ARC Review: No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean

Sarah MacLean has crafted a book full of complicated and tangled emotions~ Under the Covers

We are now on the third book in Sarah MacLean’s fantastic Rules of Scoundrels series and the time has come for Temple to have his story told. Temple was cast out of society and the charmed life he enjoyed twelve years ago for a crime he can’t remember committing; murdering his father’s very young fiancee Miss Mara Lowe. Now known as the Killer Duke he helps run the Fallen Angel with his friends and never expects to get his old life back. That is until the very woman he thought he had murdered turns up on his doorstep with a desperate proposition. 

I have been intrigued by Temple since the beginning of the series, his mysterious and shady background and his big body and rough good looks drew me like a moth to a flame. Now I know all about him my fascination hasn’t ended, he was a great hero, his broad shoulders carried the book really well, he had the right mixture of tough, tragic and vulnerable to set us ladies swooning. But, it wasn’t just Temple that made the book worth reading, Mara was a fantastic heroine, smart, strong and kind it was hard not to like her despite some of the ill-fated decisions she made in the past.

Together Mara and Temple made No Good Duke Goes Unpunished sizzle, the sexual chemistry between them was apparent from their first meeting and the suspense between them continued to build as the book went on; this made for a very sensuous book even though nothing was really consummated till very near the end. It wasn’t just sexual tension straining Mara and Temple’s relationship with their complicated past they battled feelings of guilt and anger whilst trying to struggle their way to redemption, both in the eyes of society and themselves.

But, although I did enjoy reading this book it didn’t contain some of the levity that is normally present in Sarah MacLean’s books, this suited  the story in No Good Duke Goes Unpunished, but I did miss it. This was definitely a more serious affair then the other books she has written.

Sarah MacLean has crafted a book full of complicated and tangled emotions and really puts her characters through the wringer pulling out a host of feelings from forgiveness and anger, to love and loyalty and we are with them every step of the way. This was a fantastic read and demonstrates some of the reasons why Sarah MacLean is one of my favourite historical romance authors.

* ARC provided by publisher

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[about-author author=”Sarah MacLean”]