Spinster Jessamine is recruited by the Crown to serve as a code breaker. She's teamed up with veteran spy Dougal. While on assignment, they pretend to be married, and soon find themselves tempted to become more than colleagues. Will the case present a danger to their hearts?

This is a light, fun, steamy romance. I enjoyed the chemistry between Jess and Dougal.

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

This fell flat for me, and I’ve so enjoyed this series. I wasn’t sure where the heroine came from, it didn’t seem like either of them were tied in sufficiently to the previous books in the series. Only really one decent sex scene, and almost no lead up to it, we got plenty of pining from the two love interests, but no give away to the other that they felt that way. Just left me a bit blah.

Irresistible is the newest installment of Darcy Burke's Phoenix Society series. I have loved the entire series so far! They can be read as standalones but it's worth reading the entire series because they are fabulous. Darcy Burke is an autobuy author for me.

Jessamine is biding time as a wallflower hoping her parents finally realize she is firmly on the shelf. She wants the freedom that spinsterhood will allow her. She is approached to work for the Crown once her clever cyphering skills become known. Her task is to be fake married to a fellow spy, Dougal, to figure out if an eccentric couple are French spies. Dougal is dealing with the recent death of his brother. He was never expecting to become the future Earl. This may be his last mission before his service to the Crown comes to an end.

Normally, I don't go for any books that have a spy/mystery premise but this was so delightful and fun. I loved the disguises, sneaking around, and all the silly terms of endearment. Watching Dougal and Jess pretend to be married highlighted their immediate chemistry. Dougal's family dynamic was so refreshing. It was great to see his father interacting with Dougal's cousins. I read the synopsis of the next two books and I can't wait!

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

After a disastrous engagement 8 years ago, Jessamine "Jess" Goodfellow, decides marriage is not for her and is ready to embrace spinsterhood and independence. A job offer from the Foreign Office gives her the opportunity she was looking for.
Her first case involves posing as the wife of an other spy and investigate him at the same time.. What does she know about investigating a well accomplished spy? More than she knows about being a wife apparently.

Dougal, Viscount Fallin is devastated after the death of his brother's death, which makes him the heir of their father's earldom.
After the failure of his last 2 missions and knowing his career as a spy soon comes to the end, he wants to find out what went wrong. The things get more complicated when the Foreign Office gives him a mission, with a rookie partner.

This is my second book of this series (+the prequel novela) and I absolutely loved it! I loved Jess, she was an amazing heroine! Intelligent and funny and at the same time very real. Dougal is mourning the death of his brother and has to come to terms with the change of his new place as the heir. He's a Black man, while both his parents are white, and while the earl is not his biological father, he loves him as if he was.. The earl was definitely one of my favorite side characters. I also liked the fact he was equally close to his biological's father family. His chemistry with Jess is 🔥 and we get some amazing love scenes (I think 3 or 4).

In the book we also see previous (and future) pairings appear and it's great seeing them and get updates of their lives. The couple they are called to investigate.. Let me just say the Cressmores will make you laugh.. A lot...

I'm really looking forward for the next 2 (and probably final) books of the series. Am I the only one that thought Evie and Lucien (I adore him 😍) would end up together? Well Darcy Burke has some interesting things coming their way..

If you're in mood for a fast paced/spy/fake marriage with great chemistry and hot love scenes, get it. You won't be disappointed!
I received an eARC copy from NetGalley and these are my honest opinions...

This was of those times when I was really sad that the book ended because I enjoyed the characters so much. These two are quite possibly my favorite Darcy Burke characters.

This book has it all. There are spies, there is a mystery, society is constantly putting up barriers. What else can we ask for?

The Phoenix Club is a series favorite. I can honestly say that each book is better than the last. I know we are getting near the end of the series and I am not looking forward to that because the series IS so engaging.

Since Dougal is part of the original Phoenix Club group, I went back to the previous books, since I own them all, to reread anything I could find about him. And he really is a mysterious character, who I always sort of had in mind, but never had major focus on in the previous books. But we are lucky that this one is all about him.

Their undercover assignment made everything more believable. I love a good HEA, but there’s only so much time in a book to move toward that love situation. In many romance books, you have got a situation where strangers fall deeply in love in just a couple hundred pages and sometimes you have to suspend disbelief with that, but in this situation, I believe that their closeness, as the result of their assignment, paves the way toward deeper feelings. It honestly makes me think about movie stars who fall in love while they’re shooting a picture together. When you’re pretending like you’re married or in love or that you’ve known this person for a long time, you sort of manifest that. So it made me really appreciate the strangers to lovers trope because it worked well here.

Although I don’t love the cover, because the description really didn’t match him with his curly hair and almond skin, it’s still a nice cover. But this is definitely a 4-1/2 to 5 star book. You will not be disappointed.

I did catch a couple word or grammatical errors, but I’m pretty sure those will be fixed by the time the book is published.

Irresistible by Darcy Burke

This tells the story of Lord Dougal Macnair and Miss Jessamine Goodfellow. Jessamine wants to be a spinster but her family are desperate to find her a husband but Jess wants to lead her own life. She has a secret as a puzzle solver for the foreign office. Jess and Dougal are asked to pose as a married couple Mr & Mrs Smythe to investigate a couple reported to be spies. In addition Jess is given the job of finding out if Dougal is a double agent.

This well written book in the Phoenix Club series. Which is a quick steady read full of steamy romance and underlying intrigue.

A thoroughly enjoyable read and though part of a series the reader doesn’t have to have read the others in the series.

Irresistible is another great story in The Phoenix Club series! The characters and mystery are really interesting as they are embroiled in a mission to uncover potential spies, and the romance is wonderful. I love the fake dating trope, so when Dougal and Jessamine pretended to be married so they could spy on a suspicious married couple, I knew I was in for a treat.

Jessamine and Dougal are dynamic protagonists with a ton of chemistry. As a skilled cipher, Jess’s first mission pairs her with the more experienced Dougal. Their mission to investigate a married couple who could be French spies leads them into a potentially dangerous setting, some awkward and uncomfortable situations, and a ton of temptation. Acting as a married couple, Jess and Dougal act like a couple in love, and the lines between reality and illusion begin to merge. The couple finds it difficult to ignore their attraction to each other, but many obstacles stand in their way.

In addition to the fact that they are partners and feel they should be strictly professional, Jess has no intention of marrying and is determined to become a spinster. It’s interesting to see her perception of love and marriage change. Dougal is also determined to remain professional and emotionally controlled, but the closer he gets to Jess, the more he realizes that’s not what he truly wants. I like that both characters grow and change as their connection deepens and they begin to fall for each other. They are a well-matched pair and a great complement to one another. Plus, their chemistry sizzles.

The secondary characters, much like in the other books in the series, are also intriguing, and I like that we see some of the people from previous books in this book. I always love seeing how characters’ stories have progressed. These characters, including Dougal and Jess, are all connected by The Phoenix Club and its owner. I can’t wait for his story!!

The book also tackles issues like racism, gender biases, parental and societal pressures, grief, and more. I thought the author handled these topics with sensitivity, and I found it interesting that these issues are still so relevant today. Times have changed, but in a way, they haven’t, as this story highlights.

I love The Phoenix Club series. Each book is unique and interesting, the characters are compelling and united in their ties to a unique and fantastic club, and the romances are always super swoon-worthy. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Zealous Quill Press for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

This is another great story in The Phoenix Club series. Jess is recruited to go away with Dougal to spy on a couple thought to be sympathetic to the French. Due to her great ability to decipher codes she is asked to pretend to be married to career spy Dougal. They try to fight the attraction as neither wishes to be married in their normal lives, but true love prevails. I can not wait to read the next in this series! I received an ARC from NetGalley and Zealous Quill Press for my honest review.

I enjoyed reading, Irresistible. Although I kept waiting for the danger that was promised in the description. It is a cute love story with a little bit of spying going on. I would suggest this book to all of my friends and family.

Dougal is reluctant to give up his work with the Foreign Office but knows he needs to fulfill his duties now that his older brother has died. On one last mission, he's teamed up with newbie Jess who was recruited for her deciphering skills. Dougal and Jess play husband and wife to see if another eccentric couple are actually French spies. When playing the domestic and loving couple, they each realize how comfortable it is to be in that setting with each other. Not too angsty and the couple they're investigating is a lot of fun.

Darcy Burke has done it again! An irresistible regency romp that has it all; spies, intrigue, romance, and heat. This follows on with the Phoenix club series telling Donagl’s story, with mice overlap from previous characters so you can see how they’re getting on. I really enjoyed this story, and look forward to more in the series

Lord Dougal MacNair, the new Viscount Fallin, agrees to one last mission for the Foreign Office before he returns to Scotland after his brother's death. This mission was different, however, and he soon learns he'll be working with Miss Jessamine Goodfellow and they are to pose as husband and wife to investigate a couple suspected of being French spies. Dougal is not happy as he's always worked alone, but something about Jess draws him to her. Jess is intrigued when the Foreign Office recruits her for her cryptography skills although she's shocked to learn she must pose as Dougal's wife. The more time they spend together, the more she craves his attention. Can these two keep their feelings in check and remain professional in their mission or will their passion ignite and sweep them away?

I really enjoy this series and this book was no exception. Dougal was such an honorable hero, torn between his duty to the Crown and his duty to his family. He never wanted to inherit the title. He'd much prefer his brother still be with them. He's plagued with doubts about his last two missions that had gone badly and is determined to be successful in this last one and find out what happened in the last two. What he doesn't expect is to be so attracted to Jess. I really like Jess. She's smart, capable, and vulnerable, exactly as a new spy should be. Having been opposed to marriage for the past 6 years, she begins to wonder if she's missing out. She tries so hard to remain professional, but her attraction to Dougal grows with each day. The mission is interesting and keeps the story on the lighthearted side. There are graphic sex scenes in the story so beware if you'd prefer your romances to be clean. Ms. Burke has delivered another very enjoyable story and I'm excited to read the next book in the series.

Really enjoyed this read! An adamant spinster who is looking for adventure and an unexpected heir on his reluctant last mission team together, pretending to be husband and wife to investigate whether an eccentric, PDA-loving couple are merely Francophiles or actual spies for the enemy. Over the course of the investigation, they make discoveries not only about their suspects but about each other and themselves. With witty banter, steamy love scenes, and a refreshing take on racial roles in the Regency period, this book was a breath of fresh air.

Lord Dougal MacNair, the new Viscount Fallin after the sudden death of his brother, has always completed his assignments for the Foreign Office alone. He’s a Black Scotsman who was the product of an affair his white mother had with a Black sailor. Nevertheless, he was always accepted by both his families. Now he’s saddled with an enthusiastic amateur partner.

Jessamine Goodfellow finally has spinsterhood within her grasp. She’s avoided being married for six seasons. A brilliant cryptographer, she longs for new experiences and to not just be a man’s wife. Presented with the opportunity to use her talents on a mission for the Foreign Office, Jess eagerly accepts.

Of course they have to pose as a married couple.

I’ve been happily sucked into the Phoenix Club series, but you can get caught up quickly if you haven’t read the others. Only some of the spying backstory might be harder to parse, but you don’t have to read the others. Of the side characters in this book, it’s actually Dougal’s father and cousin who I like the best rather than any Phoenix Club members.

I always like a forced proximity scenario. Jess is sharp and quick to learn and Dougal is coping with guilt and grief and who he truly is. Within this plot there were chances for this to go off the rails with misunderstandings and contrived drama, so it’s nice to see characters were acted like reasonable people, who are kind and optimistic.

This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review…thanks for the electronic copy. Fun light read…likable characters…some not so much…story moves slowly at times but gets there…