Nice read!
The best thing about the book is Anthony. His personality has layers and a redemption arc. Jane is a nice protagonist but I didn't like how insistent she was about having sex.
Apart from that, the relationship was very healthy. I like how they help each other overcome their own problems, not by resolving them for the other, but by being a constant support.
The plot is okay most of the time. The last 30% got really interesting.
I would have loved to see more about The Spitfire Society in the story.
Overall it was fun, very well written, and with just an elegant taste of mystery and drama.

The Spitfire Society. A group of women fed up with society's rules and regulations, they fight to retain their independence and go against their families expectations. They especially don't need a man. So when Jane is told she must either marry her boring neighbour or become a declared spinster and move into the Spitfire headquarters, her answer is a no brainer. 

Enter brooding Anthony. Tormented by the horrors of his past, Anthony is no ideal match for any woman. Especially as he spends most of his time drunk. So when Jane Fonda herself drawn to him, she must learn to unravel the secretes of his past and see past the drunkard in front of her. I liked Anthony. He was an interesting male lead that was better developed than most male characters in these types of romances. He has strong opinions and is actually a pretty good guy. Jane I was less enamoured with. She's highly manipulative, and willing to do anything to get what she wants. It wasn't a good trait. I also didn't think the two had that great a connection.

The plot is ok, but nothing out of the ordinary. I just wish we'd spent more time with Anthony.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this one more than I did. I enjoyed the story a lot - I thought it was fun and the friendships between the women were wonderful to read. The characters were interesting enough and I found their stories to be touching in their own ways. I found Anthony's story in particular to be compelling to read.

However, I never really liked Jane. I found Anthony compelling and incredibly interesting (tragic episode in his past! learnt from his mistakes! bad relationship with alcohol!) and I was really rooting for him. But Jane.......Jane was only ever okay to me. I just never connected to her. 

I was also very uncomfortable with their first time having sex. It started very steamy, but <spoiler> I didn't think Anthony fully consented to it happening at that moment and that was never addressed. He did not seem comfortable with the fact that it had taken place at that time and I was not comfortable with that. Consent should apply to BOTH parties and it didn't here.</spoiler> That scene aside, it was a very enjoyable, fun read.

I enjoy Burke's stories but this had some components that were hard to get through. Jane Pemberton may have been intended to be portrayed as a strong, independent woman but her separation from her family seemed to make her susceptible to allow herse!f to be content with mediocre treatment. There were so many instances of Anthony, Viscount Colton, walking away from Jane to go on a drinking binge, only to see her time and time again, running after him. If earlier in the book she let him go so he could become a better person for her, it would have redeemed the storyline but up until close to the end, she was the constant pursuer. I just couldn't help feel that Anthony's love for Jane was more that she was his crutch or distraction from his addiction. I will read the next series but this was a miss.

I am a Darcy Burke Fan and she is on my auto buy. This is my first ARC review for her. 

I’m definitely not disappointed by this series so far.  This book is a good finale for the Spitfire girls.  Anthony Colton has featured previously in the Untouchable series. After the death of his parents he is consumed by guilt and is spiraling downward and finds himself at Jane Pemberton’s doorstep injured. And Jane has a request to Anthony for she sees herself as a spinster unwilling to give in to the pressure from her parents. Seems cliched at this point. 

But Darcy brings in her own humor, spitfire girls, mystery, and healing for both Anthony and Jane. 
Definitely worth a read. But it’s not like the untouchable series which I still go back to reading when I have no new book which captures by interest. 

I can’t wait to read her new series.

I can always count if Darcy Burke to make an interesting contribution to the over saturated genre of regency romance. Her writing is rarely dependent or focused on historical research or hampered by historical accuracy, although I don’t remember any anachronisms. Instead, she focuses on unconventional ideas women may have had and how they coped with the consequences. Her heroines are always engaging spitfires, pun intended, and the men are always willing to play second fiddle and be played like said instrument. Occasionally, things get a bit overly angst for my taste (intelligent women rarely make hasty assumptions or rush to erroneous conclusions). When it does happen, it’s always brief and often a fault of the love interest. 

Thinking of Lord Colton, I must add that he is an adorable hero. His roguish attitude is delightful. I’ve had my share of brooding boys who can’t see their hands in front of their faces. We get our fair share of drama, but there is an effervescence in both characters that I enjoyed. There is a fairly novel meet cute. Amnesia and female rescue isn’t new, but tumbling into an entry way is a image I’ve never conjured. I’ll take it! 

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book is part of the Spitfire series but i think can be read as a standalone. Nice story and romance, some sexual situations  but altogether a good read. I like Darcy Burke's books. I would recommend this to older readers as opposed to teens. 




This book was provided as an ARC thru netgalley and the publisher. Opinion is my own.

I have waited for Anthony’s story ever since I first read about him in The Duke of Distraction. I also loved the beginning of the book where Jane finds Anthony but after that somehow this story just didn’t work for me. I didn’t find any chemistry between Jane and Anthony. I am a little sad this story didn't work for me as I was really excited about it. The other issue I have with this book is having duke in the title which I think is disingenuous as the hero in this book is a viscount not a duke. I get that publishers and authors want to add "duke" to the titles for increased sales but the book should at least have a duke as the hero if it is in the title. This is a good author that writes lovely stories and her work should just be allowed to shine without these gimmicks. 

This is book three in The Spitfire Society series and I would recommend reading it as part of the series. * I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

I was instantly interested in this book - there was no slow start or build up, I felt connected to the story right from the start. It was only part way through the book that I realised that I wasn’t reading the first in the series, but there was no loss of story or character to contend with - one sign of a well-written series is that you can read each book as a standalone story and not be disadvantaged and that is certainly the case here. There is enough detail that (I assume) alludes to previous plot points, but nothing is hard to follow or detracts from the story at hand. 

Both main characters were likeable, relatable and well developed throughout. I was invested in their stories from the start, but particularly appreciated how their back stories continued to build in an authentic way as the story progressed. The slightly less appealing parts of their characters came to make perfect sense - Jane’s pushiness explained by how she was treated by her parents, and Anthony’s self-loathing explained by losing his parents as a result of his own actions. It was endearing to see them bring out the best in each other and let go of their reservations as the story drew to it’s conclusion - the author did a good job of focusing on their connection without forcing it. 

The book had some pretty steamy, no detail spared, love scenes to keep the pace of the story alive throughout. My only issue with the book, and the reason the last star is missing from my review, is that these scenes, and this part of the romance, seemed to come out of nowhere and jarred a little with how the characters had been developed up to that point - Jane had been portrayed as an innocent spinster, but was instantly fully engaged with all aspects of exploring the male form, and Anthony repeatedly stated that he wanted to protect her and keep her honour in tact for fear of further torturing himself, but was more than willing to give in with minimal fight. The relationship that they had felt natural, but this particular part of it felt a little rushed and maybe could have waited until a bit further into the book. 

I really enjoyed the read, and will be seeking out the others in the series, and more by this author, in the future.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book in return for an honest review.

What it's about:
This book is about Jane who becomes a self-described spinster after failing the marriage mart. One day, a very injured Anthony finds himself on her doorstep which starts the journey of a very interesting friendship as well as the offer of him helping Jane in a very intimate way.

Pros
-The book is a nice, simple read
-The characters are interesting
-There is sex but not too much (in comparison to some books at least) and to me, it is done quite tastefully and it is quite sensual
-It isn't just romance, there is a little bit of mystery in the book
-Although this is part of the Spitfire Society series, I personally feel like this can be read as a stand-alone book
It makes me want to read more of Darcy's books

Cons
Some areas of the book could have been more climactic, however, this doesn't take a lot away from the book

Rating
                                               3.5⭐

Would I read it again:
Yes 

Would I recommend it:
Yes, especially to people who like historical fiction!

https://www.dannisbookreviews.com/post/a-duke-will-never-do-by-darcy-burke-arc-review

I liked it but didn’t love it. Jane and Anthony were both good characters who I felt were not as developed as they could have been. Plot wise, there was definitely an interesting story to Anthony but I just felt overall the plot and actions and development could have been a little more complex. That being said, I like Jane’s character along with the rest of the Spitfire ladies. Nothing wrong with the story, fairly typical of a Regency romance and I’ve read Darcy Burke books in the past and liked them and I’ll read the next book of hers when it comes out.

I loved this book to say the least! You can't but fall in love with Anthony ( lord Colton) troubled with his past somehow arrives at Janes door step. Jane who has no intention of ever to be wed, nurses him and falls in love. But finding out who Anthony actually is and the demons he faces inside of him, and how she helps him out of them. Its beautifully written and with enough drama and excitement and romance that the reader doesn't want to keep this book down. I truly enjoyed this one!

Such a great read! I really enjoy this author’s dialogue. The way each character has such a distinctive turn of phrase.

I loved how Jane snubbed society and followed her own path. Anthony was a complex character and I felt for him with his troubled past.

Great banter, chemistry and an interesting take on society in the early 1900s. Looking forward to more in this series.

I absolutely adore this author. She always writes an excellent story. I love to read historical romance. This is her second series I have read and I’m so glad that I did. 
Excellent characters and just enough steamy scenes to keep you entertained.

After becoming a pariah in society, Jane has decided to make her own way with the help of a friend. She does, however, need help learning some of life's other lessons, and when a handsome young man finds himself on her doorstep, she knows just who will be her new teacher.

Not one of my favorite romance books, but not horrible. Fairly typical of these type of works, and I'm sure there will be plenty of fans.

Quirky little romance. Both main characters are likable and the story evolved at a comfortable pace. A good book for when you want an easy read.

Oh how i love this book! Two very damaged souls come together thinking they will help each other without getting attached, but of course that works out much better than they could have ever planned. I enjoyed reading the flirting and the tender moments between these two and think the story was very well done. #netgalley #adukewillneverdo

I will forever be a fan of Darcy Burke's Regency novels. From the way the major characters meet, to the plot thickening... She just makes it all blend together, making writing seem seamless.

I completely enjoyed this book and would definitely advice anyone looking for a good regency to read Darcy Burke whenever they can.

A regency romance with all the usual tropes (single women can’t be left alone with a man, a woman isn’t fulfilled till she marries etc.), this is a super read for anyone new to the regency romance genre. Jane is a spinster living alone in England when Anthony, a well to do Lord, turns up on her doorstep unconscious, beaten and very drunk. Jane decides to take him in and heal him, which leads to them finding an attraction to each other, despite Anthony’s claims she mustn’t fall in love with him and that they would never marry. Like most romances, it’s fairly obvious what will happen but there is a strong connection between romantic leads, a sparky female lead who has very modern mindset not focused on marriage as the end goal and plenty of saucy bits. There is a really interesting side plot line about Jane’s friends forming philanthropic society and the various endeavors that they support, such as a business for sex workers to get them into alternative employment. Throughout the book, plenty of references are made to other characters and their backstories, so if readers enjoy this then there will be a lot of other books to get stuck into!
Thank you to Net Galley and Darcy Burke Publishing for the free advance e-book copy of this title.

The story is fast paced enough to capture one’s interest.  Nothing too dramatic or dark.  It has plot twists and unexpected turns which is good.  It has humor (may be a bit modern) and passion.  

The hero os the typical “I have issues in my past” type of hero.   He was injured and the heroine nursed him back to health. From there they developed an affair. So the heroine went from virginal never been kissed spinster to siren.   There were lovemaking scenes which would have been a nice touch but I just felt that sometimes it was when they were discussing emotional burdens it almost always leads to lovemaking making it sort of like a healing balm but not really resolving the issue at hand.   The twists involving their family added to the story.   

Overall, I did enjoy reading this book and the hero and heroine’s journey to their HEA.