Brazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLeanBrazen and the Beast Series: Bareknuckle Bastards
on July 30, 2019
Pages: 400
Format: eBook
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five-stars

The Lady’s Plan

When Lady Henrietta Sedley declares her twenty-ninth year her own, she has plans to inherit her father’s business, to make her own fortune, and to live her own life. But first, she intends to experience a taste of the pleasure she’ll forgo as a confirmed spinster. Everything is going perfectly... until she discovers 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 she’s headed 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... and neither of them sees that if they’re not careful, they’ll have no choice but to give up everything... including their hearts. 

“The Year of Hattie.”

This book started out with a bang! Hattie has plans for her birthday. Plans for her future. Not one of them involves a bound and unconscious man in her carriage. So she kicks him out. This scene is probably one of my favorites in the entire book.

Beast is knocked unconscious and stuffed in a carriage. And he is not happy. But waking up to a woman who is good with knots and lets him go only to…literally kick him out of her carriage because she has plans bemused him. Women don’t usually kick him out of their carriages. It was just beautiful.

He follows her to figure out what these oh so important plans are. And he’s shocked.

Hattie is beginning the Year of Hattie in a brothel. But she’s looking for a specific type of man. One who ticks all her criteria. And while she’s waiting, Beast walks in. He’s not who she ordered, but he’s who she needs. And these two are awesome together.

Hattie’s father owns a shipyard, and she’s been dreaming her whole life of taking over from him. Lord knows her brother can’t do it. He’s a useless mess. But as Hattie begins to see that her father would never let her take over, Beast takes the decision out of anyone’s hands.

How can Hattie reconcile the love she has for this man with the dashing of her lifelong dream at his hands?

And how can Beast ever come back from that?

In true Sarah MacLean fashion, Hattie is a goddess and Beast wants only to see her safe. Happy. Whole. In a twist, it takes Hattie’s bold and brazen personality to push him past his limits. And they earn their happy ending. I loved it. I love Ms. MacLean’s writing and voice, and with this particular story, she reminded me of that fact. With her lush words, and delicious prose, she’s able to take this reader places other authors can’t.

I can’t wait for the next book. I need Grace’s story! The Bareknuckle Bastards of Covent Garden aren’t all men, after all.

***Review copy courtesy of Avon Books via Edelweiss

five-stars