I enjoyed and I really appreciate that NetGalley granted me an advance reader copy for my honest opinions. The chemistry between the two main characters is off the charts. Darcy Burke definitely knows how to write romantic and sensual scenes. It is really amazing how well hero and heroine compliment and understand each other. Wonderful balance of ; a smart, sexy partnership, an admirable heroine and an amazing, wonderful hero! Thank you! :)

Thanks to Netgalley for the copy!

This is the first book I've read within the series. And this is the very definition of grumpy/sunshine! It's very heartening to see how, gradually, Ada (who also have her own scars from her past) uplifted Max in his own abyss. First, she makes him smile; a very small yet great feat! The next, she's turning his life (and heart) upside down. I am also intrigued by most of the characters, especially Lucien, Evie, Prudence, and Glastonbury. Would love to read all their stories!

Impossible, by Darcy Burke is simply splendid…and dare I say, IMPOSSIBLE to put down (see what I did there). I absolutely loved this book! From the opening paragraphs to the epilogue, I was in love. I usually know a few pages in whether I’m going to continue reading, and this book did not disappoint. It’s said that the beauty & beast trope is a bit played…but no, no, NO…there’s something beautiful in watching (in this case reading) about an unlikely friendship between two totally opposite people.. Max our “hero” is broken, demoralized and altogether a disagreeable fellow. Ada (the real “HERO’ine” of the story), on the other hand is a cheerful and determined chit with more than enough gumption to tackle the most impossible of tasks. Both characters are vivid and full of energy. The interaction and banter between them…lively. The steam is pretty good too which is always a plus.

Maximillian Hunt, the Viscount Warfield is hurt, and he’s known more than his fair share of pain and loss. As a result, he’s angry and lashes out at everyone. Secluded away on his debilitating estate, Max wants nothing more than to be left alone…and if death would pay him a visit, he’d be perfectly okay with that. Unfortunately, Lucien, his best friend is NOT okay with this and decides what Max needs is a little bit of intervention.

Like Max, Ada Treadway knows what it’s like to lose someone…the only difference, she’s grabbed life by the horns and is determined to live her very best life. When an assignment from her boss sends her to Max’s estate, Ada is determined to not only do her job…she’s determined to do the Impossible, help Max see that life is still worth living.

I absolutely enjoyed reading the interaction between Max and Ada. Filled with warmth and compassion, Ada was exactly what Max needed to help him deal with the issues of his past. Their story did a good job highlighting the saying that the “love of a good woman can mend the heart of a broken man”.

The Phoenix Club? More like the Matchmakers Club! This clubs matchmaking prowess would rival that of the tons top matchmakers!

In this book the club’s owner sends his very talented bookkeeper to his reclusive friends estate to help sort out his books and get his estate profitable again.

Ada Treadway brings with bookkeeping and managing skills, along with her sunny personality along as she battles Maximillian Hunt, Marquess of Warfield every step of the way to make his estate solvent.

Max is a grump and content to sit and watch his estate and his family legacy disappear. After he retuned from the war injured to find both his father and elder brother deceased, he has nothing but content for the title and estate that never should have been his.

This grumpy/ sunshine or beauty and the beast pairing worked beautifully as Ada’s cheer wears at Max and he slowly accepts the changes and improvements she initiates. But there was more than a lack of care for his estate holding back Max and Ada had her own past she was running from as well.

In the end an acceptance of the others true character creates a bond that their class differences couldn’t break. These two absolutely completed the other and I loved seeing them discover that they made the other whole!

This was another Phoenix Club matchmaking success! A delightful Beauty and the Beast retelling through and through.

Note: this is the 5th book of the series, and author Darcy Burke does a great job setting up the characters and the background to have new readers jump in at this point, making this book easily read as a standalone.

Impossible by Darcy Burke was released April 19th, 2022.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#Impossible #DarcyBurke #Netgalley #pinkcowlandreads

I enjoyed the beginning of this story where Miss Eternal Sunshine meets Mr Grumpy Hermit. Both were having to deal with tragic circumstances although the story seemed to focus more on Max’s trials and emotional growth. I would have liked more insight into Ada’s history as it seemed like she had to overcome great personal obstacles (especially for the time period) in order for her to be where she was for this story. Perhaps this was already addressed in the previous books as Impossible is book 5 in The Phoenix Club series. While the chemistry had undeniable sizzle, I felt the romance was almost trite. Given the depth of Max’s emotional repression due to his PTSD, the “love cures all” formula didn’t work for me.

Thanks to Zealous Quill Press for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 3 stars

It's been a while since I read a historical romance by Darcy Burke but I enjoyed it as I always do. Ada was a great female lead and Max was a flawed hero for such a heartbreaking reason. I enjoyed their chemistry and witty banter, and I loved being back at the Phoenix Club with Evie and Lucien with small cameos from previous couples. I didn't read the previous book in this series yet so Ada and Max were mostly new to me, but as this can definitely be read as a standalone, there was no issue. If you enjoy grumpy/sunshine romances, then you will enjoy the dynamic between Ada and Max! This also served slight Beauty and the Beast retelling vibes which I didn't expect so that was a pleasant surprise.

Ada charmed me from the very beginning. She is a literal ray of sunshine who always sees the positive in people and charms everyone with her attentiveness, kindness and wit. Although she carries the trauma of being abandoned by her family at a young age, I really admired how she refused to let any negativity into her days. Her enthusiasm and curiosity knew no bounds and it was infectious and it was exactly what Max needed in his life. Max returned from the war a completely changed man. He's surly, bitter and carries around the heavy burden of guilt from the war for very tragic reasons. It became very obvious later in the story that he suffers from PTSD, even more than it seemed initially, and it was very heartbreaking to see him go through that. He has a good heart although he has repressed his emotions for so long that it took a while to find some semblance of his former happy self and I admired his desire to do better.

Here's the thing: I liked Ada and Max together—they have great chemistry and I thought they complemented each other well. There was a gradual build-up to the change in their relationship dynamic as they go from hate to tolerance to gaining some understanding of each other's pain. Max was willful and it took Ada quite a bit of teasing and persistence (something she was great at) for him to loosen up around her but I liked their banter as they got to know each other! That said, I thought the moment their platonic admiration turned into lustful feelings and sexual attraction felt a bit too sudden. It's not insta-love but they still fall in love quickly and it felt too rushed considering they have many personal issues to deal with, which made me feel like their relationship wasn't very healthy. In particular, Max's character could have stood to be further developed as it was clear he was suffering greatly from PTSD and the fact that he was suddenly 'fine' with Ada around gave their romance a "love cures all" vibe that I didn't agree with considering how much trauma he repressed. Focusing on this development would've made this a much stronger story, one that I think both characters deserved because they were great, I liked them a lot and it was so easy to root for their HEA.

Overall, while this started off strong, the romance felt a little too half-baked for me to fully enjoy it. That's not to say that I didn't like these characters or enjoy their story because I did, and I was actually quite convinced that this was going to be a favourite in this series, so it was quite disappointing that their romance ended up being a bit unsatisfying for me. I am looking forward to the next book in the series though as we finally get McDougal's story!

Impossible
By Darcy Burke
If you enjoy a great historican romance book, this book is the one to read! The title, "Impossible" is a romance
in the 1800 years with Ada Treadway who has had a bad experience in love and tends to stay independent in
her own life. Ada is a bookeeper and her job leads her to help a man with his ledgers, Lord Warfield. Lord Warfield is an impossible man for all to deal with, he is so angry and withdrawn and Ada believes he has been
wounded inside and out from the war and by some other past experiences.in his life. Ada is determined to do some investigating among her bookkeeping job. to figure out this mysterious and impossible man. This title of the book is a great title for this Impossible romance that will keep you reading to see how it all ends!
Ada and Lord Warfield do not connect at first, mainly it's Lord Warfield that insists she is interferring with his
life and is so angry and cruel, Ada is determined to fix this handsome but disfigured man. A very well told
romance that has a lot of mysterious action and you have to keep reading to see how this Lord Warfield is changed by this happy, determined woman, Ada Treadway.
This is a great romance that has mystery involved in the plot and such a well detailed romance that will have you up late reading the book! If you enjoy a romance with a great plot I would recommend reading, Impossible. After reading this book, I will continue to read more of Darcy Burke's books for a great reading enjoyment.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

I was looking forward to this book when they brought up Ada going to help Max at the end of Indecent . He seemed such a surly nasty person when Prudence went to Max looking not for a handout but a job.

Ada really overcame her past issues and was such a ray of hope and sunshine so she really knocked into Max's world and he was not too happy about that!

There were times that I just did not see him changing or wanting anything positive in his life. There was a very gradual change and then there times that Max took a step back instead of forward!

I loved that when he was in polite society and people stared at his scars that he just sneered at them and acted like the beast he felt he was!

Great HEA and look forward to Dougal's story in the next book. I had hoped that we might see Lucien in the next book and that Evie and Lucien might end up together but it sounds like they don't have that chemistry for a relationship to develop. Just have to wait and see how that comes out.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and this is my freely given opinion.

This is the fifth book in the Phoenix Club series, by Darcy Burke, and I have to admit I was prepared to not like it as much as the others. Ada Treadway just seemed too positive, interfering, and, at the time of my personal state of mind, a bit of an annoying and interfering busybody determined to inject herself into the business of Max Hunt, the Viscount of Warfield. Likewise, he seemed a broken man, scarred inside and out from his experiences in Spain during the war, witnessing terrible brutality and suffering deep personal losses, including his family. He takes up the mantle of the title and the estate after the deaths of his father and brother, but does not want it and neglects his holdings, concerning his old friends, and leading to Lucien sending Ada to help manage his bookkeeping and do something with his estate. He was beyond rude, and seemed so embittered and broken that I was not sure I could even appreciate him as a character, but as the story unfold, so much more is learned about both Ada and Max, and I appreciated the depths of their experiences and how they molded the two people into who they were, and they are more alike than it would initially seem.

Max does not want her there and does nothing to welcome her, and everything he can to push her, and his friends away. But her persistent optimism and attempts to draw him out ends up getting him engaged and involved in his estate, and eventually back into society, and re-establishing his relationships, including forging one with his half sister, Prudence. She helps him realize that he is not as broken and dead inside as he thought he was. They are unable to deny their attraction to each other, even though Ada felt that there was no future in any relationships.

I thought they were two very beautiful characters, who seem so opposite on a facile level, but are both people who share a history of loss, of love and family, and can help each other heal. Max shows his scars on his body and his behaviour. Ada's are a lot harder to see, since she has learned to find her happiness again, and forge a future of freedom and independence for herself, but her scars are still there, deep inside. Ada's support of Max and his battle with his history and his trauma made this a beautiful book for me, even though I did not initially buy into it.

This is not my favourite of the series, but ultimately I did love the story of Max and Ada.

4 stars out of 5.

Ada Treadway has been dreading going to help Lucien's friend, Viscount Warfield put his estate in order. Max came back from the war not wanting anyone to bother him and to just let life move on its own. Ada is going to put up with that. She gets on with her work and just doesn't let him keep her from her job. Lucien sent her so Max could not fire her. They had only so much time to get the estate working again. If not for Max then for the tenants. She goes back to the Phoenix Club to work. What a surprise when Max shows up in town. Can they find that they need each other. Thank you NetGalley for a great read.

This was an excellent read, with plenty of action and plenty to get your teeth into. Strong main characters and an interesting storyline. I’d definitely recommend this book and looking forward to more from this author.

Love heals is the prevailing message of the fifth book in "The Phoenix Club" series.

Ada Treadway is a woman who cares for others and is quick to take on the responsibility of making the people around her feel comfortable and happy. Due to her own difficult experiences in the past, she approaches life choosing happiness and valuing her independence.

Max Hunt is the very opposite of Ada. Having suffered psychological and physical traumas during the war, Max is barely hanging on to life. When Ada's persistent and cheerful ways push Max slowly towards wanting to beginning to live again, he is both irritated and charmed.

The message that love heals all and we can move on and be happy did not sit well with me. It made me feel that the relationship was not equally reciprocal. Max loved Ada, but what ultimately drove him to marry her was not wanting to live in the darkness that Ada so readily kept at bay. The lack of reciprocity also shows in that Ada deserves a partner that she can lean on, yet Max does not have much room for supporting Ada. All of the energy is put into Max because he does require help, but the relationship arc never quite balanced out Ada's need to have someone listen to her and support her without judgement.

I found both of these characters to be interesting and I was rooting for their happily ever after, yet, I am not sure that the journey was successful. I believe that there needed to be a more individual and collective growth of the main characters, but Burke was at the point in which the story needed to be wrapped up and concluded.

Rating this book was difficult because I liked the story, the characters are interesting, and I am enjoying the series; but, I am not convinced that the romantic/relationship journey took all the turns it needed to take to be more successful.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book thanks to Zealous Quill Press via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

It was much, much, much better than I was expecting.

Ada is a bookkeeper at Phoenix Club in London. She was send to very grumpy and angry viscount to help him with his estate. Of course the help is not welcomed and here is where all the best starts.

Apparently it is a retelling of "Beauty and the Beast". If not, it fits anyway! And to top it off, it is very good retelling. I love retellings. I have read so many of them that after few pages I can determine if it is something what I have already read but under different title or if it will bring something fresh. The best retelling is whan you don't know that you are reading one, and "Impossible" is a perfect example of that - (at this point I truly hope it is a retelling, otherwise I am making a fool out of myself).

It was in a way a light and emotional journey through pain. Both character experienced horrible thing in the past and what I really liked about this story is that you are the one who controls your emotions, and you are the one who chooses how to feel. You decide! It's not easy but who said that it will ever be. I do appreciate the little message which I took out of this book!

Grab the book and don't even think twice :)

While not my favorite Phoenix Club installment so far, I still absolutely loved Impossible and already have the next on my wishlist (finally more Dougal!!!).
I fell for poor Max instantly in spite of the little we had seen of him previously (if you've read the other books in the series, that is). I have a thing for moody soldiers, after all. It's very much a slow burn romance which I appreciate to no end given the tragedies both Max and Ada were dealing with overcoming. Ada's persistent perkiness ... and not nearly enough Evie and Lucien ... is probably the only reason I would knock this down to 4 stars.
Well, 4.5 ....
which will probably be upped to 4.75 after a re-read ....
so I might as well just give it 5 from the get-go.


Full teaserish ramble to be posted 29 April 2022 at http://wellreadpiratequeen.blogspot.com/2022/04/impossible-darcy-burke.html

This year I seem to be discovering amazing historical romance authors. I will be adding Darcy to my list of authors for sure. I will be looking out for the next one in this series which releases in July.

I loved Ada's optimism and her backstory - she was a very multi-faceted person. she had a hard go of it and she was happy and grateful for it all meanwhile Max has chosen to do the opposite in a time of hardship

Ada is determined to help Max recover from his situation. They grow feeling for each other and I appreciated the uncomplicated way they came together.

The sex scene was unapologetic and spicy and I was here for it. I love a historical romance where they don't shy away from these scenes and making the spicy.
I will be reading the backlog and looking forward to more

Beauty

Another novel by Darcy Burke I couldn't put down. In it's pages we get a round about retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and it's lovely. Ada has faced a life of challenges. She has been allowed to take control of her fate with the assistance of Lucian and Eva, in the Phoenix Club. There she has found a home, she certainly wasn't looking for romance. After coming back from the war and finding himself suddenly elevated, Max wants nothing to do with society or even life. Then this spitfire comes into it against his will. But fate has a way of making things happen. Watch out for the explosiveness between these two!

Is it no surprise that I wanted to read this book since I’ve read the blurb and it hinted at Beauty and the Beast trope?

Ada comes to work at Max’s house after she was sent here by her employer – Max’s friend. She didn’t know what she was getting into.

Max is a recluse in every form. He was a second son and therefore never to be expected to inherit. But he did and he didn’t want to take responsibilities. He was hurt deeply not only by the loss of his brother and father but also by war. Having Ada in his house was refreshing but also grated on his nerves.

He was a huge ass when they first met but gradually they both open to each other and start falling in love. Together they both heal. But Ada has secrets too…

A compelling story. Max was definitely the most grouchy Beast I’ve ever read about.

4.5 stars.

Loved it. There is something about an eternally positive and optimistic person that you know would bug you but it so so works in this book. You love Ada, with her helpfulness, her cheerfulness and her gentle jokes that get through to Max and crack away at the hard hard shell. The romance goes slowly but there is plenty of time for Ada to sort out Max’s accounts and property whilst they work out who they are.

Impossible by Darcy Burke

Ada is sent to viscount Warfield by her boss Lord Lucien Westbrook to help his friend get his estate in order after his return from war. Scarred and traumatised to take over his family estate that should never have been his responsibility. Ada is an exceptional optimist having had a traumatic past and returned from the darkest of places. She helps Max to find the light whilst travelling from his darkest place of despair when no one else can. A beauty and the beast tale which deals with Max’s mental health issues caused by the war well as Ada tries to make him see that he must heal inside as well as out one step at a time.

A very enjoyable tale following their journey and the characters along way.

A good balanced read 4.5/5

A sexy and fun historical fiction. Darcy Burke writes so well you connect with all the characters while you enjoy a heart-squeezing story about an emotionally damaged war hero and a headstrong independent bookkeeper.