Mackenzie’s Mountain
By Linda Howard
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Release Date: March 1, 2016
(Originally published as Silhouette Intimate Moments #281,
1989;
reissued by Harlequin MIRA, 2000)





Linda Howard’s classic 1980s romance, Mackenzie’s Mountain, is newly available in digital format. Her hero, Wolf Mackenzie, is a half-breed rancher ostracized by the people of tiny Ruth, Wyoming. An outsider in every sense, Wolf was convicted as a serial rapist several years ago. Although he was eventually cleared of all charges and released, he is still a rapist in the eyes of the community whose members are already prejudiced against him because of his “otherness.” The Mackenzie ranch is located on a mountain outside Ruth, and Wolf’s contact with the town and its citizens is minimal.
Mary Elizabeth Potter is an old maid schoolteacher, complete
with spectacles, a cat named Woodrow, and a body and heart untouched by the
rapacious males her aunt warned her against. When she discovers that Joe
Mackenzie, a sixteen-year-old at the top of his class, dropped out of school
two months ago, Mary determines to reclaim him. Her first visit to the
Mackenzie ranch does not go as she expects. A Savannah, Georgia, transplant,
Mary is unprepared for Wyoming winters. When her car breaks down and she is
forced to walk to the ranch. She is in the first stages of hypothermia when she
is rescued by Wolf Mackenzie.
At first sight, Mary and Wolf are less than impressed with
one another. Mary is put off by his sheer size: “He was big, and she
instinctively disliked that. She disliked the way big men looked down at her,
and she disliked being forced by sheer physical size to look up at them.” Wolf
takes one look at her and stereotypes her: “He’d never seen anyone who looked
more like a schoolteacher than this woman.” At second sight, they fall quickly
and deeply into lust, a response that they both find disturbing. Their feelings
soon deepen into love.
Wolf knows that with any association with him Mary risks her
reputation and the respect of the community. Her insistence on tutoring Joe to
give him a shot at fulfilling his dream of flying is already risk enough. But
while Mary may look like a mouse, she is a lioness in her convictions. She defends her right to tutor Joe, and she refuses
to ignore the town’s racist treatment of Wolf and his son. When a rapist
strikes again, Wolf is immediately suspected, but Mary, certain of his
innocence, is indignant at the ingrained prejudice of the town and the compound
injustice of their suspicions. And she is willing to take on the whole town and
risk her own life to see that Wolf is cleared and the guilty man is found.
Mackenzie’s Mountain
is definitely old-school romance, glaringly lacking in political correctness,
but it has been winning the hearts of readers for more than twenty-five years.
One indication of its perennial popularity is its appearance on AAR’s
top-100-romances polls in 1998, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2010, and 2013. The lead
characters are unforgettable. Wolf is a warrior: “In his veins ran the blood of
two of the most warlike peoples in the history of the world, Comanche and
Celt.” He’s also a sensualist, and the scenes in which he introduces Mary to
carnal pleasures sizzle. No generic sex scenes exist in this book. In each such
scene, the reader is aware of these particular characters--who they are
individually and who they are becoming together. Mary is the plain heroine who
is beautiful to the hero. She has a difficult time believing that Wolf is
interested in her: “I know I’m not an attractive woman, certainly not the type
to stir a man’s—er, savage appetites.” One of the many reasons I adore
this book is that Mary, despite her lack of experience, possesses courage,
physical and moral. She and Wolf save each other.
Although the novel is a contemporary, it has the feel of a
historical. Some readers see the throw-back quality as a weakness. This may be
particularly true for readers encountering the book for the first time in 2016,
but it in no way lessened my enjoyment on my latest rereading. Readers who
share my fondness for epilogues will turn the final pages with a sigh of
satisfaction, and those who share my addiction to series will be delighted that
Joe Mackenzie’s story (Mackenzie’s
Mission, 1992, SIM #445) will be
reissued by Avon Impulse on April 5, 2016. Howard also wrote stories for the
other Mackenzie offspring: Mackenzie’s
Pleasure (1996, SIM #691), Zane’s story; “Mackenzie’s Magic,” a novella
that offers the story of Maris, the only Mackenzie daughter (originally
published in a 1996 Silhouette anthology, Christmas
Kisses); and A Game of Chance
(2000, SIM #1021), Chance’s story. I don’t know if Avon plans to reissue the
rest of the series, but they are all already available in digital format. The
last one was a three-star read for me, but I enjoyed all the others. As for Mackenzie’s Mountain, it’s been on my
keeper shelf since I first read it in 1989, and my most recent reading just
confirmed my discernment in placing it there.
I don't know how I missed this one but after reading your review I'll definitely pick this one up. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a keeper.
Carol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
Loved it very much, best of the entire series.
ReplyDeleteladbookfan
I've never read this one, but upon reading this review, I immediately went to Amazon and bought it. *LOL* Thanks, Janga!!
ReplyDeleteDitto .... LOL
DeleteI picked this one up at a UBS several years ago but never read it. Couldn't find it in my bookshelves so I also went to Amazon and downloaded it. I'm thinking it will make great reading this weekend. Thanks, Janga!
ReplyDeleteIt's a great romance, but it is definitely old school. Wolf is one of the original alpha males!
ReplyDeleteI've always enjoyed her stories and I think I'd like this one too after your review!
ReplyDeleteI loved this book the first time I read it, around the early '90's, and I reread it at least once a year. I really liked all of them, but A Game of Chance was my least favorite, too. MacKenzie's Mountain IS old school, but the romance sizzles! It definitely is in my top 5 novels and Linda Howard is my favorite author.
ReplyDeleteI just looked to see if it was at the local library. Not there but several in the series. Will put on my wish list.
ReplyDeleteI love this book too, Janga. It's one of my all time keepers and one I often reread.
ReplyDeletei read this series years ago - it's one I've thought about re-reading.
ReplyDelete