June 15, 2018

[Review] Wicked and the Wallflower (The Bareknuckle Bastards #1) - Sarah MacLean

Summary: When Wicked Comes Calling…

When a mysterious stranger finds his way into her bedchamber and offers his help in landing a duke, Lady Felicity Faircloth agrees—on one condition. She’s seen enough of the world to believe in passion, and won’t accept a marriage without it.

The Wallflower Makes a Dangerous Bargain...

Bastard son of a duke and king of London’s dark streets, Devil has spent a lifetime wielding power and seizing opportunity, and the spinster wallflower is everything he needs to exact a revenge years in the making. All he must do is turn the plain little mouse into an irresistible temptress, set his trap, and destroy his enemy.

For the Promise of Passion...

But there’s nothing plain about Felicity Faircloth, who quickly decides she’d rather have Devil than another. Soon, Devil’s carefully laid plans are in chaos and he must choose between everything he’s ever wanted…and the only thing he’s ever desired.
(Pub Date: June 19, 2018)

Honest review based on an ARC provided by Edelweiss. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

Disclaimer, I'm a big fan of Sarah MacLean. I don't even like this type of romance that much but when it comes to whichever book MacLean writes, it becomes my favorite.

This is a new series, which will talk about the four siblings who were born on the same day to a father who wanted an heir but three were bastards and the fourth wasn't really his. This first book centers on Devon, who was abandoned in the darkness and had to win his way through fighting on the streets. He is now the king of the underground when his other brother, the Duke, announces he's searching for a wife. Devon won't allow him to give their father any more heirs and makes a plan. He just didn't think the plain and ruined Felicity would pick her way into it and make it all a mess.

I've still to read half of MacLean's books so I can't say if we have any recurring character from them except for Madame Herbert mentioned here and there. Also, I was a little afraid she had changed her style in these years I still need to get to. She hasn't.

This is exactly what one can expect from MacLean. The storied indeed felt recycled. A ruined woman because a duke didn't want her? A smart spinster almost giving up on marriage seeking lessons on passion? Even the relationship between Whit and Devon felt like copy-paste from MacLean's Love by Numbers series. But she managed to give it a new spin and keep me interested through the whole book, which isn't short at all.

For those who have never read anything by her, you're missing on some lovely stories. This one isn't my favorite but it is among my top 3, so you might as well start from it.

What I really appreciate about MacLean is that she takes research seriously but she still manages to built plots with a contemporary way of thinking. It's flirty, it isn't stupid, but it's still believable. And I won't even start about her style, it's such a delight! I'm actually vexed I managed to read this so quickly.

This series is supposed to have three books, each for a brother, being the next focused on Whit. One thing I'm getting tired of is this thing of bad boys being the main characters. For this series, none of the brothers is exactly "clean". If I could make one request is for a good boy for a change.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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