Review: Never Deny a Duke (Decadent Dukes Society #3) by Madeline Hunter

Print Length: 304 pages

Publisher: Zebra (April 30, 2019)

From Goodreads.com: He is the last duke standing

 
. . . the sole remaining bachelor of the three self-proclaimed Decadent Dukes. Yet Davina MacCallum’s reasons for searching out the handsome Duke of Brentworth have nothing to do with marriage. Scottish lands were unfairly confiscated from her family by the Crown and given to his. A reasonable man with vast holdings can surely part with one trivial estate, especially when Davina intends to put it to good use. Brentworth, however, is as difficult to persuade as he is to resist.
 
The Duke of Brentworth’s discretion and steely control make him an enigma even to his best friends. Women especially find him inscrutable and unapproachable—but also compellingly magnetic. So when Davina MacCallum shows no signs of being even mildly impressed by him, he is intrigued. Until he learns that her mission in London involves claims against his estate. Soon the two of them are engaged in a contest that allows no compromise. When duty and desire collide, the best laid plans are about to take a scandalous turn—into the very heart of passion . . .

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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

I was super excited when I came across this story! Although I had not read the prior two novels, the fact that the premise of this one seemed NOTHING like the ones I have read before gave me high expectations that I would finally find a book in 2019 that was over 3 stars. 

Sadly, despite the definitely unique premise, this story was lacking that special spark that I was looking for. To begin with, the conflict over whether or not the land rightly belongs to Brentworth or Davina definitely overshadows their romance. While I enjoyed it to the extent that they butted heads, and engaged in some interesting banter, the romance never felt real. It was like they went from enemies to casual acquaintances, to lovers without any real emotion invested other than lust. There was also the side thread of Davina wanting to be a physician that seemed to pop up randomly which I found confusing. 

Even with the land dispute, I felt that this story was lacking any sort of major conflict. There was the potential with the king or one of his cronies to interfere, or even Davina's boss to make waves, and yet there was nothing. No drama, nothing to be overcome, even the land issue was solved in the end. 

Overall, if you are looking for a cute, easy read with no conflicts than this is the one for you. I would 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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                             Never Deny a Duke is available from Amazon.com