A #Review of Highland Madness Boxed-Set #HR MadMan MacKeefe Trilogy by Elizabeth Rose

Today I review the Highland Madness series, Madman MacKeefe Trilogy, by Elizabeth Rose, about three Highland brothers and their separate journies to love.

Pages -  561 

Publisher -  RoseScribe Media Inc. 

Published -  July 31, 2015

Sold by -  Amazon Digital Services LLC

Series -  MadMan MacKeefe Trilogy

Genre -  Highlands, Historical Romance

Language -  2/5

Sexual Content -  3/5

Narrative -  3rd

(The complete MadMan MacKeefe Trilogy)

Boxed-Set Edition

Onyx - Book 1
Onyx MacKeefe takes an Englishwoman, Lady Lovelle, captive when his mother's life is threatened. And with Lovelle at his side, he searches the Highlands for the stolen Book of Hours that could possibly set his mother free.

Aidan - Book 2
Highlander Aidan MacKeefe is the guardian of the Stone of Destiny, and uses it as his pillow. When he dreams of a Scottish angel with flaming red hair and then she appears in his life, he has no idea that Effie MacDuff is really there to steal the stone and give it to the English.

Ian - Book 3
Ian MacKeefe is a troubled Highlander who has more problems than he thinks. Kyla, the sister of his best friend, has kissed him and now he can think of nothing else. But when their clan is attacked something happens that could devastate both of them unless Ian finds a way to undo the damage that's been done.

The unfavorable reviews (at Amazon) for this trilogy were MEAN.

It doesn't happen too often that I am in disagreement with them, either (has anyone else noticed that the percentage of Up votes at Goodreads far outweigh those left at Amazon?).

Yes, the first story was a bit jarring at the start, what with a thieving woman chancing her way onto a boat to get back home -- after murdering a Count -- by intercepting a box the captain refuses to have aboard his vessel.

And, inside the box is a dead infant with big, open eyes... one black and the other orange.

I know... I know, but please bear with me.

Also, this wasn't the sharpest written work of fiction in the world, with the author not knowing how comma's are supposed to work, which might be why she used the word AND so often...

• stopped and turned around and leaned forward and blew it out.
• and Onyx took the spit and handed it to her.
• and stopped and lowered her head,
• and his hand came up and he gripped the back of Lovelle’s hair
• on her lap and awoke and jumped to the ground,
• “We’ll collect our things and I’ll pay Callum and we’ll head
• and bent over and kissed her
• and reaching forward and kissing her on the lips.

... you get the idea.

Honestly, I was prepared to go along with the negative reviewers this time, agreeing with their assessment of the writing level and presumed-to-be-written-for YA audience aspects.

But, I chose to plod my way through the first story because, despite the issues with GPS, and the oddball main character's rocky start, I found myself to be engaged and wanted to know more.

I'm also still on the fence about an author's choice to recreate ancient dialect.

Is it genuine, assumption, or farce to think that ancient Scots talked that way?

I just don't know (aside from the fact that she may be going with her own typed version of today's Scots burr), but in this Trilogy, I felt that it was a bit much and ended up inserting my own versions of certain words/phrases as I continued to read Onyx's story.

Now, a few of the negative reviewers (at Amazon) said that the characters felt under-developed and immature, but I disagree.

I felt that the author did an amazing job of developing these three tribesmen, making them seem as boyish as they were manly, and as friendly as they proved to be fiercely loyal to the clan and each other.

By the time I finished reading Ian's story (the last), I figured that the author made a big mistake by not including the Tag/Label FANTASY for this Trilogy.

This involves witchcraft, resurrection, and potions, so if she had said it is a Historical Fantasy Romance, perhaps some of the negative reviewers would have felt differently about the whole thing.

Also, there were a lot of aside characters to siphon through as each of the Leading Male's had their stories told, and being re-introduced to the same characters in each subsequent story as well.

However, I would have to say that these are stand-alone novels despite their being tied together in a host of novels about the same clan.

The author addresses the issue this way:

This series really is a continuation of the Daughters of the Dagger Series. It's not necessary to read the Dagger Series first, but since Onyx is the brother of the girls from the Dagger Series, it is suggested to read it in order so no surprises will be ruined. However each book stands alone.

The Daughters of the Dagger Series include these books:

Daughters of the Dagger Prequel - (important to read this) ...then read about Onyx's sisters in the Daughters of the Dagger Series. 

• Ruby - Book 1
• Sapphire - Book 2
• Amber - Book 3
• Amethyst - Book 4

This series continues with the story of their brother, Onyx, in the Scottish, MadMan MacKeefe Series:

• Onyx - Book 1
• Aidan - Book 2
• Ian - Book 3

As for Onyx being the first story in this Trilogy, I think the author did her fans a disservice (potential fans, that is) because he just doesn't read as a sexy, swaggering, mouth-watering Leading Man until you are allowed to get beyond his appearance and discover more about his personality, his life in the Highlands, and then a much broader picture about his troubling beginning in life.

I'm not saying only dashing, mega-muscled heroes with god-like facial features are permitted to grace any Romance novel, of course.

What I mean to say is, had the author chosen to introduce us to Aidan first, and then Ian, and THEN Onyx, perhaps THEN delving into the romantic lives of his four sisters, it might have worked out better?

I get that she chose to work the series out in the manner in which she did, though.

It makes sense, but Onyx remains a jarring leading man right out of the gate, and that, I think, might be why she lost a few potential fans.

Along with her juvenile grammar and usage issues, but I have to say, currently reading another of her Highland Romance novels, she has improved greatly in that regard.

Just not when it comes to proper comma usage.

I don't get how this is an issue with so many authors, to be honest, considering how easy it is to go online, type in the words Comma Usage, and choose from a whole host of articles on the topic.

Fragments are not sentences, and conjunctions don't necessarily mean a comma is approaching or even necessary (they are sometimes used in place of punctuation).

• Save yerself now, my lady before ’tis too late.”
• (...now, my lady, before...)
• in one motion, and came to stand at her side.
• (in one motion and came to stand...)
• asked his friend named Ian with the dark hair,
• (...obviously not his full name)
• was feeling, and were probably having similar feelings
• (...were probably doesn't stand alone)
• left, and plopped down on the pallet next to Ian
• saw his eyes, and flinched this morning.”
• he didn’t hear her, and kept on going.
• If you agree to it, than I have no qualms
• “I’ve named the squirrel, Reid, for its color,”

etc., etc., etc.

I think the real issue is that authors are not paying attention to such details, which is sad because a majority of their readers ARE.

Okay, moving right along.

I ended up liking Onyx a whole lot by the end of his story, which led me to want to find out about Aidan's story, which led me to want to find out about Ian's.

The three are a band-o-brothers in the MacKeefe clan up in the highlands, but Onyx takes us back down to England, where he is originally from, so we end up learning a bit more about his real family (which, according to the author, are all told in the Daughter's of the Dagger series).

I enjoyed the three men together as much as I did when they were struggling to come to grips with their inevitable fates/love-interests.

They struck me as down-to-earth goofballs with a terrific balance of playful/serious in them to make them all desirable in one way or another.

Another thing that I appreciated about the Trilogy factor was that, quite often, when you've read the first story in a Series, you've read them all... with the author deciding it is somehow wise to employ the same scenarios, plot twists, and climactic moments as she had in previous novels.

This did and didn't occur here, with only one instance, if I recall correctly, where the same throat-slitting scene occurred in two of the three stories.

The rest of each story remained its own and with its own set of circumstances to navigate.

Onyx's story remained jarring and then filled me with relief.

Aidan's story worried me much of the time since he turned out to be the most playful and guileless of the three, so his HEA was a true relief and something to smile about while

Ian's story turned out to be quite shocking... almost terrifying in the gruesome, terrifying way in which it was told.

It was darker than the other two, and with a female lead who could very well have turned into the unwanted shrew, nag, stubborn character so many of us loathe, but she didn't, thankfully.

So, which of the three turned out to be best?

Onyx, if you seek my opinion on the Trilogy aspect, because I'm a sucker for the underdog, and while Aidan proved to be the most adorable of the three, and with Ian being the best-looking of the three, Onyx had too many redeeming qualities to ignore, so how could I not want to root for him?

Now, if you would like to read Historical FANTASY of the Highlander variety, I would suggest this Trilogy (if you are able to get around the GPS issues and an over-use of Scots Brogue) because the three men prove interesting and worth rooting for in the Romance department.

Lastly, I have to admit that Aidan's story included more sex than romance, but without including SPOILERS, he is the most gullible of the three, so when he has the vivid dream and then meets the woman from said dream, well... nothing that occurred afterwards came as much of a surprise.

And, after all that, I stick with my 4-Heart choice!

Please give this and Ms. Rose another chance if you are one of the nay-sayers who dumped this trilogy too early and refuse to bother with anything else she writes.

You might be making a huge mistake.