The Maiden's Court: Darcy Burke

Showing posts with label Darcy Burke. Show all posts

Monday, April 30, 2018

Book Review: Lord of Fortune by Darcy Burke

Lord of Fortune by Darcy Burke
Book 3 in the Legendary Rogues series
e-Book & Paperback; 366 pages
Intrepid Reads
April 24, 2018

Genre: Historical Romance

Source: Received from publicist for review tour

Dashing adventurer Penn Bowen is dedicated to preserving Britain’s history and his carefree, bachelor lifestyle. He’s happiest when he’s in pursuit of knowledge and the occasional liaison with the right woman. So he’s more than a little perturbed when the wrong woman inserts herself into his latest quest—proving that a valuable artifact in Oxford’s museum is a fake. Amelia Gardiner is smart and capable...and determined to prove that Penn is wrong about the treasure her grandfather found.
Amelia won’t allow Penn to denigrate her family’s legacy, and she certainly won’t join the ranks of women who throw themselves at his feet. As secretive and dangerous factions infiltrate their hunt, Amelia and Penn must work together to stay one step ahead. But passion ignites between them and suddenly their alliance is more than a simple convenience. When peril strikes too close, they’ll risk everything they hold dear: family, honor, and a chance for the greatest treasure of all—love.

Lord of Fortune is the first book by Darcy Burke that I have read outside of her Untouchables series. I was very interested to see how this series would be different from the other and was also concerned about diving into a new series at book 3. I am happy to say that I enjoyed this book and it was definitely very different from the books I have read from the Untouchables series.

With the Untouchables, I began that series at book 3, so some things come full circle it would seem! In that other series it felt like Burke regurgitated the stories from the first two books in too much depth, which resulted in my limited interest in reading those books because I feel like I know too much about them. I did not find that at all the case in Lord of Fortune. There were just enough references for me to determine who I thought were the hero/heroine of the first two books and just a tiny bit of detail about the vague storyline, but this resulted in me actually WANTING to read the first two books, which should always be the end goal for an author.

There is quite a bit of adventure in this novel, with the romance tied nicely into it, but the adventure is the primary focus for much of it. I liked seeing our hero and heroine enmeshed in something with more than the drama of the ton and they were out there searching for adventure like an Indiana Jones! Climbing through caves, gunshots, bad guys stealing artifacts, and more are all part of the mix. The romance is sizzling too! This felt very much like the Adventurer’s Quartet from Stephanie Laurens. I loved Penn and Amelia and all their subordinate characters. They are at times mysterious and others straight-forward and complex. I loved being able to unwrap them and discover the deeper layers of who they are.

I am glad that I took a jump into this series and look forward to being able to pick up the prior books in this novel and the book that is certainly coming next!

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Also by Darcy Burke:

Lady of Desire (Legendary Rogues Book 1)

Romancing the Earl (Legendary Rogues Book 2)

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

New Book Alert: The Lord of Fortune by Darcy Burke

Lord of Fortune by Darcy Burke
Book 3 in the Legendary Rogues series
e-Book & Paperback; 366 pages
Intrepid Reads
April 24, 2018
Genre: Historical Romance

Book Blurb:

Dashing adventurer Penn Bowen is dedicated to preserving Britain’s history and his carefree, bachelor lifestyle. He’s happiest when he’s in pursuit of knowledge and the occasional liaison with the right woman. So he’s more than a little perturbed when the wrong woman inserts herself into his latest quest—proving that a valuable artifact in Oxford’s museum is a fake. Amelia Gardiner is smart and capable...and determined to prove that Penn is wrong about the treasure her grandfather found.
Amelia won’t allow Penn to denigrate her family’s legacy, and she certainly won’t join the ranks of women who throw themselves at his feet. As secretive and dangerous factions infiltrate their hunt, Amelia and Penn must work together to stay one step ahead. But passion ignites between them and suddenly their alliance is more than a simple convenience. When peril strikes too close, they’ll risk everything they hold dear: family, honor, and a chance for the greatest treasure of all—love.

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

About the Author: Darcy Burke is the USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, emotional historical and contemporary romance. 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. Join her reader club at http://www.darcyburke.com/readerclub. A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming husband, their two hilarious kids who seem to have inherited the writing gene, two Bengal cats and a third cat named after a fruit.

Monday, April 9, 2018

Book Review: The Duke of Ruin by Darcy Burke

The Duke of Ruin by Darcy Burke
Book 8 in The Untouchables series
ARC, e-Book; 304 pages
Darcy Burke Publishing
March 27th, 2018
★★★★ ½☆

Genre: Historical Romance

Source: Received from publicist for review

With her betrothal to a duke in tatters and scandal imminent, Diana Kingman has two choices: live in certain ignominy or flee into obscurity. Diana wants solitude. She never wished to wed in the first place. However, her father will stop at nothing to betroth her to one of the finest titles in the realm...no matter how loathsome the bearer. Escape is Diana’s only option, and she’ll pay any price to achieve freedom.
Universally blamed for the death of his wife and unborn child, Simon Hastings doesn’t dispute his guilt over an accident he cannot even remember. He hasn’t had a drink since, nor a moment’s peace. Determined to be a better man, Simon rescues a young woman in need—only to be accused of kidnapping. They must marry to save him from prison. But how can a man haunted by the love he lost and a woman afraid to get too close find happiness together?

I have now read 5 of the 8 books in this series and I can comfortably say that this is among the strongest in the bunch. In a series of this length (with more on the horizon) it can be easy to fall into the belief that all of the books need to fit nicely together in some ways, and I felt like some of the earlier books in the series relied on this convention FAR too heavy handedly. ALL the ladies from prior books popped in and out and we had a conversational recap of pretty much everything that came before, which I felt entirely unnecessary. Now, don’t get me wrong, I think that The Duke of Ruin absolutely should be read after The Duke of Ice as it essentially picks up there the predecessor left off, but these two books are connected to the series MUCH more loosely and without all the added baggage of the prior novels. There is a sense of freedom when reading this book, especially if you have read others in the series. I didn’t sense like I knew what was going to happen at any given time. The majority of the characters are fresh and new and I was happy to continue turning the pages on this one.

As I stated, while this is technically a standalone novel within the series, I highly recommend reading The Duke of Ice first. While you are given the necessary details to start of this book and set the scene, that would be the one part of the book that I would describe as slightly clumsy. I have often struggled with how the books in the series interconnect or how much is told to the reader, and while it was still not quite on the mark here, it was must more successfully executed than in earlier novels. Simon and Diana were secondary characters if The Duke of Ice, however with significant roles, and I was happy to see them back in this novel as I enjoyed them both immensely in the prior book, even in their separate spheres. The characters motives will make much more sense to you if you read these books in order as you will have a complete sense of what led them to the point they are at upon the opening of the book.

In a sense I feel like this book is almost like a “bottle episode” of a sitcom – where the majority of it takes place between very few characters (Simon and Diana in this case) and within tight settings (mostly in a coach or at coaching inns). This setup, much like its television counterpart, really sets you up for a character driven narrative that can just build and build. Simon and Diana do not know much about each other as the novel opens, but that changes as their journey both literally and figuratively progresses.

One interesting aspect of the romance factor here was the “lesson” style, at least in the first instance, but it was one that I felt was done right. As with many historical romances, it is usually the first time for the heroine, but the hero has been well experienced in his past; that is no different here. When was most successful here is the authors use of “show vs. tell”, both for the reader as well as the characters. Nothing has been more awkward than to read a first encounter scene where it reads like a textbook and you walk away feeling grossly voyeuristic. That was NOT the case here and while it was a little surprising how it arose between the two characters, it was well handled in my opinion.

I look forward to reading more in this series and hope that they continue to follow in the style of The Duke of Ruin.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

Buy the Book: Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Also by Darcy Burke:

The Forbidden Duke (Book 1)

The Duke of Daring (Book 2)

The Duke of Deception (Book 3)
[My Review]

The Duke of Desire (Book 4)
[My Review]

The Duke of Defiance (Book 5)
[My Review]

The Duke of Danger (Book 6)

The Duke of Ice (Book 7)
[My Review]

Find Darcy Burke: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

New Book Alert: The Duke of Ruin by Darcy Burke

The Duke of Ruin by Darcy Burke
Book 8 in The Untouchables series (stand alone)
Publishing Date: March 27th, 2018
Genre: Historical Romance

Book Blurb:

With her betrothal to a duke in tatters and scandal imminent, Diana Kingman has two choices: live in certain ignominy or flee into obscurity. Diana wants solitude. She never wished to wed in the first place. However, her father will stop at nothing to betroth her to one of the finest titles in the realm...no matter how loathsome the bearer. Escape is Diana’s only option, and she’ll pay any price to achieve freedom.
Universally blamed for the death of his wife and unborn child, Simon Hastings doesn’t dispute his guilt over an accident he cannot even remember. He hasn’t had a drink since, nor a moment’s peace. Determined to be a better man, Simon rescues a young woman in need—only to be accused of kidnapping. They must marry to save him from prison. But how can a man haunted by the love he lost and a woman afraid to get too close find happiness together?

Buy the Book: Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Cover Crush: The Duke of Lies by Darcy Burke–Cover Reveal

We can all say that you should never judge a book by its cover, but I guarantee that we all have done so at least once! Cover Crush is designed to feature some of those covers that have caught the eye as a standout on the bookshelf.

This week, not only am I featuring a cover that I find beautiful, but I’m participating in a cover reveal for this title as well! I present to you – The Duke of Lies by Darcy Burke!

The gorgeous yellow color of her dress calls out to me and I actually like how the title is in a similar hue – it doesn’t get lost in the dress but actually stands out against it in a subtle way. And who can ignore the man’s chiseled backside! Gorgeous cover as always for an upcoming Darcy Burke novel!

What are your thoughts on this cover?

The Duke of Lies by Darcy Burke
Book 9 in The Untouchables series
Release Date: May 22, 2018

Verity Beaumont has suffered domineering men most of her life, first with her father and then with her husband. Free from both men, she has finally found peace. Even meeting a kind and hard-working gentleman who just might be the perfect father her young son so desperately needs. But as she dares look to the future, her carefully ordered world is shattered when her dead husband returns.
Imprisoned in America during the war, Rufus Beaumont, Duke of Blackburn, wants nothing more than to return to his native England. He longs for comfort and safety away from the horrors of battle, only the life he returns to is not the life he left. He must convince his wife that their marriage is worth fighting for, that he’s not the man he was. But when the truth about what happened to him leaks out, he must prove that not everything about him, especially his love for her, is a lie.

iBooks | Barnes & Noble

I wonder what my friends are crushing on this week? Let’s check it out: A Literary Vacation; A Bookaholic Swede; Flashlight Commentary; Layered Pages; 2 Kids and Tired Books.

Monday, January 8, 2018

Book Review: The Duke of Ice by Darcy Burke

The Duke of Ice by Darcy Burke
Book 7 of The Untouchables series
ARC, e-Book, 262 pages
Darcy Burke Publishing
December 26, 2017
★★★★☆

Heat Rating:

Genre: Historical Romance

Source: Received from Publicist for Review

Everyone Nicholas Bateman ever loved has died. Except Violet Caulfield, which must mean he never loved her. Nine years after she threw him over to marry a viscount, Nick is a widowed duke who prefers isolation. When a friend convinces him to leave his lair of self-imposed solitude, he considers taking another wife, provided she agrees to his terms: no emotional attachment of any kind.
Now widowed, Lady Violet Pendleton hopes for a second chance with the man she’s always loved. But she isn’t prepared for the desolation in his soul or the animosity he still bears toward her. Despite those obstacles, it’s clear their passion hasn’t dimmed. However, the heat between them isn’t enough to melt the Duke of Ice, and this time Violet may find herself the jilted party. Can love, once so tragically lost, finally be found?

You certainly can see why Nick is nicknamed the Duke of Ice in this book! All of the male characters in the Untouchables series have had the qualities of their names, but Nick certainly fully inhabited his! Due to this in part, I found it a lot harder to get into this relationship than I have in other Untouchables books. I really didn’t like him that much throughout much of the book, and even later on, I liked him, but didn’t love him. While that might normally be something that would bring down my enjoyment of a romance novel, in this case it felt right specifically because he is supposed to be stand-offish. Violet on the other had I did like. Both of them suffered bad things in their past, but she chooses to move beyond that and be happy, which is my personal perspective on life. This is a story of second chances, resolving misunderstandings, and moving beyond what you think fate has dealt you. In some ways, it’s even about third or fourth chances. Can they change enough to be able to be together? Are these stumbling blocks too big to overcome?

I enjoyed reading about the house party that is held throughout the first half of the novel. I don’t think that I have read many books that have a large group of people staying for multiple weeks at a country estate, so it was fun to see the types of things that they would have done to occupy themselves.

This book also heavily introduced the two main love interests that will be in the next book in this series, The Duke of Ruin. Typically they are just passing characters, but events in this novel will have a significant impact in the next book based on the book description. I really enjoyed these characters (possibly more than Nick and Violet) and look forward to meeting them again and seeing where life takes them.

The romance factor here was hot enough. As this is a story of second chances, we are treated to romance flashbacks as well as on the current timeline. It was interesting to see how they have changed based on life’s circumstances, but are still the same in many of the ways that matter.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia |

Also by Darcy Burke:

Other titles in this series include:

The Forbidden Duke (Book 1)

The Duke of Daring (Book 2)

The Duke of Deception (Book 3)
[My Review]

The Duke of Desire (Book 4)
[My Review]

The Duke of Defiance (Book 5)
[My Review]

The Duke of Danger (Book 6)

The Duke of Ruin (Book 8)
Coming Soon

Find Darcy Burke: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Thursday, January 4, 2018

Cover Reveal: The Duke of Ruin by Darcy Burke

The Duke of Ruin, an all-new historical standalone from USA Today bestselling author Darcy Burke, is coming March 27th! I have always loved the covers in this series so I had to be part of the reveal!

The Duke of Ruin by Darcy Burke
Book 8 in The Untouchables series
Publishing Date: March 27th, 2018
Genre: Historical Romance

Cover Designer: Seductive Design
Photographer: Carrie Divine

Book Blurb:

With her betrothal to a duke in tatters and scandal imminent, Diana Kingman has two choices: live in certain ignominy or flee into obscurity. Diana wants solitude. She never wished to wed in the first place. However, her father will stop at nothing to betroth her to one of the finest titles in the realm...no matter how loathsome the bearer. Escape is Diana’s only option, and she’ll pay any price to achieve freedom.
Universally blamed for the death of his wife and unborn child, Simon Hastings doesn’t dispute his guilt over an accident he cannot even remember. He hasn’t had a drink since, nor a moment’s peace. Determined to be a better man, Simon rescues a young woman in need—only to be accused of kidnapping. They must marry to save him from prison. But how can a man haunted by the love he lost and a woman afraid to get too close find happiness together?

Preorder Today: Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About Me

Heather, 30, USA. Hi everyone! I started my blog, The Maiden's Court, in May 2009 as a creative outlet for my reading and it has completely taken me to new places. I love sharing my reading and the things that I learn.

On my blog you will find my honest reviews of historical fiction books, historical movie reviews, and interesting historical content among other things. If you would like to know more about me, check out the About Me. Feel free to contact me at any time - best way is to use the contact form at the bottom of the Review Policy page or email me at dolleygurl[at]hotmail[dot]com.

Attention Authors, Publishers, Blog Tour Organizers! I would love to hear from you if you have a book that you would like for me to consider for review. Check out my review policy and then contact me with the pitch.