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ireadgoodbooks's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
lassarina's review
5.0
I definitely wandered into the middle of a series here, where a young lady who completely reinvented herself as a paid companion (having been ruined by a nobleman and subsequently thrown out of her parents' house when she was quite young) is forced into proximity at a house party with a man she and her wallflower friends nicknamed the Duke of Desire. She doesn't like him for being a rake; he finds her intriguing. Commence romance!
I absolutely loved Ivy. She was a fantastic heroine, stubborn and whip-smart and kind and delightful. She thinks marriage is a terrible trap, but her two best friends have recently fallen prey and she's left alone. She has a passionate interest in charity and in matters intellectual, and she really feels like a well-thought-out and well-rounded character.
Sebastian Westgate is a duke known for his enthusiastic affairs, usually with married women. I won't spoil the underlying thing going on there, but I found it delightful and thoroughly unusual and charming, and I really enjoyed it. The other thing I really enjoyed about him is that when Ivy tells him to sod off, he does. He sends a proper note of apology and does not in fact spend all his time stalking her; he endeavors to abide the rules she has set. (Both parties occasionally violate these rules, but I really appreciated that when she told him to back off, he did.)
Overall, I found the relationship and its slow growth between them to be really charming and clever, and I liked the way the romance grew. I liked the way it circled back to both of their pasts and brought them to resolution if not happiness. I loved the tension between these two characters and the whip-smart witty conversations they traded. I am definitely interested in looking up the rest of the series.
I absolutely loved Ivy. She was a fantastic heroine, stubborn and whip-smart and kind and delightful. She thinks marriage is a terrible trap, but her two best friends have recently fallen prey and she's left alone. She has a passionate interest in charity and in matters intellectual, and she really feels like a well-thought-out and well-rounded character.
Sebastian Westgate is a duke known for his enthusiastic affairs, usually with married women. I won't spoil the underlying thing going on there, but I found it delightful and thoroughly unusual and charming, and I really enjoyed it. The other thing I really enjoyed about him is that when Ivy tells him to sod off, he does. He sends a proper note of apology and does not in fact spend all his time stalking her; he endeavors to abide the rules she has set. (Both parties occasionally violate these rules, but I really appreciated that when she told him to back off, he did.)
Overall, I found the relationship and its slow growth between them to be really charming and clever, and I liked the way the romance grew. I liked the way it circled back to both of their pasts and brought them to resolution if not happiness. I loved the tension between these two characters and the whip-smart witty conversations they traded. I am definitely interested in looking up the rest of the series.
miolla's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Both main characters struggle with trauma. The events are not graphicly depicted, but they're still prevalent throughout the storyline.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Abandonment, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
b_nour's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
suzanne's review
4.0
A wonderful book with a strong hero and heroine both. They fit together well because they were both kind, good people who didn't let their adverse situations overcome them. They are both survivors and it made them into wonderful, caring people.
Definitely the best Untouchables book thus far in the series.
Definitely the best Untouchables book thus far in the series.
readingwithmerb's review
3.0
~ 3.5 stars ~
Ivy Breckenridge is content with being a companion and never marrying. But when going to a house party in the country, she is drawn to the person she least expected, Sebastian Westage, Duke of Clare, also known as ‘The Duke if Desire’. His many affairs with married women have made him the type of man Ivy thought she’d want nothing to do with, but he has shown her a kind, passionate and intelligent side that she was not expecting. However Ivy’s past has left her fiercely independent and distrustful, and it will take a lot for her walls to come down and for her to love again.
Man this was swoony. What really worked in this books favor was the passionate longing between Ivy and West. After the end of the house party, it was so painful to see them pine for each other but do nothing about it. I absolutely loved their chemistry, and Ivy’s defiance and stubbornness made it extra intense. I did find Ivy became a bit irritating towards the end, even though I understood her reluctance came from a place of trauma and fear, it still made for a frustrating reading experience at times. Overall though I actually really liked Ivy, it was inspiring to see a woman from that time period stand up for herself despite the humiliation and mistreatment she faced. I think independent women are always lovely to read about, and so I cannot wait for the next book in this series!
The Untouchables rating order:
The Duke of Deception ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
The Duke of Desire ✯ ✯ ✯.5
The Duke of Daring ✯ ✯ ✯.5
The Forbidden Duke ✯ ✯ ✯
Ivy Breckenridge is content with being a companion and never marrying. But when going to a house party in the country, she is drawn to the person she least expected, Sebastian Westage, Duke of Clare, also known as ‘The Duke if Desire’. His many affairs with married women have made him the type of man Ivy thought she’d want nothing to do with, but he has shown her a kind, passionate and intelligent side that she was not expecting. However Ivy’s past has left her fiercely independent and distrustful, and it will take a lot for her walls to come down and for her to love again.
Man this was swoony. What really worked in this books favor was the passionate longing between Ivy and West. After the end of the house party, it was so painful to see them pine for each other but do nothing about it. I absolutely loved their chemistry, and Ivy’s defiance and stubbornness made it extra intense. I did find Ivy became a bit irritating towards the end, even though I understood her reluctance came from a place of trauma and fear, it still made for a frustrating reading experience at times. Overall though I actually really liked Ivy, it was inspiring to see a woman from that time period stand up for herself despite the humiliation and mistreatment she faced. I think independent women are always lovely to read about, and so I cannot wait for the next book in this series!
The Untouchables rating order:
The Duke of Deception ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
The Duke of Desire ✯ ✯ ✯.5
The Duke of Daring ✯ ✯ ✯.5
The Forbidden Duke ✯ ✯ ✯
dreamofwinter's review
4.0
This turned out to be a really sweet romance. West, the Duke of Desire, is somewhat less of a typical rake than his nickname makes him out to be; and Ivy, the heroine, has given up on her dreams after being ruined. Together they find their way to love over the course of a house party and its aftermath. This story has so many of the elements I adore: steadfast older ladies helping things along, strong female friendships, a house party, a cad getting his comeuppance. I've enjoyed the whole series but this may have been my favorite.
beckymmoe's review
5.0
OMG, I knew I was going to love Ivy's story--I've been dying to find out what her backstory was for three books now--but how much I loved it still managed to take me by surprise.
Because, Ivy. And West. Seriously, they're right up there in my top ten favorite couples. Heck, they're probably in the top five.
Ivy's been a mystery for the whole series--she was befriended by the other wallflowers at the start of book one ([b:The Forbidden Duke|29417844|The Forbidden Duke (The Untouchables, #1)|Darcy Burke|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1457114337s/29417844.jpg|49675978]) but most of her life before and after that point remained a mystery, even to Nora, Lucy, and Aquilla. We knew there was something big and tragic there--everything about her screamed huge secrets--but it wasn't until she got her own book that we found out what they were. And how appropriate is it that the Duke of Desire (though she lobbied hard for Debauchery or Depravity) become her hero?
So. Appropriate.
And whoa, Ms. Burke did a great job of making a guy who at first seemed like a total sleezeball (I would have been right there with Ivy once upon a time, casting my vote for Debauchery as well) into such an amazingly great guy. I mean, I am still shuddering when I think too hard about it, because no condoms (didn't they have French letters yet? Because, scary...) but overall his reasons behind and for doing what he'd been doing up until Ivy were so much better than I ever could have come up with. But then he met Ivy, so...sigh.
I was a bit distressed when I realized that this book meant that all four of the original heroines had their HEAs, but was thrilled to hear that a book five (the hero is connected to a secondary character here) is in the works (and that West's best friend also has a "Duke" moniker courtesy of the girls, so surely he'll get a book too, soon?) because I am absolutely not ready to leave the world of the Untouchables behind!
The Duke of Desire would work fine as a standalone, though if you (like me!) have read the other series books and been dying for Ivy to get her HEA, this one will be all the more satisfying for you.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Because, Ivy. And West. Seriously, they're right up there in my top ten favorite couples. Heck, they're probably in the top five.
Ivy's been a mystery for the whole series--she was befriended by the other wallflowers at the start of book one ([b:The Forbidden Duke|29417844|The Forbidden Duke (The Untouchables, #1)|Darcy Burke|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1457114337s/29417844.jpg|49675978]) but most of her life before and after that point remained a mystery, even to Nora, Lucy, and Aquilla. We knew there was something big and tragic there--everything about her screamed huge secrets--but it wasn't until she got her own book that we found out what they were. And how appropriate is it that the Duke of Desire (though she lobbied hard for Debauchery or Depravity) become her hero?
So. Appropriate.
And whoa, Ms. Burke did a great job of making a guy who at first seemed like a total sleezeball (I would have been right there with Ivy once upon a time, casting my vote for Debauchery as well) into such an amazingly great guy. I mean, I am still shuddering when I think too hard about it, because no condoms (didn't they have French letters yet? Because, scary...) but overall his reasons behind and for doing what he'd been doing up until Ivy were so much better than I ever could have come up with. But then he met Ivy, so...sigh.
I was a bit distressed when I realized that this book meant that all four of the original heroines had their HEAs, but was thrilled to hear that a book five (the hero is connected to a secondary character here) is in the works (and that West's best friend also has a "Duke" moniker courtesy of the girls, so surely he'll get a book too, soon?) because I am absolutely not ready to leave the world of the Untouchables behind!
The Duke of Desire would work fine as a standalone, though if you (like me!) have read the other series books and been dying for Ivy to get her HEA, this one will be all the more satisfying for you.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
mayday's review
5.0
Ok, this one had a weird premise bc of the hero's "job/hobby". But I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. The byplay between the leads was well done.
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