ARC Review: The Duke of Defiance by Darcy Burke
Release Date: June 27, 2017
Difficult and defiant as a child, Bran Crowther, Earl of Knighton left England as a young man to pursue independence and adventure. He never expected to inherit the title and when duty calls him home, he still finds Society’s codes constricting and others’ expectations oppressive. Nevertheless, he needs a wife to be a mother to his young daughter, preferably a woman of intelligence and warmth who is, above all, immune to his idiosyncrasies—and to falling in love.
Widow Joanna Shaw isn’t interested in a second marriage, not after the loveless, passionless union she endured. She’d much rather dote on her young niece and nephew since they will likely be the only children in her life...until she meets a precocious girl, in desperate need of a mother. But her father, the so-called Duke of Defiance, is as peculiar as he is handsome, and Jo won’t take another risk with her heart. Their rules, however, are made to be broken, even when the consequences could destroy them both.
Widow Joanna Shaw isn’t interested in a second marriage, not after the loveless, passionless union she endured. She’d much rather dote on her young niece and nephew since they will likely be the only children in her life...until she meets a precocious girl, in desperate need of a mother. But her father, the so-called Duke of Defiance, is as peculiar as he is handsome, and Jo won’t take another risk with her heart. Their rules, however, are made to be broken, even when the consequences could destroy them both.
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**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
The Duke of Defiance is the first book I read by Darcy Burke, but I have a feeling that it won't be my last. I liked it from start 'till finish, and the author did a great job in keeping me interested. I usually either love or DNF a historical romance taking place in England, because I get bored with unnecessary information that in my opinion don't add any value to the story. Development and the interaction between characters are what I find very important, and both Jo and Bran were a great match. There was no crazy drama thrown into the story just for the sake of it. The characters were honest and had a great open communication between them, which I really loved. I also adored Bran's daughter Evie, and I immensely enjoyed reading about her friendship with Jo's niece Becky. These two little girls were the best and so cute.
Both Bran and Jo feel the attraction between them, and it doesn't take long for them to act upon it. The love making between these two was hot and I really enjoyed them. There was no long drawn out hard to get going on, these two characters were adults and acted like one. It was very refreshing and that is why I enjoyed this book so much. The writing was great and the story had a great flow, and I am now intrigued to read the previous books in The Untouchables series. I had the pleasure of meeting some of them in this book and I am intrigued to read about them. The Duke of Defiance is a great historical romance, with an awesome set of characters that really kept me engaged throughout the book.
Darcy Burke is the USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, emotional historical and contemporary romance. Join Darcy's Reader Club for free books and other exclusives at http://darcyburke.com/readerclub. Darcy wrote her first book at age 11, a happily ever after about a swan addicted to magic and the female swan who loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations.
A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her devoted husband, their two great kids, and two Bengal cats. In her “spare” time Darcy is a serial volunteer enrolled in a 12-step program where one learns to say “no,” but she keeps having to start over. She’s also a fair-weather runner, and her happy places are Disneyland and Labor Day weekend at the Gorge.
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