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millennia 's review for:
Daring and the Duke
by Sarah MacLean
I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, but this one was a disappointment.
This seems like another book that suffered from poor editing and proof reading, and the author's attempt to wrap everything from the previous books up in a neat little bow, and failing.
The repetition and flowery language was grating (take a shot every time Ewan says "what do you need?" or refers to Grace as a queen), and it seemed like MacLean was more interested in describing Grace's awesome fashion sense and their past than on actually developing a plot or building any relationship.
MacLean's efforts to turn Ewan into a hero after describing him for two books as basically a mustache swirling super villain just felt empty and shallow. Ok, so he loves Grace....is this supposed to excuse his violence and LITERAL MURDER in the previous books? His love for Grace is toxic and unhealthy, and in a modern context his actions would have him in prison for stalking, manslaughter, and assault. Romanticizing his god complex (he literally compares himself to Apollo in several scenes) and his violent possessiveness of Grace is gross, and I'm surprised that the author felt comfortable casting his actions in a positive light. No amount of sexual chemistry or childhood trauma can make up for Ewan actively trying to kill the main characters in the previous books The fact that MacLean thinks that him saying "I'm sorry" a total of ONE TIME and throwing money at and giving a few hours of work to the people he hurt can make up for this is troubling.
Outside of all that, the parts that really annoyed me and took me out of the novel were the multiple inconsistencies. For example, when Grace and Ewan finally confess their love for each other, MacLean has Ewan give this whole speech about his love for her
"When he pulled away, he whispered, “You don’t have to say anything. But I could not stay silent any longer. I love you. Not the girl you were. Not the woman I thought I would find. You. Now. Here.” "
And then two scenes later, when Ewan asks her to marry him, he says he loves her again and she acts like she's SHOCKED
"She stiffened, terrified of what he would say. “I love you.” In her years of bareknuckle fighting, Grace had taken countless unexpected blows, but never anything like that one—which pulled the air from her." "
I'm sorry, what??? How does that make any sense at all?
In addition to that, her anger at Ewan for having the Duchess plant the information about him being back in town makes absolutely no sense. She has spies everywhere, and her whole life is about covering and uncovering secrets. Why would she be mad about him leaking some information to one of her gossip sources? Isn't that exactly what she relies on them for?
And seriously, don't even get me started on that ending. Ewan has been spotted by dozens of people in the Gardens, gives his name to the thugs trying to destroy the club, and is seen without a mask at the Dominion....and yet somehow he can just fake his death and no one is the wiser??? Did all of those people in the brawl scene get their memories of the Duke knocked out of their heads somehow?
I don't normally rant for so long in my reviews, but this book was such a let down and so problematic that I couldn't help myself. Just read the first two and pretend this one didn't happen.
This seems like another book that suffered from poor editing and proof reading, and the author's attempt to wrap everything from the previous books up in a neat little bow, and failing.
The repetition and flowery language was grating (take a shot every time Ewan says "what do you need?" or refers to Grace as a queen), and it seemed like MacLean was more interested in describing Grace's awesome fashion sense and their past than on actually developing a plot or building any relationship.
MacLean's efforts to turn Ewan into a hero after describing him for two books as basically a mustache swirling super villain just felt empty and shallow. Ok, so he loves Grace....is this supposed to excuse his violence and LITERAL MURDER in the previous books? His love for Grace is toxic and unhealthy, and in a modern context his actions would have him in prison for stalking, manslaughter, and assault. Romanticizing his god complex (he literally compares himself to Apollo in several scenes) and his violent possessiveness of Grace is gross, and I'm surprised that the author felt comfortable casting his actions in a positive light. No amount of sexual chemistry or childhood trauma can make up for Ewan actively trying to kill the main characters in the previous books The fact that MacLean thinks that him saying "I'm sorry" a total of ONE TIME and throwing money at and giving a few hours of work to the people he hurt can make up for this is troubling.
Outside of all that, the parts that really annoyed me and took me out of the novel were the multiple inconsistencies. For example,
"When he pulled away, he whispered, “You don’t have to say anything. But I could not stay silent any longer. I love you. Not the girl you were. Not the woman I thought I would find. You. Now. Here.” "
And then two scenes later, when Ewan asks her to marry him, he says he loves her again and she acts like she's SHOCKED
"She stiffened, terrified of what he would say. “I love you.” In her years of bareknuckle fighting, Grace had taken countless unexpected blows, but never anything like that one—which pulled the air from her." "
I'm sorry, what??? How does that make any sense at all?
In addition to that, her anger at Ewan for having the Duchess plant the information about him being back in town makes absolutely no sense. She has spies everywhere, and her whole life is about covering and uncovering secrets. Why would she be mad about him leaking some information to one of her gossip sources? Isn't that exactly what she relies on them for?
And seriously, don't even get me started on that ending. Ewan has been spotted by dozens of people in the Gardens, gives his name to the thugs trying to destroy the club, and is seen without a mask at the Dominion....and yet somehow he can just fake his death and no one is the wiser??? Did all of those people in the brawl scene get their memories of the Duke knocked out of their heads somehow?
I don't normally rant for so long in my reviews, but this book was such a let down and so problematic that I couldn't help myself. Just read the first two and pretend this one didn't happen.