Review: Daring and the Duke

I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Review: Daring and the DukeDaring and the Duke (The Bareknuckle Bastards, #3) by Sarah MacLean
Published by Avon on June 30, 2020
Genres: Historical
Pages: 384
Goodreads
three-stars

 

FINAL DECISION: I’ve liked each book in this series less. Unfortunately, this series does not live up to previous ones by this author. The romance was weak, the hero was boring after being built up as the villain in prior books, and the heroine didn’t seem to actually love the hero. I’ve been a big fan of the author, but I was disappointed in this one.

THE STORY: Grace Condry is the Queen of Covent Gardens as the owner of a women’s brothel — where women go to get their pleasure. Her past confronts her in the form of the Ewan, the Duke of Marwick, a man who was once the boy who loved her and betrayed her in order to gain the dukedom. Now a threat to Grace and her brothers, Ewan must be defeated and Grace is the only one who can do that.

OPINION: There is something wrong with a romance that seems to hate the hero. Ewan is inscrutable in this book and he seems to be merely a foil for the heroine’s drama. I prefer books about two (or sometimes more) people changing and growing together which respects both characters. This book doesn’t care about Ewan. All of his growth and change happens off screen and is less believable for that. And, ultimately, his prior “villain” behavior is a trick. I loved redeemed characters, but here it is ultimately the heroine and her brothers who look bad.

This book has a big job — to redeem a villain. I think this book fails. Not because Ewan is not redeemed, but because the book doesn’t do the hard work of redemption. Instead, Ewan is misunderstood from the beginning. Unfortunately for MacLean, there is an amazing book about the redemption of a hero who seems nonredeemable — her own book DAY OF THE DUCHESS. Same general story arch, much better characters, plot, drama and the grovel there was amazing. This book feels like a retread that isn’t as good. In fact, skip this book and read DAY OF THE DUCHESS instead.

I really did love the relationship between Grace, Whit and Devil which was wonderfully loving and combative — just as I expect siblings to be. I also thought Whit and Devil’s insights into what drive Ewan was just about perfect. Two men deeply in love can recognize it in Ewan — even if they don’t want to.

WORTH MENTIONING: There are little Easter eggs for fans of MacLean’s other books.

CONNECTED BOOKS: DARING AND THE DUKE is the third book in the Bareknuckle Bastards series. It is not necessary to read other books in the series to read this book although there is a slight overarching storyline.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3 stars.

NOTE: I received an eARC from Netgalley. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

 

three-stars

Review: Alpha Night

I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Review: Alpha NightAlpha Night (Psy-Changeling Trinity, #4; Psy-Changeling, #19) by Nalini Singh
Published by Berkley on June 9, 2020
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 368
Goodreads
four-half-stars

FINAL DECISION: A fast-paced, action packed entry in the series. I was amazed by the end to realize that only a few days had passed. Loved the alpha heroine queen and her devoted knight. The only negative is that is hard getting to know another changeling group. Hopefully, we will have all the main characters of the Trinity series soon so that every book is not a new group.

THE STORY: Selenka Durev is an alpha wolf who meets Arrow Ethan Night and instantly knows that he is her mate. Selenka’s pack is in danger as the Architect continues to make plans to disrupt the fragile peace of the Trinity Accord and build an empire for herself. Ethan believes himself damaged and operating on borrowed time before his mind becomes a weapon that must be destroyed. An mating between two strangers who have both been betrayed is difficult. There is something different about Ethan that the two must investigate while getting to know one another.

OPINION: Enjoyable entry in the Trinity series. This was an interesting combination of personalities. Selenka and Ethan were definitely not what I was expecting. Having a female alpha changeling was great with different issues. I especially liked that Selenka is definitely just as ruthless as an alpha as Lucas and Hawke but gives the alpha role a different twist. (Valentin is the softie of the group — but bears). Ethan is a different Arrow than what we have seen before as well. Singh is expanding and breaking her own constructs which only makes this series more compelling and complex with every book.

Ethan’s condition kept me interested to the end and I was not expecting what the resolution was. It was surprising and yet completely obvious once I knew the ending. Singh did a great job planting clues and yet not giving the game away.

My only slight disappointment/complaint is that once again we are introduced to another new group — BlackEdge. I’m hoping that now that we have three packs, the books will begin to explore more deeply the characters and dynamics we have already been introduced to. Much of each of these books in the Trinity series has to take time to introduce the particular dynamics and characters which is understandable but keeps this spin-off series from really rising to the levels of the original. Let’s have some more BlackEdge, BlackSea or StoneWater characters!

WORTH MENTIONING: There are some cameo appearances by beloved characters from the original cast, but they are only cameos.

CONNECTED BOOKS: ALPHA NIGHT is the fourth book in the Psy-Changeling Trinity Series. It is also the nineteenth book in the Psy-Changeling series. A reader could pick up the series at the start of the Trinity series. While the story here is mostly self-contained and the romance is completely self-contained, there is so much world-building and background that a newcomer to the series might spend a lot of time trying to catch up.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

NOTE: I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

four-half-stars

Review: A Dark and Stormy Knight

I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Review: A Dark and Stormy KnightA Dark and Stormy Knight (Victorian Rebels, #7) by Kerrigan Byrne
Series: Victorian Rebels #7
Published by Gnarly Wool Publishing on June 2, 2020
Genres: Historical
Pages: 266
Goodreads
five-stars

 

FINAL DECISION: A great payoff for those who have followed the Victorian Rebels series from the beginning. Loved, loved the dark and tormented Carlton with his hidden past and Pru who is going to take something for herself before being forced into marriage.

THE STORY: Sir Carlton Morley lives a double life. The stiff-lipped respected Chief Investigator of Scotland Yard is also the vigilante by night who assures that justice is done. His night investigations take him to a pleasure garden where he encounters Prudence Goode who has come to take her pleasure before being married off to a man who has betrayed her.

OPINION: I have been waiting for this book since the first in the series. It was always clear that there were depths to Carlton’s characters. The upright investigator is haunted by his past and the lack of justice he can see in his job. I loved how it is clear that he is beloved by his men who see his thirst for justice and doing right.

Pru is a woman who believed she had the perfect engagement until she finds out the truth. That is the beginning of Pru leaving the expectations of a woman of her time and taking her life into her own hands.

After the first encounter between Carlton and Pru, they next meet when Pru becomes a suspect that Carlton must investigate. The combination of the personal relationship with Carlton’s suspicions of Pru made this book very interesting to me. I enjoyed the back and forth and difficulties these two have in finding a happy ending.

What elevates this book is the appearances of characters from the Victorian Rebels series. I loved seeing them again and having them play a role in Carlton’s romance after his interference in theirs. The interaction between the men was especially humorous.

I’m glad that Carlton had his story told at last.

WORTH MENTIONING: The book introduces characters who will appear in the Byrne’s next series.

CONNECTED BOOKS: A DARK AND STORMY KNIGHT is the seventh book in the Victorian Rebels series. The romance here is self-contained, but some of the best part of this story is the development of Morley’s character through the series so I recommend reading from the beginning.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

NOTE: I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

 

five-stars