The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean

June 26th, 2017 Kimberly Review 44 Comments

26th Jun
The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean
The Day of the Duchess
by Sarah MacLean
Series: Scandal and Scoundrel #3
Genres: Historical Romance
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
Goodreads
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarHalf a Star
Heat Level: One FlameOne FlameOne Flame

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.

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THE DAY OF THE DUCHESS by Sarah MacLean is the third book in the Scandal & Scoundrel series. Grab some wine and tissues because MacLean outdoes herself and delivered a swoon-worthy second chance romance that held me in its grip.

I was anxious to get Malcolm and Seraphina’s (Sera) story, although admittedly I wasn’t at all fond of Malcolm. Leave it to MacLean to turn my opinion and have me flipping the pages in need of a happily ever after for the Duke of Haven.

Their story is told both in the past and present allowing the reader to see their courtship unfold and what caused Sera to flee. MacLean takes the reader through a gauntlet of emotions from heartbreak to anger and finally understanding.

Sera has spent the past three years abroad and has returned to London determined to gain her freedom. She does so loudly and right away I admired her tenacity and spunk. Indeed at first I whole heartily agreed with her but witnessing her and Malcolm interact assured me these two were far from over. When Malcolm declares he will grant her wish if she agrees to help him find her replacement I knew we were in for quite a treat.

Not wanting to be alone, Sera gathers her sisters and they take up residency at her husband’s estate for the summer. The Soiled S’s were an absolute hoot. So we have Malcolm, Sera, her siblings, a wild cat and a gaggle of prospective Duchesses and their mothers all gathered for a house party. Can you just picture the mother’s vying to have the Duke spend time with them? Of course, Malcolm is determined to change Sera’s mind if only he can get a moment alone with her, damn her sisters!

MacLean delighted me with wicked banter, outrageous conversations and immeasurable frustration at this pair. While they certainly had a lot to overcome, Sera was stubborn and I adored how the author shed light and worked her magic.

Sera brings a new character with her, one who has caught the attention of Sesily. She was quite bold and I look forward to their story.

I must warn you the tale is filled with angst and is sure to completely distract readers from the outside world. The beginning began a little slow for me with the back and forth timeline but I was soon hooked and unable to set it aside. Looking back, the past timeline was essential to understanding both characters. It set the foundation for all of the emotions MacLean pulls from the reader. THE DAY OF THE DUCHESS ranks among my favorite MacLean books.

The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean ranks among my favorite MacLean books! Share on X
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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44 Responses to “The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean”

  1. Stephanie

    This read sounds lovely! I read a second chance historical romance earlier this year and adored it. I have the first one in this series and I really need to get to reading MacLean. I have a lot of her stuff but haven’t read her yet.

    Excellent review; it sounds like you had a great time with this story.

  4. Katherine

    I’ve been wondering about this one. I loved A Rogue Not Taken but Malcolm is so awful I wondered how on earth he could be a hero I could actually root for. I should have known MacLean could manage it!

  6. Suzanne

    I’m not usually a huge romance fan, but I do have a soft spot for second chance romances. I also like this sounds like a great balance of both angst and humor. I may have to give this one a shot the next time I’m in the mood for some romance. Great review!

  7. Angela Adams

    “admittedly I wasn’t at all fond of Malcolm. Leave it to MacLean to turn my opinion” — a trait of a great author (smile!). Thanks for the post.

  8. Melissa (Books and Things)

    I usually say I don’t like angst, but if done well… I really love it… I admit. 🙂 I love that this one is your fave and that really perks my attention. I’ve been meaning to get to a historical romance. You just reminded me of it. 🙂

  10. Angie

    You’re killing me here. I’ve yet to read a MacLean I enjoy, but back and forth timeline AND a Duke wooing his Duchess? I may have to cave and pick this one up.

    Great review.

  11. Quinn's Book Nook

    I’m so glad you loved this. MacLean doesn’t really work for me usually, but I know she’s a great writer. And I love how adamantly she promotes the genre.

  14. Sophia Rose

    Oh my, this does sound like it would be a challenge to read, but also so engrossing. I like her books and haven’t read one in ever so long. I need to get back to them. I’ll mark this series down.

  15. Nick

    Eeeep!! YES!!
    I loved every minute of this book too, Kim and like you, I was just a bit nervous about how MacLean would redeem Malcolm, but she did a beautiful job. I loved Sera’s sisters too! What a great bunch of ladies, and they certainly had me laughing my butt off. Honestly, MacLean is a queen!

  16. Cyn

    I’m glad you enjoyed this too! I was so excited for them to get their happily ever after. I’m glad Malcolm was able to win Sera (and us) back! Great review, Kim!

  19. verushka

    This sounds awesome — I especially like the idea of them altogether on the estate searching possible women for this wife he’s supposed to find lol

  20. Cindy

    What a great story! I am going to read this one for sure. Thanks for your wonderful review and for putting this on my radar.

  21. Silvia

    I haven’t read this series yet, but I do love her writing style quite a lot and I’m glad you keep enjoying her books so much! 😀