Beautiful and delightful! Absolutely loved the chemistry in this book - and it was even better outside of the bedroom, full of witty banter and skillful engagement between the heroine and hero. While the plot was there, I loved that this was much more a character-driven story that was led by well-defined and sympathetic characters. It was a joy to follow their story and see them fall in love and conquer demons of the past

very entertaining story about two lovely young people who were "ruined" by others. Added bonuses are 2 adorable kittens, "guest visits" from characters from previous books and series and two mysteries to be solved before the conclusion of the book (and series?)


Anthony, Viscount Colton has been lurking behind the scenes in several series. He went from being an engaging young man discovering the lure of being a rake, to a broken drunk after the murder of his parents, which he blames on himself. Meanwhile, Jane Pemberton, after several "failed" seasons and refusing to marry her parent's neighbor has moved into her friend Phoebe's house, while recently married Phoebe has moved out to live with her new husband, the Marquess of Riple, Anthony's close friend. Anthony somehow ends up drunk and beaten to a pulp on her front door. She takes him in and nurses him back to health physically, but he is still broken emotionally. While he is staying with her it is revealed that the reason that she never received an offer during her first season was someone had spread a malicious rumor that she was unchaste. She is determined to find out who was responsible for destroying her chances of marriage, while Anthony just wants to forget everything. Being a spitfire, and thinking she will never have another chance at knowing a man, Jane makes a inept attempt at seduction, but in doing so, begins to help Anthony begin to heal.

Intriguing characters, both good and bad, and an interesting story line along with those two rascals, Daffodil and Fern make this book a fun read. I read an ARC provided by NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

I find myself a little conflicted with this book. Overall it was an entertaining read and I rate it 3.5 stars. It just fell short of being wonderful for me.

Jane is a forward thinking, take control of her own life, kind of heroine. I love this about her, however I found her to be awfully flippant. She is utterly devastated when she finds out about the rumor and yet very early on in the story she’s offered her virginity as payment for taking care of it hero. That seems a bit off. I know a lot of people have complained about her and the concept of consent and I agree that she does rather pressure him. However someone mentioned that forced him because of course he was going to give into his attraction because he’s a man after all. That’s the most preposterous thing I’ve ever read and terribly problematic. He could have refused and being a man doesn’t make him a slave to his lust. What a disgustingly antiquated notion! All of that said I found Jane a bit flat sometimes.

Anthony is a man on the edge. He drinks to excess, fights, and basically drowns in the abyss. All rather for an understandable reason I think. He blames himself for his parents being murdered... that would be hard to live with!! I found him a more interesting character than Jane because he had more dimension to him. I liked their relationship together though very much! Although there’s a lot of steaminess to this book. Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind steaminess, I just don’t like when it overtakes they story instead of enhancing the story.

My biggest gripe is the plot seems ill defined. In parts it meanders and in others it’s rushed and forced. I would have enjoyed fewer pages of intimacy and more pages explaining the plot and the side characters introduced. Overall it was good, and I’d love to read more in the series, but I doubt I’d read this one again. Also side note (and maybe this is because I haven’t read any others in the series) but I don’t get the title he’s definitely not a Duke??


*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC copy! All opinions are my own*

Several times during reading I wanted to hurl this book at the wall. I like Regency romances and I'm willing to suspend a lot of disbelief, however this stretched disbelief to my limits. The heroine, Jane Pemberton. has decided, after several unsuccessful seasons, that she will become a spinster. She falls out with her parents over this, and moves into a friend's recently vacated house, determined to leave the marriage mart behind her. When she discovers a badly beaten viscount on her doorstep (we never find out how he came to be there) she takes him in and sets about rehabilitating him. Anthony, Viscount Colton, drinks to be numb and forget his past mistakes which led to the death of his parents. He's self-obsessed and self destructive. Yes, these two are meant for each other. It's a Regency romance, so that's a given. But, oh dear! Jane discovers that the reason she failed on the marriage mart is that someone started a rumour that she was a 'fast' woman. While wanting to discover who, and to restore her reputation, she starts a torrid affair with Colton, thus becoming the fast woman everyone thought she was. Duh! In fact she's so fast that she's talking dirty with Colton within a few days of taking him in. It's Colton who resists (though not very firmly) because Jane is a virgin and a respectable woman. There is also the shadow of coersion. (Jane coersing Colton while he's particularly vulnerable.) There's a lot of explicit heavy petting and sex, which in itself is not a bad thing, but I do wonder if the language used isn't in keeping with the era. Most men in the 1960s didn't know what a clitoris was. Would a viscount in the 1800s refer to it as such? The word was in the English language from the early 1600s, but was it in common usage? And then there's the title. I don't think we meet a Duke in the whole novel.

This books is very well written (of course, it is Darcy Burke) and a very enjoyable, light read. I liked Jane and Anthony, but would have preferred to know why Anthony was so hard on himself earlier in the book so I could understand him better. Other than that, though it was a fun summer read for me and I can absolutely recommend it. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

What absolutely enjoyable story! The spinster heroine finds the beat up hero on her front steps. He had been doing his normal partying around town. She nurses him back to health since she knows him and his sister is her dear friend. She encourages the hero to do what he needs to and in the two weeks at her house, has uncovered a side of him that most people do not see. This story was full of action, excitement and love. The hero keeps thinking he is terrible and is being black mailed over his guilt about the past. And when he has to choose between his reputation and the marriage of the heroine's sister, he picks his reputation. But, the truth always has the way of coming out, no matter how much you run from it. This story hits on the parts of our lives where we have to look back on things that we did and reconcile ourselves to them, forgive ourselves, make restitution and move on. I really liked these characters. I could see how they would have really lived in that time period. The heroine is part of a spinster society that is trying to do good things for the unfortunate. It is always good to be reminded that we can help out no matter the time or age. I recommend this story with 5 stars.

Oh wow, this was utterly adorable!

So if you like;

A tortured, broken hero who still manages to be funny and charming, paired with a caring, independent heroine who knows what she wants and damn if she doesn't go out and <i>get</i> it, along with a healthy dose of swoon and the most adorable scenes with two cute kittens...then get this book!

I absolutely fell for our main couple, Anthony and Jane. There were times when I just wanted to reach through the pages and give them both a hug! (TW for alcoholism) Anthony especially has been dealt a very hard hand and is struggling to put the past behind him, relying on drink to get through particularly rough patches. Jane, as well, has issues with her new spinsterhood, filled with loneliness from her parents abandoning her, and society turning its back on her. But she is so strong and when she finds out a secret from her past she is determined to find out the truth about things!

I loved Jane's strength and willingness to carry out her own desires. If she settled on something she went for it. She is so sweet and caring, and the way she sometimes took control during sexy times was just...wow, you go girl (haha).

I didn't realise until the end but this is actually book 3 in the series. There are mentions of previous couples, and a few mentions of what goes down in their respective books but it was never to the point of being overwhelming. You could easily read this as a standalone but be warned, it does make you want to go back and binge read the others! Burke also mentions at the end upcoming books featuring certain side characters and I'm definitely down with that. (I mean, Anne and the Vicars book, I honestly need it in my hands now. Or better yet, yesterday!)

I did knock a star off because I wanted to see more of the Spitfire Society. I'm not sure if they feature more in previous books but I felt like they were hardly mentioned in this one. It's solidly Jane and Anthony's book, which I definitely didn't mind! I just thought the idea behind their Society was brilliant and would have loved to read more about their activities.

Also, very, veeeery minor quibble. But I'm not a fan of the title. I'm pretty sure Anthony's a Viscount? Or similar but he's definitely not a Duke. I know it's probably a marketing ploy but not every hero has to be a Duke. (In fact, one of my favourite historical romance heroes also happens to be a Viscount...and also happens to be called Anthony lol.)

Oh and have I mentioned there are kittens?! Kittens that keep Anthony up at night because they're playing with his feet, and there's a scene where he's reading a book and they're asleep in his lap and it's all just....ugh, so damned cute.

So yes, highly recommended, especially if you like healing books, or books with tortured heroes, or books with kittens or just....anything. Just read this book!

Nice read!
The best thing about the book is Anthony. His personality has layers and a redemption arc. Jane is a nice protagonist but I didn't like how insistent she was about having sex.
Apart from that, the relationship was very healthy. I like how they help each other overcome their own problems, not by resolving them for the other, but by being a constant support.
The plot is okay most of the time. The last 30% got really interesting.
I would have loved to see more about The Spitfire Society in the story.
Overall it was fun, very well written, and with just an elegant taste of mystery and drama.

The Spitfire Society. A group of women fed up with society's rules and regulations, they fight to retain their independence and go against their families expectations. They especially don't need a man. So when Jane is told she must either marry her boring neighbour or become a declared spinster and move into the Spitfire headquarters, her answer is a no brainer.

Enter brooding Anthony. Tormented by the horrors of his past, Anthony is no ideal match for any woman. Especially as he spends most of his time drunk. So when Jane Fonda herself drawn to him, she must learn to unravel the secretes of his past and see past the drunkard in front of her. I liked Anthony. He was an interesting male lead that was better developed than most male characters in these types of romances. He has strong opinions and is actually a pretty good guy. Jane I was less enamoured with. She's highly manipulative, and willing to do anything to get what she wants. It wasn't a good trait. I also didn't think the two had that great a connection.

The plot is ok, but nothing out of the ordinary. I just wish we'd spent more time with Anthony.

I enjoy Burke's stories but this had some components that were hard to get through. Jane Pemberton may have been intended to be portrayed as a strong, independent woman but her separation from her family seemed to make her susceptible to allow herse!f to be content with mediocre treatment. There were so many instances of Anthony, Viscount Colton, walking away from Jane to go on a drinking binge, only to see her time and time again, running after him. If earlier in the book she let him go so he could become a better person for her, it would have redeemed the storyline but up until close to the end, she was the constant pursuer. I just couldn't help feel that Anthony's love for Jane was more that she was his crutch or distraction from his addiction. I will read the next series but this was a miss.

I am a Darcy Burke Fan and she is on my auto buy. This is my first ARC review for her.

I’m definitely not disappointed by this series so far. This book is a good finale for the Spitfire girls. Anthony Colton has featured previously in the Untouchable series. After the death of his parents he is consumed by guilt and is spiraling downward and finds himself at Jane Pemberton’s doorstep injured. And Jane has a request to Anthony for she sees herself as a spinster unwilling to give in to the pressure from her parents. Seems cliched at this point.

But Darcy brings in her own humor, spitfire girls, mystery, and healing for both Anthony and Jane.
Definitely worth a read. But it’s not like the untouchable series which I still go back to reading when I have no new book which captures by interest.

I can’t wait to read her new series.

I can always count if Darcy Burke to make an interesting contribution to the over saturated genre of regency romance. Her writing is rarely dependent or focused on historical research or hampered by historical accuracy, although I don’t remember any anachronisms. Instead, she focuses on unconventional ideas women may have had and how they coped with the consequences. Her heroines are always engaging spitfires, pun intended, and the men are always willing to play second fiddle and be played like said instrument. Occasionally, things get a bit overly angst for my taste (intelligent women rarely make hasty assumptions or rush to erroneous conclusions). When it does happen, it’s always brief and often a fault of the love interest.

Thinking of Lord Colton, I must add that he is an adorable hero. His roguish attitude is delightful. I’ve had my share of brooding boys who can’t see their hands in front of their faces. We get our fair share of drama, but there is an effervescence in both characters that I enjoyed. There is a fairly novel meet cute. Amnesia and female rescue isn’t new, but tumbling into an entry way is a image I’ve never conjured. I’ll take it!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I have waited for Anthony’s story ever since I first read about him in The Duke of Distraction. I also loved the beginning of the book where Jane finds Anthony but after that somehow this story just didn’t work for me. I didn’t find any chemistry between Jane and Anthony. I am a little sad this story didn't work for me as I was really excited about it. The other issue I have with this book is having duke in the title which I think is disingenuous as the hero in this book is a viscount not a duke. I get that publishers and authors want to add "duke" to the titles for increased sales but the book should at least have a duke as the hero if it is in the title. This is a good author that writes lovely stories and her work should just be allowed to shine without these gimmicks.

This is book three in The Spitfire Society series and I would recommend reading it as part of the series. * I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

I was instantly interested in this book - there was no slow start or build up, I felt connected to the story right from the start. It was only part way through the book that I realised that I wasn’t reading the first in the series, but there was no loss of story or character to contend with - one sign of a well-written series is that you can read each book as a standalone story and not be disadvantaged and that is certainly the case here. There is enough detail that (I assume) alludes to previous plot points, but nothing is hard to follow or detracts from the story at hand.

Both main characters were likeable, relatable and well developed throughout. I was invested in their stories from the start, but particularly appreciated how their back stories continued to build in an authentic way as the story progressed. The slightly less appealing parts of their characters came to make perfect sense - Jane’s pushiness explained by how she was treated by her parents, and Anthony’s self-loathing explained by losing his parents as a result of his own actions. It was endearing to see them bring out the best in each other and let go of their reservations as the story drew to it’s conclusion - the author did a good job of focusing on their connection without forcing it.

The book had some pretty steamy, no detail spared, love scenes to keep the pace of the story alive throughout. My only issue with the book, and the reason the last star is missing from my review, is that these scenes, and this part of the romance, seemed to come out of nowhere and jarred a little with how the characters had been developed up to that point - Jane had been portrayed as an innocent spinster, but was instantly fully engaged with all aspects of exploring the male form, and Anthony repeatedly stated that he wanted to protect her and keep her honour in tact for fear of further torturing himself, but was more than willing to give in with minimal fight. The relationship that they had felt natural, but this particular part of it felt a little rushed and maybe could have waited until a bit further into the book.

I really enjoyed the read, and will be seeking out the others in the series, and more by this author, in the future.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book in return for an honest review.

What it's about:
This book is about Jane who becomes a self-described spinster after failing the marriage mart. One day, a very injured Anthony finds himself on her doorstep which starts the journey of a very interesting friendship as well as the offer of him helping Jane in a very intimate way.

Pros
-The book is a nice, simple read
-The characters are interesting
-There is sex but not too much (in comparison to some books at least) and to me, it is done quite tastefully and it is quite sensual
-It isn't just romance, there is a little bit of mystery in the book
-Although this is part of the Spitfire Society series, I personally feel like this can be read as a stand-alone book
It makes me want to read more of Darcy's books

Cons
Some areas of the book could have been more climactic, however, this doesn't take a lot away from the book

Rating
3.5⭐

Would I read it again:
Yes

Would I recommend it:
Yes, especially to people who like historical fiction!

https://www.dannisbookreviews.com/post/a-duke-will-never-do-by-darcy-burke-arc-review

I liked it but didn’t love it. Jane and Anthony were both good characters who I felt were not as developed as they could have been. Plot wise, there was definitely an interesting story to Anthony but I just felt overall the plot and actions and development could have been a little more complex. That being said, I like Jane’s character along with the rest of the Spitfire ladies. Nothing wrong with the story, fairly typical of a Regency romance and I’ve read Darcy Burke books in the past and liked them and I’ll read the next book of hers when it comes out.

I loved this book to say the least! You can't but fall in love with Anthony ( lord Colton) troubled with his past somehow arrives at Janes door step. Jane who has no intention of ever to be wed, nurses him and falls in love. But finding out who Anthony actually is and the demons he faces inside of him, and how she helps him out of them. Its beautifully written and with enough drama and excitement and romance that the reader doesn't want to keep this book down. I truly enjoyed this one!

Such a great read! I really enjoy this author’s dialogue. The way each character has such a distinctive turn of phrase.

I loved how Jane snubbed society and followed her own path. Anthony was a complex character and I felt for him with his troubled past.

Great banter, chemistry and an interesting take on society in the early 1900s. Looking forward to more in this series.

I absolutely adore this author. She always writes an excellent story. I love to read historical romance. This is her second series I have read and I’m so glad that I did.
Excellent characters and just enough steamy scenes to keep you entertained.

After becoming a pariah in society, Jane has decided to make her own way with the help of a friend. She does, however, need help learning some of life's other lessons, and when a handsome young man finds himself on her doorstep, she knows just who will be her new teacher.

Not one of my favorite romance books, but not horrible. Fairly typical of these type of works, and I'm sure there will be plenty of fans.