McClairen's Isle--The Ravishing One: Connie Brockway

“Fia: The Ravishing One

“She is the toast of London society. But Fia Merrick gives her heart to no one, for love is a weakness she cannot afford. Once she would have given her soul to Thomas McClairen, until he shattered her innocent dreams. Now he is back, a convict returned to England in disguise to abduct Fia to Scotland, to McClairen’s Isle. There, as Fia seeks her revenge in seduction, a passion is ignited that defies the past and cannot be denied…”

I finished this book last night and it was pretty good. I have to say that—though it is not my favorite of the series—it is the most well-written. There weren’t really the “plot holes” that I saw in the previous books and there seemed to be an improvement on the writing style itself. I started out this book with the sole intention of “surviving” it just to finish the McClairen’s Isle series. I don’t want to give too much away, but I really enjoyed how Connie Brockway incorporated all of the characters of her past two novels to tie up loose ends and create a happy finale. I’m not certain how adamant I am about reading more of Brockway in the future. Maybe I will—if I have nothing better to do…

McClairen's Isle--The Reckless One: Connie Brockway

“Raine: The Reckless One

“Raine Merrick’s wild, reckless spirit had earned him time in a French prison. When a mysterious beauty gains his freedom only to betray him, Raine Merrick sets out for his father’s castle on McClairen’s Isle, seeking the treasure hidden within. But strange surprises await him in the Highlands. He never expected to find his deceitful angel masquerading as an honored guest. Or to want her with all the searing passion in his sinner’s soul.”

Overall, this book was a decent one. Raine was a wonderfully written character and I truly enjoyed how he was portrayed by Brockway. The “deceitful angel”—I don’t want to give away too much—was an interesting character. I did like how she pretended to be who she was not in order to give penance for a sin she did not truly commit.

Again, however, there were the indescribable “plot holes” that I encountered. They made it hard to read and were really no more than bits of the story that could have been elaborated on ever-so-slightly for the readers’ benefit. I’m not one for a slightly supernatural romance novel, but this was not over the top.

I think I am going to end up taking a break from Connie Brockway and read another author because I am a little tired of having to think and rethink about if I read about something already or not.

McClairen's Isle--The Passionate One: Connie Brockway

“Ash: 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 Russel back to McClairen’s Isle. Ash suspected that his father intended to make the innocent beauty his fourth wide. But he didn’t expect the passions she would ignite in his own wary heart.”

I have never before had a chance to read Connie Brockway, and this was most certainly an experience. The prologue was very interesting and captivated me. It had an element of history (as did the whole book, which was refreshing) as well as very different characters. It was excited to continue reading the book, but there was just something about it that slowed me down. To this moment I cannot put my finger on what it was. I did, however, have a very difficult time putting the book down once it actually got going.

Ash was a wonderful character—filled with passion and many layers. Rhiannon was his perfect match as she was also complex in her own way. The only major problem I had was that the book seemed to leave holes. I would be reading along and then stop and think “…what…?”. It’s difficult to explain, but there seemed to be some errors that didn’t allow parts of the story to flow with the rest of the book. Maybe it’s just me, but there was something odd about this book.

Overall, I am both excited and apprehensive about starting the second book in this series. I am dying to know what happens to Raine—the younger brother Ash swore to take care of—but I don’t want to have a hard time trying to comprehend the plot with all of its “holes”.