Brazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLean is a historical romance novel. The book is the second addition to the Bareknuckle Bastards series. This historical romance focuses on the characters of Lady Henrietta Sedley and Whit.
The story begins when Henrietta aka Hattie, is sneaking out with a friend for an adventure. She wants to be ruined, so that, she can get her freedom, and she has a plan in place. In her carriage, she finds a bound and unconscious man. He is the most beautiful man she has ever seen. Whit wakes up to find himself in a carriage with an intriguing woman. There is instant chemistry between them. Through a series of events, they end up making a deal that will benefit both of them. There is romance and some mystery in how the story unfolds.
Hattie and Whit belong to different worlds. The Sedley family has won their way into the ton through successful business ventures. Hattie still feels like an outsider in society, like she is not completely accepted by them. To some extent, she doesn’t mind not fitting in, but she wants to find a place where she could belong. Whit has had a difficult childhood with a cruel father. Forcing his brother, sister, and him to run away from their third brother and house. Now, the bareknuckle bastards are kings of the convent garden.
Hattie is incredibly smart and has a business mind. But her father is insistent that her brother heads the family business after him. When she makes a deal with Whit that will help her take over the business, things don’t go as planned. Whit’s other brother, who took over for his father is back. This threatens everything he has built, and importantly, he has noticed Hattie. He wants to protect her and tries to stay away from her, but it doesn’t work. They are drawn to each other. Both are misfits, trying to find their place. This story has romance and plenty of spice mixed with an intriguing plot and great characters.
Whit is intense and beastly as the title says. It is kind of a take on Beauty and the Beast but not a retelling. But slowly, you realize that he had to become this way because he had no choice. His father was cruel and pitied the three brothers against each other constantly. He is close to Devil, but his other brother takes over their father’s place, and now, the past is catching up to the present. He has a lot of baggage, but Hattie makes him feel lighter. Hattie is frustrated with her situation. She wants to prove to her father that she can take over. She is different than her peers leading to her feeling like an outsider.
Brazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLean is a sexy, funny, and entertaining story. I have read a couple of Sarah MacLean before and always enjoyed them. This was no exception. The plot moves at a good pace and kept me hooked from the start. The characters are interesting, and the romance between Whit and Hattie is amazing. I couldn’t put down the book once I started. I enjoyed reading this book and cannot wait to read the next story in the Bareknuckle Bastards series.
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