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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
17 stars, rounded down to 5 ❤️
My word, what a glorious book. It's the best writing Sarah has ever done. It's lyrical, poetic, enraging, heartbreaking, patriarchy-smashing, and fun. The found family elements, felt like a big warm hug. I love the way these men love their women.
GRACE's name is an inspired choice, and may be the most romantic gesture in the novel. That he would give her this, his title. He's the Duke, aka Your Grace. But in these books, he 'gives' her his title in naming her Grace. Your Grace, your Grace, My Grace, my Grace. It's such clever word play on Sarah's part.
I loved the whole thing. It smashed through all my expectations.
Here's to Sarah writing more books that scare her!!
EDITED TO ADD: It's even better on the reread. In fact, the whole Bareknuckle Bastards series really rewards a reread. This was the last book for #TheSummerOfSarahMacLean.
My word, what a glorious book. It's the best writing Sarah has ever done. It's lyrical, poetic, enraging, heartbreaking, patriarchy-smashing, and fun. The found family elements, felt like a big warm hug. I love the way these men love their women.
GRACE's name is an inspired choice, and may be the most romantic gesture in the novel. That he would give her this, his title. He's the Duke, aka Your Grace. But in these books, he 'gives' her his title in naming her Grace. Your Grace, your Grace, My Grace, my Grace. It's such clever word play on Sarah's part.
I loved the whole thing. It smashed through all my expectations.
Here's to Sarah writing more books that scare her!!
EDITED TO ADD: It's even better on the reread. In fact, the whole Bareknuckle Bastards series really rewards a reread. This was the last book for #TheSummerOfSarahMacLean.
I enjoyed this series and was happy to read Grace and Ewan's story. I felt satisfied with the conclusion of this series but this book seemed to have some plot points for me that I couldn't get past. I was overwhelmed with the constant repetition. I also felt like for all of this to take place after 20 years was unbelievable, 10 years would have been more realistic. The best part for me was Grace. She is a strong female character.
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 [b:The Day of the Duchess|31307650|The Day of the Duchess (Scandal & Scoundrel, #3)|Sarah MacLean|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1477616140l/31307650._SY75_.jpg|51979220]. 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 [b:The Day of the Duchess|31307650|The Day of the Duchess (Scandal & Scoundrel, #3)|Sarah MacLean|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1477616140l/31307650._SY75_.jpg|51979220]. 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.
TAKE ALL OF THE STARS. JUST TAKE THEM.
**************
I had hoped a few days removed from the sheer joyful experience of reading this book would have given me enough time to come up with some actual words for a review. I shall do my best but the reality is that Sarah MacLean has written her best book to date, a grovel novel that is now the gold standard for that trope and there are no words to pay proper homage to how great this book is.
I knew I'd love Grace. I knew the second she stepped onto the page in the very first book that I would adore her. Sarah MacLean's brand of historical heroines is EXACTLY my personal aesthetic. They're smart and savvy, clever and canny, bold and brave, strong and sexy, fierce and a force to be reckoned with. And Grace, with her boots and trousers and corsets and long coats is the ultimate heroine that I think all of Sarah's earlier heroines have been leading to. They are all fantastic in their own way, each one strong and wonderful but Grace is...a wonder.
And then Ewan. If I harbored any doubts about this book, they all lay in Ewan being the hero. How, I had stupidly questioned. could even a brilliant author such as Sarah, possibly redeem a character like Ewan? Readers, I stand humbled and corrected, for he has not only been redeemed but maybe has become my favorite of Sarah MacLean's heroes. Yes, I said it. I love him. He needed to grovel a LOT for his sins, and that he did.
Very rarely do things that are greatly anticipated actually live up to their hype. I can honestly say this book didn't live up to the hype, it far, FAR exceeded it. Take all the stars made of gold threads, Sarah, you have more than earned it.
**************
I had hoped a few days removed from the sheer joyful experience of reading this book would have given me enough time to come up with some actual words for a review. I shall do my best but the reality is that Sarah MacLean has written her best book to date, a grovel novel that is now the gold standard for that trope and there are no words to pay proper homage to how great this book is.
I knew I'd love Grace. I knew the second she stepped onto the page in the very first book that I would adore her. Sarah MacLean's brand of historical heroines is EXACTLY my personal aesthetic. They're smart and savvy, clever and canny, bold and brave, strong and sexy, fierce and a force to be reckoned with. And Grace, with her boots and trousers and corsets and long coats is the ultimate heroine that I think all of Sarah's earlier heroines have been leading to. They are all fantastic in their own way, each one strong and wonderful but Grace is...a wonder.
And then Ewan. If I harbored any doubts about this book, they all lay in Ewan being the hero. How, I had stupidly questioned. could even a brilliant author such as Sarah, possibly redeem a character like Ewan? Readers, I stand humbled and corrected, for he has not only been redeemed but maybe has become my favorite of Sarah MacLean's heroes. Yes, I said it. I love him. He needed to grovel a LOT for his sins, and that he did.
Very rarely do things that are greatly anticipated actually live up to their hype. I can honestly say this book didn't live up to the hype, it far, FAR exceeded it. Take all the stars made of gold threads, Sarah, you have more than earned it.
Review to come but !!!!
Edited to add review:
Daring and the Duke is an essential series ender and the grovel novel Sarah MacLean has been leading up to and promising her readers for the last three books of The Bareknuckle Bastards. The opening chapters are at a breakneck speed that picks up right where Brazen and the Beast left off and the pace made me hold my breath until there was a break in the plot. For me, it was basically perfect.
When Ewan finds out Grace is alive the tension and anguish seeps out of him off the page and Grace’s...delight isn’t quite the right word, but she revels in being able to keep herself and her people safe. And those opening chapters - which last quite a long time - are Grace at her most powerful. There’s so much that happens in the book that is basically all spoilers but I think I’ve read every book MacLean has read now and I honestly think this is her best work yet. It felt like she’s leveled up in a new way.
I came into the novel wanting to hate Ewan and of course the author managed to make me grudgingly adore him. But Grace...phew. I would kill for her. But I wouldn’t need to because seriously? She can take care of herself thank you very much. This book is everything I love about romance all rolled into one. Buy this whole series, read it, love it, spread the joy. Repeat.
Edited to add review:
Daring and the Duke is an essential series ender and the grovel novel Sarah MacLean has been leading up to and promising her readers for the last three books of The Bareknuckle Bastards. The opening chapters are at a breakneck speed that picks up right where Brazen and the Beast left off and the pace made me hold my breath until there was a break in the plot. For me, it was basically perfect.
When Ewan finds out Grace is alive the tension and anguish seeps out of him off the page and Grace’s...delight isn’t quite the right word, but she revels in being able to keep herself and her people safe. And those opening chapters - which last quite a long time - are Grace at her most powerful. There’s so much that happens in the book that is basically all spoilers but I think I’ve read every book MacLean has read now and I honestly think this is her best work yet. It felt like she’s leveled up in a new way.
I came into the novel wanting to hate Ewan and of course the author managed to make me grudgingly adore him. But Grace...phew. I would kill for her. But I wouldn’t need to because seriously? She can take care of herself thank you very much. This book is everything I love about romance all rolled into one. Buy this whole series, read it, love it, spread the joy. Repeat.
I have to say, I was very disappointed in this final installment of the Bareknuckle Bastards series.
I had a hard time connecting with many of the characters, who all seemed very self-involved and oblivious to the needs of others. The writing was repetitious and, frankly, boring -- which is completely unusual for Sarah MacLean. I typically love her books, and enjoyed the prior two in the series.
What really did it for me though is that I never felt that Ewan was actually redeemed. He killed five people and terrorized the three Bastards for years, and yet, we're supposed to forgive himbecause he does some manual labor, washes some clothes in the Garden, and gives out $10,000. Ewan has "money beyond imagining", so what's $10,000 to him? It's not an amount that's going to cause him much pain to give away, if it makes him look good.
Ewan and Grace are so consumed with sex that neither of them ever seem to display any real remorse. Grace forgives him instantly because she wants to sleep with him and Ewan says he is sorry, because he wants to sleep with her. .
I was given this book by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I had a hard time connecting with many of the characters, who all seemed very self-involved and oblivious to the needs of others. The writing was repetitious and, frankly, boring -- which is completely unusual for Sarah MacLean. I typically love her books, and enjoyed the prior two in the series.
'...[E]ven 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.'
What really did it for me though is that I never felt that Ewan was actually redeemed. He killed five people and terrorized the three Bastards for years, and yet, we're supposed to forgive him
Ewan and Grace are so consumed with sex that neither of them ever seem to display any real remorse. Grace forgives him instantly because she wants to sleep with him and Ewan says he is sorry, because he wants to sleep with her.
I was given this book by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A great final installation to the series. Ewan really came around, he earned the redemption since he did some questionable things in the past, it was great to see his side of the story and understand him better.
Grace was such a strong and amazing character.
Grace was such a strong and amazing character.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
I was so disappointed in this book and had to force myself to finish it. The constant sex scenes were so drug out I found myself speed reading to get passed them. I felt the author repeated herself far too many times and I got sick of the constant inner dialogues. I enjoyed the other books in the series, but this one fell flat and the relationship between Grace and Ewan was abusive and disturbing.
I love a good dark hero, but the relationship in this book was plain creepy.
I love a good dark hero, but the relationship in this book was plain creepy.
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated