Customer Reviews

The Passionate One: McClairen's Isle

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

MCCLAIREN'S ISLE: THE PASSIONATE ONE has to be one of the darker novels I've read lately. It introduces the saga of the Merricks, two brothers and a sister whose English father betrayed his Scottish in-laws during the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion in order to gain ownership of the castle then known as Maiden's Blush on the property called McClairen's Isle. Aside from betraying his in-laws, Lord Carr also, in all likelihood, murdered Janet, the mother of his children, as well as his second and third wives. In a nutshell, Carr is a horrid person and the perfect villain.

Ashton, the eldest child, lives what appears to be a very dissolute life, gambling and scandalizing the peers in London. In reality, he is scrimping all his winnings to ransom his younger brother Raine from a French prison. Carr knows this and uses the young man mercilessly, blackmailing him into taking on menial tasks and humiliating ventures for coin to accomplish his quest - but never enough, so that he will have Ash at his disposal for a very long time.

Ash's latest charge from his lamentable sire is to deliver a maiden by the name of Rhiannon Russell to (the renamed) Wanton's Blush. Ash assumes that Carr plans to make Rhiannon next in the long line of unfortunate brides. When he arrives in the village of Fair Badden to escort Rhiannon to Scotland, he finds she is just weeks away from getting married to someone else. Not only that, but there have been an alarming number of attempts on her life, a few of which he witnesses. Adding to his dilemma is the fact that he himself is drawn to Rhiannon, and she to him...

The thing I loved the most about this book is that Ash has to be the most tormented hero ever: he is a walking, talking definition of suffering for love - love of family, love of a woman, love of honor. He puts himself through endless pursuits to save Raine, he almost steps away from Rhiannon when he believes she has left, wanting only her happiness, and he even offers to take Fia, his baby sister, away from Carr, even though they never really knew each other as siblings.

Rhiannon herself is no slouch. She survived the Rebellion as a young child, is devoted to her adoptive family and her dog, and she has the courage to face her nightmares and fight for her life - and her love for Ash. Really, the chemistry and nobility between these two characters made me go through a whole box of tissues, they were so beautiful.

THE PASSIONATE ONE is no lighthearted romp. Readers expecting a cheery Regency-era comedy of manners are not going to find it here. I highly recommend this work of Brockway's to anyone with an interest in Scottish settings and passionate, reckless, and ravishing stories. This is an intense tale of the meaning of family, honor, and devotion - and, hopefully, as the trilogy plays out, revenge. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the Merricks find their way to peace, and for Carr to get his due.

Do you love intense, tormented, yet honorable heroes? Do you enjoy stories full of passionate motives, plots, daring actions, deceptions, and self-sacrifice? Do you like your heroine complex?

This is the romance for you!

Ash is irresistibly tough, vulnerably loving. His father--a spawn of hell--is a force to be reckoned with (and do I want to see him get his comeuppance!). He can't always do what he feels is the moral thing to do, or the kind thing, but he tries to do what is right, despite the odds.

Rhiannon is suppressing a horrid past. Haunted by nightmares, trying to be a woman she thinks she should be to attain "a safe life", she is nevertheless drawn to this dangerous, passionate, similarly haunted man--Ash Merrick.

The sexual tension is combustible. The prose is impeccable and lyrical. The plot is smart and fast.

A rivetting read. It's going to take three books to work out the complexities of the machinations in this romantic suspense trilogy, but what a ride! As eager as I am to see the culmination, I know I'll regret reading that last page.

Wonderful work, Ms. Brockway. Do I see another RITA in the future?

*Mir*

Ash Merrick is one of the best tortured heroes ever created! He's lived his entire life under the power of his cruel, murderous father, Lord Carr. He witnessed his mother's death at Carr's hand, was forced to take part in a bloody vendetta that was not his own, and then languished in prison for two years while his father lived a life of luxury off of his dead wife's riches. Ash leaves prison a scarred man, outwardly and inwardly. There, the basest, ugliest part of him was unleashed, and he began to truly loathe what he had become. What drives him now is his desire, at any cost, to free his younger brother from his own cell. Far from the typical "rake," Ash denies himself any pleasure or vanity, not only because of his singleminded quest to save his brother, but also one senses that he finds himself utterly unworthy and incapable of happiness. It simply doesn't enter his mind.

Ash is sent to England to fetch his father's ward whom he has never met. He knows not why Carr has shown a sudden interest in the girl, nor does he care...until he meets the lovely, innocent and spirited Rhiannon. Ash, cynical, world-weary, and jaded, is bemused by Rhiannon's determination to believe him a charming gentleman as she draws out the soft, hidden part of him and binds him to her with a love he'd thought himself incapable of, and one so powerful that he feels he must protect her from it.

The attraction becomes undeniable, but Rhiannon is about to marry another. Ash, as her ward's representative, has been invited to stay in the charming community of Fair Badden until the happy nuptials. Unable to resist, he accepts, and flames ignite between he and Rhiannon. Ash comes to the determination that he must leave...until he realizes Rhiannon's life is in danger.

Wonderful, rich storytelling with a very sexy, well-drawn hero, a likable, charming heroine, and an intriguing plot. The romantic scenes are exceptional - equal parts tender and erotic. Ms. Brockway is a true talent.

I was browsing the romance aisle at the bookstore and read the back of the book. To be honest I bought it because the name Ashton Merrick (Merrick being my maiden name), caught my attention. I am a die hard romance fan and to find a book where the hero had my last name was extremely intriguing. From the first page I was hooked and read the book completely in one sitting.

I've also read Ms. Brockway's The Reckless One and enjoyed that immensely. I haven't gotten Fia's story yet, but I'm dying to get my hands on it. I know that Ms. Brockway's characters are fictional but it's fun to imagine I might have such a wonderfully dashing, handsome and exciting man, as Ashton Merrick, in my family history. Most of my clan came from Wales, but there is also some English as well as Scottish ancestory in my family.

Thank you Connie for both of these delightful books and I'll look forward to reading more of your wonderful stories.

I stumbled across this three-part series while looking for another book, and I'm glad I did. I listened to the unabridged audiobook version and I enjoyed every minute of it. This book starts off telling the story of two lovers very passionately in love. These two lovers are the Merricks - the mother and father of the two brothers and sister that are the focus of this series. Unfortunately, the father changes and through his treachery and evilness, their lives are ripped apart. Through the father's actions, his sons are later imprisoned. He bails out his eldest son, Ashton, who then spends his days trying to raise enough money to purchase his brother's freedom - since his father has failed to do so.

In an effort to raise money, Ashton goes on a mission to find and escort his father's young ward to him. The circumstances he finds her in and the young woman herself stir Ashton's emotions and he finds himself strongly attracted to her. The more he learns about her, the more Ashton is torn between doing his father's bidding to get the money he needs to free his brother, or keeping the young ward for himself.

The young ward has plans of her own. Having built a life for herself, she's none too happy about being escorted to a guardian that she doesn't know and being forced to give up the life she has built for herself. She's both repelled and strongly drawn towards Ashton whom she doesn't understand. To make matters worse, she doesn't understand the dark world of the Merricks nor their strange behavior towards one another. She becomes even moreso troubled when she meets Ashton's father and begins to glimpse the evil side of him.

This is a very good and interesting story. It's the type of book that you should curl up with on a comfortable sofa with a beverage of your choice. In no time, you'll find yourself sucked into the world of the Merricks. The plot works well, the scenes are aptly described, and the dialog fits in nicely. For the most part, the characters say and do exactly what you would expect them to - in other words, they do what makes sense. You'll feel the Merrick siblings' pain as their father uses them as no more than puppets on a chain, and you'll feel their joy at their stolen moments of happiness - which thankfully they have. And, since this book focuses moreso on one of the siblings, Ashton, you'll want to purchase the other two books in the series to see what happens to the other two. I know I did. This is a book I would recommend and an author I'm glad to have found.

I haven't been able to get this book out of my mind since I finished it. Ash is one of the most memorable, most desirable heroes I have ever encountered in a novel; and The Passionate One is such a dark, lush book. Jo Beverley seems tame in comparison with Brockway - and the second I finished The Passionate One, I went and bought the rest of the trilogy. Frankly, if the others are even half as good I will be delighted.

I think that when it comes down to it, there are two things that distinguish Brockway's writing:

1. She *will* go there. There are thousands of books about tortured heroes, about rogues that reform, about the bad boys you can't help but love. But most of them are really about nice guys who just seem bad; ordinary men with a thin veneer of wickedness. Ash has a heart of gold, but the rest of him is pretty well corrupted. He isn't a sheep wearing wolf's clothes; through the novel he is manipulative, ruthless, strategic and terrifyingly self-controlled. He's a real wolf.

Ash's self-control, his charisma, and the honesty and intensity of his emotions made him one of the most delicious characters I have ever encountered.

2. Brockway writes beautifully. I think at times her writing is overly contrived, and there are moments where characters say things that are piercing or intense but I don't really get it. She's in danger of becoming too precious, or too stylized. But, at least in this novel, she does a really marvelous job of writing evocatively, creating atmosphere and fleshing out every scene with just the right words. Her writing is always in service of the plot - the people and places come to life, rather than being crushed by her florid pen.

I didn't find Rhiannon quite as compelling as Ash, but she was a remarkable heroine. The book is excellently put together; it's a real page turner, and the characters are well developed and their actions seem natural, believable. Especially with the secondary characters, the sister, brother, and father, this is really important: it's a human drama instead of a thriller.

After not being thrilled with All Through The Night, my first Brockway story, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The storyline was interesting, the h\h chemistry was wonderful, the writing superb. Ach, a couple scenes took my breath away.

I can't imagine anyone, who likes a good historical romance, not enjoying this story.

Ash Merrick is a strong and tormented hero. Rhiannon is a heroine who fights for herself. When the two meet, it's instant combustion! This book went on my keeper shelf; with it's outstanding leads, wonderful locales, one can only look forward to the next two books. Definitely for the reader that likes a deep and thoughtful read.

What an intriguing, passionate and utterly winning book! As usual, Connie Brockway is in top form in this smoldering romance between tormented rogue Ash and stunning Rhiannon. It is highly satisfying witnessing demure, obedient Rhiannon come into her own as a strong, independent and fiery presence as she reclaims her Scottish heritage. It is sweet torment watching Ash long for her with infinite ardor as her influence brings out the best in him. The story is riveting and very rewarding.

For fascinating, complex and highly passionate characters, Connie Brockway can't be beat. Every one of her novels, beginning with her dazzling debut (Promise Me Heaven), is intelligent, sizzling and impossible to put down. Don't miss the ultimate romantic ride!

I love this book. It is a stay-up-all-night read, a read-in-one-sitting kind of book. I've read it several times since I was able to get my hands on it, and I love it. I love the characters of Ash and Rhiannon-both of them so wounded by their pasts and haunted by ghosts from it. The sexual tension between them is remarkable-from the first instant the heat is there. This book is full of interesting characters, a twisting, riveting plot, and a fantastic love story. Highly recommended.