Nunca diga não a um Duque

Decadent Dukes Society #3

by Madeline Hunter

Da autora bestseller do New York Times, Madeline Hunter, chega o fabuloso final da trilogia The Decadent Dukes Society, sobre três duques indomáveis e as mulheres fortes e atraentes que incendeiam seus desejos extravagantes. Uma mulher busca recuperar as terras que ela acredita terem sido injustamente retiradas de sua família pelo duque, que agora se recusa a devolvê-las. Uma clássica e engenhosa batalha de vontades se inicia, da forma como apenas Madeline Hunter sabe narrar. ELE É O ÚLTIMO DUQUE QUE RESTA … o único solteiro remanescente dos três autoproclamados duques decadentes. No entanto, as razões de Davina MacCallum para procurar o belo duque de Brentworth não têm nada a ver com casamento. Terras escocesas foram injustamente confiscadas de sua família pela Coroa e dadas à dele. Um homem razoável com vastas propriedades poderia certamente abrir mão de uma propriedade trivial, especialmente quando Davina pretende dar um bom uso a essas terras. No entanto, é tão difícil persuadir Brentworth quanto resistir a ele. A discrição e o controle de aço do duque de Brentworth o tornam um enigma até mesmo para seus melhores amigos. As mulheres, em especial, o consideram inescrutável e inacessível — mas também irresistivelmente magnético. Portanto, quando Davina MacCallum não mostra sinais de estar nem um pouco impressionada por ele, ele fica intrigado. Até que descobre que a missão dela em Londres envolve reivindicações contra sua propriedade. Logo os dois estão envolvidos em uma competição que não permite concessões. Quando o dever e o desejo entram em choque, os melhores planos estão prestes a sofrer uma guinada escandalosa — para o próprio âmago da paixão…

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Regency, Audiobook, Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2019

About the author

Madeline Hunter is a nationally bestselling author of historical romances who lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. Her books have won two RITA awards and seven nominations, and have had three starred reviews in Publishers Weekly. In a parallel existence to the one she enjoys as a novelist, Madeline has a Ph.D. in art history and teaches at an East Coast university.

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** 3.5 Stars!!!***

This was the third instalment of the Decadent Dukes Society series... while it wasn’t my favourite out of the three books; I did still enjoy it. I have always loved the writing style of Madeline Hunter and her books were one of the first romances I started reading when I discovered this genre. She does a wonderful job writing a heartwarming romance, and including passion, friendships, and adventure into her tales.

In this adventure we get to follow the Duke of Brentworth’s fall into love with the feisty Davina. These two start out as enemies of sorts. Davina has reason to believe that one of the Duke’s properties is actually hers. First, she must find proof that her Grandfather was actually a Baron, and that she is entitled to the property in Scotland! Brentworth will fight for what is his; but he has secrets... and they are attached to the estate. He fears they will be revealed and that Davina will judge him when she finds out his past. Can these two ever see eye to eye? Their journey will test them both, and also have them find friendship in each other.

I did enjoy the story, but as I said... it wasn’t my favourite. I am not a fan of an enemy to lovers romance...as well as a slow burn romance usually frustrates me! I found the romance between this couple didn’t quite show up until the last quarter of the story. I prefer to have the romance be more prominent in the overall story as well. Even with that said, I do recommend this read... and I highly recommend the whole trilogy! The epilogue was fabulous and I enjoyed seeing how all the couples faired with each other in the future!

Thank you to the author and Net Galley for gifting me an ARC! This book comes out on April 30th, 2019!

[etherealfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this Advanced Reader Copy in a GoodReads Giveaway. This book marks the satisfying conclusion to The Decadent Dukes Society trilogy and may be my favorite book of the series. The aloof, self-possessed, enigmatic Duke of Brentworth finally meets his match in the determined, fiercely independent Davina MacCallum as they battle wit and will while trying to determine who has the true legal right and ownership of a Scottish estate.

Madeline Hunter has become one of my most favorite historical romance writers, as I discovered after reading the Wicked Trilogy and the first book of The Rarest Blooms Series. I cannot wait to continue with that series next.

[Maureen Carden · Rating 5 out of 5]

At Last! It's time for the story of Eric Marshall, the Duke of Brentworth, and the Most Ducal Duke. He is the last of the Decadent Dukes, a joking name picked by three young future dukes. The trio of Stratton, Langford and Brentworth knew, even at Eton, they would always be considered and treated differently. As dukes they would someday be the big dogs, top o’ the heap; no title more important or powerful in England, except for royalty.
Brentworth meets his match in Miss Davina MacCallum in Madeline Hunter’s Never Deny a Duke. He owns a Scottish estate; Davina thinks the estate, along with its title-which can be passed down to a woman- belongs to her.
Two kings have promised help to Davina, now one of those kings is dead; the other embarrassed by his promise and just wants the problem to go away. What do you do with a problem like Davina? The king comes up with a brilliant idea, or so he thinks, but he is no match for Brentworth.
Davina thinks because the estate’s manor house is mostly destroyed by fire, and because Brentworth has shown no interest in it, that he should just hand it over. But Brentworth, being Brentworth has no intention of handing over any of his properties to a probable fraudster. After all, as he proclaims on numerous occasions, “I am Brentworth”. He is especially not about to lose this particular estate, either by the wish of a King or the efforts of the Scottish nobody.
Before the King makes Brentworth aware of Davina’s claim, he meets her socially as she writes for the journal owned by Clara, the Duchess of Stratton. Brentworth was intrigued by the young woman, who seems curious about him but not impressed with either him, his wealth or his title.
Brentworth, in turn, becomes more interested in the young woman who is willing to go head -to-head with him and a respectful friendship is eventually formed as they both seek proof to her claim for the estate.
Brentworth has always been the most mysterious, self-contained and discreet of the three dukes. It was nice to read of a character who was not a total man-ho. He is almost the complete opposite of Duke of Langford in actions and attitudes. It was amusing and welcome to read of the three friends together, with Brentworth actually consulting Langford for relationship advice. Ms Hunter has written a Regency character more refreshing than most.
Davina is also an original. Hunter has not written about a titled young lady ultimately looking for marriage, but a strong woman of common origins who has managed her life and is willing to go to some lengths to prove her claim. Davina pits herself against a King, a Duke, a Scottish nationalist.
Hunter, with Never Deny a Duke has hit the trifecta of an entertaining plot, original characters and writing as smooth as silk. Bonus points for the history behind the claim and the portrayal of Scotland.
The Decadent Dukes has been one of my all time favorite Regency series. I am sorry to see it end; but I will look forward to Hunter’s next series.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Jultri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually like the premise of this one, because it's a bit unusual. Scottish Davina MacCallum arrives in London with the sole purpose of gaining an audience with the King in order to plea her case to have their family lands returned after the estate was confiscated by the Crown following the Jacobite rebellion. This was never going to be an easy task for her given that she is unable to prove conclusively that she is the true heir to the estate, not to mention that the contested lands now belongs to the holdings of the powerful Duke of Brentworth, a man not even the King is keen to lock horns with.

Even the most supercilious functionary would be intimidated by the arrogance that Brentworth wore even more comfortably than his coats, and his garments fit him very well indeed.

The very private Brentworth has his own reasons to put a quick lid on the escalating dispute, only Davina refuses to be silenced. She has grand plans for the property that go beyond her own need to be recognised as the baroness and rightful owner of Teyhill. And so they clash, a battle of two superior wills and wits.

"They think you have bullied her, and frightened her, and glared at her, and in general been Brentworth with her."

Of course, when strong emotions are aroused, certain things are inevitable.



Both protagonists were quite appealing. Davina was strong and independent with ambitions to help people with her medical knowledge courtesy of her late physician father, although she was aware that as a female, she would never be able to train as a doctor. However, she was testament that being strong and intelligent is not mutually exclusive to being feminine. Brentworth definitely valued all these characteristics in her. He was confident in his own skin and did not feel threatened by her intellect, but that didn't mean that he could not be protective of her. He was haunted by events from the past, but I like that once they got to Tyehill, he did not dwell on them for too long but found inspiration in Davina to finally move on and forward. Some parts were a bit slow-moving, particularly in sorting out the ownership of the estate, but all in all, a convincing and very well-written romance. Despite being the third book in this ducal series, this can be read independently.

This is an ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased opinion.

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've given this a B+ at AAR, so that's 4.5 stars

I was really relieved to discover that Never Deny a Duke was a big improvement on the previous book in the series, A Devil of a Duke which just scraped a C grade/3 stars from me last year. And I liked the premise of this one – and the way Ms. Hunter handles it – quite a lot. Davina MacCallum has come to London in order to petition for the return of the Scottish lands and title she believes were unfairly … ‘diverted’ to an English nobleman following the Jacobite uprising in the mid-1700s, but although the King (George IV) had given her reason to believe he would support her when they met during his recent visit to Edinburgh, when he returns to London nothing happens, so Davina comes south to further her cause. It turns out that the lands in question were given to the Dukes of Brentworth, and the current holder of the title – reserved, discreet and formidable Eric Marshall – has no intention of just handing over part of his estate. This story could so easily have been one of those “feisty-heroine-stomps-her-foot-a-lot-while-driving-reserved-hero-round-the bend” stories, but Ms. Hunter instead presents two grown-up, sensible characters who, while striking sparks off each other, approach the situation with a degree of common sense. They are opponents and neither wants to give way, but they’re not stubborn for the sake of it and while each wants to be proven right, there’s no sense that they’d resort to underhandedness to do it.

Dabney Grinnan and I discussed this latest book by Madeline Hunter over at All About Romance .

[Joanna Loves Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

My reading has slowed to a snail’s pace compared to last year, but I seem to be having more hits than misses lately. That is a very welcome trend, and Madeline Hunter’s latest continues it. I thought the romance and characters were lovely.

This was the final installment in Hunter’s Decadent Duke’s trilogy, but it can be read as a stand-alone. Brentworth is the least scandalous of the trio. He is the most respectable and wields considerable power in the ton, enough power that the King does not have the influence over Brentworth that he might over other peers. This is problematic because the King and the King before him may have promised to return lands in the Brentworth holdings to previous Scottish owner’s family that was thought to have perished in the Jacobite uprising. Conveniently, the Scottish family’s heir is an attractive woman of marriageable age. Despite Brentworth’s fascination for the medically-trained Davina, he does not give in easily to the convenient solution.

Brentworth and Davina embark on a fact-finding mission, both hoping to disprove the other. This causes them to spend much time together, which fuels their initial spark. I enjoyed how their relationship grew in an organic way. They both grew to respect each other, however begrudgingly at the beginning.

Hunter has typically written a reliably good, sometimes great read, but I did go into this one uncertain of how I would enjoy it because this has been an uneven series. Thankfully it ended on high note, in my opinion.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Missy · Rating 1 out of 5]

A review in progress.

I was listening to this audiobook at the same time I was listening to The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews and both heroes have a past that they do not wish to discuss with their heroines. 😤 I did not finish reading The Belle of Belgrave because I was too frustrated with the plot to continue.

I felt obligated to read this book by Madeline Hunter because I wanted to complete the series. I didn't care for the plot. The heroine wants her family’s land restored to her and the hero refuses to do so until she can prove to him that the land did indeed belonged to her grandfather and father. Yeah, that didn’t scream romance to me, just forced proximity. The heroine’s was a physician so she has a medical background and helps the ill when she can.

The hero’s friend, the Duke of Langford, provides the humor and dramatics once more. He pretends to have injured his shoulder after falling off a ladder in the library so his wife can take him home, and leaving the heroine alone with the hero.

Spoilers about the hero

- The hero refuses to bed the heroine unless she agrees to marry him since he doesn’t debauch innocents.

- The hero’s previous mistress was emotionally unbalanced and set fire to part of the estate (on the land that the heroine claims to belong to her family) and died in the fire. The hero blames himself.

Series completed. 👍

[OLT · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book maybe two weeks ago and now only vaguely remember it. This does not encourage me to give it more than a meh rating. So that's what it gets: meh from me.

Upfront I should state that I have been a longtime reader of Madeline Hunter HRs. Since the first book she ever wrote in 2000. I've always appreciated her historical research, lack of excessive anachronisms, addition of a little mystery to add interest to each romance, and, as far as the romance itself, it was usually pretty intense and sexy.

But the last HRs of hers I truly enjoyed were the Rarest Blooms quartet and a select few of the Fairbourne series. Nothing since. Now it all feels so "been there, done that," with all the heroes and heroines almost clones of earlier ones. Well, this is not a new phenomenon. It has happened to most recent work from other previously talented authors. I can no longer appreciate once favorite authors such as Lisa Kleypas, Mary Balogh, Eloisa James, or lesser favorites such as Sarah Maclean, Elizabeth Hoyt, Tessa Dare, etc.

Maybe it's me. But I'm still going to give this new Hunter a meh. The hero here is the last duke standing in her latest Decadent Dukes Society series. He's the handsome and very ducal Duke of Brentworth. The heroine is Davina MacCollum, who is trying to recover Scottish lands confiscated from her family by the Crown and given to...guess who? Yep. So we have an antagonistic relationship at first because our ducal duke doesn't want to acknowledge that Davina has a legitimate claim. Need I tell you what happens here? I think not.

However, I will admit that some of the historical aspect was interesting. About Scottish baronies and inheritance, etc. Although something Hunter mentions in her Author's Note still has me puzzled. She says, "In Scotland, baron is a minor title, and ranks below Scottish baronets in the hierarchy of titles." Well, this is probably a "Who cares?" to most people, but it just makes no sense to me.

My limited research abilities lead me to understand that barons are not part of the Scottish peerage, as opposed to English peerage, where barons are the fifth and lowest rank. In Scottish peerage the fifth and lowest rank is "Lord of Parliament", and barons do not figure in the ranking at all. That's fine. I just can't figure out how baronets could rank higher than barons anywhere. Just the etymology of the name baronet implies a lower rank than baron. Oh, well. Who cares? If there is somebody else besides me who does care and can educate me, please, please, help.

Anyhoo, this is an HR, and that means that romance is the most important part of the novel. So I will say that it's okay in that respect but the earth didn't move for me as I read the H/h interactions. But at least we didn't have an annoying and too-innocent heroine, in spite of her being a virgin. As a woman who would have been a doctor if the times had permitted it, and who had been her physician father's assistant, she knew a bit more than the usual Hunter virgin and the sex scenes weren't as paternalistic on the hero's part as I'd been finding them in other Hunter romances.

The bromance is good here too, as is usual for a Hunter HR. I usually enjoy the interactions between the men more than those between the men and women. So we have the first two decadent dukes of the series making their appearances here as well as their romantic pairings in those books. The heroines of those books didn't come across as very appealing here, but then they did not appeal to me very much when they were the MCs of their own romances.

Well, I dunno. YMMV. I just found this novel to be pretty meh.

[Barbara Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Series: Decadent Dukes Society #3
Publication Date: 4/30/19
Number of Pages: 304

This wonderful wrap-up for the Decadent Dukes Society is delightfully different – not one of your standard tropes. The ‘Most Ducal Duke’ meets his match and it is a delight to watch. The book is well written and the characters are very relatable and likable.

Eric Marshall, Duke of Brentworth has long been known as the most ducal of dukes. He’s always proper, dour, dutiful, and forbidding – as well as tall and handsome with gray eyes that “created a steely gaze that shot through all that it saw”. Brentworth received a rare summons to court and he had no idea why – especially since he and the king were not exactly friendly. What he hears is stunning and the king seems to expect him to deal with it without causing an uproar about it. Some Scottish chit has concocted a story and is trying to claim one of his estates. The charlatan! Soon it will be open season for ne’er-do-wells to just walk up and claim portions of estates. HUH!

Davina MacCallum’s father, on his death bed, told her of what should be her legacy and she is adamantly bound-and-determined to claim that legacy. She wants it for herself, of course, because it is her birthright, but she also wants it to help the people in the region. According to her father, her grandfather had been sent away from his home (Teyhill) to keep him safe after the battle of Culloden. He was then raised in the Northumberland area of England and the estate was returned to the crown and then given to the Duke of Brentworth. The estate didn’t just come with property, it also came with a barony that could be inherited by the females as well as the males.

Davina’s grandfather had spoken with the previous king who had promised to help him reclaim his land. Her grandfather sent the proof needed, but then the old king died and the proof has disappeared. Now, she is petitioning the current King and she feels she’s being stonewalled. She just has to find the proof of who her grandfather was. How?

It was great fun to watch Davina and Eric go from enemies, to searching for proof, to finally finding their HEA. It was a delightful adventure with two very deserving characters. However, I think one of my favorite parts was the epilogue where we caught up with all three of the Decadent Dukes a few years later. We saw their families and their still loving relationships and it was a truly delightful addition to the story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Carina Carvalho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terminada a leitura da trilogia dos duques decadentes!!! Dos três o que mais gostei foi o segundo. Talvez pela originalidade nas diferenças entre as personagens principais. Mas a história deste terceiro livro também está engraçada embora menos romântica. Adoro livros de época !!!

[Topastro · Rating 1 out of 5]

Both the MCs were bland and nothing endeared me to them. Also there was a lot of filler, so much was written that didn't add anything to the story. Rosalyn Landor's lovely voice was not able to save this unfortunately.

[Caitlyn Lynch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Davina McCullum has an excellent claim to a Scottish barony, and she even has powerful friends who have agreed to take up her cause with the king. All would seem to be clear for her to regain the property her family once lost.

Except that the current owner of the property is a certain duke who sees absolutely no reason why he should give it up. Despite the fact that he never goes there and in fact, considers it a site of traumatic and painful memories, he’d rather defy a king and leave a well-born and deserving young woman forced to work for a living rather than live in the home and comfort she is due.

Frankly, I thought Brentworth was a greedy, selfish brute far too accustomed to getting things his own way. I couldn’t help but imagine how he’d have dealt with Davina if she hadn’t been young, pretty and connected to people he respected, and it was an ugly picture. Smearing her name all over London would have been the least of what Brentworth would do to defend something he didn’t even want. Never for one moment did he consider offering her any sort of reasonable compensation as an alternative, and her concerns about the barony being subsumed into his ducal titles were raised once and then promptly dropped, never to be addressed again.

While I thought Brentworth was an entitled prig, Davina was delightful and deserved far better than she got. The book shone an uncomfortable spotlight on the huge disparity not only between the sexes, but also the haves and the have-nots of society, one which persists to this day, where money and power beget more money and power and everything is about who you know.

Despite the romance at the core of the story, I actually found the outcome ultimately quite depressing, with its core message that even if a woman does eventually get what she wants, there’s no way it’ll be on her terms. The fierce Scots spirit was dismissed as unworthy of notice, with the only politically active Scotsman in the story something of an antagonist and every character who appeared during the visit to Scotland bowing and scraping to Brentworth in a way I found completely un-Scottish. If you want books which feature fiercely independent Scots in the time period, you’d do much better to check out May McGoldrick, whose Scots characters display the proper disdain for the English you’ll still encounter in that country today.

The writing here is good, the plot all hangs together, and if you like very proper English dukes you might like this, but at the end of the day I disliked Brentworth intensely and found the outcome depressing. Two stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!

Never Deny a Duke features a wonderful romance between a woman determined to reclaim her family’s lands and the Duke who doesn’t plan to give them up.

When Davina MacCallum seeks out the Duke of Brentworth, it’s not for any of the usual reasons Eric would have expected. Instead, Davina is looking to reclaim Scottish lands confiscated from her family and given to his. But the Duke of Brentworth never gives up anything without a fight. As Davina and Eric battle it out for the rights to Eric’s Scottish estate Teyhill, the pair quickly realize the real battle is for their hearts.

Davina has been slowly laying the groundwork to reclaim her family’s lands for years. Her dream is to open a clinic of sorts where the sick and poor can have access to quality medical care. Davina worked alongside her father, a physician, for years and as such is well qualified to undertake such a task. I admired Davina’s goal and I found myself rooting for her to reclaim the lands so she could achieve her goal.

Eric is the most proper of the three Decadent Dukes, always discreet and always avoiding any scandal. Eric places a lot of value in his title and has built a reputation as a man not to be messed with. He has powerful connections and has an uncanny ability to bend the will of others to suit his needs. I have to say that at first I found Eric to be a bit of a pompous jerk but as the book went on he grew on me.

Davina and Eric are very much on opposing sides at the start of this book. She’s determined to regain her family’s lands and he believes she’s a fraud out to take what’s his. Their relationship does have elements of the enemies to lovers trope which is one of my favorite types of romances so I was excited to see how their relationship would play out. The chemistry between them was fantastic and the sex scenes were sexy and well done. My only issue with their relationship was that I felt Davina gave up on her goals. I expected more of a fight out of her and was a bit saddened that wasn’t the case. Overall I did like how the question of her right to the lands was wrapped up, but it definitely took a long time to get there.

The couples from the first two books, Adam and Clara and Gabriel and Amanda, make numerous appearances in this book. I loved getting to see the couples again as it’s always a delight to see how happy they are after the end of their books. I really enjoyed the friendship Davina forms with Clara and Amanda as well as the fact Davina contributes to Clara’s journal Parnassus. The friendship between Eric, Adam, and Gabriel continues to be fantastic. I love how much the trio is there for each other as well as the times they poke fun at one another’s expense.

While I didn’t love Never Deny a Duke as much as the second book in the series, A Devil of a Duke, it was still an enjoyable read and I’m looking forward to reading more from the author in the future.

**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**

[Joana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC at no cost from the author, in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. Thank you.

Review originally posted at Romancing Romances

3.75*


I’m going to be completely and utterly honest with you: I was a bit afraid to read this book. If you follow this amazing author on social media, you might know her husband, Warren, passed away on February 2018. I had the immense pleasure to meet this lovely couple in person (thank you again, Madeline, for visiting Lisbon!) and had dinner with them in an informal setting. And, of course it is a dream come true to meet one your favourite authors, but I would also like to mention how sweet and caring Warren was.

And so, what do you do when your “best friend, [your] great love, and biggest supporter” (Madeline's Facebook Post) passes away? I can only imagine how hard that must be, and how hard it must be to continue to write beautiful love stories.

So, yes, I was a bit apprehensive to read Madeline’s new book, simply because I was afraid such an event could have changed the way she wrote/expressed those love stories. Thankfully, I didn’t need to be.

Never Deny A Duke was a great book. It had the right amount of romance, a good plot line that introduced the characters and circumstances in a way that was easy to follow and to make us fall in love with such characters.

Eric and Davina had different purposes in their lives, and at some point that collided. And here’s where the story starts, with a land dispute. And all could be solved (in a male point of view, of course) with a simple arranged marriage that would take care of everything. But Davina isn’t a fool, and Eric isn’t interested. And even when that interest changes for both of them, Davina’s pursuit of the truth doesn’t, which was the thing I most liked about her.

Stories that mix Scots and English are always fun, simply because they may share a country, but they are, in their true essence, very different types of people. Our Scottish heroine Davina MacCallum, is fighting for what she believes to be her inheritance, and our British hero, Eric Marshall, the Duke of Brentworth, is fighting for what he believes to be rightfully his – even if it is something that has its own (dark) baggage.

I loved how the couple looked together for the truth, in a forced proximity kind of scenario, and how that allowed them to understand each other better, and to develop and attraction, and later on a lasting, loving relationship.

A great book that ticked almost all of the right boxes.

[Robin Loves Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Having read all three stories in this series in succession, I was eager to read Eric Marshall, the Duke of Brenthworth's story. He is the most reserved, the most certain he would never be bit by love, of the three dukes. He has no problem at all maintaining his persona and has no intention of changing.

Meanwhile, being called before the king he doesn't respect is more than an annoyance to him. He is faced with Miss Davina MacCullum as she insists that she is rightfully owned an estate. Davina tries to approach the king, who would rather not be bothered with the situation. When it is determined that Eric actually owns the estate in question, the king and his staff foist Davina's claim onto him.

Davina doesn't approach the king empty-handed. She has the promise of two kings and some proof, so now dealing with Eric should be relatively easy. Needless to say, Eric has no intention on releasing his estate - and the secrets he is hiding with it - to Davina or to anyone else.

Davina is not about to give up. She believe her grandfather was a baron, and although not being born a male, has a right to said property. I loved Davina! Not only does she write articles for a women's journal, and has formed strong friendships with the other ladies readers were introduced in the first two books in this series, she has a strong will and refuses to give up.

Meanwhile, I was moved by Eric. It became increasingly easy to see why he had a shell around his heart and it was enjoyable watching Davina being used as the instrument to crack it. This was my favorite of the three in the series, especially when we discover why Eric fought so hard not to give up the estate. This added a nice touch to an effective story.

--

After having read at least 70 historical romances, most connected series, over the past 18 months, made it a bit difficult to enjoy this series as a whole. It was the most laborious series I have read to-date. This may be due to the fact that the romances seemed stilted and rather unemotional. As this had been on my TBR for months, I am glad that I had the opportunity to read it. This was a trilogy, which are my favorite to read, and there were definitely a lot of positives. I am curious to read Madeline Hunter in the future, and do hope to see more strong heroines like she wrote for this series.

Many thanks to Zebra and to NetGalley for offering all three ARCs for review. These reviews are my honest opinions.

[Sissy's Romance Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never Deny a Duke by Madeline Hunter is book Three in the Decadent Dukes Society Series. This is the story of Davina MacCallum and Eric Marshall, Duke of Brentworth. This can be a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Even though Brentworth is the last of the Decadent Dukes that is not why Davina is after him. Brentworth is in possession of land that was given to him but taken away from her family unfairly she feels. Brentworth has enough land and estate surly one little one wouldn't be worth his interest, that rightfully should be her birthright. Brentworth is used to women throwing themselves at him but when he meets Davina he is drawn to her intelligence and that she didn't seem interested in him as other women were. Brentworth is informed about Davina plan to claim his land and knows this will just lead to a free for all for others to start trying to claim more land.
These two end up butting heads but its not to long before they both start wanting the same thing.....each other.

[Fabiola Chenet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Une très belle histoire, très romantique avec des personnages très sympathiques et de bons personnages secondaires.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new Madeline Hunter romance is always a delight!

This one was fun. The hero was arrogant as usual, and I thought that he could've just let the woman have the property. Still they had great chemistry and I really enjoyed the book. Sad that there are no more dukes...

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars I really like Madeline Hunter as an author and have enjoyed many of her books. Unfortunately, this series is a bit of a let down for me. I certainly did not hate it and, in fact, there were times that I felt I could really get into it. And then, I didn't. It took me a while to finish in fact. Perhaps I just wasn't in the right mood. I finished this well over a month ago so I can't write a decent review...I can't even remember their names! But I haven't given up on Hunter and will certainly check out her next book.

[Tracy Emro · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up

Davina MacCallum has come to London for one reason, to reclaim her birthright. She has finally been granted an audience with the king and plans to show him the letter from his father, stating that the claim is valid. Her great-grandfather the Baron of Teyhill was killed at the battle of Culloden and as all believed his son and heir died and the lands were given to an English nobleman. But she contends her grandfather didn't die, that he was hidden away after the battle for his own safety. The king's aide sympathizes with her, but says the letter from the previous king is not enough, she needs proof that her grandfather was in fact the heir, the heir was recorded as dead. On her way out, she runs into Eric Marshall, the Duke of Brentworth, they met at a salon hosted by Clara, the Duchess of Stratton, whom Davina knows through the journal Clara sponsors. Davina's father was a doctor and Davina worked with him, she was not able to study medicine herself, but has a wealth of knowledge and has written several essays that were printed in the journal. They chat briefly and she leaves, determined to find proof for the king.

Eric has been summoned by the king, he is not sure what it is about, but is sure it won't be good. He sees Davina, who he met and liked, she didn't fawn over him and was quite intelligent, he does wonder about her, but pushes it aside when the king's aide approaches him. Haversham noticed him speaking to Davina and tells him of the problem, and that the king wants to save face. Eric says just give her back the land, problem solved! That is until he learns that his family it the one that received the land. Memories flood him and he refuses to relinquish the estate. He now thinks Davina is a fraud and will prove it!

Their first confrontation is filled with angry words and accusations and far from backing down, Davina becomes more determined than ever to get the estate back. Frustrated, Eric talks to Langford and Stratton about it and they suggest a softer approach, noting that their wives like Davina and don't think she is lying. When rumors start to circulate about them, the king again summons Eric and this time commands him to marry her - that will give her the land and let him keep it. Eric refuses to even consider it. He tries changing tactics with Davina, but she will not let it go and he agrees to work with her to either prove or disprove her claim.

They journey to Scotland (separately) and Eric can't help but admire her. When he goes to her parents home and sees the state of disrepair, he helps her. And when she nurses a friend, he stays with her and their relationship begins to change. By the time the reach Teyhill, Davina wonders how she misjudged him so badly. And when he learns what her plans are for the estate, he realizes that he too, misjudged her. But the estate holds many secrets and opens old wounds, can the relationship they have now forged grow into something more or will those secrets tear them apart?

This was a very good end to the series, the writing is great, the story is interesting, filled with emotion, wonderful characters, an inept chaperone, secrets, revelations, warm love scenes, witty banter (mostly thanks to Langford) and an epilogue that is completely satisfying! This is the last book in the trilogy, but it can easily be read as a stand alone title with no problems. I enjoyed this book and would happily recommend it.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an e-arc that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*

[Sonya Heaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘If you do not flirt, how will you manage this marriage you anticipate making next season?’

‘I expect I will dance with her at balls a few times, call on her a few times, then propose.’

‘How dreadful you make it sound. Poor girl.’

‘Dreadful? Poor girl? She will be a duchess. Her family will be delirious with joy.’

I love everything Madeline Hunter writes, and Never Deny a Duke is no exception. While – in the hands of another author – the hero and heroine’s battle over the ownership of an estate, and a rushed trip up north to Scotland to debate it, would result in a mildly ridiculous romp, Hunter gives the story the perfect amount of weight – while occasionally adding her drier, more mature version of humour.

I really appreciated the tiny, funny touches here and there in this one, as this hero is the most serious of the three in the trilogy. And – as ever – I deeply appreciated the efforts to give both male and female characters friends; there’s more to their lives than the pursuit of the romance.

This is another unconventional heroine, but one who fits into her time period. She aspires to things she knows she cannot have, being a woman, but because she also knows the rules of the society she lives in she has to find other ways to reach those dreams. It’s a good balance of the historical themes designed for the modern reader.

Other than the occasional slip into modern American English (e.g. gotten and ass), Hunter’s Regency world is one I believe in. She never forgets to show the power held by the aristocrats, even as this current series features heroines who marry “up”.

There’s a slower burn to this book than some, but it gave the characters a chance to fall in love realistically, and therefore I enjoyed it all the more.

A solid conclusion to an enjoyable series.


Review copy provided by NetGalley.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Davina MacCallum is out to hold the English king to promises made by his father. Her family's lands in Scotland were confiscated for lack of an heir and given to the Duke of Brentworth. She wants to get the land back and establish a hospital to carry on her father's medical legacy. But to do that she must avoid being railroaded by the king and his cronies and get Brentworth to be reasonable.

Eric Marshall, the Duke of Brentworth, refuses to give up any of his estates lest he set a precedent for any future charlatan's claiming lost inheritances. He's not afraid to go toe to toe with the king; he's too assured of his own consequence. The only one who doesn't seem impressed with him is Davina, which unwittingly intrigues Eric, though not enough to make him give in.

As the two are thrown together in a search for the truth about Davina's ancestry, with opposite goals, their growing attraction soon makes it difficult for them to remain staunch enemies. However, attraction doesn't make a happy future and both may have to learn how to compromise if they want one.

Eric was fiercely proud, arrogant and very well aware of his own power and influence. This made him largely unlikable for much of the book but of course he has hidden depths and old hurts he is hiding to protect himself. Davina was almost a bit callous in her single-minded determination to prove her rights to the land in that she began to focus only on that designation and forget a bit about her main goal of establishing a hospital to help people. Sidenote: her insistence on calling him "Brentworth" most of the time, rather than Eric, even after they married, was a little annoying.

It was a bit of a meander through the extra scenes to the barebones plot, but I think they added to my enjoyment and made the relationship between Eric and Davina believable. I found the final admission of feelings between them left me a bit unsatisfied but I think it was also fitting for the characters.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Heather andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brentworth's woman has some brass lady balls and I don't think he knows what to do about it, "...I assumed such as you were engaged most days with important governmental issues.” He almost colored himself but managed to keep his face acceptably cool. That he needed to fight that battle, let alone because a woman had dared scold him..." Brentworth's woman us just full of all sorts of surprises, “you are supposed to be shy and nervous, not demand I disrobe.” I liked this book, I fell in love with Brentworth.

[Melann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Et encore, je pense être gentille.
Très convenu, rien d'original, classique, on peut passer son chemin si l'on cherche quelque chose d'un peu plus vibrant.

[Laura J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Davina is in London to press her family’s claim to an estate that had been given to an English Duke back in her grandfather’s time. She holds her own when being interviewed by the king’s man. But her claim is an embarrassment to the king so his man turns to the current owner, the Duke of Brentworth, for a solution. Eric is a bit of a cliche duke: handsome, confident, intimidating and with a secret. Davina and Eric’s conversations are smart and sharp; their friendship as well as the passion and romance builds slowly and organically. I was always pleasantly surprised by their reactions to each other’s actions/words and when they decided to be bold or hold back. Davina could have been bitter but chose to be happy and Eric respected Davina in a time when men were patronizing to women. Langford and Clara from the previous books also shined here (their spouses were a bit muted) and Davina’s chaperone was a nice touch.

I read this over two days - it was that good. Characters, story, dialogue, historical setting all excellently written.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.

[Karen Darling · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good even though the hero was an ass.

[Sheila Melo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. 

FINAL DECISION: I loved the restrained hero who hides some secrets and the independent woman who fascinates him. I especially enjoyed that these two become friends and there is great respect between them before passion wins out.

THE STORY: Eric Marshall, the Duke of Brentworth is incensed when he learns that a Scottish woman, Davina MacCallum, seeks to gain control of one of his family's properties claiming that her family are the rightful heirs and it should not have been added to the ducal estate. Brentworth is determined to turn away the fraud, but his anger is in direct proportion to his intense attraction to Miss MacCallum. Davina wants to reclaim her family legacy in order to build a life for herself and establish a medical facility on the property -- honoring her father's work and her own interests in the medical field. But first she has to wrest the property from the duke.

OPINION: While I admittedly tend to enjoy the outwardly passionate stories, I really did like this book even with its restraint. In the beginning of this book the hero is really buttoned up (but fear not, we learn some of his secrets later). The relationship between the hero and heroine begin in polite (and not so polite) arguments. Some might not be interested in the details of the land inheritance, but I found the investigation quite interesting.

Eric is such a restrained man but he has an essential kindness and respect of Davina that I really liked. He is a man living with his mistakes but he is a good person. Davina is an independent a woman who is unconventional for her time. Yet, what is especially enjoyable in this book is that it feels like this book stays within the constraints of its time. So often these days, historicals have characters who sound like they fell from the streets of modern America into a time machine. These characters are progressive for their time, but the way they interact with one another and even in the constraints of their time felt more realistic.

This romance is quieter and the relationship takes time to progress, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. It reminded me of the type of book that Mary Balogh -- a restrained slow burn.

I especially liked seeing the other couples from the series who have important supporting roles here as well.

WORTH MENTIONING: There is a nice little epilogue to reward readers of the series.

CONNECTED BOOKS: NEVER DENY A DUKE is the third book in the Decadent Dukes Society series. While the romance here is self-contained and thus the story can be read as a standalone, the overlapping characters makes this book richer by being familiar with their stories.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

 This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure I’ve ever disliked the “hero” in a historical romance as much as I dislike Eric, Duke of Brentworth. He’s entitled. His family benefited from stealing Scottish lands after the Jacobite rebellion. He is so rich, he never even visits Scotland, and there was a fire he is ashamed of so he prefers never to think about it. He hasn't even given the steward permission to tear down the burned half of the estate. The rightful heir has asked for the land to be returned to her. (Her grandfather was stolen away to England so he wouldn't be killed by the British after they killed his father.) The Duke doesn’t believe her, doesn’t want to believe her, doesn't want to deal with this little insignificant claim from this unimportant woman, but he is in lust with her and does want to have sex with her. But alas! He cannot! She is a virgin and he is soooo noble that he will get her all hot and bothered and then set her aside. (Oh wait, he is against slavery in the colonies so I guess that excuses all his other faults. *eyeroll*)

He is an absolute entitled jerk. So much of how he lives his life has to do with shame, because he was in love with an inappropriate woman years ago. (Spoiler: it ended badly in Scotland.) And now he is again. ("Everything in his world and hers said he should never have touched her" (ch. 16).) How the heroine can possibly find him attractive as a person is beyond me, and the author certainly didn’t convince me. Theirs is NOT going to be a happy marriage once the flames of passion die down. (At least she sort of has her land back! Sort of since he still owns it!)

Plus. In the time of the Regency, a single Duke and a single woman poor and unconventional but still of Quality having a discussion about whether or not women can have orgasms. Sure. And once again we have a heroine who firmly believes that there is no risk to her sleeping with a man outside the bonds of matrimony – in fact, she’d love to get pregnant, she’ll just keep it and raise it if she does. Sure. She has almost no money and the man who could restore her lands to her won’t. But she can have a baby out of wedlock and just carry on with her life. SURE.

Also the discussion between this couple of whips during sex. And threesomes. Sure. Very appropriate to the times. (And in case you are like “I’m here for the sex scenes,” the sex scenes were very – unremarkable. No whips or threesomes.)

I hated this book. I should have stopped reading but confess I wanted to leave a hate review after a certain point. I also needed to leave a review so I could put Madeline Hunter on my “do not read ever again” list. My personal rating would be 1 star. I give it 2 because it grammatically readable. Still awful.

("A witty Regency romance"? No. Not witty.)

[Bookwormlipa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheguei àquele momento em que acabou a série e me sinto triste e feliz ao mesmo tempo. Não gosto quando se estende demais, mas detesto deixar o universo que tanto venho a gostar. Madeline Hunter tem esse efeito sobre mim.
A história deste romance foi muito bonita. Bateu em pontos bem incomuns e diferentes. Mostrou um Duque que não se derrete como manteiga e uma mulher, que sabe o que quer e onde quer chegar.
Posso começar pela única coisa que faltou no livro: mais alegrias para Eric. O pobre coitado merecia-as sem dúvida alguma; e mais romance para o casal. Em parte, e com um certo jeitinho, senti um pouco da ausência disso nos dois, porém tendo em conta o contexto da história, acho que até teve um pouco lógica.
Não foi o suficiente para derrubar as 5 estrelas. Não na minha opinião.
Eric, o nosso Duque, é um homem bastante interessante e misterioso, e revelou-se assim até quase ao final do livro. Deixou-me bastante curiosa, o que o poderia ter levado a ser assim mesmo, e no fim compreendi e entendi o porquê de ele ser como era. Fiquei encantada por ele, de verdade. Merecia mais uns abraços!
Davina, mostrou-se ser uma mulher à grande. Sem medo de enfrentar um Duque, e de gozar com ele em todas as oportunidades. Sem contar com o que ela lhe… ah, é melhor vocês leres e tirarem as vossas conclusões. Mas adorei-a. Imenso. Objetiva, sonhadora, corajosa. Tanto ela como Amanda (do livro anterior) foram as minhas preferidas da serie. Clara continuou na minha lista de quem gostei menos, sorry.
O livro foi muito bonito e acho que mostra bem o quão Madeline Hunter consegue imaginar cenários sem grandes confusões, misteriosos e cheios de aventura e amor.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never Deny A Duke , the last in a series was as engaging as the first two, made me want to read the series again. This book had my laughing as our Heroine speaks boldly of sex and gritting my teeth over this King nonsense (not too much detail to spoil the book) The last in the series does not disappoint but rather makes me wish for another Decadent Duke.

This was a very good book, I didn't want to put it down. Davina and Eric build their relationship through a series of events as she attempts to prove her family owned Scottish, now English land taken by an English King. Our wonderful Duke (Eric) and Davina learn soon enough that this land belongs to Eric. As you can imagine a very reluctant Duke wants to hear nothing about anyone claiming to own his land and even more reluctant to admit feeling for a woman.

Eric wants to disprove her claim so when Davina starts to search for information Eric reluctantly suggest they share information or go together so they both know neither are hold information from the other. While searching for information in London, they find information that requires Eric to take her to the property and see about information or records in the area that may help with the search; of course our other Dukes and their Duchesses are all in a huff as they think Eric has driven Davina out of London over the land dispute since our unlikely pair have not shared they are traveling together. The Duke has not been to the property in years not since “it” happened and now is willing to take Davina but what will they find when they arrive? Why has Eric not visited in so many years? Some added mystery, a reason our handsome Duke is so reserved maybe? Davina medical back ground makes Eric very nervous as his feeling are growing toward her and yet he doesn’t demand she stop, instead he ask that she not put herself at risk. The reference to medical information had me laughing when Davina was going to write an essay about well lets say pleasure! You have to read yourself to see.

Davina and Eric’s characters were very likeable, pulled me into the story and absolutely loved this book, Madeline Hunter did a great job writing these stories.