The Day of the Duchess: A Witty Second Chance Regency Romance – Third Book in the Scandal & Scoundrel Series

I have come quite late to the MacLeaniverse but I've enjoyed every one of her books to a greater or lesser degree. So this may not be the most timely review but I hope it convinces someone to read this book. This book may be my favorite, or at least top 3 of all Maclean's novels. The love scenes are nice but not the spiciest (for that you'll definitely want to check out the Hell's Belles series, especially Sesilys story), but the characters are so complex and their stories so relevant. For a lot of books in this genre, including many of Maclean's, you don't see much of the characters' love story beyond the meet cute and honeymoon stages. But this book is very different and the love story starts off in such a dark and hard place; they have to work their way back to each other. It feels so achingly relevant to those of us in long term relationships where you inevitably find ways to hurt the person you love the most, often unintentionally, but you have to figure out a way to fight for each other. And to let go of your own anger and hurt. There's a lot of heavy emotions in this book but it gave it such resonance and weight, which I don't normally get from other historical romances. I got very invested in their story as a result of how real their relationship felt on the page. I loved how much of the book involved scenes with the whole Talbot sister group. Their dialogue and teasing was often laugh out loud funny, and left me wanting more of the Dangerous Daughters. I enjoyed the setup for Sesily's love story in the Hell's Belles series, and I enjoyed the epilogue more than most that I've read in this genre. Maybe because I was so invested in the characters by that point. I still can't believe how much I liked this book given the setup for the hero in a prior book made him seem like the absolute worst, but the redemption arc was very rewarding. I'll definitely be reading this one again in the future. Side note: for those coming to Maclean's books without a lot of direction, like I did, it's really best to read them in publication order. It's not absolutely necessary, as I did not read them in order, though in hindsight I wish I had. I didn't realize that so many of her characters are recurring and come back later for their own stories. I often had the suspicion that a cameo character was from one of her other series but since I hadn't read those books yet I wasn't really getting the full context. Wish I had known that going in, but otherwise no regrets reading my way through her whole catalog. MacLean is a talented writer and I've really enjoyed the world building and crossover characters now that I know what to expect.

Actually, this is somewhere between 3 1/2 and 4 stars for me. I got this and then put off reading it for a while (which is not like me). I had a feeling that this would be a difficult book to read and I was right. This story was emotionally draining. It is long, about 390 pages, and the first 330 pages were mostly the angst of the main characters and the revisits to the past that explain the angst. After a while it did get a little tough to read. You wanted to just shake the heroine and say, "Yes, you were hurt, but so was he, and at least he admits he was wrong and is trying to fix it." She keeps ignoring that fact and stating that it is too bad that they cannot just go on from this new point. After finishing this book, I had to go back and reread one of my favorite funny historical romances, Ravished by Amanda Quick, to put me back in a better place. But perhaps this is a strength of the book. It was not written to be a happy, or funny, historical romance, but a thoughtful one. That being said, the storyline was interesting (if draining), the hero is great as a "reformed bad guy" from previous books in the series. The sisters are as funny as ever. The information about how divorce was granted in those days was eye-opening. The pace was very slow and we did seem to move back and forth a lot in time to explain the reasons for everything. I will say that I LOVED the ending. How the hero handled everything at the end showed that he truly loved her and wanted what was best for her. The epilogue and those final scenes made the whole book worthwhile in my opinion. So I guess you will have to try it and see for yourself.

"I am Seraphina Bevingstone, Duchess of Haven. And I require a divorce." "The only woman he'd ever loved. The only woman he'd ever hated." FINAL DECISION: Fabulous. The villain of the first book becomes a hero and the woman he wronged becomes a strong, independent woman who makes him pay for being an ass. The book just works on so many levels, but a reader has to be willing to give the jerk a chance. THE STORY: Seraphina and Malcolm Bevingstoke, the Duchess and Duke of Haven, have been apart for over three years. Mal viciously sent Sera away when he discovered that she planned to have them found in a compromising situation in order to force their marriage. Now Sera has returned demanding a divorce. Mal has promised her the divorce she wants if she helps him find her replacement. The two are to spend the summer together, but Mal has no intention of finding a new wife when he has finally gotten the one he wants to return to him. OPINION: This is a powerful and angst filled book. There is no easy road for these characters who are complex and not always the easiest to cheer on. This book is not for everyone. Before this book even begins, readers of the series know that Haven has been unfaithful. Caught in the act, he was pushed into a fish pond by his sister-in-law (kicking off the events in A ROGUE NOT TAKEN). I will be honest with you friends. There is no mistake, no wishy washy out, no hidden secret to take away that truth. The hero of this book was unfaithful to the heroine after they had met, fallen in love and married. For some readers, that might be a deal breaker which turns them away from this book, but I hope not. This book deserves a chance because the reality is rich and complex and the journey difficult and worthwhile. The reality of what happened between Mal and Sera in the past is dark and nuanced and has an explanation. Not an excuse, not a justification, but an explanation and an understanding. There is no justification for Mal's actions and, in truth, he doesn't seem to want to justify his past actions. The question this book is interested in is different. Is there a way forward in a relationship where the foundation was intertwined with lies and deceit and betrayal? The structure of this book interweaves the past and the present. Beautifully conceived, the very structure and form serves to tell the entire story of Mal and Sera but also clearly demonstrates how the past haunts these characters. Their obstacle is the past which is both horrible and beautiful in parts. I find myself most satisfied by books that delve deeply into the emotional life of the characters and MacLean is a master of this type of story. Can these characters understand and accept the past and move forward? Is it even possible for forgive the past which will never be forgotten? For that is at the heart of the conflict. Sera and Mal will never be able to forget the past. They can only accept is and decide if they love one another enough to be willing to build a future together. This was a difficult book for me. I finished it a week ago and knew that I would give it a 5 star review, but I didn't know how to approach the review. I needed to let the story and the characters settle with me. I ultimately loved this book because the conflict these characters have is real and genuine and seemingly insurmountable. But that is also its beauty. They can move forward, they can love one another again in a better and more honest way. Perhaps that is what I most like about this book. Flawed and damaged people also can find love and are entitled to their happy endings -- even if they have done terrible things, even if they have made mistakes and are not perfect. Isn't that hope for all of us? WORTH MENTIONING: Spoiler! Spoiler! Content Warning! There is a miscarriage depicted in this book for those who might be sensitive to the content. CONNECTED BOOKS: THE DAY OF THE DUCHESS is the third book in the Scandal & Scoundrel series. While this story is independent of the others of the series, Mal and Sera's story is part of both of the prior books in the series. This book is just better if you have read the others (especially A ROGUE NOT TAKEN). STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

I was anticipating The Day of the Duchess since first getting a glimpse into Seraphina & Malcolm’s marriage in the first book in this series (The Rogue Not Taken). And wow did it deliver, on every feeling one can have. This is a second chance romance between an estranged couple, so really a marriage in trouble romance and it is just masterfully written. The love, the heartbreak, the loss, the hope...such a beautiful story. Seraphina left her husband Malcolm, Duke of Haven, and a couple years later comes slamming back into his life when she shows up at Parliament demanding a divorce. Mal decides to make a deal with her, he will grant her the divorce in 6 weeks time when Parliament is back in season...if she joins him at their country estate to help him find a replacement Duchess. All the while his master plan is to woo his wife back to him. I love this couple so much, the flashbacks to when they first met and their banter was just absolutely delicious...like sparks flying, eyes twinkling levels of deliciousness. Sera is such a strong heroine & Mal is the most groveling hero. Both have been through so much, they both hurt one another and had so much to make up for, forgive for, grieve for, work through together...and it was really tragic and beautiful. I fell even more in love with the Talbot sisters in this book, their sisterly bond is amazing & each one of them is so fierce and protective and loving and in this book we see how the 5 sisters got coined the “Dangerous Daughters”. I love that Sera brought her sisters along with her, the carriage ride sister shenanigans & the enormous white cat named Brummell. 🤣 I loved seeing Felicity Faircloth & the beginnings of the Bareknuckle Bastards in here. This book also got me even more pumped for Bombshell that drops this summer, I am so ready for more of Sesily & her American! 💕 And now I am off to go google Witley Park in Surrey and its amazing underwater ballroom that was built in the 1890s...

Seraphina deserved so much better than Haven. The problem is that there was not just one thing that he did wrong. You saw it throughout the other books in intermittent little pieces, but there was absolutely no redeeming him for me. He not only was a cheater who did it in public purely for the purpose of demolishing the heart of the woman he was supposed to love, but he went after her family to destroy them. I don’t care what epiphany he had or how sorry he was or how much he supposedly loved her, he was a bad person. At the end of the day, Seraphina always looked out for the people around her and did what she had to, which was very typical of the times to protect her family. It was not done out of malice or anything else. He did what he chose to do because he was awful. It will probably be the only time that one of this author’s books ever receives below four stars from me, but Seraphina deserved better than what she got.

How I wish an editor had taken an axe to this thick prose! The book should be half as long as it is. It's overly emo even for a romance, and you have to slog through thorough examinations of each and every emotion, which become repetitive. That editor should have nixed the idea of five similarly-named sisters in the first place. Long ago I gave up trying to tell them apart. The situation is supposed to be unbearably cute, but instead is simply unbearable. The author doesn't help the confusion as she persists in her increasing habit of inserting an uncredited piece of dialogue in a neutral point-of-view paragraph, often followed by more uncredited dialogue, which is occasionally followed by still more. Who the heck is speaking? Hello, editor? The book gets three stars because the author --who has written some rip-snortingly FINE books; go check them out-- can put a cohesive sentence together. (That's becoming rare.) It gets the beginning of another star because somewhere buried in all the bloated emo, is a good book. Somewhere. Points taken off for the epilogue, which I vigorously disagreed with, but don't wish to spoil it for others. In a book that dared to deal with infidelity from one of its leads, I was surprised and disappointed the author resorted to a cliche that also alienates those in her audience who find themselves in the heroine's position but who are unable to utilize a deus ex machina.

As memory serves us, we met the dastardly Duke of Haven, Malcolm Bevingstoke, engaging in an extramarital romp in full view of his pregnant wife and her sister at a ton event in the first book of this series. The dousing of said duke was oh so satisfying as Sophie Talbot shoved him arse over tea kettle into the nearest fish pond. Events ensued to cement his reputation with this reader as the most reprehensible rogue in Sarah MacLean's pantheon of rogues. Redemption? Impossible! Seraphina Bevingstoke, nee Talbot, Duchess of Haven was presented as a stoic, yet tragic, figure in the previous books. Sera immediately captured the readers' interest, sympathy and loyalty in this marital melange. Readers wanted to know why was Sera silent in the face of her husband's blatant infidelity? Why was Sera cast out of her home and marriage? What did Sera do to incur the duke's ire? What happened to the baby? Where did she go when she disappeared? Why did Haven call his duchess a whore? One question this reader never asked was, can this marriage be salvaged? In my eyes, the union was irretrievably broken. Haven was as good as dead (carriage accident, duel, back alley murder, who cares?) Sera would birth the heir and meet a good guy to heal her heart in another novel. Wrapped up nice and tidy! I was so wrong. With my theory jettisoned upon reading the blurb for this book, my curiosity was piqued to the utmost degree. Theories were flying all over the interwebs. We waited with bated breath for the release of this book. Haven Hatred was at an all time high. The book arrived. No sleep. Sarah MacLean has accomplished the impossible. She redeemed Haven. She answered all of the questions readers asked above. This book was in parts unbelievably sad, poignant, romantic, silly, sexy and heartwarming. A new term was coined that was both charming and delightful. We met new characters that we expect to see again. We enjoyed visiting with Sera's posse, the Soiled Sisters/Dangerous Daughters. Personally, my hate was so strong for Haven, that I was predisposed to discount his efforts at redemption. I wanted more from him. I felt that his wife deserved more from him. It took a day or so to accept his redemption and move on. MacLean's writing was, of course, top notch. I credit her for writing a thoroughly reprehensible character and making me hate him so badly that I wanted to participate in his dousing, then with the tapping of the computer keys turning everything around and remaking him into maybe not a swoon worthy hero, but a decent enough, though misunderstood, chap with whom maybe Sera can live.

I usually don't write reviews, but I felt like I must for this book. Sarah MacLean is one of my favorite authors. I haven't read a book by her that I did not like. However, this one exceeds even my wildest expectations. Since their characters were introduced in The "Rogue Not Taken", I have wanted to read Sera and Haven's full story. This book includes one of my favorite tropes; long-lost husband/wife/lover returns after years away- even better when he/she left after being horribly wronged. I am a sucker for a good redemption story and this one does not disappoint. And redeeming Haven is a tall order! Sarah MacLean's writing style is so unique. She has a strong voice and the way that she puts sentences together often feels poetic. Frequently, I find myself rereading sentences just because I'm blown away by her voice. Her books all have witty dialogue, complex, flawed characters, and compelling story lines. Where this one tops her previous stories is that at the center of the book are two characters who have a heart wrenching past and the book takes the reader on a journey of how they separately have tried to come to terms with their mutual loss, and then ultimately how they choose to forgive each other and heal together. I cried several times while reading this book (warning: there is an infant loss and infidelity). I know that some previous reviews pointed out the fact that there are strong secondary characters with their own story lines and agendas as a negative. For me, this is very much a positive. I love that the heroine (and hero) exist outside of their love relationship. Isn't that real life? I love the banter and relationship of female friendships and sisterhood. The Talbot sisters are a force to be reckoned with and I loved them from the start! I can't wait to read Sesily and Caleb's story. This is a MUST READ! I highly, highly recommend this and all of Sarah MacLean's books.

I have greatly appreciated this book, because it sheds new light on a character, Malcom's one, that I totally hated on the previous story. Sarah MacLean wrote another breathtaking story, rich of emotions, that keeps you glued to the book. From the beginning, it seemed that Sera and Malcom marriage was doomed, too many things had happened between them, and I thought their characters had to be secondary ones; I didn't think they would have a story of their own, so this book has been a surprise, and a pleasant one, because it gave Malcom and Sera another chance.

Die Geschichte von Sera & Mal ist herzergreifend und berührend. Wie sich schon im ebenso fantastischen Buch 1 dieser Serie „The Rogue Not Taken“ -die Story von Sophie & King- (im ersten Kapitel kommen auch Sera & Mal drin vor) erahnen ließ, war hier Taschentuchbedarf zu befürchten/zu erhoffen. Und so war es auch! Ich habe mit Sera & Mal gelitten, gehofft und geliebt. Von Nachtruhe habe ich mich verabschiedet, da ich das Lesen nicht unterbrechen konnte. Sarah MacLean versteht es ausgezeichnet, einen mit ihren Geschichten zu fesseln. Ich empfehle jedem erst die Story von Sophie & King „The Rogue Not Taken“ zu lesen, da dort im ersten Kapitel ein wesentlicher Teil von Sera‘s & Mal‘s Liebes- und Leidensgeschichte passiert. „The Day of The Duchess“ hat mich unglaublich berührt und zu Tränen gerührt. Ich musste mich nach dem Ende erstmal sammeln. 100%ige Leseempfehlung für diese fantastische Story.🥰😍 steht zusammen mit Buch 1 auf meiner Re-Read-Liste😍

L'attente en valait la peine et si les livres précédents n'étaient pas tous parfaits, celui-ci est merveilleux. Le deux personnages principaux sont hyper attachants malgré leur passé et leurs querelles. Bref on en redemande.

Absolutely stunning novel - loved Sera's character from the first novel of the series and in this novel, her story and Mal's, the emotion and romance is so compelling and strong that I actually cried when Mal gave her the divorce - the similar story of Orion going on at the same time is pure genius as it strengthens the loss that Mal has gone through without Seraphina - loved the humor and the plot that balances with this emotional story of what love can be

This heart wrenching story is not a straight forward feel good romance, but it is engrossing, often funny and beautifully written. Duke Mal has done everything petty and spiteful to pay his wife back for tricking him into marriage. Sera has hidden from Mal for years and only surfaces because she wants a divorce. The chasm of bitterness and pain between them is irredeemable, it seems. But cheating Mal wants Sera back. We all have friends with hurtful partner, and like Sera’s four sisters, we want to see them with someone better. So for most of this book I was hoping Sera would escape her painful marriage. But Mal is determined, luring Sera to act as his hostess while he chooses his second wife. This part is the funniest as young women line up to be selected by the Duke, only to find its the duchess Sera who is the best company. Along with her courageous sisters, Sera defies social norms in her quest to be happy. Sera and her sisters are the best thing about this book- they have wonderful one liners. The relationship between Sera and Mal is just gripping. There is a real tug of war between the pain of their marriage and the attraction that first bought them together. As for the book’s faults? I just can’t think of anything I don’t like about this emotional witty novel.