Reviewed by Ami
Title: A Mackenzie Clan Christmas
Author: Jennifer Ashley
Series: MacKenzies & McBrides
Heroes: Various
Genre: M/F Historical
Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Release Date: October 29, 2019
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: Celebrate the holidays with New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Ashley’s Mackenzie clan in two heartwarming novellas.
Includes a never before published Mackenzie Christmas novella!
When the Mackenzie family gathers in Scotland to celebrate the holidays the love and joy of the Christmas spirit captures everyone’s hearts.
And a reader favorite…A Mackenzie Clan Gathering
The Mackenzie clan has gathered for Hart’s birthday at the sprawling family estate in Scotland. But before the festivities can start, the house is robbed, and thieves make off with an untold fortune in rare art.
Ian Mackenzie and his brothers must do what they can to retrieve the family treasure, but Ian is distracted by a family friend who claims he might have the power to “cure” Ian of his madness forever. All the Mackenzies must draw together as courage, love, and a tantalizing mystery serve to strengthen their bond, and redefine the meaning of family.
Review:
First of all, this book is a bundle of two Mackenzie holiday novellas. A never before published entitled A Mackenzie Yuletide and a previously released A Mackenzie Clan Gathering. Therefore, if you already purchased A Mackenzie Clan Gathering (it was released in 2015) – I advise you to only purchase A Mackenzie Yuletide, which actually is sold separately by the publisher.
** A Mackenzie Clan Gathering **
While I loved that Ian, sort of get a second book – yes, this is mostly about Ian, more than a decade after he married Beth, and how he dealt with a robbery at Hart’s Kilmorgan Castle as well as the appearance of Beth’s former brother-in-law, who wanted to cure Ian out of his madness –
.. but I felt that it was a bit lack of emotion. Maybe because it *IS* about Ian so there’s a sense of detachment about it? It’s not exactly a romance story (Ian already got his girl). We also get different point of views, mainly Beth and Fellows…
It’s still a good book though, because it gives readers a chance to see Ian as a father.
** A Mackenzie Yuletide **
It was December 1898, and the whole Mackenzie clans – husbands, wives, children – gathered at Kilmorgan Castle, the Mackenzie manor house, for another Christmas and Hogmanay celebration. We have the kids trying to capture a ghost – first seen by Mac Mackenzie. We also have Ian trying to track down a necklace to be given to his wife Beth, and he lassoed in some other people including his half-brother, Lloyd Fellows and Hart’s best friend, David Fleming.
It was chaos *laugh*
There were so many of the Mackenzie brood, I wonder if I must start writing a note to keep track of all the sons and daughters of the ‘original’ Mackenzies. But it was quite fun returning into the clan – especially that Jennifer Ashley started to write from the kids’ perspectives too.
Such as Jamie, Ian and Beth’s son, the oldest of the “new” generation (discounting Daniel, whose Cameron’s oldest, and already a teenager when the series start), or Megan, another daughter of Ian and Beth, as well as Gavina (Cam and Ainsley’s daughter). They seemed to have developed their own strong traits, and I could imagine the series being expanded into this new generation as well.
There was an interesting revelation about the ghost too, and I couldn’t help thinking how would that be played into future books.
Overall Impression: It was good
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*
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