What I did love about this book was Ada, who is full of optimism and nothing seems to get her down - she is an absolute ray of sunshine. Apart from enjoying Ada's positive outlook, in all honesty, I wasn't really feeling this book - I requested it because I love a bit of banter, but unfortunately Max was just a miserable sod and I'm not sure he was worth the effort - and it really was miserable grouching, rather than snappy banter.

For those who have not read the previous books, I would say that this story can be read as a standalone - I have not read the previous 4 books and I'm pretty sure my reading experience is not lacking because of this.

Thanks to NetGallery for allowing me to get a copy of this book.

I am a big fan of the Grumpy sunshine trope and in regency it is so excellent, this book is so deliciously written and the chemistry is increasing little by little along with the dialogues
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The dialogues are so rich, I think I underlined a large part of the book and some phrases and moments will stay with me a little longer
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Ada is the bookkeeper of the Phoenix Club and was tasked with helping the club owner's best friend go through his books and put them in order. Willing to do her best to help Lord Warfield against his will and bring some joy to her life after living in the darkest memories from war
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Max Warfield has more wounds than the scars on his body let on and would prefer to remain in the dark of his office, but Ada's persistence and kindness are hard to resist until they both realize they have much more in common than they thought.
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I loved the story even though I started to enjoy it right in the middle when I could see more about the characters and understand the common point. Then it was just a one way road in which I was getting deeper and deeper. It's the power in the words of Darcy Burke
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Slow burn and heart wreaching but beautiful like every story of the Phoenix club I want to continue reading more about the path of each character of the Club
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Thanks to Darcy Burke and Zealous Quill Press for give me this beautiful book in exchange for my honest opinion I really enjoyed reading it

I am such a fan of Darcy Burke and have loved this series. Ada and Max did not disappoint in this story. Max is a beautiful, broken hero and Ada is perfect for his love. Wonderful book and lives up to the rest in the series. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy!

****1/2- Ada Treadway is the bookkeeper for the Phoenix Club which is owned by Lord Lucien Westbrook. She is sent by Lucien to one of his closest friend’s home, to organize his ledgers and to see how he can make improvements. Maximillian Hunting , Viscount Warfield, has not been the same since returning from the war. He has neglected everything that has to do with running his estate at Stonehill.

Max returned from the war with injuries. He has outer wounds that have healed and left him with scars. It is his internal wounds that have not healed. Max has a very nasty temperament. He is always angry and rejects any kind of help. He has no desire to improve his attitude. He even turned away his half sister Prudence St. James when she came for help. He also refused to give her a dowry when she married Bennet St. James, Viscount Glastonbury.

Ada arrives at Stonehill knowing this will be a challenging task. Ada is an unwelcome guest. Max hopes she will leave right away. Max wants to be left alone. Ada let’s him know he is stuck with her for the next two weeks because she intends to finish her job. Once Ada meets Max she finds him cranky and grumpy but also alluring. Ada is drawn to Max. She decides she wants to make him better. She wants to mend him and hopes she can bring out the man he used to be. Max is annoyed with Ada. She is too pleasant and wants to cheer him up. He does not understand how someone can be happy all the time. She is too curious and meddlesome. Max does not want to stop being bitter and the nasty beast that keeps everyone away from him. Unfortunately he cannot stop thinking about Ada. I loved Ada’s persistence and how she got under Max’s skin. Ada is the perfect woman for Max. It was fun to watch Max smile and laugh when he did not want to. He tried so hard not to allow Ada’s cheerfulness to invade him. Ada is able to bring out the good in Max. You cannot help but fall for Max.

This was an enjoyable book. This is book five in the Phoenix Club series. The series just gets better and better. The whole series has been wonderful. You can definitely read this book without reading the previous books. I love series that you get to see previous characters from earlier books again. I love Lucien and cannot wait for his story. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

This book was read thanks to NetGalley

I AM SUCKER FOR GRUMPY X SUNSHINE TROPE, PLUS THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A RETELLING OF BEAUTY AND THE BEAST AND I LOVED IT.

Love has burn her, but she still is so full of optimism, she is a bookkeeper and her boss sends her to help his friend's estate ledgers, so she is eager to prove her expertise,
He doesn't care about what happens tomorrow, seeing Ada and how positive she is, makes nothing but pissed him, so the more time they expend together, he realizes that he is not dead inside as he thought he was.


I love the story, I love the characters, and i love their love story, definitely I recommend this book.

This is a classic sunshine-meets-grump with an added dash of Beauty and the Beast, and it works extremely well. Ada is sent by her boss to help his friend Max with his estate books, something which Max doesn’t want at all, but all his attempts to send her away are met with cheerful refusal. Both Ada and Max have suffered pain and loss in their lives but have chosen to deal with it in contrasting ways: one going for determined optimism, the other for sullen withdrawal. Neither, however, wishes to fall in love and it’s entertaining to watch them doing so. The interplay between the two of them - both strong characters - is excellent, and their traumatic back stories are revealed gradually and sensitively. Enjoyable read, and I now plan to search out the rest of the Phoenix Club series.

Ada Treadway, the bookkeeper at the Pheonix Club, is sent to Lucien's best friend's estate to help organize his affairs. Max, Viscount of Warfield, is damaged from his time in the war and uses his rough exterior to push people away. Ada, a trauma survivor as well, finds herself drawn to Max's darkness and helps lead him into the light.

This was such a great pairing and so realistic. I felt like Ada was also less about fixing Max and more about normalizing his experiences which I loved. This series started out with the Pheonix Club being a focal point, but I love how it's evolved into more about the connections that bring people together.

The reader also gets more glimpses into Pheonix Club founder Lucien and his history. Lucien continues to be the glue that brings people together.

“Impossible” offers a thoroughly enjoyable steamy Regency romance. With two flawed main characters battling their demons, redemption and acceptance follows in a memorable “happily ever after.”

I love the Phoenix Club series. Each book can be read as a stand-alone but it’s nice to see the interaction with other members. This book is a wonderful journey for Ada and Max, a tale of healing and love both for each other and themselves, very well written.

Absolutely love this book! It was so refreshing to read a historical romance in which the characters were not solely focused on their reputations and had actual problems to overcome. This beauty and the beast-esque story was definitely a highlight of my week! Amazing mental health representation as well.

Run, don't walk, to get this book! Oh, how I loved watching Ada and Max forgive themselves and fall in love. Ada is a sunshiney, look on the bright side, I will move on from my past woman. Max is a grumpy, sad, lonely, scarred (and scared) war hero. Ada comes in to Max's life and turns it upside down. He can't help but start to smile and then laugh when she is around. Max shows Ada that you can have a real love with the right person.

This book has all the feels and it was so special and wonderful.

Just like with Max, Ada won me over too with her sunny disposition and never-give-up attitude.

Maximillian Hunt, the Marquess of Warfield, is barely surviving through each day. The war has severely traumatized him, and what is left is a bad-tempered, unlikeable shell of his former self. His friend and fellow soldier, Lucien, sends his trusty accountant, Ada Treadway, to put Max’s estate to rights.

Ada is no stranger to tragedy herself, but she has decided to embrace each day with positivity and optimism. Max did his best to drive her away initially, but Ada wormed her way under his skin and into his heart. It was no magical transformation for Max and he still has a long road ahead of him, but Ada’s love had definitely put him on the right path. And Max had helped Ada to put her own past mistakes into the right perspective so that she can heal and move on.

Max and Ada are both complex characters, who both suffered trauma, but has dealt with it very differently. Their journey together happens at a believable pace, with ups and downs that feels very realistic.

My favorite quote from the book is:
Lucien’s dark brows pitched into a V. “Dammit, don’t make me meddle.” He exhaled. “You’re going to make me meddle.”

I can recommend this book and the entire Phoenix Club series if you like historical romance with strong characters and second chances.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ada Treadway, the book keeper for the Phoenix club, is sent to look over the Marquess of Warfields ledgers. Her unerring optimism and positivity is in contrast to his curmudgeonly character. A practical recluse, scarred physically and mentally, until her annoying presence leads to a change.

This is a beauty and the beast type novel, with love heals thrown in. It was an enjoyable bit of escapism with a sparring pair of protagonists. There were a few typos in the copy I read (referring to Ada as Prudence being a big one) and I’ve no idea what a stoop is (always Americanisms in these Brit set historical). But these didn’t detract too much from the story.

On a roll with historical romances and I am loving it !!!

Miss Ada Treadway, bookkeeper of the Phoenix Club, eternal optimist, and a literal ray of positivity and cheer, is tasked with sorting out the estate ledgers for her employer's friend. The friend, Viscount Warfield aka Max, though, turns out to be a boorish recluse, bogged down by injury and loss, and hell bent on letting his estate and himself go to rot. Much as he hates the intrusion, Max's surly demeanour is no match for Ada's charm and determination. As she sets about meddling in his affairs, she slowly chips away at all his defences, revealing glimpses of the happy, witty man he used to be. When her fortnight is up and Ada has to leave, both Max and Ada realize they have come to mean so much more to each other, but they have to get past the guilt and loss of the past to be able to have a future together.

In my honest opinion, Impossible by Darcy Burke read like a revamped version of Beauty and the Beast minus the enchantments, but with wit and passion to spare. The protagonists are shown to be flawed characters who have succumbed to weaknesses in the past and make no excuses for their actions. Both Max and Ada's backstories are well-fleshed out, making their respective traumas tangible. The conversations are witty and the chemistry is incendiary.

I am not a believer in a woman 'fixing' a man, which happens to be the crux of the story, but thankfully, my romance-addled brain chose to overlook this. Seeing that this is Book 5 in the Phoenix Club series, I hope to get my hands on the previous books too.

Overall, an awesome romance. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the fifth book in the Phoenix Club series.
Ada is an interesting character in that she never thought to fall in love again.
Max doesn't care for life as he knows it.
Ada Treadway has been in love before, and it brought nothing but heartache. Still, she retains her cheerful optimism and is fiercely protective of the independence and respect she’s earned as bookkeeper of the Phoenix Club. When the owner enlists her help to organize his friend’s estate ledgers, she’s eager to prove her expertise and her worth. But his friend turns out to be a disagreeable, unpleasant beast, and Ada works to find the warm-hearted gentleman she’s sure lurks beneath.
Maximillian Hunt, Marquess of Warfield doesn’t care if he lives to see tomorrow, and he certainly doesn’t want to recall yesterday. The arrival of the meddlesome and effusively positive woman who will put his accounts in order not only reminds him of the past he’s desperate to forget, she sparks something within him he thought dead. Tempted by a future he never imagined, he must do the impossible: convince her that he’s worth risking her heart a second time.
Darcy Burke has written another very good story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Max lost much during the war and has come back bearing both physical and emotional scars only to find that he now Viscount Warfield. He has allowed himself to sink into a darkness that he can’t, or doesn’t want to, escape. Ada has suffered her own kind of tragic past and, though not visibly scarred, she has some understanding of his internal misery. She has come, at Lucien’s request, to help organize the ledgers for his estate. Ada, who simply chooses not to allow her present to suffer for her past, wants to do much more. She can’t help it. Will she be able to help Max? She only has a fortnight.

I love this story. My heart went out to Max, but, at the same time, I could not help but laugh at his attempts to grump Ada into leaving. Ada is smart and very good at bookkeeping. She is dedicated to the task she has accepted. Ada is also amazingly patient with Max, which annoys him greatly, until it doesn’t. This is a story of healing. The romance between Ada and Max is part of that healing. Even though the attraction between them sizzles, they regard each other carefully. The story is captivating - questions to answer, surprises, secrets to share, wounds to heal. To think, Max actually believed he was alone. Impossible!

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

Nothing is impossible when you mix one determined cheerful girl and one dejected scarred hero together and Darcy knows just how to bring them together!

This has been one memorable series and this newest addition is maybe the best. Okay I admit I may have said that about every single book, but what can I say? This author is a master at creating characters and situations the bring the heart alive!

She was sent to help him straighten out his books to get his newly inherited estate in order. Granted, she'd had her own struggles in the past but was going to do her best.

He knew he needed help, but she was a little too cheerful and he was having a hard time dealing with his past. But she was kind of growing on him!!

Two people who really need each other take a winding journey to love that is going to be fantastic!!

A little bit Beauty and the Beast, and all grumpy versus sunshine. Max returned from war with more wounds than can be seen with the naked eye. Ada just wants to do her job, and maybe get a little bit of payback for her friend while she’s there. Will her relentless good cheer and optimism be able to discover what’s going on at Stonehill, or will the dark cloud surrounding the Viscount Warfield be enough to dim even her bright light? I loved these two and I hated that their opinions of their own past actions so negatively colored the way they saw themselves. I felt like this story was as much about Max and Ada recognizing their self worth as it was watching them learn to trust their feelings of love. Their chemistry is immediate and powerful, but their actual romance is a slower burn; a case of lust leading to love, in many ways. I also loved that we got to see a bit more resolution to the situation of the previous book that I felt wasn’t quite finished. I enjoyed seeing Max with his now extended family. I may have only just finished reading this book, but already I’m itching to dig into the next in the series.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book through NetGalley.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. These are my opinions. Ada and Max were both two lost souls. Max was terribly scarred inside and out from the war and Ada had her share of disappointments in life. I loved the way that they slowly became to trust and care for one another. There were some interesting, unexpected twists to the story. Ms. Darcy certainly knows how to keep a reader wanting more. This is part of a series but can be read as a standalone.
I highly recommend this book. A 5- star read all the way!

Ada works as the bookkeeper for the Phoneix Club and Lucien the owner sends her to the Marquess of Warfield to help with his ledgers. Unfortunately, the Marquess is a disagreeable man who is quick to anger and he doesn't want Ada interfering in his home. After the war, the Marquess sustained some injuries and he hasn't had much interest in looking after his estate. When Ada first arrives he can't stand her positivity.

I am really enjoying this series and I really loved this one. This has Beauty and the Beast vibes which I really enjoyed. I really enjoy the grumpy/sunshine trope and I loved seeing Max slowly fall for Ada. I loved these characters and the romance between them. I would highly recommend this historical romance series, I love the characters and the writing. I have enjoyed every book in this series and I can't wait for the next one.