The Duke of Distraction

Felix and Sarah are lifelong friends who find themselves attracted to each other after an accidental kiss. The author, in this the 12th of the series, has not lost any of the Joie de vivre that has been present throughout all her books. She captures the essence of friendships and what it means to stand by each other. She builds the relationships one brick at a time and allows the characters to grow and blossom into beautiful and lovable people. When Felix and Sarah give in to their attraction they build that fire which culminates ultimately in marriage and a happily ever after.

The Duke of Distraction is book 12 in the Untouchables series by Darcy Burke. I have enjoyed all of the Untouchables books. But I felt that this one fell short of the mark. Felix Havers, the Earl of Ware is an agreeable character, but I kept hoping for more of a physical description of him. There is a brief one half way through the book, but not much. Felix also carries some secret that affects him negatively, but I couldn’t really understand the depth of it. I also wasn’t a fan of Sarah Colton the heroine. Her willingness to callously use men made her self centered and grasping. Her willingness to use an old friend like Felix was just awful.
I enjoyed the scene of parlor games even though I had not heard of them before. There were some laugh out loud moments. Overall, I felt this book lacked something that the other books have had – solid character development with logical responses to life around them. I was gifted a copy of this book by Net galley

Felix Havers, Earl of Ware, is only doing what he does best, helping bring joy to others, when he falls hard for forbidden fruit. He promises to help his his best friend Anthony Colton’s sister Sarah find a husband she can fall in love with and can’t seem to let anyone else closed to her. Somehow the little girl he grew up with and considers family became a fascinating woman. He’s dumbfounded because he vowed to never fall in love. How could this happen? You’ve got to see by reading Darcy’s masterful creation of finding love where you least expect it.

When tragedy strikes the Coltons Felix goes into action determined to help them through their grief. Anthony is wallowing in guilt while Sarah’s future expectations turn radically around. He can’t let these two people, the only family he feels he has, pull away from everyone and turn bitter in grief like his father did. Along the way he and Sarah discover they have a chemistry that’s irresistible. This was a delicious story and I am so glad Darcy gave us a satisfying story to our Duke of Distraction, Felix, master of fun activities.

THE DUKE OF DISTRACTION by Darcy Burke is book 12 in The Untouchables Series. This is the story of Sarah Colton and Felix Havers, Earl of Ware. This can be a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Felix is Sarah’s brother best friend, so in turn her friend also. They have know each other for a long time. Sarah have given up on marring and has set her mind to being the owner of a millinery shop but her parents have other ideals. When they report she either marry of her choice or they will choose for her…they even ask Felix to marry her. Felix tells them no, but he will help her find a husband. But a mistaken kiss sets them to seeing each other as something more than friends but Felix has sworn to never marry. Something tragic happens setting things off for Sarah and her brother which turns things into a different direction. Enjoyed their story.

Miss Sarah Colton has decided she’ll marry for love or not at all. Despite her parents pressuring her to marry, she hopes to make her own future by using funds she gathered from wagering on carriage races to open a millinery shop. It’s a great plan until her parents find out about it and throw out an ultimatum: she must choose someone to marry or they’ll choose someone for her.

Lord Felix Havers, the Earl of Ware, is a total cynic when it comes to love and wants no part in it. Ever. He is the master of entertainments and parties for his friends and conceals any emotion behind his charming facade. When his best friend’s sister, Sarah, needs to find a husband, Felix vows to make her the most sought after lady in London. Of course he’ll keep his own heart well free of the fray; he’s seen what love and marriage did to his father and uncle and refuses to let the same fate befall him. He’s always restless anyway and very easily bored, but he’s charismatic and well-liked and he’ll certainly never be lonely. Or hurt.

Having known Felix for nearly all of her life and knowing his lack of desire to ever marry, he’s the only man Sarah really feels comfortable around since she doesn’t have to worry about impressing him. This means Felix’s plan to help her find a suitable husband actually has merit and Sarah decides to accept his help. However, neither expects the attraction that develops between them. When tragedy strikes her family, it is Felix who is there to help Sarah and her brother, Anthony, but his own issues seem sure to keep them from having any happy ending. Both Sarah and Felix insist they don’t wish to marry and yet they could be the best thing to ever happen to each other.

I was highly anticipating this one after meeting Felix and Sarah in the previous book. I knew Felix’s charisma had to be hiding some inner turmoil and I couldn’t wait to find out just what that was. He is always keen to provide pleasure and entertainment for others, distracting himself from his own life and keeping a solid wall around his feelings that even he won’t truly acknowledge. I loved that Sarah saw him for the truly generous person he is and tried to show him that same generosity. For a total cynic, Felix turned out to be a surprisingly likable hero with a heart of gold hidden well beneath his surface.

Sarah is struggling to find out who she really is, not what others have expected her to be and Felix is fighting to hide the true self that Sarah insists on bringing out in him. Felix turned out to be so much more than he initially seemed and was rather endearingly terrified of being hurt or helpless. These two are both just lonely people who don’t even realize how lonely they truly are and I was a total sucker for it.

I received an advanced review copy of this book and voluntarily left a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Miss Sara Colton wanted to marry for love or not at all. She had amassed enough money to open her own millenery shop. Everything was going according to plan, until her parents decide that it’s high time she got married, even if they have to pick a husband for her. Her brother Anthony and his best friend Felix Havers, Earl of Ware, won’t have it. And so Felix, THE DUKE OF DISTRACTION, will help her find someone to love.

Darling, adorable Felix, how eagerly I had been awaiting his story! Unfortunately, the book was not what I had hoped for. I loved the friendship Sarah, Anthony, and Felix shared; there was real affection and respect, and in a strange way, it proved to be somewhat of a problem later on. Even though I was told about it, I never felt a shift in the relationship between Sarah and Felix, unless you count the “lightning bolt” moment. It seemed as if two siblings had suddenly fallen in lust with each other after a somewhat contrived event gave them an opportunity for a little passionate episode. Felix had the usual hero’s aversion to marriage, and Sarah was “his best friend ‘s little sister”. Allow me a moment to rant here. This is not aimed solely at Darcy Burke, but I noticed a trend recently in romance novels, which I find very annoying. Do the authors – and/or publishers – deem it necessary to remind us countless times of the trope(s)? I know what the trope is, you told me already, I haven’t forgotten, could we please get on with the story, not just a “best friend’s little sister” story.

The progression from friendship to something else was thankfully not rushed, but it felt forced. I was rather shocked at Sarah’s behaviour when the first kiss – and groping – occurred and she turned into a wanton. The “tragedy” was extremely convenient, requiring some obligatory “distracting”, and Sarah’s subsequent decisions made no sense to me. I thought she acted foolishly, but changed her mind according to what the plot dictated, I suppose. Even more frustrating was that, while there were detailed descriptions of very minor characters, and extensive and vibrant ones of Sarah’s hats, there was precious little about the main couple. Although I dislike endless flowery descriptions of the main protagonists, I do enjoy having some idea of their appearances. Up until 65% in the book – when we finally get to know that Sarah has blue eyes – we only knew that she was shorter than Felix (no big surprise there), and that she had “bow-shaped lips” (of course!). At 88%, at last, we are told that her hair is dark; that’s about the extent of Sarah’s description, and it’s disconcerting! (But at least, you will fare better than I did). Around the 75% mark is really where the author lost me as some inconsistencies crept in, again for obvious storyline purposes. A crucial event was even remarked upon by a character as being inconsistent with what had been done, and it was casually dismissed! I thought the last quarter of the book unsatisfying and rather unpleasant. And what was that epilogue all about? The introduction to an upcoming series?

To my consternation, THE DUKE OF DISTRACTION just didn’t work for me. I felt it lacked the originality, the creativity, the excitement, the unpredictability, and the charm that had made The Untouchables so special and memorable. If you’re looking for a well-written, steamy, and safe “best friend’s little sister” historical romance, it might be the right book for you.

Sarah, a spinster, falls in love with her brother’s childhood friend, Felix. Felix has no desire to marry or fall in love. Excellent plot.

Count on Burke to break a heart as only she can. Just when you think the pain is too much, she gives a reason to smile again. Embittered by love, Felix and Sarah are about to discover that no one is immune to it’s power. Although not as passionate as some of the previous books in the series, The Duke of Distraction proves it can definitely hold it’s own. Sarah and Felix have a romance that was years in the making and their hearts have decided to finally take flight. Can they friendship survive the obstacles that stand in the way? This couple will get under the skin before they steal your heart. What started as slow is destined to leave a lasting impression.

I encountered the leading couple in the previous book in this series The Duke Of Kisses, Felix Havers is known for the entertainments he holds. The carriage races he rules were very detailed and entertaining, but an accident puts a end to it, but few things will deter him to give it up if he does not want. He is a man living for amusement. He refuses to feel anything too deep, since he saw first hand how love can break someone and hurt those around. He thinks he is safe with only mild sentiments, why he enjoys cheering others if he does not get involved in the middle, so he takes matter in hands and is the one always proposing new entertainments and games.
Sarah Colton is happy as she lives, trying to plan for her future, even if it is one of a spinster. Why she fights back when her parents decide she has to get married or they will make the decision for her.
They have known each other since they were kids, and never saw the other in a romantic interest, but a kissing game will tilt their well ordered life and open them to a new world of sensations.
It was a cute tale of friends to lovers, an unexpected kiss changed everything for them, making them realize there is more than meets the eyes about another, it was a bumpy ride as a tragedy strikes and moves their life to a darker path where they will have rethink their future’s expectations and move over their own griefs.
I loved Felix, always cheering the others and never thinking he is worth care and love while Sarah’s stubbornness did upset me at time but it was her way of grieving and she put herself back on the right track.

We are at the end of The Untouchables which is sad but also happy in that a new journey will begin. We finally get an HEA for Felix and Sarah. How sad and devastating it must be to always have a need for distraction from everyday life. I wish we knew more of the background of Felix as he is obviously troubled. This is not always a happy story but it does show the need for friendship even when we resist. A slow learning of desire through troubled times makes this story a very nice read.

I received a complimentary copy from the author.