THE NAKED MARQUIS by Sally MacKenzie

With February 1st being the release date for Invisible, my second contemporary romance, I didn't have the time to do the reading I wanted to in January. I must have read, oh, about 20 romance novels. One of them was the superb Seduce Me At Sunrise from Lisa Kleypas and another was The Warlord's Bride from the always reliable Margaret Moore (shivering with delight) but you readers KNOW those two books rocked it. The other books I read were so-so.

So I thought I'd go back in time and pick an oldie but a goodie. The Naked Marquis from Sally MacKenzie is one of the funniest regencies I've ever read. I loved it so much, I've bought it four or five times (I keep leaving it on planes and buses).

I know what you're thinking. If I read the title The Naked Marquis today, I would peg the book as erotica also. However, this Naked series started in 2005 and the publisher's Zebra (notice the lack of naked men on the cover). It isn't erotica. People do get naked (as they do in most full length historical novels) but that is seen as shocking, rather than… well… stimulating. There are also a few very funny sex scenes but nothing too graphic.

Here's the set up…

Second son Charles finds himself in an enviable position. He is now the Marquis of Knightsdale. The thing is… he doesn't want it. He loved his brother (issues and all) and he liked the life he was leading. But duty calls so he trudges home to his new house and his two small nieces. He realizes he's responsible for the kiddies and aware of his own mortality decides to marry. Right away. As in… he proposes to the first eligible female he meets, his former childhood friend Emma. She responds to this romantic proposition by throwing a ceramic dog at his head.

Although The Naked Marquis is the second in the series and the first book's characters do make an appearance, you don't need to read them in order. I didn't and I followed the story perfectly.