New Release review- Loving Lord Ash by Sally MacKenzie

Title:  Loving Lord Ash

 Genre:  Historical Romance/Regency

Author: Sally MacKenzie

Publisher:  Kensington, Zebra, March 4, 2014

Source:  Free for review from the publisher

Rating: 2.5

Sexy Rating: 5

Description from Amazon.com:

A Little Misunderstanding. . .

Kit, the Marquis of Ashton, is in a sticky wicket. He married young and for love—how naïve. He discovered his mistake the very day of his wedding, but he is saddled now with a wife he’s reluctant to trust. And however much evidence he gathers against faithless Jess, he can’t seem to prove her guilt to the final judge—his foolish heart.

Jessica knows she’s bobbled her marriage, however innocently. A fairytale wedding makes no difference if she hasn’t got the marquis charmed to show for it. Well, she’s had enough of accidental encounters with naked gentlemen and near misses explaining things to her husband. It’s time to buck up and go win her man back—even if she has to fight very dirty indeed.

**

This book disappointed me.  I just hate it when my expectations are dashed into dust.  Sally Mackenzie is not new to writing, she has written many books.  Then why did this one have so many things I did not wrap my reading love around?

The characters did not engage me.  Lord Ashton did not see his wife for eight years, even with a nagging, interfering mother who absolutely cows him into submission. Sure he has reasons to doubt his wife but why not sit down and have a heart-to-heart chat and clear the air? Oh yes, then there would be no plot.  Jessica also plays cat and mouse with secrets that are best shared with her husband.  Add to the main characters being disappointing and then we have the in-town butler who finds it perfectly “okay” to make lascivious innuendos about the romantic activity of the hero and heroine.  (This in any regency household would be an offense for dismissal.) The dialog often felt too modern for the period.

I cannot recommend this book.