My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Title: Daring and the Duke (The Bareknuckle Bastards, #3)
Author: Sarah MacLean
Format: eBook (own)
Pages: 384
Categories/Themes: Historical Romance, Women Empowerment, Fighters
Grace Condry has spent a lifetime running from her past. Betrayed as a child by her only love and raised on the streets, she now hides in plain sight as queen of London’s darkest corners. Grace has a sharp mind and a powerful right hook and has never met an enemy she could not best…until the man she once loved returns.
Single-minded and ruthless, Ewan, Duke of Marwick, has spent a decade searching for the woman he never stopped loving. A long-ago gamble may have lost her forever, but Ewan will go to any lengths to win Grace back…and make her his duchess.
Reconciliation is the last thing Grace desires. Unable to forgive the past, she vows to take her revenge. But revenge requires keeping Ewan close, and soon her enemy seems to be something else altogether—something she can’t resist, even as he threatens the world she’s built, the life she’s claimed…and the heart she swore he’d never steal again.
My Reactions:
My Attention: caught
World Building: London life
Writing Style: flowed beautifully
Bringing the Heat: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 – as was expected between these two!
Crazy in Love: so so so crazy!! Lots of angst.
Creativity: we get to learn a little about life in London before Queen Victoria reigns
Mood: happy
Triggers: violence
My Takeaway: To move forward, you have to forgive the person that hurt you.
- It’s a book by Sarah MacLean and she’s an auto-buy author for me. I love her writing and her characters.
- It’s finally Grace and Ewan’s story and I’m not gonna lie, I was hesitant to read it because Ewan has come across so shady. He’s a tortured soul, absolutely in love and obsessed with Grace. But he did some things in the past that made him out to be the enemy. We learn what happens on the fateful night that broke this foursome apart from Ewan.
- Honestly, I’m glad Grace was conflicted and yet…sought out her pleasure that she only knew Ewan could give. 😉 I mean yes, it gets complicated when their past is involved but their present? That can’t get enough of each other! I love that Grace is a powerful woman on her own, without Ewan. She’s a Queen – not a Duchess!
- This book ties up the series nicely, everyone gets a happily ever after!
- I knew there would be angst, especially on Ewan’s part because he is obsessed with her. Did I forgive the things he did?! I don’t know…haha, I feel like I’m still mad at him! HAHA…but he did his best to change and show Grace she wears the pants in the relationship. And I loved that but I haven’t forgiven him yet.
- It’s a bittersweet story because Ewan and Grace went through so much trauma together and had a growing love for each other. The trauma they both experienced was so sad, but like I said, Grace owns her power. Ewan…he just wants Grace in his life.
While this isn’t my favorite book in the series because of Ewan’s actions in the previous books, I think it tied up up all the loose ends. It was all about Grace and Ewan from the start. They are clearly fated mates and no matter what happens between these two (and a LOT happened), they were always going to end up together again. There is no one else for either of them. I look forward to reading the next series from Sarah MacLean. Keep them coming!
Past Midnight 