Darcy Burke: Never Have I Ever With a Duke

Meet the smart, independent women who’ve decided they don’t need Society’s rules, their families’ expectations, or, most importantly, a husband. But just because they don’t need a man doesn’t mean they might not want one…

Graham Kinsley is shocked when he inherits a debt-ridden dukedom, and now he has just one month to repay a loan. He needs an heiress—or find a way to recoup the former duke’s losses. When he meets the alluring Arabella, he’s entranced. Unfortunately, she’s as bankrupt as he is, but if they work together they may be able to recover their fortunes. Though if they keep stealing kisses, they may lose their hearts instead.

Arabella Stoke can’t afford an attraction to the penniless duke who has vowed to help rescue her family from financial devastation. She needs to find a wealthy husband before her father succumbs to the stress of losing everything. However, as Graham brings them closer to finding the swindler who stole their money, the war between what they want and what they need may ruin them both.

Two broke MCs find themselves drawn to each other, despite desperate situations in this recently released first in new series book by Darcy Burke.

Graham, a former secretary to an Earl, and a sensible and dashing man, has inherited a dukedom. Unfortunately it comes with rather dire debt. A lot of D (well, a couple of scenes).

He has a meet cute with Arabella, who is trying to help her family’s fortunes return by marrying a rich peer. Both are immediately attracted to each other, but must fight against it to try and save themselves from ruin. They also team up to try and fight the mysterious blackguard that swindled their family members.

The plot is not much more than that, but I thought it worked. Arabella isn’t exactly a “Spitfire” like her friends who have formed a spinster society, but she is a woman who goes after what she wants. And she wants herself some Graham. So this is a very sex positive book that features a non-virginal heroine who is okay with an affair de coeur. That aspect I found refreshing, because it gets a little tiring reading virginal tale after virginal tale. And this isn’t a second chance, either.

As they investigate to uncover the villain, they also spend some time getting to know each other…and finding each other irresistible. Those scenes where they come together really are the best part of this book and strongly bring in to focus the romance, which makes the HEA pay off rewarding.

I am not sure I completely connected with either character in a deep and lasting way, but I nonetheless found this an entertaining and fast read that I didn’t want to put down once I got into it. That, coupled with the recently reviewed Erica Ridley novella gives me hope my reading slump is broken.

The Regency is more than a backdrop but not super pivotal to the plot. This is more of a drawing room type of novel than a glittering parties and London showcase, but Burke uses the settings to good advantage…especially to give these two MCs some alone time.

The supporting characters are intriguing, and no doubt a part of future books in the series which I think promise to be even more captivating than Never Have I Ever With a Duke.

I recommend readers who don’t mind a little on page sex and are comfortable with mild adult subject matter to give this one a go.

5 Stars 4.5 out of 6 Two MCs who need to marry instead find love more valuable