Review - - KNOCKOUT

KNOCKOUT

by Sarah MacLean

Hell's Belles - Book 3

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: August 22, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

With her headful of wild curls and wilder ideas and an unabashed love of experiments and explosives, society has labeled Lady Imogen Loveless peculiar…and doesn’t know she’s one of the Hell’s Belles—a group of vigilantes operating outside the notice of most of London.

Thomas Peck is not most of London. The brilliant detective fought his way off the streets and into a promising career through sheer force of will and a keen ability to see things others miss, like the fact that Imogen isn’t peculiar…she’s pandemonium. If you ask him, she requires a keeper. When her powerful family discovers her late-night activities, they couldn’t agree more…and they know just the man for the task.

Thomas wants nothing to do with guarding Imogen. He is a grown man with a proper job and no time for the lady’s incendiary chaos, no matter how lushly it is packaged. But some assignments are too explosive to pass up, and the gruff detective is soon caught up in Imogen’s world, full of her bold smiles and burning secrets…and a fiery passion that threatens to consume them both.

PJ's Thoughts:

Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of KNOCKOUT today because, boy howdy, Imogen and Tommy are not to be missed! This was one of those books where I wanted to race through it to find out what would happen around the next corner while at the same time wanting to slow down to a snail's pace so as to savor each perfectly placed word and emotion. I solved the dilemma by reading it twice. 

KNOCKOUT is not only my favorite (so far) of the Hell's Belles series, it's one of my all-time favorite books by MacLean from any series. Filled with action, mystery, steamy chemistry, cross-class romance, swoony emotion, and all kinds of boom, it checked every one of my happy reader boxes. 

One of MacLean's strengths is her characterization. Tommy and Imogen are beautifully developed with a multitude of layers that bring emotional depth, grumpy-sunshine goodness, and a whole lot of fun. I loved Imogen's boldness, her determination to bring justice to those easily forgotten, her fearless use of explosives, the chaos that swirls around her, and those deliciously pesky feelings she carries for Tommy. And let's talk about Tommy, a big, bearded, straight-arrow detective who can't get enough of Lady Imogen in spite of (because of?) the trouble that follows in her wake. So many conflicting emotions simmering in this good, honorable man. I loved the slow burn evolution of their relationship, the deep feelings on both sides that developed alongside the fiery chemistry that threatened to explode, but also overlaid with sigh-worthy sweetness. Gah, I loved these two so much!

The supporting cast, including the other Belles, significant others, and family members only add to the richness of the journey, offering diversity, conflict, support, humor, and a villain who deserves everything coming their way. I do love it when the bad guys are held accountable. 

You could read KNOCKOUT on its own but for full flavor and appreciation of these characters and their journey, I recommend reading the series in order, beginning with BOMBSHELL then following with HEARTBREAKER. Next up is Duchess's story and after reading that cliffhanger at the end of KNOCKOUT, all I can say is bring it on! 

Spotlight on Naughty Brits

Naughty Brits

An Anthology

by Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan, 

Louisa Edwards, Tessa Gratton and Sierra Simone, 

Release Date: September 15, 2020

Everything is hotter with a British accent...

Sarah MacLean - A Duke Worth Falling For:

Her career in tatters, celebrity photographer Lilah Rose retreats to the British countryside, complete with fluffy sheep, rolling hills...and Max, the stern, sexy farmer who tends to them. But their lazy days and lush nights aren't as far from the spotlight as Lilah thinks, and Max will have to reveal the truth if he is going to convince Lilah that some dukes are worth the risk.

Sophie Jordan - Better with You:

When the author of a controversial self-help book starts receiving threats, she has no choice but to accept a bodyguard on her UK book tour. Vee Mathers is famous for asserting that women don't need men--especially for sex!--but at security specialist Luca Moretti's first, burning touch, she starts to think she might need to revise her theory...

Louisa Edwards - Not a Bad Boy:

Writer Mallory Pritchard moved to London for research--and to get over a bad breakup. When she (literally) runs into Hollywood's hottest action hero, Ian Hale, at a dog park, she realizes her heart isn't as broken as she thought! Ian is even more devastatingly sexy in person, which makes Mallory wonder...is there room for a regular girl in his glamorous movie-star world?

Tessa Gratton - Songbird:

Former American soldier Daniel Kelly's mission is simple: close the deal to buy a Welsh pub on behalf of his family's corporation, and survive another anniversary of the worst day of his service. Too bad that from the moment he sees the pub's owner, Elspeth Gwenlan is the only thing Daniel wants to conquer--even if it means lying to her about his agenda.

Sierra Simone - Supplicant:

After being left at the altar by her cold and brilliant professor, Church Cason, Charlotte Tenpenny had to leave school to take care of her younger brother. But a fateful night brings Church--and his delicious, drugging kisses--back into Charlotte's life. And it stirs up a reckoning years in the making . . .

PJ's Thoughts:

Naughty Brits brought to the page by some of my favorite authors? I couldn't dive into this delicious new anthology fast enough. First up was Sarah MacLean's story, "A Duke Worth Falling For" and, wow, did I ever fall. MacLean may be one of my favorite historical romance authors but this contemporary page-turner between an English farmer (who is also a billionaire duke) and an American photographer proves she's outstanding in any era. Filled with laughter (and darts) at the village pub, deep emotion, baby lambs, and sexy times on ramparts (sigh), it checked all of my reader happy boxes. I'd be happy for MacLean to dip her writing toes into present-day romance anytime, possibly for a couple intriguing secondary characters from "A Duke Worth Falling For?" 

Sophie Jordan is one of my favorite authors writing in both historical and contemporary romance. I'm an easy sell for bodyguard stories and Jordan's had me sighing with delight. Filled with emotion and sizzle, it had me eagerly flipping pages from start to finish. 

Welcome back, Louisa Edwards! After taking time away from writing for motherhood, Edwards returns with a sweet and sexy story that had me falling hard for both of her main characters. There's a lot more to Ian than his movie star image and I love that he falls for a curvy woman who is more at home in the stacks at the British Museum than on a red carpet. Plus, dogs! 

Tessa Gratton (a new to me author) takes readers to Wales for her story between a Welsh woman and American man. I'm not a big fan of the "let's get it on while I'm keeping my real reason for being here a secret" trope but Gratton manages to make it work. 

Sierra Simone wraps things up with a scorcher. If you've read her, you'll already know to be prepared for an intense, deeply emotional, red-hot story. Fans will not be disappointed. 

So, if you're in the mood for some naughty Brits, pick up a copy of this anthology. The stories are meaty (580 pages of romance!) and there's something for everyone. I highly recommend Naughty Brits! 

Review - - Daring and the Duke

Daring and the Duke

by Sarah MacLean

The Bareknuckle Bastards - Book 3

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: June 30, 2020

Reviewed by PJ

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.

PJ's Thoughts:

Sarah MacLean wraps up her Bareknuckle Bastards trilogy with an unapologetically feminist, romantically swoon-worthy, triumphant masterpiece featuring unforgettable characters, one of my all-time favorite hero redemptions, a strong and powerful heroine who is also one of my all-time favorites, and a second-chance journey to love that is sheer perfection. 

After reading the first two books in MacLean's Bareknuckle Bastards trilogy, I was still so conflicted about Ewan. On the one hand, I felt sure there had to be a good reason for what he had done to Grace before she, Devil, and Whit fled their father's home as children. On the other hand, I couldn't imagine how in the world Grace would ever forgive him after that, and following his actions as an adult during the first two books of the trilogy. She does, of course she does, but wow, does she ever make him work for it. Grace and Ewan put me through an emotional wringer, kept me reading half the night, and left me brimming with joy, and wiping away tears, at the end. Their journey is one of the best grovel and forgiveness stories I've ever read.

Daring and the Duke is my favorite of all the books I've read so far this year. I can’t wait to read it again...and again...and again. This is not a book that should be read as a standalone. To fully appreciate how Grace and Ewan got to this point, what needs to happen for forgiveness to occur, and how they are able to move forward together, I strongly recommend reading the three Bareknuckle Bastards books in order. They are Wicked and the Wallflower, Brazen and the Beast (read PJ's Top Dish review), and Daring and the Duke.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have you read the Bareknuckle Bastards trilogy? Do you have a favorite BB story/couple?

Who is your favorite romance villain turned hero?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, July 10, will receive a signed copy of Daring and the Duke. 

*Must be 18

*U.S. only

Tour Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway - - Brazen and the Beast

Brazen and the Beast
by Sarah MacLean
Bareknuckle Bastards - Book 2
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: July 30, 2019
Reviewed by PJ

The Lady’s Plan

When Lady Henrietta Sedley declares her twenty-ninth year her own, she has plans to inherit her father’s business, to make her own fortune, and to live her own life. But first, she intends to experience a taste of the pleasure she’ll forgo as a confirmed spinster. Everything is going perfectly…until she discovers the most beautiful man she’s ever seen tied up in her carriage and threatening to ruin the Year of Hattie before it’s even begun.

The Bastard’s Proposal

When he wakes in a carriage at Hattie’s feet, Whit, a king of Covent Garden known to all the world as Beast, can’t help but wonder about the strange woman who frees him—especially when he discovers she’s headed for a night of pleasure . . . on his turf. He is more than happy to offer Hattie all she desires…for a price.

An Unexpected Passion

Soon, Hattie and Whit find themselves rivals in business and pleasure. She won’t give up her plans; he won’t give up his power . . . and neither of them sees that if they’re not careful, they’ll have no choice but to give up everything . . . including their hearts.

My thoughts:

What a wonderful, wonderful story. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what would happen next but, at the same time, I wanted to slow down and savor each delicious word. I guess I'm just going to have to read it again. And again. And again. And again. I cried. I laughed. I sighed. I cheered! This book is Sarah MacLean at her best and that is a very high bar. It's earned only my third Top Dish rating of the year and is on my Best of 2019 watch list. 

I loved Whit, I really did, and he and Hattie together are magic, but the heart and soul of this book is Hattie and she. is. everything. In Hattie, MacLean has created a heroine for every woman who, at some point in her life, has been told she doesn't "fit." Maybe she's too tall, too large, too smart, too loud, too ambitious. Too....whatever. I adored her. I admired her. I wanted to be her. 

In Whit, she's also created Hattie's perfect match. Covent Garden king, master smuggler, a bastard born, Whit is a man who rules his world, dispatching enemies swiftly and without remorse. But, he's also a man with deep, emotional wounds, a love of books, a well-hidden caring for those for whom he feels responsible, and a flaming desire for this bold, beautiful woman who eagerly matches wits with the master, who goes toe to toe with him on his own turf, who thrives on their encounters. (I spent most of the book alternating between wanting to hit him and hug him but at the end, like Hattie, I just wanted to love him.)

Other than Hattie's best friend, Nora (and please, Sarah MacLean, we need a Nik and Nora story!), Whit is the only person who not only sees Hattie's many positive qualities but values them. Values her. Their journey kept me flipping pages as fast as I could to see what would happen next, all the while knowing I'd be returning to the beginning as soon as I finished the book to slowly savor each delicious twist and turn the second time through. And speaking of delicious, these two have off-the-charts chemistry that had me reaching for a fan more than once, especially during one memorable scene on the deck of a ship, under a starry sky. Mostly, though, Brazen and the Beast had me cheering for an incredible woman who takes control of her life, celebrating her strength and her worth, fighting for her happiness, her dreams, for the recognition and responsibility she's earned, and standing shoulder to shoulder with the strong, caring, stubborn man who loves her not in spite of her differences but because of them. I have no doubt that these two will brilliantly rule their corner of England together as they go forward, side by side, equally matched, in life and in love.

As for me, I think I'll go back and reread both Wicked and the Wallflower and Brazen and the Beast (probably more than once) as I impatiently await Grace and Ewan's story in next year's Daring and the Duke. I can't wait. 

What was your last 5-star read?

What would you do if you found a bound, beautiful man in your carriage?

Have you read any Sarah MacLean books? Do you have a favorite series? Book? Character or couple?

Have you read Brazen and the Beast yet? Thoughts? 

One person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM (Eastern), August 6, will receive a print copy of Brazen and the Beast. (U.S. only) 

Brazen and the Beast

Excerpt

Chapter One

September 1837
Mayfair

In twenty-eight years and three hundred sixty-four days, Lady Henrietta Sedley liked to think that she’d learned a few things.
She’d learned, for example, that if a lady could not get away with wearing trousers (an unfortunate reality for the daughter of an earl, even one who had begun life without title or fortune), then she should absolutely ensure that her skirts included pockets. A woman never knew when she might require a bit of rope, or a knife to cut it, after all.
She’d also learned that any decent escape from her Mayfair home required the cover of darkness and a carriage driven by an ally. Coachmen tended to talk a fine game when it came to keeping secrets, but were ultimately beholden to those who paid their salaries. An important addendum to that particular lesson was this: The best of allies was often the best of friends. And perhaps first on the list of things she had learned in her lifetime was how to tie a Bosun knot. She’d
been able to do that for as long as she could remember.
With such an obscure and uncommon collection of knowledge, one might imagine that Henrietta Sedley
would have known precisely what to do in the likelihood she discovered a human male bound and unconscious in her carriage.
One would be incorrect.
In point of fact, Henrietta Sedley would never have described such a scenario as a likelihood. After all, she might have been more comfortable on London’s docks than in its ballrooms, but Hattie’s impressive collection of life experience lacked anything close to a criminal element.
And yet, here she was, pockets full, dearest friend at her side, standing in the pitch dark on the night
before her twenty-ninth birthday, about to steal away from Mayfair for a night of best-laid plans, and…
Lady Eleanora Madewell whistled, low and unladylike at Hattie’s ear. Daughter of a duke and the Irish
actress he loved so much he’d made her a duchess, Nora had the kind of brashness that was allowed in
those with impervious titles and scads of money. “There’s a bloke in the gig, Hattie.”
Hattie did not look away from the bloke in question. “Yes, I see that.”
“There wasn’t a bloke in the gig when we hitched the horses.”
“No, there wasn’t.” They’d left the hitched—and most definitely empty—carriage in the dark rear drive
of Sedley House not three-quarters of an hour earlier, before hiking upstairs to exchange carriage-
hitching dresses for attire more appropriate for their evening plans.
At some point between corset and kohl, someone had left her an extraordinarily unwelcome package.
“Seems we would’ve noticed a bloke in the gig,”
“I should think we would have,” came Hattie’s distracted reply. “This is really just awful timing.”
Nora cut her a look. “Is there a good time for a man to be bound in one’s carriage?”
Hattie imagined there wasn’t, but, “He could have selected a different evening. What a terrible birthday
gift.” She squinted into the dark interior of the carriage. “Do you think he’s dead?”

Please, don’t let him be dead.
Silence. Then, a thoughtful, “Does one store dead men in carriages?” Nora reached forward, her
coachman’s coat pulling tight over her shoulders, and poked the dead man in question. He did not
move. “He’s not moving,” she added. “Could be dead.”
Hattie sighed, removing a glove and leaning into the carriage to place two fingers to the man’s neck.
“I’m sure he’s not dead.”
“What are you doing?” Nora whispered, urgently. “If he’s not dead, you’ll wake him!”
“That wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world,” Hattie pointed out. “Then we could ask him to kindly
exit our conveyance and we could be on our way.”
“Oh, yes. This brute seems like precisely the kind of man who would immediately do just that and not
immediately take his revenge. He’d no doubt doff his cap and wish us a fine good evening.”
“He’s not wearing a cap,” Hattie pointed out, unable to refute any of the rest of the assessment of the
mysterious, possibly dead man. He was very broad, and very solid, and even in the darkness she could
tell that this wasn’t a man with whom one took a turn about a ballroom.
This was the kind of man who ransacked a ballroom.
“What do you feel?” Nora pressed.
“No pulse.” Though she wasn’t precisely certain of the location one would find a pulse. “But he’s—”
Warm.
Dead men were not warm, and this man was very warm. Like a fire in winter. The kind of warm that
made someone realize how cold she might be.
Ignoring the silly thought, Hattie moved her fingers down the column of his neck, to the place where it
disappeared beneath the collar of his shirt, where the curve of his shoulder and the slope of…the rest of
him… met in a fascinating indentation.
“Anything now?”
“Quiet.” Hattie held her breath. Nothing. She shook her head.
“Christ.” It wasn’t a prayer.
Hattie couldn’t have agreed more. But then…
There. A small flutter. She pressed a touch more firmly. The flutter became firm. Slow. Even. “I feel it.
She said. “He’s alive.” She repeated herself. “He’s alive.” She exhaled, long and relieved. “He’s not
dead.”
“Excellent. But it doesn’t change the fact that he’s unconscious in the carriage, and you have somewhere to be.” She paused. “We should leave him and take the curricle.”
Hattie had been planning for this particular excursion on this particular night for a full three months. This was the night that would begin her twenty-ninth year. The year her life would become her own. The year she would become her own. And she had a very specific plan for a very specific location at a very specific hour, for which she had donned a very specific frock. And yet, as she stared at the man in her carriage, specifics seemed not at all important. What seemed important was seeing his face. Clinging to the handle at the edge of the door, Hattie collected the lantern from the upper rear corner of the carriage before swinging back out to face Nora, whose gaze flickered immediately to the unlit
container.
Nora tilted her head. “Hattie. Leave him. Let’s take the curricle.”
“Just a peek,” Hattie replied.
The tilt became a shake. “If you peek, you’ll regret it.”
“I have to peek,” Hattie insisted, casting about for a decent reason—ignoring the odd fact that she was
unable to tell her friend the truth. “I have to untie him.”
“Not necessarily,” Nora pointed out. “Someone thought he was best left tied up, and who are we to disagree?” Hattie was already reaching into the pocket of the carriage door for a flint. “What of your plans?”
There was plenty of time for her plans. “Just a peek,” she repeated, the oil in the lantern catching fire.
She closed the door and turned to face the carriage, lifting the light high, casting a lovely golden glow over—
“Oh, my,” she said.
Nora choked back a laugh. “Not such a bad gift after all, perhaps.”
The man had the most beautiful face Hattie had ever seen. The most beautiful face anyone had ever seen, she imagined. She leaned closer, taking in his warm, bronze skin, the high cheekbones, the long, straight nose, the dark slashes of his brows and the impossibly long lashes that lay like feathers against his cheeks.
“What kind of man…” she trailed off. Shook her head.
What kind of man looked like this?

~~~~~~~~~~~

Review: How the Dukes Stole Christmas

How the Dukes Stole Christmas
A Holiday Romance Anthology
by Tessa Dare, Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan, and Joanna Shupe
Self-Published
Release Date: October 15, 2018
Reviewed by PJ

"Meet Me in Mayfair" by Tessa Dare

Louisa Ward needs a Christmas miracle. Unless she catches a wealthy husband at the ball tonight, the horrid, heartless Duke of Thorndale will evict her family from their beloved Mayfair home. But when her friend begs to switch dance cards, Louisa finds herself waltzing with the enemy: the horrid, heartless—and unexpectedly handsome—Thorndale himself. Now the duke's holding her future in his hands...and he's not letting go.

I read this first novella in the anthology just before bed and was gifted with sweet dreams all night. It's like being wrapped in a warm, Christmas hug while leisurely strolling through a beautiful snow globe. With Dare's trademark wit, humor, and sparkling dialogue, a smart-girl heroine determined to save her family home, and a reluctant Duke who turns out to be much different than expected, this heartwarming tale is one I'll happily re-visit again and again. "Meet Me in Mayfair" is a short novella, quickly read, but packed with so much story, heart, and beautiful characterization that I turned the final page with the deep-seated satisfaction typically reserved for a full-length novel. 


 "The Duke of Christmas Present" by Sarah MacLean

Rich and ruthless, Eben, Duke of Allryd, has no time for holidays. Holidays are for whimsy and charm—the only two things his money cannot buy. Lady Jacqueline Mosby is full of both, even now, twelve years after she left to see the world. When Jacqueline returns for a single Christmas, Eben can’t resist the woman he never stopped loving…or the future they'd once been promised. It will take a miracle to convince her to stay…but if ever there were a time for miracles, it’s Christmas…

MacLean takes readers on an emotional roller coaster with this tale of childhood sweethearts, separated for twelve years, who have a second chance to get things right. A series of flashbacks, interspersed among the characters' current-day scenes, reveal the events that have brought them to their reunion, with a few unexpected turns along the way. This one is a real heart-tugger. You may want to keep a tissue or two on hand. 


"Heiress Alone" by Sophie Jordan 

When Annis Bannister's family leaves her behind in the rush to escape an impending snowstorm, she finds herself stranded in the Highlands, left to fend off brigands terrorizing the countryside, robbing homes locked up for winter. Her only hope falls on her neighbor, a surly hermit duke who unravels her with a look, then a kiss ... until she fears the danger to her heart outweighs the danger of brigands and snowstorms.

Jordan brings the spice to this stranded by snow romance (one of my favorite tropes) set in the Scottish Highlands. This duke is in no hurry to marry and especially not to an Englishwoman with very different plans for her future. But a snow storm, matchmaking staff, and a fiery attraction can unravel plans, as our couple quickly learn. I really enjoyed this story and even though I'm not always a fan of insta-lust, I totally bought into it with these two. There's just something about a Highlander....  


"Christmas in Central Park" by Joanna Shupe

Women all over America devour Mrs. Walker’s weekly column for recipes and advice. No one knows Rose, the column's author, can’t even boil water. When the paper’s owner, Duke Havemeyer, insists she host a Christmas party, Rose must scramble to find a husband, an empty mansion, and a cook. But Duke is not a man easily fooled and she fears her perfect plan is failing—especially when Duke’s attentions make her feel anything but professional. To save her career will she give up her chance at love?

I wanted to like this one more than I actually did. Shupe is a talented writer and I have enjoyed her full-length Gilded Age novels but this story just didn't work for me. I had problems with the set-up but, beyond that, I had a hard time buying into the relationship between the hero and heroine. Physical desire was certainly present but the emotional connection I was looking for wasn't there for me and while I liked and admired the heroine a lot, I had a number of issues with the hero. Still, one person's lemon is another's lemonade and while I had issues with this story, it may totally work for you. 


Do you enjoy anthologies?

Have you read any of the authors included in How the Dukes Stole Christmas?

Each of the stories in this anthology features a family shortbread recipe that doesn't exactly turn out as expected. What's your go-to family cookie for the holidays?

Review - - The Day of the Duchess

The Day of the Duchess
By Sarah MacLean
Scandal & Scoundrel, Book III
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: June 27, 2017
Reviewed by PJ

After reading The Rogue Not Taken, my feelings for the Duke of Haven were solid. He was an ass, pure and simple. Like the Talbot sisters, my loathing of him knew no bounds. I was ready for Sera to move on and find happiness with someone else. It was obvious Haven did not deserve her. Sarah MacLean, the creator of these characters, had other plans. Of course she did. You see, she already knew the rest of the story, those parts that had yet to be revealed to those of us reading the books. She knew that relationships are not black and white, that there are many shades of grey in between. She knew mistakes had been made by both parties, knew the mitigating factors, the heartbreak suffered, the grief that pushed a woman to run, and the prideful arrogance of a man who had not yet outgrown the prejudices formed at the altar of his parents' mistakes.

Sometimes love is not enough to make a marriage thrive. Sometimes, a strong relationship needs to be forged in heartache, grief, distance, and second chances. For the past three and a half years, Malcolm, Duke of Haven has searched for his missing wife, knowing full well that it was his actions that caused her to run and praying she will give him a second chance. For that same amount of time, Sera, Duchess of Haven, has been growing stronger, bolder, and creating a new life that brings her joy and purpose - a life that cannot co-exist with the title of duchess. When she finally returns to London, it's not the reconciliation for which Mal yearns on her agenda but a very public request for a divorce. Older, wiser, and determined to fight for a second chance, Mal offers a ridiculous condition: choose his next wife and Sera can have her divorce. Of course, he has no intention of marrying anyone else and plans to use the time to woo Sera but she has a few tricks up her sleeve as well. Will Mal win back her love? Will Sera win her freedom? Or, will they both learn lessons that are much more important, bringing them all they desire...together?

The Day of the Duchess is one of my favorite books of 2017. I laughed, cried, cheered, sighed, and could not put this book down as I traveled this journey with Sera, Mal, the prospective brides, an American newcomer, and, of course, Sera's irrepressible sisters. Sera and Mal are flawed, complex characters who won my heart and I assure you that after reading MacLean's The Rogue Not Taken, I was absolutely certain "won my heart" and "Duke of Haven" would never co-exist in the same sentence! The vivid secondary cast adds a richness to the story, moving the plot forward while generating excitement for future books without detracting from the main couple in this one. 

If you enjoy historical romance rich with humor, deep emotion, complex characters, and hard-earned happy endings, I highly recommend Sarah MacLean's The Day of the Duchess. 

Guest Review -- No Good Duke Goes Unpunished

No Good Duke Goes Unpunished
Rules of Scoundrels Series, Book 3
By Sarah MacLean
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: November 26, 2013

I first heard about Sarah MacLean when I was at Lady Jane’s Salon the spring of 2010, when she read from her romance debut, Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake. Just from the title alone, how can you not love it?!  I loved the premise of the book, and the humor, and by the time she finished reading, I was sold. I grabbed and bought a copy of Nine Rules right on the spot. I’ve been a Sarah MacLean fan ever since. I loved her Love By Numbers series, and her Rules of Scoundrels series is just as good. But her latest, No Good Duke Goes Unpunished, may be my favorite book by her to date and arguably, Sarah’s best book to date. 

The Rules of Scoundrels focuses on the four owners of The Fallen Angel, a Regency gaming hell/casino, and each book opens with an owner’s fall from grace. In the prologue to No Good Duke, we find out how William Harrow (aka Temple), the Duke of Lamont, came to have the moniker of “The Killer Duke”.  Accused of killing Mara Lowe, his father’s bride, on her wedding day, Temple is shocked, angry, and bewildered when Mara shows up in the flesh, very much alive. Needless to say, Temple demands answers, and isn’t in a forgiving or generous frame of mind when Mara asks him for help. Temple is determined to clear his name, restore his reputation, and she’s going to help him do it, come hell or high water.  But throughout the course of the book, his desire for revenge and vengeance against Mara begins to change and he comes to like, respect, admire, and love the woman who’d turned his life inside out and upside down. 

I absolutely loved Temple. Despite his harsh physical exterior, Sarah expertly paints a picture of what a toll Mara’s supposed murder took on him. It caused him to doubt himself, and that doubt has eaten away at him for years. Temple turned to bare-knuckle fighting because he was big and strong, and it gave him a way to channel his emotions and tame the demons inside, even if temporarily.  Temple understandably harbors a lot of anger and resentment over what Mara’s deception cost him, but he gradually makes peace with the past and starts looking forward to the future. For so long, Temple has suffered under the weight of being seen only as the “Killer Duke” –a novelty whose brute strength and body is a mere object of lust, fear, and fascination for London society. At long last, in Mara, he has someone who loves, trusts, and believes in him and sees him as he truly is. Through Mara, Temple regains his life because he reclaimed his humanity and decency for himself. We come to see that he is a caring, loyal, honorable, kind, and charming man who is protective of those he cares about.  The scenes with Temple, the boys, and Lavender perfectly exemplify what I mean, and they warmed my heart, as well as made me laugh. 

Desperate circumstances have forced Mara Lowe to come out of hiding and come face to face with the man accused of her murder. At first glance, it’s easy to make Mara unlikeable. After all, one could consider what she did cowardly and unforgiveable. But Sarah shows us that Mara had her reasons, she feels true remorse and guilt for what happened to Temple, and indeed, she didn’t escape the past twelve years unscathed. I liked that Mara held her own with Temple and the other owners of the Angel, and wanted to make things right.  I admired her resilient spirit and determination.  Sarah has said that she deliberately made the heroines of this series the ones to come to the hero’s rescue, not the other way around and I loved the scene when Mara rises to the challenge, and steps up to protect and rescue Temple. 

The relationship between Temple and Mara was great. Sarah paced the story very well so that their emotional journey felt realistic. Given the darker and more angsty tone of the book and series, Temple and Mara had a lot of scars and demons to overcome and Sarah deals with it all deftly. The romance was wonderful too-the chemistry between them was intense and combustible with the constant push and pull Temple and Mara engage in. Sarah did a great job of building the sexual tension and attraction between Mara and Temple layer by layer where they both fight and give in to their feelings every step of the way. But my favorite part was how Sarah used their growing feelings for each other as a way for Temple and Mara to lower their guard and be open and vulnerable with each other. Their path towards the truth mirrored their path to true love, and I enjoyed the parallels. 

I can’t recommend No Good Duke highly enough. It is a wonderful story of love, redemption, forgiveness, trust, and starting new. I absolutely can’t wait for the last book in the series and to find out what Sarah has in store for Chase. 

~Lisa

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