Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. I’m a big fan of Darcy Burke so I was looking forward to reading this. In this book, Persephone Barclay’s sister Pandora is compromised by Bane, a known rogue. As a result of the scandal, her parents, the Baron and Baroness of Radstock, try to marry her to Acton Loxley, Duke of Wellesbourne (who is also a rogue and friend of Bane) because they are struggling financially. Persephone is not on board with their plans and escapes at the first opportunity she has. Ironically, she runs into Acton. Knowing he is a rogue, she rebuffs his attempts to get to know her, but he is persistent.

As usual, I enjoyed some of the observations, like this one: “If Persophone were honest, and she didn’t really want to be, she would admit that his attention to her had been initially flattering—before she’d known who he was.” And this was a great visual, from Acton’s POV: “She looked at him as if he were a slug sliming its way across her beloved garden.”

Overall, it’s a fun story with likable characters and I recommend it.

Persephone is fleeing from a potential forced marriage arranged by her awful parents. In her flight, she meets Acton who is her potential groom but he doesn't know who she really is. She's already made up her mind that he's too much of a rogue and a rogue recently publicly ruined her sister. Acton comes to her rescue which she very much does not want but definitely needs. Persephone bordered on too self righteous for me at the beginning but I came around on her by the end.

Fun read that I read in one sitting. HEA, forced proximity, dislike to love.

After the match making schemes of Darcy’s Matchmaking Chronicles, Darcy has now started a new series: Rogue Rules Series.

Contrary to the matchmaking chronicles, we now have a few ladies who are determined not to wed, since all of the men are rogues and they are not to be trusted. When Persephone’s sister falls for a rogue, she creates a scandal, because the earl is already betrothed to someone else. So, in order to save the family, Persephone now must wed an earl with an already roguish reputation.

But when she chickens out, she finds herself in a bit of a pickle, and she gets rescued by no other than the man she is supposed to wed. And of course, she will not accept help from the rogue, even if he is the last man on earth… So, a very nice enemies-to-lovers trope in this one. Cute, funny and with great banter. An excellent book for the start of this series. Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

I really liked the middle portion of this book, but found the heroine irritating in the beginning and the conflict wasn't quite convincing enough at the end. Also, I was annoyed enough by people referring to the hero as "Duke" instead of "Your Grace" that I looked it up and found out that apparently other peers can call dukes "Duke" in direct address. It probably doesn't speak well of me that something that small bugged me, but seemed worth mentioning in case it takes other people out of the story.

If the duke dares Darcy burke

Persephone’s parents are trying to sell her off to the highest bidder after the scandal of her younger sister. Her prospective betrothed is the roguish rake Acton Loxley Duke of Wellesbourne. As she is runs away escaping the situation not wanting to marry at all! In her guise as a widow she crosses paths with Acton Loxley and as they spend time together they find each isn’t as they imagine them to be.

An excellent well written story . Great read . 4.5/5

I'm so glad that this ended up being better than I thought it would be, especially after what felt to me like a rocky start. I wasn't entirely sold on the setup in the first half of the book and felt pretty indifferent about Persephone, Acton and their chemistry, which was my biggest concern.

Much like in her other books, we have a group of strong-willed, vivacious young women who want to challenge the rules of society that let men with money and power get away with anything. I loved the sisterly bond between Persephone and Pandora and how they would do anything for each other. Following the initial mention of the "Rogue Rules" and the rapid introduction to their group of lady friends, they don't appear again except in name-dropping at random points, and that was disappointing but I know we will get to learn more about them in the coming books!

Persephone and Acton were an interesting couple that I had conflicting feelings about as the story progressed. I liked Persephone a lot at the beginning but that wavered slightly as the story went on and my feelings about Acton took the opposite turn. Persey has a strong personality and refuses to be used by her dreadful and selfish parents to save their family from shame after Pandora's scandal. While taking off on her own back then probably wasn't the smartest idea, she seemed capable and confident that she would be able to start a life on her own without the support of her parents. I liked her determination and gumption! That all kind of flew out the window in the second half of the book and while I do get it because she knows Acton better and he's turned out to be a decent man, all the excitement and plans she had to lead her own life fell so quickly to the wayside it was a bit anticlimactic.

In contrast, I wasn't sold on Acton's character and motives at the beginning but grew to like him in the end. I loved that Persephone put him in his place from the moment they met but his attraction for her was so instalust and his motive to find and protect her felt so outlandish that it was hard for me to suspend my disbelief. 🫢 And maybe I'm just too jaded to believe in the serendipity of him suddenly bumping into her on the street just as he was setting out to look for her. Once they come together, Persey's monologue and dialogue become so repetitive and I didn't think their bickering banter and needling of each other was endearing or cute because sadly, their chemistry fell flat for me.

Having said all that, I did enjoy the second half a lot more! Acton's actions finally align with his thoughts and motives and I appreciated that we got to see him self-reflect and recognise how devastating his past actions could've been for a young woman. I loved how he acknowledged the unfairness and privilege of his status as a man of power and wealth in society by speaking out on his friend's actions against Pandora. He did everything in his power to make sure society knew he stood behind her and it wasn't just influenced by his feelings for Persey but because he genuinely believed it. He has internalised childhood abandonment issues that he also addresses with his mother and I thought the moments he reconnects with her and with sisters to be very sweet! His father sounds like a despicable man who was all about men with power getting what they want regardless of the cost and I'm glad that Acton was able to shake off his father's hold over him.

Overall, this wasn't a bad read. It took a bit for me to warm up to it but by the end, I was having a good time. I'm curious enough about the fantastically grumpy and stoic hero of the next book in this series to want to know who he ends up with (is it weird that I kinda want it to be Pandora?!) so I will certainly be picking that up as soon as it's out :)

4.5 Stars

I love a great start to a new series!!

Persephone and Pandora Barclay are a delight! Their frinds seem equally charming, but we do't get to know them well in this story. I look forward to each if them having a chance at a HEA. The crisis of scandal and ruination only ever affecting the females is frustrating, but I hope Acton and his friends, Viscount Somerton and Lord Droxford, will give their friend Bane enough grief that he will at least attempt an apology to Pandora. It would also be nice if whoever he is betrothed to calls him out for his behavior as well or she turns out to be a strong and determined woman who doesn't give him and wiggle room!! One can live in hope!

The meet cute for Acton Loxley, Duke of Wellesbourne and Miss Persephone Barclay was wonderful. Her set downs were amazing. That she was able to get him started on self examination was epically done. I liked that his protective instincts toward Persephone were set off by the locket. I also liked that his opinion of her parents was so instantaneous!

I have read historical romance for a long time and can still be surprised by the abhorrent behavior of parents with daughters! The Baron and Baroness Radstock have, in my humble opinion, achieved the gold medal for blantant, horrible and despicable disregard for their daughters! They should be sent to a small island with only a small five room cottage and no other inhabitants to live out their sad loathsome lives. Someone can bring them foodstuffs once a month, other than that....nothing and no one! Then they wouldn't hurt or bother anyone ever again.

I enjoyed this story because it was just enough outside of the strict rules of society without it becoming a scandal of it's own. Yes, there were moments where I had a raised eyebrow, but it made sense. I enjoyed seeing Acton pause and consider his actions. That there were those moments of pause and then his desire to plant his friend a facer , made him even more of a good guy. I liked that Persephone decided to take her life and future in her own hands and find her way to a HEA. Her way may not have been society's way, but Acton helped to make it come out right in the end.

I look forward to this series and seeing if Pandora and the other girlfriends can accomplish her goal of helping to teach other debutantes to see the pitfalls of the bad behavior of rakes and maybe make some of these rakes havethem experience some consequences... not just having to marry to avoid a scandal. I am hoping that Somerton gets a HEA as well as Droxford, who I saw will be the hero in the next book.

As always, I thoroughly enjoy Ms. Byrne's stories. I adore her antagonists and the way she intertwines them not just in each book, but can create bigger ones that lurk in the background. She brings a lovely sense of humor and occasional cheekiness to her stories that has me smiling long after I finish the book.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this story from the publisher through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

This book has the grumpy /sunshine trope. The mmc, Acton is sunshine and the fmc, Persey is grumpy. I usually like that trope but I ended up being annoyed with Persey too much of the book for disliking Acton and never giving him a chance. Supposedly he's a reformed rake but in the present, he is nothing but kind and caring to Persey. I would've given up long ago, if I was treated like the way she treated him.

This is the first installment of the new series Rogue Rules by Darcy Burke. If features, Persephone Barclay the eldest daughter of the Baron and Baroness of Radstocke and Acton Loxley, the Duke of Wellesbourne. After her sister, Pandora was ruined by Lord Banemore, Persephone was told by her parents that she would be going to the home of the Duke of Wellesbourne to see if they would suit as a couple. Persey was reluctant to meet Acton as he was Lord Banemore's friend. When they eventually meet, Persey is pretending to be a widow and she only realizes who he is when he tells her he is on his way to him home to meet a prospective bridegroom. They end up spending time with each other without the benefit of a chaperone and unbeknownst to Persey's parents. When they finally arrive in Bath at her Aunt Lucinda's where her sister Pandora is staying, they must pretend that they have never met and they come up with a plan to pretend to see if they will suit each other for marriage at the same time Acton will help to repair Pandora's reputation. As Acton and Persey get more intimately involved, Acton suggests they get married but Persey refuses to marry without love. Acton does not feel as if he could love anyone given his mother deserted him at age 5 and his father taught him that a man did not show feelings or love to anyone. Despite their family dynamics, Acton and Persey develop a bond and will have work together to deal with their family issues in order to realize they have something special worth fighting for. I am looking forward to the next installment of Rogue Rules.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Darcy Burke brings us a brand new series, the Rogue Rules centered around a friend group that develops a set of rules to protect themselves from the hazard of rogues!

If the Duke Dares start the series off with a scandal! Miss Persephone’s sister has been compromised an already engaged man! The only solution now for this destitute family is for Persephone to marry well and now according to her parents…

But Persey is not one to take these orders from her parents without question. As she has always been treated as a second class member of the family, she does not feel they are owed her loyalty and when they plot to marry her to a notorious rogue and friend of the architect of her sisters fall from society- she plots her escape! But she doesn’t expect to find the vary rogue her parents want her to marry to end up being her biggest ally and maybe not as much of a rogue where it counts!

I had so much fun with Persey and Acton’s story- both of these characters are trying to make their own futures and rise above the expectations placed on them. Their surprise allyship leads to an entertaining journey from enemies to associates, to friends and then lovers! It was great seeing how the characters reflected off of each other and they used that to find it within themselves to go for what they wanted/ deserved and become better individuals.

I count not put this down and I am eager to see the next friend utilize the Rogue Rules to find her HEA!

Thanks to author Darcy Burke for the gifted copy. Opinions are my own.

If the Duke Dares is exactly what you want in a Regency Romance! I was completely sucked in from the beginning and could not put it down. The author starts the story with conflict or dilemma immediately. We meet the Heroine and her sister who have found themselves in the middle of a scandal. At first i thought it would be Pandora who was the main character but that changed quickly. I loved the chemistry between Acton and Persey. They have the best conversations and banter. I loved how bold and honest Persephone was. She was not afraid to speak her mind! Acton is a swoon worthy MMC! He was so doting and kind. The way he pined after her gave me butterflies! There were some parts that felt very modern and new age but it did not take away from the story at all! This was the perfect quick read and i will absolutely be reading more from Darcy Burke!

I have heard good things about Darcy Burke, so I am sad this was my first read by her. The start of the book was very rushed in "name dropping" every single character, titles included.

I wish the background story of Pandora's ruin was a little more played out. It happens so quickly we don't get the full dramatic effect and then we have these "rogue rules" which sounded kinda of lame and are only referenced like two more times throughout the book.

What makes this book readable and not a DNF is the part on the road where Persey runs away and Acton decides to follow her upon learning her identity. We started to actually see some tension between the characters. Once they return to Bath, both of their personalities vanish.

As for the Duke his background isn't described as abusive until more than halfway through the book and then everything is wrapped up in a nice little bow after he hugs his mom.

I definitely feel like this book could still use some major edits to make it more cohesive and give the characters more dimension

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read and review this book, these opinions are my own

How very refreshing tale. I read the whole book in one go and simply loved everything about it.
The story was splendid, I loved the main characters from the very beginning. The writing gave me the best way to get to know each of them, it was like peeling off the skin of an onion. Layer after layer.
The refusal of the help, the contradictions, the denial and a little twist made the story simple yet entertaining. I can only recommend it to everyone who loves strong female regency romance spiced with a little bit humour.

What a lovely book!

Darcy is one of the authors that I hope to meet at RARE in Paris, so I was lucky to get this ARC. The book is not very short — the author introduces the whole series with a bunch of characters — but I read it super fast! It’s light and silly, but also very emotional.

The story is about Persey and Acton. Persey has to marry, to smooth over a scandal her sister was involved in, and Acton is a perfect candidate, according to their parents. Persey feels used and runs away from her parents on the way to meet her future husband. As luck would have it, she meets him anyway, by chance. Acton is captivated by Persey, he becomes very protective of her and wants to help her. Neither of them wants to marry, particularly, but that changes through the course of the story, of course 😉😉

I loved Acton so much 😍 The way he cares about Persey, the way he admits his faults and tries to change, the way he’s scared of rats 😂😂 Everything about him is so endearing, and his relationship with his mother almost made me cry! 😢

The whole premise of the series is that a group of Persey’s friends invents a list of the Rogue Rules, for young women to avoid scandal. And obviously every one of them is broken by the end of the book 🤭🤭 The repeated discussions of what a rogue does and doesn’t do are a bit silly but I didn’t mind.

I’ll definitely continue with the series, as I love all the characters now!

The book comes out on the 30th, please do yourself a favour and read it, I guarantee you loads of fun! 🤩

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received an advanced copy from #netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This was such a fun, compelling Historical Romance. I really enjoy the unique nature of the plot and how the characters developed their relationship. The personal development was great to see explored, though we did see more of Acton growing (he did have the most to do though) seeing Persephone’s self confidence blossom more would have been nice to see. Her parents were very villainous so I did wish one of them at least get slapped 😂.

The friendship group set up seems like a good base for a series without spending too much time away from the main characters. I do wish their had been a prologue or something at the start that sees them develop the “rogue rules” earlier so then their lasting importance would seem more realistic. Persey thinks about them a lot for something they came up with only a few weeks prior. I understand that it was a reaction to an event necessitating them but they could have come about earlier due to them all having interactions with a rogue etc. I just feel that this would have made them feel as important to the reader, being these long established rules.

Overall I’m really glad I finally picked up a Darcy Burke book, been on my radar a while. Definitely will be continuing on in the series! Can’t wait.


I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My foray into Darcy Burke's world with "If the Duke Dares" has left me exhilarated and hungry for more. This 4-star gem not only marks my introduction to Burke's writing but also guarantees that it won't be my last encounter with her captivating storytelling. From the first page, this novel seamlessly weaves excitement, romance, and a dash of daring, creating a literary concoction that had me completely enthralled.
The novel follows Persephone Barclay, affectionately known as Persey, who supports her socially ruined sister, Pandora, navigating a world of lordly rakes and creating a list of relationship do's and don'ts.
Once considered the most likely to secure a successful marriage, Pandora's tarnished reputation transforms her into a family liability. Consequently, Persey reluctantly becomes a potential marital candidate, pushed forward by her parents with motives far from pleasant.
Enter the Duke of Wellesborne, Acton Loxley, contemplating marriage as his rogue days lose their appeal. Unbeknownst to him, Persey, the potential bride, has no desire for wedlock, sparking humorous unplanned circumstances and a plot filled with twists, misunderstandings, and gossip-fueled errors.
As the main characters, Persey and Acton, grapple with their attraction despite original plans to resist parental influence, the narrative unfolds with charm and depth. This enchanting tale explores their development, offering a wonderful journey of self-discovery and love. From engaging storytelling to well-developed characters, "If the Duke Dares" sets the stage for a promising exploration of Darcy Burke's literary repertoire.

A sweet and passionate love emerges from the ashes of betrayal and manipulation.

Acton had an amiable, rakish demeanor that hid the torment he continually experienced because of his tragic, complicated childhood. He proved to be so much more than his reputation would suggest. I savored the moment when Acton realized he wasn’t doomed to follow in his father’s footsteps, but that he had the power to define for himself who he wanted to be.

Persephone harboured plenty of loathing for rakes, especially after her sister’s ruination, and she tarred Acton with the same brush. He, in turn, surprised her by working with her, instead of attempting to manipulate her, like her parents. Well, maybe apart from trying to convince her to marry him. She made some potentially dangerous mistakes in her bid for freedom, but Acton was somehow always right where he needed to be.

The whole thing with Persephone’s parents pushing her to marry the duke, but then changing their minds, was a bit strange and not explained too well. And the ton seemed especially fickle in this story. But I loved Persephone and Acton’s journey to love and the undeniable chemistry between them.

This is the first book in a new series that I want to read more of. If you like steamy historical romance, then don’t miss this one.

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

I would like to thank netgalley and Zealous Quill Press for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyable.

I'm a big Darcy Burke fan and have been looking forward to this new series from her for a while now. This is a good start for the series as it establishes the characters and theme that will exist throughout each novel. However, I have a strong suspicion that this won't be my favorite in the series. There is nothing "wrong" with it I just never really connected with the characters. I understand why Acton was upset that his mother had left him as a young child, but his inability as an adult to understand how little control she had as a woman made you wonder how well he truly understood the world in which he lived. And he had to have recognized in some way how awful a person his father was. I'm probably being too tough on him, but as a large part of this series is about men who play a little fast and loose with young women to have one of the main characters not seem to understand that men hold all the power was a little disappointing. I did enjoy seeing him start to work on improving his behavior and thinking more of others than only of himself and his friends. As for Persephone, I liked that she was willing to give up quite a lot in order to preserve some amount of independence. Although I do wonder how she would have felt once she really had to give up her life of luxury by looking for employment. And for all she is critical of "rogues" she also had a history of getting what she wanted from a man and then leaving him. She twice has sex with a man and then declines his proposal (I felt bad for the first guy as he thought that was the direction their relationship was going and she pretty much told him he was too far below her for them to marry). I'm not shaming her for this, just more pointing out that what she did was not that different from what the rogues she hated so much did. And then after she breaks Acton's heart gets upset when she thinks she sees him flirting with another woman - make up your mind Persey! I'm still looking forward to finding out what happens with the rest of the characters in future books. And I really would like to know what Bane did that he thinks fixed everything.

In 'If the Duke Dares' by Darcy Burke, the incorrigible flirt Acton Loxley, Duke of Wellesbourne, finds himself captivated by a widow en route to meet his potential bride. Unbeknownst to him, the widow and his intended bride are one and the same—Persephone Barclay, a woman determined to avoid a scandalous marriage.
The characters' interactions are filled with laughter, undeniable chemistry, and entertaining one-bed situations. The story unfolds as a slow-burn romance with unexpected depth, tackling insightful and heartfelt topics. Despite a disastrous first meeting, the narrative takes an enjoyable turn, offering a delightful reading experience.
‘If the Duke Dares' is a charming historical romance that seamlessly combines humor, romance, and heartfelt moments, making it a must-read for fans of the genre.
Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own