The book instantly caught my attention—I mean, how could it not? With a title like that, I couldn't resist diving right in!

This novella was such a delightful, quick read, blending sunshine and grumpiness in a historical romance set at a lively house party—what more could you ask for? Dare, the ever-so-grumpy and meticulously organised Duke, meets his perfect match in Juno, a bubbly matchmaker who thrives on socialising. Their dynamic was hilarious! Dare tried so hard not to fall for her charm, but Juno's radiant personality made it impossible for him to stay immune. That scene where Juno mocks his grumpiness had me in stitches—especially when Dare deadpanned, "Wow, that's actually accurate."

Sure, some historical details might have been a bit off, and the conflict could've used more depth, but honestly? It was a thoroughly enjoyable ride. This sunshine-meets-grump romance left me smiling. If you're in the mood for something light and fun, this one's a solid pick!

#TheRigidDuke #NetGalley

Darcy Burke's 'The Rigid Duke' is an absolute masterpiece of historical romance! From the well-developed characters to the intricate plot full of twists and turns, this book is a true gem in the genre. The chemistry between the main characters sizzles on the page, making their romance both believable and utterly captivating. Burke's writing is eloquent and immersive, painting a vivid picture of Regency-era England that will transport readers back in time. With its blend of passion, humor, and emotional depth, 'The Rigid Duke' is a must-read for fans of historical romance. Prepare to be swept off your feet by this enchanting tale!

I loved this story and recommend to all!

5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 4 Flames 🔥🔥🔥🔥


📚Disclosure: I received a review copy of this #book from the author/publisher via #Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, comments, and interpretations of the story are my own and bias free. I did not receive any money in exchange for this review. Thank you to the publisher/author for allowing me the opportunity to review. 🦄
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I Cannot express in words how much I Loved this story and never wanted it to end.

No reader should miss this wonderful story. Darcy Burke delivers unforgettable romance which no reader should miss.

This novella is a delightful gem, offering the perfect space to unfold a heartwarming tale without the excess drama or overwhelming obstacles for the main couple. Juno and Dare take center stage as the plot gracefully navigates their gradual warming up to each other, culminating in the realization that they've discovered someone with whom they can truly be themselves. Burke skillfully delivers a satisfying novella experience that doesn't disappoint.

Always enjoy a Darcy Burke novel!

Juno tried so hard to match Marina with the Duke, but it was clear they were much more compatible from the beginning. It's a steamy romance with lots of fun banter between Dare and Juno. Dare is a bit rough around the edges but I think that's one of his most endearing traits. Juno is really trying to meet expectations in matching Marina with the Duke, but also feels the attraction and eventually gives in.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Grumpy meets Happy - could romance be far behind?
"Grumpy" is the titular Rigid Duke - specifically the Duke of Warrington, known as Dare to his friends. He doesn't enjoy society and he especially hates house parties, but it's time to find a wife so he agrees to go to a house party where he knows there's matchmaking afoot for him and shy young Lady Marina Fellowes.
"Happy" is Mrs. Juno Langton, a young widow who's quite happy with the life she's carved as a "refinement tutor" who helps awkward young women improve their chances on the Marriage Mart. She's been hired by the Fellowes to work with Marina to overcome her shyness and hopefully secure the match between Marina and the Duke. But while the Duke and Lady Marina would seem to be the perfect match - both being quiet and disinterested in society as a whole, they find that there's nothing beyond that between them - no spark of interest, no attraction, nothing.
There is, however, a definite attraction between Dare and Juno, despite the fact that they're polar opposites in temperament. I always say that we know where we're going when we read a romance novel, the question is how will we get there? It's a journey, and this was fun one. It's a quick, spicy and enjoyable read. I look forward to reading more in this series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Zealous Quill Press for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

Let's just say.... I should've DNFed this book.
This novella was disappointing on too many levels. The plot was so generic, the whole thing gave me deja Vu.
The characters were extremely unpleasant. Juno was overly.. worldly? She was too morally loose for my taste, and I'm no prude. Her character just felt tacky.
The duke was super boring, the development of his character was done poorly, one minute he is arrogant and inflexible, and the next he gets super cheesy and loving. Like, wut?!!
The language was the worst aspect. The author used literal slang and vocab that no way in hell was used in that era. The spicy scenes were vulgar and uncomfortable to read, it was really weird reading Wattpad smut in a historical romance, but strange things did happen.
I didn't like it.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

A quick read since it's shorter (a novella). Interesting characters and plot. Thanks NetGalley for sharing the ARC!

This was exactly what I was looking for! I do have to be honest and admit that I was looking to fill the Bridgerton-shaped hole in my heart, and Darcy Burke did exactly that. Will definitely recommend this to any and all readers that are looking for a similar experience!

Thank you NetGalley. I do so enjoy the books of Darcy Burke. This story is about a companion who is to attend a house party to help her very shy young lady to have the skills to marry a Duke who is also at the party and is very rigid but mother insist he attend to meet the young lady with marriage in mind. But is attraction is to the companion and there is not a bit of interest between the young lady and the Duke. Juno is suppose to teach refinement and she works on both of them but soon she is attracted to him as he is to her.

I am sorry to the publisher, I dnfd this book at 20%. Thought I could maybe pick it up later and finish it, but was never inspired to do so. It didn't capture my attention. It was a short read and that is good, but overall I felt like it brought nothing new. i guess I'm also tired of the grump/sunshine dynamic and wasn't aware that was the trope here. It did have some good things like how the heroine is depicted. I appreciate when historicals go a little harder than would be expected... but overall, I didn't want to pick it up, so I didn't. Sorry. Maybe I'll have better luck with the next title by this author.

hat a lovely book!

I so enjoyed Dare and Juno's HEA story. A second chance at love for Juno was perfect. For Dare, Juno helped him get out of his own way to find happiness and love. The grouchiness was endearing because he used it to keep people at arms length.

Watching Dare unfold as Juno calls him out on his stuff is priceless. She will tease and cajole him, but she is smiling and her enthusiastic self. He starts to see the world differently through her approach to life. She gets him to laugh and smile, both thongs he surprised himself with.

"...One of the things I love most about you is your complete impatience for my nonsense. You make me a better man.”*

This totally sums up their relationship. It is charming, fun and had me smiling the whole time. Ms. Burke brings depth and humor to her characters. You want to bring them home with you.

Lady Codsford is charming and mischievous. She is an excellent matchmaker and is able to selectively "overlook" ceryain societital rules in search of a couple's HEA. Her humor is infectious and fun. I look forward to seeing more of her antics as the series progresses.

*Used with permisdion from the author

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Author Darcy Burke pulled a switcheroo, when the duke looking for a wife is drawn more to the companion to the young women he is supposed to be matched with. Mrs. Juno Langton, granddaughter of a baron, was shunned by her parents when she ignored their wishes and married a school teacher. But the marriage did not last long, when her husband turned out not to be the man she thought he was and died in a disgraceful manner. Pulling herself up by her bootstraps, she has become a very successful "refinement tutor", helping young ladies prepare for the marriage market. Her current charge is not really interested, is shy and does not really care for society or other people and would rather bury herself in a book, which should have made her the perfect match for Alexander Brett, Duke of Warrington. The Duke is known for being a loner, shunning Society and preferring to be outdoors. However, when he reluctantly accepts an invitation to a house party, something he loathes, he finds himself drawn not to the young lady, Marina, but her companion, Juno, who is full of life and joy. How these two do end up together, is a funny and delightful story. I like the characters and the sleight of hand of the author. The only negative is that Dare, seems to have some form of OCD, but there is no explanation why.

I read an ARC from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

After being widowed shortly into her marriage, Mrs Juno Langton has found work by helping debutantes prior to their come out, and preparing them as a refinement tutor for marriage. Her latest charge, Marina, is shy, and her mother is adamant that Marina will marry well, and who else is better than Alexadner, Duke of Warrington. At a house party, Juno needs to do whatever it takes to bring the Duke and Marina together, or else suffer the wrath of her employer, but unfortunately the duke, also known as Dare, has no time for social gatherings, and seems to be wholly wrong for Marina. It doesn't help, either, that Juno is very much attracted to Dare, and he also seems to prefer spending time with her, rather than her charge.

I enjoyed this book. Juno and Dare were great characters, and both fought their chemistry, and had a difficult first meeting. It was clear that their attraction was too much to fight though, and even though they had different positions in life, Dare seemed to be the one to fight for the relationship the most. A very quick and enjoyable read!

An incredibly charming and uplifting romance. Dare and Juno verbally spar from the beginning and the banter is humorous and engaging. Things heat up between them very nicely when they decide to act on their attraction to one another. I was slightly concerned at one stage that Dare was too rigid and would suck the joy out of Juno's bubbly and sunny personality however, he mellowed just enough as the story moved on. The side characters were an entertaining lot from overbearing mamas to allies in matchmaking.
I would be quite interested in finding out of Juno does ever help Lady Marina find a suitable match so I'm hoping she will get her own HEA at some stage.

This was quite a quick read since it's a novella, but the author was still able to build interesting characters and an engaging plot. The sex seemed more modern, but I didn't mind. I would definitely be interested in seeing what the author can achieve in a full length novel

What to do, what to do? Our "poor" hero, Dare-the Duke of Warrington, needs a bride. This should be easy for a duke, but in his case, he's a total grouch. Aww we still like him though, and really enjoy watching as... instead of falling in love with his intended match (Marina), he falls hard for... her companion/match-maker, Juno. You just know she's going to be so good for him, it he can just let her past that rigid exterior. I loved these 2!

I think I liked one Dacy Burke's book and from then keep reading more but getting disappointed. So I should give up but her books show up so regularly and everywhere that it is hard to avoid them. She must be the Guinness record holder for fastest writing in the literature history. But all she writes is basically sex talk, sex scenes and then nothing substantial before, after and in between.

The story is the same as usual, two "unfit" characters, some silly dialogues or random action until they kiss, and then it becomes all about kissing everywhere. That quickly leads to sex and then a lot of unmarried and very unbashful sex scenes and straightforward language that is quite surprising for those times. It is interesting that women who barely show any skin in public or have never seen any skin of men become completely wonton after just one kiss with a very good looking man. With so many good looking men in these novels it is hard to believe that women even stay virgin for so long.

I really like the character development and growth and witty dialogues, so overall quality over quantity, sex for me is secondary so maybe I should stay away from such authors.

Thanks to Netgalley for a free copy in exchange of an honest review.

After the sudden death of her husband, Mrs. Juno Langton has been working hard to establish a life for herself; one that she can be proud of and that will allow her to be self-sufficient and independent. She has found that in a career as a companion, working to prepare and refine young women in order for them to secure advantageous marriages.
It is through her current assignment that Juno is invited to attend a house party, tasked with securing a match between her young charge and the Duke of Warrington. However, when Juno’s attempts to help pair the two together does nothing but crash and burn, Juno finds herself being drawn in by the duke, despite his grumpy and aloof demeanor. And maybe she is imagining it, but perhaps he is intrigued by her too?

I really enjoyed this steamy and sweet novella. I loved how smart, strong and independent Juno was, and that despite coming from an affluent family, she was determined to make her own decisions in life and stay true to herself. Juno and the duke were so different (fitting the grumpy/sunshine vibes quite well), making for great banter and build-up of their relationship. The duke was nothing if not difficult throughout the book, however I thoroughly enjoyed his soft spot for Juno and the way he treated her like a queen.

My only minor complaints about this are that although I know it was more of a novella, I personally would have liked seeing some more description of the castle and grounds where the house party was held, as well as just to spend more time with these characters, perhaps seeing them a bit more after the party had completed.

This is a short sweet opposite attract romance. While I applaud a woman who goes after what she wants I felt Juno's sexual history only detracted from the story rather than made her the carefree person she is supposed to be.


I love a grumpy hero and Dare does not disappoint. He is so stuck in his ways that it's fun to watch him step outside his comfort zone.

This was an okay read but like all novellas, it did come across as rushed at the end and the heroine was a little too carefree for me.

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.