As a refinement tutor, Mrs. Juno Langton helps young ladies develop the skills and confidence to secure an advantageous marriage. Her cheerful disposition never wavers no matter how challenging her assignment. When a house party provides an opportunity to match her difficult charge with a duke, Juno will go to any lengths to satisfy her employer and ensure the young lady’s future. Too bad the duke is an unsmiling, rigid grouch, albeit an irritatingly handsome one.
The Duke of Warrington dislikes social gatherings and despises the Marriage Mart which makes it nigh impossible to find a wife. He plans to secure his future duchess at a house party, but she’s being managed by a thoroughly meddlesome—and provocative—Mrs. Langton, who is determined to find his better nature. He’ll do anything to avoid her sunny charm and room-brightening smiles, but she’s breaking through his shell and the only way he can think to keep her quiet is to kiss her. He must marry the young lady, not desire the companion.
But now he’s rethinking his wife choices.
Juno and Dare make an exciting couple. Being a rigid person is what Dare actually is. He seldom smiles and never ever laughs.
It takes Juno to make him smile and fall in love.
Darcy Burke has written another excellent romance in this first book in a new series.
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.

Enjoyable start to a new series from Darcy Burke. Morose Duke "Dare" and sunny Juno are funny and sweet, and I'm hoping to see more of Lady Marina and Cecilia later in the series.

A smattering of American English might irk some readers but I found it an endearing, quick read that is mercifully free of some of the slightly overwrought angst that you often get in this sort of HR.

I read an advance copy of this book, from Netgalley.

The Rigid Duke (Matchmaking Chronicles #1) by Darcy Burke
This is the start of a new series and I enjoyed it and I am looking forward to more books in this series. Mrs. Juno Langton (helps young ladies secure an advantageous marriage) The Duke of Warrington "Dare" (needs a wife but hates the marriage mart and social gatherings). The fun starts when Juno tries to match Dare with her student at a house party. There are laughs, tears, misunderstandings, new feelings and plenty of heat to get us to a HEA.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Easy-to-read Wonderful characters Steamy Unpredictable Happily Ever After Romantic Funny Page-turner Entertaining

Another Darcy Burke romance. As always, Darcy Burke has written a quick and easy read which is enjoyable to readers who enjoy the genre.

It was ok. Pretty short, and I felt like the story and characters could have been developed more. I love a grumpy/sunshine romance, but this just fell a bit short for me.

I received a free copy of this from NetGalley and this is my freely given opinion.

What a crankpot the Duke of Warrington is! His Grace is graceless, lacking in any social polish and an absolute anti social grouch. I actually kind of like him because he is how the inner me feels at times - when I am in my "I hate people" mode. He can probably act on it because he has status, and wealth to buffer him as well (whereas I have bills, and a job where I have to somewhat personable, so the grouch gets tamped down, cuffed, stifled, smothered, and buried deeply). Regardless, he does have the duty to find a spouse and carry on his family line, and because of that, he ends up attending attending a house party (a loathsome beast to the duke), to meet a young lady, Lady Marina. She is picked for him by his mother because she appears on the surface to be a perfect match for him, as she also seems to not enjoy the social whirl.

Lady Marina appears to be a very private, terse individual who cares more for libraries and books than people and parties, and her mother hires Juno Langston, a charming widow with social savvy, to help Marina develop better social skills to help her navigate the Marriage Mart. Her mother, Lady Wetherby, has her eye on matching Marina with the Duke, and she and Juno work to try to bring the match about at the Cosford's house party.

The Duke tries, but does not have a connection with Marina. But he cannot seem to stop thinking of the widow Langston. She is the opposite of what he considers his perfect match, being joyful and sunny. But you know what they say about opposites attracting. He is a dark, brooding man, who probably needs a sunny social butterfly, otherwise he would end up a cranky, lonely hermit.

I found this to be a fun, rather joyful but short story. I connected with Marina and the Duke, being at times the cranky and terse introvert, and could commiserate with them, but also understand that sometimes one needs the joy and sunshine in life (the hubby is my Juno) - even if one has to be dragged kicking and screaming out into it, and don't appreciate it until it happens. I also loved the characterization of Juno. She appeared to have had a disappointing marriage and a break in her relationship with her family, and despite her losses and lack of support, pulled herself up by her bootstraps, and developed strength and independence, through her own resources. Good for her.

I am curious as this is the first of a series, will there be more in the future about Lady Marina - I would love to see her come into her own, and out from under the thumb of her mother, and find someone who appreciates the treasure that is probably under that prickly exterior. Also, I am curious about the supposedly clumsy Gilford daughter as well. Finally, the implication was that Juno was the matchmaker, for Marina, but obviously that was not true - does that mean that we shall see more of Cecelia Cosford in the future too - she seems a lovely character as well, who loves love.

A fun, and joyful novel, despite the obnoxious grumpiness of some!

Four stars out of five.

This was a great romance read! I enjoyed Juno’s charm and Dare’s surliness (I always love a surly love interest). Their connection grew organically, which I very much appreciated. They weren’t just throw together. Their interactions that led up to their true interest in one another were really fun to read and just felt genuine. This was a 4/5 for me!

The Rigid Duke is the new novella by Darcy Burke to kick off the Matchmaking Chronicles series. It follows Juno, a young widower lady's companion. She helps shy and awkward women become more confident and eligible before their season. Her newest charge, Marina, will be heading to a country house party in order to be matched up with a Duke. Dare the Duke of Warrington is known for his gruff and curt nature. He and Marina may have some similarities but will he suit more to the sunshiny companion Juno? Darcy Burke writes the most delightful novels and this was no exception.

Dare is the epitome of grumpy. I liked how he would only smile and laugh when he was around Juno. She was loyal and kind but completely in control of her life. Juno was an empowered character right from the start. She took charge of her sensuality. There was a lot of steam packed into this novella and I'm excited to see how this series continues.

Tropes include: Grumpy/Sunshine, house party, lady's companion, widower, falling in a lake, party games, orangeries

Thank you to Darcy Burke, NetGalley, and Zealous Quill Press for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own,

4 1/2 stars rounded to 5. This is such a sweet, steamy, enjoyable read. I'm a sucker for surly, socially awkward H's who are soft and sexy underneath it all. I also root for strong, smart H's who are a bit older and wiser and know how to reform world- weary grumps. Juno is a companion who helps polish the manners and graces of ladies of the ton, and Dare is a duke who dislikes the company of others. They meet at a house party, where Juno intends to play matchmaker between Dare and Marina, the young, shy woman she is currently helping. As much as Juno wants to please Marina's mother, and try to find the right husband for Marina, she finds herself drawn to the grouchy Duke herself.

The plot is basic, but the storyline is well executed. I cared for both Dare and Juno and thought that, as opposite as they were, they were perfectly matched. I loved their chemistry. There isn't much angst or conflict, but that's typical for a book of this length. In fact, my only complaint is that I wish it weren't so short! I would have liked to know more about Dare's past and the challenges he's dealt with, whether his rigidity was reinforced by life events or is more of a psychological quirk.

I also really enjoyed the secondary characters. Although we don't get a lot of insight into Juno and Dare's families, Marina really stood out to me as an interesting-beneath-the-surface character, and I hope that she is featured in a future book.

Overall, this is a great start to a new series and one of my favorite reads by Darcy Burke.

I read an advance reader copy of this book and this is my voluntary review. All opinions are my own.

This novel has all the makings of a historical romance, complete with an enemies to lovers plot and the grump/sunshine trope, but it didn't hit quite the mark for me. Everything just seems to happen on too quick of a timeline to really believe in love declarations after only what amounts to about four days. Aside from that, neither character really jumps out from the page for me. The heroine and hero both seem mostly like blank pages, and the hero is known for being rigid but only has about twelve hours before he seems magically cured of that.

While the book is well written, it just doesn't really make much of the good elements that it has going for it.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Rigid Duke was a cute regency romance. The plot was different then any other I’ve read and had believable characters which made this a refreshing HR! The grumpy/bubbly duo was fun and overall just super sweet. Also, who doesn’t love a house party setting?
Unlike a lot of HR, it didn’t feature any outrageous plot points which made it more believable. But, combined with the short length it did leave the book a bit dull.
This book was a perfect quick (literally one evening) happy historic romance!
I’m looking forward to the series and hope we get to see Lady Marina’s story.

Juno is a widow who has made a career of being a refinement teacher to young women with the hope of matchmaking them into marriage. When she accompanies her current charge to a house party where they hope to get a proposal from a Duke, she quickly realizes that they are not a match.

Dare, the Duke of Warrington, lives his life perfectly planned out. Next on his list is to find a bride without having to deal with the marriage mart. He begrudgingly attends a house party to meet his possible bride, but when he meets her companion everything else seems insignificant.

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This is a sweet and quick read full of witty banter and a little angst. Juno making her own way alone in life is so admirable. I love how she always says what’s on her mind. I do wish she was less forgiving though… some people don’t deserve that kindness. Dare is rigid and irritated with a permanent frown, so it was entertaining how Juno brought him out of his shell. Darcy Burke is a new to me author and I wasn’t disappointed.

This is book one in the Matchmaking Chronicles series and I hope to read the rest, especially if Lady Marina gets her own book!

This one surprised me. It came out of nowhere and I LOVED it. While I’ve read just about every regency trope out there (and then again and again – there are only so many tropes in 19th century London), this was actually something NEW.

Mrs. Juno Langton is a refinement tutor who never fails at her job. But when her newest pupil is an attendee at a house party where she hopes to be matched with a grouchy and rigid duke, she realizes she’s jumped into a whole new ballgame.

The Duke of Warrington hates socializing and definitely doesn’t want to waste time with the Marriage Mart, so he’s struggling to find a wife. He HATES Mrs. Juno Langton with a passion, probably because she is sunny and cheerful, but she’s determined to break his shell.

This is one of those ones where the duke SHOULD end up with the perfect bride (Marina, Juno’s charge), but you slowly realize that he’s so much better with someone who is his opposite. Little by little, you see Warrington crack. And God, was that satisfying! Because it turns out that he’s actually a decent person underneath, someone who is DESERVING of a lovely wife like Juno.

There’s a great cast of characters in this one. From Lady Cosford, the upbeat hostess, to the duke’s mother (who secretly wants him to find twue love) to the MCs themselves. Sadly, some of them treat Juno badly, but I felt that this only reinforced how lovely the hero is: he did NOT stand for that. And HIS treatment of her was entirely dashing.

Even though you have an IDEA of where the plot is going, Burke keeps you on your toes and you’ll need to read to the very end. I couldn’t put this one down! It’s engaging and lighthearted, taking all of the typical regency tropes and throwing them on their head. Plus, it has sexy meetups in isolated places. One you get through the slow burn, it gets pretty steamy and wow is the steam well-written. Really: The Rigid Duke has it all!

*I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

See full review here: https://fromthereadingroom.com/review-the-rigid-duke-by-darcy-burke/

A must read for fans of the Bridgerton series and the League of Extraordinary Women series! The Rigid Duke, was a super quick and fun read. Juno was such a fun and charming character and I loved the contrast of Dare's brooding, quiet demeanor. Their chemistry was amazing and as their romance budded throughout the story it was h-o-t. It was unputdownable for me as soon as Dare started to fall for the companion of the girl he was being set up with, I am an absolute sucker for an unlikely romance.

I wish the author had gone into more detail of the characters past, and their emotions so that I could form a deeper connection to the characters. However, overall I loved this story and will definitely be checking out Darcy Burke's future additions to the Matchmaking Chronicles.

Widowed Juno makes a living by helping debutantes polish their social skills to attract husbands, but her latest job is proving to be a challenge. Instructed by her employer to ensure shy, bookish Marina lands a duke at a house party, Juno discovers that said duke's interests lie in other directions.

The Rigid Duke is a fun, well-written historical romance with compelling main characters and a rounded supporting cast. I liked that Juno has carved out her own life after some adversity, and that she is old enough and independent enough to know exactly what she wants. Dare is a planner, a lover of routine, but not so inflexible that he can't recognise when he needs to give a little. The self-awareness of both characters is very nicely done.

This is my first book by this author, and I'm looking forward to reading more.

This is Juno and Dare’s story. Juno is baron’s granddaughter who married someone against her parents wishes. Her parents disown her. Her husband dies and she finds work as a companion. She becomes a companion for debutants who have problems navigating the social season. She is Marina’s companion. Marina’s mother wants her to marry a Duke. They attended a house party to meet the difficult Duke. No matter how hard the Duke and Marina don’t get along. He decides he will not marry her. Her mother fires Juno.

The Duke only has eyes for Juno. She needs to find a new position. Dare and Juno sleep together. They think it’s only temporary. There feelings go much deeper. Juno leaves the house party. Dare is devastated and realizes he loves her. He says it in front of the house party. Juno came back and heard him. He wants to marry her. I loved the story. I read it in one sitting. Can’t wait for the next book.

This historical, slow burn, romance is well written and entertaining. Great historical details as usual by this author and it was very engaging and light hearted. It's set at a house party, so there's a bit of sneaking away and meeting in isolated places, plus Dare is grumpy and Juno is upbeat, so lots of fun. The romance is pretty steamy when the slow burn finally heats up. My thanks got to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC. 3.5 stars. Release date is March 8th 2022.

The first half of the book was a lot of getting to know the characters and Juno trying to make Dare fall in love with someone else. He did try to make a connection with the other girl just no spark or anything really. Opposites do attract in Dare and Juno's case. I enjoyed reading, The Rigid Duke.

Cracking story. Told with a good bit of humour, a few hiccups and bumps dealt with sensitively and a good group of real supporting characters, highly recommended,

⤹𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶 🌶 🌶 🌶

Lately, I have been fond of reading Historical Romance so I was very happy to be able to read The Rigid Duke in advance!

I admit that although it has only 13 chapters, my reading pace was kinda dragging. I just wasn’t totally into the book at first.
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Marina is forced by her mother to interact with other people and not just hide within her books. That’s where Juno comes in, as a refinement tutor she then patiently teaches Marina how to be a Lady & hopefully finds an honorable man with a title to marry.
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Alexander Brett also known as Dare the Duke of Warrington is known to be rigid, unsociable, and not interested with marriage. But his mother then encourages him to join a house party and find himself a wife. He sure was against it at first but then he realizes his mother is right.
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Throughout the book, you could tell there was no chemistry between Marina and Dare. I actually thought that he would easily divert his attention to Juno because she’s playing matchmaker with them & she actually has a decent conversation with the duke, it’s like Marina’s the one who’s rigid in this story😂 I get that she’s shy but she could’ve been more kind and open to Dare.
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The ending was good but “too fast” I must say. It’s a good read and I enjoyed some scenes of this book ♡