Cover Image: Insatiable

Insatiable

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She is smart with an insatiable thirst for knowledge, albeit odd by society’s standards but she is perfect for him and he is her person. Lots of adventure and laugh out loud moments plus a spy/murder mystery to solve. How the author wove all the elements together is beyond me but reading it is thoroughly enjoyable.

I received an ARC of this book and leaving my review voluntarily.

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So…I don’t like leaving negative reviews. I would rather just not say anything at all and maybe that would be best for all. But I cannot, just cannot keep quiet about this one.

It’d been a while since I read anything by this author and while reading the synopsis I was thinking to myself, why haven’t I read this author?? I can’t remember any of her books. Which is crazy because when I see a story having anything to do with falling for a brother’s hunky, rakish friend…well I usually just throw my money at you.

BUT, I kid you not, three pages in I remembered why I don’t read books from this author. My eye twitches, I find myself staring in front of me blankly about five times a chapter and saying ‘what??’ Not a, oh that is an intriguing mystery, but a genuine what the flip am I reading? Why am I reading it? Etc.

Am I being harsh? Perhaps. Do I say everything with complete conviction? 100%

Dislikable characters, stilted conversation, and descriptions that leave a lot to be desired.

<b>“Tall and white, he possessed alluring laugh lines around his eyes and mouth that lured all he encountered into his orbit”</b> Hmm…I’m gonna say we got that fact that his alluring features lured people in by the definition of the word. Also when I’m reading a historical fiction set in England the first thing I think is an African American, or Asian male lead. So thanks for the description that he was tall and white…

I could go on but quite frankly I don’t want to think about this book anymore than I already have.

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Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me this eARC to review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and It was so close to getting 5 stars. Kat is probably one of my favourite heroines of all time, I loved how she was curious and asked questions. I loved how open she was even when sometimes it was against social etiquette. Lucian was an interesting hero who is loyal to a fault and more friend groups deserve someone like him.

I liked their chemsitry and romantic plot and while I did enjoy the Foreign Office stuff, it took a little longer for me to get into it.

I haven't read any of the other books in the series and I'm very interested in Max's book as well as Constantine's.

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Insatiable is the seventh book in the Phoenix society series and at last we have Lucien’s story. A stalwart in the previous books Lucien still runs the club but this looks to be in danger, the foreign office has it under their control as they use it to obtain information on people of interest to them and are unhappy with a scandal involving Lucien that has seen club membership declining.
Lucien meets up with Kat his best friends sister, she is in London to avoid a scandal she caused by kissing another lady’s fiancé, this was all to do with her research in studying the science of mating. When she meets Lucien she decides he will be the ideal person to teach her such things and he decides he wouldn’t mind helping her.
An enjoyable story of intrigue, passion and the regency period, I particularly like Luciens character Kats no so much, she had some odd ‘events’ that mentally and physically effected her that weren’t fully explained and didn’t add anything to the story.
I found it particularly odd that any new characters that were introduced were referred to as ‘the white lady or gentlemen’ why it was necessary to mention skin colour is beyond me.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

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I thoroughly loved reading the amazing and awesome romance story. Even though Lucien is trying to hold onto his exclusive club, The Phoenix Club, Lucien is approached by Kat to help her with her scientific research, and Lucien can't seem to resist Kat's allure to help her. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, a riveting story that engages and captivates the reader, and a must read Lucien and Kat's love story by the fabulous and fantastic author, Darcy Burke!

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The following are my thoughts as I read this book. Kathleen Shaughnessy…sister of the Earl of Wexford, known as Kat to friends and family, wants to study human mating rituals. Lucien Westbrook…the Earl of Wexford brother-in-law, son of the Duke of Evesham, part owner of Phoenix Club. The h is serious about her studies, she even purchased a book about matrimonial duties LOL. I can see the path possible where the H is roped into the plans of the h. The h really has me laughing with her way of thinking; added bonus is how she keeps throwing the H off balance. Ok so there is more here than a simple romance story, it has a mystery too. The plot thickens. The h is so literal in her thinking and it is funny at times. Oops the “Kat” is out of the bag, LOL. Yea, I am glad a bond was repaired. I don’t understand why it was necessary to “announce“ the race of almost each and every character included in the story; it felt like it took away from the story to me. I like that panic attacks and anxiety are incorporated into the story, good to read about a MC that is not perfect. There is steamy steam.

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Welcome to the Phoenix Club, where London’s most audacious, disreputable, and intriguing ladies and gentlemen find scandal, redemption, and second chances.
Lucien and Kat are meant to be together.
His love of the stars and her love of science makes them the ideal couple.
Darcy Burke is a great author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

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Lucien’s story has been perhaps the most anticipated match of this series for me. We have watched him work tirelessly to help and match everyone within his circle of friends while selflessly avoiding his own happiness. We also got lots of intrigue and the tying up of things left unfinished until now. However the romance was a little bit of an after thought for me and I didn't really warm to Kat or find her a suitable match for Lucien in my opinion I can only award 4 stars for this reason. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

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I’ve been eager for Lucien’s story so I can find out what happens to the club and what the deal is with his father. The romance is readable without knowing the series, but since this is the last, I’d recommend reading one or two of the others at least. There’s a lot of revisiting other characters and Foreign Office subplots.

The romance sometimes felt second to the subplot, but I’m invested in the series so that didn’t bother me. It was nice to see Lucien not have all the answers and need to rely on others.

I see a lot of reviewers not liking Kat and I think that demonstrates exactly why we need more neurodivergent heroines. Not everyone experiences the world like you do. I found her likable, although to be honest I had always thought Lucien would end up with Evie.

What am I supposed to read now that this fun series is over?!

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I loved this story! It kept me on the edge of my seat right from the first page! The story is filled with suspension, hot interactions and twists. I found the characters fun, sassy, and very lovable.

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This is the final book in the Phoenix Club series, with all the loose ends tying up perfectly, we discover why Lucien has a difficult relationship with his father and the side story about the spy in the foreign office get their comeuppance. I felt the subject of Kats autism was tactfully written about even tho never really addressed as such.

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Lucien’s story has been perhaps the most anticipated match of this series. We have watched him work tirelessly to help and match everyone within his circle of friends while selflessly avoiding his own happiness. It delighted me to see him take to Kat, his best friend’s sister. Truly, after all the grief he put his sister and Ruark through regarding their match, it was only fitting that his match be slightly hypocritical. It provided another layer of humour to the situation. This story is full of so much light and longing, but more importantly, growth. Kat’s social anxieties are displayed with such truth and the way Lucien intuitively understands what she needs even from the beginning was the true display of his love. The relationships alongside their match added another layer to what made the story so compelling. If anything this story was about acceptance, support and understanding. Kat’s relationship with her brother and sister-in-law, so eagerly trying to make things easier for her, even Sabrina’s assistance, really cemented the bond of the family. Throughout this series, the friendships within this group have been a true family of found friends and loved ones. It brought me tremendous joy in the last 8 stories. Most often, I find that romance novels rarely truly shock me, but the mystery arc in this story did just that. I can honestly, the twists and turns of the end I did not see coming. I found myself gasping out loud at numerous revelations in the end. It was wonderfully written and a complete shock. Kat is everything I could’ve hoped for Lucien, even while being a complete surprise. A beautiful story of acceptance and the joy of being truly seen!

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Kind of vacillating between 3 and 4 stars... this is a satisfactory ending to the series, with the loose threads wrapped up and appearances/updates from previous main characters. However, the most interesting parts were about the Phoenix Club, and in comparison the romance just fell flat. I can understand what the author was portraying with Kat, but her actions and attitudes were still jarring at times and the relationship between her and Lucien didn't work for me. I almost wanted to skim those parts to get to the intrigue. Plenty of good writing and plotting, but not quite hitting the spot compared to its predecessors.

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I've really enjoyed Darcy Burke's Phoenix Club series,, Lucien has been my favorite character from the beginning,, and I have been impatiently waiting for his HEA.. Overall, though, this wasn't my favorite installment in the series. All the loose threads from previous books were tied up, the problems with the Phoenix Club were resolved, and we finally found out the cause of the tension between Lucien and his father, but with all that running in the background, I felt that the book ended up being a little thin on romance.

As to Kat's character, I think this is the first historical romance I've ever read with an autistic heroine. While the term autistic is not used within the story, I thought it was evident from the way Darcy wrote the character, and she does mention it on the dedication page. I got frustrated with Kat quite a bit through the course of the story, but I found myself warming to her in the last third of the book. I did really love how supportive her brother and her friends were and how they accepted her for who she was. I also enjoyed revisiting the cast of characters from the previous books in the series. Overall this was an entertaining read. and a satisfying conclusion to a fantastic series.

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Historical romance. Regency England. Book 8 of the Phoenix Club series. This is the final book of the series and we finally see our meddlesome club owner Lucien meet his match. With the scandal and drama that closed out the end of Book 7, Lucien is at risk of losing the club from the intervention of the anonymous patrons from the Foreign Office. However, it seems there is more danger behind the scenes. Meanwhile, his friend’s younger sister, Kat, has decided this is the Season she will dedicate more research to the mating habits of people. Kat is bookish and socially awkward and gets overwhelmed by crowds easily, but is comfortable with and attracted to Lucien. She asks him for assistance in her research and he can only resist for so long because he finds her honesty and directness attractive as well. I really enjoyed this book and it was a great ending to the whole series.

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There honestly could not be a more perfect ending to this series. I have loved Luciaen from day one and I’ve always wanted him to be happy. Hopefully everybody has read the previous novel in the series because we got hit with a huge surprising twist about who actually owned the club and Lucien’s background. That wasn’t a cliffhanger; it was more like an appetizer that prepares you for the most delicious meal you can imagine.

We’ve seen Kat several times already and I also wanted her to get a happy ending. And who better than Lucien? She is quirky and interesting. I also understood her. I am someone who requires solitude to resituate myself. I am grateful for her accurate portrayal.

But let me tell you about this delightful book. You definitely need to read all of the Phoenix Club books before reading this one because the characters are deeply entertained. It’s interesting, in many series I’ve read, at the culmination, it feels like a gratuitous presentation of previous characters but this is not like that at all. When characters you remember from earlier in the series show up, you scream with delight. And they fit. It makes sense why they’re there.

Her writing is always top notch and there were times that I literally laughed out loud. There is a part near the end between Kat and Lucien and her brother where I spit out my drink, and reread it several times, laughing each time. You will absolutely know what I mean when you read it.

Darcy Burke is one of my very favorite authors. She is an auto buy for me. She has never left me dissatisfied with one of her books. But this book with something else. Maybe it’s because I’ve had so long to fall in love with all of the characters throughout the series but this book had me completely entranced. Captivated. I was actually sad when I was keeping an eye on the progress percentage at the bottom of the page because I knew that eventually it was going to have to end and I did not want it to be over. I wanted to wrap this book around me and hold it.

It isn’t that often that I am obsessed with waiting for a book to be published. But thinking about this one has taken up a lot of my time recently. When I was approved for the ARC, I actually waited a day to read it because I was savoring the experience. At 2 AM, when my eyes were burning and drooping, I was angry that I had to sleep and couldn’t finish. Six hours later I was poring over the next chapter.

This is an absolute five star read. You will not be disappointed. Honestly, it’s transformative. But none of her books will let you down.

And yes, I bought a copy for myself even after getting the ARC. I wanted a finished copy for myself because I know I will read it over and over.

Overall five stars. Steam level was very hot and extremely satisfying.

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And the series ends with a bang! I’ve loved this entire Phoenix Club series, and it was bittersweet to see it end, having all the previous books characters come together was great, and Lucien deserved his own happily every after. Plus the heroine was clearly neuro-divergent and it was lovely to see Lucien love her because of that rather than in spite of it. A worthy end to a great series.

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Kat is very scientific and she wants to experience kissing. When she turns to her brother’s rakish best friend Lucien he feels he must oblige her so she won’t be ruined. Neither planned for the impact of those kisses leading to more. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Zealous Quill Press for my honest review.

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