Beautiful writing and a great cast of characters. I loved that it was a redemption love story! I wasn't sure how Ewan could be redeemed, but it happened and it was wonderful.

The third book in the Bareknuckle Bastards series tells the story of Grace and her childhood love, Ewan. As children Ewan, Devil, Whit, and Grace were united against the Duke of Marwick, until Ewan betrayed them. The Bareknuckle Bastards spent the next 20 years hiding from Ewan and his wrath. Well Ewan is back, he has finally found what he is searching for (Grace) and, despite living in fear and wanting revenge on him for 20 years, Grace soon succumbs to old feelings.

I didn't love this book; it never sucked me in the way a good romance will. Instead I struggled to come to terms with the fact that Ewan was presented as the villain who brought about the deaths of 5 people in the previous book and we were just supposed to care about him all of a sudden? Also, this book has a lot of inner monologues of characters often reinterpreting the same things over and over. Sometimes the inner monologue would be so lengthy I'd have to go back to pick up the conversation when the characters stopped reminiscing and picked up the scene again. Finally, I expected Grace to show a little more spirit and resistance. but instead one touch or kiss from the Duke and she is a goopy pile of emotions who completely forgets about why she shouldn't be in the love with the Duke.

He's daring, she's the...

The Queen. Of Covent Gardens, that is. Grace Condry/Dahlia/+ Secret Name rules the gardens. She and her two brothers, Devil and Whit built their empire with their fists, fighting to survive, then thrive. But her story starts with her legal father, an evil duke and his three bastards, they were all born on the same day. Her story really began twenty years earlier, when she and Devil and Whit were forced to flee with their lives from Ewan, now the Duke of Marwick.

Ewan is the Duke of Marwick. He's daring, hopeful, loyal and steadfast. He's the perfect book boyfriend. He's every woman's fantasy. Now, twenty years later, plus a year, he and Grace are physically together. Like magnets, they are immediately drawn to each other the moment they are in each other's presence.

What I loved? This book flips their roles in a lovely twist. It is unapologetically a revisionist historical, one we desperately need. Daring and the Duke is every woman's fantasy of want and need and hope and not one bit a man's fantasy (thank god). She's the queen and he's her throne. This is Sarah MacLean's most sensual book to date and with complete and fully realized characters. A fitting end the to the Barenuckle Bastards series.
Highly recommend.

This was a great ending to this series. Gracie and Ewan's story did not disappoint!! I liked that Grace was a strong woman. And she put Ewan in his place several times. The ending was unexpected...and I liked it!!

This book is the exciting conclusion of the Bare Knuckle Bastards trilogy and I strongly recommend that you read the other two books in this series first. The novel starts with Grace holding Ewen, the Duke of Marwick, hostage in her ladies club. The Duke quickly realizes that his captor is Grace and that she is not dead as he had been led to believe. For Ewen, this is a game changer. This knowledge sets the duke on a new course in life to win over the woman he has always loved. As the reader knows, Ewen has been the villain in the last two novels so the reader needed to be won over by Ewen in order to feel that he is worthy of Grace's love. Sarah MacLean has accomplished this and more by making Ewen a truly swoon worthy character that is willing to go the distance to prove his worth. Grace is a colorful heroine that possesses grit and humor. I definitely recommend reading the conclusion to this fun trilogy.

No one writes supreme romantic period angst with the deftness of Sarah MacLean. Ewan and Grace's relationship is an absolute mess at the beginning of the story, to the point where I couldn't fathom how MacLean was going to lead them to a satisfactory conclusion.

Ewan has betrayed Grace and his brothers beyond redemption...or has he? One of my favorite things about this story is how unbelievably tough Grace is. She survives a childhood full of horror and betrayal and learns to fend for herself and even thrive by her literal fists. I've never come across a heroine like her, and thoroughly admire her authority, business acumen and physical strength.

The Hero and heroine's relationship is epic, and the supporting characters are almost equally as interesting, as is the setting; I could practically smell the body odor of the crowds in the rookery, they are described so well. I couldn't put it down. Four stars.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

I was a bit skeptical of this book at first because of how much Ewan has been shown to be the villain in the other two books, and i wasn't sure how he'd be able to redeem himself or be seen as a sympathetic character. I think that ultimately MacLean did a good job with making that seem reasonable.

The good: I could feel the complex emotions between Grace and Ewan and their conflicting feelings of love and hate really well. And of course it's always nice to see the characters from the previous books and to get to know Grace more.

The bad: at times the book was too dramatic and over-the-top, but it also seemed to drag.

This wouldn't necessarily be my top MacLean book recommendation, but she was able to make it work.

I was so excited for Ewan and Grace's story. I thought MacLean did a great job of turning Ewan into a sympathetic character. This is a series that most public libraries should own.

A review video will be up on my youtube channel for release day.

I am slayed. This book destroyed me in the best way. I did not know how MacLean would redeem Ewan but she did and I cried a lot. I cried so much at the ending. It was beautiful it was painful, high stakes and couldn't put it down levels I haven't experienced in a long time.

This book shows so much writing growth and the ability to create a trilogy that delivers in every single book is top tier writing. I can not wait to see what else Sarah writes.

I was highly skeptical of MacLean’s ability to redeem Ewan, the villainous brother and duke from the previous books in this series. But I’m happy to report that she succeeded, although it was a long and emotional process. (How did she do it? You’ll just have to read and find out.)

Grace has spent two decades looking over her shoulder, fighting for her life on the streets of London. She and her brothers, the Bareknuckle Bastards, have risen from nothing to rule the seedier side of the city. One day, the man she’s running from comes back. For her.

Some of MacLean’s books are pretty funny. This was not one of them (not that it was trying to be humorous). I was wrung out after I finished it, but completely satisfied with the conclusion. Grace is a badass, brilliant heroine and I’m glad she got the story she deserved!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC.

Sometimes wishes do come true! I got the notification last night I was approved for this ARC and I read it in less than 12 hours. I don’t know what it is about Sarah Maclean’s romances, but they always grab on to me and never let go.

Grace aka Dahlia might be my favorite of her heroines. She was a bare knuckle fighter when younger, wears breeches and runs a club exclusively for women. She employs women as her workers that include the club security and oh how I would love some novellas about Veronique and Zeva.

Ewan, oh Ewan, very few authors can redeem a villain from their series successfully and I feel like Maclean did a wonderful job with this. I love a good redemption arc and I also loved him worshipping grace. The sex scenes are hot as usual because this is Sarah Maclean and of course we get appearances from our other bare knuckled bastards and their amazing wives.

And if you read her authors’s not it looks like a new series is in the works called Hells Bells. Is that going to be about the bastard’s daughter?!

I am struggling mightily to figure out what to say about this. It's really hard for me to care about a hero that was an absolute shitbag for two books. I mean, a really bad murdering murderer shitbag. Who tried to kill the heroes of those two books. For probably 3/4 of the book I was rooting against them?

Honestly, when he left her at one point I had the thought, ah, maybe this'll be the rare romance where the happy ending is that he never comes back. Folks, that ain't good. Spoiler alert, he comes back.

It's a very sexy book. It's very well written. The heroine is pretty delightful except for her love for the murdering shitbag. So I don't know. Certainly not my fave Sarah MacLean by miles and miles.

Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for the digital ARC.

I just finished this and it did not disappoint! If you have been following the series, Ewan and Grace were apart for literal decades because of their entire backstory, and Ewan does some pretty terrible stuff to Grace’s family and their turf in Covent Garden once he comes back into town in the first two books. I would say the first two books help with the background a lot for this, but it could be a standalone. I was so eager to see how Ewan would redeem himself, and of course he did! So much angst and groveling, which was basically my expectation for this couple and their backstory. Sarah MacLean always comes through with the best couples to read! I need to read this one over and over.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the chance to read and review an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was excited to read this book after finishing the first two in the series, but upon seeing which couple it would focus on, I was immediately skeptical. Unfortunately, my skepticism was earned. I just didn’t buy the love story here, shut with such beautiful writing, I’ll be giving it a 3.5 and a recommendation for anyone who loves a groveling hero!

This third entry in "The Bareknuckle Bastards" series has been eagerly awaited by readers, and Sarah MacLean certainly does not disappoint. After much angst, the two remaining members of the group, Grace and Ewan, are finally able to find love and happiness despite the extremely bleak circumstances of their past. Covent Garden comes alive with a setting that is vivid and evocative (especially the rooftops!). Brothers (and previous heroes) Devil and Beast are a part of the action and resolution, bringing this unusual family saga to a most satisfactory close.

Absolute perfection. MacLean always creates a fantasy world, but I really love the way this series delves into another part of London than we have seen before in her work. I also love the fairy tale bent of this series.

The queen of historical fiction, Sarah Maclean, goddess of angst, has graced us with the conclusion to the Bareknuckle Bastards series. Could Sarah write a happy ending for evil Duke of Marwick? Wouldn't Grace just kick him to the curb after breaking her heart? How could this possibly have an HEA!?! Well you are in for a ride and Sarah does not disappoint. She could give Colleen Hoover a run for her money for the level of angst that is in this book.

We have seen Grace in glimpses through the two previously books and she seemed liked a goddess that would probably smite Ewan upon their first encounter. You will not be disappointed in how things are resolved. MacLean creates a tight plot that speeds towards a resolution that will have your heart pounding.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Grace was raised as a boy in secret by her abusive guardian, a duke, who needs a male heir to carry on his line. When he locates three boys, Ewan, Whit and Devil, who are all his children from different mothers, he pits them against each other to see who will deserve the honor of being his heir. Ewan and Grace become childhood sweethearts but when the duke discovers their romance Grace is in grave danger. Ewan runs his brothers and Grace off the estate and they hate him for his betrayal. Now, years later, Ewan finds Grace again and she is thriving in her new environment. Enemies turn into lovers as Grace and Ewan find a new path forward. This is the third book in the Bareknuckle Bastards series. Recommended.

I've been highly anticipating Ewan and Grace's story. It's the ultimate enemies-to-lovers, villain-to-hero tale that always makes me salivate. For the most part, it delivered. I loved these two separate, and I believed in their romance tenfold. The ending was everything I could have hoped for and more.

That said, I thought it got a little heavy-handed sometimes. Like we would have forgotten exactly how much Ewan has done and must atone for. It made the pace slow down quite a bit, and I found myself plodding through too much introspection that really didn't add anything new.

BUT, it's Sarah MacLean, and I always leave one of Sarah's book immensely satisfied and this is no different. Die hard fans of this author will definitely be pleased.

3.5 stars!

Let me start by saying I LOOOVE Sarah MacLean...Probably more than is healthy. I had super high hopes for this book because it was the one I was looking forward to the most. However, it did not exactly hold up to my expectations. I still enjoyed reading it and will of course read other MacLean books- duh. But this one just wasn't my favorite. Maybe my hopes were too high?

The story ebbed and flowed too much for me. The action (and of course the sex) was hot and a great read but the in between seemed to drag a little too much for me. I thought this book would come out swinging but compared to the other two books it didn't satisfy. It was still a great book but it wasn't my favorite. But in saying that, remember MacLean is a fabulous author and even the ones that don't pop like you want are still great.

For almost any other other I'd give this book 3 stars but what I loved about this book out ranked what I didn't like about it- hence 4 stars.

In the end, Beast will always be my love 😍.