Sarah MacLean never disappoints with her fearless heroines and brooding heroes. Daring and the Duke is funny and clever and beyond sexy.” — Sarah J. Maas, #1 bestselling author
“MacLean works magic, crafting a magnificent romance that’s as satisfying as it is subversive.” — New York Times Book Review
In “Daring and the Duke,” Sarah MacLean’s final installment of the Bareknuckle Bastards we get to see Grace Condry finally get the epic grovel she deserves. This romance is stridently feminist from the first page….That sounds like a happily-ever-after the Chicks would probably write a song about.” — Washington Post
“MacLean engages with complex faults of the patriarchy throughout, interrogating women’s pleasure and the threat that men perceive when it is taken rather than given...she probes questions of identity and internalized misogyny, her writing ripe with lust, forgiveness, and the female gaze.” — Entertainment Weekly
"Visceral, gritty, and full of passion and angst, this romance mixes moments of emotional introspection with grand scenes of balls, fights, and scorching intimacy...While this story excels as a second-chance, redemption love story, what really makes it stand out is the unabashedly feminist exploration...Dark, daring, delicious, and absolutely delightful." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"The highly anticipated conclusion to the inimitable MacLean’s massively popular Bareknuckle Bastards trilogy delivers a satisfying emotional punch that fans will savor. It can be read as a stand-alone but is best enjoyed along with the rest of the series." — Library Journal (starred review)
"Wrapping up the Bareknuckle Bastards series splendidly, RITA Award–winning MacLean reinforces her place as a master of historical romance with another exemplary, empowering love story that brilliantly showcases her flair for gloriously insightful characterization, grandly entertaining plotting, and gorgeously sensual prose." — Booklist
“She’s my absolute go-to author for clever, sexy and fun historical romances.” — Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Here [MacLean] kicks off a new series, The Bareknuckle Bastards, that promises her darkest take yet. But even when MacLean goes dark… the sparkling wit and essential goodness of her characters shine through.” — New York Times Book Review on Wicked and the Wallflower
“[...] MacLean once again dazzles readers with her literary prowess by delivering another perfectly matched pair of protagonists, a surfeit of amusing secondary characters, stellar use of sensuality, and polished writing generously seasoned with her inimitable, irresistible sense of wit.” — Booklist (starred review) on Wicked and the Wallflower
“Funny, playful and vivid, Sarah MacLean’s latest romance samples the best of both worlds with the earthy vigor of the slum’s crafty, loyal lower classes and the juicy intrigue of high society scandal.” — BookPage on Brazen and the Beast
“Combining dark humor and plenty of heat between our brazen leads, and offering intriguing glimpses of the next installment, MacLean (Wicked and the Wallflower ) once again gives us an independent-minded heroine discovering the possibilities of a future with a dangerous leader of Covent Garden’s underbelly.” — Library Journal on Brazen and the Beast
“Strong female protagonists are the rule in genre romance, but Hattie stands out for the clarity of her goals and the intelligence with which she goes about achieving them. Classic MacLean: smoking hot, emotionally rich, thrilling, and unforgettable.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on Brazen and the Beast
[...] MacLean once again dazzles readers with her literary prowess by delivering another perfectly matched pair of protagonists, a surfeit of amusing secondary characters, stellar use of sensuality, and polished writing generously seasoned with her inimitable, irresistible sense of wit.
Booklist (starred review) on Wicked and the Wallflower
In “Daring and the Duke,” Sarah MacLean’s final installment of the Bareknuckle Bastards we get to see Grace Condry finally get the epic grovel she deserves. This romance is stridently feminist from the first page….That sounds like a happily-ever-after the Chicks would probably write a song about.
She’s my absolute go-to author for clever, sexy and fun historical romances.
Funny, playful and vivid, Sarah MacLean’s latest romance samples the best of both worlds with the earthy vigor of the slum’s crafty, loyal lower classes and the juicy intrigue of high society scandal.
BookPage on Brazen and the Beast
"Wrapping up the Bareknuckle Bastards series splendidly, RITA Award–winning MacLean reinforces her place as a master of historical romance with another exemplary, empowering love story that brilliantly showcases her flair for gloriously insightful characterization, grandly entertaining plotting, and gorgeously sensual prose."
MacLean engages with complex faults of the patriarchy throughout, interrogating women’s pleasure and the threat that men perceive when it is taken rather than given...she probes questions of identity and internalized misogyny, her writing ripe with lust, forgiveness, and the female gaze.
Here [MacLean] kicks off a new series, The Bareknuckle Bastards, that promises her darkest take yet. But even when MacLean goes dark… the sparkling wit and essential goodness of her characters shine through.
New York Times Book Review on Wicked and the Wallflower
MacLean works magic, crafting a magnificent romance that’s as satisfying as it is subversive.
New York Times Book Review
"Wrapping up the Bareknuckle Bastards series splendidly, RITA Award–winning MacLean reinforces her place as a master of historical romance with another exemplary, empowering love story that brilliantly showcases her flair for gloriously insightful characterization, grandly entertaining plotting, and gorgeously sensual prose."
In “Daring and the Duke,” Sarah MacLean’s final installment of the Bareknuckle Bastards we get to see Grace Condry finally get the epic grovel she deserves. This romance is stridently feminist from the first page….That sounds like a happily-ever-after the Chicks would probably write a song about.
Here [MacLean] kicks off a new series, The Bareknuckle Bastards, that promises her darkest take yet. But even when MacLean goes dark… the sparkling wit and essential goodness of her characters shine through.
null New York Times Book Review on Wicked and the Wallflower
[...] MacLean once again dazzles readers with her literary prowess by delivering another perfectly matched pair of protagonists, a surfeit of amusing secondary characters, stellar use of sensuality, and polished writing generously seasoned with her inimitable, irresistible sense of wit.
null Booklist (starred review) on Wicked and the Wallflower
Funny, playful and vivid, Sarah MacLean’s latest romance samples the best of both worlds with the earthy vigor of the slum’s crafty, loyal lower classes and the juicy intrigue of high society scandal.
null BookPage on Brazen and the Beast
★ 07/01/2020
Grace Condry is the undisputed queen of London's underworld. Along with her adopted brothers, she's risen through the slums of Covent Garden, first as a celebrated street fighter, then as the wealthy owner of the city's most scandalous pleasure club for women. Few know that Grace is actually a duke's daughter, her title taken by the boy she once loved as a child. Ewan, the Duke of Marwick, has never stopped obsessing over Grace since the dark day she disappeared with his brothers. When he learns she's still alive, he's willing to do anything to have her back in his life. But their ruthless cat-and-mouse game of attraction is threatened by the pain of their past history. The emotional journey of the protagonists is raw in intensity, with breath-stealing love scenes. It's refreshing to find a romantic couple with a near-equal power balance. VERDICT The highly anticipated conclusion to the inimitable MacLean's massively popular "Bareknuckle Bastards" trilogy (Wicked and the Wallflower ; Brazen and the Beast ) delivers a satisfying emotional punch that fans will savor. It can be read as a stand-alone but is best enjoyed along with the rest of the series.—Kathryn Howe, Saint John Free P.L., NB
★ 2020-06-03
Twenty years ago, Grace Condry was betrayed by Ewan, the boy she loved. He went on to become the Duke of Marwick while she became the queen of Covent Garden, a dark corner of London where she runs a club that specializes in women’s pleasure. Ewan spent years searching for his love, and when he thought she was dead, he went mad with grief. When he discovers she’s alive, hope blooms, and he’ll do anything to be reunited with her. Grace wants vengeance because Ewan broke her heart and hurt those she holds dear, but when she’s finally face to face with him, she feels immense desire. Although they are different people than they were as children, attraction still simmers. Perhaps love could turn their fantasies into reality despite all the terrible memories between them. Visceral, gritty, and full of passion and angst, this romance mixes moments of emotional introspection with grand scenes of balls, fights, and, of course, scorching intimacy. Grace and Ewan had traumatic pasts, and now they are both discovering who they are in the present and who they could be together. While this story excels as a second-chance, redemption love story, what really makes it stand out is the unabashedly feminist exploration of power and how it ties in with identity and desire. The cinematic finale draws the series to a wholly satisfying conclusion.
Dark, daring, delicious, and absolutely delightful.
