Darcy Burke’s The Make-Believe Widow is a delightful blend of heartfelt romance, family dynamics, and irresistible chemistry. This book hooked me from the very first page, and by the time I reached the last, I was so invested in the world and its characters that I immediately picked up the next installment—and then all the other connected series. Yes, I’m officially a Darcy Burke superfan!

James’s character was a particular standout for me. His depth, charm, and intriguing connection to the rest of the family made me eager to learn more about every sibling, cousin, and friend in his orbit. Through his story, I found myself captivated not just by this novel but by the entire universe Darcy has created.

If you’re a fan of witty banter, swoon-worthy romance, and richly woven family sagas, The Make-Believe Widow is your gateway to a new addiction. Highly recommend starting here, but be warned—you’ll want to read them all!

This is a really lovely novella and forth installment in Darcy Burke's Matchmaking Chronicles series. The Make-Believe Widow is the romance between a widower looking for a loveless second marriage and mother to his children and the Widow how catches his eye as a prospect during a house party. This light-hearted, low angst romance is full of banter and fun and the perfect quick read for a quick evening. Darcy Burke continues to prove that she is a well versed historical romance author who has a clear voice, an understanding of well crafted stories, and interesting characters who give each of her novels the special Burke spark! I would highly recommend picking up this or any novel of Darcy Burke's, all of her stories can be read as stand alones and will only prove to you that you must read more of her work!

I love these kinds of romance books and I do have to be honest that my love has resurfaced recently. I love characters that go into a fake marriage and agree that it is like a contract where no feelings from either party is involved. I love historical romance books and the feeling of the entire era. I did feel like there was something missing that I couldn't place but I kept rolling along with the slow burn waiting for the moment I knew would come.

Darcy Burke has become one of my dependable go-to authors for historical romance. And as expected, I thoroughly enjoyed this one about two lonely people who are afraid to fall in love again. Roth is a widower who was burned by love in his marriage, but needs to marry for companionship and a mother for his two daughters. He's just determined not to fall in love. Charlotte is the "make-believe widow" who also craves companionship, but feels unable to marry because a secret from her past may well be revealed. They of course try to ignore their immediate (of course!) attraction, and ultimately decide to indulge in a brief liaison. But this is a romance so stuff happens. Misunderstandings ensue. The outcome is predictable (it is after all a romance) but these are two likeable characters who I was rooting for throughout. I look forward to reading more in this series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Zealous Quill Press for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

What fun!

The reason for this house party? To have a liaison and/or find a spouse. A perfect opportunity to have a bit of fun, let your hair down, so to speak, and enjoy getting to know people in a less strict and structured manner than in town, in front of society.

Charlotte and Roth are both guarding their hearts and hoping for reciprocal feelings. It was fun watching them deny their instant attraction and see the slow burn. I like the way Ms. Burke crafts the banter and flirty moments. This story had me grinning, smiling and chuckling through the whole thing. I like that the characters are more mature and can bring life experiences to the partnership.

This was a lovely afternoon spent with fun characters. I appreciate seeing characters in a more relaxed setting. It is fun to see how time was passed in a simpler era. I enjoy Ms. Burke's writing style and her characters.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this story through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is the fourth book in the charming Matchmaking Chronicles, although none of the books are connected, so reads as a stand alone. Miss Charlotte Harnessmaker was forced to flee her home after her fiancée died shortly before their wedding and his cousin threatened to force her to become his mistress. She remade herself into a widow, Charlotte Dunthorpe, who helps young women learn to become excellent maidservants. Along the way she befriended Lady Cecilia Cosford, who invited her to a house party that she and her husband are giving. The goal is for the attendants to make liaisons, either temporary or marriage. Charlotte just wants to visit her friend.

James Ludlow, ninth Earl of Rotherham, known to his friend as Roth, has come to find a mother for his two daughters. He is not looking for love, as his wife had confessed on her deathbed that she lied when she told him that she loved him. While he had been smitten, she had been coerced by her parents to marry for the title, not the man she really loved. Roth and Charlotte are immediately attracted to each other, but he is fighting the attraction and she is living a lie. They seem to agree on a temporary liaison during the house party, but as the party draws to a close, what will they do?

Charming characters and a look into what a house party of the period was like. This was an enjoyable quick read. I read an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

I really wouldn't call it a fun or a quick read since I had to skim multiple parts out of boredom, however, I didn't completely hate it.
The MMC was written well, he knew what he wanted, was open about his feelings and wants, and was a good man in general. The thing is, he was super two dimensional, like, he was such a character rather than a human being. I wasn't deep into their world to be able to envision them as beings.
For the FMC, she really got on my nerves. She saw how smitten the man with her and how loving and considerate he was, and she still didn't tell him about her "secret." It really angered me how stuck she was in her lie which the sole purpose of was to elongate the book. Just pure drama, no substance, whatsoever.
Although the second half was better than the first one, it still had its own flaws, for example, the reactions and responses of the characters as everything was unfolding were questionable. It felt like the author just wanted to wrap up everything without any loose ends quickly, which left several weak points.
The ending was predictable, it was happy and syrupy sweet, so it was an understandable finale.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Pretty good for a short novella. The aspects I liked about this were definitely the writing: the language was not juvenile (which happens way too much in historical romance) and the characters seemed close enough to the era.

A well written English Historical romance novella set in 1803 at a country house party. There's slow burn, plus instant attraction and lots of side characters. It's a nice, feel good story to while away a few hours and I enjoyed it. Charlotte is pretending to be a widow and is looking for a fling, and Roth is on the hunt for his next wife - but not an emotional attachment. (The historical details are good - although Australia was called New South Wales back then.) My thanks go NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc in return for my opinion. The book is available now.

This is a historical romance novella which is the 5th in a series but can be read as a standalone.

Our 2 main characters attend this matchmaking weekend at a stately home where the individuals attending are single or widowed and looking for a partner either for forever, or just for the weekend.

They agree that this thing between them will only be for the weekend, mainly because she has secrets that prevent her from marrying. But of course it turns out that a few days together just isn't sufficient.

This is a short, quick read - it's about 160 pages so an easy one-sitting read. Having not read the previous books in the series, I didn't feel like I was missing anything. It was a fun, slightly spicy read.

And we are still in the match making schemes of Darcy’s matchmaking Chronicles.

On the same party where the Rigid Duke, the Bachelor Earl and the Runaway Viscount found their match, we find James Ludlow in search of a wife for his two daughters. Ever since the betrayal of his now deceased wife, he has no need for love. But he wants his daughters to have a mother.

Charlotte feels way out of her league with all the ton at the party of her dear friend. Although she isn’t looking for a marriage, she would be interested in a short liaison. Because of her secrets, she can’t ever have a long term relationship. But of course, in true Darcy style, both Charlotte as James can’t help but develop tendre feelings towards another. How will this play out? Find out for yourselves in this wonderful matchmaking story. Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc

The Make-Believe Widow was a very cute story of two lonely souls looking for love. Roth was a widower with two children who needed a mother to help raise them. He wasn’t looking for love after the betrayal of his first wife, but he was lonely and desired companionship. Charlotte was forced from her home when her fiancé died and she had to flee from his cousins advances. She changed her name and lived a quiet life alone. Thinking she could never marry because of her deception, she stayed away from the idea of marriage and a family of her own. However when these tow meet at a house party, they can’t deny the instant connection and draw towards each other. But when the truth is revealed, it makes them question what is real and what they truly want. Darcy Burke’s books are always a wonderful, sweet read. Not a lot of passion, but a lot of love between the MCs making my heart smile. I always look forward to reading her books and this one was no different.

This book is everything that I LOVE about the historical romance and I couldn’t get enough. There were so many rememberable scenes and I loved watching these two fall in love. Fantastic banter and the quiet moments where they learned more about each other were so tender and swoony. Also, I really liked how much background was added for both characters to give credence to decisions and actions. Simply loved and adore it.

I love Darcy Burke but this book was only meh for me unfortunately. I liked the friends and people around the story

I always love when two people looking for different things in a relationship but find love an undeniable distraction from what they think they want or need. Watching them rearrange their own ideas and work to make room for love in their lives can be so fun and satisfying. The idea of such a couple meeting a scandalous house party, too, was promising, but ultimately, the execution of The Make-Believe Widow didn't work for me. First, the house party was disappointingly respectable, and then there was interlude at an inn that failed to interest me because why should I care about the inn-people when, halfway through, I still hadn't warmed to the leads? Sadly, I never fell in love with them, and I never felt their chemistry, let alone understood why it was enough to make them cast aside their former plans. However, it's possible I simply wasn't in the mood, and others may enjoy this for the light, easy read that it is.

My thanks to NetGalley and Zealous Quill Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book shows us that our parents are right when they say: 'Lies have short legs'. And that lies have consequences. I like the way this little lie become so big it's just impossible to not keep it.... because most of us have passed through a situation like that. It's a good book that you can read really fast.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

I have enjoyed many books by this author and went into this book not sure because the fake widow books can go wrong but I was happy to find that I enjoyed this one!

Charlotte and James or Roth as he is called by others find themselves at a house party that is kind of set up to match couples. They are attracted to each other but have different goals - he wants a family and mother to his children while Charlotte is just there to visit her friend and wants nothing to do with marriage. She has enjoyed her single life and a husband would just mess that up!

The path that leads them to each other is filled with obstacles and there is a real danger to Charlotte that could ruin her life. Sorry, don't want to go into details and give up any spoilers but will say that of course love wins in the end and they find their HEA!

OMG this book, Darcy is one of my top HR writers, she always has me in the palm of her hand in less than 30 pages and this wasn't the surprise, the conflict people, it had me good.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this ebook and this is my freely given opinion.

This is a nice little addition to the series, featuring a love story developing around the house party hosted by the Earl and Countess of Cosford.

Charlotte Dunthorpe is friends with the Countess; a mature woman nearing 30 styling herself as a widow for the past many years. She is truly an unmarried spinster, alone in the world, hiding her identity to escape an untenable and potentially threatening situation in her home village, when she was left alone and unprotected following the death of her fiance. She had made a good life for herself in her new home, with new ties and relationships, including helping other young women to learn skills and make their way to better lives for themselves. She was recently invited to the house party by her friend Cecelia, and hoped to have a good time renewing their friendship. Despite her friend's matchmaking intentions, she knows to engage in a relationship and to seek a marriage would expose her lies.

James Ludlow, the Earl of Rotherham, is a handsome widower who is in search of a new wife, to be a mother to his young daughter, and provide him with an heir. But what he does not want is love; having already given his heart away to his dead wife, only to have it shattered when he found out that she never loved him back. He did not expect to find a burning desire for the beautiful widow. But like a moth to a flame, James cannot stay away from Charlotte, and they decide to engage in an affair. But her past comes back haunt her and her lies are forced into the open, threatening their tenuous relationship.

I quite enjoyed this second chance at love story, and the story line was interesting, showing the vulnerability of women at the time to the threats and manipulations of men, especially if they are alone. I appreciated the story of how vulnerable and scared Charlotte must have felt when she was threatened as a young woman, alone, and how when she made a new life for herself, she took it upon herself to do what she can to help other women and keep them from falling into a similar situation. But my heart was saddened by how alone she must have felt, hiding her true self and story, and thinking she would never find love/companionship or have a family.

3.5 stars out of 5

This was a short, sweet read that held my attention and kept it till the end. Mrs Charlotte Dunthrope and Mr James Ludlow, Earl of Rotherham, meet through mutual friends, Lord and Lady Cosford, at their house party.

James is hoping to meet a lady who will be a mother to his two young daughters. His wife passed away five years ago. James was very much in love with her and was seriously heartbroken when she confessed on her deathbed that she never loved him and wanted to marry someone else but due to pressure from her parents, married him instead. He is disillusioned and determined this time to marry for duty, a mother for his daughters and someone who can give him an heir. No need to shop for love.

Charlotte on the other hand, while passing as a widow, never married her sweetheart who died days before their wedding, she's a few secrets of her own. Hence the interest in only quick liaison.

Imagine their surprise when both are attracted to each other. Their relationship develops seamlessly. Their chemistry is great. The couple is sweet, and I loved their interaction with each other.

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.