Cheerful and fiercely independent widow Juno Langton works for her living. She’s a sought-after companion who helps young ladies to refine their manners and find a suitable husband. She’s very good at her job, but this time her task is quite hopeless: her charge is a sweet, but difficult young woman and the man her mother would like to match her with is a grumpy, cold and rigid duke!
Dare, the Duke of Warrington, is indeed rigid, but not cold. He just likes his life to be orderly and predictable. He dislikes large gatherings and parties, but he does need a wife. So he allows her mother’s friends to drag him to a house party with the sole purpose of matchmaking him with a young lady. Pity that her companion is much more alluring and brings out the best in him…
A thoroughly enjoyable read, with the grumpy-sunshine trope perfectly mastered. Dare is stiff and inflexible at the beginning, but he’s also likeable and rather sweet and it was wonderful seeing him change for love. And Juno is a real force of nature! I loved both characters and the love scenes are perfect, steamy and emotional as well.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

For me, this book is just a cozy romance. Nothing really big happening. The characters were just sociallized with each other, sometime gossiping, had a parties, games, etc,etc. But it felt nice. The author brought up the atmosphere really well and I like the images that came to my head!

As for the plot, regardless of this is a novella, I think the pace is well done. It's not too fast and is not dragging as well. It's just right. We could follow Juno and Alexander process in falling in love, from they despised each other, to bore each other presence, to being friend, and finally fell in love.

I think my problem is for the ending or more like toward the ending. There was some part where Alexander confessed his feeling for Juno and I think there is NO WAY a real life man will do that or say that. Like it was SO sweet until I cringed and I thought "WHY...?". Their conversation from the beginning of the book until that point was really well done, and suddenly...not.

But overall, this book is fun. I really like it.

This was a charming, cozy, quick little romance.

Juno is a widow who works as a companion to young ladies, to advise them in comportment and help them find a suitable society spouse.

Dare is a Duke who is in need of a wife but very hesitant about the whole enterprise. He's not a fan of society functions or small talk or getting to know others.

Juno's charge and Dare are both invited to a house party, with the idea of matching them quite evident to all parties involved.

It doesn't work out quite as planned and sparks fly between Juno and the Duke instead.

I liked the main characters and their attraction was evident. I liked the premise and the independence Juno had, creating a life for herself after her own circumstances and family strife. Dare is a curmudgeon but not in a cruel or malicious way. He's just orderly and set in his ways and not a very big fan of society people and their rituals and amusements. He far prefers his own company and the outdoors.

And Juno.

This was a fast paced book, amusing and entertaining. A quick read with a HEA and two characters who had a connection from the start.

This was just the kind of book I needed as a pleasant distraction.

The title did make me laugh and was partly responsible for making me request this book.

It’s a charming love story with a wonderful ending.

Dare, the Duke of Warrington, is intensely private and doesn’t mix well with others. He finds himself in the last place he wants to be, a house party, trying to woo a young lady who seems to like interacting with other people even less than he does. It doesn’t come as any surprise when their half-hearted efforts at getting to know each other fizzles into nothing. But for Dare it wasn’t a complete loss. The delightful Mrs. Juno Langton, companion to the shy lady Marina, has done what no one else has managed so far, bring Dare out of his shell.

I loved Juno and her sunny personality and how nothing can get her down. And the ways in which she kept bring “rigid” into the conversation when she talked about the Duke. Juno turned Dare’s views about himself and his life upside down. The two of them had a lot of fun together at the house party and it clearly came through on the pages how much they enjoyed each other.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This review is also on my blog at https://hookedbythatbook.com.

You know a story is great when it leaves you wanting more. If you are looking for a quick read and a fun historical romance fix, then this is the book for you!

The Heroine, Juno, is a fun, outgoing, refinement tutor who is hired to help her charge, Marina, secure a marriage to our Hero, Dare (Duke of Warrington). It is clear from the beginning that sparks are flying between Juno & Dare and not Dare & Marina.

The relationship between Juno and Dare progresses very quickly. I would have loved to see more character development and their love story expanded. I felt like there was more story to be told before the abrupt ending and brief epilogue. I was very anxious to see how Dare and Juno handled the reconciliation with Juno’s family and was disappointed when it was not included after being a large part of Juno’s story.

Long story short, I wish this book was longer!

I really love Darcy Burke on those days when I need a historical romance fix. She always hit the mark but this one I am torn about. It is a very quick read so that's a plus but something about it I did not love.

It started really well, a grumpy love interest, a sunshine main character, house party. It's all great! The problem for me comes from their early interactions. The duke was at the house party to meet and court the very shy possibly neurodivergent Lady Mariana. Unfortunately, he falls for her refinement tutor Juno.

I know the intent is not to have Juno flirt with him but she is constantly teasing him and pushing him to talk to her charge. I know Mariana doesn't want him but because she is a nice girl it feels wrong every time he's thinking about Juno and thinking to himself why isn't Mariana like her. The duke strikes me as rude more than rigid.

All in all, I still finished it and enjoyed it.

A solid 4.5 stars ... only because I wish it had been longer!

Another new series from Darcy Burke? Why yes, I do believe I will. There are so many that I haven't read yet, but I'm sure I'll get to them. I became a bit hooked after the Phoenix Club binge and I'm tempted to say that The Rigid Duke -- the first book in the Matchmaking Chronicles -- may be even better.

We've got Alexander Brett, the Duke of Warrington, more commonly referred to as Dare, and Mrs Juno Langton, a young widow who now acts as "refinement tutor"/matchmaker to the so-called helpless cases of the ton. The Duke needs a wife. Juno's latest client wants her daughter, Marina, to be a Duchess.

Both Dare and Marina have social issues ... in that they would both rather be left alone than be put in to any sort of social situation. They are thrown together at a house party and he openly admits that he loathes such things and she wounds herself dancing in order to go to the library and hole up in her room with a pile of books.

Perfect for each other, right? Everyone seems to think so ...

Except for the Duke, who is far more intrigued with Marina's "companion" in spite of (or because of) her being his polar opposite ... and Marina, who really does not want to be married at all ... and Juno, the woman who is supposed to be bringing them together, because she's good at what she does and knows it would be a disaster if forced. And, of course, because she is also more than a bit intrigued by the Rigid Duke when it comes right down to it.

It all plays out beautifully and the players end up being quite unexpected and I cannot wait to see what is next to come for the Matchmaking Chronicles.

3.5 stars

Y’all, the title got me 😂 I didn’t even read the synopsis. I saw the title and clicked on “Read Now” on NetGalley. I mean, COME ON — The Rigid Duke?! You best believe he’s rigid in all the annoying and best ways 😏

In all seriousness, this was a quick and fun novella. A sunshine and grump romance set at a house party?! Yes, please and thanks!

Dare is a grumpy Duke who has a very rigid way of life. He likes everything organized and planned. But he’s also very grumpy and anti-social. Juno, on the other hand, is a sunny matchmaker who loves socializing.

Juno and Dare were hilarious together. He was so determined not to be charmed by her smiles. The poor grumpy Duke didn’t know what hit him 😂 I especially love the scene where she mocks him by imitating his grumpy behaviour 💀 And his reaction: “Wow, that’s actually accurate.” 💀

Historical inaccuracies aside, this would have been a solid 4 stars. However, the conflict was a bit too superficial for my liking. Otherwise, I enjoyed reading this one!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"He was a disagreeable person, and she didn’t seem vexed by him in the slightest. She was either very good at hiding her emotions, or she was the most pleasant person in England."

This was a DNF for me around 25%, so my review only covers up to that point.

I can't lie, the over the top innuendo used in this book's title caught my attention as soon as I saw it, and I thought the idea of a Main Lady who was a finishing coach for awkward girls interesting. Unfortunately, the actual text got in the way of my interest pretty quickly.

Our Main Man is an anti-social Duke who's looking for a wife but avoiding social interactions. Burke seemed to intend for Dare (his name) to be brooding but he came across as just boring. This is meant to be a grumpy/sunshine story but I found Dare's POV annoying to read.

Also, it seemed like the characters were behaving in really historically inaccurate ways. Now, am I an expert on Victorian England? No. But I have my fair share of Regency romances and they never featured characters publicly referring to each other by their first name and playing first-day-of-school-style introduction games at a party.

Technically speaking, the writing of this is okay if you can overlook stilted dialogue, straight up being told how characters are feeling, and weird metaphors. "The last came out in a low, rough murmur, but then everything he said sounded as if he’d swallowed darkness." I am mean...what?

A delightful regency romp full of witty banter and a charming widow who takes an uptight rigid Duke and breaks down his defenses. A house party for the Duke of Warrington to meet the young Lady Marina turns into disaster when the Duke refuses to propose. Her companion, Mrs. Juno Langton, loses her job and references from the young lady's mother, but hold on... she may have won the Duke! Lots of snickers and steamy sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Summary
Since being widowed less than year into her marriage, Juno Langton has found joy and a career in helping young ladies prepare for their Season. She accompanies her current charge to a house party with the purpose of helping match the young lady with the Duke of Warrington. Both the Duke and Marina are quiet, shy people and fail to make a connection. But when the Duke finds himself thinking more about Juno, he can’t deny she brings him to life. Juno isn’t looking for marriage, but she can’t deny the attraction between them. What starts as an attraction will grow to be much more!

Tropes: Widow, titled hero, class difference, Marriage mart, Opposites attract, Matchmaker, house party, grumpy-sunshine, Country setting

The Plot : The first part of the book was Juno trying to get the Duke and Marina, her charge, to make a match. I felt bad for them both as they clearly weren’t suited, even though their personalities were very similar. That time did allow the Duke and Juno to get to know each other, especially in the Orangery. I loved how the Duke spoke his true thoughts and feelings to Juno; he didn’t have a lot of angst about falling for her cheerful personality. Their banter back and forth was adorable and made me laugh several times. This was an easy read and I was glad there was no drama between Marina and Juno over the Duke as I kept fearing there might be.

The Heroine : Juno Langton is a cheerful, look at the sunny side of life person. After being disowned by her family for her first marriage and having said husband turn out to be a drunk who died less than year into her marriage, she found a way to still have a fulfilling life working with young ladies. She is optimistic and funny and the exact opposite of Dare.

The Hero : Dare, the Duke of Warrington is a grumpy, set in his ways man who sees no reason to pretend to enjoy anything or anyone. He prefers to spend his time alone and outdoors. He know he must marry so he tries to make it work with Marina, but he finds her companion annoying, too cheerful…and intriguing. He softens his edges around Juno and when he realizes she understands him better than anyone, he can’t let her go!

The Steam : Slow to build, but passionate when they finally come together!

Stand Out Moment : Probably when he appears in her room to some fun and just takes sweet and dirty to her!

Who Would Like This : Anyone who appreciates a fun, opposites attract trope turned passionate!

Final Thoughts : It was a great, quick read with a cute romance between the two main characters!

A thorough affair. Juno is an absolute delight! A woman abounding in joy, she leaves her life to her own terms. A widow of self made means, she has created a happy life as young lady’s companion, helping young girls prepare and secure matches. She is blissfully content in this life, providing time for a satisfying private life in between jobs. Having been deserted by her family when they disapproved of her marriage, she has moved on from the expectations of the ton and answers only to herself. That is until she meets a surly, rigid Duke at a house party. While trying to secure a match between the Duke and her charge, the chemistry between Juno and the Rigid Duke is as undeniable as the lack of interest between the Duke and her charge. The result is an enticing and alluring affair that is highly enjoyable to read. But can a rigid Duke accept a future with a jubilant companion? And can Juno give up her independence to become a duchess?

I love Darcy Burke. I've read and reread a number of her books and loved them every single time. This book is the exception.

I made it about 25% of the way in before I gave up and decided I'd be better off reading one of her earlier books or basically anything else. I was not rooting for either character, and in fact found myself rooting against them. Marina deserved better than what she got and the only truly enjoyable character was Lady Cecilia. This book is not what I expected from Ms. Burke.

Juno is a companion who helps to refine young women and finds them the perfect match, her newest charge, Marina is very shy which means that Juno has her work cut out for her, especially since Marina's mother hopes that she can match with a duke.

Said duke is a grumpy man that doesn't like people but he knows he must marry. When an invitation to a house party arrives, where it is believed that he would find a suitable wife, he decides reluctantly to attend.

But neither expected to meet the other and especially when it seems that have more chemistry together than they know what to do with it, considering the circumstances.

Do I love a house party? Yes, of course I do, it's forced proximity gold!

This party is especially fun because the hero wants nothing to do with it, and he isn't afraid to say so. Juno is the only one who can put him in his place for being rude and sparks fly from that moment on.

This opposites attract, forced proximity historical romance was quick to read and utterly lovely.

* I received an ARC through Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.

Delightful, intelligent romance

Juno is hired to match young Marina with a suitable title, and the poor girl's mother has her eye set on Dare, the Duke of Warrington, so off to a house party they go, a party arranged for the express purpose of ensuring this match. Problem is, neither Dare nor Marina has any interest in the other.

As a young widow, Juno's only source of livelihood is the income she makes from helping shy young women learn how to attract a suitable husband. She has no interest in marrying again, but she's not above the occasional dalliance when her schedule permits. But she has no interest in the dark, grumpy Rigid Duke, despite his growing interest in her.

Dare and Juno are a perfect grumpy/sunshine pairing, each bringing out the best in the other despite the less-than-respectable manner in which they've gotten to know each other. I loved how Dare was able to relax around her, and how that enabled him to show his true self, to her at least. Juno's never-ending optimism was refreshing, especially when facing the consequences of someone else's decisions, making her an easy character to fall in love with.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it for readers who enjoy historical romances. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

You should read this if you believe that opposites attract and like the Grumpy/Sunshine trope.
Juno is going to a house party to matchmake her employer's daughter with the Duke of Warrington. Her charge Marina and the Duke don't show any signs of wanting to be a couple and unfortunately he only has eyes for Juno.
This was a quick, light and very enjoyable read, with a lot of steam packed into a short amount of pages.

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Darcy Burke is one of my favorite authors, but this book was a disappointment, its shorter in the other books, but just boring, There was nothing exciting, Juno Langton, helps ladies learn the basics of being social, and to basically trap a husband. She goes with her charge to a house party where her charge is supposed to be set up with the Duke of Warrington, someone who doesn't seem to be interested Lady Marina, as his mother and her mother had hoped. Instead he's fallen head over heals for Mrs. Langton,

The reason I didn't like this book is because there wasn't anything more other then the romance between the two which came so easily. It was like there was little or no climax in the book.

Needless to say they lived happily ever after.

Darcy Burke, i love your work, but this one was just not up to your amazing standards

The Duke of Warrington is as rigid as they come. He does not like being around groups of people and he is all about maintaining a strict schedule- he likes no surprises in his well ordered life. When he is convinced to attend a house party to meet a debutante who is said to be very similar to him, he decides to attend and see if he can find his duchess without having to tolerate the Season. What he encounters instead is Mrs. Juno Langston, a refinement tutor and widow, who he likens to a goddess. She is a breath of fresh air and everything that he is not.

Juno is the sunshine to Dare’s growling grumpiness. The palpable attraction and affection that the two of them bring to their newly formed relationship is combustible.

I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a hero that is a grump around everyone but the heroine, and a heroine that is so refreshingly independent and kind.

Thank you to Zealous Quill Press via NetGalley and Darcy Burke for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Totally Loved this book. Short but very well written. The story was totally focused on the romance . The best part for me was it wasn’t insta love/attraction. Hero falls for heroine’s vividness and charm. The heroine was great. Independent and lovely. It was a great read.

Few things that bothered me: some places The Dukes rigidity made him look like a 10 years old child. Also the side characters addressing him as Duke instead of your grace felt weird. And the great declaration was kinda cheesy but I shouldn’t complain. I adored the H.

3.75 stars round up to 4. I obtained the book from NetGalley and this is my freely given opinion.

The Rigid Duke follows Dare and Juno as they meet at a house party and develop feelings for each other. Unfortunately, Juno is trying to set Dare up with her charge and knows that she, a working woman and not of the same social class, could never have more than a fling with Dare.

As a refinement tutor and widow, Juno is very independent. A confident and intelligent woman, she refuses to be beholden to a man and knows how to take care of herself. She is such a fantastic protagonist, and I love her strong, confident, and effervescent personality. She is the type of person that brings out the best and sees the best in others, which is especially obvious in her growing relationship with Dare.

Dare is also a strong and independent character. However, he is not as outgoing as Juno. They are opposites in many ways. He is very serious and a bit of an introvert, whereas she is very outgoing and social. However, they complement each other well. I like that she helps him become less rigid. She shows him how to live, and he is forever changed by her influence.

The romance has definite grumpy-sunshine vibes going on, and I loved it. Juno and Dare have fantastic chemistry, and the forbidden aspect of their relationship (she is trying to match him with her employer’s daughter) adds to the chemistry and charged atmosphere whenever they’re together. I love how Dare goes out of his way to see and spend time with Juno. Even when he isn’t fully aware of his feelings, he is drawn to this remarkable woman, and their romance is wonderful!

I really liked the secondary characters as well, especially their hosts for the house party who help in Juno’s matchmaking endeavors. Dare’s mother is also lovely and really perceptive. Though she has a minor role, her words have a strong impact on the story and Dare’s inner conflicts. There are many unique and distinct personalities, which makes for an interesting house party and a great read.

I enjoyed The Rigid Duke, as I enjoy all of Darcy Burke’s love stories. This is a fun, character-driven historical romance, and it included several of the tropes I love. I would definitely recommend it to romance readers and look forward to reading more books in this new series.