Cover Image: Insatiable

Insatiable

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I love Darcy Burke books! Insatiable is a great addition to her catalog, and I really enjoyed it.
Insatiable, I believe is going to the final book in the Phoenix Club series, and I am going to miss this series! Insatiable focuses on Lucien, the owner of the Phoenix Club and his story. I was a little bummed out that he wasn't going to get together with a heroine from a previous book in the series, but I loved him and Kathleen together. They had great chemistry!
I will say I find the "studying of romance" trope a little annoying and cringey, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of this book and I found the heroine Kathleen charming. The dialogue is great, and story compelling.
Great book all around that I would recommend to HR readers!
I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley, and my opinion is my own.

Was this review helpful?

In the final book of the Phoenix Club series, we finally see Lucien get paired off. The romantic pairing in this book was a fun one. Kat is somewhere on the autism spectrum, with a singular focus on her current research topic and abysmal social skills, while Lucien is the quintessential extrovert, empathetic and focused on aiding those Society chooses to denigrate. Their romance reminded us of Jane Austen's gentle satire between Catherine and Tilney in Northanger Abbey: "a persuasion of her partiality for him had been the only cause of giving her a serious thought." Lucien has always liked Kat, but it's only when she admits that she's never been attracted to any man but him that he realizes that he's also attracted to her. Although they might not seem well-matched in theory, Lucien's open-hearted nature pairs well with Kat's eccentricities. He's able to see her as a person, rather than an oddity.

We also see the resolution of the spy plot introduced two books ago. We were really wondering what had happened, and we were glad that we got to see the ending. That said, we wish the romance could have been the singular focus of the book, as it was more compelling than the corruption of the Foreign Office.

We've really enjoyed spending time at the Phoenix Club!

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Was this review helpful?

Scandal, Lessons, Mystery
We reach the final book of this wonderful series. It's certainly been and interesting experience getting to know the characters throughout the series.
This story is a bit quirkier than the other books. Lucien needed his own story but, I wasn't thrilled with the pairing of him and Kat. Him being so mature, intelligent and caring man throughout the series and now he is helping immature self-centered Kat discover passion. Their personalities just didn't click with me.
Kat a young lady conducting research on human mating is about to get caught up in a very passionate and exciting adventure. Falling in love and solving a mystery all at the same time.
Intimate scenes had me getting my lady's fan out, so you know it was steamy for sure.
Adult Advisory:
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy for my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

I can't believe it's the end of the series, I love all the characters in the series and especially these last two
.
Darcy Burke writes such easy characters to get to the reader and in particular Sabrina, Constantine, Casandra, Ruark , Lucien and Kat.
.
Kat was wonderful every time she interacted with Lucien was perfect the way they talk and she describes her emotions and how she perceives things and people around her, she was one of the best characters on the autism spectrum that I have read in context with the time and how it was interpreted by others. It was very well written both in Impassioned with Sabrina and in this book with Kat
.
🦚 Insatiable 🦚 by Darcy Burke
.
After Miss Kathleen Shaughnessy is seen kissing a gentleman in a Gloucestershire garden, she’s sent to London to avoid scandal
.
She was not in love when she kissed the gentleman in question, nor did she intend to marry him. Curiosity is one of her best qualities but sometimes it ends up putting her in difficult situations. But she doesn’t plan to abandon her research of mating rituals
.
She knows the perfect person to provide assistance: her brother’s best friend, Lord Lucien Westbrook, who is renowned for helping others
.
Lucien runs the Phoenix Club, an inclusive community where no one is ostracized or overlooked. It’s also a secret rendezvous for the Foreign Office
.
As Lucien works to maintain control of the club, his best friend’s sister seeks his personal expertise and assistance with researching the “science” of mating
.
He can’t possibly say yes, but the more time he spends with the genuine and captivating Kat, the weaker is his resistance
.
This was my first five star of the year and I'm a little sad that it's the end of the series but I will surely go back to my favorite books in this series
.
Thanks to Darcy Burke and Zeallous Quill Press for give me a copy of this beautiful book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion

Was this review helpful?

I’ve been salivating for Lucien’s story since the first book in this series. Lucien was so mysterious and intriguing, and I wanted to know everything about him. I also wanted to know about the mysterious partners in The Phoenix Club and why they had so much power. And after the last book, I was really curious to find out more about Lucien’s father and why he was so negative and unsupportive of Lucien when he wasn’t necessarily like that with his other children. I’m happy to say all of my questions and more were answered in this conclusion to The Phoenix Club.

Lucien’s love interest is Kat, his best friend’s sister. Their growing romance is a bit ironic since Lucien was so adamantly opposed to his sister marrying his best friend. Kat wants to understand human mating rituals, and she asks Lucien, the only person she’s ever been attracted to, to help her. Lucien has enough on his plate without engaging with his best friend’s sister, but he can’t deny he is drawn to Kat. My word, these two have chemistry! Lucien goes almost feral thinking about Kat practicing her experiments with other men, and it’s pretty swoon-worthy. I like that Lucien found someone who challenges him and piques his interest, not to mention the spicy scenes, some of which are set in some hidden recesses of The Phoenix Club and are pretty steamy.

I love Lucien! In all of the past books, he’s proven to be successful, supportive, and a clever matchmaker. He loves deeply, and he has amazing friendships and relationships with his siblings. However, with precarious connections to the crown, a traitor in their midst, an ever-confusing and troubled relationship with his father, and The Phoenix Club slipping through his fingers, Lucien struggles throughout this story. I’m so glad he found a partner with whom he can share his present troubles and his past secrets because as successful and loved as Lucien is, he’s also very alone in many ways.

Kat has her own difficulties, especially in understanding people and social situations. She often becomes overwhelmed and inconsolable. She is a well-developed character with strength, intelligence, and a vast amount of curiosity and bravery. And the way Lucien respects her boundaries and understands her needs is wonderful. It made me like him even more than I did before because he is so accepting, and he makes Kat see herself in an entirely different light. I think Kat does the same for Lucien.

I enjoyed this ending to The Phoenix Club series. It has romance, intrigue, and drama, and it wraps everything up nicely. Traitors are finally revealed, thanks to Lucien, Kat, and many of their friends, and the revelations about Lucien’s father explain a lot. And I think almost all of the main characters in the previous book have appearances in this one, which I adored. I actually kind of liked the intrigue and development of Lucien and his relationships with family and friends, as well as his connection to the Crown and The Phoenix Club a little bit more than I liked the love story. Thanks to NetGalley and Darcy Burke for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I have loved the entire Phoenix Club series and it was great fun to see Lucien finally meet his match and to finally solve some of the riddles that have been winding their way throughout the entirety of this series. While this is a standalone and can be read that way, I highly recommend having the background details offered by the earlier books in the series.

Here, Lucien is the younger son of a duke who seemingly despises Lucien, though there have recently been signs to the contrary. He runs the Phoenix Club, whose membership is aimed more at the ton's misfits than its elites. Recent issues have led to doubts about the club's future. Kat, the FMC, is the sister of Lucien's best friend and now brother-in-law. Kat does not embrace or really fully understand social mores, leading to some of the more entertaining moments in the book. Kat also desires to study mating habits and Lucien gets pulled in (or jumps into, depending on one's POV) her experimentations. And their love story goes from there.

This couple might be my favorite of the series. Both accept the other for who they are, full-stop. There is passion but also curiosity and care. Ms. Burke did a lovely job closing out this series, and it was nice as well to get some tidbits about previous couples. I am hopeful some of them become incorporated in future stories - Kat does have sisters, after all!

5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Insatiable was my least favorite book in the Phoenix Club series and the one that I was looking forward to the most. It was slow in spots and I wasn't connected with the story. It was readable and fans will want to see how the series resolves.

Was this review helpful?

DNF at 35%

I really wanted to like this one, but sadly, I can't get into it. After almost 100 pages, I've given it enough of a chance. I liked one of the other books in the series, but the rest have fallen flat. This is by far my least favorite of them.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

I was into the first half of the book and then I just ended up losing interest in it. I didn’t realize this book was the end of a series until about that point and it did make sense why some things didn’t make sense to me. I didn’t realize this on Netgalley, not until I marked it as completed on Goodreads.

The main characters were just ok to me, and I also ended up skimming past 60 percent. For now the rating is three stars. Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing the chance to read and review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

5/5 stars
3.5/5 stars

This was such a fun read. Kat and Lucien have a great dynamic. They started with a friendship that developed into an attraction.

Tropes:
Brother's best friend
Progressive FMC
Business owner MMC
Social anxiety rep
Both MCs sworn off marriage
Friends to lovers
Dual POV

I found Kat to be delightful, honest, and genuine. It isn't mentioned in the book specifically but she obviously suffers from some type of social anxiety. She gets overwhelmed by crowds, loud noises, and stressful situations. She is shown to have episodes on screen and what she has to do to manage her reactions.

Seeing how understanding and non judgmental Lucien is with Kat was throwing up so many green flags. He respected her boundaries, made sure her needs were met, and never once made her feel bad about how she is. I loved it... just so many heart eye emojis and "aww" moments. Lucien is really just a great friend all around.

The spice was great. There was tension, banter, and that amazing sexual awakening for Kat that she just embraced without the usual virginal shyness. I loved it!

Overall a great HistRom... highly recommend. I'm going to read the rest of the series now.

I was given an ARC by Netgalley and Zealous Quill Press in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered freely.

Was this review helpful?

“Insatiable” is the last part in Darcy Brule’s The Phoenix Club series. It is story of Lucien and Kat.

Lucien is the owner (partial) of the Phoenix Club but unfortunately his position is in danger. With the scandal surrounding the club, members are leaving. Than we have Kat. She is autistic and currently her mind is set on research about human mating rituals. She needs a subject to help her with experiments. She made her choice and Lucian is not ready for what is coming his way!

I dare say that this was the best book in the series, and I have read only two.

OMG that was hot! And on top of that we got an interesting spy story! I mean… I could die now and I would feel that my life was great, all because of this book!

Lord Lucien - my new love! <3

This book is perfect! Every historical romance lover will adore this story. You can’t miss it, if you will, your life will be empty… true story!

Was this review helpful?

Insatiable by, Darcy Burke. Another pulse pounding Romance book from Ms. Darcy Burke. Not only was I fascinated by the mystery, breach against the crown and one’s country, broken trust , it was the erotic fun times in the bedroom that had me drawn deep into the book. The story has a medium speed to it.
I believe that the writer intentionally did this, because she didn’t want you to miss any of the detailed information to Lucien along with Roark and the gentleman that belong to Lucien’s club, The Phoenix Club.. I thought the the whole discovery of who were the culprits was tied up very nicely. The romance story behind the story in the book was most entertaining. Lucien and Kat set the pages afire under the basis of how animals mate. “Sure Kate use that as an excuse to Lucien’s hands on you girl.” I’m not jealous. “
“Well maybe a little.” Like I was saying the many naughty things these two do in the hidden darks spaces in the club was darn right masterful. Lucien is like a god I tell you. The god of pleasure. Kate, who tries to be all innocent, on a number of occasions turns to a Wilde cat when she’s around the delectable Lucien. I for one enjoyed the entertainment of the book and had a blast reading Lucien and Kats mating experiments.
I give this book two snaps and a, twist. Until next time my fellow readers… read on!

Was this review helpful?

A Fun Steamy Adventure

Lucien never expected to be floored when Kat took an interest in him. He had problems to solve at the Phoenix Club and things were getting more complicated when Kat approached him with her idea.

Kat had been in trouble once before and had now gone to live in London with her brother and sister-in-law. Kat was interested in the science of human mating and wanted to experiment to experience all it entailed and Lucien would be the perfect person.

A fun, sexy erotic, witty and steamy read! Lucien really did try not to give into temptation but it was too hard and Kat always seemed to be in the right place to tempt him.

A wonderfully written storyline to complement the rest of the series, definitely a recommended read!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I have never laughed out loud so much than when I picked up this book. I need more Darcy Burke books and I need them ASAP.

This is book 8 in The Phoenix Club series and it can be read as a standalone. This is the best friend's sister romance trope and I never thought I would love this trope till this book. The book follows Kat who is Lucien's friend brother-in-law's little sister who has an inquisitive mind. Kat is daring and always up to learning so she inquires of Lucien a former spy, a bachelor often described as a rogue and a helpful individual to help her study the mating habits of humans, Funny, angsty , plot driven , character development 100 and engaging. I cannot highly recommend it. This is a review of a complimentary copy and all opinions expressed are entirely my own,.

Was this review helpful?

I have ready all of the books in the Phoenix Club series and I was so excited to get an advanced copy from NetGalley for the final book in the series, Insatiable. I liked the premise of the book and there were many sections that I enjoyed (especially the last chapter or two), but the rest of the book did not live up the the other books in the series. I felt this book was really boring for most of it and didn't feel the connection between Lucian and Kat. Don't get me wrong, they have a few good moments, but not enough for the final book in what was an excellent series. I wanted to love this book, but in the end, cannot give it more than three stars. Very disappointing.

Was this review helpful?

Lucien and Kat's story blends romance, humour and intrigue.
Kat cleverly confides in Lucien about her research, which makes his mind spin with the idea that she might actually experiment with a man who isn't him. Once they kiss their attraction to one another can't be denied and this leads to a few steamy scenes in clandestine locations. For me, there were too many scenes like this but I know lots of readers who actively seek it out and it's easy to skim past if you don't.
Kat appears to be on the autistic spectrum and I thought that the author represented it quite sympathetically. As they say, if you know one artistic person you know one autistic person. Kat's unique and latest obsession is researching mating rituals which leads her to yummy Lucien. She also has trouble with crowded places but has some coping mechanisms despite not being allowed to stim in public. I enjoyed the humour she brought and how Lucien appreciated her way of thinking.
The mystery had me intrigued and guessing to the end.

Was this review helpful?

I really loved this book! It is the final book in the Phoienix Club series, and I am glad that Lucien finally got his story.
Kat, whose brother is married to Lucien's sister, is visiting, after she was involved in a scandal. She is very intelligent and mildly autistic. She has vowed never to marry, since she is very much into her scientific studies. She asks Lucien if he will help her with a study on human emotions. He reluctantly agrees. There are a few humorous scenes in the process.
Lucien is having problems with the club losing members and with the Home Office. There are mysteries and twists and turns in this story that make it a thoroughly enjoyable, entertaining read. I highly recommend it.
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and these are my opinions.

Was this review helpful?

I have mixed emotions about the end of this book. I am so very happy that Lucien got the happiest of endings. Kat is his opposite in everything. They are perfectly matched. With Lucien's story coming to an end that means that the series also comes to an end. The way that all of the loose ends from past stories came to a close was satisfying.

Was this review helpful?

3,5 stars

This is the end of the series and I wanted to like this book more. Lucien has been a steady influence through all the other books. He is thought to be the owner of the Phoenix club. Actually he's a part owner and his other partner is the foreign Office. Lucien has had a fractious relationship with his father. There was a scandal when Lucien returned from the Spain and someone is trying to undermine him at the club and point the finger towards him being the culprit in a colleagues murder. The heroine is Kat, sister of Ruark, Lucien's friend. She appears to be on the autistic spectrum. The author used the, IMO rather stale trope of innocent heroine wanting to learn all about sex so grabs the nearest attractive man for detailed oral and other shenanigans. Like other reviewers I didn't really warm to Kat she seems very self focused.
She blurts out some of the intrigue to people she should be wary of and having been aware of Lucien's other lover IMO she didn't seem to be a good fit for him.

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

Was this review helpful?

I received an ARC through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I read two ARCs this week - both historical fiction and both with a heroine who appeared to be on the autistic spectrum. I have two friends who are autistic and whom I know very well, so I was interested in how the authors w presented someone who is Neuro-divergent. Frankly, neither of these fictional heroines was credible and I am so angry at the way the authors failed to present fully realised representations of fully functioning autistic people. It was an insult. If the author did not intend Kat to be on the autistic spectrum, then I apologise and have to say I found Kat to be boring, adolescent, insensitive and selfish. I could not take to her at all.

This book was the end of a series which I have not read so I don’t know how much that affected my enjoyment. The story seemed so predictable and derivative that I found it difficult to engage. The vast cast of characters was reasonably well handled but I did struggle to know who waas who some of the time. The plotting was so melodramatic and dated that I never developed any interest in the machinations of the protagonists.

For me the major drawback was the heroine. Sorry but the way this author depicted Kat was really poorly done imho. I felt no empathy for Kat and I could not believe Lucien had fallen in love with her.

The idea of the heroine researching mating habits of humans in that era simply made me laugh. The author failed to make me understand Kat’s thinking and behaviour , let alone sympathise with her desires. I just found Kat a boring figure. Such a shame.

Sorry, this was simply not my cup of tea and I ended up skimming the book. I believe this is a popular author so I don’t imagine my dislike of the book will affect her. Sorry but I can’t give this more than 2 stars.

Was this review helpful?