ALEC MACKENZIE'S ART OF SEDUCTION is book nine in Jennifer Ashley's Mackenzies historical romance series. I'm a huge Jennifer Ashley fan and have been waiting for this book for what seems like forever -- but it is everything I'd hoped it would be. There is some intelligence gathering in this story, but I wouldn't necessarily call it a "spy book." Alec Mackenzie is on a mission to find and rescue his brother Will. This mission has many risks, since he is in enemy territory and with a baby daughter in tow. Lady Celia Fotheringhay is initially unaware of all the intrigue around her, but Alec soon finds that she is anything but a vapid young miss. Their unconventional courtship and love story is a delightful mix of romance and danger.

Devilishly handsome, and all-around nice guy, Alec Mackenzie (under the alias Mr. Finn, Irishman) is installed as art tutor to Celia. The plan is for Alec to pump Celia for information as to his brother's whereabouts. Thankfully for Celia, and readers, Alec isn't cold- blooded enough to ruthlessly use Celia for his own ends without caring about her. The initial attraction between this hero and unlikely heroine surprises them both. Alec has a natural charm and makes a natural hero -- strong, sensitive, and seriously hot. The deeper Alec and Celia get into the mystery of where Will is, and what happened to him, the more questions they have. One of the biggest questions surrounds Celia's family and their level of involvement, if any, in Will's plight. One of the things I love about this story is how Celia and Alec work together in the reconnaissance and rescue mission. Once Celia is made aware of certain realities, she demands to be an active participant, and Alec respects her enough to comply with her wishes and is never condescending.

ALEC MACKENZIE'S ART OF SEDUCTION is an exhilarating adventure full of devious plots and forbidden passion. Each story in this Mackenzies series matches the personality of the Mackenzie involved. Even though women in the 1700s had very limited freedom, Jennifer Ashley once again provides a diverse and wonderfully complex group of female characters for readers to enjoy and root for. Jennifer Ashley does a great job of balancing the romance with the action. I look eagerly await Will's story next.

Book Summary

Alec Mackenzie earns a living in exile as an art instructor, a cover for his search through several countries for his missing brother, Will. Lady Celia, an Englishwoman who refuses to marry the gentleman her martinet mother chooses for her, might hold the secret to Will’s fate. Celia is sent to Alec, the mysterious recluse, for drawing lessons after her disgrace–her family commands her to learn a skill to make up for her disobedience. Alec decides that the courageous Celia needs to expand her talents in painting the human figure, especially that of the male …

Celia is intrigued by the man who pretends his name is Mr. Finn. He’s a Scotsman, she deduces, but he can’t be one of the Highlanders who rose against the king, else she’d be allowed nowhere near him, and he’d be under arrest or already dead.

But as Celia lets her curiosity guide her, she uncovers more about Alec, including his name, his title, and the fact that he was indeed one of the Highlanders at Culloden. She sees the loneliness in Alec, his terrible sense of loss, his tenderness toward his daughter, and realizes he’s a complex man trying to survive now that his home has been destroyed. She also wonders why he’s left the safety of France to come to England, and learns that he believes she’s the key to finding his missing brother.

But Celia unravels too many secrets, which put not only her life and Alec’s but also her heart in danger.