Book III - The Day of the Duchess - Scandal & Scoundrel

Let me start by saying I love reading Sarah Maclean's books. This one was a serious miss. I couldn't get over the infidelity, and I was really confused by the disjointed end - throughout the story Sera had trust issues and in the final chapters, it was all about wanting her freedom, it just didn't add up.

The Day Of the Duchess
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
***Spoilers Ahead***

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This was such a heart-wrenching book Sarah MacLean!

And I never thought I would come to like, let alone come to forgive, a hero who cheated on his partner... but this book drove home the fact that you can't judge someone unless you've walked in their shoes.

And not just Haven's mind you.

Unless you've led the exact life Sera has, HOW do you know you wouldn't have forgiven Haven?

So, yes. Breaking such myopic judgemental verdicts is what this book did for me.

Thank you for such an amazing story.

Here's a poem from "10 Things I Hate About You" that somehow captures the heart of the H and h better than I could ever put into words myself.

I hate the way you talk to me
And the way you cut your hair
I hate the way you drive my car
I hate it when you stare

I hate your big dumb combat boots
And the way you read my mind
I hate you so much that it makes me sick
It even makes me rhyme

I hate the way you're always right
I hate it when you lie
I hate it when you make me laugh
Even worse when you make me cry

I hate the way you're not around
And the fact that you didn't call
But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you
Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.

5 Thoughts Following My Epic Binge Read of TDOTD (contains spoilers):

1) It was so appropriate to spend Independence Day reading Seraphina’s pursuit of autonomy and Mal’s evolution from loving her as “his” to loving her as her own separate self. For me as a reader, this aspect of Haven’s transformation is the only way he could be truly forgiven and deserving of a second chance.

2) If I could make a playlist to capture the mood of this book (though no one asked), it would include the following in no particular order:
“Falling Away With You” - Muse
“Lover’s Day” – Bloc Party
“The Scientist” – Cold Play
“I Haven’t Seen Her In Ages” – Maximo Park
“All For A Woman” – The Airborne Toxic Event
“Last January” – The Twilight Sad
“Would You Fight For My Love” – Jack White
“You’ve Got Her In Your Pocket” – Jack White
“Not Just A Girl” – She Wants Revenge
“Flakes” – Mystery Jets

3) MacLean's original song that Sera sings. . . it captures and evokes the ache of love that is broken, a hard swallow past the lump in your throat from deep, deep hurt. The story Seraphina tells with those lyrics and what Mal eventually says when he hears the whole of it, “What of the boy? . . .” – it simply tore me apart. I’m so glad MacLean was able to find a way for Sera and Malcolm to pick up the pieces and begin again. It made the emotionally exhausting journey worth it. And don’t we hate it when the HEA is too easy anyway?

4) Consider my heart wrenched, Sarah MacLean!!! But only in the very best, most gratifying way! Thank you for a memorable book, a love story that managed to indulge my desire to escape to the past while demonstrating that the ugly, honest, messy work of fighting for one’s marriage is universal and timeless.

5) I think one of the kittens in the epilogue should be named ASPARAGUS!

Sarah MacLean is a wonderful writer, and this book is one of her best. This is the 3rd book in the Scandal & Scoundrel series, and one that readers have been eagerly waiting for. It has been worth the wait. It tells the story of Malcolm Bevingstoke, Duke of Haven, and his wife, Seraphina, the Duchess. As other reviewers have mentioned the Duke needed to be redeemed because of his past behavior toward his wife, and her family. This book explains why the Duke acted the way that he did in the past, and what his earlier life was like that made him who he was. Ms. MacLean wants her readers to have a deeper understanding of both Malcolm and Sera, and she succeeds. The reader becomes deeply involved in the emotions, the actions of the plot, and the hoped for resolution of their complicated relationship. This is an excellent book.

I loved the author's other books, and pre-ordered this one. It took me three attempts to commit myself to reading it. I don't think the effort was worth it. The characters are flimsy, with broad strokes of tragedy and misunderstanding. I didn't care whether they ended up together or not. (spoiler) . Re-thinking reading any more of the series. And I have read most of her other books. I didn't understand why the heroine was at the family home at the beginning of the book and it's never explained. There are a lot of loose ends and inconsistencies. The sisters blend together.

Why is it every time a woman is told she can't have children or more children the doctor is always wrong? If we have to read about stillbirths, infidelity, abuse as a child or rape, why are we as readers too delicate to handle this?

My favorite book yet by this author, it tackles difficult themes of divorce and communication within a marriage in ways that resonate today without breaking from the Regency world in which it is set. Although we have seen much of the lead-up to this story from Sera's eyes (in earlier books in the series) and I had thought Haven to be irredeemable, she did it! MacLean somehow manages to show the vulnerability and hubris of both protagonists along the path their HEA. There were several feminist fist bump moments as well that had me laugh out loud cheering, and a historically accurate marvel that sent me down the Atlas Obscura rabbit hole. Truly an excellent read.

This is a fantastic book because the hero and heroine have a totally messed up relationship. Sera and Maelcom are full of flaws and hubris. I hated the Duke in the beginning, but of course, I ended up loving him...and that is what makes this such a great story. Fantastic secondary characters and HEAPS of witty banter.

I have wanted this book since The Rogue Not Taken and it was well worth the wait. The Dangerous Daughters are more in evidence than in the previous two books and are hilarious, daring, and everything I want to be as a sister. I did spend a lot of the book wanting to yell at Sera and Mal, "Just talk to each other!" but I felt well-rewarded when they finally had their Big Conversation. It was probably one of the most satisfying dialogue scenes I've ever read. There are two aspects I wish were different. The first is that I was expecting more steam; this may be MacLean's tamest yet. The second is the intergenerational relationships; while there was a wonderful sense of sisterhood between the Soiled Ss and the suitesses, it felt like their mothers (and one mother-in-law) were all set somewhere on the spectrum of "antagonistic crone." Overall, a great read and a well-earned HEA.

Finished it in one day, reading secretly in my cube at work. So good, as all of her books are. Now I'm going back to reread everything I own of hers. One of my favorite authors. My favorite series is her Rules of Scoundrels Series. Can't wait for The Bareknuckle Bastards. 2018? Write faster Sarah McLean!!

I'm pretty sure the author drew inspiration for several of the plotlines in this series from the very public scandal and drama between the pop star Beyoncé and her rapper husband, Jay-Z: story starting with indignant younger sister standing up for her betrayed older sister by pushing the philandering husband (see: Solange Knowles' infamous elevator scene), and the betrayed wife going off and throwing herself into her musical career, prepared to walk away from her unworthy husband (see: Beyoncé's Lemonade). This isn't a bad thing, necessarily. It's an engaging-enough read to ignore some sloppy plot construction.

This book was good, but defintely not my favorite in the series. It was well-written and I loved seeing the Dangerous Daughters again, but Sera seemed to think she didn't deserve a second chance at love, when all she did was run from a Malcom when he was being a huge jerk. Malcolm definitely had his issues, but at least he was trying to be better and move forward. Overall a good book though.

I would have never thought that the Duke of Haven could be redeemed. I. Was. Wrong. Sigh. And Sera was everything a "modern" woman dreams of being. And of course, the sisters Talbot, whose love for each other leaps off the pages. I couldn't put it down!

I was so excited for this book,but so disappointed with this it.so sad. There were too many characters that all seemed to talk at the same time, on one page there were 12 characters. Too confusing. This story had such potential. I have read every book Sarah has written and loved everyone. Can't say the same for this one. Very disappointed

This book takes you on an emotional journey. It's darker than her other books, but it's a wonderful read. It reminded me of how I felt while reading Julia Quinn's When He Was Wicked. There's passion with both love and hate.

You deserve better. You really do. I don't demand too much realism from a romance novel, but there is some basic level of believability that must be established before I can invest in the characters.

This was an amazing story even though I kept confusing the sisters. Sera and Malcolm's story was heartbreaking.I found myself hoping Mal would get his happy ending.
I certainly hope Sesily and Caleb get their own story.

I absolutely LOVED this book! If I could rate it higher than a '5', I would. I love all her books. With this one, I laughed, cried, laughed some more and then found myself in moments of disbelief stunned with exciting plot turns and adventures.
I wanted to re-read it the moment I finished!

Couldn't put the book down!
Devoured the whole book in 2 days (would have taken a day, but gotta visit reality on and off ?).

Fast-paced, myriad interesting hilarious characters, strong main characters. Good evolving plots.

4.5 stars

My first by the author, definitely will look for more of hers.

This novel is written very well. The editing superior. However the best part of this book is the mending of grieving hearts. As i titled this review the pain and beauty of their grief is so realistic it brought back my own. The loss of a child is something i have never had the words to describe, but you wrote it. thank you for that.

I loved this story. I loved the complicated relationship between the hero and heroine. I particularly loved the relationships between the sisters and friends. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. Very emotional and uplifting.

Malcolm Bevinstoke, Duke of Haven, was prepared for one last boring day in Parliament before he starts his search for his missing wife when she suddenly appears there to ask for a divorce. Seraphina left him almost three years ago, or he told her to get out, but he's never stopped loving her. In order to foil her divorce request, he convinces her it's her duty to find his new wife for him as he needs an heir.
The story is told with a great many flashbacks that explain why they are in this current mess. I read the previous book and I knew the Dangerous Daughters from that, but for some reason, I missed the first book in the series (I just purchased it because I need to know more about Sophie and King). Still, I don't think I missed much. Ms. MacLean establishes that Mal is the villain right at the beginning, so I was prepared to properly hate him. His redemption arc is so lovely that I read the book from start to end in one sitting. Sera also has some atonement and growing up to do. They are a wonderful couple, and the writing here is superb and lyrical. There are some funny moments too; a highlight is Sesily thrusting her cat at the Duke of Haven and then throwing up on his boots after a long coach ride.
I always enjoy Ms. MacLean's books and this one is one of my favorites. The best description I can come up with is poignant because this book will tear your heart out.

Excellent book!
Real, wonderfully developed characters and a dash of real life which makes their HEA all the more enjoyable. Once again, Sarah gives her readers a strong, vibrant and complex woman. Thank you!

I follow Sarah MacLean, and am especially grateful for her website wherein she's recommended writers and stories she'd enjoyed, because I've been reading great stuff because of her generosity. I have not enjoyed this trilogy, and especially not this one. She used to write delightful, historically accurate Regencies, and it seems like she's now Nora Roberts, where she no longer has to write full sentences because we're okay with 'He wanted her back. Willing to do anything. Even if it embarrassed his Dukeish pride.' That is a paraphrase, but that is how I've experienced the deterioration of a once-exceptional writing style. I am very disappointed by the style shift--is this Regency, or is this biker? Not to mention I've found nothing to like about her characters at all. Man, I soooo loved everything before this. She must be getting bad advice.

This story is as different as anything you could possibly envision. I will not give you another synopsis of the tale. What i will say is that this is one of the best stories I have thoroughly enjoyed in quite some time. There is fire and passion and wit and cheekiness and it is worth whatever price they ask. YOU NEED TO READ THIS!!!!!

As a MacLean fan, I was dumbfounded by the unlikeable characters here. I admit the bloody miscarriage in the second scene was a bit of a trigger for me, but I found both leads to be unpleasant and flat personalities. I have NEVER dnf'd a MacLean before now. Unfortunate, as now I'll think twice before buying any new titles of hers.

It really saddens me to write this review. I never thought I would give such a low rating to Sarah MacLean. She is one of my favorite authors. Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake is one of my favorite books of all time. I cannot come to terms with the fact that while reading the book, I was wondering when the book was going to end because I couldn't take it anymore. You see, I was tired of the angst and wondering when Malcolm and Sera would admit that they still had feelings for each other. I was tired of seeing Malcolm chasing after Sera and trying to make her fall for him. I wanted to see Sera trying to do something to fix her relationship with her husband. Malcolm was always showing her what he did for her and I wanted to see her figuring it out instead. He went to the effing America to find her. Even if in the beginning I wanted to be on her side, in the end, I ended up rooting for him. As much as I liked Sera's sisters, I was ok with them meddling so much. They made Malcolm's life a living hell. He did deserve it for cheating on Sera though even if they were already broken when that better be forgotten event happened. All these things wouldn't have happened if Sera hadn't listened to her mother and decided to trap Malcolm. He would have married her anyway because he loved her.

I am not giving a lower rating to the book for various reasons. For one, I loved watching the two main characters fall for each other. I loved even more Malcolm's friend who was in love with Helena. The secondary characters were very well written and I was invested in them and their stories. I cannot wait for Secile and her American! Also, I hope we will see Malcolm's potential wives get their own story and happy ending. The sisters are a force that cannot be stopped and when they weren't on the team that hated Malcolm were a very pleasant part of the story. I will probably erase this book from my memory and go read the last book of this author I have left as unread to make myself feel better. I know Sarah MacLean can write the perfect story, but I wasn't a fan of this one.

I’ve had my complaints and issues with the Scandal and Scoundrel series ever since the release of the first book, The Rogue Not Taken. But, honestly? Sarah MacLean landed on my auto-buy list with Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake and I can’t imagine a time when I won’t get excited butterflies seeing that she has a new release. My anticipation over Seraphina and Haven’s story began when Sophie (Sera’s sister) walked onto the page in the opening of The Rogue Not Taken and pushed her cheating brother-in-law into a fish pond. Sera seemed so sad and without hope, and Haven completely unredeemable. I mean how does an author redeem a hero who was first introduced while in a scandalous embrace with a woman, not his wife? But that’s the beauty of second chance romance, and this author, she does it and she does it beautifully.

“I am Seraphina Bevingstoke, Duchess of Haven. And I require a divorce.”

When this book opens, Sera has been missing for two years and seven months. Haven has been desperate to find her, searching all over the world for his wife. Then suddenly she reappears, in the middle of Parliament, asking for a divorce. You see, Sera isn’t the same distraught woman who fled her husband years before, she’s stronger and has found herself in her years away. She is a business owner and finds joy in performing in her tavern. Well, it will be her tavern once she secures a divorce from her estranged husband. Only Haven has no desire to grant a divorce to his wife. In fact, he’ll do whatever it takes to win back her affection. To forget the past and start anew. If he has to lie and plot and insist that she help in finding her replacement, so be it.

And while that is the beginning of this book, it wasn’t how Sera and Haven began.

"The way I feel about you… Her words now– soft and full of temptation. I’ve never felt anything like this.

He hadn’t either. As though light and breath and hope had flooded the room, filling all the dark spaces. Filling his lungs and heart. And all because of her."

Regardless of how this couple was first introduced, they didn’t start out bitter and angry at each other. No, they meet at a ball and Sera’s wit and beauty capture Haven so fully that he immediately knows that he has met the woman fate intended for him. They meet clandestinely over the next several months, falling deeper into passion and love. Only, Haven doesn’t formally court his Sera, doesn’t visit with her family in their home, and never asks her father for her hand in marriage. Seraphina’s mother worries that he is playing with her daughter, especially since the ton still thinks the Talbot family beneath them and has labeled the five Talbot sisters The Soiled S’s. She has a plan that will help Sera nab her Duke, and since he is what Sera wants most in life, she agrees. Which is the beginning of years of pain, betrayal, and bitterness between the Duke and Duchess of Haven.

“You haunt me,” she said, the worlds unlocked. “You have haunted me every day since I left.”

I’m not going to give any more of this couple’s history away. It unfolds exquisitely and poignantly through flashback scenes and you simply must experience it all for yourself. Yes, The Day of the Duchess jumps back and forth between the past and the present. How it all went wrong, who lied and cheated, where their heads were at during this time period, and Haven almost three years later desperately trying to win his wife back. I went into this book knowing it would be emotionally draining and filled to the brim with hurt and sadness and passion and pain. I believe I might have mentioned a time or two that I hoped to see Haven grovel and beg for forgiveness because HELLO he cheated on his wife and if there is one thing I can not abide in my romance it is cheating. What I didn’t expect was to be positively transfixed by this couple.

The love they still have for each other, even after everything that has gone before, practically pours off the page. Yes, there is still anger, but mostly because these two have never resolved anything between them. When he felt betrayed Haven lashed out at his wife repeatedly, then completely shut himself off from her and Sera, after months of begging, simply disappears. So much hurt between them, each person making mistakes, some worse than others, but nothing was ever resolved. I kept expecting to dislike Haven, but I never did. From almost the first page I could see how distraught he was over his past behavior and how desperate he was to keep his marriage alive. He knows he made mistakes and is fully willing to own them if Sera will only give him another chance.

Sera has been burned and broken by her husband and wants nothing more than to leave her past behind her. She wants to have the freedom to live freely and on her own. She is supported by her sisters, who travel with her to Haven’s country estate as she fulfills her end of the bargain to find her husband a new wife. I have always adored Ms. MacLean’s heroines and Seraphina is no different. Strong, independent, smart, and utterly willing to do what she must do to gain her independence. I love the relationship she has with her sisters and how they support each other unwaveringly. If she wants a divorce, they are there to make sure she gets it. But, when she and Haven finally have to spend time together after so many years all that passion and anger and unresolved resentment comes pouring forth and despite her desire to be free of her marriage, she realizes that she never, not for a moment, stopped loving her husband. She fights it though, and oh but I totally understood why.

Before I wrap this up, let me just say this book ended exactly, 100% the way I had hoped it would. It was romantic, and swoon worthy and made this couple’s HEA completely believable. There is a lovely epilogue that was just icing on the cake of this second chance romance. So, lovely.

To me this book was perfection. My heart ached, I laughed, I cried, and in the end, I was left sighing and with a contented smile on my face. Highly recommended. Final Grade- A

Favorite Quote:

She adored the barely there edge of this control, reveled in it, played at it with her hand, her breath, her lips, sliding over him with a feather-light touch, claiming his size and strength and his desire. Marking him as hers.

So much so that she whispered there, “Mine.”

“Always,” he replied without hesitation. “Forever.”

Though Sarah MacLean is one of my instabuy authors, I'd originally intended to skip this one. I don't believe cheating has any place in romance novels, which hold a unique contract with their readers: there will be a happy ending. In my mind (call it cynicism, call it bitterness, I don't care) there is no happy ending possible when someone cheats. As dramatic as it might sound, I felt a little betrayed by Sarah--who I consider feminist AF and a powerful, inciting and uplifting voice in the romance community--when I realized which couple was featured in Day of the Duchess. Oh, the husband who publicly cheated on his pregnant wife?

The hardest of passes.

And then I read her article in the Washington Post about rewriting Malcolm to be more feminist after Trump won the election and I thought...maybe I'm missing something.

Reader, I was not. I tried to keep an open mind, but though this book features all the trademark banter, silliness, and swoon of her previous work, ultimately it was shadowed by the hero's previous sins. While he did much to make up for his wrongs after the fact, and I did like him considerably despite it, his infidelity was hardly addressed beyond his excuse of being angry (over something he caused himself anyway).

Holding a grudge for something the heroine ultimately forgives feels silly, and I have no idea what the author could have done to make me feel any differently--maybe nothing. But goddamnit if I have to read about a husband cheating on his wife and her subsequent miscarriage, there better be some groveling and grand gesturing the likes of which the romance genre has never seen, and sorry but an underwater ballroom made of stained glass and symbolism and a divorce for show didn't cut it for me.

I'm told myself there had to be a good reason for Sarah MacLean to choose to write this, but if there was, I didn't recognize it in the text. There would have been conflict enough without the cheating element. Was it just to see if she could redeem a cheater--an almost unheard of feat in the romance community? I don't know. But my trust in her as my go-to feel-good romance writer is a little shaky now, and I'll be reading blurbs and reviews more carefully before I buy her work in the future.

When it comes to historical romances readers can always count on Ms. MacLean for a tale that's fresh and unique in the actions of its characters and the themes dealt with. Her newest release sets itself apart from other Regency-fueled romances because of its strong-willed heroine fighting for her right to be happy and the once-arrogant duke humbled by love and discovering the lengths he'll go to to prove his love. It's a story with witty dialogue, empowering words and deeds, and an ending that will leave readers cheering.

Malcolm Bevingstoke is a much sought-after duke who doesn't believe in love as he's been taught to doubt its power by witnessing his parent's unhappy marriage. His mother's duplicitous plan to ensnare his father in marriage, and the anger directed at him by both of them because of their mutual unhappiness, has tainted him and has him seeing the worst in women. The moment he meets Seraphina though his world and all his long-held beliefs are turned upside down. Crackling interactions, and her finding his dukedom unimportant, has him feeling loved for the first time and acting recklessly as never before. Just as he sees their HEA within reach meddling mothers destroy all he believed about Sera which has him saying harsh words he can never take back. Years of loneliness and regret become his constant companion and with the return of his wife he's given a chance to make amends and reignite her love for him. Malcolm's the typical arrogant duke at the start of the story, thinking badly of women and casting aspersions on the notion of love. His parents taught him that his only value was being a duke and the loneliness of that belief had me feeling sympathetic towards him. Sera tested him, debated his preconceived notions, and set him on fire in interactions that were thoroughly entertaining. Once he realized his mistake in letting Sera go he was fully committed in getting her back and wore his heart on his sleeve in earning her love once again. Every sweet word and deed, his big Grand Gesture, endeared him to me and loving the evolution love brought to his life.

Seraphina Talbot's family has always been looked down on as they won their newfound title in a card game. Their father worked in coal and Society never let them forget their lowly beginnings. Society saw the five sisters as classless and grasping, ripe to be ruined. Sera's definitely not interested in what Society thinks though. Sera's only interested in Malcolm, in the combustible connection that they have from the moment they meet. She's outspoken early on, challenging, and truly cares for Malcolm for the man he is. Her mother's harsh comments and doubts fuel an act that irrevocably harms the once bright HEA brewing between her and Malcolm and ultimately has her running away from the pain. Returning to London with a supportive friend in tow shows an even stronger-willed woman, a woman burned and disillusioned by love and promises, who demands a bold decision to set her free to start over. Her plan doesn't go smoothly though as Malcolm's still a temptation, her feelings for him just as strong, and him forcing her into close quarters leaves her conflicted. Sera's a bold woman, in words and deeds, and her interactions with Malcolm feel like a tug of war. Just as he wants to be seen for himself, so too does she in wanting to have her own money and be fulfilled in singing. She's a modern woman stuck in a past where women are seen as demure and acquiescing chattel. I enjoyed and admired her acts and it made her romance with Malcolm even more sensual and powerful.

While I enjoyed Sera's modern personality, her bold and brash nature, it felt a bit unrealistic compared to what I know about history. Her asking Parliament for a divorce also seemed unrealistic and far too simplistic. Even with those quibbles I enjoyed Sera and her sisters, their tight connection and unconditional support. Each sister is chaotic and larger than life, colorful in their words and deeds, and each brought a smile to my face whenever they stood up for one another. Sera's American protector, Caleb Calhoun, also captivated me. He's strong and sexy, bruised by his own lost love, and is clearly only brotherly in his feelings for Sera. His goading of Malcolm was entertaining and subtly aided in Sera and Malcolm's reuniting. He oozed sensuality and the sexual tension between him and the flirty and outspoken Sesily Talbot has me excited for the next installment in this series. Though some aspects of this story felt a bit too modern I still found myself captivated by this romance. The dialogue was bold, witty, and crackling. The women were outspoken and empowering and I enjoyed the solidarity they had when it came to pointing out Malcolm's faults. From start to finish Ms. MacLean has once again crafted an unforgettable romance and I recommend it to all those wanting to see the true power of love over adversity.

Favorite Quote:
“Would you like to know why I kept the name?”
“Yes.”
“Because doves mate for life, and I knew there would never be another for me.”

Readers have been waiting for this couple’s story since they were first seen in book one-A Rogue Not Taken. Malcolm, the Duke of Haven, is caught at a party in a compromising position with a woman who is not his wife by his sister-in-law, Sophie Talbot. Sophie reacts in typical Talbot fashion by calling him a whore and pushing him into a fish pond.

“My only regret is that the pool was not deeper. And filled with sharks.” -Sophie Talbot (A Rogue Not Taken)

Seraphina, the Duchess of Haven, has had enough and leaves. Malcolm searches relentlessly for her for years but he never catches even a single glimpse of her until the day she walks into Parliament and asks for a divorce.

“I am Seraphina Bevingstoke, Duchess of Haven. And I require a divorce.”

Malcolm is thrilled Sera has returned. He regrets how he treated her and seeks to make amends but Sera doesn’t care. She is no longer that woman who was desperate to repair her marriage; begging for her husband’s understanding and love. She has found her calling in America now seeks a divorce so she can go back and live her life out as she so chooses. But Malcolm doesn’t want a divorce. He wants his wife back and a chance to prove himself once again worthy of her and their marriage but he knows he has his work cut out for him. Sera has long let go of her feelings of anger and hurt and is now mostly indifferent to him.

Malcolm decides he needs something to keep her with him so he comes up with a somewhat idiotic plan, telling her she must help him find a new wife if she wants her freedom. After all, he needs an heir. He hopes a whole summer in close proximity may be exactly what they need to reconnect and move forward together. Sera agrees to his terms but decides to bring her sisters into the fray, knowing they will add to her strength while helping to convince Malcolm to give her a divorce.

The Day of the Duchess is the 3rd book in her Scandal & Scoundrel series. This emotionally turbulent, heart-wrenching, and humorous second chance love story gives readers a personal look into a relationship that was damaged by some good and not so good intentions. Redemption of a character is a tricky concept to pull off. You have to not only convince the reader the character is worth redemption, but also give them a reasonable explanation for their previous behavior and a believable reason for the change. MacLane addresses this situation perfectly. Writing with her trademark compassion and honestly, we see that neither person was blameless for the destruction of their relationship. We see the terrible decisions they made and the consequences they suffered because of them.

The story starts in the present but flashes back periodically into the past to show how this couple met and what led to their demise. MacLean does a superb job of drawing out their emotions for us to fully appreciate. We are made privy to their personal conversations, intimate thoughts, and the sheer magnitude of the love and loss this couple experienced.

“The sorrow is mine. The regret. I never told you how much I loved you. I never showed you how I ached to know you.”

Sera and Malcolm first laid eyes on each other at a ball and instantly fell head over heels for one another. They begin to spend all their time together, enough to get noticed by the gossip papers. Mrs. Talbot felt that Malcolm’s intentions weren’t sincere though. He didn’t court Sera as he should have. He never presented her to his family nor visited with her’s. After all, the Talbots weren’t thought to be a suitable due to their working class origins and the sisters were mocked and referred to as the Soiled or Scandalous S’s. Sera’s mother devised a plan to force Malcolm’s hand and because Sera loved him dearly and believed he loved her enough to understand and forgive her, she agreed to it. It worked but it was the beginning of the end of their marriage. The pain, anger, and bitterness all worked together to ruthlessly force this couple apart until one heartbreaking event leads to another and our hero and heroine are left broken and damaged

Oh, how I enjoyed getting to know Sera and Malcolm and seeing their evolution from heartbreak to forgiveness. Sorrow and disappointment can easily crush a spirit but not for these two. Both have suffered for their mistakes and despite all that has happened, they still love one another. I grew to like Malcolm despite everything, though I admit hearing from his point of view certainly helped. Once you learn his backstory, you understand where he was coming from and it goes far into explaining why he acted like he did. It doesn’t excuse his actions and neither does he but is does smooth your anger towards him a little. He admits to his crimes and has paid for them every single day he was unable to find her. He now knows why she did what she did and understands it was not for his title or his money but out of love and fear.

“Regret and shame flared. How many times had he felt them? How many times had they consumed him in the darkness as he searched for her? But they had never felt like this. Without her, they’d been a vague, rolling emotion, present, but never truly there. And now, faced with her, with her tacit acceptance of their past, of his actions, of his mistakes, they were a wicked, angry blow.”

Seraphina suffered for her love and Malcolm’s actions eventually broke her. Disappearing to America and becoming the “Sparrow” helped her to heal her spirit, heart, and self-confidence. I loved how Sera took charge of her own happiness. The Sera that left England three years ago is no longer the insecure woman who crumbled under the censure of the Ton and her husband’s anger and infidelity. She is now a strong, independent, and secure woman who knows her self-worth and will never let anyone, man or woman, treat her as anything less than the queen she is.

“The whole world thinks you ruined me before you married me, when the truth is that I was not ruined until after the fact. You ruined my hopes. My dreams. My future. You ruined my life. And I’ve had enough of that. I am here for one reason only, Your Grace. I want my life back. The one you stole.”

The tension between this couple was tangible and witnessing the dam of politeness finally break and all their bottled up emotions finally come pouring out was both exhilarating and frustrating. Both are lively individuals with a quick wit and strong convictions who are well matched despite everything that has happened. Sera is magnificent and defiant in her stubbornness and it takes quite a while for her to even admit she even likes Malcolm. I did wish Malcolm had been more verbally honest to Sera a lot earlier in the book. Communication was not their forte. One aspect I admired was that legally Malcolm could have forced Sera back to his side but choose not to. He swallows his pride and did what he should have done from the beginning. He woos her. He courts her. He gets to know the new Sera and he realizes what a beautiful, exciting, and intelligent wife he has. And what an utter arse he had been.

“I love you,” he whispered like a prayer.
A kiss.
“I need you.”
Another.
“Stay.”

A house full of hopeful mamas and daughters, along with Sera’s sisters, a few familiar faces from the previous series, and a new face only adds to the mayhem, anticipation, and humor of the situation. I adore the Talbot sisters. Such gregarious, melodramatic, and vivacious women who march to their own beat. Their motto is since they have already been convicted, why not go ahead and commit the crime? The relationship between the Talbot sisters is amusing and enviable. They always have each other’s backs no matter what but they will also tell each other like it is. And they invoke that privilege often especially when Sera chooses to hide rather than face her feelings.

The ending is the ultimate HEA romance readers adore and was exactly what I felt needed to happen. Sera needed to know Malcom would have married her regardless and Malcom needed to prove that to her. MacLean gives our couple the life they have more than earned and leaves us an epilogue that solidifies it though I wish Maclean would have kept the status quo and still given us a happy marriage. We are given clues to the next Talbot sister to fall in love and we are introduced to the heroes of MacLean’s next upcoming series.

The Day in the Duchess is a delicious second chance romance that pushes a couple through an emotional gauntlet and allows them to emerge triumphant.

GRADE: B+

Sarah MacLean is a master! I felt so many emotions reading this, I was frustrated, my heart was sore and I totally loved every second of it.

At first, I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this. It was clear from the get-go that this will be heartbreaking. I wasn't sure I was going to like the story because I wasn't a fan of Malcolm's behavior a few years back. But the amazing thing is MacLean totally redeemed him. I mean totally!
Which is odd considering, how messed up the situation was.

Then again this is a MacLean book and I adore her character building.
The Day of the Duchess absolutely shines when it comes to character building. We get to revisit characters from the previous books. And just as always MacLean write unique and interesting characters that feel realistic.
I could relate to Seraphina and Malcolm alike. I got both of their POV, I felt their heartache and their longing.. Incredibly well written.
The cast is made up of strong, interesting characters. Females and males alike feel unique and fascinating.
I have 3 sisters so I know something about sisterly love. And the Talbot sisters portrait sister dynamics and love perfectly. I quite often thought of stuff we would do as sisters and how we would react similarly if we would have been in the same situation. Brilliant, if you ask me. Also made me wonder if MacLean has sisters as well.

Another testament to MacLean's knowledge of her craft is how she weaves historical facts with fiction. How she highlights social-historical situations that we kinda know, but with her fiction, she puts a face to the known facts. With that, the story feels more real but also makes the reader feel more aware of said facts.

The story is heartbreaking and yet also beautiful. Though I did end up feeling rather exasperated with the two of them. The cat and mouse games were tiring, the longing was emotionally exhausting. And yet, I wanted more. I need more, I sure hope there will be more!