As always, wonderful stuff!!! 

If you are a fan already you won’t be disappointed. The chemistry between the two main leads was very believable. I give it 4 out of 5! A must buy for winter.

Lord Rockbourne is having an argument with his wife of five years when she comes after him with a pen knife and as he moves away she goes over the balcony rail to her death. Beatrix is in a tree near there and sees the whole thing. They meet on the ground next to his wife's body. Beatrix has been climbing the tree watching the Duke next door who happens to be her father. They can't tell anyone that she was there or what she saw. 
While she comes to see if he is okay and he wants to sit and talk, they become more attracted to each other. It is an interesting story which will reveal the secrets they each have. You will enjoy it from start to finish.

I don't think there is much better than stories that have characters that connect.  I found Darcy through netgalley months ago and am just hooked on her books because of these continuing stories.  The Pretenders series is so much fun and the 3 main characters are just so compelling.  You feel so much for them and their story as you read.  Keep them coming!

The Scandalous Bargain by Darcy Burke
 
T0his book follow the trials and tribulations of Beatrix Whitford when one night she witnessed a woman falling from a balcony in the dead of night and her path crosses with Lord Rockbourne. 

The story is full of drama, twists and turns. Everyone has a secret and many lies spread around. 

Yet another great novel by Darcy Burke. 

Very good read beautiful characters and some very spiteful ones too.

Stolen hearts, stolen moments, stolen objects!

From being left in an upper class girls' boarding school upon the death of her mother, where she was mercilessly bullied, eventually running away preferring life on the streets, and from thence to the top echelons of society, illegitimate daughter of a Duke, Beatrix Linley has just one wish. To make contact with her father the Duke of Ramsgate, of whom she has rosy memories. Beatrix yearns to be accepted and acknowledged as part of the family, albeit quietly.
Which goes in part to explain why she was sitting in a tree in the grounds belonging to Thomas Devereaux, Lord Rockbourne, disguised as a youth.
Beatrix spends her nights climbing this tree dressed in men's clothing in order to spy on her father. Only this night her gaze is caught by an argument between Rockbourne and his wife that ends in tragedy.
So Beatrix is a witness to what went on, something that becomes a both a blessing and a conundrum. And making contact with her father--well that's a whole nother story! There's also the problem of Beatrix's kleptomania! Whenever she's worried or anxious she takes things, something she's not consciously aware of until later.
We join forces with Beatrix's chosen family and some new additions, once again enjoying their stories as they rise from the underbelly of London to more prominent positions.

A Darcy Burke Publishing ARC via NetGalley 
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I really wanted to like this book because I usually like most of Darcy Burke's other books, but I couldn't get into this one because I was so put off by the illogical and improbable way the H and h met and how they kept meeting in such a fashion.  It was also obvious which way the story was going, what would happen, and how it would all clear up in the end.  I also had no sympathy for the h's psychological problem that I'm sure was cured by "true love," which is beyond reason (though I really don't know if it was cured, I couldn't force myself to read that far).  Read her other books and skip this one if you want any kind of reasonable belief for Regency behavior.  One star for adequate editing for typos, grammar, sentence structure, etc.  At least you don't have to struggle through those kinds of annoyances in the reading of the book.

Thank you to the author for providing me with an  ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this intricate, uncommon historical romance. The premise and the meet cute were unique and immediately grabbed my attention. Beatrix is a dauntless heroine, trying to forge a connection with the father she never knew. 
Thomas is a man trapped in an untenable marriage with a woman who is everything selfish and nothing nurturing to their daughter. 

When fate throws these two searching souls in one another's paths, they become irrevocably yoked together. 

I loved everything about this wonderful love story. Well-written, witty dialogue, original plot and robust character development.

After having met Selina and her sister-not-by-blood Beatrix in A Secret Surrender, I was very happy to see that after Selina got her happy ending, this story will be about Beatrix. A Scandalous Bargain will take you back to the early years where Selina and Beatrix have met. So, it gives you more insight into both Selina and Beatrix. It also discloses why Beatrix became the most handy in picking pockets and lifting goods.
And we meet Thomas Deveraux, who is unhappily married to Thea. When Thea dies under suspicious circumstances, Thomas is under investigation by the Bowstreet Runners (yes, that's where Harry works...) for murder. The problem is, that he can't ask Beatrix to act as a witness, because she saw the whole event, while spying on Thomas' neighbor, and her father: the Duke of Ramsgate. Because Beatrix is an illegimate child, her father has send her off to a boarding school and then ignored her. And now Beatrix wants to restore the band with her father, but is unsure of how to proceed. And the unplanned encounter of Beatrix and Thomas leads to a wonderful story, with a lot of twists and turns. We meet old acquaintences and new friends, a real treat!
Find out for yourself in this wonderful story of lies, cheating, surviving the odds and doing the right thing. Maybe Thomas can find actual love and maybe Beatrix has already found the family she has been looking for all her life. Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

Confession: I read more than half of this book in one sitting, and I only stopped because I had an early class the next day. A Scandalous Bargain was entertaining, witty, and refreshing. As someone who reads any regency romance novel I can get my hands on, I can sometimes get tired of repetitive storylines. But this book didn't suffer from that flaw in the slightest. In fact, it was one of the most unique and refreshing stories I've ever read. 

The two main characters were immensely likeable and easy to sympathize with. I was rooting for their love story from the very beginning, and I appreciated the nontraditional routes they had to take to make that love a reality. This book was simultaneously heartfelt and light enough to get lost in, offering its readers an introspective look into what makes people a true family and how love can grow in even the most unexpected of places. 

Burke's writing style was accessible while still maintaining a maturity and beauty a novel like this requires. Her knowledge of the time period was clear throughout the work, but she didn't let the requirements of that period hinder the development of her story. She created incredibly unique and optimistic characters that were a delight to read and seemed to leap off the pages. 

It took me a couple of chapters to get into the story and get to know the characters well enough to understand and rationalize some of their actions; however, once I had gotten to know Beatrix and Thomas better, it was impossible to put the book down. The plot in the story was complicated enough to keep the novel moving without getting unmanageably overwhelming, even with a rather large cast of side characters. Needless to say, I highly recommend this book and can't wait to read the next one! Do yourself a favor and strike A Scandalous Bargain to read this book!

Thomas Devereaux, Lord Rockbourne, regrets ever marrying his wife, but when she suffers a fatal accident, he's suddenly on the Bow Street's radar. It seems his mother-in-law is making claims that Tom killed his wife. The more Bow Street investigates, the more things point to Tom's guilt. His only witness, Beatrix Linley, cannot come forward if she doesn't want to have her reputation in tatters. How could she explain that she was in the tree outside the Rockbourne home spying on her the duke, her father who abandoned her years ago?

I liked Thomas who by trying to do the honorable thing in protecting his dead wife's reputation finds himself the number one suspect in a murder investigation. He was the perfect flawed hero. I wasn't so enthralled with Beatrix. She has a habit--both conscious and unconscious--of stealing items from events she attends. While this is mentioned a number of times, once Thomas declares his love, it seems to disappear. I'm not sure that could happen so quickly. Also, throughout the book, the penknife is mentioned and when it's finally revealed it was stolen by Beatrix and pawned, it almost seems like an after thought and nothing else is mentioned about it. 

I found it easy to put the book down a number of times and it took me almost a week to finish it. While I usually adore Ms. Burke's books, this one just wasn't as riveting as some of her other books.

This story starts with jump and doesn't stop as the author weaves her magic.  Beatrix grows up the illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Ramsgate and when her mother dies, he sends her off to school. She desperately wanted his attention and was left very lonely but eventually turns into an excellent Pretender and fashions in her mind how to get his attention.

Now out on her own, she spies on her father from a tree in the next door neighbor, Thomas Devereux.  Having overheard him and his wife continually fighting, she observes the wife falling off the balcony to her death! One thing leads to another and the story begins!

She and Thomas begin to form a bond, after all, he had been tricked into the marriage of his varigo wife and Beatrix had is fighting her own dreams. A wonderful story that reveals hidden feelings and several twist and turns, these two needed each other and it left me with a hugh Sigh as I turned the last page!

4.5 stars - A Scandalous Bride is a fantastic read! The hero is a viscount who’s been married to a despicable woman. When she dies in a tragic accident. his life somehow gets worse and better, too. The heroine is a duke’s illegitimate daughter who has had to fight for everything since her mother died. The H and h both deserve a HEA and them finding it with each other is beautiful. This read has all of the Darcy Burke hallmarks - strong heroine, worthy hero, honorable friends and just enough sexy to keep things interesting. I enjoyed it!

Beatrix Linley is the bastard daughter of the Duke of Ramsey who returns to London to reveal herself to her long lost father. While spying on him in the neighbors trees, she witnesses the tragic death of Viscountess Rockbourne one evening while fighting with her husband, Thomas Devereaux. After Tom is blamed for his wife's death after years of emotional abuse and Beatrix is on the verge of social ruin, will they find happiness in each other's arms?

This was my first book of The Pretenders series and I was a little concerned if I would be lost, but the author did a great job of filling the reader in on the back story without letting it overtake the main story. I enjoyed the storyline in this, as Beatrix ended up not being the typical "damsel in distress" but was a strong and determined heroine that helped Tom out. This was a delightful story and I can't wait to read book #3 of the series!

Thank you Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my review and honest opinion.

I haven't read the first book in this series and I found this to be a bit of a detriment because there was a lot of backstory. Every character it seemed stemmed from a previous book and the explanations and descriptions got so convoluted at times that I stopped trying to remember it all and just took in the relevant parts. 

'A Scandalous Bargain' had a great opening, unique and impacting and I love how it bound Beatrix and Thomas together from the off. Their relationship developed naturally and had some great spark at times. 

It wasn't as sassy and full of banter as I usually like but I thought that the main plot and the interwoven subplots more than held my interest and made up for this. 

My rating largely lowered because it was quite reliant on previous knowledge of other books and at times it did feel a bit repetitive. How many times a couple looked at each other lovingly across a room, how many times Thomas felt guilty.... there were several passages where I kind of skimmed because  it was a regurgitation of something previously explained or described. 

An all round pleasant read! 

I read this via Netgalley.

They promise to be friends and keep each other’s secrets.  

Thomas and Beatrix meet on the night his wife accidentally fell to her death from their terrace.  Beatrix just happened to be in a tree in his garden.  She’s been watching her father who lives next door.  His mother-in-law accuses him of murdering his wife. Can Tom prove he is innocent?  Can Beatrix help him?  What happened to the one piece of evidence that might prove Tom did not kill his wife?

Beatrix, the illegitimate daughter of a duke, enjoyed her childhood until her mother died and her father abandoned her.  She may never regain her father’s favor, but she has friends who care for her.  They are her family.  Tom has endured a miserable marriage, but it produced a daughter he adores.  Tom and Beatrix become friends, and more.  Regan and Beatrix connect immediately.  Selina, Harry, and his large family, and Tom’s Aunt Charity are here to offer support and advice. The story has a few twists and turns and some surprises as Tom and Beatrix work toward their HEA.  I enjoyed this addition to the Pretenders series.  I am looking forward to Rafe’s story.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.  My review is voluntary.

Beatrix, illegitimate daughter of Lord Ramsgate, wants her father to acknowledge her existence. Spying on his house from his neighbor's  tree, she keeps longing to gain his attention. One night she witnesses an argument between Thomas, Viscount Rockbourne, and his wife... then her death. It was an accident, yes, but it's complicated to prove it when reputations and other people become part of the issue. As events unfold, Beatrix and Thomas both have decisions to make. Revealing the truth about both their past and the present. Only then can they trust each other and build a life together. 
A complicated romance with
compassionate strong characters who look out for each other. Always a pleasure to read a book by Darcy Burke. 
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

What can I tell you, my heart is warm because this book made it. The story was truly entertaining and a wonderful journey to HEA. Although it´s a part of a series, it could be simply read as a standalone. 
Every unfortunate who falls deep should get another chance. And here in this book, it was just a wonderful second chance for Beatrix to be introduced to society and to start living an honest life. Both characters were made for each other. Their chemistry, sense of humor, everything was right. Except they met under not blossoming circumstances. While spying on her father Beatrix witnessed the neighbor´s wife's unfortunate fatal accident. Thomas's, the Viscount Rockbourne, marriage hasn´t been a happy one, but he would never wish his wife death. Although the circumstances weren´t a happy one, they both felt an instant pull to one another. While Beatrix wishes for her father´s devotion and acknowledgment, Thomas has got an investigation of Bow Street of his wife´s death on his back. While he is innocent all the presented evidence speaks against it. The journey of both characters takes you on a spectacular rollercoaster ride, with a little bit of everything that a great book needs. I truly enjoyed every second of this thrilling story.

This is a second book in the Pretender series.  I read this one without reading the first book, and this did very well as a standalone and without knowing the first story, which continues in this novel. 

Our heroine is Beatrix Linley, the illegitimate daughter of a Duke who was sent away after her mother's day to a boarding school.  Several years have passed, and Beatrix has made her way in the world but is now back in London.  While sitting in a tree spying on her father the Duke, she quite literally stumbles across Thomas Devereaux (Lord Rockbourne) in an argument with his wife on a balcony.  On witnessing the death of Thomas’ wife, Beatrix finds herself entangled in his life and they become friends. 

What I found most endearing is Beatrix is who she is and really makes no apologies for it. To survive, she did some dishonorable things, which makes her the strong woman that she is.  I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a little murder investigation in their romance, friends to lovers trope and a strong heroine.. 

This is my honest review of this book based on an ARC from NetGalley.

I received an ARC of "A Scandalous Bargain" from Netgalley. It is written by the fabulous Darcy Burke.
Thomas Devereaux, Viscount Rockbourne, and Beatrix Whitford meet in a most unsuspecting manner and a scandalous bargain is made between the two. They both have some inner demons that they need to ostracize, but the burdens are heavy and the consequences of revealing them will hurt their loved ones. A beautiful story of patience and understanding.

I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an advance reader copy of this story.

A Scandalous Bargain, by Darcy Burke, is available at booksellers on 11-10-2020.  This is Ms Burkes series The Untouchables: The Pretenders Book 2.  I loved this couple, they were so good for each other from the very beginning.  Poor Beatrix, I felt so sorry for her and completely understood why she did the things she did.  I rooted for her from page 1,  Thomas was harder to feel sorry for.  He made his own mess.  Still, he didn't deserve to be so miserable.  Beatrix & Thomas save each other & I enjoyed every minute of it.