Reckless Love

MacKenzie-Blackthorn, Book 1

By: Elizabeth Lowell

Narrated by: Laural Merlington

Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

No one who roamed the steep green mountains and red-rock canyons of Utah Territory was safe from El Cascabel and his renegade warriors - not Janna Wayland, not the wild stallion Lucifer - not even Ty MacKenzie, the stranger who had come for the stallion, and stayed to capture Janna's heart.

Now all three must join forces and make their escape, or die trying.

©2007 Elizabeth Lowell (P)2007 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Merlington's lightly accented delivery and textured characterizations breathe passion and tension into this story of survival and romance." ( AudioFile)

Great Book

Loved it. I really enjoyed listening to this book, I just wish she did more of there older books like this. Would love to hear them.

Western love story with a heroine

This is fun and rousing. It was a good enough story that started out with a bang , I could not stop listening until it was over. And the Heroine saves the hero, this is a nice change from the Duke saves the day stories. But it IS still one of those.... If you like that you will like this.

Western Lovers

Any additional comments?

This was a great western romp. Loved the Mustangs. It is a bit steamy with lot's of horse action. Very enjoyable. :)

No one who roamed the steep green mountains and red-rock canyons of Utah Territory was safe from El Cascabel and his renegade warriors - not Janna Wayland, not the wild stallion Lucifer - not even Ty MacKenzie, the stranger who had come for the stallion,and stayed to capture Janna's heart. Now all three must join forces and make their escape, or die trying.

Poor Jenna...

Even though the story was very engaging and kept my interest from the beginning I found it hard to tolerate the emotional cruelty of Hero towards the Heroine.
If he was just a little bit nicer and more of a gentleman........but he wasn’t until the very end.

the hero is a jerk

I quite enjoy Ms. Lowell's modern stories. I've also enjoyed a few of her historical stories. But this one misses the mark, because the hero is just not a likeable guy. Stories with flawed heros have their place in literature, certainly, but when I'm reading (or listening!) to a romance, I want to like both of the main characters. Ty MacKenzie is a jerk to Jana in the beginning, a jerk to Jana in the middle, and a jerk to her at the end. Until the last 5 minutes, when suddenly he sees the light and declares his undying love--and I don't buy it.

I'd skip this one, if I were you.

(Performance was good, considering the story she had to work with. But even an excellent performance couldn't have saved this one.)

Well written. Peerlessly narrated. Admirable characters

The story line is excellent. The sex, too specific. While I was captivated by the story, I had to fast forward by the sex scenes.

Yes, Reckless....

I have read Elizabeth Lowell's "only" series and loved the narrator so wasn't sure about this one
with a female narrator. But when I got into the book it didn't matter.
I loved the description of the land and a woman's survival skill's among Indians and wild horses.
Like all Elizabeth Lowell's books that I have read
you always have the most handsome and potent man
vs an independent perfectly formed responsive woman.
The story has a little of everything including a
good Indian fight, danger, daring escapes and of course in the end a pledge of enduring love and marriage.

I want more of the MacKenzies!

I agree with Betty! This book has everything a romantic could want. I just wish Elizabeth Lowell had continued this series with the characters (MacKenzies) that are listed in this book...I was waiting to read about Ty's brothers: Logan & Silver, Duncan, Case and also Bluewolf & Cassie's story. I hope Elizabeth will return to continue the series, as she has with other groups/trilogies.

Laural Merlington, did a great job reading this book! I think she had the perfect, deep, sexy sound for the characters, men & women! The intonation or cadence of her voice was very realistic & vivid for this genre. I could "see" the scenes happening. A lot of female narrators don't find the necessity to deepen/change their voice when reading male parts, however, they do the story and their readers an injustice. Laural, however, makes the story come to life from the written words. Isn't that the whole reason we like audio-books?

Enjoyably Reckless

A timeless love story set in Post Civil War times of the wild western territories. Ty and Janna are thrown together by survival and heroism. Both raised by vastly different means, their integrity, honor and passions grow with each passing challenge and emotional upheaval. EL writes a brilliant story and I always return to it to listen again. Laurel Merlington does a superb job with narration as well.

It Held My Interest from Beginning to End!

Excellent story, from beginning to end.

Janna has only been able too stay alive after her father's death, by spying on the Renegade Indians, by moving like a ghost throughout the country and erasing all evidence of her movements. She only has one friend, a prospector who had known her father, and the wild mustangs she befriends.

The story begins with Janna spying on a group of drunken Renegades who are making a naked man run their gauntlet, which few men survive. This man not only ran the gauntlet, but with a burst of speed kept running, and although severely wounded he outrun his pursuers. The Indians, believing he cannot get away, will hunt him down after their celebration, but Janna follows him, covers up his trail of blood, and by cutting her arm leaves a false trail for the Indians to follow.

Laural Merlington gave a good performance.