The Troublemaker [Mass Market Paperback]

Marshall "Marsh" MacDougal is out for revenge! After his mother's death, Marshall learns that his father, Cameron Byrd, never died, but in fact abandoned his wife and unborn son and remarried and had a daughter. Hell bent on getting revenge and restoring his mother's honour, Marsh begins to search for his father. Learning that his parents may have met and married in Scotland, Marshall begins his journey across the Atlantic and ends up in Kelso. Once in Scotland he meets a wealthy young woman, Sarah Palmer, who stirs his blood and his heart. There seems to be a catch to the attraction between these two though, Sarah's half-sister is also Marsh's half-sister. Sarah, upon learning the truth of Marsh's visit to Scotland, decides to protect her family at all costs and begins searching for the alleged truth behind Marsh's parent's marriage. Along the way, the hatred and distaste Marsh and Sarah feel for each other begins to turn into something even more dangerous....passion. But will Marsh's thirst for revenge drive Sarah away from him forever?

"The Troublemaker" is your typical Regency romance: a moody hero, a wealthy socialite, and a scandelous love. But Becnel also adds a tasty helping of steamy, passionate love scenes that leave you wide eyed and wanting more. Aside from the love scenes, the story itself is very captivating. It's interesting to watch Marsh and Sarah fight their feelings towards each other. I couldn't put the book down until I found out if Marsh's parents actually married and if he was going to follow through with his revenge on Sarah's mother and sister. This is a really great book and I look forward to reading Rexanne Becnel.

Gennie Bailey-Rogers

Sarah Palmer had gotten into trouble one time too many! She was sent from London to stay with her married half-sister, Olivia Hawke, in the Scottish countryside. Upon arriving, she learned the family had just left and would be gone a month! Sarah planned to remain with the housekeeper and behave for once. But even though Sarah was trying to avoid trouble, trouble found her anyway in the form of a man calling himself Marshall MacDougal. They were fascinated by each other until Sarah learned that it was her own mother and Olivia that Marshall was out to destroy!

***** This one is even better than the previous book, "The Matchmaker". The author has proven herself to be very talented. I was hooked on the very first page and held engrossed until the ending! I cannot recommend this one highly enough! *****

The book isn't horrible; the characters, even the romantic leads, have redeeming qualities and good scenes. But the work as a whole is less than fulfilling and the chemistry between the leads lacks convincing heat. Worse, it lacks the sort of love upon which a good romance hinges.

The book is worth reading as part of the series, as long as the reader neither expects too much or is not put off from other books that follow. Perhaps the best character in this book is Sarah's sister's husband's nephew, Adrian Hawke. His story comes up in the Bridemaker, which is an excellent read.