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McClairen's Isle #1
The Passionate One
No woman could resist the pleasures he offered....
They are the Merricks, two brothers and a sister, restless, daring, proud. English by birth, they came to Scotland with their father to occupy McClairen lands. And there each would find a love as wild and glorious as the Highland isle they claimed as their own.
Fia, the only daughter, is the ravishing one. Raine, the second son, is the reckless one. Ashton is the eldest son. This is his story. . . .
The Passionate One
He was a notorious rogue with a reputation for hell-raising and heartbreaking. But family secrets forced Ashton Merrick to do his ruthless father's bidding--and escort Rhiannon Russell back to McClairen's Isle. Ash suspected that his father intended to make the innocent beauty his fourth wife. But he didn't expect the passions she would ignite in his own wary heart.
Watch for the next two books in the breathtakingly romantic McClairen's Isle trilogy, The Reckless One and The Ravishing One, coming soon from Dell.
They are the Merricks, two brothers and a sister, restless, daring, proud. English by birth, they came to Scotland with their father to occupy McClairen lands. And there each would find a love as wild and glorious as the Highland isle they claimed as their own.
Fia, the only daughter, is the ravishing one. Raine, the second son, is the reckless one. Ashton is the eldest son. This is his story. . . .
The Passionate One
He was a notorious rogue with a reputation for hell-raising and heartbreaking. But family secrets forced Ashton Merrick to do his ruthless father's bidding--and escort Rhiannon Russell back to McClairen's Isle. Ash suspected that his father intended to make the innocent beauty his fourth wife. But he didn't expect the passions she would ignite in his own wary heart.
Watch for the next two books in the breathtakingly romantic McClairen's Isle trilogy, The Reckless One and The Ravishing One, coming soon from Dell.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
118 people are currently reading
746 people want to read
About the author
Connie Brockway
60 books726 followersNew York Times and USAToday best selling author Connie Brockway has twice won the Romance Writers of America's Rita award for best historical romance as well as being an eight time finalist. After receiving a double major in art history and English from Macalester College, Connie entered grad school with an eye to acquiring her MFA in creative writing. Soon enough she jettisoned the idea of writing serious literature for what she considered (and still considers) the best gig in the world, writing romance.
Connie has received numerous starred reviews for her romances in Publisher's Weekly and Library Journal. Library Journal also named her Her 2004 romance, My Seduction, one of the year's top ten romances.
In November of 2011, THE OTHER GUY'S BRIDE (a sequel to the perennially popular AS YOU DESIRE) was Amazon's Montlake Publishing's launch title. Here next book, NO PLACE FOR A DAME will be published September, 2013. A regency set romance, it is also the sequel to ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT.Today Connie lives in Minnesota with her husband David, a family physician, and two spoiled mutts.
Connie has received numerous starred reviews for her romances in Publisher's Weekly and Library Journal. Library Journal also named her Her 2004 romance, My Seduction, one of the year's top ten romances.
In November of 2011, THE OTHER GUY'S BRIDE (a sequel to the perennially popular AS YOU DESIRE) was Amazon's Montlake Publishing's launch title. Here next book, NO PLACE FOR A DAME will be published September, 2013. A regency set romance, it is also the sequel to ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT.Today Connie lives in Minnesota with her husband David, a family physician, and two spoiled mutts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
July 26, 2010
Actually more like a 3.5, I think. I'm not even settled on that, but I figured I'd get the review out of the way and get on with my life.
This is a very angsty read. The hero is the son of an awful Englishman who managed to take over the holdings of a Scottish clan after the slaughter at Culloden. The elder Merrick is an extremely nasty piece of work.
Ash Merrick has cultivated an image of urbane ruthlessness, but we know there's more to him than that. He has a younger brother and sister who are featured in the following books in this trilogy and their whole back story is rich with pathos.
Rhiannon Russell, the heroine, is a beauty who was spirited away from the Highlands to save her from Cumberland's men. She still has nightmares from the slaughter that orphaned her, but she's been cared for by a foster mother in the tiny hamlet of Fair Badden all the years since.
I won't go into any more of the plot because it's too complex, but what this book reminds me of is one long prologue. I think the three books together might form the entire story and so each single book might feel lacking.
There were a lot of hints of what may come in the next books, Raine's situation in France and Fia's evolution from dissolute teen to potentially rebellious adult. Very intriguing. More intriguing, unfortunately than a good 60% of this book.
Things didn't really start getting interesting until Ash and Rhiannon made it up to the Highlands. The time in Fair Badden wasn't wasted but it often felt tedious. I was able to put the book down fairly easily. And, at one point I thought I might find something else to read instead, but I powered through the bogged-down middle and made it to the good stuff near the end.
Unfortunately, one of the main action-drivers for the hero is simply 'taken care of' at the end and I don't think he was sufficiently interested in pursuing that course. For someone called "the passionate one" he certainly lacked fervor in continuing his quest once things weren't quite as he'd thought they were, so that was a bit disappointing.
However, I've already ordered a used copy of the second book. As I say, I think the trilogy forms a whole and I'm very interested in what happens with Ash's siblings.
I can see why people would give this a low rating. I give it 3.5 because Brockway did entertain me and I have hopes that the trilogy over all will form a cohesive and satisfying story.
This is a very angsty read. The hero is the son of an awful Englishman who managed to take over the holdings of a Scottish clan after the slaughter at Culloden. The elder Merrick is an extremely nasty piece of work.
Ash Merrick has cultivated an image of urbane ruthlessness, but we know there's more to him than that. He has a younger brother and sister who are featured in the following books in this trilogy and their whole back story is rich with pathos.
Rhiannon Russell, the heroine, is a beauty who was spirited away from the Highlands to save her from Cumberland's men. She still has nightmares from the slaughter that orphaned her, but she's been cared for by a foster mother in the tiny hamlet of Fair Badden all the years since.
I won't go into any more of the plot because it's too complex, but what this book reminds me of is one long prologue. I think the three books together might form the entire story and so each single book might feel lacking.
There were a lot of hints of what may come in the next books, Raine's situation in France and Fia's evolution from dissolute teen to potentially rebellious adult. Very intriguing. More intriguing, unfortunately than a good 60% of this book.
Things didn't really start getting interesting until Ash and Rhiannon made it up to the Highlands. The time in Fair Badden wasn't wasted but it often felt tedious. I was able to put the book down fairly easily. And, at one point I thought I might find something else to read instead, but I powered through the bogged-down middle and made it to the good stuff near the end.
Unfortunately, one of the main action-drivers for the hero is simply 'taken care of' at the end and I don't think he was sufficiently interested in pursuing that course. For someone called "the passionate one" he certainly lacked fervor in continuing his quest once things weren't quite as he'd thought they were, so that was a bit disappointing.
However, I've already ordered a used copy of the second book. As I say, I think the trilogy forms a whole and I'm very interested in what happens with Ash's siblings.
I can see why people would give this a low rating. I give it 3.5 because Brockway did entertain me and I have hopes that the trilogy over all will form a cohesive and satisfying story.
September 6, 2019
I have not read this author's book for a long time. This story was not the best one but not the worst one either. I got stuck somewhere in half and was convinced that I would not finish it. But then I went back to reading and it turned out that the story is better than I expected.
That does not change the fact that this is not a story that I will remember for years. The characters are fine but not particularly distinctive. Ash is much more interesting than Rhiannon. I feel very unsatisfied with both of them. The personalities of Rhiannon and Ash could be further developed. Ash has such a tragic past that I would like to know more about him. Similarly, Rhiannon. Maybe the book would be more dark then, but the characters would certainly be much more fascinating. I miss this. Rhiannon seems so flat and boring. She is supposed to show some Scottish temperament but it is not enough.
The plot is also not very inspiring although it has some potential. I think that the action is just skimpy. Ash and Rhiannon spend half the book in the village, not much happens then except that they fall in love but we readers are not seeing many of their meetings. Then the action moves to Ash's ancestral castle and everything goes quickly from there (not to be confused with eventfully). The whole story of Rhiannon's assassination attempts is poorly exposed up to the point it is even questioned if someone is really trying to kill her. A pity, because extending these aspects could bring a bit of thrill to this otherwise boring story. And so it is a simple ordinary love story similar to thousands others.
In summary the book is fine but I read better ones. Probably only the characters with an interesting past save the whole story, even if they themselves do not behave interestingly. Thank goodness, Ash's siblings also seem to be interesting characters so maybe I'll read more books in this series. Although probably not immediately.
That does not change the fact that this is not a story that I will remember for years. The characters are fine but not particularly distinctive. Ash is much more interesting than Rhiannon. I feel very unsatisfied with both of them. The personalities of Rhiannon and Ash could be further developed. Ash has such a tragic past that I would like to know more about him. Similarly, Rhiannon. Maybe the book would be more dark then, but the characters would certainly be much more fascinating. I miss this. Rhiannon seems so flat and boring. She is supposed to show some Scottish temperament but it is not enough.
The plot is also not very inspiring although it has some potential. I think that the action is just skimpy. Ash and Rhiannon spend half the book in the village, not much happens then except that they fall in love but we readers are not seeing many of their meetings. Then the action moves to Ash's ancestral castle and everything goes quickly from there (not to be confused with eventfully). The whole story of Rhiannon's assassination attempts is poorly exposed up to the point it is even questioned if someone is really trying to kill her. A pity, because extending these aspects could bring a bit of thrill to this otherwise boring story. And so it is a simple ordinary love story similar to thousands others.
In summary the book is fine but I read better ones. Probably only the characters with an interesting past save the whole story, even if they themselves do not behave interestingly. Thank goodness, Ash's siblings also seem to be interesting characters so maybe I'll read more books in this series. Although probably not immediately.
May 24, 2021
I loved this trilogy and I adored this one. Ashton Merrick is the eldest son of a psycopath villain, a serial widower who marries and then kills his wives when he doesn't need them any more. This villain would put the Borgias, Henry the 8th, Caligola and Nerone to shame because he has it all. He throws his children's mother from a window when she asks him if he was responsible for her family's massacre and this is only the least of his sin. Ok, then his children grows up and he has his second son Raine beaten to a pulp and imprisoned in a French prison for no reason at all. Ash, who loves his siblings and hates his father, is left without a penny but he is not targeted because he's the eldest. Mmmm. So he pretends to be a rogue and a debauched nothing, so his father thinks he's harmless, but he's secretly trying to collect enough money to buy his brother freedom. He also is paid by his father to pick up a girl in Scotland, that is his ward, and take her to his castle. He falls hard for this girl, a young, innocent and gorgeous creature. She's engaged to a guy, but this doesn't prevent her from falling for Ash and have some passionate encounters with him. In one occasion they make love. Anyway he takes her to his father's castle because his ultimate goal is to save his brother and he cannot allow anything to interfere with his final goal. Carr, the father from hell, plans to marry the heroine, because the Crown noticed that he has a tendency to become a widow and suspect something could be wrong. Just so. Ash is horrified, so is Rihannon. Actually Carr's real plan is to let her run away and kill her anyway and eventually Ash will be the one to save her. They will have their very deserved HEA. I loved Ash so much. I loved how he's described. Hes' really passionate and extreme in his feelings for Rihannon. I loved her also because she's his perfect match. They are both survivors of tragedies and they are both very strong. There are some unforgettable scenes in this book that make this book worth reading. His first introduction,their first kiss, their first lovemaking, the moment when Carr reveals he's going to marry Rhiannon, the scene where Rhiannon take care of Ash after he's forced to a boxing match with a much stronger man, the moment where Rhiannon watch him sleep and realizes he's so young, not much older than a boy. Only one example, after their first kiss: "She did not see Ash merrick's gaze follow her, or see him take his hands from behind his back and turn them over. And she did not see the bloody hands that had been torn strangling the thorny vines behind her so he could keep from crushing her to him". Shivers. There's so much passion in this whole book, Ash is a tragic character. I don't want to spoil too much because it's really worth reading. I only say that I had tachycardia and shivers for most of the book. Not too good for my heart. Or maybe so.
August 12, 2016
Superb Scottish Historical Romance!
This is the first in the McClairen's Isle trilogy and it’s wonderful!...an enduring Scottish historical for the "keeper" shelf.
The stories in the trilogy tell of a family of two brothers and a sister, Scottish by their mother Janet McClairen, and English by their father, the charming, selfish, ruthless Ronald Merrick, now Earl of Carr. Many years ago, Merrick fled his debtors in London to come to McClairen's Isle in the Highlands with an aim to take it from the McClairen clan. He came to woo the clan but ended up winning the laird's cousin, Janet. She gave him two sons and a daughter and then mysteriously died falling off a cliff. Later, through treachery, Merrick gained McClairen's Isle, and the title of Earl of Carr after helping the English at Culloden at the expense of the clan. His wife's relatives wanted revenge and went after him. Instead of taking him, however, they captured his sons. The Scots didn't want to kill the sons (they were half Scottish) so they were sent off to prison in France.
This is the story of one of those sons, Ash, who was freed when his father paid the ransom but his brother, Raine was left in France to rot. Ash lives to free his brother. In 1760, Ash is summoned by his father for an errand: to fetch back to Scotland Carr's ward, Rhiannon Russell, from England where she's been living for the last 10 years. While Ash loathes his father, he is willing to undertake the task for the money it will bring, money that will buy Raine's freedom.
Rhiannon is haunted by nightmares of having been hunted as a young girl by the Butcher of Culloden, Lord Cumberland, and has no desire to leave her place of refuge at Fair Badden. She is betrothed to a handsome Englishman, and while neither is in love, it is a good match for Rhiannon. And then comes Ash...
Brockway writes well, her words, phrases and dialog capturing the time period. She has wonderful analogies and lines that put you in the moment ("It had been waiting for her return for a decade, like a witch's unwanted familiar."). Her language is wonderfully descriptive so that you see each shadow cast by the moonlight and hear each cricket ("The winnowing wind whispered a spurious greeting and the chill mist stretched milky fingers up to brush her legs in mock obeisance.").
It is a well-woven plot, the story is believable and the passion and conflict between the hero and heroine convincing. The hero is one of those darkly handsome men, noble in heart, who has become jaded by life's experiences ("...his eyes were dark, his wrists scarred, and his soul as tattered and patched as a gypsy's cape..."). Ash never looked for nor expected to find love. Rhiannon is hiding from a past that frightens her, nightmares of being chased by Lord Cumberland's dragoons. She wants only peace--like an opiate. But Ash does not bring peace; instead, he brings a passion neither wants to acknowledge.
I just loved this book and didn't want to put it down. I highly recommended it and the rest in the trilogy!
The McClairen's Isle trilogy:
THE PASSIONATE ONE
THE RECKLESS ONE
THE RAVISHING ONE
This is the first in the McClairen's Isle trilogy and it’s wonderful!...an enduring Scottish historical for the "keeper" shelf.
The stories in the trilogy tell of a family of two brothers and a sister, Scottish by their mother Janet McClairen, and English by their father, the charming, selfish, ruthless Ronald Merrick, now Earl of Carr. Many years ago, Merrick fled his debtors in London to come to McClairen's Isle in the Highlands with an aim to take it from the McClairen clan. He came to woo the clan but ended up winning the laird's cousin, Janet. She gave him two sons and a daughter and then mysteriously died falling off a cliff. Later, through treachery, Merrick gained McClairen's Isle, and the title of Earl of Carr after helping the English at Culloden at the expense of the clan. His wife's relatives wanted revenge and went after him. Instead of taking him, however, they captured his sons. The Scots didn't want to kill the sons (they were half Scottish) so they were sent off to prison in France.
This is the story of one of those sons, Ash, who was freed when his father paid the ransom but his brother, Raine was left in France to rot. Ash lives to free his brother. In 1760, Ash is summoned by his father for an errand: to fetch back to Scotland Carr's ward, Rhiannon Russell, from England where she's been living for the last 10 years. While Ash loathes his father, he is willing to undertake the task for the money it will bring, money that will buy Raine's freedom.
Rhiannon is haunted by nightmares of having been hunted as a young girl by the Butcher of Culloden, Lord Cumberland, and has no desire to leave her place of refuge at Fair Badden. She is betrothed to a handsome Englishman, and while neither is in love, it is a good match for Rhiannon. And then comes Ash...
Brockway writes well, her words, phrases and dialog capturing the time period. She has wonderful analogies and lines that put you in the moment ("It had been waiting for her return for a decade, like a witch's unwanted familiar."). Her language is wonderfully descriptive so that you see each shadow cast by the moonlight and hear each cricket ("The winnowing wind whispered a spurious greeting and the chill mist stretched milky fingers up to brush her legs in mock obeisance.").
It is a well-woven plot, the story is believable and the passion and conflict between the hero and heroine convincing. The hero is one of those darkly handsome men, noble in heart, who has become jaded by life's experiences ("...his eyes were dark, his wrists scarred, and his soul as tattered and patched as a gypsy's cape..."). Ash never looked for nor expected to find love. Rhiannon is hiding from a past that frightens her, nightmares of being chased by Lord Cumberland's dragoons. She wants only peace--like an opiate. But Ash does not bring peace; instead, he brings a passion neither wants to acknowledge.
I just loved this book and didn't want to put it down. I highly recommended it and the rest in the trilogy!
The McClairen's Isle trilogy:
THE PASSIONATE ONE
THE RECKLESS ONE
THE RAVISHING ONE
July 22, 2015
I have read only 2 books from Connie Brockway and found them both reasonably enjoyable. I did not enjoy this book though.
I was not able to enjoy the book because:
1. The writing seems unnecessarily cryptic to me. I felt that I had to "guess" what she meant. While I appreciate the depth, I was never certain whether my "interpretation" was correct and that made it very hard to follow the story.
2. The plots were not very interesting. I found myself not caring so much about what was happening. The tension or the suspense just was not present.
3. The lead characters turned rather annoying at about 40%, especially the heroine. She became too indignant for my taste.
I struggled to finish the book because I did not really want to know what was going to happen. There is one thing that I did like: the first few chapters of the book. Connie Brockway wrote about the "origins" of the 3 brothers and sister and the backdrop of the series. I actually enjoyed that part more than I did the romance.
I will still read Connie Brockway but I will skip the series, I guess.
I was not able to enjoy the book because:
1. The writing seems unnecessarily cryptic to me. I felt that I had to "guess" what she meant. While I appreciate the depth, I was never certain whether my "interpretation" was correct and that made it very hard to follow the story.
2. The plots were not very interesting. I found myself not caring so much about what was happening. The tension or the suspense just was not present.
3. The lead characters turned rather annoying at about 40%, especially the heroine. She became too indignant for my taste.
I struggled to finish the book because I did not really want to know what was going to happen. There is one thing that I did like: the first few chapters of the book. Connie Brockway wrote about the "origins" of the 3 brothers and sister and the backdrop of the series. I actually enjoyed that part more than I did the romance.
I will still read Connie Brockway but I will skip the series, I guess.
August 29, 2011
Early on in our relationship, my wife (to be) told me that she wanted to write romance and she wanted me to know what a really good historical romance read like so I would know what she was shooting for. This was one of the first books she gave me and it was phenomenal. The characters were vivid, the story was clever and the setting really came to life. I read a million romance novels since but this one will always stay with me.
January 9, 2012
2.5 stars
I'm being a bit harsh on this book, because it has the germ of a good story. But it seems to meander and wander and then wallow. I'm not sure if it's a page-requirement or just in need of a better editor.
This book sets up the background for all 3 books in the series. It tells the tale of McClairen's Isle - a fortress in Scotland built by a McClairen on an island, so that he and his clan can see any and all who come to their lands. While the McClairens survived a lot of history, they weren't so fortunate with the Stuart Risings; and they joined in with Bonnie Prince Charlie and were ruined at Culloden. A McClairen daughter, Janet, married an Englishman - Carr Merrick. Janet was desperately in love with Carr, and her clan indulged her, even though Carr was an indolent, no-good Englishman. In fact, Carr ratted out the McClairens to the Hanovers as Jacobites, removing the last of them to the Tower, while Carr received McClairen's Isle as his reward. His wife, Janet, couldn't bring herself to believe that her husband would do such a thing; but on the day she confronted him, Carr either murdered her himself or had her murdered. Although no one knows for sure; Carr put it about that she either threw herself off the sea cliff or simply fell.
Janet and Carr had three children: Ash (about 9 or 10), Rayne (6 or so), and Fia (an infant or toddler). Carr had no use for his children. Why he didn't like Ash isn't quite made clear. But Rayne looks too much like Janet, his mother; Rayne suffered the most at Carr's hands. Fia, a beautiful girl, was kept closer to Carr's side; he "taught" her according to his own standards, which means that when this story takes place, Fia, at 15, is almost as corrupt as her father.
There is a story that Rayne raped a young novice who was about to take her vows as a nun. Depending on who you believe, the girl was anywhere from 10 to 14 years old. Rayne was caught by some of the remaining McClairen clan, who took revenge upon Carr by beating Rayne within an inch of his life. Ash fought his way through the men, killing many with his sword to get to Rayne. You see, Janet charged Ash with taking care of his brother, and Ash takes that charge seriously. There was no proof that Rayne raped the girl, but the McClairen clan decided to sell Ash and Rayne to the French, who then tried to ransom them back to their father, Carr. Carr paid the ransom for Ash, but he refused to pay for Rayne. Knowing Ash's determination to set his brother free, Carr used that against Ash, forcing him to pay off his own ransom in service to Carr - that means doing whatever dirty work Carr deems necessary. But Carr also holds the carrot for Ash, in the form of payment, which Carr knows Ash will save to pay Rayne's ransom.
So, as this story truly begins, we see Ash going to Fair Badden, England in search of Rhiannon Russell. Rhiannon was orphaned by Culloden, and she suffered the horrors of the aftermath - watching her mother and siblings brutally murdered by English soldiers, hiding from the soldiers on the moor - starving and freezing. Rhiannon and her nurse managed to walk to London to Carr's door, knowing that Carr was a kinsmen, through marriage, to the McClairen clan. But they were turned away without even a bite of food. So Rhiannon ended up in Fair Badden, with distant cousins, the Fraisers, who took her in. Mr. Fraiser has been gone for a couple of years, but he set up Mrs. Fraiser well. She and Rhiannon have been doing just fine -- in fact, Rhiannon is to be wed to Philip Watt, the younger son of a baronet. Philip's father chose Rhiannon for his son, because she's beautiful, but penniless; the elder Watt figures that she won't be too particular and will do as she's told. So the elder Watt has settled some money on Philip to make their lives easier.
Rhiannon is satisfied with Philip Watt. She sees her life stretching before her as safe, sound, and comfortable in the country. Rhiannon has occasional nightmares, still, about her flight from Scotland; she pushes down any Scottish part of her heritage, herself, or her memories to be as English as she possibly can be.
And then Ash Merrick rides into town... Ash is there at his father's bidding. Seems Carr has decided that he must take on Rhiannon's guardianship. Ash suspects that after 4 rich wives, Carr must be after Rhiannon as his 5th rich wife. Carr has turned McClairen's Isle into a Hellfire Club (or Eden, depending upon perspective), and that requires lots and lots of money; Carr's life revolves around money, and he doesn't countenance winners much.
Rhiannon and Mrs. Fraiser balk at Ash's claim that Rhiannon must return with Ash to Scotland. They persuade Ash to remain until May Day, because Rhiannon wishes to once again be the Virgin Queen of May Day, and then 2 days past that is her wedding day to Philip Watt, whereby Rhiannon will no longer be under Carr's guardianship. Ash decides that he'd like to see his father's plans thwarted, so he sticks around. Rhiannon intrigues him - Ash recognizes that she's trying too hard to restrain her true nature, he doesn't trust Philip Watt, and then there's the matter of the "accidents" that keep happening to Rhiannon. First, she's set upon by highwaymen, escaping, but a bullet grazes her cheek. Then, during a masquerade party that Ash is attending, a knife barely misses Rhiannon's heart. Ash asks a "friend", Thomas Donne, about who might want to kill Rhiannon. Donne's not sure, but his reply makes it clear to Ash that Rhiannon is in danger.
For her part, Rhiannon is drawn to Ash as no man before. Ash teases her with a few kisses, but on May Day, when she's drunk and gathering flowers in the forest at night, alone (Philip, May Day King, has broken his ankle), Ash goes in search of her, worried for her safety. But when he finds Rhiannon, she pleads for him to stretch his kisses into making love to her... something Ash has been trying to avoid. He feels the tension between them, too. And Ash can't withstand her pleading, so he deflowers Rhiannon. Rhiannon looks upon Ash as a tragic hero of some kind, and their "love" as a doomed romance. She sadly bids Ash goodbye the next day, asking him not to tell Philip - that she, Rhiannon, will not tell Philip, either. But that day is the hunt, and Ash discovers that Rhiannon's beloved dog has been lured into a deer trap, to lure Rhiannon to her death. When Philip unexpectedly shows up in a cart to take the dog and Rhiannon home, Ash believes that Philip set up the entire incident, wondering if Philip's sexual preferences lean more towards his "friends" than towards women, and perhaps Philip is trying to rid himself of Rhiannon.
So Ash kidnaps Rhiannon and takes her to McClairen's Isle - an eye-opening experience for them both. Ash discovers his father, Carr, never expected to see Rhiannon alive - but what does that mean? Rhiannon discovers she loves Ash, but how much? Fia, jaded at 15, discovers her father has lied, even to her, about so much, not the least of which is the "extra" money he's been getting quarterly... from whom? Are the rumors of Rhiannon's brother still being alive true? Who has been trying to murder Rhiannon? And will he succeed, since Philip and his "friends" show up to kidnap Rhiannon back to England?
---------------
There's so much promise in this book, but it gets lost in pages and pages of STUFF. It's never made clear to us whether Philip is gay or not; perhaps Philip, himself, doesn't know. And while we do learn what's behind the "accidents" that have been happening to Rhiannon, it's been so obvious for so long, it hardly seems to matter any longer. The pieces that are put together take so long to reveal, that the reader is lost in the details of all the swirling sub-plots, thoughts from Ash, Rhiannon, Carr, and Fia, that it just doesn't matter. The debauchery of McClairen's Isle is brought to full-color life, but it springs up 2/3 of the way through the tale, and it seems only to be a diversion - a page filler.
Even the ending, leaving us hanging as Ash goes to France to ransom his brother, only to find his brother is missing from the gaol, seems only a device to try to suck us into the next book. At almost 400 pages, no thank you! There's too much unhappiness, too many manipulations, too much hatred... while Carr probably gets what's coming to him in the end, I don't really want to be on that horror-fest for 2 more books to see it come.
I'm being a bit harsh on this book, because it has the germ of a good story. But it seems to meander and wander and then wallow. I'm not sure if it's a page-requirement or just in need of a better editor.
This book sets up the background for all 3 books in the series. It tells the tale of McClairen's Isle - a fortress in Scotland built by a McClairen on an island, so that he and his clan can see any and all who come to their lands. While the McClairens survived a lot of history, they weren't so fortunate with the Stuart Risings; and they joined in with Bonnie Prince Charlie and were ruined at Culloden. A McClairen daughter, Janet, married an Englishman - Carr Merrick. Janet was desperately in love with Carr, and her clan indulged her, even though Carr was an indolent, no-good Englishman. In fact, Carr ratted out the McClairens to the Hanovers as Jacobites, removing the last of them to the Tower, while Carr received McClairen's Isle as his reward. His wife, Janet, couldn't bring herself to believe that her husband would do such a thing; but on the day she confronted him, Carr either murdered her himself or had her murdered. Although no one knows for sure; Carr put it about that she either threw herself off the sea cliff or simply fell.
Janet and Carr had three children: Ash (about 9 or 10), Rayne (6 or so), and Fia (an infant or toddler). Carr had no use for his children. Why he didn't like Ash isn't quite made clear. But Rayne looks too much like Janet, his mother; Rayne suffered the most at Carr's hands. Fia, a beautiful girl, was kept closer to Carr's side; he "taught" her according to his own standards, which means that when this story takes place, Fia, at 15, is almost as corrupt as her father.
There is a story that Rayne raped a young novice who was about to take her vows as a nun. Depending on who you believe, the girl was anywhere from 10 to 14 years old. Rayne was caught by some of the remaining McClairen clan, who took revenge upon Carr by beating Rayne within an inch of his life. Ash fought his way through the men, killing many with his sword to get to Rayne. You see, Janet charged Ash with taking care of his brother, and Ash takes that charge seriously. There was no proof that Rayne raped the girl, but the McClairen clan decided to sell Ash and Rayne to the French, who then tried to ransom them back to their father, Carr. Carr paid the ransom for Ash, but he refused to pay for Rayne. Knowing Ash's determination to set his brother free, Carr used that against Ash, forcing him to pay off his own ransom in service to Carr - that means doing whatever dirty work Carr deems necessary. But Carr also holds the carrot for Ash, in the form of payment, which Carr knows Ash will save to pay Rayne's ransom.
So, as this story truly begins, we see Ash going to Fair Badden, England in search of Rhiannon Russell. Rhiannon was orphaned by Culloden, and she suffered the horrors of the aftermath - watching her mother and siblings brutally murdered by English soldiers, hiding from the soldiers on the moor - starving and freezing. Rhiannon and her nurse managed to walk to London to Carr's door, knowing that Carr was a kinsmen, through marriage, to the McClairen clan. But they were turned away without even a bite of food. So Rhiannon ended up in Fair Badden, with distant cousins, the Fraisers, who took her in. Mr. Fraiser has been gone for a couple of years, but he set up Mrs. Fraiser well. She and Rhiannon have been doing just fine -- in fact, Rhiannon is to be wed to Philip Watt, the younger son of a baronet. Philip's father chose Rhiannon for his son, because she's beautiful, but penniless; the elder Watt figures that she won't be too particular and will do as she's told. So the elder Watt has settled some money on Philip to make their lives easier.
Rhiannon is satisfied with Philip Watt. She sees her life stretching before her as safe, sound, and comfortable in the country. Rhiannon has occasional nightmares, still, about her flight from Scotland; she pushes down any Scottish part of her heritage, herself, or her memories to be as English as she possibly can be.
And then Ash Merrick rides into town... Ash is there at his father's bidding. Seems Carr has decided that he must take on Rhiannon's guardianship. Ash suspects that after 4 rich wives, Carr must be after Rhiannon as his 5th rich wife. Carr has turned McClairen's Isle into a Hellfire Club (or Eden, depending upon perspective), and that requires lots and lots of money; Carr's life revolves around money, and he doesn't countenance winners much.
Rhiannon and Mrs. Fraiser balk at Ash's claim that Rhiannon must return with Ash to Scotland. They persuade Ash to remain until May Day, because Rhiannon wishes to once again be the Virgin Queen of May Day, and then 2 days past that is her wedding day to Philip Watt, whereby Rhiannon will no longer be under Carr's guardianship. Ash decides that he'd like to see his father's plans thwarted, so he sticks around. Rhiannon intrigues him - Ash recognizes that she's trying too hard to restrain her true nature, he doesn't trust Philip Watt, and then there's the matter of the "accidents" that keep happening to Rhiannon. First, she's set upon by highwaymen, escaping, but a bullet grazes her cheek. Then, during a masquerade party that Ash is attending, a knife barely misses Rhiannon's heart. Ash asks a "friend", Thomas Donne, about who might want to kill Rhiannon. Donne's not sure, but his reply makes it clear to Ash that Rhiannon is in danger.
For her part, Rhiannon is drawn to Ash as no man before. Ash teases her with a few kisses, but on May Day, when she's drunk and gathering flowers in the forest at night, alone (Philip, May Day King, has broken his ankle), Ash goes in search of her, worried for her safety. But when he finds Rhiannon, she pleads for him to stretch his kisses into making love to her... something Ash has been trying to avoid. He feels the tension between them, too. And Ash can't withstand her pleading, so he deflowers Rhiannon. Rhiannon looks upon Ash as a tragic hero of some kind, and their "love" as a doomed romance. She sadly bids Ash goodbye the next day, asking him not to tell Philip - that she, Rhiannon, will not tell Philip, either. But that day is the hunt, and Ash discovers that Rhiannon's beloved dog has been lured into a deer trap, to lure Rhiannon to her death. When Philip unexpectedly shows up in a cart to take the dog and Rhiannon home, Ash believes that Philip set up the entire incident, wondering if Philip's sexual preferences lean more towards his "friends" than towards women, and perhaps Philip is trying to rid himself of Rhiannon.
So Ash kidnaps Rhiannon and takes her to McClairen's Isle - an eye-opening experience for them both. Ash discovers his father, Carr, never expected to see Rhiannon alive - but what does that mean? Rhiannon discovers she loves Ash, but how much? Fia, jaded at 15, discovers her father has lied, even to her, about so much, not the least of which is the "extra" money he's been getting quarterly... from whom? Are the rumors of Rhiannon's brother still being alive true? Who has been trying to murder Rhiannon? And will he succeed, since Philip and his "friends" show up to kidnap Rhiannon back to England?
---------------
There's so much promise in this book, but it gets lost in pages and pages of STUFF. It's never made clear to us whether Philip is gay or not; perhaps Philip, himself, doesn't know. And while we do learn what's behind the "accidents" that have been happening to Rhiannon, it's been so obvious for so long, it hardly seems to matter any longer. The pieces that are put together take so long to reveal, that the reader is lost in the details of all the swirling sub-plots, thoughts from Ash, Rhiannon, Carr, and Fia, that it just doesn't matter. The debauchery of McClairen's Isle is brought to full-color life, but it springs up 2/3 of the way through the tale, and it seems only to be a diversion - a page filler.
Even the ending, leaving us hanging as Ash goes to France to ransom his brother, only to find his brother is missing from the gaol, seems only a device to try to suck us into the next book. At almost 400 pages, no thank you! There's too much unhappiness, too many manipulations, too much hatred... while Carr probably gets what's coming to him in the end, I don't really want to be on that horror-fest for 2 more books to see it come.
January 5, 2019
#3 - 2019 RC
Genre: Historical Romance
Genre: Historical Romance
January 12, 2015
It was a very quick read. Some parts were a little predictable, but I was surprised at the ending! Great!
February 7, 2021
1999
excellent
a highland romance!
themes: return to the highlands in both physical movement of the tale and also in identity, PTSD, living with violence and manipulation
love based on great compassion and feelings of safety
i was completely engrossed in this from the earliest pages. connie brockway has a very unique writing style. i am so involved in these characters and their feelings and histories, their pride and their pains for generations that even though i have the second book, i’m not reading it yet because i feel just too emotionally involved.
i was on the edge of my seat for most of the book, watching the dance of these two broken people.
our heroine’s fire and will had been on ice for years and our hero’s arrival breaks her right out of it from the outset. while our hero lives behind layers of manipulation, and our heroine threatens his facade from the outset. by the end, they have become themselves, authentically in love and married over the scottish border where no church is required, just witnesses. this couldn’t be more fitting for this romance.
extra points for stella the hound too sweet to hunt, but not too useless to take her revenge.
the settings were incredible, i could feel the difference in the air quality from inside to outside. from open field to dense fog.
things i want to remember: atypical virgin story (she gets drunk and begs him for it, not even knowing what she’s asking for). lovers to hatred to lovers to married. he is not a gentleman, she is not a lady. she does not leap at the chance to return to an ordered life, she desires to remain with the nightmare she fell in love with. gaelic during sex 🥰
“love does not require sense, only opportunity.”
i really loved this. i feel very emotionally involved.
excellent
a highland romance!
themes: return to the highlands in both physical movement of the tale and also in identity, PTSD, living with violence and manipulation
love based on great compassion and feelings of safety
i was completely engrossed in this from the earliest pages. connie brockway has a very unique writing style. i am so involved in these characters and their feelings and histories, their pride and their pains for generations that even though i have the second book, i’m not reading it yet because i feel just too emotionally involved.
i was on the edge of my seat for most of the book, watching the dance of these two broken people.
our heroine’s fire and will had been on ice for years and our hero’s arrival breaks her right out of it from the outset. while our hero lives behind layers of manipulation, and our heroine threatens his facade from the outset. by the end, they have become themselves, authentically in love and married over the scottish border where no church is required, just witnesses. this couldn’t be more fitting for this romance.
extra points for stella the hound too sweet to hunt, but not too useless to take her revenge.
the settings were incredible, i could feel the difference in the air quality from inside to outside. from open field to dense fog.
things i want to remember: atypical virgin story (she gets drunk and begs him for it, not even knowing what she’s asking for). lovers to hatred to lovers to married. he is not a gentleman, she is not a lady. she does not leap at the chance to return to an ordered life, she desires to remain with the nightmare she fell in love with. gaelic during sex 🥰
“love does not require sense, only opportunity.”
i really loved this. i feel very emotionally involved.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2022
This is my first book by this author and I enjoyed her writing. Not too cheesy for a romance novel. I enjoyed the history but I think the timeline was off. If she arrived at Fair Badden in 1750 at age 8 and Culloden was in 46 then was she wandering the Scottish and English countryside for 4 years? Once I focused on the romance and less in the historical part of historical romance I enjoyed the story.
The genre is fun because you know how it’s going to end by the first chapter and Brockaway tells a good story on the way there.
The genre is fun because you know how it’s going to end by the first chapter and Brockaway tells a good story on the way there.
February 22, 2025
unmmmm the mmc prays to let god let him SA the love interest??? oh no baby i’ve seen enough scotland i’m so sorry this book used you for filth. we can do better.
also- too many characters, plotlines hard to follow, and the romance was not compelling. like at all. they kind of hated each other until the epilogue where theyre suddenly married. 🍅🍅🍅
also- too many characters, plotlines hard to follow, and the romance was not compelling. like at all. they kind of hated each other until the epilogue where theyre suddenly married. 🍅🍅🍅
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2025
dnf 51%
10/10 prologue
interesting first 1/4
then nothing happened, and when the plot finally started to progress it randomly became an enemies to lovers rooted in the dumbest miscommunication ever and the h became sooo dumb
usually, I don't rate unfinished books, but I felt blindsided and disappointed considering the premise set in the prologue
10/10 prologue
interesting first 1/4
then nothing happened, and when the plot finally started to progress it randomly became an enemies to lovers rooted in the dumbest miscommunication ever and the h became sooo dumb
usually, I don't rate unfinished books, but I felt blindsided and disappointed considering the premise set in the prologue
June 30, 2017
Intriguing story.
A very well-written story of greed, love and ruthlessness. The author told this story with wit, passion and hunger. Hunger for the loss of the woman that birthed him and hunger for the entire family she say slaughtered by the English. Well worth t :) e read.
A very well-written story of greed, love and ruthlessness. The author told this story with wit, passion and hunger. Hunger for the loss of the woman that birthed him and hunger for the entire family she say slaughtered by the English. Well worth t :) e read.
September 30, 2017
Don't know if I'm in a reading slump or what...but after an OK start to the story I found the female lead to be annoying and the male lead to be anything but "passionate".
May 12, 2019
This series is a bit overwrought, with some mystical elements and angst, but there's enough fun in it that I stuck with it. There are themes of revenge and lust.
July 7, 2019
Scottish, post culloden betrayal, 2 brothers and sister in series of 3
August 20, 2020
4.5
Really enjoyed!!!
Really enjoyed!!!
December 2, 2021
Steamy romance. Easy, fun reading. Clever dialogue.
July 11, 2023
the epic highs and lows of historical romance baby!!!
September 20, 2023
The Passionate One by Connie Brockway was a Delight to Read!
Ash and Rhiannon were a wonderful couple with a passionate adventure!
Ash and Rhiannon were a wonderful couple with a passionate adventure!
May 9, 2025
En bok man lätt glömmer, precis som karaktärerna. 2 stjärnor från mig.
March 15, 2017
I never expect to like it tremendously and I totally love both the hero and heroine... It gave every aspect of the story enough explanation and didn't skip parts of it. Thank goodness after a long while of reading books with either stupid heroine and annoying hero I found a book that I appreciate both the hero and heroine and the story that doesn't go around the circle and full of unnecessary quarrels....
October 26, 2013
Fantastic, angsty, Scottish Highlands romance - but not that granite-chested-always-kilted kind of Highlands, this is the next generation: men & women who have Highlander in their blood, but English polish on their surface and ton deception in their manners. If that makes sense?
The Prologue, while interesting, seemed to be going nowhere, and I actually lost interest by Chapter 1 and set this book aside. So, if you pick this up and think it's boring, feel free to skip the Prologue and go back to it later. What you need to know: Lord Carr, father of Ash, Raine, and Fia, is a psychotic ass, and he may have killed their mother (his first wife).
Ash is "The Passionate One" of the three - he is dark and brooding and dangerous, prone to bubbling over with passion, both angry passion and ... passion passion. I think. Although he didn't actually seem very passionate, he actually seemed like The Sexy Dark Brooding Restrained but Dangerous One (but that title would be ungainly). He was raised in Scotland by his (now deceased) Highlander mother, and his psychotic father. Ash is a dangerous man, other men fear him, because he doesn't always play by the rules. Some guy cheats at cards? Look out! It's time for mumblety-peg, and Ash is NOT aiming BETWEEN the fingers!
Rhiannon is an innocent. Or, at least, she appears to be an innocent, "biddable" young woman; she was taken in by her foster parents when her entire family was slaughtered at Culloden or thereabouts during the Scottish uprising, so she is immensely grateful to her new family, but underneath her innocent exterior lies a hardened girl who has seen hell and lived to tell. She also happens to be affianced to the local blacksmith's youngest son. (Actually, I'm not sure if he's the blacksmith - whatever - he's the local rich guy.)
So when these two meet, sparks FLY. Sidelong glances multiply. But of course it's all forbidden - Rhiannon is betrothed, Ash is ... well, his priorities lie elsewhere. But ah, Beltaine is coming ... anyone who has ever read a Celtic/Scottish romance knows where THAT is going. Oh yeah.
The angst is incredible. (Turns out I love me some angst! I had no idea!) Ash is sexy, dark, tormented by inner demons; Rhiannon holds her own, she's not some wilting flower, nor is she one of those annoyingly "spunky" romance heroines who tries to micromanage the world. Ms Brockway hits a home run here as the sexual tension builds.
And then. Sadly, it all comes undone. The way these books work is: sexual tension, drawn to each other, apart, drawn, apart, together for sexytimes but it's wrong, HUGE CATACLYSMIC THING HAPPENS, lovers kiss, make up, THEN SOMETIMES ANOTHER HUGE CATACLYSMIC THING HAPPENS, resolution, and live happily ever after. My problem with this book is the HUGE CATACLYSMIC THING that happens - in fact, it's not just ONE thing, but several things. I could have done without a few of them.
Still, it's an excellent romance with a dark tortured hero and a real woman. Ash is FANTASTIC. I actually fell in love with him a little, and I'm not sure if I ever felt that way about a book hero (except maybe with Barrons in the Fever series ... oh, and Alex in the Delirium series ... okay, fine, it's happened before.)
Oh, and there's a dog, too! Stella! Stella is a gigantic golden hound who loves Rhiannon with all her doggy heart :-)
The Prologue, while interesting, seemed to be going nowhere, and I actually lost interest by Chapter 1 and set this book aside. So, if you pick this up and think it's boring, feel free to skip the Prologue and go back to it later. What you need to know: Lord Carr, father of Ash, Raine, and Fia, is a psychotic ass, and he may have killed their mother (his first wife).
Ash is "The Passionate One" of the three - he is dark and brooding and dangerous, prone to bubbling over with passion, both angry passion and ... passion passion. I think. Although he didn't actually seem very passionate, he actually seemed like The Sexy Dark Brooding Restrained but Dangerous One (but that title would be ungainly). He was raised in Scotland by his (now deceased) Highlander mother, and his psychotic father. Ash is a dangerous man, other men fear him, because he doesn't always play by the rules. Some guy cheats at cards? Look out! It's time for mumblety-peg, and Ash is NOT aiming BETWEEN the fingers!
Rhiannon is an innocent. Or, at least, she appears to be an innocent, "biddable" young woman; she was taken in by her foster parents when her entire family was slaughtered at Culloden or thereabouts during the Scottish uprising, so she is immensely grateful to her new family, but underneath her innocent exterior lies a hardened girl who has seen hell and lived to tell. She also happens to be affianced to the local blacksmith's youngest son. (Actually, I'm not sure if he's the blacksmith - whatever - he's the local rich guy.)
So when these two meet, sparks FLY. Sidelong glances multiply. But of course it's all forbidden - Rhiannon is betrothed, Ash is ... well, his priorities lie elsewhere. But ah, Beltaine is coming ... anyone who has ever read a Celtic/Scottish romance knows where THAT is going. Oh yeah.
The angst is incredible. (Turns out I love me some angst! I had no idea!) Ash is sexy, dark, tormented by inner demons; Rhiannon holds her own, she's not some wilting flower, nor is she one of those annoyingly "spunky" romance heroines who tries to micromanage the world. Ms Brockway hits a home run here as the sexual tension builds.
And then. Sadly, it all comes undone. The way these books work is: sexual tension, drawn to each other, apart, drawn, apart, together for sexytimes but it's wrong, HUGE CATACLYSMIC THING HAPPENS, lovers kiss, make up, THEN SOMETIMES ANOTHER HUGE CATACLYSMIC THING HAPPENS, resolution, and live happily ever after. My problem with this book is the HUGE CATACLYSMIC THING that happens - in fact, it's not just ONE thing, but several things. I could have done without a few of them.
Still, it's an excellent romance with a dark tortured hero and a real woman. Ash is FANTASTIC. I actually fell in love with him a little, and I'm not sure if I ever felt that way about a book hero (except maybe with Barrons in the Fever series ... oh, and Alex in the Delirium series ... okay, fine, it's happened before.)
Oh, and there's a dog, too! Stella! Stella is a gigantic golden hound who loves Rhiannon with all her doggy heart :-)
June 30, 2014
"Be’, pensò Rhiannon, aveva il suo amore se lo voleva, e anche se non lo voleva. Lei amava Ash Merrick. L’amore non ha bisogno di ragioni per esistere, gli basta solo l’occasione."
Rispetto ad altri libri dell'autrice che ho letto questo è piuttosto cupo e i personaggi sembrano recitare le parti assegnate senza grande slancio...c'è l'eroe tormentato, l'eroina orfana e maliziosa attratta dall'erba più verde del vicino, (nonostante abbia il suo orticello XD), il cattivo avido e ambiguo, misteri familiari,tragedie, lotte fra clan, omicidi e chi più ne ha più ne metta. I personaggi insomma non sono ben approfonditi e molte cose sono buttate lì senza spiegazioni sufficienti, (sarà perché è il primo della serie?). Il finale comunque è davvero deludente e veloce...insomma abbiamo scoperto che Rhiannon non è orfana, anzi ha parenti in vita assai ricchi...e lei non lo saprà mai? Ash glielo dirà? li conoscerà? cosa proverà? Non è dato sapere... Per non parlare della questione del fratello di Ash, Raine,per il quale si è sacrificato per anni seguendo gli spregevoli ordini del padre, racimolando faticosamente il denaro per il riscatto, rischiando la sua stessa vita...arrivati finalmente in Francia per liberarlo viene a sapere che è sparito dal carcere e lui...fa spallucce "Vabbé starà vivendo la sua vita!" O.o cioé scherziamo? non ti preoccupi neanche se sia vivo o morto? ti interessa solo rotolarti nel letto con la tua sposina? (ebbene si XD) Idem i suoi rapporti con la sorellina Fia, cresciuta sotto l'influenza del padre e ignorata dai fratelli, è rimasta decisamente troppo ingenua nonostante l'apparenza smaliziata...tutti l'abbandonano a cuor leggero, mi ha fatto pena perché non ha mai avuto l'opportunità di riscattarsi anche se alla fine ha aiutato i buoni non ne ha ricavato nulla.... Parimenti il cattivo la passa liscia, senza colpo ferire, anzi, probabilmente continuerà a truffare il parente di Rhiannon finché morte non se lo porti via XD Insomma inizio intrigante ma poi si è perso per strada...si poteva fare molto meglio!
Rispetto ad altri libri dell'autrice che ho letto questo è piuttosto cupo e i personaggi sembrano recitare le parti assegnate senza grande slancio...c'è l'eroe tormentato, l'eroina orfana e maliziosa attratta dall'erba più verde del vicino, (nonostante abbia il suo orticello XD), il cattivo avido e ambiguo, misteri familiari,tragedie, lotte fra clan, omicidi e chi più ne ha più ne metta. I personaggi insomma non sono ben approfonditi e molte cose sono buttate lì senza spiegazioni sufficienti, (sarà perché è il primo della serie?). Il finale comunque è davvero deludente e veloce...insomma abbiamo scoperto che Rhiannon non è orfana, anzi ha parenti in vita assai ricchi...e lei non lo saprà mai? Ash glielo dirà? li conoscerà? cosa proverà? Non è dato sapere... Per non parlare della questione del fratello di Ash, Raine,per il quale si è sacrificato per anni seguendo gli spregevoli ordini del padre, racimolando faticosamente il denaro per il riscatto, rischiando la sua stessa vita...arrivati finalmente in Francia per liberarlo viene a sapere che è sparito dal carcere e lui...fa spallucce "Vabbé starà vivendo la sua vita!" O.o cioé scherziamo? non ti preoccupi neanche se sia vivo o morto? ti interessa solo rotolarti nel letto con la tua sposina? (ebbene si XD) Idem i suoi rapporti con la sorellina Fia, cresciuta sotto l'influenza del padre e ignorata dai fratelli, è rimasta decisamente troppo ingenua nonostante l'apparenza smaliziata...tutti l'abbandonano a cuor leggero, mi ha fatto pena perché non ha mai avuto l'opportunità di riscattarsi anche se alla fine ha aiutato i buoni non ne ha ricavato nulla.... Parimenti il cattivo la passa liscia, senza colpo ferire, anzi, probabilmente continuerà a truffare il parente di Rhiannon finché morte non se lo porti via XD Insomma inizio intrigante ma poi si è perso per strada...si poteva fare molto meglio!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2015
The introduction to the Merricks, two brothers and a sister, children of a vain, selfish and manipulative father, and Ash's, the eldest son's story.
Ash's ruthless father, who is lacking a conscience, tasks him with retrieving his neglected ward for mysterious reasons and Ash sets out to do his bidding in exchange for more funds that will get him closer to his goal of bailing his brother out of the French prison he's still in.
Rhiannon is that ward and she is content with the life and marriage she's planned for herself in the quiet, peaceful village she's grown up in after her family's deaths, where she feels safe and doesn't have to deal with her past or her heritage.
While at first Ash is willing to thwart his father's plans and let her marry and stay out of his grasp, she is not as safe as she appears to be and in an effort to protect her, he ends up changing his mind and shattering the trust and budding friendship between them.
Secret agendas, mistaken impressions and manipulations, make this a dark story, with a romance that isn't as intense as it could be and characters that I wasn't as fond of as I would've liked, especially Rhiannon.
Regardless, I am curious to see if there will ever be justice at McClairen's Isle, so I will probably read the remaining books of the trilogy, starting with Raine's story next in McClairen's Isle: The Reckless One.
Ash's ruthless father, who is lacking a conscience, tasks him with retrieving his neglected ward for mysterious reasons and Ash sets out to do his bidding in exchange for more funds that will get him closer to his goal of bailing his brother out of the French prison he's still in.
Rhiannon is that ward and she is content with the life and marriage she's planned for herself in the quiet, peaceful village she's grown up in after her family's deaths, where she feels safe and doesn't have to deal with her past or her heritage.
While at first Ash is willing to thwart his father's plans and let her marry and stay out of his grasp, she is not as safe as she appears to be and in an effort to protect her, he ends up changing his mind and shattering the trust and budding friendship between them.
Secret agendas, mistaken impressions and manipulations, make this a dark story, with a romance that isn't as intense as it could be and characters that I wasn't as fond of as I would've liked, especially Rhiannon.
Regardless, I am curious to see if there will ever be justice at McClairen's Isle, so I will probably read the remaining books of the trilogy, starting with Raine's story next in McClairen's Isle: The Reckless One.
November 30, 2013
I actually read the third book in this series, not realizing it was a series, before reading this book, which is the first. The third book, I might add, was very good, in my opinion, as well. The main character, Ash, is very troubled and rather dark, but I couldn't help but like him. As always, the characters in this author's books are typically troubled, and have nightmares and ghosts from their pasts that continue to haunt them.
Rhiannon was a likable character, as well. She was sweet and loving and kind. I liked how more of a strong personality appeared near the end of the book, especially as she dealt with Fia and Lord Carr.
The relationship between Rhiannon and Carr was hard to figure out, which was part of the mystery, I suppose. I would have liked to have actually read about her and her uncle eventually meeting. Perhaps that will happen in the second book. The introduction of Lord Carr and the whole situation regarding his first wife was eye opening, but actually a bit confusing. Perhaps the reader should brush up on their history of this Jacobite thing they talked about before reading, because I was a bit confused, really at the start.
The relationship between Rhiannon and Ash seemed to be more physical than anything, really. Sure they had an understanding of one another because they both had traumatic experiences. However, I did really enjoy the book, and look forward to reading number two. I've enjoyed all that I have read by this author because she makes her characters seem "real" to me. I'd suggest you check out the third as well.
Rhiannon was a likable character, as well. She was sweet and loving and kind. I liked how more of a strong personality appeared near the end of the book, especially as she dealt with Fia and Lord Carr.
The relationship between Rhiannon and Carr was hard to figure out, which was part of the mystery, I suppose. I would have liked to have actually read about her and her uncle eventually meeting. Perhaps that will happen in the second book. The introduction of Lord Carr and the whole situation regarding his first wife was eye opening, but actually a bit confusing. Perhaps the reader should brush up on their history of this Jacobite thing they talked about before reading, because I was a bit confused, really at the start.
The relationship between Rhiannon and Ash seemed to be more physical than anything, really. Sure they had an understanding of one another because they both had traumatic experiences. However, I did really enjoy the book, and look forward to reading number two. I've enjoyed all that I have read by this author because she makes her characters seem "real" to me. I'd suggest you check out the third as well.
May 21, 2014
I don't even know where to begin. Ash Merrick is the epitome of a wounded tortured hero. I read the blurb and expected a brooding tortured rake. That is not even close to what Ash is. He has got to be the least rakish hero I have ever read and easily the most tortured. There were points in this book where I didn't like him and at one point I even wondered how Ms. Brockway was going to redeem this seemingly unredeemable man.
Rhiannon is a very tortured soul herself - no where near Ash, but tortured nonetheless.
Watching these two fight fated love was interesting. My heart clenched several times and I was near tears on more than one occasion.
Ash's father is indeed a vile man and I look forward to seeing him get his comeuppance - he is almost a cartoon villain - so incredibly evil that he seems unbelievable.
I thought this book was a lot darker than most of the books I have read by this author - it lacks the humor that breaks the tension in her other books. That's not to say this wasn't as good - just very intense with nothing to lighten the story.
I will be reading the next two books and would recommend this book
Rhiannon is a very tortured soul herself - no where near Ash, but tortured nonetheless.
Watching these two fight fated love was interesting. My heart clenched several times and I was near tears on more than one occasion.
Ash's father is indeed a vile man and I look forward to seeing him get his comeuppance - he is almost a cartoon villain - so incredibly evil that he seems unbelievable.
I thought this book was a lot darker than most of the books I have read by this author - it lacks the humor that breaks the tension in her other books. That's not to say this wasn't as good - just very intense with nothing to lighten the story.
I will be reading the next two books and would recommend this book
August 22, 2008
THE PASSIONATE ONE - Ex
Brockway, Connie - 1st of McClairen's Isle series
They are the Merricks, two brothers and a sister, restless, daring, proud. English by birth, they came to Scotland with their father to occupy McClairen lands. And there each would find a love as wild and glorious as the Highland isle they claimed as their own. Fia, the only daughter, is the ravishing one. Raine, the second son, is the reckless one.
Ashton is the eldest son. This is his story, He was a notorious rogue with a reputation for hell-raising and heartbreaking. But family secrets forced Ashton Merrick to do his ruthless father's bidding--and escort Rhiannon Russell back to McClairen's Isle. Ash suspected that his father intended to make the innocent beauty his fourth wife. But he didn't expect the passions she would ignite in his own wary heart.
An evil, despotic father, Ash and Rhianon - This was very good!
Brockway, Connie - 1st of McClairen's Isle series
They are the Merricks, two brothers and a sister, restless, daring, proud. English by birth, they came to Scotland with their father to occupy McClairen lands. And there each would find a love as wild and glorious as the Highland isle they claimed as their own. Fia, the only daughter, is the ravishing one. Raine, the second son, is the reckless one.
Ashton is the eldest son. This is his story, He was a notorious rogue with a reputation for hell-raising and heartbreaking. But family secrets forced Ashton Merrick to do his ruthless father's bidding--and escort Rhiannon Russell back to McClairen's Isle. Ash suspected that his father intended to make the innocent beauty his fourth wife. But he didn't expect the passions she would ignite in his own wary heart.
An evil, despotic father, Ash and Rhianon - This was very good!
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