A Duke is Never Enough
Series: The Spitfire Society #2
Author: Darcy Burke
Published February 25th 2020 by Darcy Burke Publishing

Goodreads Synopsis
Notorious rake Marcus Raleigh, Marquess of Ripley, is gracing the gossip pages for a new reason: the rumors he may have murdered his swindling cousin. His quest for answers regarding his cousin’s death leads him to an incomparable self-declared spinster, and he is—for the first time—beguiled beyond reason. Neither is what the other wants, and yet their intense mutual infatuation is inescapable.

After abandoning her philandering betrothed at the altar, Phoebe Lennox fled from London only to return an heiress who refuses to follow the ton’s rules. She won’t risk a relationship of any kind—until she meets the notorious Marquess of Ripley. Swept into his seductive embrace, her resolve falters in the face of a pleasure she never anticipated. But when the truth about Marcus and the murder come to light, Phoebe could lose everything she holds dear, including a love for all time.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

In A Duke is Never Enough, Phoebe Lennox, now notorious for refusing to marry her betrothed, is living a somewhat life of luxury as the heiress of a late relative, away from her parents, and with no plans to marry. A lot of people have given her the cut, but she's happy with the life she has. When she comes across Marcus Raleigh, Marquess of Ripley, bleeding after an argument in the park, she is immediately drawn to him, as he is to her. Marcus is a notorious rake, but hates swindlers, and his cousin is the biggest one. After discovering his cousin fleeced a lot of the great and the good, he needs to find him, and get the money back - money that even Phoebe's own father lost. Both Marcus and Phoebe join forces, denying their attractions, and strive to find Drobbit to recover the funds. However, when he turns up dead, and Marcus is immediately blamed, now they need to save Marcus from the noose, and discover who actually killed his wayward cousin.

Phoebe is one of the best heroines I've read in a long time. After being treated horrendously by her fiancee before the wedding, she jilts him because facing a life with him is unimaginable. That's left her on the fringes of society, but she's a self proclaimed spinster, and happy to be so. Her parents don't understand it, and especially when they fall into financial problems, they urge her to marry, but she won't. She's intrigued by Marcus, and happy to have some fun with him, but doesn't expect anything more, especially knowing his reputation. Marcus is very much the same - he has no plans to settle, but likes Phoebe, and enjoys her company. Being with her, and having her help him with his investigation makes him start to change his mind, and he needs to woo her - which was definitely swoony. The plot line was enjoyable, especially the mystery and investigation over Drobbit's disappearance and later death, and I liked how this showed both character's appreciation and respect for the other, rather than it being wholly about the romance. My only issue with the book is the title, A Duke is Never Enough, when Marcus was a Marquess, and not a duke - but that's just me being pedantic. I definitely will be reading more of this author in future.

April 23, 2020

Rating
4 Stars