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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
This isn’t a complete dnf, I do want to get back to it later but I think I’m just not in the mood for this one rn.. also my hold on Libby is about to expire
emotional
medium-paced
4.5 stars. I distinctly remember saying I was done with Sarah MacLean in my Brazen review, but as luck would have it, the blurb for Daring and the Duke got me with its casual mention that Grace was the one out for revenge. And thus, I was hooked (somewhat) back in, although my concerns about Ewan still weren’t assuaged, particularly given the mixed reactions from friends.
However, upon finally picking it up, I devoured it in an afternoon. The story isn’t particularly fast-paced until the end, with it feeling very introspective about Grace and Ewan’s shared past, but there was something about it that I couldn’t get enough of.
Grace is absolutely a badass, as I thought she’d be from meeting her in the previous books. But I love that there is a depth and vulnerability to her too, so while I never doubted she could hold her own, whether among Ewan or the Bastards or as the owner or 72 Shelton Street, I also resonated with her too.
I wasn’t sure what to think of Ewan at first going into this one , given I pretty much hated him before for what he did in the first two, but I admired his self-awareness of the wrongs he committed, as well as his determination to win back Grace on her terms, never pushing the issue.
I also appreciated the way the book tied things together for the family as a whole, as the concluding books in MacLean series often do, and while I should have seen it coming as it seemed inevitable thinking about it with some hindsight, I definitely did not expect that ending plot twist to go down the way it did. Whatever the case, however, the anti-duke part of me approved.
And while I’m fairly certain Sarah MacLean is definitely on the list of authors historical “purists” avoid or criticize due to her more “bonkers” ideas (I’m still trying to figure out how this one family pulled off the heir replacement scheme with literally no one else knowing or even gossiping about it), I appreciate that she does know her stuff, and thus when she can have fun with history, with the book commenting on the tense “in-between” period of social change at the start of Victoria’s reign prior to the establishment of the more well-known morality that dominated the Victorian era.
This book is wonderful, and a true return to form for Sarah MacLean. I can only hope Hell’s Belles (love the series name!) sees her continue this winning streak! And whatever your thoughts about the first two, I think this one is absolutely worth reading.
However, upon finally picking it up, I devoured it in an afternoon. The story isn’t particularly fast-paced until the end, with it feeling very introspective about Grace and Ewan’s shared past, but there was something about it that I couldn’t get enough of.
Grace is absolutely a badass, as I thought she’d be from meeting her in the previous books. But I love that there is a depth and vulnerability to her too, so while I never doubted she could hold her own, whether among Ewan or the Bastards or as the owner or 72 Shelton Street, I also resonated with her too.
I wasn’t sure what to think of Ewan at first going into this one , given I pretty much hated him before for what he did in the first two, but I admired his self-awareness of the wrongs he committed, as well as his determination to win back Grace on her terms, never pushing the issue.
I also appreciated the way the book tied things together for the family as a whole, as the concluding books in MacLean series often do, and while I should have seen it coming as it seemed inevitable thinking about it with some hindsight, I definitely did not expect that ending plot twist to go down the way it did. Whatever the case, however, the anti-duke part of me approved.
And while I’m fairly certain Sarah MacLean is definitely on the list of authors historical “purists” avoid or criticize due to her more “bonkers” ideas (I’m still trying to figure out how this one family pulled off the heir replacement scheme with literally no one else knowing or even gossiping about it), I appreciate that she does know her stuff, and thus when she can have fun with history, with the book commenting on the tense “in-between” period of social change at the start of Victoria’s reign prior to the establishment of the more well-known morality that dominated the Victorian era.
This book is wonderful, and a true return to form for Sarah MacLean. I can only hope Hell’s Belles (love the series name!) sees her continue this winning streak! And whatever your thoughts about the first two, I think this one is absolutely worth reading.
Sarah MacLean has done it again. She's created a fun, immersive historical romance that I absolutely did not want to put down, which explains why I was up until 3 AM finishing it. This is the final book in her Bareknuckle Bastards series, and in it, we get Grace's story. Grace is fierce, loyal, protective, intelligent, and just all-around awesome. Like many others, I did not know how she was going to pull off a redemption arc for the character cast as the villain in the first two books, but she did it with apparent ease. I'm often amazed, even though I should know better by now, by how MacLean draws you into the story and makes you invested in the characters and the outcome. I *knew* there would be a HEA. It's a historical romance. They are supposed to have a HEA. It's an implied contract between the reader and the author, and a big reason why I keep coming back to the genre, especially while the "real" world falls to shit. But MacLean writes the story in such a way that you get lost in it, and I found myself holding my breath, looking a how many pages were left and nearly crying because I couldn't see how we'd get the HEA by the end. The only quibble I have, and the reason why I'd give it 4 1/2 or 4 3/4 stars instead of a full 5, is that it lacks the laugh-out-loud humor of most of her other books. That humor is what actually brought me back to the genre after nearly 25 years, so I look for it in every historical romance I read. I missed it. Regardless, this is still a fabulous book, and if you're a fan of the genre or a fan of MacLean's you can't miss it.
Ok I absolutely loved the story. I loved Ewan, who traveled through hell and back for the love of his life, and fought for her. I loved Grace/Dahlia and how she was strong and smart and fought for her business and her people and women. I loved the story!!
That said, there’s a lot of sex in here. I am bored with sex scenes overall, so I skimmed a heck of a lot of the book.
That said, there’s a lot of sex in here. I am bored with sex scenes overall, so I skimmed a heck of a lot of the book.
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Steamy, searing, sexy, and utterly emotional and unrelentingly feminist. This might be my favorite book of 2020 so far.
I honestly don't even know where to start with this review. I am still processing the emotional toll of this story and the growth that MacLean masterfully wrote. It is honestly unbelievable. I had never seen such a character evolution on both their parts. The level of pining, groveling, and epic speeches deserve awards alone. The side characters are - as always - an absolute treat. (Nik and Nora are legit the cutest.) The family dynamics and support network makes my heart happy. (Seeing the past Bareknuckle Bastards characters gives this a whole new level of awesome.)
Grace is a legit queen and her court is the entirety of Covent Gardens and the cost of that is being rather alone - and watching her deal and maneuver chess pieces is just awesome. But also searingly hard to watch her struggle with the past, her independence and the idea that maybe she deserves some modicum of pleasure in her life too. Ewan is a Man. He grows up, he takes his penance and he changes so that he is worthy of Grace and I am here for it. I adored everything about this and cried more than once. The groveling and pining in this book are beyond anything I have ever seen and as far as grand gestures go - this book takes the cake.
I honestly don't even know where to start with this review. I am still processing the emotional toll of this story and the growth that MacLean masterfully wrote. It is honestly unbelievable. I had never seen such a character evolution on both their parts. The level of pining, groveling, and epic speeches deserve awards alone. The side characters are - as always - an absolute treat. (Nik and Nora are legit the cutest.) The family dynamics and support network makes my heart happy. (Seeing the past Bareknuckle Bastards characters gives this a whole new level of awesome.)
Grace is a legit queen and her court is the entirety of Covent Gardens and the cost of that is being rather alone - and watching her deal and maneuver chess pieces is just awesome. But also searingly hard to watch her struggle with the past, her independence and the idea that maybe she deserves some modicum of pleasure in her life too. Ewan is a Man. He grows up, he takes his penance and he changes so that he is worthy of Grace and I am here for it. I adored everything about this and cried more than once. The groveling and pining in this book are beyond anything I have ever seen and as far as grand gestures go - this book takes the cake.
Daring and the Duke is an interesting (and somewhat frustrating) finale (sob!) to The Bareknuckle Bastards. The frustration isn't necessarily the fault of the book: storyline and characters are truly good—but they don't jump as wildly off the page as the couples of [b:Wicked and the Wallflower|35695972|Wicked and the Wallflower (The Bareknuckle Bastards, #1)|Sarah MacLean|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1515028066l/35695972._SY75_.jpg|57185173] or [b:Brazen and the Beast|40221961|Brazen and the Beast (The Bareknuckle Bastards, #2)|Sarah MacLean|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1543966730l/40221961._SY75_.jpg|57373068], who all but explore off their pages—here as much as in their novels. Ewan could have done some more groveling. Grace could have added some more steel to her spine.
But, overall: it's a fun book. I read it in a day, and will read it again. I just wish that there would be more books set in the same world.
But, overall: it's a fun book. I read it in a day, and will read it again. I just wish that there would be more books set in the same world.
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes