Lady Lavinia Gillingham prefers rocks and dirt to marriage. Her passion is science, and she’s determined to marry if-and only if-she finds a man who supports her interests and intellect. So far, she’s managed to avoid attention on the Marriage Mart, but when the Duke of Seduction pens anonymous letters singing her praises, she suddenly become the toast of the ton and matrimony seems … imminent.William Beckett, Marquess of Northam possesses the reputation of a rake, but is secretly a romantic. Spurned at sixteen, he doesn’t expect to feel the sting of Cupid’s bow a second time, and yet he’s able to woo the coldest of hearts with the anonymous words he publishes. As the Duke of Seduction, he uses his skill to help Lavinia, never anticipating she has no desire for assistance. While Lavinia is pursued by several suitors, Beck is the one who is seduced when he learns that love can strike twice…
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I think this is the most romantic book of this series. Beck is secretly a romantic – he writes poetry and music and wants to help the wallflowers. He does have a dark place brought on by a tragic event. Will he succumb to the dark place or will he let Lavinia’s light bring him out? I loved Lavinia’s spunk and determination. Girl power! Huge smile as their HEA came to fruition. This is what I love about reading romances, they might have angst (which I love) but they always have love and love trumps everything.
I received a complimentary copy from the author.
Wow on Book 10 of the Untouchables Series! I am so happy that Darcy Burke gifted this ARC to me & that I am able to let you know how wonderful it really was! I won’t rewrite the book but will tell you the the love between Willliam Beckett (Beck), Marquess of Northam & Lady Lavinia Gillingham, daughter of the Earl of Balcombe was something to embrace. They had a rocky beginning that turned to friendship, which wasn’t the thing – men & ladies weren’t friends, & then the fun began as they both started having feelings for one another. Beck & Lavinia had moments of witty banter, humorous incidents, secret meetings that were innocent at first, stolen kisses & some spicy love scenes (I loved the closet scene). I was hooked the moment I started reading & couldn’t wait to turn the pages going forward. I really enjoyed the secondary characters Felix, Sarah, Fanny & can’t wait to read their stories! I highly recommend The Duke of Seduction to all historical romance readers & every book in the series has been wonderful. The books in the series can be read as “stand alone” but I would recommend reading them in order, since some of the characters appear in future books.
What a unique and gripping story! Darcy Burke at her best!
Be still my heart! Beck and Lavinia story is one to top them all. There is so much in the book with secrets, romance, and libraries. They are both unique and different people that fit perfectly together. Not only was I glued to their story, but that of the other girls he wrote about and his sister. Their first meeting could have been a scandal, but it brought them together in a series of fun events. I loved seeing past characters and did not see the twist coming with one, but it was a twist well deserved.
Lavinia is a sharp-tongued girl that is not afraid of anyone. I loved her right away because she met him head on and didn’t hold back. She may have been angry, but she didn’t hold onto that anger and understood him more and more. I loved that she never held back when talking.
Beck is so different from any of the other in the series with his quest to help ladies and his talents. He feels deeply about everything and everyone and his heart was always in the right place. His music and writing reflected his mood and he had his friends that understood him completely.
Copy provided for an honest and voluntary review
William Beckett, the Marquess of Northam meets Lady Lavinia Gillingham when he mistakes her for his current lover. Intrigued by her, he askes a friend her name and wonders why she is not married. Northam has a tender heart, he believes in love, but thinks his one and only chance was lost years ago, he also lost his beloved sister and now uses his talent for writing to anonymously “help” young ladies he believes are being overlooked. He writes poems about the lady and has them published in the paper – he believes he is helping these girls by forcing the ton to “see” them. And after meeting Lavinia, his muse is screaming for him to write about her.
Lavinia is not pleased to learn that she has become the Duke of Seduction’s latest subject, she doesn’t want the attention and will only marry a man that will support her geological studies. She is determined to learn the identity of the “Duke of Seduction” and stop him from interfering!!
Through the course of her investigation, she becomes acquainted with Northam and rants to him about the Duke of Seduction – when she says she is going to write a letter to the paper, he offers to deliver it to the editor and he defend the “Duke” – angry, she demands the letter back and Northam knows it is time to come clean – he confesses that he is the Duke of Seduction and Lavinia learns about his sister, they come to an agreement, she will help him find women who actually want his help and he will help her find a suitor that will accept and support her desire to study geology.
This was a lovely story that while it had some darker moments, was not nearly as dark as the last few books. There is a lot of emotion, some amusing moments, secrets, betrayal, blackmail, surprising revelations and a very hard earned HEA. I will agree with other reviewers that the ending was rushed and perhaps improbable – but I was so elated that Eleanor, the Duchess of Kendal (The Forbidden Duke) finally got some closure that I really didn’t care! This is the tenth book in the series, but it can absolutely be read as a stand alone title, however, you might enjoy the ending more if you have read at least the first book, The Forbidden Duke.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me*
THE DUKE OF SEDUCTION by Darcy Burke is book 10 in The Untouchables series. This is the story of Lavinia Gillingham and William ‘Beck’ Beckett, Marquess of Northam. I have read the previous books (and loved them) but feel this can be a standalone book if you choose to do so.
Beck when he was younger fell in love with an older women who didn’t return those feelings and it hurt him allot. So much so that he has taken to not give his heart out again but lives somewhat to himself but he sees enough of the ladies who hang in corners with no one interested in them. So even though he doesn’t want to test love again he still has a romantic side that ends up going under the name of ‘Duke of Seduction’ pens anonymous letters about the women he feels could use his ‘help’. Which had lead to a few being engaged and really seen to by the town instead of wallflowers of sorts. Beck takes on Lavinia who ends up with so much attention but for her this isn’t what she wants. Lavinia is a bluestocking who does want to marry someday but only to someone who loves her and she loves them….but with this Duke of Seduction interference she is being the object of everything but what she wants.
I am such a fan of Ms. Burke and this book just proved again why I always look for her books…just loved it! Could not put it down until I finished it.
The power of love can give us the bravery to face and conquer fears. True friends will be there for you no matter what and often know you better than you do. This book is about all of this and so much more. “Forgiveness, it seemed, wasn’t something you granted to someone, but a gift you gave yourself. Once Beck had done that, he’d felt free.” Epilogue, page 199, The Duke of Seduction.
William “Beck”ett, Marquess of Northam, has a romantic heart even if he buries it deep. It breaks through with the anonymous poems he publishes in the paper to aid in the notice of worthy wallflowers in the ton’s “Marriage Market”. No one knows he is “The Duke of Seduction” except his publisher friend and the true and valuable butler Gage. The world knows him as a “rake” and has no plans to marry after his heart was crushed at 16. He pens these poems and some of the ladies go on to make advantageous marriages. Some though are not so happy to be thrust into the spotlight. Lady Lavinia Gillingham is one of those. Her passion is the very unladylike area of geology and digging in the dirt. Her parents, mother especially, are determined to marry her off in her now 4th season. Lavinia is perfectly happy to wait for love to happen. Lavinia and Beck strike up a unlikely friendship because of a case of mistaken identity.
This was such an unconventional story in so many ways. It fit the characters. Beck has such a dark and tormented personality at times. Lavinia just wants to be loved and seen for who she is. Beck doesn’t mean to fall in love with her and he doesn’t recognize that he has. Thanks to his true friends, Felix, Earl of Ware an old school chum, and Gage his dear, dear butler he sees it almost too late. Every one of Darcy’s stories are powerful and have lessons on what is really valuable in life. Thank you Darcy for the opportunity to review this latest edition of these aptly named Untouchables.
What a delightfully, refreshingly different addition to the Untouchables series. It is lighter and more humorous than the previous books in the series. It is excellently written and I loved both the hero and the heroine.
William Beckett, Marquess of Northam is a very private man. He shares very little of himself with anybody except his butler and his best friend Lord Ware. Beck sometimes has black moods and will secrete himself away for a day or so – playing music and writing. Really, Beck’s standoffish personality is just to hide this big bowl of romantic mush. I know – I loved him!
Beck had a teenage love who was older than he was – and she spurned him. He was so hurt, he never thought – never even looked for love again. He couldn’t stand seeing all of these lovely, unappreciated young ladies hugging the walls at all of the balls, so he decided he’d help them by becoming The Duke of Seduction. He’d write poems about a particular young lady – nothing intimate – just enough to catch attention for them – and they’d be published in the newspaper. Two of his first four young ladies are already engaged. He’s really feeling good about what he’s done for them. They’d be really grateful to him if they only knew . . . . or not.
Lady Lavinia Gillingham is one of my favorite heroines. She is very intelligent, steadfast, level-headed, kind, generous and funny. She is a bluestocking geologist but unlike many heroines we read about in books, she wanted to marry – she just wanted to marry for love – someone who appreciated and supported her intelligence. So, when the Duke of Seduction wrote a poem about her, she was incensed. If she could just find out who he was, she’d give him a piece of her mind! Imagine, bringing all of that unwelcome attention down on her and now her parents were pushing her to marry. She’d really love to skewer that self-proclaimed Duke! The man was a menace, and Lavinia meant to unmask him.
From their delightful first encounter in Lord Evenrude’s library, their interactions were both funny and serious. He couldn’t believe some of the things that just came tumbling out of his mouth – he didn’t share those things with anybody. He’s also helping her find a husband since he brought so much unwanted attention.
While the book is filled with humorous quips and encounters, I liked this encounter from a scene where they are hiding behind some curtains during a hide-and-seek game.
“Are you going to, then?” she asked, her breasts grazing his chest as she edged herself against him. “Kiss me.”
“By God, I think I am.”
“Oh, good”
There is a mystery in this book and the solution to that mystery is my only problem with the book. First, it was just too quick – I mean the whole book leads up to it and then it was over before you could blink your eyes. Second, all I’ll say is that peers were tried in the House of Lords rather than a court – and – if somebody ingests too much of something you provide them, you didn’t murder them if they die.
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“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”
From their first unplanned meeting Lavinia cannot keep wondering about the marquess. With her parents pressuring her to marry and not be so picky, she engages Northam to help her meet gentlemen, who would not mind her interest in geology. As in other stories employing this scheme, the results are a bit predictable.
This was a quick, comfortable read, though it is not my favorite of the series.
I read an advance copy and voluntarily post my review.
This is #10 in the Untouchables series and I have never been disappointed reading one as yet. Darcy Burke has a way of keeping the the reader coming back to this series again and again because of the effervescence of her characters. They shine with wit, humor and any range of emotions that she has assigned them. Lavinia and Beck were the lady geek and the gentleman poet. In all realty they should not work. Somehow the conversations Darcy wrote for them just resonated and made them come to life on the page. There is so much more to look forward to in this series.
The Marquess of Northam, William Beckett, aka ‘Beck’, is a bit of a moody Marquess, but he has his reasons. He does have a few hidden talents and engaging in those makes him feel a bit lighter. He is also a renowned rake, so one might easily guess what at least a few of his ‘gifts’ entail.
While at an evening ton event he mistakes Lady Lavinia Gillingham for one of his paramours when he comes upon her alone in a library. Lavinia was simply attempting to read the host’s book on a scientific topic that is her passion without her parents discovering her missing from the ball. The two opposites begin a friendship of sorts, that becomes something more. As they spend more time in each other’s company, each shares their secrets with the other, laugh together, and an attraction grows. Can a young unmarried woman be just a friend with a renowned rake?
The tenth book in a fantastic series, this was a terrific story, of a friendship that grew into a passionate love. It has wonderful characters, a bit of a past tragic mystery to be solved, and a seduction that ends in a satisfying hea. I couldn’t put it down and highly recommend it! I am soo looking forward to the next.
I received this as an arc which affected my review and opinions in no way at all.
Lady Lavinia Gillingham prefers digging around in the dirt and talking about all things geology which is certainly not appropriate things for a young lady on the Marriage Mart to engage in. Lavinia is not in a hurry to marry and prefers to wait until she falls in love, but her parents have different ideas about that. When Lavinia becomes the next young lady to be written about by the Duke of Seduction, her parents are thrilled with her new popularity, but Lavinia is determined to uncover the Duke’s identity and give him a piece of her mind. Little does she know that the Duke of Seduction is none other than William Beckett, Marquess of Northam.
I’m a fan of Ms. Burke and this latest book was one of my favorites. I especially enjoyed the snippets of poems to the young ladies at the beginning of each chapter. It was a refreshing change from the angst and drama that most regency romances have. Lavinia and Beck were an enjoyable couple to watch–each with their own insecurities and demons to wrestle before they realize they belonged with each other. Beck wasn’t much of a “rake” and I thought Lavinia’s parents were over the top in their rush to marry off their daughter. I would have liked to know the reason for this, but it was never explained. Fans of regency romances will enjoy this light and entertaining book.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review and I was not obligated to leave a review.
Loved this book.
I like when a book has characters with real problems. Not everyone is perfectly emotionally balanced at all times.
Fun
Lady Lavinia Gillingham is a bluestocking, happily studying science especially geology. She is also happily unmarried and hopes to keep it that way. William Beckett, Marquess of Northam is also happily single enjoying his reputation as a rake. This tenth book in the Untouchable series brings two people together who just can’t help but bring out the best in each other. It starts with a case of mistaken identity in the library at a social gathering. She is there to read, he is there to met his latest. He finds her charming and wants to help leave her wallflower status behind. You see Beck has a secret, he writes poems for the paper, highlighting a different wallflower he feels is deserving of some attention. The problem, not every girl he writes an ode to wants the attention. Although this read does not have had much intrigue or danger as previous books in the series, it is still a good read Even without the intrigue, the book is a fast read and nicely done. it is always enjoyable to revisit with characters from previous books. There are some delightful characters who still need a story, so this series is not finished.
I was curious about since I read about her in The Duke Of Kisses and The Duke Of Distraction. I know I’m quite reading this series backwards.
It was a cute tale of enemies to friends to lovers, there was no instant lust, but a slow process of getting to know the other and little by little become attracted to another.
Lady Lavinia Gillingham finds herself under the spotlights when the Duke Of Seduction décides she needed a little nudge to attract men’s eyes on the marriage mart. Something she never asked for as she is rather happy to be left alone, not liking to be scrutinized as the bluestocking she is. She is not against marriage, but will only agree to it if she is accepted for who she is by her future husband. Easier said than done.
William Beckett or Beck, the Marquess Of Northam hides behind a rakish facade a tortured soul, finding solace in music and poetry. Because his sister was burned years ago by London’s ton, he now tries to help some too easily overlooked young ladies to find their way and maybe love among society.
He just never thought his help might not be welcomed.
Mrs Darcy Burke wrote a slow burn romance with two main characters revealing bit by bit their hopes, their dreams and what they expect from life. There is no big angsty moments, as they are able to communicate and discuss even when some turns of events could have misled them. So soon, they become friends and gradually they see in another more than they might wish, needing the other for more than an usual friendship.
I do loved them both, even if Lavinia is no vindicative woman, she knows what she wants and doesn’t, she is also not shy to tell it and speaks her mind. Beck is a more tortured one, hiding to write or compose music when he is unsettled but in Lavinia’s presence, he feels less burdened.
One more great read by Darcy Burke.
Rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) Am seriously enjoying these historical romance fictions books. Second historical fiction book this week that I enjoyed. We meet Lavinia who is interested in science but unfortunately is also in the marriage mart but she has no problem being a wallflower. Her parents have given her an ultimatum to get married this season. She ends up meeting the notorius rake Beck, Marquis of Northam end knocks him on his butt since she isn’t the type to be interested in his flirtation. Beck tends to write poems of wallflowers so that they can get noticed by the ton, thinking he is assisting them, he unfortunately writes about Lavinia and she is not happy, she is set to find out who is doing that and that they stop because she is getting unwanted attention..Enjoy!
The Duke of Seduction is book ten in The Untouchables Series by Darcy Burke. This book can truly be read as a stand alone. Lady Lavinia Gillingham is a blue stocking whose parents are pressuring her to marry. But she only wants someone who will support her geological endeavors. William Beckett, Marquess of Northam is a rake with a secret. He anonymously publishes romantic poems for wallflowers of the ton. When he decides to use his hidden talent to “help” Lady Gillingham, he has no idea the fire storm of romance that he will step into. I really enjoyed this book. I am going to go back and read each one. I won a copy of this book.
I enjoyed this story though the premise of a nobleman writing poetry in a publication and calling himself The Duke of Seduction seemed rather far fetched and I had to laugh at an individual having the surname of Evenrude! Despite this, the story flowed well and kept my attention and was a pleasant way to spend a rainy afternoon.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.