{Delicious Historical Review} The Duke of Deception by @DarcyBurke

The Duke of Deception by Darcy Burke
Series: The Untouchables #3
Published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform on November 8th 2016
Pages: 222
Buy on Amazon, Amazon Australia, Available with KU Subscription
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After five years on the Marriage Mart, Miss Aquilla Knox is ready for spinsterhood until a benefactress steps in to help her secure a husband. Only Aquilla doesn't actually want to marry-her failure is entirely on purpose. When the earl she's nicknamed the Duke of Deception sets his sights on her, she refuses to be drawn in by her attraction to him. If there's one thing she knows it's that a gentleman is never what he seems.

Edward Bishop, Earl of Sutton, has a reputation for courting young misses and dropping them without a second thought. This has earned him a reputation for deceit, a description he can't refute because he does in fact, harbor secrets and will do anything-deceive anyone-to ensure they don't come to light. As he comes to know the charming Miss Knox, his resolve is tested. However, trust comes at a price and Ned won't pay with his heart.

I received The Duke of Deception for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Also in this series: The Forbidden Duke

Darcy Burke is back with another saucy tale to delight our voracious reader palates. In the third Untouchables novel, she gives us a story no one saw coming.

Edward “Ned” Bishop, Earl of Sutton, needs a wife he can completely trust with his deepest, darkest secret. After several years of searching, only one had made it to the final test. He has high hopes for one young miss until a rain soaked Aquilla Knox enters his life.

After four years, Aquilla has successfully dodged one suitor after another. Her reasons for not marrying are some that most women of that time didn’t think about, but I’m certain experienced. Her father and older brother were both brutes to their wives and Aquilla wasn’t about to let a man beat her into submission. When she meets Ned, she lets her guard down given his reputation for deceiving women into thinking a proposal was imminent, then dropping them with no reason.

Usually I find myself on one side or the other in the beginning of a couple’s journey. Burke did something a bit different for me this time as I was united in love with both characters from the onset. Their reasons for avoiding marriage were reasonable, but ended up being the reason they were absolutely perfect for each other. They were both passionate, caring, yet careful characters.

One subject I haven’t seen explored much in regency romance is true mental illness. Burke deals with the subject in this novel with a secondary character and I was awestruck by her class and expertise while writing for this character.

This series has me entranced. Three novels in and I’m already hungry for more. There was mention of several other possible Untouchables, so I have high hopes for more tasty tales to come. The Duke of Desire makes his entrance April 2017!