Never Love a Scoundrel by Darcy Burke

Lord Jason Lockwood has his life turned upside down in the past when his father favored his half brother, who was illegitimate.  After an altercation with him leaves him physically scarred, the worst gossip in town spreads vicious lies and it makes his mother seem mad and him as well.  Now shunned by society, he delights in his debauchery by throwing vice parties and seemingly fitting in in his new role in the ton.  Then he meets the lovely Lady Lydia Prewitt and just when he thinks he might be willing to change, he finds out she is the niece of said worst gossip in town.  Trying to believe that Lydia is different takes some time and with their growing love being forbidden by Lydia's aunt, it seems like a long and bumpy road to their happiness especially as Jason is trying to mend fences with his half brother who has a very rocky past.

The latest addition to Darcy Burke's Secrets & Scandals series is another winner for me.  Full of the healing power of love, a forbidden love and overcoming the past to grasp the future.  This story fits very true with the present day and how gossip can really upset a person's life.  I thought the whole subject was handled very well and I also liked that Jason did not immediately fall for Lydia after he found out about her gossiping aunt.  Lydia proves her loyalty to Jason and she has her own problems to overcome with her bitter aunt and her need for friends, a home, a family.  She is aware of her presence as an air-headed gossip but Jason learns the truth about her and in return, she helps set him free from his demons of his past.  Jason's transformation for dissolute rake to upstanding charmer was also very well done and I was glad it was not a complete one-eighty so quickly.  It took time and patience and in the end everything played out as it should.  His relationship with his half brother added some depth and set up the next book very well and I can't wait to finally have Ethan (Jagger) story!  Darcy Burke is an author to watch and each book I read of hers gets better and better and I feel she is an excellent storyteller and her romances are ones I would read again and again.  4 sigh worthy stars

Secrets & Scandals
This would work well as a standalone but previous characters to appear


Scoundrel Ever After  Fall 2013

To Love a Thief by Darcy Burke

I have read all of Darcy Burke's full lengths and really enjoyed them and was happy to see she had a novella out and I was quite happy with it!  Jocelyn Renwick sees her late mothers necklace on a lady of the ton while acting as a chaperone at a ball and it spikes her curiosity since it was stolen and never recovered.  With her impulsive, bold nature she asks about the necklace and where it came from and gets a answer that she knows is false.  At the same ball she garners the attention of Daniel Carlyle, former constable and new viscount.  He was mentored about the ways of society since he never expected to be a viscount and the earl that mentors him just happens to be the man that has Jocelyn's belongings.  Not sure who to believe, the earl or Jocelyn, sends Daniel back to his roots in a quest for the truth.  Unfortunately, the truth turns out to be the worse kind and it endangers not just him, but also Jocelyn and the hope for a future together.

As with most novellas, I wish this was just a bit longer so we could have had more time to see the relationship develop between Jocelyn and Daniel but even so, I thought the length was done well.  The instant attraction sends sparks flying and the action keeps this couple coming back together.  Lies are told but truths are quickly revealed as well which I appreciated.  I liked how Daniel has been a constable and inherited a title he never expected to have or want and this is an area I would have liked just a bit more about, but again, it worked well within this novella.  Daniel is smart, loyal and confident and a wonderful foil to Jocelyn and her bold nature. You know who the villain is but how it all unraveled was a delight.  This novella has it all--action, romance, love and passion.  We get just enough glimpses of one of the upcoming heroes and I am very anxious to see how Ms Burke redeems him!  Lovely story for a lovely price.  4 stars

Secrets & Scandals
Can be read as stand alones, best enjoyed in order

Never Love a Scoundrel Winter 2013
Scoundrel Ever After Winter 2013

To Seduce a Scoundrel by Darcy Burke

When Lady Philippa Latham sees her mother attending a ball with a man that is not her father, she takes it upon herself to follow and save her mother, and by association, herself, from certain ruin.  Little does Philippa know that it is one of those parties, the kind no respectable young lady attends.  She is stunned to see so many people in masks and quickly realizes how out of place she is.  When the notorious scoundrel, Lord Ambrose Sevrin recognizes her, she thinks she will finally have to marry but she is surprised at how decent Sevrin is.  He tries to help her escape unnoticed and with her reputation intact but to his disappointment, someone catches a glimpse of them and uses it as blackmail.  

Sevrin has avoided notorious parties for years following his ruin of a young lady and the one time he decides to finally attend, he tries to do the honorable thing and help Philippa but he captures the attention of Jagger, a man who wants him to prizefight.  As Sevrin loves to fight and is quite accomplished, this comes at no surprise but Sevrin has given up prizefighting as he does not enjoy the attention.  With the threat of Philippa's reputation at stake, he has to agree to one more fight.  However, with the mystery surrounding the identity of Sevrin's lady from the party, Sevrin keeps thinking of Philippa and is drawn to her as she is drawn to him.  Sevrin has a deep secret in his past and refuses to ruin another woman but how can he refuse what Philippa offers?  

It seems to me, with each book I read by Darcy Burke, I enjoy them more and more.  I loved watching the instant attraction between Sevrin and Philippa grow into a deep, true love.  Sevrin was a delicious, complex man that was raised by a father that expected the best out of him and got it, even though he was the second son.  When a terrible accident befalls his elder brother, it sheds some light on his own behavior and he closes into himself, taking all the blame.  He believes himself to be unfaithful, selfish and arrogant and it will take a lot to change his mind.  He also has a very strong vow that he adheres to now and I admire his restraint with Philippa in order to keep this vow to himself.  He finds release in fighting and I even enjoyed the fights in the story, even though that is something I do not enjoy in real life.  They were such a part of the story and they help transform Sevrin.  Philippa was the perfect balance to his dark, protective nature.  She is attempting to save her self-absorbed family from ruin, and when the whole truth comes out about her parents she is devastated and knows she must finally marry quickly but all she wants to do is marry for love.  She is bold and is not afraid to go after what she wants and I adored her for that!  She slowly tears downs Sevrins walls and helps heal his heart and forgive himself and together, they just fit.  The scoundrel who is honorable and the lady who is a bit wicked.  This was my favorite book so far from Darcy Burke and it is one I can not wait to reread!   This romance was a delicious blend of love and acceptance, humor and angst, action and heat and a book I would recommend for any historical romance fan!  4 very solid stars


Review copy provided by author, thank you!

Secrets and Scandals Series

(I would recommend reading at least His Wicked Heart beforehand, as Sevrin is introduced there and then Jasper is also in To Seduce a Scoundrel.)

Two more books to come in Winter 2013! Yay!
Never Love a Scoundrel
Scoundrel Ever After

His Wicked Heart by Darcy Burke

Jasper Sinclair, Earl of Saxton, is well aware of the bargain he made to let his sister marry for love but that does not stop his arrogant father from demanding he fulfill his duty to wed within the month...to a proper young lady with proper breeding.  Absolutely no lady lacking prestigious credentials will be acceptable, even if he ruins her.  Jasper thought he had found love years ago and even though he ruined her, her family was quickly shipped off to America as she was well beneath a future Duke's realm.  As he is out looking for some entertainment one night, he helps rescue a red-haired beauty who turns him down flat.  Confident she will change her mind, he leaves his card as being her protector is much better that the hovel she is staying in.  So it comes at no surprise that the red-haired beauty sends around a note a day later.  What happens after, though,  is a huge surprise and sets a course that will change Jasper's life forever.

Olivia West, daughter of a notorious courtesan, is recently orphaned and struggling to make ends meet by doing work as a seamstress.  She hopes to find a job doing embroidery and almost has some luck, when she receives an unwanted advance and all her prospects plummet.  Meeting the dashing Jasper leaves quite an impression on her but as she is determined to be better than her mother, she turns him away until it looks like she has no other options.  Together, with a friend, they come up with a crazy (and I do mean crazy) idea that ends up crashing and leaving a very irate Jasper to deal with Olivia.  And just when all hope seems lost, an angel arrives in the form of one Lady Louisa to whisk her away to a life she never knew.  There is just one small problem...Louisa just happens to be Jasper's aunt and Jasper is determined to protect his beloved aunt from the surely scheming, deceitful Olivia.  Matters of the heart are always a bumpy road but when trust is lost, what will it take to reform that trust and find happiness?  Jasper is determined to figure that out with Olivia!

After reading Darcy Burke's debut, Her Wicked Ways, and meeting Jasper and seeing the sacrifice he was willing to make to allow his sister her happiness, I was very eager for his book and I am so glad it was enjoyable!  Jasper was such a delightful mufti-layered character.  On the surface, he knows his duty and knows he can never ruin another innocent again and he feels much remorse and anger as to how the situation was handled.  He finds some solace in a fighting club, run by a peer but a peer that is pretty scandalous in his own right but it helps Jasper release some of his tension while showing what true friends can be, peerage or no peerage.  Jasper also has a kind heart proven by his willingness to help those who cross his path with unfortunate circumstances.  When he is betrayed by Olivia, it takes quite a while before he can start to trust her again and find the strength and courage he needs to stand up to his father to do what is right for him.  Olivia is trying to succeed in one of my favorite professions of this time period and I loved the little tidbits about fashion and sewing.  She lets down her guard for a moment and lets herself do something truly reckless and in the end, it will almost cost her true love and happiness.  Olivia is a decisive, strong, independent young lady who is longing for a real family, a place to fit in and Jasper with his sexy, kind heart and strong loyalty to those he loves, is the perfect partner.  If you are looking for a romance that is going to make you smile and sigh and shake your ereader because you want the couple to work it out and find that trust again mixed with dreadfully annoying parents and a loving, perhaps a bit dotty, aunt--this is a wonderful romance to read!  Darcy Burke is an author to watch!  4 solid stars

Thanks so much to the author for providing me with this eARC!

Related Books

To Seduce a Scoundrel (Ms Burke led up to this book beautifully and I can't wait to see how it plays out!)  July 2012

Her Wicked Ways by Darcy Burke

Lady Miranda Sinclair is on her way to the most dreadful place for her...the country.  Her parents, the Duke and Duchess of Holborn, are tired of her reckless behavior and after almost compromising herself on the Dark Walk at Vauxhall, its the last straw for them.  So Miranda is sent to the country to stay with her cousin with no money or frills from London.  While on they way there, they are held up by a highwayman and Miranda, in her brazen way, attempts to trade a kiss for the money (that they don't have).  She boldly kisses the highwayman and is left reeling from the steaminess of it but it is also one more mark against her character and her parents forbid her from even socializing or going into town while in the country.  Miranda's only time out of the dreary house is when she may go to the even drearier orphanage to help out.  Miranda just doesn't quite understand how the orphanage is in such disrepair.  Surely if one needs to fix the roof, they do it!  And the lice!  Shudder.  What is a gently bred young woman like herself supposed to do?

Montgomery Foxcroft, or Fox, is desperate to repair the damage his father did to his childhood home and his childhood legacy, the orphanage.  He knows he can not turn out the children but he is in desperate need of funds and leads a double life as a highwayman occasionally.  When the beautiful, but extremely out of place, wealthy Miranda arrives he starts to think maybe his prayers have been answered.  All he simply most do is get caught compromising the young beauty and he will have plenty of wealth to save his orphanage.  But as Miranda does not know that Fox is the highwayman, she finds herself attracted to Fox but all her thoughts are for the highwayman.  When her parents arrive to whisk her back to London for a 'proper' marriage, neither Fox nor Miranda know what to do.  How this couple finally arrive at their happily ever after is a treat to read!

This is Darcy Burke's debut novel and I really enjoyed it!!  I liked watching Miranda struggle to find herself and become a better person because she starts off very self-centered (due in large part to her overbearing, rude father who seems to want nothing at all do to with her), confident, arrogant and unaware of how truly difficult life can be without the comfort of money.  She learns, slowly, that money isn't always necessary to bring true happiness and that something as simple as a hug can go a long way to improving ones day.  I enjoyed watching her develop strong connections with the children from the orphanage and getting a bit closer with her cousin and seeing the sparks fly between her and Fox.  Fox was a wonderful balance to Miranda with his pride and generous heart.  There is an interesting development in the storyline when Miranda holds a benefit for the orphanage that adds a bit of suspense that I also enjoyed.  As I am an epilogue kind of girl, I really missed not having one with this story as I felt like there were a few loose ends left open and I am hoping they are addressed in the next book which features Miranda's brother, Jasper.  Overall, this was a delightful romance mixed with humor, tenderness and love (you might need a cool glass of water!) that left a happy smile on my face.  I can't wait for more books from Ms Burke!  4 solid stars

ETA:  Yay!  She added an epilogue and it is the icing on the cake :)  It wrapped up the little threads I felt were dangling.  

Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this ebook!

Upcoming books
His Wicked Heart  Summer 2012  Jasper's story
To Seduce a Scoundrel  Summer 2012