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Review of A Scot in the Dark by Sarah Maclean
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Lillien thinks she is in love. Someone finally is a part of her life, giving her attention, painting her beauty. Unfortunately he turns on all of his promises and now her shame is exposed to all of London society.
Alec doesn’t even know he has a ward. Until, The Scandal. He comes to London, a place he hoped never to see again, to put things right.
This book, was not 100% my thing. I found it hard to dedicate the time to, reading it felt more like a chore unfortunately. Honestly I’m thinking it was the heroine and the very slow start to the tension/first kiss.
The heroine has made some bad choices. I feel heartless, but I just couldn’t like her much. We meet her at a low point in her life, so I’m sure I would have even acted way worse. But the whole uncooperative, I’m feeling too ashamed to move forward got old fast. I also felt like she moved on from her love from Derek to Alec way too fast.
I also didn’t enjoy the push and pull of no we can’t be together, but we cannot stay away, but we cannot be together. Repeat through half the book.
Part of it may be I have read a lot of Sarah Maclean this year. I’m starting to notice quite a few similarities in her writing. Especially the whole “she is not for you” mantra. Even with the characters and situations being so different it can feel the same.
This book does have a lot of unique aspects to it. There’s insecurities the hero faces and must overcome to fully be with the heroine. I also enjoyed the ending choices of the heroine with the conclusion on her scandal.
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Lillien thinks she is in love. Someone finally is a part of her life, giving her attention, painting her beauty. Unfortunately he turns on all of his promises and now her shame is exposed to all of London society.
Alec doesn’t even know he has a ward. Until, The Scandal. He comes to London, a place he hoped never to see again, to put things right.
This book, was not 100% my thing. I found it hard to dedicate the time to, reading it felt more like a chore unfortunately. Honestly I’m thinking it was the heroine and the very slow start to the tension/first kiss.
The heroine has made some bad choices. I feel heartless, but I just couldn’t like her much. We meet her at a low point in her life, so I’m sure I would have even acted way worse. But the whole uncooperative, I’m feeling too ashamed to move forward got old fast. I also felt like she moved on from her love from Derek to Alec way too fast.
I also didn’t enjoy the push and pull of no we can’t be together, but we cannot stay away, but we cannot be together. Repeat through half the book.
Part of it may be I have read a lot of Sarah Maclean this year. I’m starting to notice quite a few similarities in her writing. Especially the whole “she is not for you” mantra. Even with the characters and situations being so different it can feel the same.
This book does have a lot of unique aspects to it. There’s insecurities the hero faces and must overcome to fully be with the heroine. I also enjoyed the ending choices of the heroine with the conclusion on her scandal.
This book takes place in 1843 in England/Scotland (Victorian times), but most of it is in Scotland. Patrick and Anne have a history together, which you’ll get flashbacks of throughout the first half of the book. They are pulled together to solve a sort of mystery regarding a family members death.
The book definitely tries to be humorous (3 stars just for humor really), and in many parts is quite funny. The hero poses as the heroines butler during this investigation. Some of the humor, and in fact much of the book, falls flat for me though. Things that were meant to be funny, I found rather annoying. The heroine just held on to her grudge for way way way too long when honestly I felt there was zero reason for her to behave like that all.
The book definitely tries to be humorous (3 stars just for humor really), and in many parts is quite funny. The hero poses as the heroines butler during this investigation. Some of the humor, and in fact much of the book, falls flat for me though. Things that were meant to be funny, I found rather annoying. The heroine just held on to her grudge for way way way too long when honestly I felt there was zero reason for her to behave like that all.
Our heroine is Lady Georgiana and you get to meet her in Sarah Macleans first series, love by numbers. She is the hero’s sister from the third book - Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Dukes Heart. Our hero is Duncan West, self made newspaper man.
There’s a lot I liked about this book. I enjoyed Duncan and his protective personality. He is not nobility, he has pulled himself out of the gutters and made something of his life.
Georgiana is not the heroine I would usually go for. Ruined at 16, now with a 9 year old daughter, she was a wonderful female role. She has transformed her life and really is a perfect match for Duncan.
There were some things that annoyed me in this story. One of the main problems of the relationship is established fairly early on and just keeps going and going and going until almost the last page and you are screaming and shaking your book yelling, “Just *#*}*#*% tell him!!!”
Our heroine thinks a title will solve all of her problems and I found that annoying as well. Especially after reading the love by numbers series and all the drama and gossip and scandal despite the titles. A baby out of wedlock, a bastard, is not going to be saved in society’s eyes by becoming a viscountess.
Lastly I found the crime Duncan had committed a little anticlimactic. Yes I’m just being my usual extremely picky self.
I am so glad I have read both these series, even though only 1 was a 5 star read for me. (Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake) Sarah has woven a lovely world to get lost in and I enjoyed how everything connected together at the end.
There’s a lot I liked about this book. I enjoyed Duncan and his protective personality. He is not nobility, he has pulled himself out of the gutters and made something of his life.
Georgiana is not the heroine I would usually go for. Ruined at 16, now with a 9 year old daughter, she was a wonderful female role. She has transformed her life and really is a perfect match for Duncan.
There were some things that annoyed me in this story. One of the main problems of the relationship is established fairly early on and just keeps going and going and going until almost the last page and you are screaming and shaking your book yelling, “Just *#*}*#*% tell him!!!”
Our heroine thinks a title will solve all of her problems and I found that annoying as well. Especially after reading the love by numbers series and all the drama and gossip and scandal despite the titles. A baby out of wedlock, a bastard, is not going to be saved in society’s eyes by becoming a viscountess.
Lastly I found the crime Duncan had committed a little anticlimactic. Yes I’m just being my usual extremely picky self.
I am so glad I have read both these series, even though only 1 was a 5 star read for me. (Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake) Sarah has woven a lovely world to get lost in and I enjoyed how everything connected together at the end.
Lazarus. That name. I love it. The man, cold, unfeeling, bent on revenge. Searching for a murderer. He seeks out a guide to help in his search of the wastes of St Giles for clues.
Temperance. Gives all of her time and money to helping the infants and orphans of St Giles. She tries not to care, after having her heart broken by how cruel life can be but she cannot stop, deep down.
“She quickened her steps in irritation. “You consider yourself an authority in emotion, my lord?”
“Not at all,” he murmured. “I rarely feel anything. But like the legless man, I’m unaccountably fascinated by those who can dance.”
Lazarus asks her to be his guide and in return, he will use his lordly connections to help her secure a patron to sponsor the orphanage. You also learn early on he can’t abide being touched. He truly believes he has no humanity left. He tells himself Temperance could be his plaything if he chose. He believes he has no feelings. He believes he doesn’t care.
“What do you want of me?” she whispered.
“Everything.”
Yet he can’t stop being aware of her. He feels protective and jealous yet acts like he can control it. He warns her away from him, but refuses to let her stay away.
I loved this book. Loved! High praise coming off a Monica McCarty high. I have planned to read this book (and series) for awhile but kept putting it off. It far surpassed my expectations. The balance was there between solving the murder case and the passion. The mystery plot drove them to be together much of the book and led to sharing their secrets and history.
Silence, Temperances sister, has a few chapters in this book. Normally this would irritate me but I’m really trying to be more into sharing a series with other characters. I will be reading this series in order. Although everyone says you can read as stand-alone, Silences passages give a lot of background with her and what happens to change her life. I’m assuming she has her own book. Her scenes involve Mickey, who has been recommended to me on many past posts and I’m very excited and curious to read his story. I enjoyed all the side characters.
The book delves into some “dark desires” but they aren’t way out there or anything. I can’t pretend to know what was going on in the 1700s sexually but don’t worry it’s like crazy bdsm or anything (or get your hopes up, depending how you feel about it 🤣). Very excited to continue with the series.
Temperance. Gives all of her time and money to helping the infants and orphans of St Giles. She tries not to care, after having her heart broken by how cruel life can be but she cannot stop, deep down.
“She quickened her steps in irritation. “You consider yourself an authority in emotion, my lord?”
“Not at all,” he murmured. “I rarely feel anything. But like the legless man, I’m unaccountably fascinated by those who can dance.”
Lazarus asks her to be his guide and in return, he will use his lordly connections to help her secure a patron to sponsor the orphanage. You also learn early on he can’t abide being touched. He truly believes he has no humanity left. He tells himself Temperance could be his plaything if he chose. He believes he has no feelings. He believes he doesn’t care.
“What do you want of me?” she whispered.
“Everything.”
Yet he can’t stop being aware of her. He feels protective and jealous yet acts like he can control it. He warns her away from him, but refuses to let her stay away.
I loved this book. Loved! High praise coming off a Monica McCarty high. I have planned to read this book (and series) for awhile but kept putting it off. It far surpassed my expectations. The balance was there between solving the murder case and the passion. The mystery plot drove them to be together much of the book and led to sharing their secrets and history.
Silence, Temperances sister, has a few chapters in this book. Normally this would irritate me but I’m really trying to be more into sharing a series with other characters. I will be reading this series in order. Although everyone says you can read as stand-alone, Silences passages give a lot of background with her and what happens to change her life. I’m assuming she has her own book. Her scenes involve Mickey, who has been recommended to me on many past posts and I’m very excited and curious to read his story. I enjoyed all the side characters.
The book delves into some “dark desires” but they aren’t way out there or anything. I can’t pretend to know what was going on in the 1700s sexually but don’t worry it’s like crazy bdsm or anything (or get your hopes up, depending how you feel about it 🤣). Very excited to continue with the series.
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Millions of stars!
Infinite stars!
Oh this book was amazing. Absolutely loved it. I loved it more than the Highwayman. I seriously don’t think there was any part about it I didn’t like, except now it’s over and I’m sad.
Ripped my heart out and barely pieced it together at the end. Made me cry multiple times. So many great parts of this book, quotes that are so deep and full of feeling.
This book is dark. It has plenty of murder and death, explicit details about abuse, torture. Guess I’m blood thirsty because I loved it.
I would have loved an epilogue!
Millions of stars!
Infinite stars!
Oh this book was amazing. Absolutely loved it. I loved it more than the Highwayman. I seriously don’t think there was any part about it I didn’t like, except now it’s over and I’m sad.
Ripped my heart out and barely pieced it together at the end. Made me cry multiple times. So many great parts of this book, quotes that are so deep and full of feeling.
This book is dark. It has plenty of murder and death, explicit details about abuse, torture. Guess I’m blood thirsty because I loved it.
I would have loved an epilogue!
First I’d like to say there was a lot I really loved about this book. The first half of the book I was sure it was going to be 5 stars. So I do highly suggest you give it a try if you haven’t yet, because you might love it.
Caledonia, or Callie, is captured by the English and presented in marriage to Sin, who is almost like a right hand man to King Henry II. First thing I liked about this book was this time frame, as I don’t find as many books taking place during this reign.
Callie is a Scot and she loves her clan and homeland. I really enjoyed the spunkiness of her character in the beginning and her good heart. She tries to understand the hero and break through with him and keeps trying to make her marriage what she dreams it can be. She doesn’t allow her new husbands standoffish attitude and cold shoulder get to her. I did feel her character rather plateaued though and became redundant.
Sin. Ahhh. I read in another review he was a 5 star hero in a 2 star book and I can totally see why that person would think this. I just loved him. Those black eyes, that tortured past, his connection to the heroine who is his only bright spot in the world...yet I believe the author just took it a bit too far in trying to established how crappy his life was. I usually love drama and angst but this was just getting repetitive with the non stop stories of all the horrible things he went through.
It was ever so dramatic.
If you haven’t read the book yet and plan to, I recommend you stop reading my review now. Spoilers ahead with specifics I didn’t like.
Ok?
Ok.
The hero has never been loved. And it was beyond overdone. The author was so repetitive just over and over how horrible his life has been. He’s a bastard child. His mother hated him. His stepmother hated him. His father hated him. The English hated him. The scots hated him. His dog hated him. His great great great grandfather hated him from the grave. He was a slave. He was sold by his father. He was an assassin forced to slit people’s throats for food. Everyone got presents on Christmas except him. Everyone got presents on birthdays except him. He didn’t have a birthday. He didn’t have a name. He was named Sin when he was 6 because everyone hated him. Someone throws a cabbage at his head. Someone shoots him with an arrow. Someone tries to poison him. Someone tries to stab him in the back...my GOSH. I got it about 1/3 of the way through (if not the first chapter, because it was pretty well established) and I wish she would have then focused on Sin and Callie growing together instead of finding out more horrible things every chapter and Callie trying to soothe him and Sin pushing her back. She definitely established his pain but then didn’t really move on from that.
Also this author loved the word moan. I overall enjoyed her kisses and scenes but the fact that everyone moaned so much the first few times it dimmed my enjoyment for future scenes. She moaned, he moaned, they moaned.
I really struggled with what to rate this. I loved it, yet it annoyed me. I give 3 stars I guess. I think if I read this 5 years or so ago I would have loved it. I’m just so extra picky now
Caledonia, or Callie, is captured by the English and presented in marriage to Sin, who is almost like a right hand man to King Henry II. First thing I liked about this book was this time frame, as I don’t find as many books taking place during this reign.
Callie is a Scot and she loves her clan and homeland. I really enjoyed the spunkiness of her character in the beginning and her good heart. She tries to understand the hero and break through with him and keeps trying to make her marriage what she dreams it can be. She doesn’t allow her new husbands standoffish attitude and cold shoulder get to her. I did feel her character rather plateaued though and became redundant.
Sin. Ahhh. I read in another review he was a 5 star hero in a 2 star book and I can totally see why that person would think this. I just loved him. Those black eyes, that tortured past, his connection to the heroine who is his only bright spot in the world...yet I believe the author just took it a bit too far in trying to established how crappy his life was. I usually love drama and angst but this was just getting repetitive with the non stop stories of all the horrible things he went through.
It was ever so dramatic.
If you haven’t read the book yet and plan to, I recommend you stop reading my review now. Spoilers ahead with specifics I didn’t like.
Ok?
Ok.
The hero has never been loved. And it was beyond overdone. The author was so repetitive just over and over how horrible his life has been. He’s a bastard child. His mother hated him. His stepmother hated him. His father hated him. The English hated him. The scots hated him. His dog hated him. His great great great grandfather hated him from the grave. He was a slave. He was sold by his father. He was an assassin forced to slit people’s throats for food. Everyone got presents on Christmas except him. Everyone got presents on birthdays except him. He didn’t have a birthday. He didn’t have a name. He was named Sin when he was 6 because everyone hated him. Someone throws a cabbage at his head. Someone shoots him with an arrow. Someone tries to poison him. Someone tries to stab him in the back...my GOSH. I got it about 1/3 of the way through (if not the first chapter, because it was pretty well established) and I wish she would have then focused on Sin and Callie growing together instead of finding out more horrible things every chapter and Callie trying to soothe him and Sin pushing her back. She definitely established his pain but then didn’t really move on from that.
Also this author loved the word moan. I overall enjoyed her kisses and scenes but the fact that everyone moaned so much the first few times it dimmed my enjoyment for future scenes. She moaned, he moaned, they moaned.
I really struggled with what to rate this. I loved it, yet it annoyed me. I give 3 stars I guess. I think if I read this 5 years or so ago I would have loved it. I’m just so extra picky now
Really enjoyed this debut novel! I found the whole premise fun and a bit different than the usual scenarios.
Adam is called the murderous marquess due to the untimely deaths of his first two wives. He handles his emotions so well he seems...emotionless. Cold. Hard. However he has 3 daughters and would love an heir to carry on his line.
Mia returns to England after 17 years missing. To her peers, her past a mystery, but her family knows she’s spent the time being captured and sold into a sultans harem. Her father, The Duke of Carlisle, is eager to marry her and get her scandalous life out of his hands.
The two are brought together during a ball hosted by Mia’s family. It begins a marriage of convenience that turns into much more.
I loved the first half of this book. It was fun, sexy, funny, intriguing. I enjoyed both main characters and getting to know them. Mia I found especially fun. She’s just so caring and has this ability to put everyone around her at ease, I just felt like I’d love to be friends with her too haha! Adam was slower for me to like, but he shed his layers scene by scene and I totally fell for what was underneath.
There’s plenty of sex in this book. Like way more than I usually find. I enjoyed it, but at the same time I wish a scene or two had been cut maybe to spend a bit more time in Adams head, or some further details on family scenes (like first meetings of Mia with her new stepdaughters). There were a few time periods that were skimmed over. Overall it worked for me though.
The second half of the book gets a little crazy. There were a few scenes that irritated me (any book that makes me yell “just tell him/her!” Makes me grit my teeth. And just some craziness that was thrown in then fully resolved within a sentence, I felt it definitely didn’t need to even be in there...I also found the epilogue a little weird. I’m assuming it was setting up future book/books which I’m going to admit I don’t like. I want the epilogue all about the main characters. That’s just me.
Anyway though, I found this a super enjoyable book. I’m so so glad I tried her and will definitely be trying her others at some point.
Adam is called the murderous marquess due to the untimely deaths of his first two wives. He handles his emotions so well he seems...emotionless. Cold. Hard. However he has 3 daughters and would love an heir to carry on his line.
Mia returns to England after 17 years missing. To her peers, her past a mystery, but her family knows she’s spent the time being captured and sold into a sultans harem. Her father, The Duke of Carlisle, is eager to marry her and get her scandalous life out of his hands.
The two are brought together during a ball hosted by Mia’s family. It begins a marriage of convenience that turns into much more.
I loved the first half of this book. It was fun, sexy, funny, intriguing. I enjoyed both main characters and getting to know them. Mia I found especially fun. She’s just so caring and has this ability to put everyone around her at ease, I just felt like I’d love to be friends with her too haha! Adam was slower for me to like, but he shed his layers scene by scene and I totally fell for what was underneath.
There’s plenty of sex in this book. Like way more than I usually find. I enjoyed it, but at the same time I wish a scene or two had been cut maybe to spend a bit more time in Adams head, or some further details on family scenes (like first meetings of Mia with her new stepdaughters). There were a few time periods that were skimmed over. Overall it worked for me though.
The second half of the book gets a little crazy. There were a few scenes that irritated me (any book that makes me yell “just tell him/her!” Makes me grit my teeth. And just some craziness that was thrown in then fully resolved within a sentence, I felt it definitely didn’t need to even be in there...I also found the epilogue a little weird. I’m assuming it was setting up future book/books which I’m going to admit I don’t like. I want the epilogue all about the main characters. That’s just me.
Anyway though, I found this a super enjoyable book. I’m so so glad I tried her and will definitely be trying her others at some point.
This book was a first for me a few ways. It's a mail order bride theme, not sure if I've ever read that. I've never really searched them out because westerns weren't really my favorite. However this did make me want to try more. I was enjoying the scenery and the premise behind it of a marriage of convenience.
This book is also a MFM romance. The mail order bride has two husbands. I have never read one of these. I don't think they are really my thing, but I was curious and wanted to try one. I also felt like no one seems to post about them and wanted to get out there and try it to see if anyone else read them.
The heroine, Jules, is biracial. She is an heiress living in the upper social realm of New York but wants so much more from her life. She wants to use her education to help others and that's what drives her to answer an ad placed for a mail order bride. This bride will also be taking over the job of teaching the children in the town. Jules believes this will be the perfect spot for her, and after many months of communication with Forrest from the Montana territory, she moves out there to get married.
You find out a few chapters in she will also be marrying Will. Will and Forrest have decided to find a wife they both love and after interviewing many applicants decide on Jules. The marriage is performed in a church and accepted by the town and I'm not sure if that was done, legal, ever happened but it was rather amazing. I totally went into this book expecting just fantasy and went with it.
I rather enjoyed this book. I didn't think I would honestly. You feel like both men love each other, they have a history after being in the war together. Yet it's not shown as a sexual love. But they love Jules. They have totally different personalities but I liked both heroes. You don't get to spend any time from their perspective though. It's all from Jules, or at least the majority is. I love the feelings from the hero(es) so I was definitely missing this. Especially a few parts where Will especially had some emotional scenarios, I thought those would have been much better done from his perspective.
The sex doesn't get super crazy, if you're worried about that. If you've been curious about MFM romance, its probably not a bad one to try.
I lowered the stars to 3 because I HATED the ending. Not the actual end of the book, I liked the last 5% or so, but the final problems/conflicts just drove me bonkers. I can't stand when there's miscommunication. I can't take it when someone is eavesdropping and hears part of something and misconstrues it into something else AND THEN REFUSES TO TALK ABOUT IT. I can't take it. *Bangs head against wall.* Can't....take....it *bang bang bang* Anyway, if that doesn't bother you, this might be a higher star read for you.
I also wish a bit more detail had been spent on the heroes. Either they had a heart to heart with the heroine about their past, their relationship together, something would have made them more concrete to me.
I also bought the next in the series, which is think is the MF main characters we are used to. The hero is Julien Baptiste, Jules twin brother. I did find the writing funny in parts, it flowed nice, it was pretty steamy. I'm keeping my eye on Rebel Carter's historical romance in the future. I adored the cover as well.
This book is also a MFM romance. The mail order bride has two husbands. I have never read one of these. I don't think they are really my thing, but I was curious and wanted to try one. I also felt like no one seems to post about them and wanted to get out there and try it to see if anyone else read them.
The heroine, Jules, is biracial. She is an heiress living in the upper social realm of New York but wants so much more from her life. She wants to use her education to help others and that's what drives her to answer an ad placed for a mail order bride. This bride will also be taking over the job of teaching the children in the town. Jules believes this will be the perfect spot for her, and after many months of communication with Forrest from the Montana territory, she moves out there to get married.
You find out a few chapters in she will also be marrying Will. Will and Forrest have decided to find a wife they both love and after interviewing many applicants decide on Jules. The marriage is performed in a church and accepted by the town and I'm not sure if that was done, legal, ever happened but it was rather amazing. I totally went into this book expecting just fantasy and went with it.
I rather enjoyed this book. I didn't think I would honestly. You feel like both men love each other, they have a history after being in the war together. Yet it's not shown as a sexual love. But they love Jules. They have totally different personalities but I liked both heroes. You don't get to spend any time from their perspective though. It's all from Jules, or at least the majority is. I love the feelings from the hero(es) so I was definitely missing this. Especially a few parts where Will especially had some emotional scenarios, I thought those would have been much better done from his perspective.
The sex doesn't get super crazy, if you're worried about that. If you've been curious about MFM romance, its probably not a bad one to try.
I lowered the stars to 3 because I HATED the ending. Not the actual end of the book, I liked the last 5% or so, but the final problems/conflicts just drove me bonkers. I can't stand when there's miscommunication. I can't take it when someone is eavesdropping and hears part of something and misconstrues it into something else AND THEN REFUSES TO TALK ABOUT IT. I can't take it. *Bangs head against wall.* Can't....take....it *bang bang bang* Anyway, if that doesn't bother you, this might be a higher star read for you.
I also wish a bit more detail had been spent on the heroes. Either they had a heart to heart with the heroine about their past, their relationship together, something would have made them more concrete to me.
I also bought the next in the series, which is think is the MF main characters we are used to. The hero is Julien Baptiste, Jules twin brother. I did find the writing funny in parts, it flowed nice, it was pretty steamy. I'm keeping my eye on Rebel Carter's historical romance in the future. I adored the cover as well.