A Scot in the Dark

July 11, 2016
The charm and originality of MacLean’s second Scandal and Scoundrel Regency (after The Rogue Not Taken) are stifled by the heroine’s desperation and hero’s indecision. Scottish duke Alec Stuart only travels to London—a place he loathes—to check on his tenants. When his ward, Lillian Hargrove, of whom he had no knowledge (and who happens to be a grown woman), becomes the subject of scandal, Alec reluctantly returns to England to get her married off before her reputation is destroyed forever. Lillian, who is often called the most beautiful woman in London, doesn’t want to be married, but left with no better option, she agrees to choose a suitor. Soon their constant bickering turns to passion, and Alec must admit that he’s been hiding his own shameful secret while Lillian learns to accept her fate. Alec is clever and lovable, but his actions serve more to create anxiety in readers than to develop his character. Lillian comes across as juvenile and far too stubborn. The plot is well thought out, though, and fans of the series will rejoice at the opportunity to revisit familiar characters.

Starred review from August 1, 2016

Eighteenth in line for an English dukedom, Scottish distiller Alec Stuart never expected--or wanted--to inherit. So when he succeeds to the Warnick title, for five years he does his best to ignore the whole thing--until an urgent letter sends him down to London to rescue a ward he didn't know he had. Miss Lillian Hargrove is a rare beauty (and the subject of a nude painting) who is about to be ruined by scandal. The solution, according to Alec, is to marry Lily off before the painting is unveiled. Of course, Lily will have none of it, and the battle is waged. A strong heroine who wants to live life on her own terms and an honorable hero who is determined to give her the life--and the man--he thinks she deserves war with their feelings and each other. This well-conceived story is enhanced by complex, wrenching backstories and a cast of enthralling, often familiar secondary characters. Clever, alliterative chapter titles ramp up the fun. VERDICT With luscious sensuality, perceptive characterizations, and MacLean's elegant, trademark wit, this heartfelt, beautifully written story captivates from beginning to end. MacLean (The Rogue Not Taken) lives in New York City.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2016
Five years after inheriting the title of Duke of Warnick, Alec Stuart discovers he has also inherited a woman. Technically, Miss Lillian Hargrove is his ward, but Alec's plan on letting Lily live her own life in London while he remains in Scotland is no longer possible once Alec learns about the scandal in which Lily has recently become embroiled. Society artist Derek Hawkins sweet-talked Lily into modeling for his latest masterpiece. Since there is quite a bit of Lily in the painting and nary a stitch of clothing, Derek's plan to unveil the painting at the forthcoming Royal Academy exhibition will ruin her. Alec must do something, and his solution to save Lily's reputation is to find her a husband. But Lily has a plan of her own, one that requires neither an arranged marriage nor a bossy Scottish guardian. After wowing readers with the first in her Scandal & Scoundrel series, MacLean is on target to do so again with another brilliantly written, sensual, arch, and nuanced love story that is simply too good to miss.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)