Daring and the Duke (Bareknuckle Bastards Series #3)

by Sarah MacLean

Overview

New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean returns with the much-anticipated final book in her Bareknuckle Bastards series, featuring a scoundrel duke and the powerful woman who brings him to his knees.

Grace Condry has spent a lifetime running from her past. Betrayed as a child by her only love and raised on the streets, she now hides in plain sight as queen of London’s darkest corners. Grace has a sharp mind and a powerful right hook and has never met an enemy she could not best...until the man she once loved returns. 

Single-minded and ruthless, Ewan, Duke of Marwick, has spent a decade searching for the woman he never stopped loving. A long-ago gamble may have lost her forever, but Ewan will go to any lengths to win Grace back…and make her his duchess. 

Reconciliation is the last thing Grace desires. Unable to forgive the past, she vows to take her revenge. But revenge requires keeping Ewan close, and soon her enemy seems to be something else altogether—something she can’t resist, even as he threatens the world she's built, the life she's claimed…and the heart she swore he'd never steal again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062692085
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/30/2020
Series:	Bareknuckle Bastards Series , #3
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	223,993
Product dimensions:	4.10(w) x 6.60(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

A life-long romance reader, Sarah MacLean wrote her first romance novel on a dare, and never looked back. She is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of romances translated into more than twenty languages, a romance columnist, and the co-host of the weekly romance novel podcast, Fated Mates. A graduate of Smith College and Harvard University, she lives in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

06/08/2020

MacLean concludes her Bareknuckle Bastards Regency series (after Brazen and the Beast) not with a bang but a sensual whisper. Grace Condry is a member of the fighting legends Bareknuckle Bastards, alongside Devil and Whit, men she considers to be brothers. All three were forced out onto the streets of Covent Garden at a young age after being betrayed by Ewan, Devil and Whit’s older brother—and Grace’s first love. The trio quickly rose in the ranks of Covent Garden’s underworld, with Grace, now called Dahlia, as their queen. Ewan, now Duke Marwick, has never stopped searching for Grace, hoping to win her back even after being told of her death. When Grace learns that Ewan is in the city, she swears revenge, though her resolve falters once they actually reunite. But with the harshness of their past between them, the pair must traverse a rather rocky path back to love. Grace is a fierce heroine and her role as the proprietress of a notorious ladies’ club adds dimension to an otherwise thin plot that feels more like an epilogue to the previous books than a self-contained outing. Series fans will be glad to see loose ends get tied up, but long for a meatier tale. Agent: Holly Root, Holly Root Literary. (July)

Publishers Weekly

Sarah MacLean never disappoints with her fearless heroines and brooding heroes. Daring and the Duke is funny and clever and beyond sexy.” — Sarah J. Maas, #1 bestselling author

“MacLean works magic, crafting a magnificent romance that’s as satisfying as it is subversive.” — New York Times Book Review

In “Daring and the Duke,” Sarah MacLean’s final installment of the Bareknuckle Bastards we get to see Grace Condry finally get the epic grovel she deserves. This romance is stridently feminist from the first page….That sounds like a happily-ever-after the Chicks would probably write a song about.” — Washington Post

“MacLean engages with complex faults of the patriarchy throughout, interrogating women’s pleasure and the threat that men perceive when it is taken rather than given...she probes questions of identity and internalized misogyny, her writing ripe with lust, forgiveness, and the female gaze.” — Entertainment Weekly

"Visceral, gritty, and full of passion and angst, this romance mixes moments of emotional introspection with grand scenes of balls, fights, and scorching intimacy...While this story excels as a second-chance, redemption love story, what really makes it stand out is the unabashedly feminist exploration...Dark, daring, delicious, and absolutely delightful." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"The highly anticipated conclusion to the inimitable MacLean’s massively popular Bareknuckle Bastards trilogy delivers a satisfying emotional punch that fans will savor. It can be read as a stand-alone but is best enjoyed along with the rest of the series." — Library Journal (starred review)

"Wrapping up the Bareknuckle Bastards series splendidly, RITA Award–winning MacLean reinforces her place as a master of historical romance with another exemplary, empowering love story that brilliantly showcases her flair for gloriously insightful characterization, grandly entertaining plotting, and gorgeously sensual prose." — Booklist

“She’s my absolute go-to author for clever, sexy and fun historical romances.” — Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Here [MacLean] kicks off a new series, The Bareknuckle Bastards, that promises her darkest take yet. But even when MacLean goes dark… the sparkling wit and essential goodness of her characters shine through.” — New York Times Book Review on Wicked and the Wallflower

“[...] MacLean once again dazzles readers with her literary prowess by delivering another perfectly matched pair of protagonists, a surfeit of amusing secondary characters, stellar use of sensuality, and polished writing generously seasoned with her inimitable, irresistible sense of wit.” — Booklist (starred review) on Wicked and the Wallflower

“Funny, playful and vivid, Sarah MacLean’s latest romance samples the best of both worlds with the earthy vigor of the slum’s crafty, loyal lower classes and the juicy intrigue of high society scandal.” — BookPage on Brazen and the Beast

“Combining dark humor and plenty of heat between our brazen leads, and offering intriguing glimpses of the next installment, MacLean (Wicked and the Wallflower) once again gives us an independent-minded heroine discovering the possibilities of a future with a dangerous leader of Covent Garden’s underbelly.” — Library Journal on Brazen and the Beast

“Strong female protagonists are the rule in genre romance, but Hattie stands out for the clarity of her goals and the intelligence with which she goes about achieving them. Classic MacLean: smoking hot, emotionally rich, thrilling, and unforgettable.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on Brazen and the Beast

From the Publisher

In “Daring and the Duke,” Sarah MacLean’s final installment of the Bareknuckle Bastards we get to see Grace Condry finally get the epic grovel she deserves. This romance is stridently feminist from the first page….That sounds like a happily-ever-after the Chicks would probably write a song about.

Washington Post

MacLean engages with complex faults of the patriarchy throughout, interrogating women’s pleasure and the threat that men perceive when it is taken rather than given...she probes questions of identity and internalized misogyny, her writing ripe with lust, forgiveness, and the female gaze.

Entertainment Weekly

Here [MacLean] kicks off a new series, The Bareknuckle Bastards, that promises her darkest take yet. But even when MacLean goes dark… the sparkling wit and essential goodness of her characters shine through.

New York Times Book Review on Wicked and the Wallflower

MacLean works magic, crafting a magnificent romance that’s as satisfying as it is subversive.

New York Times Book Review

"Wrapping up the Bareknuckle Bastards series splendidly, RITA Award–winning MacLean reinforces her place as a master of historical romance with another exemplary, empowering love story that brilliantly showcases her flair for gloriously insightful characterization, grandly entertaining plotting, and gorgeously sensual prose."

Booklist

[...] MacLean once again dazzles readers with her literary prowess by delivering another perfectly matched pair of protagonists, a surfeit of amusing secondary characters, stellar use of sensuality, and polished writing generously seasoned with her inimitable, irresistible sense of wit.

null Booklist (starred review) on Wicked and the Wallflower

Funny, playful and vivid, Sarah MacLean’s latest romance samples the best of both worlds with the earthy vigor of the slum’s crafty, loyal lower classes and the juicy intrigue of high society scandal.

null BookPage on Brazen and the Beast

Here [MacLean] kicks off a new series, The Bareknuckle Bastards, that promises her darkest take yet. But even when MacLean goes dark… the sparkling wit and essential goodness of her characters shine through.

null New York Times Book Review on Wicked and the Wallflower

★ 07/01/2020

Grace Condry is the undisputed queen of London's underworld. Along with her adopted brothers, she's risen through the slums of Covent Garden, first as a celebrated street fighter, then as the wealthy owner of the city's most scandalous pleasure club for women. Few know that Grace is actually a duke's daughter, her title taken by the boy she once loved as a child. Ewan, the Duke of Marwick, has never stopped obsessing over Grace since the dark day she disappeared with his brothers. When he learns she's still alive, he's willing to do anything to have her back in his life. But their ruthless cat-and-mouse game of attraction is threatened by the pain of their past history. The emotional journey of the protagonists is raw in intensity, with breath-stealing love scenes. It's refreshing to find a romantic couple with a near-equal power balance. VERDICT The highly anticipated conclusion to the inimitable MacLean's massively popular "Bareknuckle Bastards" trilogy (Wicked and the Wallflower; Brazen and the Beast) delivers a satisfying emotional punch that fans will savor. It can be read as a stand-alone but is best enjoyed along with the rest of the series.—Kathryn Howe, Saint John Free P.L., NB

Library Journal

★ 2020-06-03
The final book in the Bareknuckle Bastards series reunites childhood loves who became enemies.

Twenty years ago, Grace Condry was betrayed by Ewan, the boy she loved. He went on to become the Duke of Marwick while she became the queen of Covent Garden, a dark corner of London where she runs a club that specializes in women’s pleasure. Ewan spent years searching for his love, and when he thought she was dead, he went mad with grief. When he discovers she’s alive, hope blooms, and he’ll do anything to be reunited with her. Grace wants vengeance because Ewan broke her heart and hurt those she holds dear, but when she’s finally face to face with him, she feels immense desire. Although they are different people than they were as children, attraction still simmers. Perhaps love could turn their fantasies into reality despite all the terrible memories between them. Visceral, gritty, and full of passion and angst, this romance mixes moments of emotional introspection with grand scenes of balls, fights, and, of course, scorching intimacy. Grace and Ewan had traumatic pasts, and now they are both discovering who they are in the present and who they could be together. While this story excels as a second-chance, redemption love story, what really makes it stand out is the unabashedly feminist exploration of power and how it ties in with identity and desire. The cinematic finale draws the series to a wholly satisfying conclusion.

Dark, daring, delicious, and absolutely delightful.

Kirkus Reviews

[...] MacLean once again dazzles readers with her literary prowess by delivering another perfectly matched pair of protagonists, a surfeit of amusing secondary characters, stellar use of sensuality, and polished writing generously seasoned with her inimitable, irresistible sense of wit.

Booklist (starred review) on Wicked and the Wallflower

She’s my absolute go-to author for clever, sexy and fun historical romances.

Jennifer L. Armentrout

Funny, playful and vivid, Sarah MacLean’s latest romance samples the best of both worlds with the earthy vigor of the slum’s crafty, loyal lower classes and the juicy intrigue of high society scandal.

BookPage on Brazen and the Beast

"Wrapping up the Bareknuckle Bastards series splendidly, RITA Award–winning MacLean reinforces her place as a master of historical romance with another exemplary, empowering love story that brilliantly showcases her flair for gloriously insightful characterization, grandly entertaining plotting, and gorgeously sensual prose."

Booklist

In “Daring and the Duke,” Sarah MacLean’s final installment of the Bareknuckle Bastards we get to see Grace Condry finally get the epic grovel she deserves. This romance is stridently feminist from the first page….That sounds like a happily-ever-after the Chicks would probably write a song about.

Washington Post