Showing posts with label Sarah MacLean. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sarah MacLean. Show all posts

Saturday, August 21, 2021

Bombshell by Sarah MacLean

Lady Sesily Talbot is well-known in the ton. She cut a swath with her four sisters as the daughters of a coal merchant. Now, her sisters are all married off while Sesily uses her time working with a group of women to take down unscrupulous men. Is it dangerous? Yes. But she feels strong that it is the right thing to do. Would she love to get married? Maybe. But there is only one man who holds her interest. 
Caleb Calhoun is an American in business with Sesily's sister Sera. He has just returned to England after two years away. He was most definitely avoiding Sesily. But now he's back to help Sera and their business partner Fetu while she gives birth. He knows that his past will cause a problem but he just can't stay away from Sesily. And when his past crosses with her present, it may mean that he will never see her again.
MacLean has written another amazing novel. I thought that the wrap up was a little too swift but the book was otherwise enjoyable. Sesily was capable and Caleb recognized that. I am very hopeful that Lady Imogen, resident chemist, will get a story with Bow Street Runner Thomas Peck. 

Four stars
This book comes out August 24th, 2021
ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Friday, June 26, 2020

Daring and the Duke by Sarah MacLean

Daring and the Duke by Sarah MacLeanJudging by the number of people exclaiming over this book, I am going to be in the minority in my opinion of this book because, while I believe that MacLean is an incredibly talented writer who once again wrote wonderfully and developed beautiful characters, I just don't think she was able to redeem Ewan. The man has been the Big Bad in both of the first two books in the series up to and including killing several people because his half-brothers told him that his Twu Lurv was dead. I also wished there had been more of an emotional connection that showed how Grace and Ewan connected "now."
When they were children, Grace and Ewan had an unbreakable bond. Or so she thought. But when Ewan tried to kill her, she fled from their abusive caretaker with his two half-brothers. The three ended up in the slums of London but they made their way bareknuckle fighting. And Grace was the best. It's how she started the empire she has today, including a club for women where they can enjoy the company of a young man for the evening. When Ewan, now a duke, discovers that Grace is not dead as had been reported to him, he decides to risk it all to win her back.

Three stars
This book comes out June 30th
ARC kindly provided by HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Brazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLean

Brazen and the Beast (The Bareknuckle Bastards, #2)Henrietta "Hattie" Sedley wants one thing in life, her father's business. But she is a woman and, even though she is better at the business than her brother, Augie is the one that has been put in charge.  Unfortunately, Augie's an idiot's. Example:  The man who's tied up and in Henrietta's carriage when she goes out to start the first night of the Year of Hattie.  The man is built like a Greek God and she is immediately attracted but she's got a plan and even the most beautiful man isn't going to stop her.
Beast  Wakes up to a beautiful  Woman tapping his face trying to get him to wake up. And then she unceremoniously throws him out of the carriage. But not before stopping for a kiss. Luckily she throws him out in the area of London that he runs and he's able to find her almost immediately. He discovers that she is a part of the family that has been systemically robbing him. And that's an issue.
The pre-end was a little fast as was the wrap up but generally a fun book and nice addition to the series.

Four stars
This book comes out July 30th
Follows Wicked and the Wallflower
ARC kindly provided by HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean

The Day of the Duchess (Scandal & Scoundrel, #3)We met Seraphina in the first book when her sister, Sophie, pushed Sera's cheating husband, into a decorative pond. I was wondering how Ms. MacLean would let a blatantly philandering husband and his (at the time) pregnant wife find an HEA. Well, it's done in flashbacks. Going from when Malcolm and Sera fell in love, why they got married (is it true that she tricked him?), when he followed her to America, all interspersed with the present day when Sera is petitioning Parliament for a divorce. But is that what they both really want?
The problem with these two is that they really hurt each other. And we get to read about that hurt all throughout the book. There is some growth but I never really connected with either. Still an interesting trope to take on and I certainly won't quit reading MacLean because of it.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out June 27

Monday, February 10, 2014

No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean

Image linked from Goodreads
What a wonderful story. I fell into it, splashed around in MacLean's world for almost two hours and emerged wishing that the fourth book in the series were already in my hands. 
Twelve years ago, Mara Lowe, the lovely daughter of a wealthy merchant, faked her own death. Terrified of her fiance, indeed, marriage in general, she picked up an unassuming boy in the pub and then drugged him, hoping to make it look like he had deflowered her. Then she ran, not realizing that she had vastly overestimated how much blood was needed and everyone assumed that William Hart had killed the girl who was to be his step-mother.
Though in line to be a duke, and even without proof of a body, everyone assumed William was a killer. Which spawned a nickname of "the Killer Duke." However, he has already re-branded himself as Temple and seeks absolution in the boxing ring, hoping that the pain he feels will help in find forgiveness for himself. You see, Mara drugged him so he never knew whether or not he was, in actuality, a killer. So, when Mara shows up at the Angel (his gambling establishment, where all of his fights earn the club a lot of money) he's none to happy.
We get to see two damaged characters find their way into love. It's a muddled process and there is a last sort-of Big Misunderstanding but all turns out as it should and we are left with wondering how it's all going to turn out for fourth owner of the club, Chase.