It’s the Year of Hattie. Or rather, the Year of Hattie Eve.

Lady Henrietta Sedley has a 4 stage plan to take control of her own life: Business. Home. Fortune. Future. But first...ruination.On the eve of her 29th birthday, Hattie has an appointment at a Covent Garden bordello, to do away with the main thing that still makes her marriageable; her virginity. But how is she supposed to get to her appointment when there’s an unknown, unconscious man tied up in her carriage? A gorgeous unconscious man.

And that’s how Hattie and Whit meet. Unfortunately, despite their attraction, they find themselves on opposite sides. Whit is going after Hattie’s brother for *reasons*, and Hattie will protect her family no matter what (even if her brother is a major douche). Whit is bent on revenge and righting wrongs, Hattie is determined to take over her family business and be her own woman, which is all threatened by Whit’s actions. Their goals are constantly at odds, but their attraction burns fierce. Who will submit?

What I liked: I loved that Hattie was full figured and TALL! I vomit a little bit in my mouth every time a romance heroine is described as tiny, waif-like, and delicate whose bones are “fragile as a sparrows”. Like...these upper class girls were not missing meals. They weren’t going to SoulCycle. They probably had some flesh on their bones. She was a great character. Strong, motivated, goal-oriented.

I also loved the glimpses of Ewan and Grace. Some people are screaming about “toxic relationships” and stuff, but I live for messed up, dark romances, and theirs looks like a doozy. But at the same time, I was way more interested in their tiny story arc than in Whit and Hattie’s, which leads me to...

What I didn’t like: I just did not connect with this couple. There was great dialogue between other characters (like Hattie and Nora) but whenever Whit and Hattie were together I was bored. Maybe it’s because all of their actual dialogue is separated by long, drawn out inner dialogue about the other’s appearance, lusty thoughts of what they want to do to each other, half-assed arguments to convince themselves they aren’t too attached, constantly doubting the other’s feelings. There’s no subtlety and lots of repetition.Although, this has seemed to be the trend with all the romance I've read lately. I was also irritated by the choppy, melodramatic writing style.

Overall, the first two books in this series have been “meh” for me. And I love SM so that is so hard to write! And like I said I’m really excited for Ewan and Grace, but I hope SM can really give it the authentic, gritty tone it deserves and not a cheesy, angst-ridden one.

So I've come to realize I'm not the biggest Historical Romance fan, I really need to be in the right mood to read it. That being said, I still did enjoy this one. The banter and wit made me really enjoy Hattie and Beast. The journey of their relationship and the chemistry was just so enjoyable. I'm also a sucker for a woman, especially in a historical, that wants to take charge of her own life. So when Hattie started that train of thought I was all in. Overall, I think this book was a fun historical romance that most readers will enjoy!

Thank you to Avon for the free eARC in exchange for a honest review!

This was a terrific addition to the series. I love the fact that, like the first book, this takes place mainly outside the usual setting of ballrooms and house parties. Instead, we see the world of the London docks and the poor of Covent Garden.

Hattie is the daughter of a man who, through his successful shipping business, earned the title of Earl. Intelligent and feisty, Hattie has turned her back on society and wants to run her father's shipping business. Unfortunately for her, her father doesn't agree and wants her married. She plans to take control of her life by first making herself unmarriageable, then actively pursuing her dreams. Her plans hit a snag when she finds a breathtaking man unconscious and tied up in her carriage.

Whit, also known as Beast, is one of the Bareknuckle Bastards who run the underworld of Covent Garden. He's convinced that Hattie knows something about how he came to be in her carriage and is determined to discover what it is. He is also intrigued by Hattie herself, especially when he discovers her plans for the night.

The first encounter between Whit and Hattie sucked me right into the book. Whit is not accustomed to being at a disadvantage, and he does not take it well. Hattie, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoys having the upper hand. The back and forth between these two was awesome, right up to when he kisses her - right before she shoves him out of the moving carriage. Undeterred, Whit manages to escape his bonds and follow Hattie to her destination. He intrudes on her plans, determined to get the answers he seeks, and ends up striking a bargain with the unintimidated Hattie.

I loved both Hattie and Whit. Hattie is bold and determined, brazen in her actions, though her outward confidence covers up some deep-seated insecurities. She has reached the ripe age of twenty-nine with no suitors because she does not match up with Society's requirements. She is tall, outspoken, and a bit on the plump side, and is completely convinced that no man will find her attractive. Whit is gorgeous to the extreme, powerful and intimidating. He is also protective of those he cares for, and that includes the denizens of Covent Garden. Some sweet scenes show just how much he cares. I especially loved the ones with the children. He also has some baggage of his own, thanks to the events of the past, baggage that makes him believe that he isn't good enough for her.

The development of the relationship between Hattie and Whit was great. They are well-matched from the beginning, and the sparks between them are intense. It was fun to watch Hattie stand up to Whit and blow all of his expectations out of the water. There's nothing like rushing to the defense of a woman only to discover that she has her attacker well in hand. Their "business" arrangement of him helping her with her plans while she arranges for the return of what was stolen quickly falls by the wayside as the attraction between them burns hotter. I enjoyed seeing Whit's growing respect for Hattie and her abilities and how his attitude helps her overcome her doubts about herself. There are some obstacles, not the least of which are threats against Hattie from a ducal nemesis of the Bastards, which leads Whit into actions that he thinks will protect Hattie. I laughed out loud at her reaction to this, as she shows herself to be Whit's equal in deviousness. There's an emotional and heart-wrenching scene as Hattie makes it clear that she will accept nothing less than what she deserves from Whit. It takes a near tragedy for Whit to realize the truth about his feelings for her, and I ached for him as he feared for her life. His big moment at the end was awesome, and the epilogue was a perfect ending.

The continuing storyline of the feud with brother Ewan provided some interesting moments. His encounter with Whit was intense and showed a man who was on the edge of desperation. But his scene with Hattie had a twist I didn't expect. I can't wait for the next book to see how the author redeems him.

I also enjoyed the secondary characters. Devil and Felicity make several appearances. I especially enjoyed Devil's advice to Whit regarding his revenge plans. Hattie's friend Nora was terrific. I loved her "take no prisoners" support of Hattie. It was also interesting to see her attitude toward Society. There's a story there, and I'd like to see more of it. Once again, the brothers' coworker, Nik, has some interesting input into events.

This title was more character driven than plot driven, but I enjoyed it regardless and will be reading the next title in the series.

Brazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLean 4 stars

This is Book #2 of the Bareknuckle Bastards series. I bought Book #1 Wicked and the Wallflower and thought it was OK. This book was. much better. The Beast "Whit" is the hero of this book. The book begins with him unconscious and bound in a carriage and discovered by Lady Henrietta Sedley "Hattie". She is leaving her home with her friend Lady Nora for a night of adventure. When he wakes up she questions him and figures out who he is. She throws him out near Covent Garden and resumes her trip. This begins a dance of attraction, banter and flirting. Both have a great deal to overcome. Hattie wants to achieve freedom and run her father's shipping business - to prove she is a worthy heir despite her being born a female. Whit is a caretaker/protector who is trying to overcome the trauma he experienced when he was a child. All of the Bareknucle Bastards experienced trauma and abuse at the hands of the Duke of Marwick. I won't spoil the story but there is hint at who will be featured in the next book.. Beacuse this book was so good, I am now looking forward to the third one.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins Avon for this ARC

I received an advance copy of this title from the publisher. All comments/opinions are my own.

Ooooh this book. This poor poor book. Where does one even begin...

Let’s just jump right to it and state I am not a fan. If you’ve read the first book in this series, then you’ve read this already.

Three brothers, bastards. All born on the same day. At the same time. To three separate women. Two brothers are living in the seedy underbelly of London. One is running about as a Duke and trying to kill the other two. That is the meat of this series. I kid you not. That ridiculous spoof is the basis of our plot.

This series is heavy in hero’s who don’t use their words to communicate. They lend heavily toward such sexy plot crutches like grunting and lonnng heavy stares. Lucky for these gents, the women of their choosing have come equipped with grunt ciphers and understand all of this non-communication to a T.

Essentially books one and two in this series are just buying time to move us along to the next which will be Ewan (our badass Duke who is actually just a shitty person) and Grace (their sister/non sister- yes you read that correctly). Ewan has tried multiple times to kill his brothers in an attempt to squirrel out his non-sister who he has a major “love” vibe for. Stalker. Possessive. Toxic obsession. Those are the adjectives I would choose to describe their bizarre “relationship”.

Let me get to some problematic AF moments that I have with this series. Mind you, the authors previous works I have been a fan of. However now we have a series that I feel is putting forth some really off messages. The anti-hero is a fine line. You cannot make someone a lunatic that is bent on MURDER and reform that into a romantic hero. This is presenting obsession, possessive tendencies, violence out of “love” as ROMANCE. What the ever loving fill in the blank. At this point it is irresponsible to present Ewan as the love interest in the coming book(s) of this series. My fingers are figuratively crossed that he gets killed off and some shiny new character swoops in and saves this mess.

Authors. STOP ROMANTACIZING TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS.

My other problematic issue. This giant elephant in the room that we’ll label: Whit’s Unwrapped Penis. You mean to tell me, that this man is a “King” of the underworld, he rolls with all of the unsavory types, his sister is a madam of her own brothel ................. and he could not get his hands on a crinkly sheep skin condom that?!?!!? Please. Do better by your readers.

Authors. STOP ROMANTICIZING UNSAFE SEX PRACTICES.

Everyone is raving about the power they feel from a full figured heroine. I’m sorry but that moment is overshadowed by UNHEALTHY THEMES.

Lady Henrietta Sedley reached her 29th birthday and is firmly established as a spinster with just one hope in life; to run her father’s shipping business. She is confident in her goal and declares it to be the year of Hattie. The year starts off unexpectedly when a handsome man is left unconscious and tied up in her carriage.

After coming to, Savior Whittington (aka Beast or Whit), one of the Bareknuckled Bastards of Covent Garden is in awe of the woman that Society finds lacking.

A threat from the past can easily destroy this couple. It is up to Hattie to proclaim her year and win her business and the Beast.

Sarah Maclean always writes an enchanting story with strong, often overlooked heroines. This was no different. After both books in the series I am on pins and needles for Ewan and Grace’s story. I almost dread thinking about what led him to do what he had to do to keep Grace safe.

The new Sarah Maclean introduces Hattie and Whit (aka Beast). Hattie is a strong, bold, hard-working woman, aspiring to take over her father’s shipping business. She is deeply involved already, running rings around her brother, and learning the business from the ground up. She meets Whit, one of the Bareknuckle Bastards, and the ruler of Covent Garden, when her idiot brother tries to rob him.

The plot twists come early and fast in this novel, and although some of them are a bit over the top, I was willing to roll with them, and thoroughly enjoyed the read!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Magnificent work Sarah McLean! It was so good I read it in one shot without putting it down. Hattie is marvelous! She is fierce and feisty and makes a great heroine. Whit or “Beast” never stood a chance once he met her. Whit is trying hard to hide all the sweetness he holds inside from everyone, but Hattie pulls it all out of him. This series is not be missed. As Whit fulfills all of Hattie’s desire. The story is filled with witty banter and steamy encounters between the two. As the two trade banter and make deals it becomes clear that they are perfect for each other.

I really enjoy Sarah Maclean's writing style. This is the second book in the series and was just as good as the first cant wait for the next one

Is there a good time to find a man bound and unconscious in one's carriage? There certainly is a bad time as Hattie would attest especially when she has place to be and a birthday to celebrate? It's the year of Hattie and Whit is raining on Hattie's parade with his impeccable sense of timing. What an unexpected and charming start to the story?
Hattie has a solid plan to win in the man's world that she lives in. Meeting the stranger in her carriage gives her a momentary pause but soon she's given him a shove out of her carriage and proceeding with the rest of her evening except even as she's having second choices on her preferences Whit shows up. Soon it seems that Hattie can't make a move without running into him so she takes the bull by it's horns and invades his turf dangerous as it might be.
Whit and his brother are hunting down the person who's out to hurt their business only Hattie's brother has put her square in the sights of the bareknuckle bastards. I really enjoyed the cut and thrust between the two protagonists as they both vied to win even as they fall in love. I definitely applauded when Hattie routs Whit by demonstrating her power at the docks when he challenges her by buying her father's business from under her feet.
This is a solid middle book in the trilogy setting the stage for the final book though I'm not sure how it will come about but I can assure you given the way this trilogy has been so far it will be women's ingenuity and love that will win the day. Can't wait to see it play out.

I picked up Wicked and the Wallflower earlier this year for the Romanceopoly reading challenge and completely fell in love with the world of the Bareknuckle Bastards. I didn’t even think I liked Historical Romance until I discovered Sarah MacLean!

Brazen is my fifth of her books and hits the feminist themes the hardest of any I’ve read with its heroine trying to take over the family business. I loved the way that Beast supports her though. He’s really the perfect Book Boyfriend! That storyline or Hattie’s struggles with body image could have come off as heavy handed or anachronistic but MacLean handles them masterfully.

I continue to be in love with this world and am eagerly awaiting the next book.

I love Sarah’s writing and her heroines. Those were the standouts in this book. However, I felt like the story lagged for large parts and the hero wasn’t fully drawn out. He was only painted in conjunction with his brother and I didn’t get a good picture. I would have liked leas of vague feelings and the constant mention of the ache each MC had for the other. . Which sucks because the heroine was lost within those feelings when she was trying to push boundaries and taking down the patriarchy. This felt like a bridge to the next book and set the story to continue.

Reading a new book by Sarah Maclean is a pure joy. She weaves humor, history, and romance into a very satisfying read. Her new series, the Barenuckle Bastard series, tackles the more seedy aspects of Victorian England which is hardly covered in the historical romances I've read before.

I really loved Hattie as a heroine. For once we get a real life size woman who is insecure of her body because she does not fall under the beauty requirements of her time. She is repeatedly told she is just "too much", but her struggle to tell herself she is enough is very relatable and real even in the 21st century. I am glad there was a nod to body diversity in this book and the fact that the author didn't overly physically describe her. I also loved that her feminist viewpoints and claiming her life was Hattie's driving motive. Again these issues feel very real in our current society where women are constantly put on the back burner and ignored when it comes to promotions.

I thought Whit/Beast was a really good match for Hattie. He too struggled with his worth, more so in the context that he could not save everyone he loved, but also like Hattie's inability to think that he too is worth loving. His banter with his brother Devil was a highlight. Is it clear that Whit is the mastermind behind the Bastard's financial success.

I am eager to read the next book and would love a book on Nik and Nora's relationship which we saw budding in this book along with finding out the real story behind Grace and Ewan. Whichever route Maclean takes, I will be eagerly anticipating her book.

Netgalley gave me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review....so here goes.

This book surprised the heck out of me. I have only ever read one other book by Sarah MacLean and I wasn't a big fan. Nope, I just lied. I read two from a series hoping the second would be better and when I didn't think it was, I bailed on the series. So lets start by saying, I went into this book not expecting much at all. Holy Hades, was I wrong.

This was the perfect regency romance novel in my opinion. THERE WAS A STORY! and it was interesting! Whoa, hello? Did I lose you guys? Don't worry, there was tons of sex too. We'll get there...just bare with me. The story in this book made sense and was intriguing. I wanted to know more. This book made me want to go back and read the first and it made me excited for the next book in the series. Which is a big deal because reading the second in a series first you kind of already know what you would learn from the first but whatever, I'm gonna read it anyways...that's the level of love and dedication I have for this book. I will say that most regency romance novels that I've read either have no story or the story is there but it's not great because it's not the driving force behind the novel. Either things won't add up or they won't really get settled. This story just felt whole. I really appreciated it. I was totally here for it and can't wait to see where it goes next. Now...onward with the sex!
This novel also has many of everyone's favorite bedroom olympic games including the deep dive, the bedchamber rug thrusts, stRoking the fire, and many many more. I was also here for that. We all were. That's why we read this stuff. This book starts out with the lady doing something most would think scandalous. Yet it takes her a pretty long time in the book to actually do something truly scandalous. But, it's worth it. I mean com on guys, she's a lady in the streets....give her some time to grow into her scandal in sheets self. It's worth it.

Anyways, long story short. If you want to read a regency romance novel that is a fast yet thoroughly entertaining read with action, adventure, scandal, and fun...check this one out. It won't disappoint you. If it does....we can't be friends.

3.5 stars rounded up. I find Sarah MacLean to a be a pretty reliable writer of satisfying HR with take-charge heroines and zippy dialogue (really, some of the best dialogue) and this installment in her latest series does not disappoint. If you like her, you'll like this; if you don't, you probably won't. I'm also very interested to see what happens in Grace's book, which is the next one. It's not clear to me if she's going to try to redeem Ewan or not, but there's no other obvious hero she's setting up. He seems so terrible, but she might be able to sell it. I also appreciated that the bestie in this instance is a lesbian, and finds a love interest. A Nora novella seems like it would be great.

I received an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was not a winner for me. I really can't stand weight and being plus-sized as a plot driver of conflict. Can we please get a plus-size heroine that has body confidence and simply IS plus-sized without it being a conflict? The writing also felt verbose to me and the plot convoluted. There was a great deal of repetition too that made the flow a bit stilted.
As a personal opinion, I'm not a huge fan of plotlines where every page, chapter, dialogue, scene, etc. between characters indicates that they are attracted to each other, love each other, are invested, etc. and yet the characters don't believe the other's feelings. It doesn't make sense to me that the hero can say over and over and over how badly he wants to have sex with her and then does have sex with her and she still doesn't believe he wanted to have sex with her.

Brazen and the Beast is the second book in Sarah MacLean's The Bareknuckle Bastards series. Though I believe I would have been better served by reading the first book - references to the prior story were made and I feel like I missed important stuff - I didn't really care, because I LOVED this book!

Lady Henrietta Sedley was the daughter of an Earl who owned a shipping company. Her father was not born to the title, so his son would not inherit the shipping company by right. Hattie wanted it; she loved it, and it was her dream to take over the company. She was turning 29, and that dream was part of the "Year of Hattie". She decided that if she lost her virginity, her father would realize that marriage was not in her future and he would grant her wish. When her best friend Nora went to drive her to a brothel, they found a beautiful, unconscious man in their carriage. This man turned out to be Whit, known as "Beast"; he was a king of Covent Garden. He discovers that she was on her way to lose her innocence. When she cuts him loose and pushes him out of the carriage, he decides to follow her and cut a deal....with him agreeing to give her the pleasure she wishes to experience.

I cannot express how much I absolutely loved Hattie and Whit! Hattie is one of my favorite heroines ever! She was older and plump and had physical self-esteem issues. She thought no man would find her attractive. She did, though, have great self-confidence as a businesswoman. She knew the shipping business and had no doubt that she could run it successfully by herself. She was also very talkative and funny. Then there's our Beast. ~SIGH~ He was not talkative and communicated oftentimes with grunts. Though a king in the underground with his brother Devil, he was a good man who truly cared about his men and women in Covent Garden. Whit found Hattie wildly attractive and found her brazen behavior exciting; he thought of her as his Warrior. (I feel another SIGH coming on!). Their chemistry was off the charts, and their steamy times together were beyond sensual. And he didn't mind if she wanted to be in charge... This story was absolutely amazing!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Sarah MacLean writes such wonderful heroines and heroes. While there may be some trifling details in her historical accuracy you will be swept away on her tide of fully realized characters, steamy lovemaking and references to her other books you will never get enough of these smart and feisty heroines! I am a die hard fan of MacLean!

On balance I enjoyed this book. The characters were likable and had good chemistry. MacLean writes amusing dialog and fun, steamy sex scenes. I was on board with the plot for the most part. The absolutely ridiculous origin story of the bareknuckle bastards, though... yikes. Every time Whit (great romance name) started telling Hattie (possibly the worst romance name) about his life I found myself frustrated and distracted. I'm sure there will be readership for this book, as the author is very popular in my library system.. Thanks for the opportunity to read!