This is not my usual read, but I saw it on NetGalley and thought I'd have a look as I've been branching out to different genres recently.
This one's an historical romance and I hadn't realised it was actually book 12 in a series by Darcy Burke.
I was initially confused, as there were a lot of names mentioned in the opening pages, however previous readers of this series wouldn't be and I imagine would like to see previous characters again. It wasn't a problem though, as I quickly grasped the basics of who's who.

'The Duke of Distraction' is set in 1818 and centres around Felix Havers, the Earl of Ware, who has spent the majority of his life hiding his emotions behind a jolly facade of entertaining others. He becomes embroiled in helping his best friend's sister to find a husband. This is Sarah Colton, who also hides a secret; she's intent on opening a millinery shop and supporting herself. This independent wish is stopped by her parents desire for her to many appropriately.
After tragic events, Sarah is helped by Felix to find a husband she could love but, unsurprisingly, their mutual attraction begins to cause problems.

I think these books tend to follow a typical structure, and I guess it's what readers of this genre like and I can't deny it's entertaining. I chuckled several times! I also needed to fan myself as I wasn't prepared for the detail of the amorous moments, and there was quite a few! Lol!

All together, it was an easy read, well written, with characters suitable and believable within this genre. Good fun romantic escapism. Maybe not a genre I'll read regularly but I can certainly appreciate the appeal!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read an arc for an honest review.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

I normally really like this author but I just couldn’t vibe with this one. I agree with the other reviewers who say that the couple seems more like close friends than lovers, and the heat factor is fairly low. I felt like they were settling, and to be honest that’s not when I turn to romance for. Meh. I hope the next one picks up the heat.

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.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This novel wasn't as enchanting as I hoped it would be. The language too flowerly and the characters bland. I did not feel the sexual passion between Félix and Sarah. They acted more like friends than lovers. Disappointing.

4.5☆
I liked it!
Darcy Burke is one of my go-to authors.

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Friends to lovers
Part of a series: The Untouchables
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue

I look forward to reading more from this author.

I was so happy to see that Felix was getting his own story. He deserved it I thought. Sarah is a very lucky lady, although it reads as if Felix is the lucky one. Either way, I really enjoyed, The Duke of Distraction.

Ms. Burke once again write an enjoyable novel, returning some of your favorite characters while focusing on the developing relationship between Miss Sarah Colton and Felix Havers, Earl of Ware. Sarah and Felix have know each other a long time. After all, he is her brother's best friend. Sarah has plans to open a milliner's shop. She has a passion and talent for designing hats, but plans to keep her involvement a secret. Ladies of society do not work in trade. Felix is master at planning various activities; his most recent involves racing with a men's and women's division. When Sarah's parents force er to choose a husband, Felix steps in to assist her. Felix has no desire to marry due to circumstances of his past, but helping Sarah should be no problem, right? After all, he offered to help her with her millinery. One of Felix's parties changes everything between them. Felix is there and is supportive to Sarah, encouraging her. Sarah realizes there is more to Felix than what he shows to society. Their relationship develops into something more, where fighting their attraction seems pointless, no matter how hard they try to fight it. Can Felix and Sarah overcome what holds them back from having the love they so desperately have with each other?

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.