TEST
Before I kick off anything else, this is absolutely a “your mileage may vary” kind of book. As the third one in a series, the emotional weight of this work is going to depend on your engagement with the other works. I think I read the previous two – I’m sure I did, actually, but they’ve fallen completely out of my brain, so for me, this was basically a stand-alone novel.
If you’re someone who has strong feelings about Ewan coming into Daring and the Duke, I am not your reviewer.
With that out of the way, the plot is thus: Grace and Ewan have been connected for most of their adult lives in one way or another and have loved each other for that time. After a tragic incident involving misunderstandings and fire, Ewan flees London and Grace believes him to be gone from her life forever. When he shows back up in her neighborhood, she has choices to make and he has groveling to do.
Because this is the emotional apex of a trilogy, the first quarter of the book is spent bridging Brazen and the Beast (book two) and this work. I didn’t really remember those events, and the information provided didn’t inspire me to care overly much, so for me it was a lot of angst that felt like I was supposed to be wrenched by it but… wasn’t.
When the story advanced to present time, the rhythms picked up and I found myself significantly more invested in both the plot and the characters. However, as everyone began talking about Ewan and his reappearance and how Grace and her brothers would react, I found myself mentally wanting to skip to the part where they all just used their words and figured out what was happening. Instead, most of the book happened in the spaces before those conversations.
I wasn’t completely frustrated, however, because Ms. MacLean’s signature wit is evident throughout. Her writing is atmospheric – I could basically smell Covent Garden – and the dialogue is sharp. While the plot wasn’t particularly engaging to me, the characters were and I found them enough so to keep reading and to be pleasantly entertained while doing so.
Overall, if you’re a fan of historical romance and like it happening outside of ballrooms, this series might be up your alley entirely. It takes place amongst the back alleys of the poorer sections of the city, and the character and flavor that Ms. MacLean gives to the setting is excellent. If you’re coming to this series fresh, I’m not sure I’d start here – since you really need more of the emotional connections from the previous works to get the most out of this one.
Who’s read all three? I see a lot of people on Goodreads swearing Ewan can’t be redeemed and demanding groveling. Are you in that camp? How did this one work for you?
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Grade: B
Book Type: Historical Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 30/06/20
Publication Date: 06/2020
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
Voracious reader, with a preference for sassy romances and happily ever afters. In a relationship with coffee, seeing whiskey on the side.
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I’ve liked this series; this one is on the pile along with a bunch of others for me!
I love her description of the Garden, and I think she portrays the anguish felt by the hero very well. I am a sucker for angst in romance, which is why I picked this up. However, I couldn’t get over the absolutely ridiculous and convoluted premise! It was just too absurd for words and none of the characters seem to belong in a historical romance. I can’t count the number of times I rolled my eyes at (a) the nicknames of the characters – ‘Beast’, ‘Devil’ and (b) the so-called ‘revenge’ they hope to exact upon the dead duke, namely that he would have no heirs.
I have read the other two, and honestly, “Brazen and the Beast” was SO GOOD. I love how her characters are older and goodness gracious, Beast. I swoon every dang time.
I never felt Ewan was necessarily evil. The way the other two books are written it seemed like more, things happened in the past and he did it because he loved her. I always felt far more ambiguous toward Ewan than I did for the awful Duke in “Day of the Duchess”. I think if you read the other two and have a connection to them, you’ll see that.
I’ve been looking forward to this one. I do so enjoy her books.
I think that Sarah Maclean has got a ‘thing’ about groveling, as she talks about it a lot on her podcast.
It seems to mean being prepared to prove your love, and gain forgiveness, by being prepared to publicly humiliate yourself by declaring your love in somewhere like The House of Lords. Lots of verbal breast-beating.
I quite enjoyed the first book in this series – the second one less so.
I thought that it was very clear in the first book WHY Ewan did the things in the past that they all hate him for, but maybe I got it wrong………………..
I’m interested in seeing how it all turns out but have other books I want to read first.
I don’t like any of the HR covers where the heroine is wearing any old long dress – they look like 1980’s bridemaids’ dresses to me!
I am almost never down for public humiliation. As someone who was bullied in childhood and high school, I just can’t get into public humiliation of anyone I’m supposed to care for.
I think that the groveler choosing to do this is seen as the ultimate sign of love ….. or something.
I don’t know, I’d die of embarrassment if someone did it to me!
I cringe when people make public proposals of marriage……………and would say ‘no’ out of pigheadness if I’d been on the receiving end!!!!!
Always a bad idea as Mick (played by) Alec Baldwin found out!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LSgy6wAeoI
I’ve been pretty invested in this series & jealous you got to review this one! I am curious how she can possibly redeem a – so far – despicable, villainous character like Ewan, but as she proved in The Day of the Duchess (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1986706133?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1), it can be done.
I have a few books ahead of this one in my queue, but I hope to read it by the end of this week!
Em – I’ll be really interested to hear what you thought! I personally never found Ewan villainous simply because I assumed he’d have a reason for his actions and kinda just waited for the explanation, lol, so he didn’t need to redeem himself to me. But please tell me how this tracts for you!
I’ve not read this series so can’t comment on the content – but the covers have been simply horrible.
Oh, I don’t think they’re that bad! Odd and weird, but not horrible!!!
What does, in today’s parlance, groveling mean? I ask seriously. Groveling, to me, means acting fawningly to get something one wants, in this case, forgiveness. I’m sensing that’s not what happens here?
Here’s my take on what groveling is in Romancelandia. I think it is usually the hero doing the groveling and this is because he has taken some action that was reprehensible. The groveling occurs when he realizes what he has done, feels badly and needs to make it right with the heroine. The groveling has to have a verbal component (he has to tell her he is sorry and how much he loves and appreciates her) and may or may not have an associated grand gesture. However, I don’t think it is always public. There needs to be emotion on the hero’s part and the groveling has to be sincere. I don’t think this is exactly the same as the dictionary definition though!
That works for me. It’s the whole public, I gave up my life to make you happy, thing that makes me antsy.