Book Review: The Day of the Duchess
Updated: Apr 24, 2019
Title: The Day of the Duchess (Scandal & Scoundrel #3)
Author: Sarah MacLean
Rating: 🍵🍵🍵🍵🍵
The one woman he will never forget…
Malcolm Bevingstoke, Duke of Haven, has lived the last three years in self-imposed solitude, paying the price for a mistake he can never reverse and a love he lost forever. The dukedom does not wait, however, and Haven requires an heir, which means he must find himself a wife by summer’s end. There is only one problem—he already has one.
The one man she will never forgive…
After years in exile, Seraphina, Duchess of Haven, returns to London with a single goal—to reclaim the life she left and find happiness, unencumbered by the man who broke her heart. Haven offers her a deal; Sera can have her freedom, just as soon as she finds her replacement…which requires her to spend the summer in close quarters with the husband she does not want, but somehow cannot resist.
A love that neither can deny…
The duke has a single summer to woo his wife and convince her that, despite their broken past, he can give her forever, making every day The Day of the Duchess.
Sarah MacLean is one of the greats of Romance. Don’t fight me on this because I’m right. Every one of her books is so delicious, so heartfelt, that it’s impossible not to come back for more.
THE DAY OF THE DUCHESS is no different. It follows Seraphina, Duchess of Haven, on her return from America as she fights for the only thing that will give her freedom … a divorce. Oh, my fragile heart.
Sera and Haven were introduced to us in the first Scandal & Scoundrel book, THE ROGUE NOT TAKEN, in which the heroine, Sophie, summarily pushed Haven into a pond for being basically the worst, That incident catapulted Sophie’s own story, and now here we are, some years after, showing the flip side of the story: why did a Duke need to be dunked in a pond to begin with? (And he really, really did deserve it.)
THE DAY OF THE DUCHESS was a revelation. Despite my certainty in Sarah MacLean’s writing prowess, I was worried: about Sera and her HEA, about Haven and how he could ever achieve redemption. Reading this book was like starting at the Dark Night of the Soul and finding the light to get out.
Reading Haven’s thoughts and watching Sera’s self-confidence wow the world felt undeniably satisfying. Right. It was, simply put, incredible.
Also, unexpectedly hilarious.
Honestly, the highlight of this book was seeing how MacLean would make these two, deeply hurt people fit back together without losing themselves. And, damn, did she deliver. Swooning all over the place.
I can’t end this review without mentioning my favorite thing out of this series: The Talbot Sisters. THE DAY OF THE DUCHESS was perhaps the book were they got the most attention and it was magnificent. All of them are a treasure and now I want all my Romance books to have a group of raucous sisters that give hell, to others and to each other.
So, that’s THE DAY OF THE DUCHESS: angst, growth, strength, hilarity, and more Greek mythology that you might have expected.
Sarah MacLean outdoes herself once again.
- Adriana
Review originally posted at A (Secret) Book Nook.
Comments