This was a really sweet romance, with an intelligent heroine and an open-minded hero, which is exactly what I needed this week. The author has a knack for creating stories that resonate well with today's issues and draw out emotions from readers they didn't even know they had. Whenever I pick up a Darcy Burke book, I know I'm about to enjoy unique characters with a complex storyline and a happily-ever-after.

Lady Lavinia Gillingham would much rather be digging in the dirt for geological discoveries than dancing in a ballroom in search of a husband. So when she escapes to her host's library to read an interesting book on Cornwall geology, the last thing she needs is to be in the same company as one of London's most notorious rakes, William Beckett, the Marquess of Northam. Expecting to meet his latest paramour, he is astonished to find a young lady instead, and he is immediately enchanted with her frank demeanor and inquisitive mind. Their meeting is brief, but the memory of her is something he can't seem to get out of his mind, and he is determined to help her find the man of her dreams. Writing under his pseudonym, the Duke of Seduction, he writes an ode to her and publishes it in the local paper, never dreaming that it would be the last thing she wants. They soon strike up a friendship, but when his identity comes to light, will she still want anything to do with him?

Despite the seeming levity of the summary above, this book actually was quite dark as the story progressed. There were many hidden depths to Beck (the hero), and his inner demons came to the forefront as his relationship with Lavinia became more intimate. While their relationship appeared lukewarm to me for much of the book, I felt that their strong friendship made their love all the more powerful in the end. Beck had to work through a lot of his own insecurities, and he wasn't really ready for a relationship with Lavinia until he realized he could lose her if he didn't step up his game. I appreciated her candid conversations with him, and I felt her character complimented his as he sought a solution to problems he had fought for a long time. Lavinia had to be the stronger of the two, which, in a historical romance, is quite refreshing. It takes two to make a relationship work, and their problems weren't solved in a day. Their relationship grew over time, overcoming many hurdles, and ultimately creating a really strong partnership.

Darcy Burke creates a strong, engaging story unique to the time period! Highly recommend to lovers of historical romance.

Lady Lavinia and her friends are truly kind and welcoming of new debutantes to the season. Lavinia is a bit different from the average young lady on the marriage mart in that she is a blue stocking who loves rocks and the scientific community. Her unexpected minutes with William Beckett or Beck, the Marquess of Northam, in a library during a ball are an unusual introduction. His kiss on her neck was intended for a married woman with whom he had an assignation. For the most part, I appreciate the hero in a romance having ethics in which he does not dally with married women. But, Ms. Burke did a great job of allowing Beck to redeem his behavior.

Beck’s acceptance and encouragement of Lavinia to wear her spectacles and be herself go along way toward making him exceptional hero material. Even the way he leaves a ribbon on the fence across from her house so she knows he has left her a note in a hollowed out tree is endearing.

Lavinia quickly learned, by his own admission, that Beck is the Duke of Seduction. In some cases, he has helped young ladies to find their husbands quickly, falling in love with said husband. On the other hand, he has caused some problems with his articles about young ladies, even though the article is flattering to the marriage seeker. Lavinia and Beck seemed to connect quickly with a huge amount of trust developing between them. Beck’s sister’s death affected him greatly. He did not want to marry, but did want honesty in his friendships. Beck’s dark moods were addressed well, just as his sister’s death was handled respectfully.

Ms. Burke, as always, has great secondary characters to support her romantic couples. Gage, Beck’s butler, seems to be a genuine friend. She also, includes previous characters to allow us to stay keep up with what their lives might be like in their future. I am looking forward to future books is this enjoyable series. Yes, please give Phoebe a charming husband who will adore her.

It’s such a wonderful series, full of fantastic heroes and heroines. I love the mix of stories across the various books.

With this one I loved Beck and Lavinia’s friendship, I adored him as a character, what a hero! I did feel they moved to lovers a bit too quickly for me but it’s a great story and I was caught up in it.

The snippets with the previous characters was great. I can’t wait fir the next one!

Lady Lavinia Gillingham prefers rocks her passion is science, and she’s determined to marry for love, but now the Duke of Seduction has targeted her for his next wallflower to help in the marriage mart. She doesn’t want to be propelled into the marriage market, why did he chose her! William Beckett, Marquess of Northam possesses the reputation of a rake, but is secretly a romantic as the Duke of Seduction, he uses his skill to help Lavinia not knowing she has no desire for assistance. Beck has a side to him very few people see, he’s a romantic at heart. For him he just doesn’t want to put his heart on the line again, one heart break was enough for him. Lavinia and Beck develop a friendship that blossoms and has Beck questing whether or not he can fall in love again. Can he stand by and watch other men peruse her without interfering as he prepares to see Lavinia married. A captivating story with a hero who wants love and to be loved, but can he overcome his past and grab is heart’s desire before another man claims her? Lavinia know if she doesn’t chose a husband by the season’s end her father will and she’ll not let that happen; she’ll find someone compatible to marry even if she’s in love with someone else. This is my honest opinions after I voluntarily read a copy of this book that was provided to me with no requirements for a review.

Lady Lavinia Gillingham prefers digging around in the dirt and talking about all things geology which is certainly not appropriate things for a young lady on the Marriage Mart to engage in. Lavinia is not in a hurry to marry and prefers to wait until she falls in love, but her parents have different ideas about that. When Lavinia becomes the next young lady to be written about by the Duke of Seduction, her parents are thrilled with her new popularity, but Lavinia is determined to uncover the Duke's identity and give him a piece of her mind. Little does she know that the Duke of Seduction is none other than William Beckett, Marquess of Northam.

I'm a fan of Ms. Burke and this latest book was one of my favorites. I especially enjoyed the snippets of poems to the young ladies at the beginning of each chapter. It was a refreshing change from the angst and drama that most regency romances have. Lavinia and Beck were an enjoyable couple to watch--each with their own insecurities and demons to wrestle before they realize they belonged with each other. Beck wasn't much of a "rake" and I thought Lavinia's parents were over the top in their rush to marry off their daughter. I would have liked to know the reason for this, but it was never explained. Fans of regency romances will enjoy this light and entertaining book.

Beck is the anonymous Duke of Seduction who writes poems that expound on the qualifies of young ladies, who are on the marriage mart but who are often overlooked by the men of the ton during the season. He writes a poem regarding Lavinia and suddenly she is being paid attention by possible suitors. Beck, who has sworn never to marry, finds himself slowly falling for Lavinia but refuses to admit it to himself. The story tells of the vicious gossip that destroyed his sister years ago, her supposed suicide, Beck’s need to find out what really happened, his dark depressive moods, Lavinia’s love of science especially rocks/fossils and the growing feelings between the two of them. Lavinia has a love for life and her friends that endears her to Beck. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and all of the characters involved. It is a great read with a few surprises and I would highly recommend it.

4 very surprised/5 stars.

I received this book from Netgalley and Darcy Burke Publishing for an honest review. This does not in any way affect my opinion of the book and it's characters.

When I picked up this book I was quite unsure of what to expect, I know for sure that I did not think I'd enjoy this as much as I have. I read through the book in about two days and could have done it much faster if this pesky thing called my job didn't come in between. This is the 10th book in Darcy Burke's The Untouchables series, and the first I've read. Though I am extremely intrigued to read the previous books now.

Lavinia is a bluestocking wallflower wishing she could spend her days examining rocks, talking about stratification and reading gealogy books. Instead, she is thrown steadily into the marraige mart - and at one point the author makes a comparision of the marraige mart to a vegetable market, where women are on display for sale like delectable produce, and I couldn't agree more. She has no wish to marry, knowing that a husband who not only appreciates her love for science but also encourages will be near impossible to find. You know where we're going from here.

William Beckett, fondly known as Beck (because why not?) is rake extraordinaire - and our MC's meet for the first time when he mistakes her for his paramour in the dark and kisses her - but he's a poet and musician at heart. Under the guise of the "Duke of Seduction" he pens beautiful poems about young unmarried misses on the marraige mart, giving them the push they need. Only, in the case of Lavinia, the poem he writes for her is a blit like pushing her off the cliff into tumulous waters. From here builds the love story of our couple.

You instantly connect to them, and I was definitely down the "kiss-now" rabbit hole by their second interaction. They balance each other out wonderfully. I do believe Beck is shown to have shades of Bi-polar or something of the sort, and personally I'd wish if that was a little more fleshed out. That would perhaps one of the few misgivings I have about the book.

The writing is very easy to read, and flows smoothly. It has a very light tone to it, and while I enjoy my deep, gritty books, once in a while I want a light, fun, swoon-y read. And Darcy Burke's combination of drama and humor made for a perfect read. The book was much wittier than I expected, and I could sense undertones of a Julia Quinn-esque style. There are some points however where I did cringe at a line or two (Like when Beck tell Lavinia that "he feels deeply) but it didn't puncture the experience one bit. I even managed to laugh it off.

What I did however truly, truly, truly truly admire was the absolute lack of melodrama or theatrics from either of the characters. There weren't any unnecessary plot points simply for the sake of drama, neither did we get a typical roadblock in the HEA. Whatever conflicts that arose were because of the characters as individuals, and not interfering third parties. I do truly enjoy that reprieve from the dramatics. Also, another thing I admired is the departure from cliche tropes. The author has gone from straight up emotion and character driven romance, and I admire that. It might feel a bit campy at times, but it definitely did not deter me from enjoying this book.

Also, the small little back story mystery had such a plot twist that I was shocked. Shocked, I tell you.

If you're looking for a sweet, heartwarming HR to curl up with then this will definitely be a good choice.

Darcy Burke’s The Duke of Seduction is the tenth book in The Untouchables series and the characters of Lavinia and Beck are so very likeable. I particularly thought that Beck’s character was so genuine in his desire to help others, including Lavinia. However, his simple act of kindness in trying to make her more appealing and marriageable, is seen by Lavinia as meddling. What ensues are several interesting and entertaining dialogues between the couple.
The characters in this story helped develop the story as did the story of Beck’s sister. I must admit that I would have liked more time between the couple before they realised their feelings for each other. I am also still puzzled as how Beck’s identity was revealed which in many ways, was the turning point for this couple.
Another great addition to this series and I hope to see more of Lavinia’s friends in the next book.
I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was a nice read with minimal conflict. I liked Beck and his he tried to improve the lives of women who were overlooked and how he backed off when he realized that not all the women wanted his help. Sometimes the road to hell is paved with good deeds. I mostly liked Lavinia, although there were times I was annoyed by her. I didn't really know what to make of her parents. At times their actions seemed loving and at other times, they were manipulative and cruel. These two sides were not blended well together. But overall, I enjoyed the romance as it was sweet and went at a good pace.

Who is the Duke of Seduction? He writes poetry printed in the newspaper about young women thinking he is helping them to get betrothed. Being married isn't everyone's dream and being the center of attention is annoying. Lady Lavinia Gillingham prefers studying to marriage, rocks to balls. She doesn't want help and definitely no poems but when one appears in the paper, her parents are so happy. Once she finds out that the Duke of Sedution is none other than William Beckett or Beck, the Lord of Northam. The same lord who kisses her on the neck in a dark library thinking her to be his lover. They become friends until her parents blackmail him to court her to get other men interested in her. After he finds someone for Lavinia to marry, he realizes he loves her and offers for her himself. Beck has a secret, his sister died when she was having her first season in London. Was it suicide or murder? How will this affect their betrothal? Find out what happens when a sensitive man who has a tendency for dark moods and a headstrong bluestocking come together. I loved the way they played off each other.and the tenderness and passion of their relationship. I received this book from Net Galley and Darcy Burke Publishing for a honest review and no compensation otherwise.

I received a free ARC from Netgalley.

This historical romance is a sweet, slow build of attraction that ends up with pages of spiciness. There is a little mystery, a little mental illness, a blackmail, and the blossoming of character. The poettry at the start of each chapter was enjoyable.

I read a lot of historical romance and was surprised that the hero plays guitar. And then so does a debutante. I don't recall some other things being of that time, such as carriages being called vehicles and someone saying they messed up and a some modern profanity.

A pleasant read that builds a light tension up, makes you think all is well, and then crashes it down to start over.

Adult content

This story didn't do it for me. It's not my favorite in the series. Unfortunately I didn't gel with the characters. Lavinia was set in her ways to avoid the marriage Mart and Beck was the Duke of Seduction. She was more concerned with her books and science and he writes romantic letters on the papers about Damsels in need of a push to get in the marriage Mart. I didn't find a real chemistry between the two.
I review this book from my own accord and it was generously provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Really enjoyed this one from Darcy Burke. Lavinia, our bluestocking heroine, prefers rocks to the marriage mart. Beck, the Duke of Seduction, wants to help wallflowers bloom into happily married ladies by writing poems praising their virtues. When Beck has a chance meeting with Lavinia in, you guessed it, a library during a ball, a friendship blooms between the two and the Duke of Seduction decides to help Lavinia, but she is not happy with his meddling. As her popularity increases, so does her friendship with Beck, but little does she know he is the meddlesome Duke. There is also another part to the story, which is why Beck does what he does. It was a nice side story and added to the drama of the book since there was never much drama between the two leads. They were friends, then in love. I loved them as friends, but not sure if I read what I needed to really believe the deep and abiding love that forms. My main reason for taking off one star was the title didn’t match the hero. I would have liked him to really be a Duke of Seduction. Instead it was the name he used for his anonymous poems. I wish he was more seductive. As a love interest, he fell flat for me. But, I did enjoy the book and would recommend. Also, I would definitely be interested in reading more about other characters in the book. I received a free copy from the publisher for my honest review, and here it is! Get it, read it, love their friendship, like their romance!

I’ve been trying to pinpoint why it was that this book just didn’t do much for me. Maybe it was the idea that someone could be writing anonymous poems that would turn a wallflower into a woman who suddenly interested all sorts of men who hadn’t noticed her before. Maybe it was the fact that the woman in question, Lady Lavinia, didn’t like this new attention and resented that some anonymous guy was writing about her, but she forgives the guy after he tells her that he is the guy she’s been ranting about.

I just didn’t buy the relationship between them. I found her rather irritating and didn’t believe that this guy’s whole motivation for writing the poetry. And he must be the most talented guy in England in that he’s a published poet and also a talented musician who is writing music and lyrics.

I ended up just feeling rather meh about the whole book. The characters didn’t interest me and their dialogue wasin’t all that interesting and neither was their relationship.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

I had enjoyed the previous book in this series and was eager to read this one.

I really liked Lavinia and Beck. It was sort of refreshing to see them enjoy something different {her: geology and him: music} and I liked that they both supported the other in those interests. There were a couple of Lavinia’s friends I liked and I am hoping they get their own stories.

Plot wise, it did get a little repetitive. My main complaint is that I didn’t see the leap from like to love. They did talk often, but not for long periods of time. It seemed like they just didn’t know each other well. And while the plot thread about Beck’s sister fit, to me it sort of felt like adding drama and conflict for no reason other than to have it.

Overall, I did enjoy these characters and this story and especially the epilogue. I will definitely be reading the next one.

**Huge thanks to Darcy Burke for providing the arc free of charge**

In return for being given any ARC, I ALWAYS promise to give a fair and honest review. I am a fan of Darcy Burke. I have pretty much all of her stories. While I did love this tale, I have to say that I would have liked a bit...more. Absolutely nothing wrong with the book, I just think it was missing something.

I received this novel from net galley and the publisher. Thank you!
Ms. Burke does it once again with this novel in her Untouchables series. I enjoyed the novel and enjoy some of the characters she brings into the story from her previous novels in the series. This had the romance and a twist in the plot that I did not expect to see, which added to the story.
Lady Lavinia Gillingham enjoys science and has no interest in marriage. She is very intelligent, which is not something to boast about as a woman during this time period. However, some me are open minded. However, when the Duke of Seduction writes a poem about her in the paper, all bets are off. William Beckett, Marquess of Northam, is a rake, but enjoys music and feels very deeply. He uses the Duke of Seduction to try and help women who are in the shadows, due to events from his past. He is trying to help women, but some prefer their current state of unmarried bliss. Lavinia and Beck become more entangled with each other and both are attracted to the other. Beck is intrigued by Lavinia, but after his own experiences, does not believe he can love again. He becomes jealous when Lavinia has several suitors and tries to keep his distance, but Lavinia becomes the seducer. I cannot wait to read the next novel in the series!

Every time I think Darcy Burke cannot possibly deliver a story as good as her last, she raises the bar again. The Duke of Seduction was fabulous. Broody hero who thinks everyone deserves love but him? Check. Sassy bookish heroine that is not about to let some man tell her what she needs? Check. Think it's going to be formulaic? Nope. Not a chance. Not with a Burke book. Absolutely loved Lavinia and Beck. I laughed, I teared up, and I fell in love all over again. You have to check this one out.