Reviews

The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley

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knitnetic's review against another edition

5.0

After catching Ainsley McBride in his bedroom not once, but twice, Lord Cameron MacKenzie is intrigued. As he gets to know her, Cameron is determined to make Ainsley his lover. While her fear of scandal tells her to say no, her heart can only say yes.

This was the first great romance novel I've read this year. While the plot itself is good, what made this book truly exceptional was that Ms. Ashley did not fall into so many of the cliches that tempt romance writers. The first such cliche is the overblown plot that is distracting from the character development of the story. While there are two "mystery"-type plots -- Cameron's training of the filly Night Blooming Jasmine and Ainsley's attempt to recover the queen's illicit love letters -- neither is made the sole centerpiece of the book. Instead, each helps build the characters and their relationship with one another.

I have also struggled lately with books that suffer from "Sequel Seduction" -- where the book so clearly aims to entice the reader to read a sequel that the primary character development is lacking. Ms. Ashley handled this in a great way; by giving Hart and Eleanor a chapter of their own, she is able to resist the temptation to develop their relationship in the other chapters. Given the chemistry between these two, it would have been incredibly distracting to have them popping up all over the place.

Finally, I though the resolution of Cam's PTSD was incredibly believable. While I though the

Spoiler

rape

part of his abuse storyline was a little excessive, I did think Ms. Ashley handled the resulting psychological struggles well. While his problems didn't just magically resolve, he was able to tackle them like the strong, grown man he is. The same is true for Ainsley's

Spoiler

pregnancy and the death of her child

. These are important to her, but they do not define her. With John Douglas, she was able to be a happy and fulfilled woman.

I must applaud Ms. Ashley for the whole of her Highland Pleasures series so far. Each has been unique within the historical romance genre in some way -- Ian's autism, Mac and Isabella's passion for art and each other, Cam and Ainsley's ability to find love through sex. Each book teases the next, but not in such a way as to ruin the present story and characters. I would highly recommend these to anyone who is a fan of historical romance. I personally can't wait to read [b:The Duke's Perfect Wife|8563829|The Duke's Perfect Wife (Highland Pleasures, #4)|Jennifer Ashley|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317220977s/8563829.jpg|13432302].

chandelierskies's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

erikajay's review against another edition

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3.0

Poor Cam! His story just broke my heart.

At first, I wasn’t a huge fan of him. All the philandering made him difficult to like, but then we figure out WHY he’s like that and it totally changed my opinion of him.

I also really liked this story because I think it’s more realistic. The couple’s issues aren’t magically solved by getting together. It still takes a while for them to figure things out and figure out what works for them as a couple.

Daniel is adorable! I’m so excited for his book.

gamz's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

anits12's review against another edition

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5.0

very nicely written, loved it.

rellimreads's review against another edition

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5.0

Note: This is book 3 in Ashley’s Mackenzie’s & McBride’s series, and while the stories of each couple stand on their own - these are best experienced in order.

Book 1 is one of my favorite books ever, but this one comes pretty darn close to being as awesome as that. I loved getting to know Cam & Ainsley better and they were terrific together. Cheeky Daniel (now 16) was a delight as well. In some respects this was a bit of a slow burn as it took nearly half the book to come together, but all the flirting and innuendo was so much fun. Ashley loves to pair all the Mackenzie men with strong and opinionated women - Ainsley was no exception. However she’s equally loving, understanding, and absolutely Cam’s champion.

There was also some fun catching up on Ian & Beth as well as a little on Mac & Isabella. Teasers for what’s in store for Hart and I’m looking forward to The Duke’s Perfect Wife.

Narration:
Angela Dawe was terrific again. She does a wonderful job with all the accents, voices, and personalities. These are such a treat to listen to.