Bedding Lord Ned Book Review *Sally MacKenzie*

Sally MacKenzie is one of my all time favorite historical romance authors. Her books are a combination of sweet and funny with so many endearing characters. I was sad to hear she had ended her Naked series, but I'm overjoyed she has a new series called the Duchess of Love series. 

Bedding Lord Ned is the first book about Lord Ned Edward, son to Venus, the Duchess of Greycliffe, who is fondly called the Duchess of Love. Venus is still madly in love with her husband Drew, the duke, who she has been married for almost thirty years. She wants her three sons to find happiness and love like her and Drew, but unfortunately her eldest son’s marriage is on the rocks and Ned’s marriage ended when his wife died in childbirth, which he blames himself for. Years later, Ned appears to still be in mourning to the dismay of Miss Eleanor Bowman and Venus. Ellie was good friends with Ned’s wife, Cicely who was everything Ellie wasn’t. Ellie feels plain and uninspiring, and her wardrobe doesn’t help either. She suffers silently because she’s been in love with Ned for what seems like forever, but Ned only thinks of her as a sister and a good friend. 

What Ned doesn’t know is that Ellie is hiding a passionate woman who owns a pair of red silk drawers, but ones she never wears. Unfortunately while staying as a guest at the Greycliffe estate for Venus’s annual Valentine’s Day party, Venus’s naughty cat, Reggie sneaks off with her drawers and hides them in Ned’s room. She tries to get them back before Ned can notice, but he catches her under her bed. She makes her excuses hoping Ned thinks the red drawers are some other woman’s. Ned is shocked, but not for the reasons Ellie may think. Ned has always found Ellie to be a rational woman and someone he can count on. But the moment he figures out the red drawers belong to Ellie, he can’t stop thinking about them on her, as well as her naked.

Ned isn’t thrilled by the idea that his mother is matchmaking. She has big plans for Ellie to get married and catch the eye of one of the single gentlemen who have been invited to the house party. Ned doesn’t like any of the men; even his own single brother Jack sniffing around Ellie. He’ll take it upon himself to keep a close eye on Ellie to make sure she isn’t seduced. Ellie doesn’t know what game Ned is playing at, but she doesn’t like it. He’s driving her crazy because he’s going out of his way to be very possessive and make her believe he’s as attractive to her as she is to him. But how can she tell him how she feels when he’s still mourning the loss of his beautiful wife he loved deeply?

Bedding Lord Ned is a barrel of laughs. Ellie and Ned are so perfect for one another. Their inner monologues and thoughts will make you chuckle, especially as Ned loses all control the moment he visualizes the button up Ellie in her scandalous red drawers. You can’t help but feel for Ellie because she has a small self-esteem problem and thinks she isn’t good enough for Ned because of his devotion to Cicely. Watching these two banter back and forth and come to the conclusion they love one another as more than just friends was lovely. There's only one sex scene between Ned and Ellie, which doesn't disappoint. What's important here is the build up of passion and the falling in love factor between these two.

Ned’s mother Venus is a real firecracker. I loved the scenes with her and her husband Drew, mainly in their bedroom, where they talk about their sons. It was also nice to see a passionate relationship between a long lasting married couple in their later years. I do hope we see more of Drew and Venus together in the future Duchess of Love books that will show Ned’s brother Jack and that of Ash, the heir who has been separated from his wife for reasons not yet revealed.

Speaking of Venus and Drew, as a treat there is a e-novella as a companion to Bedding Lord Ned called The Duchess of Love. This is more of a prologue to the series as it shows how Venus and Dew first met and their romance, which was great fun to read. Venus is an amazing heroine. I couldn’t get enough of her. Drew’s devotion to her is everything I want in a man and a hero.

Every Sally MacKenzie book I’ve read has given me the warm fuzzies. Her books are such a treat, and Bedding Lord Ned is another example of this. If you haven’t read a Sally MacKenzie romance, you’re losing out. Do pick up Bedding Lord Ned as soon as you can. (Zebra)

Final Grade: B+

A few other Bedding Lord Ned reviews:
My Books Addiction Reviews 

Rogues Under the Covers