RELEASE DAY - A SCOT IN THE DARK-SARAH MACLEAN

Feminist Manifesto or Gossipy Good Time:

Why Can’t a Book Be Both?

High-Concept New Novel from New York Times, USA Today & Washington Post
Bestselling Author Sarah MacLean Is Unlike Anything You’ve Ever Read!

“There’s something very realistic in great romance — namely, that women have the right to demand relationships that are based on equality and honesty and trust and, yes, a great sex life. Why should we settle for less than those things? That’s a scary question for a lot of people, but it’s a critical one for women. We should gain from our relationships. And if we don’t, we shouldn’t be in them.”

(Sarah MacLean, as quoted in BookRiot)

A SCOT IN THE DARK is Miss Lillian Hargrove’s tale.  She’s done something…rather rash and brash, something that could forever ruin her in polite society.  And why not? It’s not like any of her guardians (and there have been seventeen, in total) have ever paid any attention to her.  When a famous artist and star of the stage, Derek Hawkins (and readers, you will have to guess what pop culture icon this ‘poppinjay’ is based upon!) declares that Lily is the muse he has been searching for, she falls for the charismatic cad…hook, line, and sinker.  He makes her pretty promises, and entices her to pose for an absolutely scandalous portrait, one he swears will never see the light of day…until he publically reveals that he will unveil the nude, “more glorious than Titian,” will be unveiled at the Great Hall of the Royal Exhibition in one month’s time.

Enter the Duke of Warnick, lovely Lillian’s most recent guardian…and one who did not even realize she existed until her scandal hit the broadsheets.  This Highland Devil, a veritable giant of a man, is also known as the “half-hearted duke,” having inherited, through sheer bad chance, a title and myriad estates that he never wanted.  Indeed, Warnick loathes all things British, and dislikes nothing more than the aristocracy itself.  But he’s not one to let a responsibility slip: not the properties that fall within his oversight, nor his entailments…nor the beautiful ward who has fallen under his protection.

Warnick travels from Scotland to London with a single goal: get Lillian married off before that damned painting ever sees the light of day.  It seems to be the perfect resolution to an awful muddle – until Lillian declares that she needs no one to “save” her – she will only marry for love…and the one man whom she most wants is Warnick himself…the one she can never have.

A SCOT IN THE DARK

By Sarah Maclean

On-Sale August 30, 2016

Hardcover ISBN 9780062465849 ½ Mass Market ISBN 9780062379429

eBook ISBN 9780062379443 ½ Digital Audio ISBN 9780062562869

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BAM | ITUNES

Nothing scandalous…but of interest about our (equally novel) author:

New York Times, Washington Post & USA Today bestseller Sarah MacLean is the author of historical romance novels that have been translated into more than twenty languages, and winner of back-to-back RITA Awards for best historical romance from the Romance Writers of America.

A graduate of Smith College and Harvard university, Sarah is a leading advocate for the romance genre, speaking widely on its place at the nexus of gender and cultural studies, including at the National Book Festival’s first ever Romance Pavilion. She is the author of a monthly column celebrating the best of the genre for the Washington Post. Her work in support of romance and the women who read it earned her a place on Jezebel's Sheroes list of 2014 and led Entertainment Weekly to call her "gracefully furious." The New Yorker proclaimed, “Romance novelist Sarah MacLean has reignited the genre with a bolder edge. She interprets the romance novel as a crucial component of feminist literature.” Sarah lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.

“This is my feminist book,” divulged New York Times, USA Today and Washington Post bestselling author Sarah MacLean about her newest book, A SCOT IN THE DARK (Avon Books, ISBN 9780062379429; eISBN 9780062379443; on-sale 8.30.16).  This is quite a statement from a woman who is widely acclaimed for being one of the more prominent feminst writers in the genre. And, like every great book, A SCOT IN THE DARK imparts a message – but MacLean had such fun writing it!  This is the second book in her Scandal & Scoundrel series, which takes a “TMZ in the Regency” approach to storytelling: all the drama between the pages is ripped from modern-day tabloid headlines!  Here, we get a delectably gossipy spin on the Jennifer Lawrence “sex tape” scandal.

“Today’s cult of celebrity is nothing new,” divulges the author, who has spent several years pondering the sudden confluence of brand-name, self-made/super-star families, such as the Kardashians, and tracing this trend back to the early 1800’s.  “The people of the Regency were as fascinated with the glitterati of the time as we are with our modern day celebrities -- made famous for being famous. In the 1830s, tabloid newspapers were obsessed with society, with people made famous simply because of their name, rank, and holdings. Setting modern scandal down in an historical setting allows me to distill our obsession with celebrity and create characters and stories that seem at once larger than life and surprisingly familiar.”

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What people are saying about Sarah MacLean…

“Romance novelist Sarah MacLean has reignited the genre with a bolder edge. 
She interprets the romance novel as a crucial component of feminist literature.”

― The New Yorker

"Funny, smart, feminist and roastingly hot."  ― BookRiot.

“This book shouldn’t simply be read, it should be savored. Slowly. And more than once….

It’s one gorgeous read.” ― USA Today

“When it comes to crafting wonderfully escapist love stories composed of equal measures of sexy romance and sharp wit, literary newcomer MacLean is unrivaled.” ― Chicago Tribune

“For a smart, witty and passionate historical romance, I recommend anything by Sarah Maclean”

Lisa Kleypas, New York Times bestselling author

“Sarah MacLean is the romance writer who will surprise you every time.” ― Jezebel.com, Sheroes of 2014

“This delightful historical romance has a satisfying modern sensibility.” ― NPR, Best Books of 2013

“Stunning romance... Brilliant, seductive, and intensely engaging.” ― Library Journal, Best Books of 2014

“At moments heart-wrenching, at moments comedic, at all times entertaining and satisfying.”
― Kirkus Reviews

“This is not just a marvelous deep-sigh romance, but a story in which the intensity and profound significance linger long after the tale is done.” ― RT Book Reviews

“Rocked my socks, blew my mind, and caused me to make the Good Romance Novel noise.”

― Sarah Wendell, Smart Bitches Trashy Books

“This is one of those books carefully layered where each scene, each word has meaning and I could re-read it a dozen times and still discover new things in the story.” ― DearAuthor.com

“Wow, what a great book! I love it. One of the best wrenching-heart scenes ever...Fabulous!” ― Eloisa James