I was incredibly delighted to obtain the ARC for this book! After reading the first book in the Phoenix Club series, Improper, I was already looking forward to the next book.
Impassioned did not disappoint! Let's start with the cover; it's beautiful, vibrant, and passionate. I love the green dress the heroine is wearing!
The storyline. Oh my gosh!
I did not like Constantine much after the first book. However, after this book, I am inclined to like him a little more. He comes across as aloof, disinterested in most things, and overall a bit grumpy. Sabrina suffers dreadfully from anxiety. She prefers being in the background. But all that changes when she shows up in London with a request. Well, more of a demand. Suddenly, Sabrina is so different. She's confident, and oh so incredibly beautiful. As lovely as the first day Constantine saw her. But how do they feel about each other? They are about to discover everything that's been missing from their marriage.
This book was vastly different from the first book. For one, the couple is already married. Secondly, Impassioned was a lot steamier. Lots of sexy scenes to set your pages/device on fire. I loved watching the couple grow and accept each other, while falling deeply in love. This was an amazing read. Highly recommend for fans of historical romance.

An enjoyable read as always from the author. Perhaps more realistic than most when you consider the era where marriage between two people who don't know each other and the women are kept in the dark about the marriage bed. However I didn't enjoy it as much as other books from this author not sure if it was too realistic or because it was about fixing a marriage rather than meeting and falling in love. I hadn't read the first book but it didn't seem to matter as the couple from that was barely mentioned.

Let me start by saying that I’ve been in a big historical romance kick this month - and it’s sometimes easy for those stories to blend together. However, “Impassioned” is a refreshing story that easily stands apart from the fray, with a fresh take on a HEA story line! We intercept The Earl and Lady Aldington two years into their arranged marriage, where we meet a rather starched and dutiful Constantine Westbrook going about his responsibilities in London whilst his quiet wife, Sabrina, spends much of her time at the country estate. They meet exactly twice a year to “fulfill their obligations” to each other in the bedchamber. He arrives home one day to find Sabrina has arrived unannounced to their London home is a simple demand - that he bed her nightly until she begets an heir! This declaration is all the more startling because Sabrina has never shown this sort of boldness before - her reputation as the wallflower countess has been warranted up to this point. Confused, Constantine is unsure just who this woman is… so unlike the woman he thought he married.

Sabrina has always been shy and anxious around others. Her debut season was thankfully shortened by the arrangement for her to marry the future Duke of Aldington. And with the arrangement, there was really no reason for courting each other. But, eventually, doubts creep in between them both as to whether or not the other even wanted to join in this marriage… as this certainly wasn’t a love match. For now, they’ll do the right and proper thing; they’ll do their duty. Maybe then her parents’ criticisms will abate and she can go quietly back to the country with a baby to love and break up the loneliness she feels.

Which leads to her bold choice to come to London, demand a baby, and step out of her comforts to engage within Society. For this daunting task, she seeks out her husband’s brother, Lucien, to ask for his help. He quickly agrees, as a man who is quick to help others wherever he can… but also hopes he can loosen up his uptight brother and bring them both much-deserved happiness. Lucien introduces Sabrina to Mrs. Renshaw to help secure a new wardrobe for her as well as invites to the best events of the season. Together, they surmise that gaining Sabrina admission to the exclusive Phoenix Club (which they happen to collaboratively operate) will be a sure-fire way to rebrand Sabrina’s image amongst the ton.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed “Impassioned” and couldn’t put it down! The pace moves along nicely, the characters are vibrant, and the story is revealed in good times. The way the author is able to create sexual tension and frustration that ebbs and flows within the scene is delightful! You know it’s a good read when you’re cheering for the characters to use the informal names for each other vice titles - and that you get a little tingle of satisfaction when they do!

Thank you to #NetGallery for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGallery #Impassioned #RomanceBooks #HistoricalRomance

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to Zealous Quill Press for providing me this arc via Netgalley!
This book had so many of the things I like in an historical romance, but simply didn't deliver.
It is very hard for me to point out what exactly was wrong with it. The only way I can think of to explain it is that it feels as if a 16 year old had read many historical romances and tried her hand at writing for the time, by packing all of the cliches usually seen in marriage of convenience novels. The writing was so weird and the dialogue had me cringing.
Also, I didn't like the cover. The guy in it is weird and I couldn't stop thinking about Constantine (this name, too...) as that guy, which really set me off.
If this wasn't an ARC, I would have DNFed it.

Thanks the publisher and Netgalley for this copy in exchange of a sincere review.

What was this book? Such a good one. Many of the time we let what people say go up our heads, and this culture should stop because, this book proves what we've been all wrong. Constantine and Sabrina are so good characters, because them nuances and details have been so we'll build up. There is chemistry. There is a a warm love story. And the fact that I do not like it more, it was that representaion lack, in all of the ways. It was for me, 3 stars

Another awesome read! This one is sort of reversed, where the hero and heroine are already married, but not in love yet. I loved watching Sabrina and Constantine develop their relationship (with the help of the Phoenix Club).

Pressured by their parents into a marriage of convenience, Constantine and Sabrina have spent most of the two years since their nuptials apart. Eager for a child, and knowing her husband wants an heir, Sabrina shows up unexpectedly and demands her marital rights. But with both of them embarrassed to ask for what they want in the bedroom, and unsure what their partner desires, their encounters are less than satisfactory. Will a scheme hatched by their friends help things along?

As usual, Darcy Burke has hatched an engrossing, emotional romance with relatable and well-rounded characters. This book will be of particular interest to fans of the following tropes: marriage of convenience, love on the rocks, secret identity. It’s a swoony, satisfying read, especially once Constantine comes to his senses and starts wooing his wife properly. I especially loved the wine tasting scene!

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I enjoyed this second installment in The Phoenix Club! Darcy Burke was a new-to-me author of Regency romance before I read the first book in this series. I'm glad I read the first in the series because it familiarized me with the cast of side characters who end up forming the main characters in this second book. That said, I think it's in Impassioned where Darcy Burke really hits her stride with this series.

In particular, I found the central tension/conflict in this book to be irresistible. I just *had* to read on to see how Constantine and Sabrina put their baggage/early experiences in their marriage aside in order to properly get to know each other, and ultimately allow real love and tenderness to bloom. I liked the combination of the enemies to lovers/second chance romance tropes all rolled into one. In particular, I recommend this one for fans of Martha Waters' "To Have and to Hoax."

In nearly two years of marriage, Sabrina Westbrook has barely spoken to her husband and shared a bed even less. Both activities would require they actually live together. As it is, the Earl of Aldington attends to his seat in the House of Commons, while she and her crippling social anxiety tend to his country house and gardens.

Their arrangement is quite civilized, and their letters are painfully polite. Their twice-yearly visits are…awkward. But, if Sabrina can muster the necessary courage, all of that is about to change. Starting tonight.

Heir to a dukedom, Constantine Westbrook knows his duty: to country, to family, and to the shy, retiring wife whose beauty stole his breath the moment they met. Whose arousing, enticing body he’s never seen in the light of day. Or any light at all.

However, there’s something different about the woman who shows up in London unannounced. For the first time in their marriage, Sabrina has a request. No, a demand. But wanting and having are two different things. And to give Sabrina her heart’s desire, they’ll both need a few lessons in love…
This was a compelling and thoroughly enjoyable read from start to finish.

It’s amazing how we get in our own way, or let the opinions and influence of others block our own happiness. Constantine and Sabrina are two such people. Their struggle to become who they truly are makes for a love story that had me grinning at the end. Though Sabrina’s timidity and Constantine’s proper behavior made for a frustrating start, the chemistry and love story was heartwarming. Great representation of how our own barriers, ideas of ourselves and behavior, how our own fear limit the joy in our lives.

I love historical romance and this book is no exception. Deception, swooning and exclusive members clubs have made this one of my favourite historical romances I've read this year.

Sabrina, known as the wallflower countess, has decided to reinvent herself upon her return to London society. This comes as a shock to her husband of two years, Constantine. As Sabrina comes more out of her shell and demands what she wants, Constantine shrinks back in confusion and self reflection. Can a marriage of convenience turn into a love match?

I throughly enjoyed the fact that the romance and courting started within an established marriage. A marriage of convenience is one of my favourite tropes though the miscommunication element in this book irked me slightly.

I liked the fact both main characters owned up to their faults throughout the book. It was refreshing that neither was 'solved' instantaneously and required mutual support and patience. I think this adds a more realistic feel to the book which, although escapism at its core, brings you deeper in.

The familial relationships throughout the book were interesting and diverse. The role and duties of women and men were demonstrated in a subtle way through these. The pressure to marry, the duties within a marriage and the transactional nature of it.

This historical romance had everything I was looking for. Enough depth to make it interesting, complex characters and comedic relief. I would whole heartedly recommend this and would love to read more from the author.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This next book in the series is my favorite so far. I adore this couple and that they worked so hard to make their marriage work, to make it better, to make it impassioned. It was filled with the slow burn of new romance and courtship, of becoming newly acquainted because of not taking the chance to do so before. The intimate encounters were awkward at first before becoming searching, desperate, learning and teaching moments before they ultimately reached a time they finally were truly intimate lovers. They grew individually as much as they did together and the resulting story was a joy to read, a true triumph of a happy ever after because this showed a couple stagnated that could repair and thrive in their love, even after time had passed. #netgalley #impassioned

This is not the first book I've read by this author but it won't be the last.
This is a funny and witty book with a tendency for the absurd.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily

(3,5)

A long time ago, I made the personal choice to have no social life whatsoever and to spend all of my free time reading books. And since I was eager to read Impassioned, I did not waste any small amount of time and dived right in! Once I had started my reading of this book, I simply could not stop. Not because it was perfect—it wasn’t. For example, I enjoyed the first half of this book way less than the second one. But it was so entertaining and I ended up being so engaged with the romance that I did not care about anything else.

Maybe it’s because Darcy Burke is so new to me but I did not expect to enjoy Impassioned the way I did—like a fresh glass of lemonade on a hot summer day. But this author makes it really easy to love her characters and her Phoenix Club. A club I would love to be a member of, by the way. Because while I did love the romance and the couple, I also adored the secondary characters. They own my heart.

Ever since reading Improper, not so long ago, I was curious about Constantine and his mysterious wife, Sabrina. I wanted to know everything about them and their history. I wanted to understand how they had come to be married and why they almost never saw each other… To put it simply, I wanted to know what the deal was between them. Let me tell you right away, I was not disappointed. Darcy Burke has a really good writing style which made it both easy and fun to read this couple’s story and she also knows how to awaken the butterflies in my stomach. With Constantine and Sabrina, those weird butterflies danced like crazy! And while I don’t read many romance novels following already married couples, this second chance romance convinced me and now I just want more.

In the meantime, I am looking forward to more books in this series and more of Darcy Burke. Now I’m ready for Intolerable!

Darcy’s back at it again with another hit! I absolutely loved this book. I’m pretty sure my coworkers think I’m crazy after the way I couldn’t hide my reactions while reading on lunch. The resolution felt like it might have been a tiny bit hurried but at the same time, it was believable because it was clear they’d loved each other throughout. I can’t wait for book 3 and hopefully a book 4!

4/5 stars!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! It isn't a plot I've seen done very often in HR and found the characters and the plot well laid out by the author.

The change in attitude by either character wasn't out of the blue and the romance was on point!

An arranged marriage of convenience between Constantine, Earl of Aldington and his wife Sabrina has not been going very well for the last two years. When Sabrina decides to arrive in London to reinvent herself, she also wants a child pending Constantine's co-operation., Everything is turning topsy turvy. Constantine is always asking "Who is this woman?" With problems in the bedroom, they both have a lot to learn about pleasure. With a little help from a brother and a friend, an uptight Earl and a shy fearful lady are discovering each other. Darcy Burke always seems to have interesting characters that keep the story from being boring, especially a cat named Grayson.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Sabrina and Constantine have been married for 2 years and barely speak to each other, that is until the night Sabrina shows up in town demanding her marriage rights in the form of a child. Since the bed-sport has never been enjoyable she isn't really looking forward to the situation. She goes to her brother in law Lucian and asks for help in acquiring a new wardrobe and to hopefully make a splash in society, to help with her anxiety issues and to prepare her for seeing her child through a season if it's a girl. He brings her to Evie who discovers the true problem is the lack of intimacy in her marriage and begins to tutor her on the pleasures to be found in bed.
Constantine also goes to Lucian for help for the same intimacy issues, and while the plan works it wouldn't have been necessary if they'd only communicate with each other. Watching these 2 get to know each other is very sweet, I also liked that it was a progression in the bedroom as well, the more they got to know each other the better the intimacy was, which is always more realistic to me.
I liked seeing Sabrina find her strength and Constantine find his emotions. I can't wait to see what kind of trouble Cassandra gets into in the next book.

Be careful what you wish for ...

I read the first book in this new series and found the premise (a group of men who set up their own gentlemen's gambling club) a little bit too similar to another historical romance series I'd read. However, I was intrigued to read the story of the Earl of Aldington, Constantine Westbrooke (elder brother of the founder of the Phoenix Club), and his bloodless marriage so I jumped at the chance of this when I saw the ARC available on NetGalley.

Constantine and his wife Sabrina's marriage was arranged by their parents. Constantine's father is controlling and Constantine has spent his life trying to earn his father's approval. Sabrina has crippling anxiety and her parents constantly criticise her. Ever since their marriage Constantine and Sabrina have barely spent any time together, bar a perfunctory fortnight each year. He spends his time in London while she resides at their country estate. But Sabrina has overcome her anxiety and come to London, determined to have a baby.

Sabrina and Constantine have been misled about each other by their respective parents and each has made erroneous assumptions about the other, in an effort to unravel the misunderstandings, Constantine's brother arranges for Sabrina to pose as a courtesan to (verbally) coach Constantine on the art of seducing his wife.

I felt like I deceived myself with this book. In my head it was supposed to be a bit like the relationship in The Scarlett Pimpernel, two people desperately in love with each other but for 'reasons' treating each other with icy disdain/politeness. Unfortunately, this book was more about Lessons in Love and standing up to your mean parents.

Again, I liked but I didn't love it. It felt like Sabrina was the driving force in the relationship and Constantine was a bit wet TBH, but I'm not a fan of the 'disguising yourself to date/make love to your own spouse' whether it's in literature or music.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I looked forward to reading Constantine’s story since I met him in the previous book of the Phoenix Club series. He was a very intriguing character since the beginning, because he was so serious, uptight, honorable, but he also did a very out-of-character thing at the end of the book… So I wanted to see where this thing might lead and what prompted it. And I wasn’t disappointed at all.
I LOVED this book, even more than the previous of the series. Constantine and Sabrina are two wonderful characters, beautifully fleshed out during the book. I particularly liked Sabrina, who had to deal with two very cold parents who never understood her and then forced her to marry a stranger. She is the typical woman of the period, who doesn’t know anything about sex and has been led to see it as a duty to be endured and not enjoyed. Constantine is equally repressed, emotionally if not physically. He’s trying to be the perfect heir to the dukedom and to constantly please his father, to the expenses of his own happiness. Their love story is essentially a story of personal growth for both of them.
The book is very, very emotional, and there’s sexual tension in spades even when they don’t perform the act. Darcy Burke really hit the mark again!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.