by Sarah MacLean
Series: The Bareknuckle Bastards #2
Published on July 30, 2019 by Avon
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 382
Genres: Adult, Historical Romance, Romance
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 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 always worry a bit about sequels not living up to the first book in a series, even with romance series where often the installments can be read as standalones, but I didn’t have to with Brazen and the Beast! MacLean hooked me from the start with the determined Hattie and the Beast she runs into in the dark.
Having just read Wicked and the Wallflower, I loved the little hints from the previous book sprinkled into the sequel. They didn’t distract from the story if you haven’t read the first book but hold more meaning if you have which was a nice compromise. And like the first book, the characters had a chance to really develop a strong relationship and grow both as individuals and as a couple.
I loved Hattie. She was honestly just so enjoyable to read about. Her refusal to let anything get in the way of her goals, and taking her future in hand, was really inspiring and I loved that her “plan” was about her, not what she might bring to someone else in the future. You’d have to really struggle to not love her. Hell, she calls it the “Year of Hattie.” I just can’t. She was the perfect heroine and when she accepted all the good things others said about her was one of my favorite scenes in the book.
Her counterpart, Whit a.k.a. Beast played a decently large role in Wicked and the Wallflower but I loved getting to know him further in Brazen and the Beast. The fact that he doesn’t say much makes what he does share all the more important. And while he played the macho alpha card often, he always respected Hattie and, in fact, was one of her biggest cheerleaders throughout the book. I loved that he never let her think less of herself, and he was always there to protect her even if she didn’t realize it.
As a couple, I shipped them from the moment they met. Their banter was on point, the relationship wasn’t simply a case of insta-lust to insta-love, and both characters grew from the beginning to the end of the book. And there’s definitely some serious chemistry going on. But the hottest thing about this couple? It allowed Hattie and Whit to see that they’re not just “good old Hattie” as she sees herself, or the brute who can’t protect anyone as he sees himself.
It was perfect.
I can’t say enough good things about Brazen and the Beast, and I’m dying to get my hands on the next book! HIGHLY recommend checking this series out if you’re looking for some fantastic historical romances! And if you haven’t, make sure to check out the first book in the series, Wicked and the Wallflower! While you don’t NEED to read the books in order, I recommend it anyway because they’re both great and it might fill in a few blanks in the sequel.
Looking forward to book 3!
About Austine
I'm a 20-something research proposal developer with a background in the life sciences and education. Reviewer of books since 2011, amateur photographer by day, and aspiring author by night. I believe animals (and books) are better than people.
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