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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Concludes with new hopeand a twist, March 12, 2001
This review is from: McClairen's Isle: The Ravishing One (Mass Market Paperback)
MCCLAIREN'S ISLE: THE RAVISHING ONE is the stunning conclusion to Connie Brockway's dark saga of the Merrick family. In this final installment, Lady Fia Merrick takes center stage. She has spent years under the thumb of her evil and domineering father, Ronald Carr. Over time, she has discovered many things about the sire she previously worshipped, including the insinuation that he murdered her mother, Janet. As the story opens, Fia, recently widowed, is desperately plotting to regain her late husband's estate from Carr's clutches and to gain her freedom from Carr's manipulations at last. The only other man who has held as much, if not more, sway over Fia's outlook on life is Thomas Donne. She worshipped him from afar as a child, right up until she overheard a vicious and unfortunate conversation in which Donne expressed his loathing of Fia as "Carr's whore." But, whether she likes it or not, Thomas is back in her life. Thomas McClairen, youngest and only surviving heir of the McClairen laird betrayed by Carr, has been infiltrating the Merrick camp for years under the name of Thomas Donne. When Carr deserts Wanton's Blush for greener pastures, Thomas obtains the property and begins to restore Maiden's Blush to her former glory. But all his plans will be for naught if the one woman he has never been able to forget, Fia Merrick, succeeds in her plans to corrupt his business partner. He does the only thing he thinks he can in the circumstances: he kidnaps Fia and takes her to McClairen's Isle to foil her schemes and save his partner. Little did he know that he would fall under her spell and become more captive than captor... The ending of this trilogy is nothing short of magnificent. All the loose ends are tied up, and Carr gets his due in a most unusual plot twist. The epilogue allows readers a tiny peek into the futures of the Merricks and McClairens; at last, these tortured souls have the chance at their own happily-ever-after, not to mention a real shot at being part of a functional family. I would recommend this thrilling trilogy to all Brockway fans, first-time Brockway readers, and anyone who likes Scottish tales with a little passion, recklessness, and ravishment thrown in. Brockway's well-written prose conveys the tales of these characters with wit and talent. The MCCLAIREN'S ISLE trilogy is a truly satisfying read.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
The Worst of the Three, December 12, 2002
This review is from: McClairen's Isle: The Ravishing One (Mass Market Paperback)
Let me begin by saying that I absolutely loved The Passionate One (the drunken May Day celebration scene alone worth the read) and the romance hinted between Thomas and Fia in that book intrigued me and made me impatient for The Ravishing One. It turns out I could have waited...UGH...Of the three books in the McClairen saga this is the worst. Thomas is so mannerly/honourable that it eventually makes him seem as if he hasn't got a backbone to speak of....I guess I like my men to be men...he was, well...a wimp that ran around insulting her and not doing much else. Fia was okay as a heroine (I really liked how strong she was and that she was capable of change) but she really had nothing to play off with a hero so weakly realized. She had little respect for him (evidence the scene where he comes to abduct her and she takes control and mocks him) and eventually so did I. I also got tired very quickly of being hit over the head with how 'wicked' she was...PLEEZE. Okay...we get it ...everybody thinks she's a bad girl and she's not..move on. That said...I actually think Connie Brockaway is a great writer and the first book in this series is one of my all time favorites...and you can't please everyone with every story...but if you like your heros to be MEN...hmmm, well then I would say you should buy this book used.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent! You won't want to put it down..., July 19, 2000
This review is from: McClairen's Isle: The Ravishing One (Mass Market Paperback)
Connie Brockway delivers her best with the third book in the McClairen's Isle Trilogy. "The Ravishing One" is a must read! From the glitter and glamour of 18th century London to the wild and untamed Scottish island know as McClairen's Isle, Ms. Brockway brings us Fia Merrick, daughter of the dispicable Ronald Merrick, Earl of Carr. Introduced in " The Passionate One," and again revisited in " The Reckless One," Ms. Brockway concludes this majestical trilogy with the best novel of them all. Fia Merrick is raised by her decadent father, Carr, to be nothing more than a high priced whore, or so Thomas Donne aka Thomas McClairen believes. Fia is devestated to learn his low opinion of her, since she fancies herself in love with him at the tender age of fifteen. Fleeing her home, Wanton's Blush, formerly known as Maiden's Blush, Fia hies herself off to London to elope with an aging low-lander Scot. Hoping to inherit his fortune upon his death, Fia is dismayed to learn (after her rather hasty marriage) that he has two heirs, Kay and Cora. When her husband does indeed die, not without some help from Carr of course, Fia is further dismayed to learn that Carr is now the owner of Kay's inheritance and that he has her dancing to his tune to regain it. A tune that Fia has no wish to dance to. Carr wants her to marry into a powerful family, much against Fia's wishes. Without much choice, she sets out to become London's most well known lady, a lady with a somewhat tarnished background known throughout society as "The Black Diamond". When Thomas Donne/McClairen sets eyes upon the lovely Fia Merrick after six years, he is dead set against her, blaming her for the many sins of her father, for she is his daughter after all. When his dear friend and business partner seemingly falls for her, Thomas knows he must do anything to prevent them from wedding. So he 'abducts' her, or tries to since she is rather willing, and sweeps her off to Scotland. To McClairen's Isle, where he is restoring the ruined Wanton's Blush to her former glory, Maiden's Blush. Much to his surprise, he soon finds that there is more to Fia than meets the eye. And Fia herself must learn to trust in Thomas, no small thing since she has never trusted a soul in her life. With heartwarming scenes and wonderful characters, Ms. Brockway makes you feel as if you have stepped back in time to the handsome rogues and beautiful ladies of old. With a surprise ending (involving Gunna and Carr), and all of the beloved characters from the previous books: Ash, Rhiannon, Raine, Favor, and Gunna, this series is a must read. When I turned the last page, after reading the author's note, I was actually sad that their story had come to an end. I am hopeful, however, that Ms. Brockway will take us once again to McClairen's Isle and back to all of our favorite characters. Thank-you Ms. Brockway, for a wonderful and heartwarming trilogy!
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