The Day of the Duchess (Scandal and Scoundrel Series #3)

by Sarah MacLean

Overview

The third book in Sarah MacLean's witty and romantic Scandal & Scoundrel series featuring a ravishing heroine and the man, desperately in love, who now has to make amends.

The one woman he will never forget…

Malcolm Bevingstoke, Duke of Haven, has lived the last three years in self-imposed solitude, paying the price for a mistake he can never reverse and a love he lost forever. The dukedom does not wait, however, and Haven requires an heir, which means he must find himself a wife by summer’s end. There is only one problem—he already has one.

The one man she will never forgive…

After years in exile, Seraphina, Duchess of Haven, returns to London with a single goal—to reclaim the life she left and find happiness, unencumbered by the man who broke her heart. Haven offers her a deal; Sera can have her freedom, just as soon as she finds her replacement…which requires her to spend the summer in close quarters with the husband she does not want, but somehow cannot resist.

A love that neither can deny…

The duke has a single summer to woo his wife and convince her that, despite their broken past, he can give her forever, making every day the Day of the Duchess. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062379436
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/27/2017
Series:	Scandal and Scoundrel Series , #3
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	141,849
Product dimensions:	4.19(w) x 6.75(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

A life-long romance reader, Sarah MacLean wrote her first romance novel on a dare, and never looked back. She is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of romances translated into more than twenty languages, a romance columnist, and the co-host of the weekly romance novel podcast, Fated Mates. A graduate of Smith College and Harvard University, she lives in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

05/22/2017
MacLean’s clever explanation of the scandal at the heart of her previous Regency romance, The Rogue Not Taken, will impress readers who found Malcolm Bevingstoke, Duke of Haven, entirely insufferable in the earlier book. Malcolm plans to woo back his wife, Seraphina, whom he sent away shortly after their wedding because she had deceived him. Instead, to his shock, she returns and announces she wants a divorce. In order to buy some time to change her mind, Malcolm agrees to the divorce but asks her to live with him for six weeks and help him find another wife. Seraphina wants her freedom so she can circumvent the British law that a woman’s property belongs to her husband, but living with Malcolm soon reminds her what first attracted her to him. Passion is reignited, but she fears that they can’t overcome their past, which results in wishy-washy behavior. The chase grows tiring, but readers will empathize with the redeemed Malcolm. Seraphina’s sisters keep things lively, and new characters are just as spirited. The saucy setup for another love match will have readers eager for the next in the series. Agent: Steve Axelrod, Axelrod Agency. (July)

Publishers Weekly

★ 06/15/2017
Nearly three years ago, Seraphina, Duchess of Haven, gave birth to a stillborn daughter and then disappeared without a trace. Now, she's returned, seeking a divorce, and Malcolm Bevingstoke, Duke of Haven, is willing to grant it on one condition—that she come to his estate and choose his next wife. But Malcolm has another goal in mind—to win Sera back, whatever it takes. What he doesn't know is that Sera has too much to lose by staying married. A bounty of sisters (the Soiled S's and Dangerous Daughters from earlier titles) and marriageable misses keep the action brisk and the banter flying in this funny and poignant tale. Mal and Sera struggle valiantly with their unrelenting passion, their opposing aims, and the balance between freedom and love. VERDICT Stunning descriptions (an underwater ballroom is breathtaking), enlightening historical detail that tempts further research, and brilliant use of the constellations make this smart historical another classic from the matchless MacLean. MacLean (A Scot in the Dark) lives in New York City. [See "Summer Escapes," LJ 5/15/17, p. 76.]

Library Journal

★ 2017-04-18
An Edwardian-era duke and duchess are torn apart by the expectations of their families and the death of their child.Seraphina Bevingstoke, Duchess of Haven fully admits that she trapped her husband into marriage. But that was only because she loved him so much and was sure he would never offer for a social mushroom like her. Unfortunately, her husband, Malcolm, was still having a hard time forgiving her when their baby daughter died at birth. Overwhelmed with the pain of losing Malcolm's love and their child, Sera ran away to America. Now, nearly three years later, she's back in London, seeking a divorce on the floor of Parliament, determined to put her disastrous marriage behind her. She needs the divorce so she can own property in her own name. She wants to be the sole proprietor and most cherished entertainer at the Singing Sparrow, a tavern in Covent Garden where she sings on stage in disguise. What Sera doesn't know is that Malcolm has never stopped searching for her and has no intention of giving her a divorce. He plays along, though, forcing her to help him find a replacement bride at his country estate. Sera sees no choice but to bring reinforcements in the form of her scandalous sisters. MacLean (A Scot in the Dark, 2016, etc.) delivers a dense, richly woven tale of betrayal and grief and family loyalty. The main characters lack self-confidence, believing themselves unlovable and therefore not trusting each other's love. But they are lovable, to each other and to the reader. The only disappointment is that MacLean misses an opportunity to depict a meaningful marriage in spite of infertility. Children, it turns out, are still central to a successful fictional marriage. A thrilling story of love reborn.

Kirkus Reviews

MacLean (A Scot in the Dark, 2016, etc.) delivers a dense, richly woven tale of betrayal and grief and family loyalty [..] A thrilling story of love reborn.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“The saucy setup for another love match will have readers eager for the next in the series.” — Publishers Weekly

“[...] 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)

“Witty banter, entertaining secondary characters and a poignant use of Greek myth are the delicious icing on this lovely, romantic story.” — BookPage

From the Publisher

Witty banter, entertaining secondary characters and a poignant use of Greek myth are the delicious icing on this lovely, romantic story.

BookPage

[...] 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)

This is the third audiobook in the Scandal & Scoundrel series, the previous two were also narrated by Justine Eyre. Protagonists Sera and Haven's marriage fell apart in spectacular fashion in Book 2, and getting them back together after such a rough breakup is difficult to sell. In particular, the device for reuniting them—Sera must find Haven a new wife before he will grant her a divorce—seems contrived. As in the previous audiobooks, Eyre's reading is emphatic, with a breathy quality that occasionally makes the tone a bit exaggerated in a story that has plenty of melodrama on its own. Nonetheless, fans of the series will want to listen to this installment. L.C.L. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

AUGUST 2017 - AudioFile