Review: Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean

"Would you like to know why I kept the name?"
"Yes." More than anything
"Because doves mate for life, and I knew there would never be another for me"

I picked up Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean after hitting a high note reading The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare and The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne at the tail end of 2017. It had been a while since I'd read a historical romance and these two books certainly reminded me of all the reasons why I should be getting back to this romance sub-genre. I would recommend reading these two books if you haven't already done so.

Unlike some readers, I don't squirm at the idea of starting a series from the middle or end on one. Day of the Duchess is number three in the Scandal and Scoundrels series and I haven't read the first two books in this series.

The book kicks off in a rather dramatic fashion with the hero caught up in his own thoughts while sitting in Parliament waiting for the session to come to an end. He is caught by surprise when his long-lost wife, who he has been searching for over the past two years and seven months, appears in Parliament and declares:

"I am Seraphina Bevingstoke, Duchess of Haven. And I require a divorce."

With this opening, the story begins in earnest.

At the heart of this story is a married couple who have truly been through a lot - both together and apart. The story weaves back and forth between the past and present revealing old hurts, misunderstandings, fears, loss and a rather unconventional path to reconciliation (Malcolm) or freedom (Seraphina). 

What I loved about this story was the brevity of emotion that lay between Malcom and Seraphina. There was so much despair that lay between these two because of old hurts and also the length of separation. The deal that Malcolm offers Seraphina in exchange for a divorce, to find her replacement, shows how desperate he is. And though Seraphina demands her freedom, you can see she is simply seeking her own replacement in the Sparrow as means to get over what she sees as her failed marriage.

And yet, whenever Malcom and Seraphina are together in a room, you can feel the deep yearning to find their way back to each other. But their journey means clearing up all the hurts and misunderstandings; learning about each other and  revealing their true feelings.

Without giving too much away, I thought the ending was sublime. I didn't anticipate the ending, though I was inclined to feel they would both have to bend, trust and forgive in order for them to find their way back to each other. In the end, I was surprised and pleased that it was unconventional and filled with heart-warming surprises.

The Hero:

Malcolm Bevingstoke, Duke of Haven - one-time cheater (revealed in the first book of this series); proud; unforgiving when he's angry; arrogant; vengeful when he thinks he's been wronged (hence the cheating); keeps quiet when he should really speak up; ridiculous at winning his wife back; besotted with his wife; jealous (of Caleb); skilled in the bedroom

"I want you mine. I want you forever. And, dammit, I have you. I've had you all along. I should never have hesitated. I should have given you everything. The title, the marriage, all of it. I wanted to. I want to, still. I want to go back and begin again"

Malcolm reminded me a little of Mr Darcy from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, particularly with his pride and arrogance and also in his inability to win his wife back throughout most of the book. Inevitably, just like Darcy, Malcolm learns to conquer his pride and arrogance, which leads him back on a path to Seraphina.

The Heroine:

Seraphina Bevingstoke, Duchess of Haven (also known as the Dove and the Sparrow) - strong; beautiful; stubborn; selfless; loyal (particularly to her loved ones); talented singer; survivor; deeply in love with her husband; one of the Dangerous Daughters

"I feel angry. I feel betrayed. I feel lied to and tricked. You remember these emotions keenly, do you not? You certainly hurled them at me enough."

In many respects I can imagine Seraphina as before her time. She goes to Parliament to request a divorce; she travels by ship to America on her own and ends up singing in a tavern; she seeks a replacement for her husband in order to buy her freedom; and she wants to own her own tavern. These things challenge the norms of respectable society.

However, despite all her strong qualities she is ultimately flawed, though in a different way than Malcolm. She is scared that Malcolm will never forgive her and she is less than honest with herself (and therefore to others) about her true feelings. Her way of dealing with difficult situations is to run away, which leaves things unresolved. Luckily, the story forces her to deal with Malcolm and to examine these flaws.

Main Supporting Cast of Characters:

Talbot Sisters -  forces to be reckoned with; loyal and loving; entertaining; prone to stand up for each other; pillars of support for Seraphina; all are Dangerous Daughters

Caleb Calhoun - American; loyal friend; perceived as a rival by Malcolm; tavern owner; earmarked for one of the Talbot sisters

Suitesses - potential replacements for the role of Duchess. Lady Felicity and Lady Lilith offer wise counsel to Malcolm, while some of the other suitesses and their mothers present the voice of respectable society (and their judgements as well)

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Overall Rating: 💖💖💖💖

Hero Rating: 💖💖💖

Heroine Rating: 💖💖💖💖

Heat Rating: 💖💖💖💖

My Tags: historical romance; second chance love story; married couple; strong heroine; flawed hero
Date Read: January 2018

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Book Blurb:

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."