The Untamed Mackenzie

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Synopsis

Louisa Scranton has spent most of her life trying to outrun the specter of her father's illegal dealings that tainted the family name. Now all she wants is to settle down with a respectable husband in hopes that society will forget the past. Unfortunately one of the prime candidates for her hand in marriage is the Bishop of Hargate, whom Louisa doesn't care for at all. When the hostess of the garden party she's attending engineers a private meeting between Louisa and the Bishop, she feels she has no choice but to see him, but she didn't expect the man to drop dead at her feet. Since she was alone with him at the time, Louisa becomes the prime suspect in what appears to be murder, and things aren't looking good for her until her sister, Isabella, calls upon the services of Inspector Lloyd Fellows with whom Louisa shared two passionate kisses that she's never forgotten.

Lloyd Fellows is an illegitimate half-brother to the Mackenzies and a famed Scotland Yard investigator with a reputation for always catching the culprit. When Isabella asks him to come to the scene of a murder of which Louisa has been accused, he deduces the Bishop likely died of poisoning. Ever since their shared kisses, Lloyd has been crazy about Louisa, so he's willing to risk his entire career and reputation to make sure that she never faces a magistrate, no matter what he has to do. As he investigates the case, he tries to keep his distance from her, but the romantic pull between them proves too strong. Then a colleague witnesses Lloyd kissing Louisa, which places the entire investigation in jeopardy, and the bishop's family starts putting pressure on the chief inspector for results, leaving Lloyd in a race against time to find the killer or be removed from the case altogether, which would be disastrous for Louisa.

Review

"The Untamed Mackenzie" is a long novella that falls between The Seduction of Elliot McBride and The Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie in Jennifer Ashley's Mackenzies & McBrides series. Louisa Scranton, sister of Mac Mackenzie's wife, Isabella, was nearly ruined by a family scandal. She wishes to find a husband, but some people can't forget her father's unlawful dealings. In order to overcome the past, she should be looking for a man who is wealthy and scandal-free, but she can't forget the two passionate kisses she shared with Inspector Lloyd Fellows, who meets neither requirement. Lloyd, an illegitimate half-brother to the Mackenzie siblings, grew up in poverty and still doesn't have much to his name. When Louisa attends a garden party, where she's asked by the hostess to keep company with the Bishop of Hargate, she only reluctantly agrees. She knows he's looking for a wife and everyone thinks he would be a perfect match for her, but she has no real interest in him. Then the bishop drops dead at her feet, the victim of an apparent poisoning. Since Louisa was alone with him at the time, she becomes the prime suspect, so Isabella insists upon bringing Inspector Fellows in on the case. Lloyd has a reputation as the best inspector at Scotland Yard, and if anyone can get to the bottom of things, it's him. Crazy about Louisa, Lloyd is willing to risk his own career to keep her from facing a magistrate, but it soon becomes apparent that she wasn't the culprit. However, proving who is becomes a challenge. Lloyd tries to keep his distance from Louisa to avoid the appearance of compromising the investigation, but given their strong attraction to one another, it becomes increasingly difficult. The chief inspector is also threatening to remove him from the case altogether and turn it over to someone Lloyd is certain will finger Louisa for the murder if Lloyd can't produce results quickly.

Louisa had to grow up under the specter of a family scandal. Her father took money from a number of people for investments that never paid off and which he shuffled around in an illegal manner, earning him a lot of enemies. He later died penniless and in disgrace. If not for the generosity of Mac and Isabella (Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage), Louisa would have nothing, but they, too, were much-talked-about by the ton for their marriage difficulties. All Louisa wants is to settle down and have a normal life with a good husband, but of course, the only man she really wants is the one she shouldn't. She'd previously shared a pair of unforgettable kisses with Lloyd, which makes it difficult for her to be serious about finding another man. She's not thrilled about having to spend time with the Bishop of Hargate at the party, but feels she owes her hostess. However, Louisa didn't expect the man to fall dead at her feet and to instantly become the prime suspect in his murder. Thankfully Lloyd is prepared to do whatever it takes to keep her from facing prison or worse yet, the noose, but as they work together to solve the case, she can't seem to resist him, even though he keeps trying to push her way. I very much liked Louisa. She's a sweet person who's been through a lot in her life and deserves a happy ending, but before she can get there, she faces one more major hurdle. I like that she knows what she wants in a man and isn't afraid to go after him.

Lloyd is the illegitimate offspring of the Duke of Kilmorgan, and half-brother to all the Mackenzie boys. We met him in the first book where his drive to find a killer and his hatred of the Mackenzies nearly caused him to put Ian in prison. Since then, he's mellowed out and now has a good relationship with his half-siblings. Still, he has no title and lives simply on his inspector's salary, so although he, too, cannot forget his kisses with Louisa, he doesn't think he's a proper match for the daughter of an earl. When he's called to the scene of the murder, he immediately realizes that Louisa is the prime suspect. His love for her overriding all logic, he immediately decides that even if the facts prove her guilty, he'll do everything in his power to keep her from facing the magistrate. Luckily he becomes convinced pretty quickly that she isn't the culprit. Working closely with Louisa on the case only makes him want her more and more, but when he's seen by a colleague kissing her, it could put his case in jeopardy. Not to mention, the bishop's family is pressuring the chief inspector for results and if Lloyd can't deliver the real killer within days, he might be replaced by someone who doesn't care about finding the truth. Lloyd isn't unlike his Mackenzie half-brothers in that he, too, has a single-minded pursuit of a particular interest, in this case that of police detective, and he's excellent at his job. He's crazy about Louisa, but feels like he has to keep pushing her away, not only because he's not good enough for her, but also because his association with her may possibly compromise the investigation. I love that he's an honorable man, though, and that he eventually can't resist her anymore.

I have to admit that when I met Lloyd in the first book of the series, I didn't much like him because of how he was determined to bring Ian down even though Ian wasn't guilty of the murder of which he was accused. Since then, Lloyd has definitely grown on me, as he's forged a relationship with his half-brothers who've welcomed him into the Mackenzie fold. After his kisses with Louisa in previous stories, I was very much looking forward to seeing them get their own HEA. "The Untamed Mackenzie" did not disappoint. The murder mystery was very well done, setting up a few different possible suspects, and keeping me guessing. I enjoyed seeing Lloyd in his natural habitat, investigating crimes. I also loved the romance between him and Louisa. There's plenty of longing and passionate kisses in between the suspense and mystery parts. Although Louisa very much wants to be with Lloyd, she fears he might never come around. For his part, Lloyd wars within himself over his suitability for someone like Louisa and also must keep her somewhat at arm's length because of the investigation. But it's not in a frustrating way, because he really can't resist her for long. I was thrilled that they'll both always be a part of the Mackenzie clan, several of whom play supporting roles in the story. Overall, this was a great novella that I very much enjoyed and that has left me eager to continue with the series.

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Jennifer Ashley

Themes

Men in Uniform - Law Enforcement
Opposite Sides of the Track