From the USA Today bestselling author of The Untouchables series comes your next Regency obsession: The Spitfire Society… Meet the smart, independent women who’ve decided they don’t need Society’s rules, their families’ expectations, or, most importantly, a husband. But just because they don’t need a man doesn’t mean they might not want one.Graham Kinsley is shocked when he inherits a … a debt-ridden dukedom, and now he has just one month to repay a loan. He needs an heiress—or find a way to recoup the former duke’s losses. When he meets the alluring Arabella, he’s entranced. Unfortunately, she’s as bankrupt as he is, but if they work together they may be able to recover their fortunes. Though if they keep stealing kisses, they may lose their hearts instead.
Arabella Stoke can’t afford an attraction to the penniless duke who has vowed to help rescue her family from financial devastation. She needs to find a wealthy husband before her father succumbs to the stress of losing everything. However, as Graham brings them closer to finding the swindler who stole their money, the war between what they want and what they need may ruin them both.
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Graham Kinsley has inherited a debt-ridden dukedom. He has one month to repay a loan or he risks losing Brixton, the noted family estate which has been in the family for years. His options are limited and he may have to marry an heiress, sell the estate, or find the man responsible for swindling his uncle. Arabella Stoke’s father lost everything to a swindler so she needs to marry a wealthy man. The man she had known since childhood and was expected to marry fell in love with and married another woman. Arabella must find a replacement to marry before the ton learns about the dire straits of her family. When Graham meets Arabella, he is very attracted to her but knows he cannot be diverted from finding a wealthy heiress or finding the swindler and demanding recompense, as he doesn’t want to sell the estate. He wants to be a duke who works to better what he has for future generations. After he finds out Arabella’s father was fleeced by the same person, the two decide to explore leads to uncover and reveal the swindler so they may reclaim the swindled funds. Things have a way of not turning out as planned. There are some unexpected twists and turns which make this a very engaging story.
Ms. Burke did an excellent job developing the relationships between the main and secondary characters as well as maintaining my interest throughout the whole story. I loved how she wrote such a sweet and steamy romance. She excels at this. The is the first book in The Spitfire series about smart, independent women for whom society’s rules, family expectations, and husbands are not needed. Though they may not need a man, they may still want one. This first book portends what should be a thoroughly delightful and engaging series.
I received an ARC of this book and offer this voluntary review. All opinions stated are my own.
This will definitely be an addicting series of books! These ladies are definitely spitfires that will surprise you at every turn. Arabella and Graham’s first meeting sent sparks flying, but they didn’t think their paths would cross again. Neither one is very good at following society’s rules and that just means they will surprise you with the things they do and say. I loved all their conversations and the passion between them.
I was on pins and needles when it came to the swindler and wondering what would happen when they found him. The shocking twist about who he was one I didn’t see coming at all! The ending was one of my favorites!
Arabella is nothing like you expect her to be and it’s clear from the start that she is a spitfire. She’s not shy about anything and wants to be apart of the action. I loved her right away with how she handled herself. She will shock you at times.
Graham may now by a duke, but the title hasn’t gone to his head at all. He doesn’t want to marry for money, but he desperately needs to pay off that loan. There is such a passion in him when it comes to talking about this history of his home, but the love for Arabella will force him to make hard choices.
I can’t wait for the next one in this series.
copy provided for an honest and voluntary review.
Enjoyed it
What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Part of a series: The Spitfire Society
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue
I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC.
Never Have I Ever is book 1 in the Spitfire’s Society series by Darcy Burke. I thought this book started off very strong. Graham Kinsley has inherited an insolvent dukedom and he must find a wealthy heiress to rescue him. Arabella Stoke’s family has been financially devastated as well and she must also find a wealthy man to wed. But when sparks fly between Graham and Arabella what are they to do when being together means they lose everything. The trop of someone needing to be rescued from financial ruin through marriage is common enough and probably very common during this era of history. I liked the character of Graham. But not everything about him made sense. He’s employed himself for years as a trained secretary so managing an estate comes as second nature to him. The underlying mystery to me is why doesn’t he just instantly sell his estate Brixton Park? He claims that his attachment is very deep and very personal, but that doesn’t make sense when Graham’s ancestral line has been ignored for four generations. Another mystery is Graham’s relationship with his father. One of the reasons that Graham claims he wants to keep Brixton Park is because his father had cared about it. “Sell the one thing Graham’s father had cared about the most aside from his late wife and beloved son?” But then later in the book we find that his father didn’t care enough about Graham to prepare him to take over the bankrupt estate. Granted the villain in the story declares the following so it may not be true, “The money is gone. Furthermore, His Grace didn’t care. He suspected there would be no return, but as he was not long for this world, he said it would be your problem and he didn’t give a fig if you were bankrupted or not.” A father who loved his son but at the end of his life didn’t care to prepare him for the insolvency of his inherited estate? It didn’t make sense.
I liked the various male relationships that Graham has. A number of characters are from Burke’s other novels in the Untouchables series: The Duke of Seduction, The Duke of Kisses and The Duke of Distraction. Anthony The Viscount Colton is mentioned briefly in The Duke Distraction but he plays a more prominent role in this book as a friend of Grahams along with the Marquess of Ripley.
As for the romance between Graham and Arabella I felt it was too compressed and quite frankly too modern. There wasn’t enough sexual tension building up to the climax of the characters coming together. I felt more could have been done to enhance the relationship and their attraction for one another. There just didn’t feel like much depth there. I have enjoyed Burke’s Untouchables series immensely. I’m afraid this book fell a bit short for me.
This book hit a little close to home. My husband and I filed for bankruptcy and had our house foreclosed on in the real estate collapse ten years ago. So I know the embarrassment of the situation firsthand. I wanted to wave a magic wand to fix the situation. So when Graham and Arabella try to fix similar situations for their families, I really felt for them. Instead of a magic wand, Graham and Arabella try to find a rich spouse. [Which I’m glad never happened because the rich spouse would ALWAYS lord the money over the poor one.] But the heart wants what the heart wants. Sweet. Poignant. One I’ll cherish for a long time.
Arabella Stokes likes her independence and wishes she didn’t have to marry for money. She would really like to be included in the Spitfire Society along with her friends. But she and her family have been hiding their financial situation from everyone.
Graham Kingsley a former secretary now a duke is also in dire straits and should start his search for an heiress. He never expected to become a duke much less inherit a financial disaster.
Swindled by the same person they join forces to help retrieve the money their families lost. Because they have money problems they both need to marry someone with money if they are unable to get the lost investments back. But of course they end up more attracted to each other even without the $$$$.
I enjoyed this book and stayed up late to finish it. I thought it had a realistic ending as we don’t always get everything we want but we have to figure out what is more important for our lives. It was also hot and steamy which was a great added bonus!! I was given an ARC of this book and chose to post a review.
They put their lives in the hands of fate and discovered their heart’s desire. Burke sets emotions aflame with a fascinating tale of love loss, hope found and temptation revealed. Never have I ever given my heart so fast. Graham and Arabella are on the hunt. What begins as a business deal blooms into an alliance of the heart. With heartache on the horizon and danger nipping at their heals, a love story unlike any other begins to take shape. Never Have I Ever With a Duke is an enticing addiction that stays on your mind and in your heart long after the story is through.
Graham Kinsley has unexpectedly inherited a Dukedom. Unfortunately he has also inherited a mountain of debts to go with it. It has two estates one is entailed and can’t be sold the other was built by his direct ancestor and he desperately wants to keep it. The only possible way is to quickly find an heiress.
Arabella Stoke knows that this year she needs to find a wealthy husband before anyone finds out her father has lost nearly everything.
This is a wonderful story of two people who know exactly what is needed and intend to do it, but hate every step. It’s very easy to get caught up in their lives from the first page to the last. It doesn’t quite end the way you think it will. We also meet several other characters that I know we will see more of. I really look forward to reading more of this series.
I loved it.
Spitfire Society is a small group whose women are proud to call themselves spinster, formed by Miss Phoebe Lennox – who had been inherited from an aunt after leaving her fiancé at the altar and running away – and Miss Jane Pemberton.
They considered Lady Arabella Stoke as one of them.
Arabella was only 23 years old, had a sick father and a bankrupt family. Her mother saw no other solution than Arabella getting married. But who would marry a penniless girl?
Everything could have been different if she had accepted the marriage proposal in her first Season, but her father refused because he had hopes that she would be proposed by the Earl of St Ives.
But the earl ended up falling in love and marrying another.
One day, while going for a walk in the park with her little dog, Biscuit, Arabella was helped by a gentleman who practiced fencing alone.
At first she thought he was some gentleman, but soon she finds out he was the new Duke of Halstead.
Graham Kinsley became duke after a series of misfortunes with previous dukes. Now he had a title and no money to take care of everything. The only solution was to marry an heiress.
So he decided to woo Miss Lennox, but then he met again the girl from the park, Arabella.
Although they were strongly attracted to each other, both were bankrupt and needed money urgently.
However, the possibility arises of exposing the gentleman that had deceived her father.
Regardless, Graham needed to save his estates… or start selling them. But most importantly, could he have Arabella’s heart?
If you know the author’s other series, The Untouchables, you’ll love to meet some characters again. However, you do not need to read the previous books to understand this one.
4 stars
Another nice interesting book by Darcy Burke. It is about Graham and Arabella. Graham just became a Duke and now he finds out he is poor and in major debit. Arabella’s family is now poor because of a bad investment her father made. There is chemistry, like and love between Graham and Arabella, but they both need to marry for money or try to get the money back from the bad investment.
I love the two main characters and their growing attachment to each other. You will enjoy this book which is the 1st in a new series.
4 stars for “good”. The story has been told (many times) before: after inheriting a title and debt-ridden estate the gentleman seeks to marry money. A young woman seeks to marry a gentleman with sufficient wealth to help save her parents, her father having gambled and made poor investment choices. No surprises here. The story line is easy to follow and the writing is solid making for an enjoyable weekend read.
I read an advance copy; the thoughts expressed are my own.
4.25 Stars
Meet the smart, independent women who’ve decided they don’t need Society’s rules, their families’ expectations, or, most importantly, a husband. But just because they don’t need a man doesn’t mean they might not want one.
Graham Kinsley was quite happy with his life as secretary to the Earl of St Ives & is shocked when he inherits a debt-ridden dukedom, and now he has just one month to repay a loan or lose the lovely manor house his ancestor built. He needs an heiress or find a way to recoup the former duke’s losses. When he meets the alluring Arabella Stoke, he’s entranced. Unfortunately, she’s as bankrupt as he is, but if they work together they may be able to recover their fortunes.
Arabella Stoke can’t afford an attraction to the penniless duke who has vowed to help rescue her family from financial devastation. She needs to find a wealthy husband before her father succumbs to the stress of losing everything.
This is the first book in a new series but for those of us who loved The Untouchables this series is a spin off & does feature some characters from the former series. I liked both Graham & Arabella who ‘s attraction only grew & grew but then they also liked each other. However I couldn’t understand why Graham wouldn’t tell David, the Earl of St Ives that he’d inherited an almost bankrupt dukedom, after all Graham had done for him, he would have helped. So I found that Graham’s pride almost cost him dearly. I liked Arabella who was strong & feisty. The book was well paced & I read it in under a day as I was drawn in from the start. I look forward to the rest of the series especially with the teaser at the end.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Darcy once again gave herself an impossible storyline and an adventure to a happily ever after. I am amazed she pulled this one off. We have two penniless people seeing a marriage to spouse who has a fortune to save their families and they fall in love. How can they manage to marry and be together? This story is how this author masterfully wove the threads together so they would be happy.
We’ve met Graham Kinsley in previous stories as the secretary for David the Earl of St. Ives. He is from a disinherited arm of the family and was shocked to find himself the only survivor to take over as Duke of Halstead. Unfortunately the estate is broke and Brixton Park’s mortgage is past due. Because his long ago great-something grandfather designed Brixton Park so it means a lot to him. He hears about heiress Miss Phoebe Lennox from the Countess of St. Ives and pays a call on her. Phoebe isn’t interested in marriage having set up the spinster “Spitfire Society” with her friend Miss Jane Pemberton. They set out to help him find a rich wife. He has a run in with Phoebe’s neighbor Miss Arabella Stoke when her mother’s dog runs off at the park. They meet again at her neighbor Phoebe’s.
Arabella doesn’t wish to marry but her father lost all the family’s fortune with some bad investments. They discover the previous Duke and her father both fell victim to Piers Tibbord a swindler disguised as in investor. Later in the story we find out who he really is. Together they plan how to find this man and get their respective funds back falling in love while they do it, knowing they can never be together. And so we have the adventure set to find our happily ever after. It was such a great love story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Darcy Burke never disappoints with her stories! And now I want butter biscuits!!! You must read the book to find out why:)
The two main characters, Graham and Arabella, are so wonderful and you can’t help but feel so badly for them and what they’re going through. Both need to marry for money and since neither one of them have money, it wouldn’t be feasible for them to have a future together, even though they’ve fallen in love with each other!!
A well written story with an interesting plot and one that kept my interest throughout. Now I look forward to the next Spitfire Society book!
I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Secretary Graham Kinsley never expected to inherit a dukedom, but now he finds himself saddled with one, and riddled with debt. He has one month to repay the bank loan or he’ll lose the unentailed property lovingly designed by his great, great grandfather. The new Duke of Halstead is determined to prevent this and restore his legacy, and marrying an heiress is the best solution he can come up with. When he meets Miss Arabella Stoke, he finds himself enchanted. Unfortunately, she is also impoverished and in need of a wealthy suitor to save her family, and in a hurry given her father’s failing health.
If they work together, they may be able to recover their fortunes from the swindler who ruined them. If they can keep their hands off each other. As they get closer to finding the swindler, it becomes even more apparent that they’ll both have to make some tough decisions, and risk broken hearts.
I loved that Arabella wasn’t the typical simpering, blushing miss and Graham wasn’t the typical impoverished, low born man elevated to luxury. These two had some unusual circumstances you don’t read about much and that was refreshing. Their story was also very realistic in that there was no perfect, pretty solution and that was also refreshing. We’re also left with a few loose ends to hold until the next book and I’m very much looking forward to it after how much I loved this one.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Another book by Ms Burke that you can’t go wrong by. A great start and set up for the Spitfire Club series. I enjoyed the Arabella and Graham worked together to find the swindler that ruined both their lives and how Arabella helped Graham become the duke he needed to be. There was adventure, mystery and romance that kept you reading. There was a few sex scenes that this reviewer skipped as usual and it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book. I love the secondary characters and the set up for the rest of the series and am now waiting patiently for the next book. I received this book as an ARC and was happy to do a review.
“Never Have I Ever With a Duke” by Darcy Burke
A fun read, with a bit more spice than I need in my reading, but a good read none the less. So I skip over those scenes, my loss (?), your gain should you wish to partake. I did enjoy the adventure entailed in the search for the “Swindler” and of course the romance in this story. I was gifted an ARC by the author and this is my honest review. I am looking forward to the next story from this author.. and another “Spitfire Society” story. Happy Reading !!
What a fantastic series this is going to be – once I started this one, I was unable to put it down & stayed up way too late in the wee hours to finish it but it was so worth it! Darcy always has creates characters that her readers fall in love with & always want them to win & get their HEA.
Graham Kinsley is dumbfounded when he is informed he has inherited the title of Duke – too bad it is a dukedom that is debt ridden & he only has a month to repay the loan.
Arabella Stoke must find a rich & hopefully, titled gentlemen quickly. Her father made investments & the man fleeced him out of his money. The Stoke’s are now destitute & have sold everything they can to pay the bills.
Arabella & Graham meet & are instantly drawn to one another but eventually find out that neither one of them have any money & are in need of marrying to save their families & homes. They must fight their attraction & decided to work together to find the man who fleeced her father & the previous Duke out of their investments. The problems they were suffering were so believable & your heart just went out to them for the things they were willing to do to save their families & names. You can read what happens on down the live for them – I highly recommend it & I cannot wait for Ripley & Phoebe’s story.
I was gifted the Advanced Reader Copy of this book & all opinions are my own & have been voluntarily given.
Smart, independent, family-oriented are all words that describe Arabella. She knows what she wants and even though there is some trepidation, she goes after it. Love these characters in stories. Graham is just too sweet and how could you not like him. Theirs is a story of “we can’t, but we need”. Their friends are great and when they are talking you feel like you are sitting there with them. A wonderful love story.
Looking forward to Ripley and Colton’s stories (and Phoebe and Jane)!
I received a complimentary copy from the author.
What a catchy title! And this story sure lives up to that too.
Most important is that this book also lives up to the title of the series in that there are some pretty feisty women in it who know just what they want out of life and that isn’t necessarily marriage.
So let us look at this first story. We have feisty young women, a man, Graham, who is willing to fight for what he knows is right and a woman, Arabella, who is willing to stand beside him in this fight.
There is the really evil mystery-man stealing fortunes with his clever, conning methods – but just who is he?
There are a few ‘hot’ scenes too. Not too many, but just enough and with enough detail to make it interesting.
The story is well thought out and nicely written making this an exciting page turner and one which I am more than happy to recommend.
I read an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of the ebook and my voluntary review above is unbiased.