt that the plot of the entire story was more important than the characters that the story was about. Through the course of the story it touched on so many things that I didn’t feel that any of them were adequately explored.
I also had issues with some of the transitions and pacing of the story. At times it felt that some things took too long to develop, but other times I felt that feelings or insight into a character moved too rapidly or were overlooked and I found myself stopping and re-reading passages thinking that I must have missed something, only to find that I had not which is why I felt that I was reading the book through Google preview, where certain sections or passages have been deleted because of what felt like a disjointed writing style. For instance, within a span on only 12 pages the hero of the story goes from being the enemy, to the heroine seducing him to aid in her escape, then finding that she loves him after one night of making love to him with little to no insight into her feelings and why they changed so abruptly. The reader fully understands her reasons for hating him (even though that is a strong word to use), and I never could grasp why she loved him especially since neither of their motives had altered or changed.
Sabrina and Lucien’s entire love story was a lesson in love and hate being closely related emotions and I really missed some of the internal dialogue and insight into what these characters might be thinking or feeling which you generally get in romances that are being written today. If the story would have been written today pages and pages would have more than likely been cut from the beginning. Focusing less on her ties to Scotland, which really only served as her inspiration for “Bonnie Charlie”, and more on her non existent relationship with her father. More of the heroine’s feelings would have been expressed instead of just in the actions that she took. The villains, who were fantastically self centered and evil, would have been allowed to be exceptionally bad, then dealt with adequately.
As it stands, I don’t think Moonstruck Madness translates well in the 21st century. I also don’t think it will appeal to as many of today’s romance readers in the same way it did to readers in the 1970’s despite some of the reviews you may have read. Some readers harbor a soft spot for it because it was one of the first romances that they read, but as a reader looking at it without sentimentality; I sadly found it lacking emotion, as well as character depth and growth. And while Laurie McBain created a superb cast of characters and supporting characters I didn’t feel that any of them were explored and written to their full potential as a book being published today. I really wanted to like Moonstruck Madness, and if I just looked at the overall plot of the story the idea of it is actually very good, but where it let me down was with the hero and the heroine and the reasons why they love one another. I never did fully understand the love in this romance. And for me, that is the most important thing.
Ratings:
Overall: 2.75 stars
Sensuality level: 2.0
Moonstruck Madness follows the life of Sabrina Verrick, granddaughter to a Scottish Laird, and daughter to an English Marquis. Her story begins during the Jacobite rising in Scotland where she witnesses the defeat of her grandfather and his men and she and her two siblings along with an Aunt flee Scotland to return to England to escape most certain death, only to find an impoverished and neglected estate where they have to do whatever they can in order to provide for themselves.
At a young age Sabrina finds herself the sole provider for her family due to the absence and negligence of the only parent she has left who they haven’t seen for over twelve years. As a young woman of spirit and daring personality she creates a persona of “Bonnie Charlie” who takes from the rich who can afford it, and gives to the poor who need it, but risks the hangman’s noose every time she masquerades as the thief. While risky, she’s never felt truly in danger until she robs the wrong man, Lucien, the Duke of Camareigh who becomes single mindedly determined to catch the thief who has been terrorizing the neighborhood.
Lucien is a man resigned to the fate of marrying for reasons other than love in order to gain the inheritance that his grandmother is holding ransom. He is a man that probably suffers ennui like most titled aristocrats, until he encounters “Bonnie Charlie”. His plans for Bonnie Charlie alter when he discovers that “Charlie” is not a young lad, but in fact a beautiful young woman. A seduction ensues, and circumstances find the two married despite their love/hate relationship while escaping death more than once.
Moonstruck Madness has a much larger scope than most romances that are being written and published today. And there are times that I really miss that, but in this case I felt that the plot of the entire story was more important than the characters that the story was about. Through the course of the story it touched on so many things that I didn’t feel that any of them were adequately explored.
I also had issues with some of the transitions and pacing of the story. At times it felt that some things took too long to develop, but other times I felt that feelings or insight into a character moved too rapidly or were overlooked and I found myself stopping and re-reading passages thinking that I must have missed something, only to find that I had not which is why I felt that I was reading the book through Google preview, where certain sections or passages have been deleted because of what felt like a disjointed writing style. For instance, within a span on only 12 pages the hero of the story goes from being the enemy, to the heroine seducing him to aid in her escape, then finding that she loves him after one night of making love to him with little to no insight into her feelings and why they changed so abruptly. The reader fully understands her reasons for hating him (even though that is a strong word to use), and I never could grasp why she loved him especially since neither of their motives had altered or changed.
Sabrina and Lucien’s entire love story was a lesson in love and hate being closely related emotions and I really missed some of the internal dialogue and insight into what these characters might be thinking or feeling which you generally get in romances that are being written today. If the story would have been written today pages and pages would have more than likely been cut from the beginning. Focusing less on her ties to Scotland, which really only served as her inspiration for “Bonnie Charlie”, and more on her non existent relationship with her father. More of the heroine’s feelings would have been expressed instead of just in the actions that she took. The villains, who were fantastically self centered and evil, would have been allowed to be exceptionally bad, then dealt with adequately.
As it stands, I don’t think Moonstruck Madness translates well in the 21st century. I also don’t think it will appeal to as many of today’s romance readers in the same way it did to readers in the 1970’s despite some of the reviews you may have read. Some readers harbor a soft spot for it because it was one of the first romances that they read, but as a reader looking at it without sentimentality; I sadly found it lacking emotion, as well as character depth and growth. And while Laurie McBain created a superb cast of characters and supporting characters I didn’t feel that any of them were explored and written to their full potential as a book being published today. I really wanted to like Moonstruck Madness, and if I just looked at the overall plot of the story the idea of it is actually very good, but where it let me down was with the hero and the heroine and the reasons why they love one another. I never did fully understand the love in this romance. And for me, that is the most important thing.
Ratings:
Overall: 2.75 stars
Sensuality level: 2.0
January 24, 2011
How often is it that you can say that a story has caught you by the seat of your pants from the first page of the prologue and not let you go until the very last sentence. This is one of those stories. It really took me by surprise and such a lovely surprise indeed it was.
Sabrina Verrick is a wee lassie that sees death and destruction up close and not very comfortable. A spirited child that has a bit of luck on her side that allows her to escape death's grip and flee to lead her family safely into exile penniless though they may be.
A Highland Hellcat exists in this little body of pure beauty but also one of determination and strength. She does what needs to be done for her remaining family to survive not only because of the primal need to provide and protect but also because of a hatred that is so encompassing that it's a wonder she doesn't self destruct with it's intensity.
Lucien, Duke of Camareigh is a bit of a frightening man with a scar that adorns one cheek and a temper that can singe the hair off one's head with just a quick glance. He's a man that doesn't take no for an answer and always gets what he wants but will his cost come so high as to cheat him out of a life of some happiness in a world where proprietary comes first and foremost?
Our hotheaded devilish Duke needs to marry to gain his inheritance and is on a strict time line in which to do this. Twin cousins are awaiting in the wings for Lucien to miss that deadline so that they may claim the riches and lands but to what lengths will these twins go to in order to claim a right not due to them by birth.
An interruption from a Highwayman named Bonnie Charlie and his two giant friends put a crimp in the Dukes bonnet so to speak as the thieves boldly take what they need when they want only to sneak away without a trace.
The story is a non stop action packed romance with sizzle, sparks and flames aplenty. If one doesn't ignite from a fit of temper then one will surely ignite from a blast of pure sexual intensity that you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.
Sabrina Verrick is a wee lassie that sees death and destruction up close and not very comfortable. A spirited child that has a bit of luck on her side that allows her to escape death's grip and flee to lead her family safely into exile penniless though they may be.
A Highland Hellcat exists in this little body of pure beauty but also one of determination and strength. She does what needs to be done for her remaining family to survive not only because of the primal need to provide and protect but also because of a hatred that is so encompassing that it's a wonder she doesn't self destruct with it's intensity.
Lucien, Duke of Camareigh is a bit of a frightening man with a scar that adorns one cheek and a temper that can singe the hair off one's head with just a quick glance. He's a man that doesn't take no for an answer and always gets what he wants but will his cost come so high as to cheat him out of a life of some happiness in a world where proprietary comes first and foremost?
Our hotheaded devilish Duke needs to marry to gain his inheritance and is on a strict time line in which to do this. Twin cousins are awaiting in the wings for Lucien to miss that deadline so that they may claim the riches and lands but to what lengths will these twins go to in order to claim a right not due to them by birth.
An interruption from a Highwayman named Bonnie Charlie and his two giant friends put a crimp in the Dukes bonnet so to speak as the thieves boldly take what they need when they want only to sneak away without a trace.
The story is a non stop action packed romance with sizzle, sparks and flames aplenty. If one doesn't ignite from a fit of temper then one will surely ignite from a blast of pure sexual intensity that you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.
August 4, 2015
Moonstruck Madness was a surprise, but not a particularly pleasant one. I started out with rolling my eyes, then I was bored, only to go back to major eye rolling. I considered giving up on it several times. In the end I didn’t, but I skimmed over large sections of the book.
The first thing I noticed was the writing. I think this book is a perfect example of how writing has evolved in the past 40-odd years. All those adverbs! (she exclaimed theatrically.)
And then there was the story. To me it seemed four books were squeezed into one (see spoilers below). With so many plot lines and all those adverbs I found it hard to relate to the story and the characters. I never really got a feel for any of the characters or developed a liking to them. And all of them did these stupid things or things that just didn’t make sense.
I like emotion in romances and, unfortunately, emotion was almost completely lacking here. I didn’t even feel any chemistry between Sabrina and the duke.
So to me this book hasn’t stood the test of time at all (she declared boldly).
1.5 stars
I really, really didn’t enjoy this book.
The first thing I noticed was the writing. I think this book is a perfect example of how writing has evolved in the past 40-odd years. All those adverbs! (she exclaimed theatrically.)
And then there was the story. To me it seemed four books were squeezed into one (see spoilers below). With so many plot lines and all those adverbs I found it hard to relate to the story and the characters. I never really got a feel for any of the characters or developed a liking to them. And all of them did these stupid things or things that just didn’t make sense.
I like emotion in romances and, unfortunately, emotion was almost completely lacking here. I didn’t even feel any chemistry between Sabrina and the duke.
So to me this book hasn’t stood the test of time at all (she declared boldly).
1.5 stars
I really, really didn’t enjoy this book.
December 20, 2021
One of my wife's favorites from her childhood, she bought a used copy for sentimental reasons, but was hesitant to reread it, afraid it wouldn't live up to her memory. I read it to give her my opinion and she decided it would be worth a reread after 43 years.
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