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The Bareknuckle Bastards #3
Daring and the Duke
New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean returns with the much-anticipated final book in her Bareknuckle Bastards series, featuring a scoundrel duke and the powerful woman who brings him to his knees.
Grace Condry has spent a lifetime running from her past. Betrayed as a child by her only love and raised on the streets, she now hides in plain sight as queen of London’s darkest corners. Grace has a sharp mind and a powerful right hook and has never met an enemy she could not best, until the man she once loved returns.
Single-minded and ruthless, Ewan, Duke of Marwick, has spent a decade searching for the woman he never stopped loving. A long-ago gamble may have lost her forever, but Ewan will go to any lengths to win Grace back… and make her his duchess.
Reconciliation is the last thing Grace desires. Unable to forgive the past, she vows to take her revenge. But revenge requires keeping Ewan close, and soon her enemy seems to be something else altogether—something she can’t resist, even as he threatens the world she's built, the life she's claimed…and the heart she swore he'd never steal again.
Grace Condry has spent a lifetime running from her past. Betrayed as a child by her only love and raised on the streets, she now hides in plain sight as queen of London’s darkest corners. Grace has a sharp mind and a powerful right hook and has never met an enemy she could not best, until the man she once loved returns.
Single-minded and ruthless, Ewan, Duke of Marwick, has spent a decade searching for the woman he never stopped loving. A long-ago gamble may have lost her forever, but Ewan will go to any lengths to win Grace back… and make her his duchess.
Reconciliation is the last thing Grace desires. Unable to forgive the past, she vows to take her revenge. But revenge requires keeping Ewan close, and soon her enemy seems to be something else altogether—something she can’t resist, even as he threatens the world she's built, the life she's claimed…and the heart she swore he'd never steal again.
371 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 30, 2020
1341 people are currently reading
8582 people want to read
About the author
Sarah MacLean
35 books15.4k followersNew York Times, Washington Post & USA Today bestseller Sarah MacLean is the author of historical romance novels. Translated into more than twenty-five languages, the books that make up “The MacLeaniverse” are beloved by readers worldwide.
In addition to her novels, Sarah is a leading advocate for the romance genre, speaking widely on its place as a feminist text and a cultural bellwether. A columnist for the New York Times, the Washington Post and Bustle, she is the co-host of the weekly romance podcast, Fated Mates. A Rhode Island native, Sarah now lives in New York City.
In addition to her novels, Sarah is a leading advocate for the romance genre, speaking widely on its place as a feminist text and a cultural bellwether. A columnist for the New York Times, the Washington Post and Bustle, she is the co-host of the weekly romance podcast, Fated Mates. A Rhode Island native, Sarah now lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,734 reviews
dnf-books
September 3, 2022can this be about Nik + Nora instead? because I ain't got time for Ewan.
(this is still one of my fav series tho, Devil and Beast can get it 😘)
(this is still one of my fav series tho, Devil and Beast can get it 😘)
May 4, 2020
I usually get something up about the book earlier than two months beforehand here on Goodreads, but it's 2020, so I'm taking everything as a win these days!
Here we go! Grace and Ewan finally get their happily ever after in Daring & the Duke -- and hoo-boy do they go through the wringer for it. I hope you love their love story as much as I do, complete with angst, drama, dirty fighting, an endless grovel....and Whit and Devil grumbling about it the whole time.
An incomplete list of stuff you'll find in this book:
* Grace, aka Dahlia, former bareknuckle fighter, superior businesswoman and the proprietor of a women's pleasure club--and definitely the smartest of the Bareknuckle Bastards.
* Ewan, aka the Duke of Marwick, returned to London to find girl he chased away twenty-years ago...and ready to do anything to win her back.
* A pure grovel novel. If you like books where hero's hearts are yanked from their chests...this one is for you.
* Bareknuckle boxing, rooftop shenanigans, a circus complete with magicians and aerialists, and a peek at Devil & Whit in domestic bliss.
* A little look at what comes next!
Daring & the Duke is coming July 30th to bookstores everywhere...I hope you'll add the book to your TBR shelf here at Goodreads, and preorder now. If you're interested, you can find signed copies at my local indie in New York City -- and support a local New York, woman-owned business while getting a signed book and some delicious swag (including this gorgeous laptop-or-anywhere sticker, featuring Grace's bare knuckles!)
Amazon: https://amzn.to/36enOHt
Kobo: http://bit.ly/DukeKobo
B&N: http://bit.ly/DukeBN
Apple Books: https://apple.co/394AXnZ
BAM: http://bit.ly/DukeBAM
Your local indie via Bookshop.org: https://bit.ly/2Yycsx0
My local indie, WORD in Brooklyn: http://wordbookstores.com/sarahmaclean
June 29, 2020
Before reading: I got an arc. Dear god please be another groveling romance like day of the duchess!!! I need it to be!!
After reading: Well... it sadly did not live up to the day of the duchess hype.
I’ve struggled with this series (I gave both Wicked & Brazen 3 stars) but I was holding out hope for Ewan and Grace, who have been so hyped and anticipated since they were first introduced. I live for second chance romance and my last experience with it from SM was brilliant. Sadly, Daring didn’t quite live up to my expectations. It started off strong - I couldn’t WAIT to see how Ewan would grovel. The beginning I did enjoy a lot! It was tense and angsty, which is what I want in second chance romances and groveling romances. But somewhere towards the middle it lost its steam, became strangely repetitive, and I just wasn’t into the story as much. I honestly don’t think Ewan did enough to make up for all the hurt he caused and Grace took him back too quickly and easily because of a few kisses. I love Grace’s character and her role in the London underground. She’s a powerful woman in her own right, and I love to see that, especially in historical romances. I do wish we’d gotten to see Grace in all her queen of the London underworld glory more. We don’t experience enough of that aspect! And the romance and love felt like it was based too much on the past and not enough on the present and the people they grew up to be.
Super sad I didn’t love this one, but I’ll still be reading whatever Sarah MacLean comes out with next! I’m still a huge fan of hers despite this series not working for me (though I’m definitely in the minority for it). I will forever be grateful to her for introducing me to regency romances!
After reading: Well... it sadly did not live up to the day of the duchess hype.
I’ve struggled with this series (I gave both Wicked & Brazen 3 stars) but I was holding out hope for Ewan and Grace, who have been so hyped and anticipated since they were first introduced. I live for second chance romance and my last experience with it from SM was brilliant. Sadly, Daring didn’t quite live up to my expectations. It started off strong - I couldn’t WAIT to see how Ewan would grovel. The beginning I did enjoy a lot! It was tense and angsty, which is what I want in second chance romances and groveling romances. But somewhere towards the middle it lost its steam, became strangely repetitive, and I just wasn’t into the story as much. I honestly don’t think Ewan did enough to make up for all the hurt he caused and Grace took him back too quickly and easily because of a few kisses. I love Grace’s character and her role in the London underground. She’s a powerful woman in her own right, and I love to see that, especially in historical romances. I do wish we’d gotten to see Grace in all her queen of the London underworld glory more. We don’t experience enough of that aspect! And the romance and love felt like it was based too much on the past and not enough on the present and the people they grew up to be.
Super sad I didn’t love this one, but I’ll still be reading whatever Sarah MacLean comes out with next! I’m still a huge fan of hers despite this series not working for me (though I’m definitely in the minority for it). I will forever be grateful to her for introducing me to regency romances!
July 1, 2020
3 Wanted this to be better stars
Where to start...? Well, it is best if you have read the other two books before this one because the story builds and finally comes to a resolution with this final installment of The Bareknuckle Bastards trilogy.
Quick recap of the overarching story line: Devil (aka Devin), Whit (aka Beast), and Ewan are all bastard children of the Duke of Marwick whose wife had enough of his cheating and decided to get some outside action of her own, so she had an affair that also resulted in a child: Grace. The duchess died in childbirth after she unmanned the duke (and by "unmanned," let's just say she personally wielded a weapon to ensure he can't have anymore children - bastard or otherwise). All 4 of these children are born on the exact same day (which seems a little too coincidental, but I rolled with it). Grace was baptized the Duke of Marwick (her sex kept secret from all but a couple of very trustworthy and/or blackmailed key individuals) because there were no other relatives that the title could be handed down to, so it would revert to the throne which was something the duke could not abide. Thus, he gathered his bastard trio from various slums when they were 11 years old and brought them to his country seat to compete with one another for the dukedom. The foursome banded together and decided that they would run away and start their own lives in London removed from the duke's reach, but if that didn't work, whichever one of the boys that "won" the dukedom would never have children which would end the line and spite their father's plans to carry on the name. As it has been mentioned in the first two books in this series, when the boys reached the age of 13, the shit hit the fan one night and Ewan came after all of them - he scarred Devil's face (Devil stepped in front of Grace bc he thought Ewan was going after her); broke several of Whit's ribs, and the three (Devil, Beast, and Grace) ran as fast as they could to London - specifically, Covent Gardens. There they survived (though barely at times) and rose to become The Bareknuckle Bastards as they were known for their fierce fighting skills as they never lost (thanks to the training the duke "gave" them when he pitted them against each other). When the duke died (10 years ago), Ewan assumed the name and title: Duke of Marwick. Grace also assumed another identity: Daliah, the queen of the gardens who ran a high-end establishment of desires for women. In the first two stories, Ewan was told that Grace was dead (for her safety); thus, he attempted to kill Devil and then tried to kill Beast's fiancee while inflicting as much damage as he could on their business by detonating a bomb at the docks that killed 5 men and seriously wounded Beast's woman; however, he was caught in an explosion himself and was rescued by Grace which is where book 2 left off.
In this final installment, we learn more about Grace's life: she was completely ignored by the duke and didn't even have a name until Ewan gave her one; she fell madly in love with Ewan when they were kids; she always told Ewan that he would "win" the contest and be the duke; and she had her heart absolutely destroyed the night that Ewan came after all of them as the fled to Covent Gardens. When the story begins, Grace is tending to Ewan as he is recovering from the injuries from the blast on the docks, and he awakens to find that she is still alive. He truly believed she was dead when his brothers told him she'd died, but now that he knows she is still alive, he knows he must change his ways to win her back. Ewan leaves London when ordered to do so by Grace, but he comes back a year later a "different man." He is relentless in his pursuit of Grace, but after all that has happened, can she ever trust him again? How can he possibly explain his behavior on the night he attacked them; his attempt at murdering Devil; and his destruction of the docks including the taking of the lives of 5 men? Even if Grace can find a way to forgive him, his brothers never would.... right?
What I liked:
--- Grace's character was very likeable AND she was a kick ass, strong female who could more than take care of herself - no simpering damsel here!
--- Steamy goodness (when there was some)
--- Visiting characters from the first two books
What I didn't like as much:
--- The timeline is crazy... The terrible night when Ewan attacked the others was 20 years ago; the former duke died 10 years ago; and just now they are figuring out what all went down way back when? It would have made more sense if all of this happened when the duke died, and it would have been just as dramatic and maybe a bit more realistic for me
--- When it came down to it, I didn't think Ewan's explanations either justified or redeemed his actions
--- The reconciliation between the brothers
--- Steamy goodness - a couple of 3rd base hits and only one home run really left me not feeling it as much as I usually do with Ms. MacLean's stories
Overall, while I enjoyed the story in general, it lacked believe-ability and I couldn't get past all of Ewan's bad deeds to feel he really redeemed himself.
Plot --- 3/5
Main Characters --- 3/5 (Ewan = 1; Grace = 5)
Supporting Cast --- 4/5
Steam Level* --- 3/5
Violence --- some fighting (boxing style mostly) and recalling past
Language --- not egregious
POV --- 3rd
*Note that steam level is not a rating so much as a how hot was it: 0/5 - clean; 1/5 - mild; 2/5 - sensual but nothing descriptive; 3/5 - now we're getting somewhere; 4/5 - yes please! (erotica territory); 5/5 - they did EVERYTHING in this one, y'all
I received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Where to start...? Well, it is best if you have read the other two books before this one because the story builds and finally comes to a resolution with this final installment of The Bareknuckle Bastards trilogy.
Quick recap of the overarching story line: Devil (aka Devin), Whit (aka Beast), and Ewan are all bastard children of the Duke of Marwick whose wife had enough of his cheating and decided to get some outside action of her own, so she had an affair that also resulted in a child: Grace. The duchess died in childbirth after she unmanned the duke (and by "unmanned," let's just say she personally wielded a weapon to ensure he can't have anymore children - bastard or otherwise). All 4 of these children are born on the exact same day (which seems a little too coincidental, but I rolled with it). Grace was baptized the Duke of Marwick (her sex kept secret from all but a couple of very trustworthy and/or blackmailed key individuals) because there were no other relatives that the title could be handed down to, so it would revert to the throne which was something the duke could not abide. Thus, he gathered his bastard trio from various slums when they were 11 years old and brought them to his country seat to compete with one another for the dukedom. The foursome banded together and decided that they would run away and start their own lives in London removed from the duke's reach, but if that didn't work, whichever one of the boys that "won" the dukedom would never have children which would end the line and spite their father's plans to carry on the name. As it has been mentioned in the first two books in this series, when the boys reached the age of 13, the shit hit the fan one night and Ewan came after all of them - he scarred Devil's face (Devil stepped in front of Grace bc he thought Ewan was going after her); broke several of Whit's ribs, and the three (Devil, Beast, and Grace) ran as fast as they could to London - specifically, Covent Gardens. There they survived (though barely at times) and rose to become The Bareknuckle Bastards as they were known for their fierce fighting skills as they never lost (thanks to the training the duke "gave" them when he pitted them against each other). When the duke died (10 years ago), Ewan assumed the name and title: Duke of Marwick. Grace also assumed another identity: Daliah, the queen of the gardens who ran a high-end establishment of desires for women. In the first two stories, Ewan was told that Grace was dead (for her safety); thus, he attempted to kill Devil and then tried to kill Beast's fiancee while inflicting as much damage as he could on their business by detonating a bomb at the docks that killed 5 men and seriously wounded Beast's woman; however, he was caught in an explosion himself and was rescued by Grace which is where book 2 left off.
In this final installment, we learn more about Grace's life: she was completely ignored by the duke and didn't even have a name until Ewan gave her one; she fell madly in love with Ewan when they were kids; she always told Ewan that he would "win" the contest and be the duke; and she had her heart absolutely destroyed the night that Ewan came after all of them as the fled to Covent Gardens. When the story begins, Grace is tending to Ewan as he is recovering from the injuries from the blast on the docks, and he awakens to find that she is still alive. He truly believed she was dead when his brothers told him she'd died, but now that he knows she is still alive, he knows he must change his ways to win her back. Ewan leaves London when ordered to do so by Grace, but he comes back a year later a "different man." He is relentless in his pursuit of Grace, but after all that has happened, can she ever trust him again? How can he possibly explain his behavior on the night he attacked them; his attempt at murdering Devil; and his destruction of the docks including the taking of the lives of 5 men? Even if Grace can find a way to forgive him, his brothers never would.... right?
What I liked:
--- Grace's character was very likeable AND she was a kick ass, strong female who could more than take care of herself - no simpering damsel here!
--- Steamy goodness (when there was some)
--- Visiting characters from the first two books
What I didn't like as much:
--- The timeline is crazy... The terrible night when Ewan attacked the others was 20 years ago; the former duke died 10 years ago; and just now they are figuring out what all went down way back when? It would have made more sense if all of this happened when the duke died, and it would have been just as dramatic and maybe a bit more realistic for me
--- When it came down to it, I didn't think Ewan's explanations either justified or redeemed his actions
--- The reconciliation between the brothers
--- Steamy goodness - a couple of 3rd base hits and only one home run really left me not feeling it as much as I usually do with Ms. MacLean's stories
Overall, while I enjoyed the story in general, it lacked believe-ability and I couldn't get past all of Ewan's bad deeds to feel he really redeemed himself.
Plot --- 3/5
Main Characters --- 3/5 (Ewan = 1; Grace = 5)
Supporting Cast --- 4/5
Steam Level* --- 3/5
Violence --- some fighting (boxing style mostly) and recalling past
Language --- not egregious
POV --- 3rd
*Note that steam level is not a rating so much as a how hot was it: 0/5 - clean; 1/5 - mild; 2/5 - sensual but nothing descriptive; 3/5 - now we're getting somewhere; 4/5 - yes please! (erotica territory); 5/5 - they did EVERYTHING in this one, y'all
I received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
April 19, 2020
Full disclosure: I am a friend of Sarah's and her FatedMates podcast cohost!
Hi, this book was my everything.
I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, but this book DELIVERS. All the things you wanted from Ewan & Grace...and more! This book gave me things I didn't even know I wanted. I just thought it was magnificent and subversive in the best way. I'm not even coherent right now because I don't know how to talk about it without spoilers, but this book is just perfect. fucking perfection.
Hi, this book was my everything.
I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, but this book DELIVERS. All the things you wanted from Ewan & Grace...and more! This book gave me things I didn't even know I wanted. I just thought it was magnificent and subversive in the best way. I'm not even coherent right now because I don't know how to talk about it without spoilers, but this book is just perfect. fucking perfection.
July 11, 2020
2.5 stars
I'm definitely in the minority with this book. A lot of my friends loved this, and I could totally see why they would. In fact, there were moments where I thought, 'Wow, I love this.' But there were also a lot of moments where I just downright hated everything: the characters, the writing, the plot. Unfortunately, there were more of the latter moments than the former, hence, my rating.
This series had been pretty uneven for me but I was hoping that Ewan and Grace's story would be the best of the lot. Silly me. I should've lowered my expectations and maybe, just maybe, I would've enjoyed it more.
So what happened?
One, the writing didn't work for me this time. And I adore Sarah MacLean's writing. Check my shelves and you'd see I'm not lying. Nine Rules to Break made me fall in love with historical romance. Unfortunately, this time around, the writing was too verbose and repetitive. It's beautiful in places but also distracting because everything gets repeated ad nauseam.
I think part of the reason why the repetition was so egregious was their story had been set up since the first book and we've heard about what Ewan did from the very first book.
Speaking of set up, that's another mark against this book. The stakes got so high, no resolution could be satisfying, IMO. I was genuinely interested in how SM would go about redeeming Ewan. She tried the best she could but I think Ewan killing a bunch of innocent people because he thought Grace died and he wanted to punish his brothers was a bridge too far. I didn't think that was something he could come back from. I was hoping SM could pull off a miracle with that one but...*shrugs
Maybe it would've worked if I could see Ewan displayed genuine remorse about what he did but he didn't? Sure. He paid restitution but it felt to me like he was sad he did it because it displeased Grace and not because those people he killed are people.
I don't know. But this is a major plot point in the previous books but it wasn't really addressed satisfactorily, IMO.
Also the resolution was a tad on the nose and unbelievable. I know, I know this is fiction but seriously?
Anyway, I did enjoy seeing Devil and Whit and their lady loves. And I adored Grace's merry band of badass women but other than that, this was another disappointing installment from Sarah MacLean.
ARC provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I'm definitely in the minority with this book. A lot of my friends loved this, and I could totally see why they would. In fact, there were moments where I thought, 'Wow, I love this.' But there were also a lot of moments where I just downright hated everything: the characters, the writing, the plot. Unfortunately, there were more of the latter moments than the former, hence, my rating.
This series had been pretty uneven for me but I was hoping that Ewan and Grace's story would be the best of the lot. Silly me. I should've lowered my expectations and maybe, just maybe, I would've enjoyed it more.
So what happened?
One, the writing didn't work for me this time. And I adore Sarah MacLean's writing. Check my shelves and you'd see I'm not lying. Nine Rules to Break made me fall in love with historical romance. Unfortunately, this time around, the writing was too verbose and repetitive. It's beautiful in places but also distracting because everything gets repeated ad nauseam.
I think part of the reason why the repetition was so egregious was their story had been set up since the first book and we've heard about what Ewan did from the very first book.
Speaking of set up, that's another mark against this book. The stakes got so high, no resolution could be satisfying, IMO. I was genuinely interested in how SM would go about redeeming Ewan. She tried the best she could but I think Ewan killing a bunch of innocent people because he thought Grace died and he wanted to punish his brothers was a bridge too far. I didn't think that was something he could come back from. I was hoping SM could pull off a miracle with that one but...*shrugs
Maybe it would've worked if I could see Ewan displayed genuine remorse about what he did but he didn't? Sure. He paid restitution but it felt to me like he was sad he did it because it displeased Grace and not because those people he killed are people.
I don't know. But this is a major plot point in the previous books but it wasn't really addressed satisfactorily, IMO.
Also the resolution was a tad on the nose and unbelievable. I know, I know this is fiction but seriously?
Anyway, I did enjoy seeing Devil and Whit and their lady loves. And I adored Grace's merry band of badass women but other than that, this was another disappointing installment from Sarah MacLean.
ARC provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
July 6, 2020
Unpalatable
I didn’t finish the book. I got about halfway through before I gave up. (The writing... was it always like this? Like cake with an excess of frosting, so much sugar that you can only eat a few bites before setting it aside?)
But I’ll admit, I didn’t come into the finale of the Bareknuckle Bastards series with the most open of minds. As she has done in previous series, MacLean has been building to this story, establishing the groundwork in the previous installments. It’s a technique that has worked fairly well in the past, the concept being that if you raise the stakes slowly ahead of time, the climax of the series will be all the more satisfying. And the stakes are higher than ever in Daring and the Duke.
In fact, the stakes are too high. MacLean has spent two books painting Ewan (the eponymous Duke) as a thorough villain, possibly mad to boot. And I like a good villain redemption story as much as the next person, but Ewan seems so irredeemable by the beginning of the book that a redemption arc has no ground to stand on. He’s relentlessly hunted his brothers, tried to destroy their livelihoods, and is responsible for the deaths of five men. And now we’re finding out that he seriously hurt his siblings and tried to kill the girl he supposedly loves when they were younger. Even if that last one isn’t totally true, even if he says that he didn’t ever intend to go through with it (and I’m not sure that’s what he’s saying, given that I didn’t finish reading), that’s a very shaky argument to make after the fact.
As for his other misdeeds, Ewan’s defense boils down to: “They made me sad, so I hurt them.” ... I’m sorry, but that just doesn’t cut it for me. Maybe there was a time in my life when I would have suspended disbelief long enough to buy that sort of nonsense, but I can’t anymore. Does MacLean realize that is the rationale behind every American school shooting for the last decade? I’m a lot more lenient about what I’ll tolerate in fiction versus real life (for the simple fact that fiction isn’t real), but I can’t see a happy-ever-after unfold out of this.
Our heroine, on the other hand, seems inclined to forgive him. Grace actually doesn’t seem too bothered by his past actions at all. Right from the moment when they first lock eyes, she is more interested in getting him into bed than making him atone. She keeps having to remind herself that he has done horrible things, because her libido is dead set on riding the bastard. She’s supposedly an accomplished business woman, whose entire enterprise is built on giving women a taste of the freedoms men enjoy, but how has she built an empire with such a personal lack of self-respect? It’s a bit like watching your talented, intelligent, beautiful friend backslide into a toxic relationship, even though you know she deserves better.
All this nonsense is dressed up in the most dramatic, over-the-top writing you can imagine. Characters toss out dramatic statements left, right, and center, and their main mode of transportation is flouncing about, accompanied by the overzealous swishing of their coats. They love turning their backs on people they are conversing with, for the chance to glance over their shoulder at them (honestly, it’s a surprise they don’t all have neck problems). There are no sincere statements within these pages; everything is so coated with unnecessary drama that I would have had a hard time empathizing with the characters even if the story wasn’t so unpalatable.
If you enjoyed the book, good for you. Everyone is entitled to like whatever media they want, without having to be as critical as I have been about the content. But this really wasn’t my cup of tea, and I won’t be reading Sarah MacLean’s books any longer.
Verdict: 1 star.
I didn’t finish the book. I got about halfway through before I gave up. (The writing... was it always like this? Like cake with an excess of frosting, so much sugar that you can only eat a few bites before setting it aside?)
But I’ll admit, I didn’t come into the finale of the Bareknuckle Bastards series with the most open of minds. As she has done in previous series, MacLean has been building to this story, establishing the groundwork in the previous installments. It’s a technique that has worked fairly well in the past, the concept being that if you raise the stakes slowly ahead of time, the climax of the series will be all the more satisfying. And the stakes are higher than ever in Daring and the Duke.
In fact, the stakes are too high. MacLean has spent two books painting Ewan (the eponymous Duke) as a thorough villain, possibly mad to boot. And I like a good villain redemption story as much as the next person, but Ewan seems so irredeemable by the beginning of the book that a redemption arc has no ground to stand on. He’s relentlessly hunted his brothers, tried to destroy their livelihoods, and is responsible for the deaths of five men. And now we’re finding out that he seriously hurt his siblings and tried to kill the girl he supposedly loves when they were younger. Even if that last one isn’t totally true, even if he says that he didn’t ever intend to go through with it (and I’m not sure that’s what he’s saying, given that I didn’t finish reading), that’s a very shaky argument to make after the fact.
As for his other misdeeds, Ewan’s defense boils down to: “They made me sad, so I hurt them.” ... I’m sorry, but that just doesn’t cut it for me. Maybe there was a time in my life when I would have suspended disbelief long enough to buy that sort of nonsense, but I can’t anymore. Does MacLean realize that is the rationale behind every American school shooting for the last decade? I’m a lot more lenient about what I’ll tolerate in fiction versus real life (for the simple fact that fiction isn’t real), but I can’t see a happy-ever-after unfold out of this.
Our heroine, on the other hand, seems inclined to forgive him. Grace actually doesn’t seem too bothered by his past actions at all. Right from the moment when they first lock eyes, she is more interested in getting him into bed than making him atone. She keeps having to remind herself that he has done horrible things, because her libido is dead set on riding the bastard. She’s supposedly an accomplished business woman, whose entire enterprise is built on giving women a taste of the freedoms men enjoy, but how has she built an empire with such a personal lack of self-respect? It’s a bit like watching your talented, intelligent, beautiful friend backslide into a toxic relationship, even though you know she deserves better.
All this nonsense is dressed up in the most dramatic, over-the-top writing you can imagine. Characters toss out dramatic statements left, right, and center, and their main mode of transportation is flouncing about, accompanied by the overzealous swishing of their coats. They love turning their backs on people they are conversing with, for the chance to glance over their shoulder at them (honestly, it’s a surprise they don’t all have neck problems). There are no sincere statements within these pages; everything is so coated with unnecessary drama that I would have had a hard time empathizing with the characters even if the story wasn’t so unpalatable.
If you enjoyed the book, good for you. Everyone is entitled to like whatever media they want, without having to be as critical as I have been about the content. But this really wasn’t my cup of tea, and I won’t be reading Sarah MacLean’s books any longer.
Verdict: 1 star.
September 15, 2020
One of my (many) pet peeves in books is when one character is viewed terribly by almost everyone but they have information/perspective that will redeem themselves. Do they immediately reveal it and defend themselves? Of course not. They needlessly wait until almost the end of the book to finally reveal why they are in fact not a terrible person. This kind of reveal can be done well (see: ACOTAR/A Court of Mist and Fury), but when it's done badly - well, you have this book. The guy basically did everything but the one thing that would have made her forgive him sooner.
July 13, 2020
Gosh, that was so good.
I'm just going to sit here with my feelings.
(April 2020)
2nd read - audio & print (my own copies) - July 4 - July 13 2020
It is truly difficult to write a coherent review for a book you adore I've discovered. Let's just mash some keys on the keyboard and call it done? No, I cannot do that! Plus I had to review the audio book for my Library Journal gig and I don't think lkjsdflkjakjl would work.
Mildly spoilery and if you haven't read the other books in this series (or this book):
Okay. So here goes. I have to admit I didn't worry about Ewan's redemption like I worried about Malcolm's from The Day of the Duchess. I felt MacLean deftly showcased Ewan as cold and calculating and completely without hope until he discovered Grace's existence. I fully believed he has ulterior motivations for attacking Grace and her brothers so I could sink into this story ready for his redemption.
And oh Grace, she is so awesome. I connected with her tendency to give others the pleasure they seek without taking pleasure of her own. Her loyalty to her family, her brothers of her heart and her crew of women. I loved seeing her discover what would give her pleasure, going to seek it, but never compromising herself or her ideals. Duke was hers by right, and Duchess would never be enough, and finally seeing Ewan understand this and burn it to the ground was SO SATISFYING.
Grace and Ewan also both have a past. So often in this trope the woman often remains unkissed, a virgin, and I'm glad Grace's past was not dissected but was presented in a way we know that she has taken lovers before. She is not shamed for living her life, but instead is glorified for who she has become.
I want to revel in the world more, and will reread this series often. It is a true treasure.
I'll post the LJ audio review when it is live.
I'm just going to sit here with my feelings.
(April 2020)
2nd read - audio & print (my own copies) - July 4 - July 13 2020
It is truly difficult to write a coherent review for a book you adore I've discovered. Let's just mash some keys on the keyboard and call it done? No, I cannot do that! Plus I had to review the audio book for my Library Journal gig and I don't think lkjsdflkjakjl would work.
Mildly spoilery and if you haven't read the other books in this series (or this book):
Okay. So here goes. I have to admit I didn't worry about Ewan's redemption like I worried about Malcolm's from The Day of the Duchess. I felt MacLean deftly showcased Ewan as cold and calculating and completely without hope until he discovered Grace's existence. I fully believed he has ulterior motivations for attacking Grace and her brothers so I could sink into this story ready for his redemption.
And oh Grace, she is so awesome. I connected with her tendency to give others the pleasure they seek without taking pleasure of her own. Her loyalty to her family, her brothers of her heart and her crew of women. I loved seeing her discover what would give her pleasure, going to seek it, but never compromising herself or her ideals. Duke was hers by right, and Duchess would never be enough, and finally seeing Ewan understand this and burn it to the ground was SO SATISFYING.
Grace and Ewan also both have a past. So often in this trope the woman often remains unkissed, a virgin, and I'm glad Grace's past was not dissected but was presented in a way we know that she has taken lovers before. She is not shamed for living her life, but instead is glorified for who she has become.
I want to revel in the world more, and will reread this series often. It is a true treasure.
I'll post the LJ audio review when it is live.
May 22, 2020
I don’t think it’s a secret that I am still borderline obsessed with this series, so when I received the invite to read Grace’s book, I basically screamed.
I’ve loved Grace from the first time we saw her. She’s strong and fierce and stands up for herself. I love that she holds her own with Devil and Whit and that they’re ready to bend over backwards for her. I wasn’t sure what to expect with Ewan. He’s been such a jerk and I was hoping hoping hoping there was more to his story.
Plot wise, it was good. There’s so much history between these two and I really enjoyed how we got flashes of their past happiness while they figured out their present. I was absolutely giddy at the scenes with Devil, Whit, and Grace as they work through what’s happening and there’s one scene with the entire family that was just perfection.
Overall, it was everything I wanted to see and loads of things I didn’t know I needed. I know this is sort of vague, but the journey is something that shouldn’t be spoiled. This is definitely one of my favorite series ever and I can’t wait to read them again.
**Huge thanks to Avon for the invite to read**
I’ve loved Grace from the first time we saw her. She’s strong and fierce and stands up for herself. I love that she holds her own with Devil and Whit and that they’re ready to bend over backwards for her. I wasn’t sure what to expect with Ewan. He’s been such a jerk and I was hoping hoping hoping there was more to his story.
Plot wise, it was good. There’s so much history between these two and I really enjoyed how we got flashes of their past happiness while they figured out their present. I was absolutely giddy at the scenes with Devil, Whit, and Grace as they work through what’s happening and there’s one scene with the entire family that was just perfection.
Overall, it was everything I wanted to see and loads of things I didn’t know I needed. I know this is sort of vague, but the journey is something that shouldn’t be spoiled. This is definitely one of my favorite series ever and I can’t wait to read them again.
**Huge thanks to Avon for the invite to read**
May 22, 2023
*whispers softly* oh christ
Want to read
July 30, 2019Can't wait for this book, but also some thoughts after reading Brazen and the Beast
- After the way Ewan has been acting in the series, I better see some MAJOR groveling. Hattie hit the nail on the head when I am also prepared for major character development from him because he does NOT look good.
- I'm so excited for Grace OMG, I love her already (and her gang of girls, yaYEET).
- I'm anticipating a lot of jumps between past and present, bc we gotta see his motivation for what he did in the past.
- Which brings me a bit of nostalgia, because it reminds me of how The Day of the Duchess focused on a dude who was painted in a REALLY bad light the whole series, and his bounce back. And DotD made me CRY, so this gon be good.
- ALSOOOOO, anyone else notice that helluva cameo with Sesily in BatB? I want a Sesily book! Omg! One of the most scandalous Talbot sisters! Sarah Maclean
- After the way Ewan has been acting in the series, I better see some MAJOR groveling. Hattie hit the nail on the head when I am also prepared for major character development from him because he does NOT look good.
- I'm so excited for Grace OMG, I love her already (and her gang of girls, yaYEET).
- I'm anticipating a lot of jumps between past and present, bc we gotta see his motivation for what he did in the past.
- Which brings me a bit of nostalgia, because it reminds me of how The Day of the Duchess focused on a dude who was painted in a REALLY bad light the whole series, and his bounce back. And DotD made me CRY, so this gon be good.
- ALSOOOOO, anyone else notice that helluva cameo with Sesily in BatB? I want a Sesily book! Omg! One of the most scandalous Talbot sisters! Sarah Maclean
July 2, 2020
This is a bit of a rant than a review so first, I want to be clear that I am fan of Sarah Maclean’s works. The first two books in this series are one of my favorites. However, Daring and the Duke did not work for me. That’s my opinion and I am in no way judging those people who loved it so please don’t take this review personally. I am just a lowly rambling idiot.
Now, that’s out of the way-- here's my thing about this book: Ewan never redeemed himself in my eyes. We all know that he was the villain in the previous books so I was skeptical going in but I tried. I tried to accept the pairing because I adore Grace. I wanted to see whether the author could actually pull it off. But I simply couldn't get over what he'd done. I’m not talking about the “betrayal” because it was obvious that he did it to protect Grace from his father. Plus, he was just a boy then but in this case, he wasn’t just a boy who had done bad things, he was a bad man. And one who I felt didn't do anywhere near enough to redeem himself.
Ok maybe, I'm a tiny bit mad. He’d spend the majority of the series threatening the lives of the heroes. He tried to freeze Devon to death and hurt Hattie, he caused the death of FIVE BOYS. That’s unforgivable to me and the fact that his only reasoning for doing all of that was that he thought Grace was dead? Yeah, no. He didn’t care that Devon and Whit are his brothers and even if Grace did die, it wouldn’t have been for the lack of care from them. He terrorized them because of his obsession towards her. His disregard to everything besides his need for her seeps even in the pages of his supposed development. He should have at least apologized to them directly but nope it’s all about getting Grace. Romance is good and all, I mean that’s the reason I read this series but how can I accept and enjoy their romance if the "reformed hero" only feels bad because he hurt the heroine? Did doing the laundry and manual labor made it better?
Giving money to the families? Was that enough? Maybe it could have been if Ewan's perspective about the consequences of his past actions on others not just Grace was dealt with properly and not just superficially.
I really wished Maclean could have shown more genuine remorse from Ewan in his POV. His atoning was done more in a telling-from-the-background way than showing which left me feeling unsatisfied and annoyed. It did not help that they forgave him so quickly and easily. *sighhhhh* Anyway....
Despite being disappointed with Daring and the Duke, I'm still glad I read this series. I love Grace, Devon & Felicity, Whit & Hattie and I will miss them. I'm also excited to read Sarah's upcoming new series, Hell's Belles! Can't wait!
Now, that’s out of the way-- here's my thing about this book: Ewan never redeemed himself in my eyes. We all know that he was the villain in the previous books so I was skeptical going in but I tried. I tried to accept the pairing because I adore Grace. I wanted to see whether the author could actually pull it off. But I simply couldn't get over what he'd done. I’m not talking about the “betrayal” because it was obvious that he did it to protect Grace from his father. Plus, he was just a boy then but in this case, he wasn’t just a boy who had done bad things, he was a bad man. And one who I felt didn't do anywhere near enough to redeem himself.
“And even if I could forgive the boy you were, what of the things you did as a man? Devil. Whit. Hattie. Five boys in the garden—you may not have pulled the triggers or lit the match, but they are gone because of you. You threatened our livelihoods. Our home.” She narrowed her gaze at him. “You say you’ve changed.”
He had.
“You say you are a better man.”
He was.
Wasn’t he?
“But I’m not sure it matters.”
Ok maybe, I'm a tiny bit mad. He’d spend the majority of the series threatening the lives of the heroes. He tried to freeze Devon to death and hurt Hattie, he caused the death of FIVE BOYS. That’s unforgivable to me and the fact that his only reasoning for doing all of that was that he thought Grace was dead? Yeah, no. He didn’t care that Devon and Whit are his brothers and even if Grace did die, it wouldn’t have been for the lack of care from them. He terrorized them because of his obsession towards her. His disregard to everything besides his need for her seeps even in the pages of his supposed development. He should have at least apologized to them directly but nope it’s all about getting Grace. Romance is good and all, I mean that’s the reason I read this series but how can I accept and enjoy their romance if the "reformed hero" only feels bad because he hurt the heroine? Did doing the laundry and manual labor made it better?
Beast turned on her, his amber eyes, usually so soft, turned hard, and his voice to match. “Five men, and it ain’t enough.” The words were clipped, tight on his tongue, and Grace felt the sting of them, like a wet lash. “He owes them, and you’d do well to remember that.”
Her face went hot with his censure, and she spoke to his profile. “You think I don’t remember?”
He did not look at her. “I think you’ve always had trouble remembering the truth of him.”
Giving money to the families? Was that enough? Maybe it could have been if Ewan's perspective about the consequences of his past actions on others not just Grace was dealt with properly and not just superficially.
“You hear this?” He returned his attention to Ewan. “This bastard blows up the Garden, comes for our men—kills five of them and maims another half dozen during two years of mayhem, and thinks a few ’undred quid is enough to wave it away?”
I really wished Maclean could have shown more genuine remorse from Ewan in his POV. His atoning was done more in a telling-from-the-background way than showing which left me feeling unsatisfied and annoyed. It did not help that they forgave him so quickly and easily. *sighhhhh* Anyway....
Despite being disappointed with Daring and the Duke, I'm still glad I read this series. I love Grace, Devon & Felicity, Whit & Hattie and I will miss them. I'm also excited to read Sarah's upcoming new series, Hell's Belles! Can't wait!
January 27, 2024
This is not the working-class romance you're looking for. It's all just so surface level, without any actual work put in to thinking about what would REALLY be an upending of unequal power structures.
Do I really have to remind you that "crime lords" are not good people? Not even a little bit? And also don't really count as working-class if they're off-the-wall rich? Something something they're actually working for the good of the poor is giving Altruistic Capitalism and no mistake.
(And that MURDERER-STALKERS maybe don't ACTUALLY deserve a romance written about them, not even if they're really, really sorry, and it DEFINITELY doesn't have anything to do with the fact that he now has a chance with his One Twu Luff?)
Also, the feminism is VERY capitalist-liberalist (as opposed to socialist/communist-leftist) in a way that I really dislike. GRL PWR.
And look, I know it's romance, and yes, I love ridiculous duke/rich people/high society romance, and maybe that makes me a hypocrite, but can we please stop acting like this is actually doing anything new or different? Pretty please?
Do I really have to remind you that "crime lords" are not good people? Not even a little bit? And also don't really count as working-class if they're off-the-wall rich? Something something they're actually working for the good of the poor is giving Altruistic Capitalism and no mistake.
(And that MURDERER-STALKERS maybe don't ACTUALLY deserve a romance written about them, not even if they're really, really sorry, and it DEFINITELY doesn't have anything to do with the fact that he now has a chance with his One Twu Luff?)
Also, the feminism is VERY capitalist-liberalist (as opposed to socialist/communist-leftist) in a way that I really dislike. GRL PWR.
And look, I know it's romance, and yes, I love ridiculous duke/rich people/high society romance, and maybe that makes me a hypocrite, but can we please stop acting like this is actually doing anything new or different? Pretty please?
July 11, 2020
Once again, I can't finish a SM book. I am so disappointed.
It's so unrealistic and I can't list all the reasons why, it would take too freaking long. The problem is that it could have been so good. Instead, it was RIDICULOUS.
I think I may have to give up Sarah. I can't do these caricatures of nineteenth century women.
It's so unrealistic and I can't list all the reasons why, it would take too freaking long. The problem is that it could have been so good. Instead, it was RIDICULOUS.
I think I may have to give up Sarah. I can't do these caricatures of nineteenth century women.
July 1, 2020
I have been looking forward to this book for a year, and I am devastated by it. I love this author, I’ve loved most of her past books, but this one was an utter train wreck for me. Really, the entire series was a train wreck for me, in the end. It’s like the book couldn’t decide what it wanted to be, so it just threw everything in. UFC fighting? Check. Missing person come back to life? Check. Childhood love? Check. Rags to riches? Check. Stalking and pining? Check. One night stand, supposedly? Check.
Now, keep in mind this is a historical romance, because every person in this story has modern ideals and actions. I know that reading historical romance requires a fair amount of suspended belief, there’s nothing realistic about it. However, this book was over the top. Pants wearing woman owning a women’s only {dare I just call it a sex club??? I think the book calls it a “pleasure club”} club, with an all female security team, who UFC fights, has a modern philosophy on sex, gets around London only on rooftops, and I could go on. I just couldn’t anymore, the book was so ridiculous. I gave up at 64% and I won’t regret it for a minute.
Now, keep in mind this is a historical romance, because every person in this story has modern ideals and actions. I know that reading historical romance requires a fair amount of suspended belief, there’s nothing realistic about it. However, this book was over the top. Pants wearing woman owning a women’s only {dare I just call it a sex club??? I think the book calls it a “pleasure club”} club, with an all female security team, who UFC fights, has a modern philosophy on sex, gets around London only on rooftops, and I could go on. I just couldn’t anymore, the book was so ridiculous. I gave up at 64% and I won’t regret it for a minute.
June 28, 2020
I really do enjoy this series, but I think the plot in all of these books are much slower and spend more time developing relationships than keeping me engaged in the story itself.
This was my most anticipated book of this series. Ewan is the villain in the first two books and he's obsessed with Grace because of their past relationship. In this book, Ewan realizes that Grace is actually alive (he thought she was dead and went on a rampage in the last book), so he has a lot of groveling to do. Unfortunately, I didn't really feel that groveling. Grace was so entranced by their physical and emotional connection from when they were younger that I felt she gave in way too easily. And even when Ewan was groveling, it was more towards Whit and Devil and the people he hurt in the last book, not specifically to Grace until the very end. Also, I feel like Ewan was just a completely different character in this book than he was in the first two. I wish there was still some of that villain underneath that wasn't so easy to get rid of that he had to continue to work on.
I did love Grace's character and how she defied the stereotype of a lady during that time. Grace used to be a fighter and now she's the owner of a club that specializes in satisfying pleasures and fantasies that women have. She really held her own as a powerful women and wasn't babied by her brothers or Ewan. I wish even more was done with her character and what she was doing in society. The story was pretty slow and there were a lot of conversations. I wish there was just more and that the story didn't drag as much as it ended up for me.
This was my most anticipated book of this series. Ewan is the villain in the first two books and he's obsessed with Grace because of their past relationship. In this book, Ewan realizes that Grace is actually alive (he thought she was dead and went on a rampage in the last book), so he has a lot of groveling to do. Unfortunately, I didn't really feel that groveling. Grace was so entranced by their physical and emotional connection from when they were younger that I felt she gave in way too easily. And even when Ewan was groveling, it was more towards Whit and Devil and the people he hurt in the last book, not specifically to Grace until the very end. Also, I feel like Ewan was just a completely different character in this book than he was in the first two. I wish there was still some of that villain underneath that wasn't so easy to get rid of that he had to continue to work on.
I did love Grace's character and how she defied the stereotype of a lady during that time. Grace used to be a fighter and now she's the owner of a club that specializes in satisfying pleasures and fantasies that women have. She really held her own as a powerful women and wasn't babied by her brothers or Ewan. I wish even more was done with her character and what she was doing in society. The story was pretty slow and there were a lot of conversations. I wish there was just more and that the story didn't drag as much as it ended up for me.
July 7, 2020
2.5 stars - Historical Romance
This series has been a bit of a disappointment for me, and I had the same issues with this book that I had with Wicked and the Wallflower and Brazen and the Beast.
*Frustrating misunderstandings and lack of communication
*Repetitive
*Slow pacing
*Self-perpetuated and manufactured drama keeping the H/h apart
This series has been a bit of a disappointment for me, and I had the same issues with this book that I had with Wicked and the Wallflower and Brazen and the Beast.
*Frustrating misunderstandings and lack of communication
*Repetitive
*Slow pacing
*Self-perpetuated and manufactured drama keeping the H/h apart
August 16, 2020
so good! I wasn't sure how Ewan would be redeemed after everything, but after Mal's redemption in The Day of the Duchess I knew if anyone could do it, it was Sarah.
Also, completely loved getting a glimpse into the lives of everyone after their happily every afters.
Also, completely loved getting a glimpse into the lives of everyone after their happily every afters.
July 30, 2020
4.5/5
Oh, man! Daring and the Duke was so so good! Most fans of this series have been highly anticipating this book in particular because Ewan and Grace have such a tumultuous history together. For me, this book was everything I was hoping for them and I'm so pleased with how Sarah MacLean handled Ewan's redemption!
Sarah MacLean always writes terrific female characters, but Grace is probably my favorite heroine from her. She was a badass young woman who had turned her life around and was considered a Queen in Convent Garden. She used to be a fighter and now ran a club geared towards women. She had a tough shell because life had forced her to grow up faster than most people. Despite that, Grace could be equally soft and vulnerable when it came to the people that she loved. Her loyalty towards her brothers, Devil and Whit, and her team of women was admirable. I liked the duality of her tenacious and sensitive sides. It made her very real to me and easy to connect with.
Grace also had a weak spot when it came to the only man she has ever loved, Ewan. These two! My goodness, the chemistry and history between them made their relationship so intense. Ewan has gone most of his adult life thinking that his childhood love and the girl he hurt back in the day was dead. Ewan was a rather villainous/anti-hero character in the first two books of this series, so I was really curious to see how Sarah MacLean would redeem him. There were reasons why Ewan behaved the way he did. Underneath it all, he was a man madly in love with Grace and distraught from the grief of having lost her. That doesn't mean all his past actions were okay and neither the author nor Grace condoned his mistakes. He has to work hard to make amends and Grace (and Devil and Whit) put him through the wringer, rightfully so. He handled everything she threw at him with devotion and more. I think Sarah MacLean wrote his character arc so well and I could not have been more satisfied.
Despite the many years that had passed between them, their chemistry and love for each other only seemed to burn brighter than ever. There were moments of heartache and misunderstandings, but more than anything this was a story of their reunion and how they had to overcome the numerous emotional obstacles in their way. It was a lovely journey, in my opinion, and I could not have asked for a more gratifying love story for these two characters that I grew to love so much.
Daring and the Duke was a remarkable romance novel. I really did love this story to bits and this entire series holds a special place in my heart. I could not have been happier with this ending.
Oh, man! Daring and the Duke was so so good! Most fans of this series have been highly anticipating this book in particular because Ewan and Grace have such a tumultuous history together. For me, this book was everything I was hoping for them and I'm so pleased with how Sarah MacLean handled Ewan's redemption!
Sarah MacLean always writes terrific female characters, but Grace is probably my favorite heroine from her. She was a badass young woman who had turned her life around and was considered a Queen in Convent Garden. She used to be a fighter and now ran a club geared towards women. She had a tough shell because life had forced her to grow up faster than most people. Despite that, Grace could be equally soft and vulnerable when it came to the people that she loved. Her loyalty towards her brothers, Devil and Whit, and her team of women was admirable. I liked the duality of her tenacious and sensitive sides. It made her very real to me and easy to connect with.
Grace also had a weak spot when it came to the only man she has ever loved, Ewan. These two! My goodness, the chemistry and history between them made their relationship so intense. Ewan has gone most of his adult life thinking that his childhood love and the girl he hurt back in the day was dead. Ewan was a rather villainous/anti-hero character in the first two books of this series, so I was really curious to see how Sarah MacLean would redeem him. There were reasons why Ewan behaved the way he did. Underneath it all, he was a man madly in love with Grace and distraught from the grief of having lost her. That doesn't mean all his past actions were okay and neither the author nor Grace condoned his mistakes. He has to work hard to make amends and Grace (and Devil and Whit) put him through the wringer, rightfully so. He handled everything she threw at him with devotion and more. I think Sarah MacLean wrote his character arc so well and I could not have been more satisfied.
Despite the many years that had passed between them, their chemistry and love for each other only seemed to burn brighter than ever. There were moments of heartache and misunderstandings, but more than anything this was a story of their reunion and how they had to overcome the numerous emotional obstacles in their way. It was a lovely journey, in my opinion, and I could not have asked for a more gratifying love story for these two characters that I grew to love so much.
Daring and the Duke was a remarkable romance novel. I really did love this story to bits and this entire series holds a special place in my heart. I could not have been happier with this ending.
June 5, 2020
My trepidation for starting this book was two-fold. One, because I was (am?) slumping hard, and two, I worried about how this story, featuring this particular male protagonist, could win me over after all the chaos and damage he had done over the course of this series.
So I'm pretty pleased that a, this book pulled me out of the world for a short time, and b, that the turnaround for this character felt.. valid. Very different from the last third-book-in-a-series-asshole-redemption installment I experienced from MacLean, so. Yay.
DARING AND THE DUKE was definitely not my favourite of the series, probably at least a bit becuse I went in uncertain, and, again, I'm probably influenced by everything happening around me just a tad, but. It was swoony, it was angsty, it had agency, and it had a happy ending. And there's a lot to be said for a lot of that.
Full review to come!
3.5 stars
** I received an ARC from Edelweiss and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
So I'm pretty pleased that a, this book pulled me out of the world for a short time, and b, that the turnaround for this character felt.. valid. Very different from the last third-book-in-a-series-asshole-redemption installment I experienced from MacLean, so. Yay.
DARING AND THE DUKE was definitely not my favourite of the series, probably at least a bit becuse I went in uncertain, and, again, I'm probably influenced by everything happening around me just a tad, but. It was swoony, it was angsty, it had agency, and it had a happy ending. And there's a lot to be said for a lot of that.
Full review to come!
3.5 stars
** I received an ARC from Edelweiss and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
January 12, 2025
never thought i’d be celebrating a house burning down but here we are
romantic gesture of the century!!!
also it’s been four years and the line “you, finally where you belong” still runs through my head daily
Bookstagram | Blog
romantic gesture of the century!!!
also it’s been four years and the line “you, finally where you belong” still runs through my head daily
Bookstagram | Blog
September 25, 2020
Reseña completa: https://masromance.blogspot.com/2020/...
Ojo, espero no desvelar mucho de la segunda novela ;)
No hagáis mucho caso de mi opinión, seguro que será impopular
Me esperaba mucho de esta novela, me gusta el estilo de Sarah MacLean y tenía, desde el principio mis miras puestas en esta pareja.
La autora tiene un trabajo complejo, mucho. Para mí no ha estado a la altura de lo que esperaba y si no fuera por una vuelta final que me ha gustado tanto como me ha sorprendido, se hubiera llevado 2 ★
Hay una mezcla de amor de infancia con amor entre enemigos, que la autora resuelve de forma, en mi humilde opinión, demasiado fácil. De forma lujuriosa, pero me han faltado tantas palabras entre ellos que, he de decir, hasta se me ha hecho un poco pesada
Empieza muy bien y termina mejor, pero el contenido del medio me ha dado la sensación de que la autora tenía tal percal que no ha sabido como salir
Me ha cambiado al personaje de ella y con él también ha habido un cambio, que aunque ya tenía mi película montada, algo que se ha cumplido, el desarrollo podría haber sido estupendo, pero no... a mí me han sobrado escenas de cama que no he terminado de entender. Sí, hay química, es obvio, pero ¿todo lo demás?
Si os gustan las novelas de alto voltaje, esta seguro que os encantará, pero si creo que sería imprescindible leer los dos anteriores, tras terminarlo, me planteo la cuestión de ¿qué más dará?
No sé si soy yo, la novela y mis altas expectativas... pero la tercera estrella es solo por ese giro
Ojo, espero no desvelar mucho de la segunda novela ;)
No hagáis mucho caso de mi opinión, seguro que será impopular
Me esperaba mucho de esta novela, me gusta el estilo de Sarah MacLean y tenía, desde el principio mis miras puestas en esta pareja.
La autora tiene un trabajo complejo, mucho. Para mí no ha estado a la altura de lo que esperaba y si no fuera por una vuelta final que me ha gustado tanto como me ha sorprendido, se hubiera llevado 2 ★
Hay una mezcla de amor de infancia con amor entre enemigos, que la autora resuelve de forma, en mi humilde opinión, demasiado fácil. De forma lujuriosa, pero me han faltado tantas palabras entre ellos que, he de decir, hasta se me ha hecho un poco pesada
Empieza muy bien y termina mejor, pero el contenido del medio me ha dado la sensación de que la autora tenía tal percal que no ha sabido como salir
Me ha cambiado al personaje de ella y con él también ha habido un cambio, que aunque ya tenía mi película montada, algo que se ha cumplido, el desarrollo podría haber sido estupendo, pero no... a mí me han sobrado escenas de cama que no he terminado de entender. Sí, hay química, es obvio, pero ¿todo lo demás?
Si os gustan las novelas de alto voltaje, esta seguro que os encantará, pero si creo que sería imprescindible leer los dos anteriores, tras terminarlo, me planteo la cuestión de ¿qué más dará?
No sé si soy yo, la novela y mis altas expectativas... pero la tercera estrella es solo por ese giro
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August 29, 2020Look, I hate to be greedy... but there are some things that I NEED from Sarah MacLean...
This book is one of them. I will be at KissCon next year and was really hoping this would be out by then so I could get it signed but June works too and I'll just have to narrow down my MacLean favorites and bring one of those.
A Nik & Nora book is another one. I don't know how else to say it, I just NEED that book in my life. Please.
Please Please PLEASE
Don't get me wrong, I'm a thousand kinds of interested in Ewan & Grace because I need to know the full story of what went down the night The Bareknuckle Bastards ran... and I am looking forward to Ewan's redemption and the reunion of the whole crew...
BUT ANNIKA AND NORA THO
This book is one of them. I will be at KissCon next year and was really hoping this would be out by then so I could get it signed but June works too and I'll just have to narrow down my MacLean favorites and bring one of those.
A Nik & Nora book is another one. I don't know how else to say it, I just NEED that book in my life. Please.
Please Please PLEASE
Don't get me wrong, I'm a thousand kinds of interested in Ewan & Grace because I need to know the full story of what went down the night The Bareknuckle Bastards ran... and I am looking forward to Ewan's redemption and the reunion of the whole crew...
BUT ANNIKA AND NORA THO
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November 7, 2020I LOVED THIS SO MUUUUUUUUUUUUUCH!!!
- Lovers to enemies to lovers.
- Redeemed hero who actually puts in the effort to change and tries to right his wrongs as best as he can.
- So much built resentment and you can actually BUY into their being enemies because there are real reasons and 20 years of history.
- She kicks his ass at one point.
- The chemistry between the two is undeniable.
- TALL HEROINE. This good ma'am is 6 ft tall and we love to see it.
- He's a duke who know how to get his hands dirty, and she owns a street empire her and her empire have built from the ground where she is in charge of women's clubs where women come to take the pleasures that were exclusive to men!!!!
- FOUND FAMILY!!!!!!!!!
- Lovers to enemies to lovers.
- Redeemed hero who actually puts in the effort to change and tries to right his wrongs as best as he can.
- So much built resentment and you can actually BUY into their being enemies because there are real reasons and 20 years of history.
- She kicks his ass at one point.
- The chemistry between the two is undeniable.
- TALL HEROINE. This good ma'am is 6 ft tall and we love to see it.
- He's a duke who know how to get his hands dirty, and she owns a street empire her and her empire have built from the ground where she is in charge of women's clubs where women come to take the pleasures that were exclusive to men!!!!
- FOUND FAMILY!!!!!!!!!
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January 21, 2024***DNF***
Time of Death: 47 pages
OMG . . . the sheer volume of repetitiveness in these first 6 chapters! It's the same thoughts, memories, and feelings told in both the hero and heroine's points of view in different variations. Basically, it's a whole bunch of . . . I have this feeling about this memory and I'm going to describe it to you one way, and then 4 paragraphs later I'm going to describe it again another way, and then in the next chapter I'm going to describe it yet again but in a third way.
47 pages into a 300 page book and this story hasn't moved forward an inch, but I can give you 368 examples of how Grace feels betrayed and angry and wants vengeance, and how Ewan loves her, grieved her when he thought he lost her forever, and how relieved he is that she's alive.
Also, if you've read the first two books in the series, there's a lot of rehashing of things you already know.
I was expecting some great second-chance romance angst here, but instead I've gotten an emotional word salad.
I've made it to almost 20% of the book and haven't learned a single new piece of information and I'm waiting for the actual plot to begin. Well, I guess I'm no longer waiting . . .
This is my 4th Sarah MacLean book and I think me and her just aren't meant to be. I loved one book, hated another, thought the third was just okay, and now have DNF'd my fourth.
never-reading-andor-finishing
September 4, 2020DNF 35% - this has so far been such a lacklustre read for me I'm finding too hard to motivate myself to continue. Not the delicious second chance romance I was hoping for.
99p on amazon.
99p on amazon.
June 23, 2020
Ok friends, this is a hard review to write!!!!
The TL;DR here is:
Emotional/feelings rating: 5 stars
Internal logic/brain rating: 2.75 stars
So the good stuff. I LOVE a set of star-crossed lovers. LOVE. IT. And Grace and Ewan? They got it. They loooooove each other, even though it is complicated and Grace doesn’t want to. But they do, and it is extremely swoony to join their adventure of following feelings over logic. It’s hot, it’s so romantic, I felt many feelings.
HOWEVS.
Let me start by saying: in addition to reading romance, I’m also a big fan of SFF, a genre that can require a pretty major amount in the suspension of disbelief department. I am pretty good at this! I can go along with your seemingly nonsensical story if we eventually get to the sensemaking - eventually.
This book requires MASSIVE, ASTRONOMICAL AMOUNTS of suspension of disbelief. If you aren’t good at that? This is NOT going to work for you.
Ewan has been a straight up horrible bastard for the last two books. Just, petty, evil, murderous. And now? He’s just better. Like *magic*. You guys! Now that he knows Grace is alive, he can stand to be a good human again! Her living is apparently a requirement of Ewan’s humanity. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Look. I can enjoy a good grovel novel. And this is a grovel novel! BUT! All of Ewan’s growth/development/return to goodness? It HAPPENS OFF PAGE. Like, what??? But...he was just? A murderous bastard??? And now HE’S FINE.
The other thing that I just felt was a Bridge Too Far is The Explanation. Like, I have been waiting for The Thing That Makes This Whole Thing Make Sense for three books. And all we got is that (DUH! DUH DUH!!!!!) Ewan drove the other three away to protect them. DUH! Of course he did! We all knew this! This is not news! But somehow, these geniuses that run underground empires are like whaaaaaaa????????? There was another explanation? He didn’t just want the title?! OF COURSE HE DIDN’T UGH.
So I guess my real problem is this. I just can’t make Bastard Ewan and Good, Sweet, Protective Ewan the same guy. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I can’t. They are two different people in my head. So I feel like in many ways, this book fails at something fundamental.
Also? I felt pretty let down by Grace’s character. She was just so...sketched in? Like, it was assumed that we already knew enough about her and her badass-ness to carry us through this book. Because really, there’s not that much in here about her. Very thumbnail sketch. And I wanted more. We have had such amazing heroines in Felicity and Hattie. I had such high hopes for Grace! I want to love her! But, I feel like we got an over-reliance on past-Grace and not really enough detail about current-Grace. Other than that she does NOT want to love Ewan, but, in fact, does. And runs a cool club.
Look, I realize I may have gone into this with unreasonable expectations. 😂 And like I said, emotionally - this was a super swoony romantic story. But I guess I would say - don’t read it too closely. The internal logic was just not enough for me this time.
I still super LOVE Sarah Maclean and will continue to read everything she writes - can’t WAIT for Hell’s Belles!
Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for a chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The TL;DR here is:
Emotional/feelings rating: 5 stars
Internal logic/brain rating: 2.75 stars
So the good stuff. I LOVE a set of star-crossed lovers. LOVE. IT. And Grace and Ewan? They got it. They loooooove each other, even though it is complicated and Grace doesn’t want to. But they do, and it is extremely swoony to join their adventure of following feelings over logic. It’s hot, it’s so romantic, I felt many feelings.
HOWEVS.
Let me start by saying: in addition to reading romance, I’m also a big fan of SFF, a genre that can require a pretty major amount in the suspension of disbelief department. I am pretty good at this! I can go along with your seemingly nonsensical story if we eventually get to the sensemaking - eventually.
This book requires MASSIVE, ASTRONOMICAL AMOUNTS of suspension of disbelief. If you aren’t good at that? This is NOT going to work for you.
Ewan has been a straight up horrible bastard for the last two books. Just, petty, evil, murderous. And now? He’s just better. Like *magic*. You guys! Now that he knows Grace is alive, he can stand to be a good human again! Her living is apparently a requirement of Ewan’s humanity. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Look. I can enjoy a good grovel novel. And this is a grovel novel! BUT! All of Ewan’s growth/development/return to goodness? It HAPPENS OFF PAGE. Like, what??? But...he was just? A murderous bastard??? And now HE’S FINE.
The other thing that I just felt was a Bridge Too Far is The Explanation. Like, I have been waiting for The Thing That Makes This Whole Thing Make Sense for three books. And all we got is that (DUH! DUH DUH!!!!!) Ewan drove the other three away to protect them. DUH! Of course he did! We all knew this! This is not news! But somehow, these geniuses that run underground empires are like whaaaaaaa????????? There was another explanation? He didn’t just want the title?! OF COURSE HE DIDN’T UGH.
So I guess my real problem is this. I just can’t make Bastard Ewan and Good, Sweet, Protective Ewan the same guy. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I can’t. They are two different people in my head. So I feel like in many ways, this book fails at something fundamental.
Also? I felt pretty let down by Grace’s character. She was just so...sketched in? Like, it was assumed that we already knew enough about her and her badass-ness to carry us through this book. Because really, there’s not that much in here about her. Very thumbnail sketch. And I wanted more. We have had such amazing heroines in Felicity and Hattie. I had such high hopes for Grace! I want to love her! But, I feel like we got an over-reliance on past-Grace and not really enough detail about current-Grace. Other than that she does NOT want to love Ewan, but, in fact, does. And runs a cool club.
Look, I realize I may have gone into this with unreasonable expectations. 😂 And like I said, emotionally - this was a super swoony romantic story. But I guess I would say - don’t read it too closely. The internal logic was just not enough for me this time.
I still super LOVE Sarah Maclean and will continue to read everything she writes - can’t WAIT for Hell’s Belles!
Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for a chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2020
After the climatic events in Brazen and the Beast, I wasn’t entirely sure how things could be mended. While each story holds its own swoon-worthy romance, I implore you to read this series in the order of its release. The overall story ARC, and anticipation are not to missed.
We quickly discover what happened to Ewen after the invents at the docks and I squealed with delight. For years the brothers have told Ewen that Grace is dead in an effort to keep her safe and hidden…but now Ewen knows and nothing will keep him from having her. Eep!
I loved the tension, the chemistry, the denied affections because passion was not off the table. Sizzling and heartfelt, I quickly found myself immersed in their story.
MacLean took time to fan the flames, slowly revealing long awaited answers and turning my heart one page at a time. I laughed, cried and delighted as we spent time in the Gardens, on rooftops and in darkened rooms.
The heat was delicious as the tension and anticipation of a happily ever after torment me. All of it proved once again why MacLean is the reigning queen of historical romance. Her characters pull at you, claim you and stay with you. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
We quickly discover what happened to Ewen after the invents at the docks and I squealed with delight. For years the brothers have told Ewen that Grace is dead in an effort to keep her safe and hidden…but now Ewen knows and nothing will keep him from having her. Eep!
I loved the tension, the chemistry, the denied affections because passion was not off the table. Sizzling and heartfelt, I quickly found myself immersed in their story.
MacLean took time to fan the flames, slowly revealing long awaited answers and turning my heart one page at a time. I laughed, cried and delighted as we spent time in the Gardens, on rooftops and in darkened rooms.
The heat was delicious as the tension and anticipation of a happily ever after torment me. All of it proved once again why MacLean is the reigning queen of historical romance. Her characters pull at you, claim you and stay with you. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
April 11, 2021
3,5 / 5
İlk iki kitaptan sonra bunun harici bir kurgu abes kaçardı sanırım ama yine de ben daha farklı bir şeyler bekliyordum 🤔 Beklenen karakterlerin hikayesinin sorunu da hep bu galiba, beklentiler çok yükseliyor.
Bu arada SM bu seriyi Netflixe göre uyarlamış da yazmış gibiydi 😋
İlk iki kitaptan sonra bunun harici bir kurgu abes kaçardı sanırım ama yine de ben daha farklı bir şeyler bekliyordum 🤔 Beklenen karakterlerin hikayesinin sorunu da hep bu galiba, beklentiler çok yükseliyor.
Bu arada SM bu seriyi Netflixe göre uyarlamış da yazmış gibiydi 😋
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