I loved Bran, Jo and Evie. Full review to come. ( )

What fascinates me most is Ms. Burke's ability to always surprise her readers. Not allowing herself to be pigeonholed means the skies the limit for this talented author. No matter the genre, she keeps the romance fresh, the tales intriguing and hearts aflame with her creative mind and powerful stories. Bran and Joanna are only the latest in a long line of exciting heroes and captivating heroines. The Duke of Defiance is an adorable tale that speaks of hope, courage and second chances in the face of some heartbreaking obstacles. It took the innocence of a child to help these wanderers find their way home. ( )

I read an ARC copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. The Duke of Defiance is one of a series of books called The Untouchables by Darcy Burke. It can be read as a stand alone but I think once you read it you will want to read the others as well because you meet the characters from the other books in this one and will be intrigued enough to want to read their stories too. The heroine Joanna Shaw is a widow and happily so… her marriage was deeply unhappy and has left her wounded and wondering what to do with the rest of her life. The hero Bran Crowther a third son has unexpectedly become the Earl of Knighton and so been forced to give up the life he created for himself in Barbados to return to England, a world where he never fit in. Bran experiences sensory sensitivity and is finding the demands of life in England to be extremely stressful. Their road to HEA is not without its twists and turns. Once again Darcy Burke has created very relatable characters and a story that will keep you reading past your bedtime. ( )

Jo and Bram might be my favorite couple in this series :)

I loved Bram's idiosyncrasies and his devotion to his daughter--they definitely helped to make him one of the more unique heroes out there. (Though I kept hoping we'd find out something more about why he was that way--even just an author's note. I'm guessing with the anti-touch tendencies and the way he tensed up in social situations that he's somewhere on the autism spectrum, maybe? Either way, his need to get out of restrictive clothing ASAP led to some--ahem--interesting moments for him...and Jo ;))

Jo just broke my heart with her awful first marriage and conviction that she couldn't have children because she hadn't yet, which was her main argument for why they couldn't be together. Kudos to Bram for pointing out it wasn't necessarily her "fault" that she hadn't; it made for both a frustrating and heartbreaking reason for keeping them apart.

All while not keeping them apart, of course, because yeah. They were all kinds of together when they weren't supposed to be. ;)

Evie was a fun character, even though towards the end she sometimes acted just a little bit too mature for her age, she was still all kinds of adorable.

It was fun seeing what is going on with the rest of the Untouchables and their wives, though this book could also stand on its own if needed.

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. ( )

The Duke of Defiance by Darcy Burke
The Untouchables #5

What a wonderful way to spend the day! I thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in 1817 London with Jo and Bran. This is not the typical historical romance with the silly ingénue and the rake but instead a story of two slightly more mature people embarking on a new phase of life. Both without spouses, one with a young daughter to take care of as he takes on responsibilities of being an Earl, one verbally abused for years by her vicious vicar husband before finding herself widowed and both so in need of a safe place to land. I loved all of the characters, the story, the issues dealt with and the love that grew in spite of expectations otherwise. A delightful book and the first one I have read by this author – it will not be my last.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars ( )