Review of very fun Regency romance Brazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLean

 

 It's been a minute since I've read a Regency romance.  I've been distracted by serious books, about politics (there was salary discrimination against women in the 1990s), and Western civilization (our culture is now dominant because the Catholic church banned cousin marriage, which made clans less powerful and larger institutions more powerful), and waking up in a different body every day (this one, which I did not enjoy as much as this one).  So I was ready for some fun.  Brazen and the Beast, by Sarah MacLean, absolutely delivered.  

The book opens with heroine Hattie going to a male brothel (why is there not a better word for that?) to divest herself of her virginity so she will be ruined and her father will stop assuming that she will someday marry.  

This brothel sounds like heaven for the women who frequent it.  I hope the employees are treated well.  We never get to find out because Hattie's interlude is interrupted by our hero Whit, aka Beast, who offers to do the honors.  

At the beginning of this scene I was thinking, wouldn't it be nice if Hattie loses her virginity to the gigolo picked out to her specifications by the very, very competent madam, and has a great time.  Then, when romance blooms with Beast she's bringing some experience to the table.  But MacLean wrote the interaction between Hattie and Beast so well that I had a foolish grin on my face the whole time I was reading it.  It was kind of perfect. (Spoiler: it took a few more tries for Hattie to part with her virginity -- and when she did light bondage was involved.)

As in so many Regency romances, Hattie is an anachronism -- an upper class career woman who is very good at her job and wants to run her own shipping conglomerate.  And Beast -- well, he's so secure in his alpha maleness that he's incredibly supportive of that goal.  Not to mention totally hot.  And very, very in to making sure that sex is not just consensual but absolutely welcome.  I think I love him.  I know that I love Sarah MacLean.  I can't wait to read more of her books.