Review: A Duke Will Never Do (The Spitfire Society #3) by Darcy Burke
Print Length: 248 pages
Publisher: Darcy Burke Publishing (May 19, 2020)
From Goodreads.com: After failing on the Marriage Mart, Jane 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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My Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
One of the things I enjoy most about this author's novels is the way that each one, no matter which series they come from, or in which order you pick them up, they can be read as a stand-alone. I very much enjoy seeing characters from prior novels (and in some cases even prior series') appear in other works. It often feels like seeing old friends at a party.
I also enjoyed the way that Jane stood up for herself and took control of her own future (as much as a woman in her situation and time period could). It's always fun when you read about spinsters (or any young woman really) who not only take charge of themselves, but also go out of their way to help others. Anthony was also an interesting character, on a guilt-ridden path of self-destruction over something that he felt he could have prevented. Watching as Jane tried to help Anthony overcome these feelings (and the destructive ways he was coping with them), made for an intriguing story by itself - and the later threats of extortion and secrets being revealed would have caused this story to stand out. The kittens? Were an amusing distraction that rang true to life and offered some light-heartedness in otherwise serious moments.
Where it lost points with me is the fact that Jane seemed to take advantage of Anthony's attraction to her, and in some cases, it could be argued his alcohol-fueled mind. There were some definite moments of dubious consent in this novel that left a rather sour taste in my mouth. Just because it is the woman making the moves and pushing for what she wants doesn't make it okay. Another thing that bothers me is when two characters who are already interesting and have chemistry start having sex and that becomes the focus. I don't need numerous sex scenes to showcase their feelings for one another, nor do I think (as so often seems to happen with these stories) does sex equate to love, I much rather enjoy scenes of the characters falling in love without taking their clothes off repeatedly.
Even with what I mentioned above, this is still a novel that people are going to enjoy. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next series (I am desperate to unravel the mystery surrounding the man they call the vicar, and curious as to what happens to another character we briefly meet near the end of the story). I will definitely read more from this author!
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
One of the things I enjoy most about this author's novels is the way that each one, no matter which series they come from, or in which order you pick them up, they can be read as a stand-alone. I very much enjoy seeing characters from prior novels (and in some cases even prior series') appear in other works. It often feels like seeing old friends at a party.
I also enjoyed the way that Jane stood up for herself and took control of her own future (as much as a woman in her situation and time period could). It's always fun when you read about spinsters (or any young woman really) who not only take charge of themselves, but also go out of their way to help others. Anthony was also an interesting character, on a guilt-ridden path of self-destruction over something that he felt he could have prevented. Watching as Jane tried to help Anthony overcome these feelings (and the destructive ways he was coping with them), made for an intriguing story by itself - and the later threats of extortion and secrets being revealed would have caused this story to stand out. The kittens? Were an amusing distraction that rang true to life and offered some light-heartedness in otherwise serious moments.
Where it lost points with me is the fact that Jane seemed to take advantage of Anthony's attraction to her, and in some cases, it could be argued his alcohol-fueled mind. There were some definite moments of dubious consent in this novel that left a rather sour taste in my mouth. Just because it is the woman making the moves and pushing for what she wants doesn't make it okay. Another thing that bothers me is when two characters who are already interesting and have chemistry start having sex and that becomes the focus. I don't need numerous sex scenes to showcase their feelings for one another, nor do I think (as so often seems to happen with these stories) does sex equate to love, I much rather enjoy scenes of the characters falling in love without taking their clothes off repeatedly.
Even with what I mentioned above, this is still a novel that people are going to enjoy. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next series (I am desperate to unravel the mystery surrounding the man they call the vicar, and curious as to what happens to another character we briefly meet near the end of the story). I will definitely read more from this author!
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
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A Duke Will Never Do is available from Amazon.com
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