I’ve been so enjoying plodding through Sarah MacLean’s backlist and reading every one of her books. This was the third book in the Rules of Scoundrels series, and it was the story of Temple, the biggest of the four owners of the Fallen Angel and well-regarded for being the winningest bareknuckle boxer in all of London as well as the Killer Duke, assumed to have murdered his father’s sixteen-year-old bride-to-be on the eve of their wedding twelve years before the beginning of this novel. 

For years, Temple has been avoiding fighting with Mara’s brother in the ring, anxious that he may actually have to assume guilt for a crime he can’t remember committing (but also isn’t certain he didn’t). When Mara—the bride herself—appears on the street outside Temple’s flat in the middle of the night, begging to wager with Temple in order to absolve her brother’s debts, Temple’s world is thrown off-axis. Despite being drugged by Mara (for a second time), he becomes desperate to see her, leaning in to twinning emotions of anger and desire. The pair come up with a deal in which Mara will reveal herself to be alive and redeem the Duke in the eyes of London while he will subsidize her financially throughout the process, ensuring the continued viability of her orphanage. 

The development of feelings throughout the novel was tense and exciting in all the best ways, and as Sarah MacLean always does well, the side characters really make this story shine (I LOVED the reveal in the epilogue—even though I knew it was coming—and I thought Rosalyn Landor narrated it perfectly.) Bourne rocked the angry best friend role, protecting Temple from Mara’s antics and his suspicion that she was certain to betray him again, and Chase’s protectiveness was even more fun than her meddling in previous books. 
On the other hand, though, the physical development was a bit strange. From the outset, Mara and Temple were not only fiercely attracted to each other but acting on that attraction. As another reviewer put it: Why are you kissing?? Indeed, the makeout sessions were steamy and fun, but they didn’t really align with the plot or further the plot, which was odd. Nonetheless, this was fun and sometimes made me laugh out loud, and I just love this series and this author!