The Day of the Duchess
Series: Scandal & Scoundrel #3
Author: Sarah MacLean
Published June 27th 2017 by Piatkus Books

Goodreads Synopsis
The one woman he will never forget…
Malcolm Bevingstoke, Duke of Haven, has lived the last three years in self-imposed solitude, paying the price for a mistake he can never reverse and a love he lost forever. The dukedom does not wait, however, and Haven requires an heir, which means he must find himself a wife by summer’s end. There is only one problem—he already has one.

The one man she will never forgive…
After years in exile, Seraphina, Duchess of Haven, returns to London with a single goal—to reclaim the life she left and find happiness, unencumbered by the man who broke her heart. Haven offers her a deal; Sera can have her freedom, just as soon as she finds her replacement…which requires her to spend the summer in close quarters with the husband she does not want, but somehow cannot resist.

A love that neither can deny…
The duke has a single summer to woo his wife and convince her that, despite their broken past, he can give her forever, making every day The Day of the Duchess.
Goodreads

Review
I really was a bit apprehensive going into this book, as when we met Haven in the first instalment, The Rogue Not Taken, he was a pompous arse who definitely got his comeuppance from Sophie, and deserved every minute of it. Now, in The Day of the Duchess, we see how he and Seraphina fell in love, and what happened following the infamous Liverpool soiree. After a traumatic event, Seraphina finally left Mal, and went off to America where she met Caleb Calhoun and realised her wish to have her own tavern and sing. Returning to England, she knows that being the Duchess of Haven, she can't own any property, so petitions the House of Lords for a divorce, with Mal being completely blindsided. Mal has always known he loved Seraphina, even when he was angry at her for how they ended up getting married. He adamantly does not want a divorce, but knows he needs to work hard to win her back, and they come to an agreement - Seraphina needs to come to Haven and help find her successor, and he'll give her her divorce - if he doesn't win her back in the mean time.

Seraphina was just the best character you could've wished for in this book! She's strong, and feisty, and knows what she wants, but there's also a vulnerability there, especially when she is with Mal. She just can't deny that she fell head over heels for him, and has always loved him - will always love him - but he hurt her so much that she doesn't trust herself with him anymore. Mal was not the pompous arse I thought he would be throughout this book. Seeing how the two of them met, and their shared experiences, we see a softer side to him, and how plainly obvious it was that he would never love anyone else, and no matter the ruse, he won't be marrying a new duchess if he does divorce Sera. I felt really sorry for the couple, and wanted them together, though I wasn't sure how it would all pan out.

The extended cast of characters were a pleasant surprise too. I need to know more about Caleb and Sesily, because the two of them were the biggest flirts, especially together! I've probably read Sarah's books in the wrong order, because I started with the Bareknuckle Bastards series, so knew all about Felicity Faircloth, and seeing this was the house party she had been to was great - as were the cameos from Devil and Whit in Covent Garden's too! After reading two of Sarah's series, I know that she is a favourite of mine now, and can't wait to get my hands on her other work!

Dates Read:
July 10-12, 2020

Rating
4 Stars