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sarah_moynihan's review
5.0
'After failing on the Marriage Mart, Jane Pemberton has two choices: submit to her parents’ edict to marry their boring neighbor or become a self-declared spinster and take up residence in the official headquarters of the Spitfire Society. It’s really no choice at all, and Jane is eager to embrace her newfound independence. She soon finds an unconscious viscount on her doorstep and nurses him back to health. When he offers to compensate her, she requests payment in the form of private instruction of a scandalous and intimate kind.
Having spiraled into a self-destructive abyss following the murder of his parents, Anthony, Viscount Colton, physically recovers under the care of an alluring spitfire. But it is her charm and flirtatiousness that soothes his soul and arouses his desire—until an extortion scheme forces him to face the sins of his past. Now, to save the woman who’s given him everything he lost and more, he’ll have to pay the ultimate price: his heart.'
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4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars.
A Duke Will Never Do is the third book in Darcy Burke's The Spitfire Society series and is a romance with the lovely addition of a bit of mystery in the form of extortion. We met both Anthony and Jane as the close friends of two main characters from a previous book.
We know from A Duke is Never Enough that Anthony is haunted by the recent death of his parents and is not handling the guilt and grief in the healthiest manner. Despite understanding his reasoning for distracting himself from his emotional wounds, the manner in which he distracts himself does not make him the easiest character to like and respect in the beginning. But despite the less than ideal manner in which he has been living his life over the last year, he is a good man and his true nature becomes more apparent as the book progresses. I enjoyed following his character as he put himself back together and right the course of his life.
Jane is great, such a sweet and compassionate character. She's also forthright and brave, not afraid to set out on the path she wants in life. A loyal character that refusies to let go when she feels that someone is in need of help. Overall, I loved reading about her she's a great character. Despite the feelings of hurt and occasional loneliness that Jane felt after choosing to establish a life living independently and the resulting estrangement from her family, I think she was better off without them. Her sister didn't keep distance by choice, but I was disappointed when she choose staying loyal to her parents to avoid angering them in regards to her wedding. But Jane parents were just terrible to her and it was disgusting how they put marriage connections over the happiness and safety of their daughters. Jane was better living without their influence over her actions.
And those kittens! I loved them, talk about stealing the show. Too cute, they were a lovely addition to the book.
I was very happy with the how things turned out, everything come together over the last several pages, which made the suspense of it all the better because it felt as those things wouldn't have time to come together before the end of the book.
Great read. I really enjoy Darcy Burke's writing style and I have loved each book in this series. I would recommend this book, as well as the previous books. You don't need to read them in order, but I think doing so makes them more enjoyable when you see the characters again. I hope to see more from this seires.
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I would like to thank NetGalley and Darcy Burke Publishing for sharing an eARC of A Duke Will Never Do by Darcy Burke. This is my honest review.
Having spiraled into a self-destructive abyss following the murder of his parents, Anthony, Viscount Colton, physically recovers under the care of an alluring spitfire. But it is her charm and flirtatiousness that soothes his soul and arouses his desire—until an extortion scheme forces him to face the sins of his past. Now, to save the woman who’s given him everything he lost and more, he’ll have to pay the ultimate price: his heart.'
________________________________
4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars.
A Duke Will Never Do is the third book in Darcy Burke's The Spitfire Society series and is a romance with the lovely addition of a bit of mystery in the form of extortion. We met both Anthony and Jane as the close friends of two main characters from a previous book.
We know from A Duke is Never Enough that Anthony is haunted by the recent death of his parents and is not handling the guilt and grief in the healthiest manner. Despite understanding his reasoning for distracting himself from his emotional wounds, the manner in which he distracts himself does not make him the easiest character to like and respect in the beginning. But despite the less than ideal manner in which he has been living his life over the last year, he is a good man and his true nature becomes more apparent as the book progresses. I enjoyed following his character as he put himself back together and right the course of his life.
Jane is great, such a sweet and compassionate character. She's also forthright and brave, not afraid to set out on the path she wants in life. A loyal character that refusies to let go when she feels that someone is in need of help. Overall, I loved reading about her she's a great character. Despite the feelings of hurt and occasional loneliness that Jane felt after choosing to establish a life living independently and the resulting estrangement from her family, I think she was better off without them. Her sister didn't keep distance by choice, but I was disappointed when she choose staying loyal to her parents to avoid angering them in regards to her wedding. But Jane parents were just terrible to her and it was disgusting how they put marriage connections over the happiness and safety of their daughters. Jane was better living without their influence over her actions.
And those kittens! I loved them, talk about stealing the show. Too cute, they were a lovely addition to the book.
I was very happy with the how things turned out, everything come together over the last several pages, which made the suspense of it all the better because it felt as those things wouldn't have time to come together before the end of the book.
Great read. I really enjoy Darcy Burke's writing style and I have loved each book in this series. I would recommend this book, as well as the previous books. You don't need to read them in order, but I think doing so makes them more enjoyable when you see the characters again. I hope to see more from this seires.
_____
I would like to thank NetGalley and Darcy Burke Publishing for sharing an eARC of A Duke Will Never Do by Darcy Burke. This is my honest review.
books_and_more_books_byt's review
5.0
A Duke Will Never Do is the third and last book in The Spitfire Society. The books can be read as stand-alone, but the series is so good that you want to read them all anyway. It is based on three independent women who have decided they don’t want to live by Society’s rules. Jane Pemberton refuses to marry the man her parents want her to. Instead she decides to become a spinster and moves out to live by herself. When she discovers Anthony, Viscount Colton injured on her front door she feels she must care for him. Anthony wants to compensate her for her help but all she wants is for him to teach her about passion. The death of Anthony’s parents and the guilt he feels has turned Anthony’s life into a downward spiral. Jane calms his soul and makes him want to be better, but his past comes back to haunt him and overshadows his future. He must overcome his past to have a future with Jane.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
winterreader40's review
4.0
A few weeks after Jane declares herself a spinster she finds Anthony beaten to a pulp on her front stoop. She doesn't recognize him at first because of how beaten he is, but she decides to care for him even before she realizes who he is.
He spends the week recovering in her care and during those days when he asks how he can ever repay her she tells him he should take her virginity as she has no use for it. He has a jaw drop moment and then tries to convince her she deserves far better than him.
Anthony believes he is a loathsome creature because his parents where murdered because of him almost a year ago and he has tried to sink himself as low as possible by drinking and whoring his way through London. He also inadvertently lets slip that there was a rumor about Jane the year she came out that is likely the cause for her failure on the marriage mart.
Definite sunshine/grump vibes with this book.
He spends the week recovering in her care and during those days when he asks how he can ever repay her she tells him he should take her virginity as she has no use for it. He has a jaw drop moment and then tries to convince her she deserves far better than him.
Anthony believes he is a loathsome creature because his parents where murdered because of him almost a year ago and he has tried to sink himself as low as possible by drinking and whoring his way through London. He also inadvertently lets slip that there was a rumor about Jane the year she came out that is likely the cause for her failure on the marriage mart.
Definite sunshine/grump vibes with this book.
sassysmutlover's review
5.0
I was hooked from page one and couldn’t put it down all night. Secrets and scandals surround both of them and that makes for a very different kind of courtship. They both have a charm about them that makes you love them instantly and you never know what they are going to get up to. They give each other strength and passion to overcome anything that is thrown at them.
I never got close to predicting who was behind the extortion or rumor and was on pins and needles wanting to know who and why. It’s a journey of letting go of guilt and learning to feel along with letting go of the past. The ending was perfect and I didn’t want it to end.
Jane caused a scandal by declaring herself a spinster so why not be even more scandalous and enjoy the pleasures she’s heard about. I loved her right away because she saw the hurt inside him and wasn’t going to let him keep spiraling out of control. She did what no one else could do and pulled him from his guilt and helped him to feel again.
Anthony has been trying to drink his guilt and grief away, but Jane brings a new light into his life. He doesn’t want to love her, but he can’t be without her. I loved seeing him learn to let go of the past and that he is a good man. He realized that he could survive a scandal with Jane at his side.
This series gets better with each book!
Copy received for an honest and voluntary review.
I never got close to predicting who was behind the extortion or rumor and was on pins and needles wanting to know who and why. It’s a journey of letting go of guilt and learning to feel along with letting go of the past. The ending was perfect and I didn’t want it to end.
Jane caused a scandal by declaring herself a spinster so why not be even more scandalous and enjoy the pleasures she’s heard about. I loved her right away because she saw the hurt inside him and wasn’t going to let him keep spiraling out of control. She did what no one else could do and pulled him from his guilt and helped him to feel again.
Anthony has been trying to drink his guilt and grief away, but Jane brings a new light into his life. He doesn’t want to love her, but he can’t be without her. I loved seeing him learn to let go of the past and that he is a good man. He realized that he could survive a scandal with Jane at his side.
This series gets better with each book!
Copy received for an honest and voluntary review.
erinarkin20's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this one and have found The Spitfire Society books to be thoroughly engaging! In this book, Jane Pemberton has moved into her friend's house (the official HQ of the Spitfire Society), away from her family, and is embracing her status as a spinster. When she finds an unconscious Viscount Colton on the doorstep one night, she decides to not only nurse him back to health but having found out there was a rumor about her amongst the men of society which contributed to her five failed seasons, she also takes the opportunity to negotiate payment in the form of lessons...the kind she would never be able to ask of anyone else.
I loved how the relationship was built up between these two characters. Anthony has been punishing himself for the deaths of his parents and as he and Jane become friends and ultimately, something more, Jane is the one he finds he is willing to listen to and trust.
I'll definitely be picking up more books by Darcy Burke! Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy.
I loved how the relationship was built up between these two characters. Anthony has been punishing himself for the deaths of his parents and as he and Jane become friends and ultimately, something more, Jane is the one he finds he is willing to listen to and trust.
I'll definitely be picking up more books by Darcy Burke! Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy.
triz193's review against another edition
1.0
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
I took a very long time to write this, because I’m aware that many people worked and gave their time; and as I finished this novel my response probably would have been a long frustrated scream followed by “this irked me so much!” so… I read three other books and used time to place those feelings into something cohesive.
So, the story follows Jane Pemberton who, after five failed seasons and cornered into marriage, decides to run from home and live in her friend’s house. After a while living there, she one day finds a hot Anthony on her doorstep, with broken ribs and unconscious – so, because she is really trusting of her months-old relationship with the members of the house-staff and the doctor they call, that NONE of this will ever be divulged, she decides to nurse him back to health for a week, while his ribs mend (girl… I don’t know if I want to shake her or just stare blankly in dumbfound pity). Anthony on the other hand is a tortured man – drinking to excess and getting in fight every night; trying to go numb to forget his doings. You see, after his father cut him off, he borrows money for gambling with a man called The Vicar; instead of fixing this by himself, his parents take the carriage and, as a warning for him to pay his debts, a man from The Vicar kills both of them. The man who murdered them is hanged. Anthony is drunk.
It is absolutely horrifying what happened to him; but there’s a point of rupture between an excuse and just plain being a bad person (I would have liked to have liked him, but I had no reason to after a while, no reason even to empathize with him, and that was very problematic). Let me explain. Jane was incredibly naïve. She left her home, her family does not speak with her, she is not accepted in high society anymore, she has no house, no money (her friend lends her both) and absolutely no plans for her life. She is by no standards independent. She has very little except for not being ruined.
The most her personality goes is that she is goodhearted (recommendable) and she does not get angry. Anger is necessary, anger is good, anger is what stands in the way of injustice. And I believe Anthony is not just. Anthony uses her.
Jane helps him, and she should not have. Jane asks him to take away her virginity, and she should not have. Anthony seems torn by this, but his actions take another turn, and he reprimands her for making him lust her, but still has sex with her, saying that she is not allowed to expect anything from him, not marriage, not love; because she asked for it. Most people wake up and get out and see other people and easily avoid having sex with MOST of other people (I mean, if you do, it’s your body your choice and it’s fine, I just need the stats), and they turn out just perfectly fine. You don’t make it so that you are not a jerk. At one point in the novel, there was a possibility he could have gotten her pregnant, he gets angry, and, after jane tells him to forget about it – HE DOES! This had SERIOUS consequences for her, and absolutely NONE for him. And still he says that the affair could be bad for his reputation and she should understand.
As for their relationship, most of it seemed like “they lust each other very much”. They had good chemistry I guess, but that does not make for a good romance. It’s painfully clear that they do not know each other. They can’t seem to meet each other without taking off their clothes, which is fine, but not deeper of a connection is made before they “realize” they’re “in love”. It felt fake. It felt breakable.
Their point of contention was weak for me – there’s
a reason for that you see – earlier on, Anthony decides to open up with his sister (the only family he has left – someone who worries about him and loves him) about what really happened, and decides to ask Jane if she agrees that’s a good idea – she says he should not do it (I did not agree with her idea but that’s not my major issue here). Later, when Anthony must choose between his sister knowing the truth or helping Jane, he is… mad… at her? (What?) And then he changes his mind with no further explanation.
I also had an issue with the villain too; in order to make him a hero in a later novel, the author minimized the pain and anger Anthony had towards the Vicar.
Anthony is made to be a suffering hero, and I understand his burden is heavy, but really, he uses Jane. If I was supposed to like him better, I wish he had better values… At some plot points, he seems mad at Jane for wanting to have sex with him. I understand from some references that, in Burke’s previous novels, Anthony was portrayed as a “good man” that turned tormented, but I saw nothing of this good in him in THIS novel. And I would have gladly welcomed it. Honestly, by 65% I was reading deeply hoping Jane would refuse him and send him to hell.
Jane’s sister’s wedding at the end was good, it was fast paced and well written, but I wished more of THAT plot had been worked from the beginning of the novel.
I took a very long time to write this, because I’m aware that many people worked and gave their time; and as I finished this novel my response probably would have been a long frustrated scream followed by “this irked me so much!” so… I read three other books and used time to place those feelings into something cohesive.
So, the story follows Jane Pemberton who, after five failed seasons and cornered into marriage, decides to run from home and live in her friend’s house. After a while living there, she one day finds a hot Anthony on her doorstep, with broken ribs and unconscious – so, because she is really trusting of her months-old relationship with the members of the house-staff and the doctor they call, that NONE of this will ever be divulged, she decides to nurse him back to health for a week, while his ribs mend (girl… I don’t know if I want to shake her or just stare blankly in dumbfound pity). Anthony on the other hand is a tortured man – drinking to excess and getting in fight every night; trying to go numb to forget his doings. You see, after his father cut him off, he borrows money for gambling with a man called The Vicar; instead of fixing this by himself, his parents take the carriage and, as a warning for him to pay his debts, a man from The Vicar kills both of them. The man who murdered them is hanged. Anthony is drunk.
It is absolutely horrifying what happened to him; but there’s a point of rupture between an excuse and just plain being a bad person (I would have liked to have liked him, but I had no reason to after a while, no reason even to empathize with him, and that was very problematic). Let me explain. Jane was incredibly naïve. She left her home, her family does not speak with her, she is not accepted in high society anymore, she has no house, no money (her friend lends her both) and absolutely no plans for her life. She is by no standards independent. She has very little except for not being ruined.
The most her personality goes is that she is goodhearted (recommendable) and she does not get angry. Anger is necessary, anger is good, anger is what stands in the way of injustice. And I believe Anthony is not just. Anthony uses her.
Jane helps him, and she should not have. Jane asks him to take away her virginity, and she should not have. Anthony seems torn by this, but his actions take another turn, and he reprimands her for making him lust her, but still has sex with her, saying that she is not allowed to expect anything from him, not marriage, not love; because she asked for it. Most people wake up and get out and see other people and easily avoid having sex with MOST of other people (I mean, if you do, it’s your body your choice and it’s fine, I just need the stats), and they turn out just perfectly fine. You don’t make it so that you are not a jerk. At one point in the novel, there was a possibility he could have gotten her pregnant, he gets angry, and, after jane tells him to forget about it – HE DOES! This had SERIOUS consequences for her, and absolutely NONE for him. And still he says that the affair could be bad for his reputation and she should understand.
As for their relationship, most of it seemed like “they lust each other very much”. They had good chemistry I guess, but that does not make for a good romance. It’s painfully clear that they do not know each other. They can’t seem to meet each other without taking off their clothes, which is fine, but not deeper of a connection is made before they “realize” they’re “in love”. It felt fake. It felt breakable.
Their point of contention was weak for me – there’s
a reason for that you see – earlier on, Anthony decides to open up with his sister (the only family he has left – someone who worries about him and loves him) about what really happened, and decides to ask Jane if she agrees that’s a good idea – she says he should not do it (I did not agree with her idea but that’s not my major issue here). Later, when Anthony must choose between his sister knowing the truth or helping Jane, he is… mad… at her? (What?) And then he changes his mind with no further explanation.
I also had an issue with the villain too; in order to make him a hero in a later novel, the author minimized the pain and anger Anthony had towards the Vicar.
Anthony is made to be a suffering hero, and I understand his burden is heavy, but really, he uses Jane. If I was supposed to like him better, I wish he had better values… At some plot points, he seems mad at Jane for wanting to have sex with him. I understand from some references that, in Burke’s previous novels, Anthony was portrayed as a “good man” that turned tormented, but I saw nothing of this good in him in THIS novel. And I would have gladly welcomed it. Honestly, by 65% I was reading deeply hoping Jane would refuse him and send him to hell.
Jane’s sister’s wedding at the end was good, it was fast paced and well written, but I wished more of THAT plot had been worked from the beginning of the novel.
slovenianbookworm's review
4.0
I’ve read one of Burke’s books before and one thing I loved about her books is how quickly you’re engrossed into the story. Since the very first page, it’s nearly impossible to put down a book.
For me, the way they met is too early. Given the blurb you would expect for the meet-cute to happen later in the book, maybe a couple chapters in, but in this one it’s the first or second page. There’s no introduction to the scene, her situation (declaring a spinster and living in a house all on her own). We find that in the following chapters.
I talked to one bookstagrammer about this and she said I need to read the previous two books. This one is a standalone but apparently some clues about them are mentioned before. I still wish we get some of them in this book.
Once they meet, they start an affair. He’s a brooding hero, invested more in the past than his future so she brings a light to his days. I loved her determination.
I especially loved those little moments in between. They are mostly connected to her kittens, but hey, I’m a cat lover so reading about him going all love dovey on a pair of kittens is making me go all gooey. And probably every other reader, too.
When we’re introduced to the Vicar, the man behind the Society’s curtains, I admit, I got curious. I’ve been thinking if maybe, just maybe he’s not who he is supposed to be and when I read the blurb of the following books I knew I was right. I just wish his book would follow next. I would absolutely LOVE reading about him!
4 stars.
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Full post: https://slovenianbookworm.wordpress.com/2020/05/17/a-duke-will-never-do-by-darcy-burke/
For me, the way they met is too early. Given the blurb you would expect for the meet-cute to happen later in the book, maybe a couple chapters in, but in this one it’s the first or second page. There’s no introduction to the scene, her situation (declaring a spinster and living in a house all on her own). We find that in the following chapters.
I talked to one bookstagrammer about this and she said I need to read the previous two books. This one is a standalone but apparently some clues about them are mentioned before. I still wish we get some of them in this book.
Once they meet, they start an affair. He’s a brooding hero, invested more in the past than his future so she brings a light to his days. I loved her determination.
I especially loved those little moments in between. They are mostly connected to her kittens, but hey, I’m a cat lover so reading about him going all love dovey on a pair of kittens is making me go all gooey. And probably every other reader, too.
When we’re introduced to the Vicar, the man behind the Society’s curtains, I admit, I got curious. I’ve been thinking if maybe, just maybe he’s not who he is supposed to be and when I read the blurb of the following books I knew I was right. I just wish his book would follow next. I would absolutely LOVE reading about him!
4 stars.
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Full post: https://slovenianbookworm.wordpress.com/2020/05/17/a-duke-will-never-do-by-darcy-burke/
stormmanning's review
4.0
A Duke Will Never Do follows Jane Pemberton, self-proclaimed spinster as she embarks on a future WITHOUT yearning in hope for a husband. Instead, she plans to take on humanitarian issues through the Spitfire Society in the effort to claim independence and happiness in a society that doesn’t prioritise these traits in women. When Antony Colton turns up unconscious on her doorstep however, things take a surprisingly adventurous turn.
Jane’s character was easily likeable and not angsty or frustrating to read AT ALL. This is practically unheard of in this genre. There was still tension in this story however, it was in reverse. Antony Viscount Colton was the kind, sensitive and vulnerable of the pair and in need of support from Jane. I liked this book’s different take on the usual roles male and female characters play in a historical romance.
The pace was jaunty in this regency-set romance and made for a fast read. If you’re after something with a few remarkable side characters (whom I’m assuming are from books 1 and 2) as well as a good dose of intimate moments between the MCs then this is the book for you!
I’ve rated this one 4 Stars as I happily read it all in one sitting. I lowered this rating as this story could have benefitted from some additional tension to really allow readers to connect with the characters. Particularly in regards to Antony’s personal addictions as a coping mechanism for his traumatic past. The issue of his addiction was skimmed over with the implication that purely being in Jane’s presence was enough to quash the cravings. This read as quite unrealistic to me and I would have liked this explored more.
4 Stars.
*Arc provided by Darcy Burke Publishing via Netgalley*
Jane’s character was easily likeable and not angsty or frustrating to read AT ALL. This is practically unheard of in this genre. There was still tension in this story however, it was in reverse. Antony Viscount Colton was the kind, sensitive and vulnerable of the pair and in need of support from Jane. I liked this book’s different take on the usual roles male and female characters play in a historical romance.
The pace was jaunty in this regency-set romance and made for a fast read. If you’re after something with a few remarkable side characters (whom I’m assuming are from books 1 and 2) as well as a good dose of intimate moments between the MCs then this is the book for you!
I’ve rated this one 4 Stars as I happily read it all in one sitting. I lowered this rating as this story could have benefitted from some additional tension to really allow readers to connect with the characters. Particularly in regards to Antony’s personal addictions as a coping mechanism for his traumatic past. The issue of his addiction was skimmed over with the implication that purely being in Jane’s presence was enough to quash the cravings. This read as quite unrealistic to me and I would have liked this explored more.
4 Stars.
*Arc provided by Darcy Burke Publishing via Netgalley*
lianareadsblog's review
4.0
3.5 stars
A well written historical romance with two main characters that for me felt a fit rare to read about in my happily ever after stories. A spinster estranged from her family and a wounded rake that hates himself and his life and his depression makes him fall into a vicious circle of life.
It's not light story as there may include triggers that many readers are avoiding , and to be honest , for me the perfect match of these two characters is not right, i couldn't feel it at all. Yes, there's a lot of steam and maybe chemistry but that's about it, not enough friendship and companion and other feelings that I'm looking foreword in a romance.
A well written historical romance with two main characters that for me felt a fit rare to read about in my happily ever after stories. A spinster estranged from her family and a wounded rake that hates himself and his life and his depression makes him fall into a vicious circle of life.
It's not light story as there may include triggers that many readers are avoiding , and to be honest , for me the perfect match of these two characters is not right, i couldn't feel it at all. Yes, there's a lot of steam and maybe chemistry but that's about it, not enough friendship and companion and other feelings that I'm looking foreword in a romance.
melamtz's review
2.0
. I was looking forward for this book so much but it was, unfortunately, disappointing. It had potential but somehow it just felt bland and halfway I started skimming.
I'll probably read the book about the vicar as he seemed interesting.
I'll probably read the book about the vicar as he seemed interesting.