LOVING LORD ASH (The Duchess of Love #3) by SALLY MACKENIZE

After his attempt at misguided honor leaves him married to the evidently faithless Jessica, Kit, the Marquis of Ashton, summarily dumps his new wife at his country manor for eight long years. During this time rumors on both sides circulate to discredit both Kit's and Jessica's reputations with one another. Kit is faced with the fact he is now 30 and still has no heir to carry on the family name, so he decides to visit his wayward wife at Blackweith Manor and see if they can come to terms with the sad state of their marriage and possibly have her agree to give him his heir and spare.

Jess, the Lady Ashton, having been relegated to her exile of Blackweith Manor, is coming to her wits end. Ash never allowed her to explain the compromising position her found her in and has not once since he left her there at the manor, seen her. Jess is left to her designs with her unconventional but protective staff and her paints. 

When to everyone's surprise, Kit appears at Blackweith Manor, he yet again finds his indiscreet wife in another compromising position and decides a divorce is in order. Not wanting to be tossed aside, Jess faces Kit with a proposition that brings the pair to Town and at the mercy of Ash's family. Will the stubborn Ashtons be able to clear their heads and their emotional baggage in time to save the love that they obviously feel for each other or will they succumb to rumor and innuendo? Reading LOVING LORD ASH by Sally MacKenzie will answer those questions and so many more.

Aside from wanting to smack both Jess and Ash upside the head multiple times in LOVING LORD ASH, this story by Sally MacKenzie was entertaining and engaging. This is actually the first Sally MacKenzie book that I have read and I am very eager to go back and read the first two books in The Duchess of Love series. Having been a frequent flyer on wings of Murphy's Law, I truly feel and understand Jess' predicament. Having always felt like an outsider being the groom's daughter, Jess must overcome her feelings of inadequacy in order to fight for her place in Kit's life. As much as Kit wants to truly tell Jess how he feels, he has that devil sitting on his shoulder throwing all the bad in his face. At age 30, Kit must mature enough to open his eyes and not listen to that devil.

~KIMBERLY~