Three brothers, bound by a secret they cannot escape . . .
The Devil, all vengeance and vice
The Beast, all fists and fury
The Duke, all power and past
. . . and the women who bring them to their knees.
SYNOPSIS
When Wicked Comes Calling...
When a mysterious stranger finds his way into her bedchamber and offers his help in landing a duke, Lady Felicity Faircloth agrees—on one condition. She's seen enough of the world to believe in passion, and won't accept a marriage without it.
The Wallflower Makes a Dangerous Bargain...
Bastard son of a duke and king of London's dark streets, Devil has spent a lifetime wielding power and seizing opportunity, and the spinster wallflower is everything he needs to exact a revenge years in the making. All he must do is turn the plain little mouse into an irresistible temptress, set his trap, and destroy his enemy.
For the Promise of Passion...
But there's nothing plain about Felicity Faircloth, who quickly decides she'd rather have Devil than another. Soon, Devil's carefully laid plans are in chaos, and he must choose between everything he's ever wanted...and the only thing he's ever desired.
PRE-ORDER
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Brazen and the Beast
Bareknuckle Bastards #2
Expected Publication: June 25, 2019
Synopsis
The Lady’s Plan
When Lady Henrietta Sedley declares her twenty-ninth year her own, she has plans. Plans to inherit her father’s business, to make her own fortune and to live her own life. But first, she has plans to experience a taste of the pleasure she’ll forgo as a confirmed spinster. She does not, however, plan to find the most beautiful man she’s ever seen tied up in her carriage and threatening to ruin The Year of Hattie before it's even begun.
The Bastard’s Proposal
When he wakes in a carriage at Hattie's feet, Whit, a king of Covent Garden known to all the world as Beast, can’t help but wonder about the strange woman who frees him--especially when he discovers her plans for a night of pleasure…on his turf. He is more than happy to offer Hattie all she desires...for a price.
An Unexpected Passion
Soon, Hattie and Whit find themselves rivals in business and pleasure: she won't give up her plans; he won't give up his power...but neither of them see that if they're not careful, they'll have no choice but to give up everything...including their hearts.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
New York Times, Washington Post & USA Today bestseller Sarah MacLean is the author of historical romance novels that have been translated into more than twenty languages, and winner of back-to-back RITA Awards for best historical romance from the Romance Writers of America.
Sarah is a leading advocate for the romance genre, speaking widely on its place at the nexus of gender and cultural studies. She is the author of a monthly column celebrating the best of the genre for the Washington Post. Her work in support of romance and the women who read it earned her a place on Jezebel.com's Sheroes list of 2014 and led Entertainment Weekly to call her "gracefully furious." Sarah lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.
Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLeanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Title: Wicked and the Wallflower
Series: Bareknuckle Bastards #1
Author: Sarah MacLean
Release date: June 19, 2018
Cliffhanger: No
Publisher: Avon Romance
Men raised in the dark will do anything for light. She wondered if he realized how much she wanted to explore the darkness.
Sarah MacLean thrilled me with this first installment in the Bareknuckle Bastards series! It's one of those books that you greedily consume, then slowly sigh in contentment after turning the last page. After that? You'll want to flip back to the beginning and re-read your favorite parts all over again because you want it to last just a little bit longer. There's nothing like the rush of starting a new series that checks every single historical romance box you have, and that's exactly what I found in Wicked and the Wallflower.
The Bareknuckle Bastards rule the seedy side of London with an iron fist, and merciless retribution for anyone that cross them. Their road to wealth and power began with street fighting, and eventually led to a smuggling empire built out of sheer grit and determination. No one is immune to their control. Not even the man who calls himself Robert, Duke of Marwick. One of three bastard sons to born to the former Duke, the title and lands were conceded to him under the deal with his brothers that he would never have any children to continue the family line. It was the one promise of solidarity after the years of terror and abuse he subjected them to. Once it was known that he intended to renege on their deal, the gloves came off, and things promised to get dirty.
The backstory of the group's tragic childhood is presented here with just enough detail to intrigue without slowing down the pace of the plot. Oftentimes, setting up a series can take away from the romance development, but that wasn't the case with Devil and Felicity. I felt the intensity of their attraction in every witty verbal match, and every sly glance.
Devil is a character that I shouldn't have liked based on his selfish scheming to use Felicity as a disposable pawn in his power play. But right from the very start, there's something about him that draws you in and snares your attention. He's a hardened man, scarred physically and emotionally, exuding an air of mystery and wickedness. But all it takes is one meeting on a dark balcony with Felicity Faircloth before you see the struggle with his conscience trying to break through.
Once one of the brightest stars of society, a scandal and financial ruin have killed Felicity's chances of every marrying, which places her firmly "on the shelf." The lords and ladies she once considered friends now turn up their noses in her presence. They either pretend as if she doesn't exist, or go out of their way to humiliate her. She's hurt and vulnerable when she boldly (and foolishly) starts a rumor that she has hooked the hottest catch of the year: the Duke of Marwick. And with this lie, she unknowingly steps into a situation that's sure to dig a deep grave for the final resting place of her reputation.
I loved Felicity's surprising gift of lockpicking. It was one of those things about her that contradicted the plain and boring label that came along with being a wallflower. I don't think I've read a heroine quite like her before which was extremely refreshing.
“I pick locks because I can. Because there are very few things in the world I can control, and locks are something I am good at. They are a barrier I can clear. And a secret I can know. And in the end, they bend to my will and . . .”She shrugged. “I like that.”
Underestimated and overlooked by everyone, it left her with an emptiness that she mistakenly believed could be filled by their acceptance. Like many women of her time, she didn't have a lot of freedom or choices. Her family was horribly selfish, and expected her to clean up their mess like a sacrificial lamb sent off to slaughter. So not only was she mistreated by those she once considered her friends, but she didn't even have family who truly cared about her wellbeing. That's a pretty lonely place to be, and it left her ripe for the alluring promises Devil whispered in her ear. She wanted fire and passion, but not just that, she wanted to do the burning. She wanted to know what it was like to captivate a man and inspire uncontrollable passion.
“You are the most remarkable woman I’ve ever known, and if I have only this moment—this present—with you, then I wish to make you burn until you’ve made the stars jealous of your heat.”
That quote right there...easily a favorite from the entire book, but there were SO MANY that held me absolutely riveted and on edge. You know that there is going to be a moment of reckoning when the truth comes out, and that makes for some deliciously angsty reading. I'm telling you, I was hopelessly ADDICTED to the sparks that flew between this couple.
Devil's siblings Whit and Dahlia were amazing in their own right, and brimming with potential. However, Dahlia is my favorite of the two as the reigning Queen Covent Garden. She is one serious badass who can hold her own in the streets, and I have a feeling that her book is going to be the most exciting of the entire series. After reading this story, I am officially stalking Brazen and the Beast until its June 2019 publication. Take my word for it, you do not want to miss this one.
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