Lady Norah Macalister is perfection: beauty, charm, grace, elegance– all a carefully constructed lie. No one would ever suspect her of anything scandalous, and no one is the wiser when a terrible secret threatens to destroy her.Major Trevor Hayward has unraveled after a decade at war with Napoleon—or so everyone believes. When his cousin is murdered Trevor finds himself the prime suspect. Placed … suspect. Placed under house arrest at the home of his oldest friend, Trevor doubts those investigating his cousin’s murder will see past his marred reputation.
Refusing to accept her fate, Norah is determined to punish those who have wronged her. Her plan is ruthless, and she will see it through, even if she must manipulate those around her to avenge the wounds of her past. Norah is the most confounding woman Trevor has ever met, but he cannot deny, try as he might, that his best friend’s little sister is all grown up. When she is the only one who can prove his innocence, Trevor has little choice but to agree to her risky plot to destroy a mutual enemy.
While Trevor and Norah collude and execute Norah’s plan, succumbing to the spark between them brings their secrets to light. Can they play with fire and not be burned? Or will the madness of their scheme be the downfall of them both?
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An Enchanting Madness is book 4 in The Macalisters Series. This is the story of Trevor Hayward and Norah Macalister. This can be a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Norah has decided to fix the person that she feels has wronged her. Trevor has been at war and now home but when his cousin is killed he is the main suspect so he is forced to stay at his friends house. This puts near Norah who is no longer the young girl. They end up working together when they realize that they have a mutual enemy. Which opens them up to exploring their feelings for each other too. Enjoyed this book.
An Enchanting, Compelling Story
In the last couple of weeks, I have read this entire series as it is today (up to book 5). I started with book 5 first as that was offered at one of the book review sites I frequent. I seriously enjoyed that book and its very different take on Regency England and Regency romance. So I was hoping for much of the same in the other four books when I started reading them. Unfortunately, my impression of the first four is wholly mixed. Book one was okay, though much more of a typical Regency romance than book five. I had some issues with book two, but I thought the author went completely off the rails with book three. So it was with some trepidation that I approached this book. But the glimpses I had of Norah throughout the earlier books made me want to know her full story. You can tell by the hints given in the earlier books in the series that she was not as she seemed, and she had a lot going on under the surface.
This was borne out in this book about Norah and her hero. Compared to the previous book in the series, this book is very nuanced with a lot going on. We don’t really know the full story about what happened to Norah or the full extent of her plan until well into the book, but the author teased just the right amount of information throughout the earlier pages to keep the tension up and keep us wondering. What I loved about this book is that Norah and her hero are richly complex characters with deep backstories that well explained the people they are now; we see them grow and heal through the course of the story, but it certainly is not easy for them. They both suffer from what we would call PTSD today, which is something that wasn’t known or understood back in the Regency Era, of course. He actually suffers it because of his involvement in the Napoleonic wars and her because of sexual assault. He is called the Mad Major after an innocuous incident triggered him, and he acted out. They are both wounded and see themselves as broken, not good enough for the other, which is always sad. But together, slowly and naturally over the course of the book, they offer each other the support and protection that they need to get past what has gone before. I liked these characters far more than I thought I would, especially Norah, as I didn’t know what to make of her in the other books. I definitely do suggest, though, if you have PTSD issues yourself or have been sexually assaulted, you might find a very raw nature of this book to be too much for you—the author shows the characters at their toughest moments as they try to get past their shame and humiliation. For the rest of the potential readers out there, if you don’t have those issues, you will find this to be a compelling and well-written book.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
Thrilling, engaging, and a pure joy to read.
Major Trevor Hayward’s return from war did not go well. Now we would know he was suffering from PTSD but back in this time period people just thought he was mad. When his sister’s husband was killed Trevor was called to London and was investigated as a suspect in the man’s death. The other main character is Lady Norah Macalister is not what she seems. Thought to be a superficial person she hides a deep sorrow and the desire for vengeance. Throw together they grow into a wonderful couple. Treason, murder and, war all intermix into this tale. I have so enjoyed reading the last four books of The Macalister’s series. All the stories have been thrilling, engaging, and a pure joy to read. Well-written plots, with complete and outstanding characters this book as all the others in the series are must-reads. Excellent work by Erica Taylor and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. I highly recommend this book and the others in the series too. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
Book four in The Macalisters series a well written story that held my interest until the end. This book is well written with a great storyline, the story flowed smoothly across the pages. Lady Norah Macalister and Major Trevor Hayward’s story of the Battle of Waterloo. There is suspense,danger, drama, a traitor, a woman with a secret, and love. This is one series I recommend. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I always like it when an author can take what we assume to be modern-day diagnoses and incorporate them into a historical novel which allows us to then realize that the ailment, in this case, PTSD and how society perceives it, was not just a twentieth-century discovery but has been around for a very long time indeed. Probably as long as wars have been waged. Trevor has basically been through hell and has returned home but his experiences have left his psyche damaged and he does not know how he is supposed to manage to resume a normal life. Thank goodness for Norah who is not the flighty socialite everyone believes her to be and essentially becomes his light in the darkness. She has her own agenda she wants to complete but could her helping Trevor find his way back be exactly what she needs to help her find her way forward and in the end help heal them both? A very thought-provoking and introspective look into social history and how things may not have progressed as much as we would all like to think they have. That the author is able to also give us a compelling love story is simply a testament to her skill as a writer. I enjoy her work very much and am so happy that I have discovered her books!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Loved the details in the book. Erica Taylor is a exceptional writer who captures the details, spirit, and lives of her characters to make them so realistic. Such a wonderful story. Trevor has returned from 10 years of military service and most recently war with Napoleon. Everyone thinks Trevor is mad and wants to lock him away. Norah is a youngest daughter who hides a deep dark secret from her family. They help each other heal emotional wounds.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This latest book from Erica Taylor combines humour, tear-jerking moments, sexy moments, and two complex, wounded characters in a story that is definitely not your average Regency romance!