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.
After failing on the Marriage Mart, Jane Pemberton … 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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3.5 stars rounded up.
After meeting Anthony Colton in the Untouchable Series and seeing him change from a happy, decent but somewhat irresponsible young man into a selfish, drunken rake, I really couldn’t wait for his story. Since his parents were murdered Anthony as been consumed by his grief and guilt, he seems adrift and completely lost. So it really should come as no surprise when hard living and bad choices have left him lying in a bloody heap on Jane Pemberton’s front stoop.
After too many failed seasons on the Marriage Mart, Jane Pemberton’s parents have decided enough is enough and demand that she wed their neighbor. Thanks to her dearest friend Phoebe and the Spitfire Society, Jane has choices, she refuses to marry and instead declares herself a spinster and moves into the house Phoebe owns and resided in before she married. She is almost perfectly content and revels in her new found independence when she finds Anthony on her doorstep. She nurses him back to health and when he insists on repaying her – she shocks him with her bold and risqué request.
This was a well written, emotional story of two flawed people helping each other find their way back to themselves. The chemistry between Jane and Anthony is hot and you can’t help but root for their HEA. The book has a bit of everything, intrigue, suspense, steamy love scenes, emotion, laughter and finally a well earned HEA. I liked the book, but be warned, the author takes a lot of creative license and has crafted a fun, sexy, emotional story, but if you are looking for historically accuracy and era appropriate behavior, you will not find it in this book . This is the third book in the series, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone title.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me.*
Darcy Burke has done again with The Spitfire Society series! An great ending to the Spitfire Society series! Not only that but she leaves you with some new characters for a new series! Can’t wait to see what happens with these new characters!
I was unable to put this book down and I was stuck to the page after page of this story! Jane and Antony are just perfect for each other. The chemistry between is steamy and hot. You will get all the feels in this book! There are obstacles that they will have to overcome.
Jane is a self proclaimed spinster. Anthony, Lord Colton, is a wounded hero. He is found on her doorstep beated and incapacitated. Jane decides to help him and a friendship develops between that ends up leading to more for the two. But his past is a serect that can destroy him and everyone he cares for.
I recieved a ARC for a honest review
I have to start by saying what a entertaining & wonderful book this was to read! Oh, I can’t forget to mention the cutest kittens, Daffodil & Fern that add so much fun to the story.
I fell in love with Anthony, Viscount Colton after a few paragraphs – he is a handsome rake & a rogue, looks good & smells good but inside he is a broken & haunted man from a past tragedy. He drinks too much but this is his way to numb him from the pain & guilt of the death of his parents.
Jane Pemberton is sweet, lovely & kind but has failed on the marriage mart, so she declares herself a spinster & is living in the headquarters of the Spitfire Society. Her parents have disowned her for ruining her reputation but Jane is happy with her new independence, although a little lonely since her friends had gotten married & the house was large for just her.
Then the Viscount appeared on her doorstop, unconscious and beaten almost beyond recognition. Jane tends to Anthony’s injuries and the more they are together the more the attraction. She has healed his injuries on the outside but can she heal the injuries inside his heart & brain? Will he give her the compensation she requests from him for nursing him back to health? The voyage to a HEA is a bumpy but fun one with humor, suspense, romance & some spice to round out the story.
I was gifted the Advanced Reader Copy of this book & all opinions are my own & have been voluntarily given.
If you take an independent, head strong lady and a charismatic Lord fighting demons of his own, and you mix them together you are bound to get an explosion. That is just what Darcy Burke has done in this book. Lady Jane Pemberton is a self-declared spinster and has moved into her own residence (owned by her friend the Marchioness of Ripley), much to the chagrin of her parents. Jane opens the door and finds a beaten and battered Lord Colton on her doorstep. Jane nurses him back to health. Jane and Anthony, Lord Colton, make an agreement to help each other, but who will benefit? This book is exciting, romantic, and definitely hard to put down. It is another must read!
STEAMY ROMANCE WITH A BIT OF MYSTERY
A DUKE WILL NEVER DO is the third book in The Spitfire Society series. Though each story will stand on its own, for better understanding and enjoyment read them all and in the order of release.
A steamy and lusty romance with a great mystery added, this is one of my favorite type of stories. Great characters, beautifully described costuming and scenes, witty dialogue, and mischievous kittens kept me entertained from beginning to end.
I loved this story and I’ll probably be using it in the future for the litmus test of what constitutes a good story of its genre.
Note: While I received this book as a gifted ARC via NetGalley, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
Title: A DUKE WILL NEVER DO
Series: The Spitfire Society #3
Author: Darcy Burke
Publisher: Darcy Burke
Publish Date: 05.19.2020
Category /Genre: Historical Romance
Recommended for: 18+ due to sexual content
Grammar/editing: received as an unedited ARC / errors excused
Received from: Darcy Burke
This is the third book of the Spitfire Society and was such an entertaining read. This is Anthony and Jane’s story, who, if you are following this series (and I highly recommend you do!), we met from a previous book. Anthony is a notorious rake and he is drowning himself in grief and guilt over the death of his parents. Jane is a self-declared spinster and is a lovely, sweet, compassionate person, despite how her family treated her. The connection that developed between the two was lovely to see and of course the chemistry was amazing. Ms. Burke did a wonderful job of bringing these characters and their story to life. I enjoyed the book very much and hope to read more of this series.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and Ms. Burke for providing a free copy. This is my voluntary and honest review.
A Duke Will Never Do features an amazing romance between a self-declared spinster and one of Society’s most notorious rakes.
Jane Pemberton has two options after failing to make a match on the Marriage Mart. She can marry her parents’ neighbor or become a spinster and take up residence in the headquarters of the Spitfire Society. For Jane, it’s the easiest choice in the world and she settles into her new life comfortably. When Jane finds the unconscious Viscount Colton on her doorstep, she nurses him back to health. After Anthony recovers, he offers to compensate Jane and is shocked when she proposes payment of the most scandalous nature. As the pair’s flirtation grows, Anthony finds himself the victim of a extortionist which may cost him everything, including the woman who has captured his heart.
Jane had a promising start to her first season, but things took a turn for the worse when gentleman began avoiding her for seemingly no reason. Jane’s parents were upset with her for her failure to make a match and treated her terribly as a result. After becoming a spinster, Jane is much happier with her new life and intends to enjoy it to the fullest. Anthony’s character has intrigued me from the start and I was happy to finally get his backstory. Anthony’s parents were murdered and Anthony has blamed himself for their deaths ever since. In order to cope with the guilt, he spends nearly all of his time drunk as it keeps his demons at bay.
Jane and Anthony’s relationship starts as a flirtation before quickly becoming something more. While Jane helps Anthony recover, the two spend a lot of time together and I enjoyed the friendship they developed as a result. During this time Jane adopts two kittens who are an absolute delight and I loved how much Anthony doted on them. The chemistry between these two is off the charts and the steamy scenes were fantastically done. Their relationship does hit a few snags, primarily due to Anthony’s guilt over what happened with his parents and his belief he shouldn’t be happy. Jane helps Anthony deal with his grief and while there were some bumps along the way, I was very happy with how the pair worked things out.
Overall A Duke Will Never Do was a fantastic conclusion to the series and I would highly recommend the series to anyone looking for some fun historical romances.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
After many failed seasons, Miss Jane Pemberton declares herself a spinster – after refusing to marry the choice of her parents – and moves to the home of her dear friend, Phoebe. Phoebe started the Spitfire Society composed of ladies wanting to help other women society abandoned. But Phoebe is newly married to Marcus, the Marquess of Ripley and Jane has the house to herself. Until one morning on her way for a walk, she literally trips over a battered Viscount Colton on her doorstep. Anthony is the brother of another married friend, Sarah. Since last year he has become a notorious rake, drowning himself in spirits. Jane has her servants bring him to a guest room and calls a doctor. He has broken ribs and multiple bruises and needs rest for at least a week. Sarah nurses Anthony back to health while both agree to keep his presence a secret. Having now become an outcast, Jane asks Anthony to repay her kindness by seducing her. Appalled by her request, Anthony has his own demons and refuses to add to his guilt. His parents were murdered by a highwayman the year before – a trip he should have taken but was busy trying to borrow money to cover gaming debts. So his parent went in his place and paid with their lives. Ever since, Anthony stopped gambling, but drowned himself into numbness to escape the pain. But being with Jane with her gentleness and caring, there is a chance he can face the past. Jane is estranged from her family and is now aware of a slanderous rumor during her first season which was why she attracted no suitors. After he leaves Jane’s and a week of being sober, Anthony quickly descends into drunken stupors when he gets a blackmail note threatening to reveal all if payment is not made. With Jane’s anger at a rumor which destroyed her life and Anthony the victim of an extortion scheme can these two lonely and wounded souls find a way for their friendship to blossom into love? A wonderful story of tragedy and jealousy, gossip and blackmail, honor and friendship that forces these two to confront the past and overcome adversities together with strength, honesty, forgiveness and most of all love!
A Duke Will Never Do by Darcy Burke is a tantalizing read. I was riveted and drawn in from the very beginning! I’m a big fan of Darcy Burke and this may be my favorite book of hers. Side mysteries are like cat nip!
A Duke Will Never Do is the last book in Burke’s The Spitfire Society series. I read it as a stand alone, though I’ve read two books in the next series so I was familiar with many characters.
Jane Pemberton has recently moved out of her parents home after five failed seasons and refusing an unwanted marriage. Thankfully her friend Phoebe provides Jane with a home and small allowance. Spitfire Society meetings take place at Jane’s and on one such day there is an unconscious gentleman laid out across the threshold. She discovers it is Anthony, Viscount Colton, unconscious, severely beaten, and quite drunk. She keeps him in her home secretly to nurse back to health. Anthony is in a bad way. He blames himself for his parents’ deaths and is clearly an alcoholic.
When Anthony is staying with Jane, she makes him an interesting proposal…she asks him to teach her about pleasure!
Twists, turns, secrets and villainy will keep you on your toes while falling in love with Jane and Anthony.
Thank you to Netgalley and Darcy Burke for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #ADukeWillNeverDo #DarcyBurke #HistoricalRomance #NetGalley
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 very entertaining story about two lovely young people who were “ruined” by others. Added bonuses are 2 adorable kittens, “guest visits” from characters from previous books and series and two mysteries to be solved before the conclusion of the book (and series?)
Anthony, Viscount Colton has been lurking behind the scenes in several series. He went from being an engaging young man discovering the lure of being a rake, to a broken drunk after the murder of his parents, which he blames on himself. Meanwhile, Jane Pemberton, after several “failed” seasons and refusing to marry her parent’s neighbor has moved into her friend Phoebe’s house, while recently married Phoebe has moved out to live with her new husband, the Marquess of Riple, Anthony’s close friend. Anthony somehow ends up drunk and beaten to a pulp on her front door. She takes him in and nurses him back to health physically, but he is still broken emotionally. While he is staying with her it is revealed that the reason that she never received an offer during her first season was someone had spread a malicious rumor that she was unchaste. She is determined to find out who was responsible for destroying her chances of marriage, while Anthony just wants to forget everything. Being a spitfire, and thinking she will never have another chance at knowing a man, Jane makes a inept attempt at seduction, but in doing so, begins to help Anthony begin to heal.
Intriguing characters, both good and bad, and an interesting story line along with those two rascals, Daffodil and Fern make this book a fun read. I read an ARC provided by NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.
Jane Pemberton who had two seasons but both failed. She did not understand why. Her parents felt
it was her fault. So she moved over to her friend’s home and declared herself a spinster. Phoebe had just married and moved in with her husband. As she steps out the door for a walk, there is a horribly beaten man on her doorstep. she has the butler and doorman pick him up and take him upstairs. She is a new spinster and things start happening around her.
Lord Colton (Viscount) became one about a year ago when his parents were murdered. The only family he has left is his sister, Sarah. He blames everything on himself and he has a lot of guilt whether he deserves it or not. He drinks a lot so he can get numb. Miss Pemberton nurses him and he feels almost human. She is generous with her time. What the two of them go through is just amazing. So much trouble and pain. He wants to repay her for her kindness. She wants just this once, to be seduced. The characters are wonderful but poor Lord Colton is very mischievous. There always appears to be something going on all the time. So many surprises and tribulations. I loved this novel. It has humor, fear, danger, and love.
I received this from the author and voluntarily reviewed it. Thank you.
Jane declares herself a spinster and sets out to live her life on her own terms. Anthony is a drunken wastrel consumed by guilt over his parents death. Due to circumstances that force them together for a while, Jane learns about the sexual part of a relationship and Anthony learns about the emotional part. In the midst of intrigue, angst, romance and love they discover that the thoughts that weighed them down were not true. The truth sets them free to embrace their life together.
What a great story. Although it was only 278 pages it was perfect. The characters were glorious and notorious. It was nice to finally read about a mature couple with serious mature issues. Excellently written with thoughtfulness, realism filled with humor, wit, emotion and feeling. An excellent read. I highly recommend it and look forward to the next book in the series.
Oh how i love this book! Two very damaged souls come together thinking they will help each other without getting attached, but of course that works out much better than they could have ever planned. I enjoyed reading the flirting and the tender moments between these two and think the story was very well done. #netgalley #adukewillneverdo
I tend to like Darcy’s books this one not so much. We have Anthony a tortured soul and when we read his background it is totally understandable. Then we have Jane and he knows her because this one of his sisters friend. Now I liked that Jane was taking care of Anthony and he felt that he owed her for that, and Jane jumps at the chance she wants to lose her virginity. Now with Anthony’s life he still has morals and he doesn’t want to ruin her, and this is what makes me dislike the book or shall I say Jane, she wouldn’t take no for an answer she repeatedly bothered him with this request and I hated that, first get some integrity, second he said no how many times does he have to say it, had it been the other way it would have been crazy, everyone would have been pissed yet it is supposed to be acceptable well to me it wasn’t and so for that this book does not make my to be read again..
rcvd an ARC at no cost to author…(netgalley) voluntarily reviewed with no thoughts and opinions.
A Duke Will Never Do by Darcy Burke is the third book in her Spitfire Society series.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Note: this review contains spoilers!
Jane Pemberton has moved out of the family home and into the house the other members of the Spitfire Society have used before her. She refuses to marry the man her parents have picked as a last resort. Since she won’t have another season on the Marriage Mart, moving out was the only option. Luckily her friend Phoebe Lennox, now Marchioness of Ripley, had let her live in the house and even given her living expenses or she never would have been able to move. It’s 1819 in London and most people in Jane’s position don’t have jobs.
One day just as she was preparing to take a walk, Jane and her butler find a man unconscious on her front steps. He is bloody, and one eye is swollen shut. Jane has her butler and footman carry the unconscious man up to one of the unused bedrooms. As they go off to get water and wash cloths, the man awakes long enough for Jane to recognize him by the color of his eyes. He is Lord Colton the brother of one of her closest friends. Well, she can’t turn him away, can she? He’s hurt. Really hurt. Broken rips hurt. Besides, he’s her friend’s brother.
Thus begins the crazy, lovely, life changing story of 1 person who thought he had nothing left to give and the amazing woman who not only saved him, but saved herself as well!
Great characters, wonderful interactions, romance. This story has it all. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
A Duke Will Never Do by Darcy Burke is the third book in The Spitfire Society and definitely worth reading if you love historical romances with independent heroines and the heroes who fall in love with them.
When gossip destroys any chance of Jane Pemberton ever finding a husband Jane is left with two difficult choices: marry a man of her parents’ choosing or become a spinster and fall out of favor with polite society by living on her own. Jane is looking forward to what her newfound independence will bring to her life in spite of being cut out of her family’s life.
When she finds an unconscious man on her front porch who happens to be Anthony, Viscount Colton she nurses him back to health and they start an unlikely and intimate friendship, but Anthony is battling demons from his past and isn’t sure he can put them to rest in order to give his heart to Jane.
I have really enjoyed this series by Darcy Burke and look forward to reading more of her books in the future.
I was given an ARC from the author/publisher. All conclusions are mine and mine alone.
I’ve got to admit, I’m firmly on the fence about this book. I liked the mysteries that Anthony and Jane were each dealing with, but I’m not entirely convinced by the chemistry between the pair. I loved the opportunity to learn why Anthony had been drowning himself in alcohol every time we’d seen him previously. The quantity of guilt and self-loathing he carried hurt my heart to witness. I thought Jane’s parents were vile, reprehensible people. At first, I was rather proud of Jane for being willing to go after what she wanted until I stopped to think about how she went about getting some of what she wanted. If it were a man doing the same things to a woman, I think it would be obvious how rape-y it looks. As it was, with Jane being the aggressor, it still left me feeling more than a little icky. I didn’t find this story to be up to the same calibre as I usually find with this author, but I still found it quite entertaining.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through NetGalley.
A Duke Will Never Do by Darcy Burke is book Three in The Spitfire Society. This is the story of Jane Pemberton and Anthony Colton. I have read the previous books which added to my enjoyment of this book but I did feel you can make this a standalone book. I will also say that Anthony is someone we have encounter in another series called ‘The Untouchables’ in the book ‘The Duke of Distraction’ but he was a secondary character and this is his turn at happiness. Anthony has taken on the title of Viscount but has done nothing but live in guilt, regret, women and the bottle. This all comes from his parents death that he fully blames himself. So he can’t stay sober for the memories and guilt. This has been his only bad choice which is why he ends up beating and battered at Jane’s door. Jane hasn’t had a successfully coming out and her parents are finally throwing in the towel but they try to give her no choice but to marry their neighbor. Jane doesn’t want to marry him nor has her choices stopped at theirs. Jane’s friend Phoebe and the Spitfire Society comes to her rescue to allow her to be a independent women…a spinster. This is something Jane wanted so she is happy with this life. But then she finds a man at her door who she helps to bring him back to health. Anthony is the man she saves so when he asked to repay her she ask for something shocking and scandalous. Enjoyed their story!