Brazen and the Beast: The Bareknuckle Bastards Book II

"Oh my." Indeed! "The man had the most beautiful face Hattie had ever seen. The most beautiful face anyone had ever seen. She leaned closer, taking in his warm, bronze skin, the high cheekbones, the long straight nose, the dark slashes of his brows, and the impossibly long lashes that lay like sin against his cheeks." Sigh... So that is Hattie's first glimpse of Whit, or rather known as Beast, a king of Covent Gardens. He and his brother Devil (scrumptious book 1) are known as the Bareknucke Bastards. He ends up trussed up in Lady Henrietta's carriage somehow and she just pushes him out so she can go on with her planned night since it is her 29th birthday. Oh yes, she has plans, but we all know how those often go? Sarah MacLean has written a wonderful story with all the amazing ingredients of a heroine who knows her own mind and is determined, an unexpected meeting that led to all kinds of adventure, a sigh worthy hero, humor and great dialogue, an attraction off the charts, betrayal, emotions off the scales, good and bad, and a journey to a happy ever after fraught with a few challenges! Oh and let's not forget the steam rising off the pages!

I loved this book! The story of Hattie and Whit hit all the notes, daring, fun, brave, sensual, sizzling, angst, joy and of course love. Hattie is determined to finally live her life, and Beast is well, determined as well. For all of us who have felt the world telling we are too big, too loud, too smart, too much, and yet not enough, this book is for you. We are all Hattie, if we are brave enough to choose to be.

Hattie (Henrietta) has always been the smarter of her father’s children, and always dreamed of having her own business, life, home and control. But, her father sees her as little more than a girl who needs be wed and settled in a home with a husband, preferably one with a title as theirs is non-hereditary and granted for the shipyards contribution to Britain. But Hattie, soon to be 30, is determined to force her father’s hand. She knows that her brother August is unable to grasp the finer details of business, has little interest and even less aptitude, and she’s going to make all of that clear by arranging her own ‘ruination’ in a visit to a very exclusive and (contrary to convention) bordello that caters to both men and women. Using her best friend (also on the shelf and known for her wild careening through the streets as she commandeers her carriages) Nora to drive her and also be her sounding board, all is going according to plan until they find a man, tied and unconscious, in the carriage. Beat (or Whit) is the third of the four children born to the Duke of Marwick – all illegitimate, all set against one another to ‘prove’ their worth – that was until Beast, Devil and Grace fled their father’s home for London and a life on the streets. Now all grown up, The Bastards have several businesses, legitimate and otherwise, and run Covent Garden and the slums of London. Beast, however, is different to his siblings, he’s the caretaker – seeing that the children of the area have lemon and raspberry ices when they bring a ship in with ice, always having sweets to hand and a word, kind or otherwise, to see women and children are cared for, and the miscreants are punished. But now with four shipments having gone awry and three of his men injured in the process, it’s personal to Beast, and he is determined to know who is behind the thefts. The lynchpin of the questions he needs answers for is Hattie – but he’s alternately intrigued and disturbed by her – and always off balance. MacLean does such a wonderful job of showing us the good and bad sides of these characters, outlining their loyalties and showing their insecurities. Hattie is “not the ideal’ for the London social scene: too tall, not ‘pretty’ enough, not ‘thin’ enough, too smart, too apt to speak her mind – and she’s incorporated these insecurities and they affect how she interacts with men, or believes that she has more to offer in terms of a romantic partnership. She’s convinced herself that she doesn’t want one – and with Beast –in all his glory, believing that she’s too good for him, and should he love her he would lose her – the two have plenty to ‘work out’ in terms of trust, interactions and choices. But they are ELECTRIC together and wonderfully paired – she’s fearless and loyal, as is he – and she is more than willing to take on purveyors of injustice, no matter how big or small. Additionally we get to visit with the people of the area, learn a bit more about Annika and see that Grace, despite being sent away for her own safety is ready to take up the role of protector to the two she fled for London with so many years ago. Atmospheric, action packed, steamy and oh so lovely for the connection between Beast and Hattie that is clearly developing the more they interact, the story is a read in one sitting, can’t put it down – give me the next book NOW sort of tale – and sure to please fans of historic romance with mates that are miles apart in social standing and knotted inexorably together in their hearts. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.