Review: A Scot in the Dark

A SCOT IN THE DARK
Scandal & Scoundrel #2
Sarah MacLean
Historical Romance
352 pages
Avon
Available Now
Source: Bought

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Lonesome Lily Turned Scandalous Siren

Miss Lillian Hargrove has lived much of her life alone in a gilded cage, longing for love and companionship. When an artist offers her pretty promises and begs her to pose for a scandalous portrait, Lily doesn't hesitate...until the lying libertine leaves her in disgrace. With the painting now public, Lily has no choice but to turn to the one man who might save her from ruin.

Highland Devil turned Halfhearted Duke

The Duke of Warnick loathes all things English, none more so than the aristocracy. It does not matter that the imposing Scotsman has inherited one of the most venerable dukedoms in Britain—he wants nothing to do with it, especially when he discovers that the unwanted title comes with a troublesome ward, one who is far too old and far too beautiful to be his problem.

Tartan Comes to Town

Warnick arrives in London with a single goal: get the chit married and see her become someone else's problem, then return to a normal, quiet life in Scotland. It's the perfect plan, until Lily declares she'll only marry for love...and the Scot finds that there is one thing in England he likes far too much...

MY THOUGHTS
Sarah MacLean's historical romances never disappoint, and we are again treated to her outstanding characterization in A Scot in the Dark as a vaguely Beauty and the Beast-esque pairing delights from beginning to end.

Aside from the fact that Lily's beauty is a bit overstated, coming up time and again throughout, she herself is only aware of it on the periphery, as something people say about her as though she's not flesh and blood but rather a set of symmetrical features perfectly placed to aesthetically pleasing results. She's neither fixated on her looks nor bolstered by them, instead we find ourselves faced with a young woman at her most vulnerable thanks to the charms of manipulative artist and a society that thrives on a double standard. Though she's lived an extraordinarily solitary life and is facing a scandal that has all of London foaming at the mouth, she refuses to allow Alec to walk all over her when he arrives to "handle" her predicament. She stands her ground when he seeks to hand her off to any titled man in desperate need of a substantial dowry, puts him in his place when necessary, and keeps her head up when the whispering and pointed looks follow her at any public function.

Alec plays a rather classic role in terms of romance heroes, convinced he's not worthy of Lily once he realizes he's attracted to her and willing to push her away at every turn in order to save her from sullying herself further with him. Despite that familiar trait though, he's still big, brawny, and of course Scottish, a lethal combination when it comes to making us swoon, and watching as his path paved with good intentions leads him to hell in the form of a fiery redhead who knows what she wants is nothing short of glorious.

Overall, A Scot in the Dark is a fun follow-up to The Rogue Not Taken, a beautifully vulnerable lead pair ensuring we're emotionally invested in their story, and the infamous Talbot sisters proving themselves to be scene-stealers in their secondary roles as we look forward to one of them stepping into the limelight next.

Rating; 4/5

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Review (+ Giveaway!): The Rogue Not Taken

THE ROGUE NOT TAKEN
Scandal & Scoundrel #1
Sarah MacLean
Historical Romance
384 pages
Avon
Available Now
Source: eARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Lady Sophie’s Society Splash
 
When Sophie, the least interesting of the Talbot sisters, lands her philandering brother-in-law backside-first in a goldfish pond in front of all society, she becomes the target of very public aristocratic scorn. Her only choice is to flee London, vowing to start a new life far from the aristocracy. Unfortunately, the carriage in which she stows away isn’t saving her from ruin . . . it’s filled with it.

Rogue’s Reign of Ravishment!
Kingscote, “King,” the Marquess of Eversley, has never met a woman he couldn’t charm, resulting in a reputation far worse than the truth, a general sense that he’s more pretty face than proper gentleman, and an irate summons home to the Scottish border. When King discovers stowaway Sophie, however, the journey becomes anything but boring.

War? Or More?
 
He thinks she’s trying to trick him into marriage. She wouldn’t have him if he were the last man on earth. But carriages bring close quarters, dark secrets, and unbearable temptation, making opposites altogether too attractive . . .

MY THOUGHTS
The Rogue Not Taken is historical romance at its finest, giving us a relationship full of the very best kind of angst as our hero and heroine navigate the pitfalls of aristocratic society in order to be together. Normally a word like “angst” in reference to a romance of any kind would be a mark against it rather than for, but in the hands of Ms. MacLean we find the kind of angst that leaves a dull ache in our chests as we live and breathe with the characters until we reach their happy ending.

Sophie is an unforgettable heroine, standing up for her sister in the opening chapters in a way that has us cheering aloud and startling those around us, but in giving the Ton a dose of the truth they so rightfully deserve, she finds more trouble than she intended. What follows is an adventure full of physical pain, emotional heartbreak and utter joy, and we find ourselves experiencing the gamut of those emotions with her every step of the way. She’s unafraid to tell King exactly what she’s thinking or feeling and refuses to shrink away when his sharp words hit their mark, instead letting him see that while her emotional armor isn’t impenetrable, she’s not defenseless either.

King is a man who learns Sophie’s sore spots quickly and exploits them ruthlessly in the beginning, earning a narrowed gaze from us time and again as we prepare to punch the book in the hopes that he’ll feel it, but he also knows how to make up for harsh words both intentional and careless. He’s therefore incredibly hard to stay mad at for too long, especially when Sophie handles herself so beautifully, and we’re able to easily root for him to get out of his own way and see how perfect Sophie is for him. Of course it takes him until nearly the final chapter to realize what he has in Sophie, but their initial hostility and then comfortable banter has us smiling all the while even as our hearts constrict when he stumbles and winds up hurting her.

Overall, The Rogue Not Taken is a historical romance for the favorites shelf, Sophie and King both strong and vulnerable in equal measure, and their relationship is the type that has us itching to start again at the beginning as soon as we turn the last page.

Rating: 4.5/5

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SARAH MACLEAN

Sarah MacLean grew up in Rhode Island, obsessed with historical romance and bemoaning the fact that she was born far too late for her own season. Her love of all things historical helped to earn her degrees from Smith College and Harvard University before she finally set pen to paper and wrote her first book.

Sarah now lives in New York City with her husband, baby daughter, their dog, and a ridiculously large collection of romance novels. She loves to hear from readers.

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