This review will post on 6/29/2020

Favorite Quote:

"High above on the rooftops, watching her warrior. And him, ready to do anything for her favor. "

I don’t know how Sarah MacLean does this, but I feel like every time she releases a new book I suddenly discover a new favorite for my keeper shelf. This series has been magical. Four children born on the same day to different mothers thrust together by an evil man determined to create an heir. Only three made it out to freedom, one staying behind with a monster, but ultimately becoming a duke. This is Ewan and Grace’s story

Once again I have a million quotes highlighted and so many new beloved moments. I wasn’t sure how Ms. MacLean would redeem Ewan, because damn he was a crazy, bloodthirsty asshole for the rest of this series, but I always had faith that she would. And I was right. This book starts off with a bang, and a door ripped off its hinges. Grace and Ewan confronting each other in the ring, because of course a member of the bare-knuckle bastards would want to settle up things with their fists. Not what I expected, but perfect for this couple. Also, Grace is a BADASS.

Be prepared for angst, lots and lots of angst. Ewan is positively dripping with remorse and regret and a desperate need to reconnect with his lost love. Grace is angry, enough to dole out punishment for perceived sins against her and her found family, but she also never got over the boy she once loved unreservedly. She also wants him very badly.

I have so many feelings about Ewan and his petty revenge and all the terrible things he did in his grief when he thought Grace was dead. Let’s just say he wasn’t my favorite, but I do think this author did a great job of transforming him into a better man and explaining his backstory with enough depth that readers will understand the choices he made as a young man. He also does some excellent groveling.

There really is not much external plot other than these two coming back together in the present and getting over the trauma of the past. It worked for me. I’m not sure I would have appreciated some random kidnapping or a new bad guy thrown in for excitement. These two and their brothers are enough excitement all on their own. And the bad guy was always their past and the man who brought them all together all those years ago.

Some of my favorite moments were with all the main protagonists past and present together in one scene. I will miss these guys so much. The epilogue wraps everything up nicely and I appreciated the look into the future and seeing them all so happy and settled. Highly recommended.

Final grade- A

Daring and the Duke wraps up the Bareknuckle Bastards series and is probably one of my most anticipated romance releases of the year. Going into a book with such high expectations is often dangerous but I knew MacLean would deliver and I wasn't disappointed!

After the first two books, I was a bit worried about how Ewan, the Duke, would be handled in this story. Grace comes up in the previous stories but this is her book through and through. She's built herself up after a devastating betrayal and heartbreak, and nothing is going to keep her from what she's created. I loved seeing her at center stage of Daring and the Duke, especially since Ewan has been cast in a villainous light for two books. I wasn't exactly a fan of his and if he didn't have to work for this relationship as hard as he did, I don't think this book would have been nearly as good.

Unlike with Devil and Whit, these two have a lot of history and the way it's interwoven really brings the series full circle. We got bits and pieces of what happened to the four children before but it's Grace's story that fills in the gaps and closes things out in a way that makes this not only a highly satisfactory book to read, but also a series as a whole. It's rare that I find a romance series that I would wholeheartedly recommend every single book but the Bareknuckle Bastards is that series. 

Daring and the Duke is a bit hard to talk about without spoiling both parts of this book but also the previous ones. Just know that Grace is the fiercest female in the Garden and is ready to give women a voice when they can't speak up themselves, and Ewan brings himself full circle from the villain who betrayed them all to a man who's only ever sought love.

This book was the perfect conclusion to the series and I think fans returning for this couple won't be disappointed. And if you're looking for a new historical romance series to fall head over heels for, the Bareknuckle Bastards won't disappoint!

Sarah MacLean does everything right! This book is exceptionally smart and angsty and hot and filled with drama, all while being delightful and compulsively readable. In this weird time in the world, historical romance has been my happy place. I am sure this book will fill that need with other readers!

A fantastic conclusion to the Bareknuckle Bastards series. Grace and Ewan have a complex and heated chemistry that bursts off every page. It's a treat to watch two stubborn characters circle each other as they struggle with their lifelong love and its consequences.

I don’t think it’s a secret that I am still borderline obsessed with this series, so when I received the invite to read Grace’s book, I basically screamed.

I’ve loved Grace from the first time we saw her. She’s strong and fierce and stands up for herself. I love that she holds her own with Devil and Whit and that they’re ready to bend over backwards for her. I wasn’t sure what to expect with Ewan. He’s been such a jerk and I was hoping hoping hoping there was more to his story.

Plot wise, it was good. There’s so much history between these two and I really enjoyed how we got flashes of their past happiness while they figured out their present. I was absolutely giddy at the scenes with Devil, Whit, and Grace as they work through what’s happening and there’s one scene with the entire family that was just perfection.

Overall, it was everything I wanted to see and loads of things I didn’t know I needed. I know this is sort of vague, but the journey is something that shouldn’t be spoiled. This is definitely one of my favorite series ever and I can’t wait to read them again.

**Huge thanks to Avon for the invite to read**

The thrilling conclusion to MacLean's Bareknuckle Bastards series, DARING AND THE DUKE, gives readers a beautiful HEA for a strong independent heroine and a hero I thought to be practically unredeemable. I wondered how MacLean was going to stick this remarkably complicated landing, but she did it with panache (as usual)!

Heat Factor: Very sexy
Character Chemistry: If you're looking for a 380-page grovel, you've come to the right place
Plot: Stay with me - He tried to kill her when they were kids - Stay with me! - Now he’s a fraudulent duke - Stay with me - And she’s the queen of the Covent Garden criminal underground
Overall: MacLean nailed the close on this trilogy.

If you’ve read the first two Bareknuckle Bastards books--and I would recommend doing so before reading Daring and the Duke--you’ll know that Ewan is going to have to be redeemed in a big way in order for MacLean to pull this off. There are allusions to/discussions of what happened in the past, so you can dive into this book without reading Wicked and the Wallflower and Brazen and the Beast, but it’s difficult to understand just how bad Ewan has been if you haven’t been immersed in this world before. Of course, if you’ve been paying attention and reading between the lines in those first books (and, I’m gonna be honest, if you’ve ever read a romance with any kind of antihero before), you’ll know before you open the cover of this book that there’s more going on with Ewan than what we saw previously.

I love me a mess of a man, so I’m thinking Ewan’s going to be a delicious snack, and I really want to know how MacLean manages to pull through for us.

Readers, she so exceeded my expectations. With this historical novel, she pays attention to equality, emotional maturity, forgiveness, diversity, etc. It’s chock full of attention to detail.

The premise here is that four children associated with the Duke of Marwick were born on the same day (at the same hour!). If you’re not interested in having a bit of fun, that’s your first sign that you should probably just steer well clear, because even though the tone of these books is serious, MacLean leans in to the bananas, and readers should saddle up for a fun ride.

Anyway, the three boys were Marwick’s bastard sons, and the girl was the duchess’s bastard daughter. Marwick baptized the girl as his legitimate son, brought the boys together to vie for the role of heir, and generally behaved like a sadistic monster. The four children became as close as siblings could be...until the duke forced the issue and Ewan tried to murder the other three, forcing them to run away to London. Devil, Whit, and Grace ended up in Covent Garden, literally fighting for survival, until they finally became the most powerful, wealthy rulers of the Garden, while Ewan became the powerful, wealthy duke.

From the word “go”--which is to say, from the moment we meet them in Wicked and the Wallflower--we know that Grace and Ewan are going to be the protagonists of the third book. Which means that we also know there’s something going on with Ewan’s behavior that we don’t fully understand. Because I have never read a full-blown dark romance published by Avon, and I don’t expect the first to come from Sarah MacLean.

BUT. Ewan’s only crimes aren’t in his past. When his brothers tell Ewan that Grace is dead in order to protect her, Ewan loses his damn mind and tries to destroy them. Like, burn it to the ground grief. He has a lot to make up for, which is why I think it’s important to read the first two books, because without them it might be difficult to understand why he really does need to grovel for, like, the whole book.

Here’s the thing(s):
1. Grovels create a worthiness dynamic, which is difficult to adequately fix.
2. Grace and Ewan are both extremely powerful and wealthy, but in different worlds, and those worlds don’t mix well.
3. Ewan is not actually the duke, and if he’s discovered he could be hanged.

I’m over here wondering, “How is MacLean going to pull this off?!?!”

Because in my experience, there is always some disappointment about the resolution of issues like this. The power dynamic created by the grovel isn’t properly resolved, or someone gives up something in a grand gesture that seems stupid to me, or something else happens. With a narrative this complex, it’s really difficult to create a resolution that feels like all parties really, honestly, truly got the best ending for themselves. That they’re really, truly in an equal partnership.

MacLean nailed it.

There comes a point when something’s gotta give in order for these protagonists to get their HEA. Ewan’s grovel has to be enough for Grace. They have to find a solution to their wildly different lives. And that’s the real struggle here. Love should be enough, but it isn’t. We knew there was something we didn’t understand about Ewan. We knew he and Grace would be able to find love again. Duh. It’s a romance novel. We don’t know how a fraudulent duke and the queen of the criminal underground of Covent Garden could possibly be together permanently, especially when we pile on the history of pain and mistrust between them. And yet… It is a romance novel. It has to happen.

When the shift happens and we see everything that Grace, Devil, and Whit have and everything Ewan doesn’t, it’s just... *chef kiss* Daring and the Duke was so thoughtful and so delicious. I wish I could read it again for the first time.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

This book is so good. I love Sarah Maclean. Ive read raw others in this series. She doesn't disappoint with this one. You have murder, love, conflict, and betrayal at its finest. I highly recommend this book.

I wasn't sure how Sarah MacLean was going to change my opinion of Ewan, Duke of Marawick, but somehow she did. She has a knack for telling both sides of a story so you begin to understand everyone's motivation. I loved Grace and her determination, and independence. I loved the back and forth between the two of them. Loved the appearances by Felicity and Hattie and the girl pep talks they gave Grace. I loved the ending and resolution to the entire series.

In this hotly anticipated conclusion of the Bareknuckle Bastard series, we finally learn more about Grace and Ewan. And it was worth the wait. It’s tricky to portray a villain as the truly redeemed protagonist yet it’s fleshed out beautifully here. This is the historical romance I’ve been waiting to read for decades, There’s morning hotter than a kick-ass woman who refuses to conform to society’s rules and the hero who loves her as she is. This is a fitting end to a truly delicious series.

Glorious 5 stars! Because:
- Sarah is absolute best at
# turning a villain into a hero,
# making us nothing but route for the unapologetically feminist heroine, and
# writing sexy, empowering chapters-long love scenes.
- The scenes and writing are expansive and imaginative. Some of the settings, especially at the heroès townhouse or her apartments, feel particularly lush.
- The plot is clever, creative, heartbreaking, emotional, sexy, dramatic, fun, and soooo much more.

This book ticks all the romance boxes for me, and is right up my feminist alley.
It is a masterclass romance I will treasure on my keeper shelf!

I have received a copy of this book before publication. This review is based on my true experiences and impressions. #NetGalley #DaringAndTheDuke

Throughout the Bareknuckle Bastards series we have slowly become acquainted with "The Mad Duke Marwick" as well as his relationship with Grace. We knew that Grace, Whit, Devil and Ewan spent some years together and that the three brothers battled it out over which one was to become Duke. Grace although rightfully the heir to the dukedom was never considered because of her gender.

Well now Grace and Ewan are finally face to face and Grace has had enough of Ewan and his antics. She's made her own in Covent Garden and is considered a queen in her own right. Ewan can take his dukedom and leave for all she cares.

I love a second chance and Sarah MacLean definitely delivered in Daring and the Duke. I love the backstory of Grace and Ewan and how they grew up together. The Bareknuckle Bastards were inseparable and grew up together, so what happened? What made them split apart and why did Ewan hate Grace, Whit and Devil so much?

This story had the perfect combination of intrigue intertwined with the past and current love stories. I absolutely LOVED Ewan and I can't believe I just wrote that because I had the opposite feelings in the previous books in the series. His love for Grace was just so damn sweet!

Grace was absolutely amazing! I loved her character as soon as I met her in Wicked and the Wallflower, but she was just so amazing in Daring and The Duke. I love her independence and her relationship with her girl gang. She is so strong even when it's so hard to be strong and I absolutely love that about her.

This was a great conclusion to the series! And I hope this isn't the last time we get to visit with The Bareknuckle Bastards

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

McLean is a talented writer, but I had trouble relating to and connecting with characters who brawl so much with one another; tthe heroine beating up the hero (for sins committed in a past book) was a turn-off for me.

Welp, I read Sarah MacLean's entire Bareknuckle Bastards series in less than two days after receiving the ARC for Daring and the Duke, so it goes without saying that I'm totally obsessed and also incredibly sad that my time with these characters is over.

So! We finally got some Grace and Ewan action! I'm still a little on the fence about Ewan since we spent two books hating him, but I'm also on the fence about the fact that I don't actually hate him after this final book. (What kind of sorcery did MacLean pull here?!) I loved Grace in all three of the novels (you run that bordello, girl!), and the tension continued to be totally sizzling. Plus, love me a dramatic flourish at the end of a romance series.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm about to devour the rest of Sarah MacLean's books and not talk to anybody until I do.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC. Daring and the Duke follows the third member of the Bareknuckle Bastards, Grace. Grace has spent most of her life running from past and specifically, from being discovered by Ewan, the Duke of Marwick. Ewan has spent years on a single-minded hunt to find her, and then to seek revenge on his brothers when he believed her dead.

Ewan has spent the previous books in the series as the antagonist, the evil duke doing everything he can to destroy his brothers. In this book, you get to see what made him the Mad Duke. The truth about the fateful night t that started the Bareknuckle Bastards' flight to the Garden is also revealed.

I actually preferred Ewan as the bad guy, even after everything that was revealed. I did want Grace to find her happily ever after, but it included many eye rolls from this reader. The end also was unsatisfactory for me- I wanted something else. It seems like such a waste to dispose of a grand title- they could have done a lot of good with it together.

This book was just okay.

Overall, I would rate this book as 2.5-3 stars.

Review originally published at Romancing Romances.

I received an eARC at no cost from the author, and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you.

I can't express how happy I am to have received this book, and just before my birthday. What a wonderful gift.

If you've read any of Sarah MacLean's books, you know she's great at turning a villain around. And this book is testament to that. Although I'll say, I liked Ewan from the first book, even though I didn't like what he did.

The Bareknuckle Bastards series follows the life of four siblings. Three boys (Devil, Whit, and Ewan) born of the same man, but different women, and a girl with no blood connection to either of them, but family nonetheless. Devil and Whit's stories are the previous books in the series, and this one is the story of the girl. The girl whose name was given by Ewan, the fourth boy. Because she didn't even have that.

Grace loved Devil and Whit as brothers, but with Ewan it was always different. And that's why it hurt so much when Ewan behaved in a way that made the Bareknuckle Bastards run away from him, scared and feeling as betrayed as possible. Their pain prevented them from seeing what was really happening.

I absolutely loved this book. I read it in just a few hours. Sarah MacLean's writing is so compelling, and so sexy! Her characters come to life before your eyes and just amaze you with their behaviours and actions.

Grace is this strong, independent woman. A queen in her turf. Covent Garden was her home, even though she was not born there. She knew it from Ewan's stories, and when the time came, Grace, Devil, and Whit all ran to it. And when Ewan could, the first thing he did was chase Grace and track her down. No, not chase. Search for her. And his heart and mind couldn't take it when his brothers told him she was dead. Because he knew he could feel her. And when he started to believe them, nothing could stand in his path to destruction for they had let the woman he loved die. Which is something Whit and Devil ended up admitting they would have probably done, if their loved ones had died in the same way.

I loved the heart to heart talks between Grace and Ewan, and how their trust starts to rebuild, and how Ewan realizes it has to be Grace's choice. It could not be in any different way.

The one thing I missed in the book was a reunion of the brothers at the end. Ewan told Grace what happened, but I would have liked a talk between the brothers. Devil and Whit learn the truth just as Grace, but if only we had a scene with the brothers being closer, or at least that open door...

The way Ewan suffered broke my heart. And I have to admit I shed a tear or two when Ewan made his confession of what his dreams were: "“You, and me, here [Covent Garden]. With a collection of flame-haired babes.” She closed her eyes. “My brothers. Their children. A family.”".

I am usually not a fan of second-chance romances, but this one... it's golden!

In short, read this book. You won't regret it, and you'll love the Bareknuckle Bastards.

I loved the other two books in the Bareknuckle Bastards series. Sarah MacLean did a great job creating a rich world in which these characters live. However, I thought this book was not as strong as the other two books in the series. I liked that Grace was so strong and independent, but I had a hard time relating to her. Ewan did so much to get Grace's forgiveness, but she kept on rejecting him and rejecting him. It just felt too drawn out and painful to read at some points. I also felt that the tone in the first half of this book was either very treacly sweet or really dark and gritty. Nonetheless, I loved the way Ewan's character developed, and I appreciated how much respect he had for Grace and her decisions.

Grace and Ewan have loved each other since they were children. When Ewan betrays Grace and her brothers in order to become the duke's heir, she is bent on revenge. Ewan discovers that Grace is not dead, and he tries to get her forgiveness for seeming to abandon her when they were younger. Grace has grown into a different person during the twenty years that have passed since they have seen each other, so they have to learn to love each other for who they are now instead of who they used to be when they were younger.

Sarah Maclean is one of my favorite authors, and Daring and the Duke does not disappoint! It's got all the best tropes -second chances, enemies to lovers, and a great redemption arc. It's a beautiful finale to the Bastards trilogy.

"She'll do the wrecking. And you won't for a minute think you don't deserve it."

What can I say about this SERIES except Sarah MacLean has done it again. Daring and the Duke is the third book in SM's The Bareknuckle Bastards series and the one that many have been most excited for. It tells the long-awaited story of Grace Condry, Queen of Covent Garden and all around badass, sister to the other two Barenuckle Bastards (Devil and Whit) and owner of the best women's pleasure house in London. After being betrayed by Ewan when they were 13, TBB run away to Covent Garden and build amazing lives there, trying to make the Garden a safer place while their rage and betrayal festers. Grace uses her heartbreak, rage and sadness to seal herself away, never finding the pleasure that she grants to her clients every night. But when she and Ewan come face to face after 20 years and Grace tries to enact her revenge, she struggles to hold onto her indifference in the face of her first love.

"What do you need, Grace?"

I have to admit, I was a little worried about this book - I mean if anyone can fully redeem a character it's Sarah, BUT Ewan is literally horrible throughout the first two books, to main characters that we learn to love and root for. How were we going to learn to love and root for the Mad Duke of Marwick? And SM definitely creates such beautiful back story (back story that has been there since Wicked and the Wallflower), weaves in so much pain, honesty, secrets and truth, and fleshes out Ewan, the Duke of Marwick, in such a way that you can't help but root for him. BUT, it was all a little bit too quick and too easy. Ewan did horrible things in the first two books and I am not sure that he should be so easily forgiven. And Grace, well I was never worried about loving Grace and I did indeed love Grace. I was hoping this book would be a 5 star read like many of SM's others, but there were a few reasons why it isn't:
- I wanted to see Grace in her world as Queen of Covent Garden more. We get it a little bit but I was so looking forward to seeing her break faces, outmaneuver, and be the queen we know she is.
- I felt that a lot of Grace and Ewan's love was based on 20 years ago, as 13 year olds, when we know that they have changed so much. We got tiny glimpses of who Grace and Ewan learning about each other as adults (think the roof scene) but not enough for me to feel like the love they had was more present than past.
- Ewan's redeeming was too quick and too easy. I wanted more groveling. Way more.
- I wanted more Devil and Whit, but especially Devil. I know, I know, it's not Devil's book. But I love the dynamic between The BB and it would have been nice to see their dynamic play out more, especially in the end.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and when it ended I wanted more. More of the series and more of the world. I can't wait for Sarah's Hell's Belles series coming next year and it might be time for a new SM backlist re-reads.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and HarperCollins Publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a little slow going for me. But let me say it quickly picked up pace. This is Grace and Ewan's happily ever after. But it didn't come easily for either of them. It was a hard fought win.
This book made me laugh and made me cry. It also made me understand Ewan little bit better. He wasn't afraid to fight for his love.
If you haven't yet, get a copy when this book is released. Get to know Ewan before you pass judgment on him.