New York Times Bestselling Author Sarah MacLean returns with the next book in the Bareknuckle Bastards series about three brothers bound by a secret that they cannot escape—and the women who bring them to their knees.
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 … 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.
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I have loved every one of Sarah MacLean’s books but this one might be my favorite. The year of Hattie was just brilliant. And Beast was a wonderful hero.
I just love how Sarah MacLean manages to smoothly infuse her historical romance books with strong women that know just how far they can bend the rules of Society without breaking them. MacLean has become an auto click buy for me, and that is a very, very short list. She never disappoints! This book has wit, sizzle, and a fast plot, which are my favorite things.
I am writing this review from beyond the grave. Because Brazen and the Beast is so good that it killed me. I’m still marinating in my thoughts and feelings but I am very tempted to say that this book might be Sarah MacLean’s best work yet.
The heroine of this book is simply phenomenal. Hattie is everything. There are some truly fabulous books of out there featuring strong, body-confident plus-sized heroines. And that’s glorious. That’s so needed. But let’s be honest. We don’t all feel that way. At least not all the time. We don’t all have a healthy body image. We don’t all love our size. Or our shape. And I don’t think I’ve EVER related to a character in a romance as much I related to Hattie. Hattie has doubts about her worth and a complicated relationship with her body. She has doubts about her desirability. But she grows. She’s brave and she ultimately recognizes her true value and refuses to settle. This world needs a million more Hatties.
And I haven’t even gotten to Beast yet. Beeeeast. Whit. He’s a heartbreakingly raw hero. He’s quiet and complex and big and so protective. He’s just delicious. I LOVED him. I also loved catching up with Devil and Felicity from Wicked and the Wallflower.
I teared up multiple times for multiple reasons throughout this book. Brazen and the Beast is Sarah MacLean at her best. I could feel real, raw emotions poured into these pages and I can’t recommend this book enough. I looooved it.
Brazen and the Beast is out this July but just do yourself a favor and preorder it now.
Thank you Netgalley and Avon for the chance to read an advanced copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Sarah MacLean is such a masterful storyteller. She has the ability to rip one’s heart out, and I’m here for it! : ) Of course, she always leaves her readers with an HEA… she’s just brilliant with emotion.
This is one of my favorite reads of the year so far. Hattie is everything I could ever want in a heroine, and I have basically been shoving this book into people’s hands and screaming YEAR OF HATTIE repeatedly. Whit is grunting and protective and delicious and they make such a delightful pair. Every time I think Sarah MacLean can’t possibly get any better, she goes and blows me away.
Lady Henrietta “Hattie” Sedley is preparing for a very special night out, but her plans are derailed even before they begin when she finds a gorgeous, unconscious man tied up in her carriage. Tonight was supposed to be the beginning of the “Year of Hattie”, this her 29th year will be the year she finally made her dreams come true and she refuses to let this man ruin it! She wakes him up and asks why he is in her carriage (even though she has a pretty good idea who put him there) – when he is less than cooperative, she unties him, he steals a kiss and she pushes him out of the carriage – problem solved and she can carry on with her night! Hattie wants nothing more than to take over her father’s shipping business, but her father wants her to marry and for her brother Augie to run the business, so she forms a plan to change his mind, Hattie is not opposed to marriage, but she has spent many seasons on the marriage mart and has never had an offer, she knows she is not what men consider attractive, she is too tall, too plump and too outspoken, but her father just refuses to believe it, so she will make herself unmarriageable and for that she needs to be ruined.
Saviour “Whit” Whittington AKA the Beast is revered in Covent Gardens, he along with his brother Devil are known as the Bareknuckle Bastards and there is nothing that happens in Covent Gardens that they don’t know about – so when he wakes in a carriage and remembers that he was driving a shipment of goods and was attacked, he wants answers and he is pretty sure the intriguing woman who just pushed him out of her carriage is the key to discovering who robbed him.
He finds her in a brothel for women and strikes a deal – she will find and return his goods and he will help her set her plan in motion by bedding her. Hattie knows her brother Augie stole Whit’s property and fears for his life, she returns home and finds her brother, stabbed and whining – she learns why he stole from the Bareknuckle Bastards and the staggering amount that he has taken.
Hattie figures out a way to repay Whit and can’t wait for him to find her, instead she goes looking for him in Covent Gardens. He learns she is looking for him and tails her for a bit, he only intervenes when he believes she is in dangers, but much to his surprise, Hattie isn’t the one who needs saving! Who is the woman and why does he want her so badly?
I really loved this book, it is a well written, fast paced story with lots of emotion, action, great secondary characters, a heroine who can hold her own and doesn’t need saving, steamy love scenes, a bit of heartache, betrayal and dreams coming true! This is the second book in the series, but it can definitely be read as a stand-alone with no problem and I am happy to recommend it!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected e-ARC that was provided to me by Edelweiss and the publisher. *
I enjoyed every moment! Such a great premise, and the book delivers on it wholeheartedly! I read this as a stand-alone (totally works!) but of course now I want to go back and read the first one. And so will you.
I absolutely loved this entry in the Bareknuckle Bastards series. Give me a gruff and surly hero with a heart of gold any day – especially when paired with a total boss like Hattie!
I needed an uplifting book last week, and this was exactly what I was looking for — Hattie is considered past her prime and simply “too much” for London society, but when she sets out to take over her family business and live her life on her own terms, she finds her perfect match and perfect happiness.
I have never read a Sarah MacLean novel I haven’t loved, and Brazen and the Beast has so much to love! Hattie is such a fantastic heroine and the Beast! Well, that name says it all. 5 Stars!
A super fun read. I especially liked learning more about the Bare-knuckle bastards’ backstory and their relationship with Ewan.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Erica –
5 Banterific Stars
First, I’ll preface this review by stating that I’m a Sarah MacLean fanatic. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this novel. At the end, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the next novel. With that being said, I’ll also admit it was definitely worth the yearlong wait, as will be the next in the series. It was that good.
It’s the year of Hattie.
On the cusp of being twenty-nine, Hattie is ready to take life into her own hands, the natural romantic accepting that marriage and babies are not in the cards for her. Her father was made an earl due to his business savvy, but it’s a life legacy, where the title dies with him. Which is for the best, because Hattie’s brother, Augie, isn’t smart enough to rub two sticks together, always getting up to some mischief that causes Hattie problems.
Curvy and far too cerebral, Hattie is the son her father wished he had, with the only issue that she is a woman. In this era, with women treated as second-class citizens, their future contingent on whether or not a man wishes to marry her. Hattie’s business smarts in the shipping trade are contingent on her father humoring her and her brother’s disinterest in working.
The frustrated woman declares it’s the Year of Hattie, with the helpful assistance of her zanny, brave bestie, Nora.
The Beast of the Bareknuckle Bastards, Whit wakes bound and tied in a moving carriage, while being poked and prodded by a curvy lady. No doubt it’s one of the most original meetings both of them have had, especially when he’s shoved out the door of a moving carriage.
Four Bastards, one title. Whit was the runt of the litter, grown large and imposing, with a will to survive and revenge fueling his mission. The Devil is married to Felicity. The Beast has been humiliated by bumbling idiots. Grace is on the run, hiding from the one with the title. The false duke is out for his own revenge, never allowing his three siblings any peace.
To the backdrop of the continuing plot (make sure you read Wicked and the Wallflower), Whit and Hattie spar, using banter and biting barbs to fuel sexual tension, while ignoring their very real connection. With a slight love-hate, enemies-to-lovers vibe, this couple was a decadent treat I couldn’t seem to get enough of. Page after page, I wanted more of their humorous, blush-inducing interactions.
Hattie was an independent, frustrated heroine, who represented a little shown faction of us plus-sized ladies. There was so much there for Hattie to resonate with most of the readers, truly rooting for her to have the best Year of Hattie, and a happily ever after.
The Beast, our Whit, there is something in all of us who wishes to heal the broken little boy within strong, grown men, and Whit manages to trip all of those triggers, in both Hattie and the readers. There’s an infectious quality that sticks its claws in us and doesn’t let go.
Then there is reckless Nora, who I was thrilled to see has a taste for ladies, which I hope we will get to see more of her budding relationship.
But then there is Grace and Ewan, the past two novels seeded with their destiny, to the point where I am quite ravenous to find out what happens next, but not too quickly, as I never want it to end.
Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
The strength of Hattie’s character with a full figured body and a brilliant mind makes her the perfect successor to Felicity of WIcked and the Wallflower.
Sarah MacLean is a wordsmith. When Hattie meets the evil brother, there is this (abbreviated by me) exchange:
“They took everything from me.”
“They took nothing from you. They built a kingdom from nothing – a world of good people who know your brothers’ kindness and generosity and loyalty. . . . You have tried to strip them of it. And I won’t have it.”
“You won’t?”
“I won’t. Whit has spent a lifetime worrying about what might happen when you come for him. And here is the truth of it . . . if you harm them . . . I will come for you. And there is no past between us to keep you safe.”
When Hattie is lost to Whit, the words and whispers from the taciturn Beast made me weep.
Keep writing, Sarah. I can count on you to give me a book hangover.
Brazen and the Beast by Sarah Maclean delivers the “Year of Hattie” and I am here for it!! Hattie is magnificent. She wants to be her own person in a time when women didn’t have that option. She has a plan and that plan starts with “ruination” by way of losing her virginity. Then, she can’t be used as dowry by a man she doesn’t love. Then she can have business and fortune. I loved that Hattie was smart and hard working. She has been working in the family business and she is good at it. Hattie’s best friend Nora is perfect for her as well. They support and compliment each other brilliantly.
Beast (AKA Whit) is as different from Hattie as night and day. He and his brother, Devil, are the infamous Bareknuckle Bastards. Whit and his brother are ruthless and determined to defeat their other brother and stop the stealing of their shipments. Hattie is now tied to Whit by her involvement and their deal. I loved these two together. Hattie is the perfect match for Whit because she isn’t scared. She is bold and brave and goes toe to toe with him. I will say, Hattie is much nicer to her brother than I would have been. I would have taken more of the approach Nora suggested frequently. Or you know, made sure his wounds got infected or something!
Brazen and the Beast Sarah Maclean will make you fall in love with the underdogs and root for the unlikely. Maclean writes brilliant characters with such depth you will feel you truly know them and as such, you will care about them. Hattie and Beast are #relationshipgoals!
Oh, this book. In a way, this was not a slow-burn romance but it sure felt like it to me. I just could not get into Hattie and Whit’s romance, plus the writing wasn’t that great either. The book starts off with Hattie going to a brothel after she kisses an awakened (previously unconscious) Whit. At the brothel, in a mask, she wants to lose her virginity, and that’s where Whit comes back.
Hattie is a so-called spinster because she is twenty-nine (and since not a lot of women back then had sex before they married, which was young). Hattie is described as a “bigger woman than most” meaning she’s plus-sized, which I do like that the author incorporated but the execution was lacking, for me at least. Though, why is that in romance novels and the Hero kisses the inexperienced Heroine, the Heroine just magically knows how to kiss/is good at it after that?
Hattie’s inner thoughts hammer into us readers about how she wants to run the family business but it’s not shown much of her doing any of the work. Hattie seems insecure with her body at times. Hattie can be self-deprecating most of the book….understandable but her whole role in the book is to be “Brazen? (look at the title). Shouldn’t that include confidence? Hattie is also supposed to be “not like other girls”. Get another trope, MacLean, please.
Hattie and Whit have not chemistry, at least this is what I think. The dialogue is painful to read, for all the characters. Something I don’t get is if Whit thrives in the darkness why is so easy to knock out? Hattie’s brother’s bodyguard (Who we don’t meet) knocks him out and so does one of his “brothers.” Hattie ends up asking Whit for his real name but when he gives it to her she’s confused about what he means…isn’t she supposed to be brilliant? At least, that’s what Whit thinks. Whit repeatedly calls Hattie “his warrior” but I didn’t really see why she was one. She didn’t really do anything this whole book besides say how much she was different and wanted to run the family business.
Hattie and Whit continuing go on about how they are going to have sex and even being in a brothel in the first couple chapters, they don’t end up having sex until pg. 278…When Hattie calls sex “coitus which just made me think of Sheldon Cooper. Hattie is so stubborn throughout the novel about not getting married….though then she meets Whit and by the end of the book, she wants to throw all of her independence she repeatedly hammered into us to be with Whit. She tells him that he owns her.
The two sex scenes were boring and kind of uncomfortable (to me) to read about.
Two quotes that I just can’t stop thinking about:
1) From Whit: And when I deflower you, it will be very far from proper.” It was hard to read, actually.
2) From Hattie: “But arrogance won out, as it often did with men.”
It’s the year of Hattie and one item on her list is BODY. It’s time to lose the one thing the marriage mart values. Her virginity. Paying for a night of pleasure ends up with a meeting with the Beast. The man who previously ended up in her carriage, knocked out and bound. I guess rolling him out of the carriage after cutting him lose was a good idea at the time. Now he demands answers on his stolen goods. Hattie offers compensation. The game continues with conditions that continue to change. Hattie stands up to the Beast for what she wants. The one thing he craves is her love. Never a dull moment with a strong heroine that won’t back down from a man who only wants to protect her.
I loved every book in this trio! With each one you get a little more backstory. The Bareknuckle Bastards are definitely original!
Lady Henrietta Sedley has decided this will be the year she claims what she wants, securing her inheritance of her father’s business and her ability to make her own fortune. She’s also decided she wants to experience the pleasures that have eluded her as an established spinster. Her plans are falling nicely into place until she finds a truly beautiful man bound in her carriage, a man who threatens to send everything crashing down.
Waking in a carriage to the sight of the beautiful Hattie, Whit, better known as Beast, a king of Covent Garden, knows he must learn more about her, especially when he finds out pleasure is her goal for the evening. She’s headed straight for the Garden and Whit is more than happy to offer Hattie everything she wants, but he has a few demands of his own.
Hattie and Whit soon wind up as business rivals but partners in pleasure. She’s determined in her plans and he must maintain his power to keep her safe. What neither immediately realizes is that they’re the perfect pair and will soon have no choice but to give up everything to each other.
I wound up enjoying this book, but it took me an age to finish it. For no explicable reason, it failed to grab and hold my attention, though it has what are now some of my favorite steamy scenes ever. I loved Whit as a hero. His motivations were so pure, if a little misguided, and his deep need to protect, even if it meant sacrificing his heart and his desires, was utterly charming. Hattie was a bit annoying to me at first but as she got to know Whit and what drove him, she adjusted her own outlook and behavior and grew on me. I loved her determination to have Whit, all of him, and to show him she was more than capable of standing by his side and being protective of him as he was of her. I also loved the loyalty Whit, Devil, and Grace had earned from the denizens of the Garden and how that loyalty also transferred to Hattie. I have read this series out of order, so I think I was more sympathetic to the villain than I was meant to be, but I loved Hattie’s backbone in standing up to him. I adored Whit’s dirty bedroom talk and the utter vulnerability and sweetness he displayed when he finally opened his heart to Hattie. I was utterly charmed by his close brotherly bond with Devil and the emotional rooftop conversation they had so I’ve got to go back and read his book now; leave it to me to read the whole series backwards.
I’m still not sure why this one didn’t grab or hold my attention more, but I did enjoy it and the true partnership that emerged between Hattie and Whit, especially in the latter half of the book, and I found it really beautiful.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspot.com/2021/04/brazen-and-beast-by-sarah-maclean-review.html
A Wild Ride From the Beginning – 3.5 stars
This was a fulfilling story. Henrietta finds true love while forging her own destiny and Whit finds his match when he least expects. A most enjoyable read.
Brazen and the Beast was an excellent read featuring an amazing romance between a woman determined to prove herself and the handsome king of the underworld she meets along the way.
Lady Henrietta Sedley has declared her twenty-ninth year as the Year of Hattie, a year for herself where she will live her life as she wishes. On the first night of her year, Hattie plans to experience the pleasure she will miss out on as a spinster. But when she discovers a man tied up in her carriage, the Year of Hattie is threatened before it even begins. When Whit wakes up in a strange carriage, he is immediately suspicious of the woman inside until she charms him then frees him. After discovering Hattie is headed into his world, Whit quickly follows and soon the pair find themselves partners in business and pleasure.
Hattie comes from a family that wasn’t originally part of the nobility until her father was granted an earldom. The earl owns a shipping company and Hattie grew up on the docks learning the ropes of the business. Hattie has always wanted to inherit the business and has worked to make herself knowledgeable about every aspect of the business. I enjoyed how Hattie has figured out what she wants in life and is determined to get it, no matter what obstacles she encounters. The Year of Hattie really is a fantastic idea and I love how Hattie has decided to put herself first since no one else will.
Whit had an unusual upbringing as the bastard son of a duke, born on the same day as the duke’s three other children. Forced to compete for the role of his father’s heir, Whit instead formed an unbreakable bond with two of his siblings. I love the bond between Whit, Devil, and Grace as it’s so clear how much they care about one another. Whit is very much the strong, silent type and I loved how he used grunts in place of speaking a lot of the time. He’s also a huge bookworm which I adored.
Hattie and Whit’s relationship gets off to an interesting start after Hattie finds him unconscious in her carriage. Their banter is fantastic and I loved the quick connection the two formed. The chemistry between the pair is off the charts and their attraction is apparent from the start. The physical scenes between the two are steamy and very well done. The deal the two strike at the beginning of the book is an interesting one that definitely led to some great scenes. I loved how much Whit believed that Hattie could achieve her goals and that she would excel at whatever she put her mind to. Their relationship progresses a little slower than I expected but that definitely helped with the build up of tension between the two. Overall I loved the connection between Hattie and Whit and their romance is definitely one of my favorites I’ve read recently.
Felicity and Devil make several appearances in the book which was great as I’m always happy to see couples after their happily ever after. Plus I love their relationship, so it was great to get more of it. Grace also makes a few appearances and I find myself more and more intrigued by her character. I’m definitely looking forward to finally getting to learn more about her in Daring and the Duke. Ewan returns to cause more chaos and I’m definitely finding it harder to believe there’s any redemption to be had for him.
Brazen and the Beast was just as fantastic as Wicked and the Wallflower and I loved every minute of it. I’m interested to see how I feel about the third book in the series, Daring and the Duke, as I’m having a hard time believing Ewan can be redeemed. I highly recommend the first two books in this series if you’re looking for a great historical romance series to pick up.