OMG, I knew I was going to love Ivy's story--I've been dying to find out what her backstory was for three books now--but how much I loved it still managed to take me by surprise.

Because, Ivy. And West. Seriously, they're right up there in my top ten favorite couples. Heck, they're probably in the top five.

Ivy's been a mystery for the whole series--she was befriended by the other wallflowers at the start of book one ( The Forbidden Duke ) but most of her life before and after that point remained a mystery, even to Nora, Lucy, and Aquilla. We knew there was something big and tragic there--everything about her screamed huge secrets--but it wasn't until she got her own book that we found out what they were. And how appropriate is it that the Duke of Desire (though she lobbied hard for Debauchery or Depravity) become her hero?

So. Appropriate.

And whoa, Ms. Burke did a great job of making a guy who at first seemed like a total sleezeball (I would have been right there with Ivy once upon a time, casting my vote for Debauchery as well) into such an amazingly great guy. I mean, I am still shuddering when I think too hard about it, because no condoms (didn't they have French letters yet? Because, scary...) but overall his reasons behind and for doing what he'd been doing up until Ivy were so much better than I ever could have come up with. But then he met Ivy, so...sigh.

I was a bit distressed when I realized that this book meant that all four of the original heroines had their HEAs, but was thrilled to hear that a book five (the hero is connected to a secondary character here) is in the works (and that West's best friend also has a "Duke" moniker courtesy of the girls, so surely he'll get a book too, soon?) because I am absolutely not ready to leave the world of the Untouchables behind!

The Duke of Desire would work fine as a standalone, though if you (like me!) have read the other series books and been dying for Ivy to get her HEA, this one will be all the more satisfying for you.

Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

This is book four in the Untouchables series by this author. I really adored both the hero and heroine's characters in this book. The interaction between Duke of Clare and Ivy is really sexually charged and hot. There is one scene in the book, in which, Clare talks to Ivy about what he would like to do for her, not just to her and that scene sets the pages on fire. It is probably one of the best sexy scenes I have read recently even though Clare doesn't even touch Ivy. A really good addition to the series and as a standalone novel.

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

Awesome read! I thoroughly enjoyed it, awesome plot and the heroine isn't your run of the mill average miss born a saint and misled by a rogue type. Lots of characters though so at times you can get a bit distracted but overall not a big issue, makes you want to read the other books in the series. Well developed plot with a few quirks that I found very entertaining!

Ivy Breckenridge life was destroyed ten years ago. She’s had to make it on her own in the cold cruel world now as a paid ladies companion. She has no desire to marry, she’s forgotten her dreams of marring and having a family. Sebastian Westgate “West”, the Duke of Clare has been deemed an Untouchable by Ivy and her friends gave him the nickname of The Duke of Desire. He guards his life and doesn’t allow anyone close enough to see past his charming exterior. He encounters Ivy at a house party where she catches his eye. She wants nothing to do with West, but West is intrigued by her, she’s strong, intelligent woman, he loves her wit and her devotion to her charity work. It’s quite intriguing to see the seducer become seduced by a bluestocking intellectual woman who wants nothing to do with him. Ivy and West both have secrets they do not want to share, but they are drawn to each other despite their differences and resistance. Truly a one of as kind story and a perfect Duke of Desire.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely loved it. a wonderful historical romance. Nice job!

This fourth book in the Untouchables series might have taken time to grow on me but much like ivy, my overall enjoyment couldn't be stopped.
West, the Duke of Clare, was a surprisingly sensitive and kind character despite his practice of helping married women seek pleasure in the bedroom. I had too hard of time believing this to be such a act of kindness by the Duke that couples sought him out for his services (especially for the time period). Because I held back in the beginning due to this storyline, I was slower to warm up to West and Ivy as a couple even though I liked them together. Ivy Breckinridge had such a sad story and while West was wonderful, Ivy seemed to fall in lust faster than her character was likely too. Despite all that, by the end I was excited to see how things worked out. I do wish the 'villains' suffered quite a bit more, especially for Ivy's sake. The ending conversation between the couple was sweet.

Here is a yummy romance not to be missed. We have a Regency style sex-therapist in the guise of the Duke of Clare, and yes that sounds a bit strange but trust me it all works in the hands of this terrific author. Then we have a ladies’ companion, Ivy, who has a scandalous past but is totally charmed by the Duke.

This is the first book I have read in this series and I was not lost. Characters from the previous books make appearances but all is well explained. However I do wish to read their stories in books 1-3.

I highly recommend this steamy, sexy, page turner to all romance aficionados.

4.5 🌟 This is Book 4 of the Untouchables Series. I feel this can be read as a standalone book because I haven't read any of the previous stories and had no problem enjoying this read.
This is the story of Ivy who's life was ruined 10 years ago and West, The Duke of Clare. They meet at a house party and West decides he wants to seduce Ivy. Ivy wants to stay far away from West since she knows she can't be seen with someone of his status.
After the house party ends, West can't get Ivy off his mind and follows her to her next destination. He realizes he's in love with her and wants her for his own.
This was a great read by Darcy Burke. I look forward to the next book in this series.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with the arc in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars/B+ at AAR

The Duke of Desire, the fourth book in Darcy Burke’s series, The Untouchables, is quite possibly my favourite of them all so far. I will admit that when I read the blurb, I was doubtful. After all, the idea that the eponymous duke is a kind of Regency Era sex-therapist who helps couples to liven up their love lives by sleeping with the wives and helping them to learn to find and give pleasure – is certainly most unusual, not to mention unlikely. But bear with me; the ability to suspend your disbelief on that point will pay dividends, because said duke turned out to be one of the most charming, well-balanced and thoroughly adorable heroes I’ve read about in a while.

Sebastian Westgate, Duke of Clare – known as West to his friends – has such a notorious reputation as a seducer of married women that he has been nicknamed ‘The Duke of Desire’ by lady’s companion, Ivy Breckenridge and her friends Lucy and Aquilla (heroines of the previous two books). West is one of several eligible gentlemen the ladies also designated as ‘Untouchable’, men so far about them in station that they daren’t even look that high, let alone think about doing anything else. However, given that Lucy and Aquilla have recently married two of those men (The Duke of Daring and The Duke of Deception), it seems that perhaps the Untouchables weren’t so far out of reach after all. Although Ivy has absolutely no intention whatsoever of finding out if the Duke of Clare is touchable or not; in fact, she wanted to nickname him ‘The Duke of Depravity’, because the ease with which he embarks upon his numerous affairs disgusts her.

She is therefore not best pleased when, at a house-party she is attending with her employer, the duke takes notice of her and attempts to start up a flirtation. There’s no doubt he’s very handsome and very charming, but Ivy isn’t interested, and certainly not in a man whose attention to a lowly, paid companion can only lead to one thing. And Ivy isn’t interested in that, either. Yet in their few, brief encounters, West reveals himself to be something quite different to the heartless seducer Ivy believes he is. He doesn’t deny the truth of his many affairs, but unlike the other rakes she has encountered, West is not self-centred or jaded – in fact he’s the exact opposite. She has never before met someone who seems so comfortable in his own skin, someone with such a capacity for joy and the desire for others to find their own happiness… and in spite of her misgivings, she begins to wish she could experience some of that joy for herself.

But she persists in holding herself back from both joy and him. Ten years earlier, Ivy fell in love with a young man who promised her marriage but then left her utterly ruined. In the intervening years, she endured great hardship, and then, with the help of a kind lady patroness, re-invented herself and made a new life, leading to her current situation as a companion. She isn’t interested in men or in marriage; she just wants to live a quiet, respectable life and to pursue her many charitable interests, most of which take the form of helping to improve the lot of people who have been unlucky enough to have ended up in the workhouse.

Ivy may come across as rather cold and inflexible to begin with, but she has good reasons for that, some of which are quickly obvious, some of which are revealed to good effect later on in the story. But in spite of her past and in spite of her determination not to like West, she soon finds that it’s completely impossible not to fall under his spell. West is determined to pursue Ivy at first, but once she turns him down, he backs off, and, as he has no wish to ruin her, tries to leave her alone. But he also recognises that she needs someone like him – he says himself that it’s his nature to push people into challenging themselves – because he can see that Ivy is not the dry, mirthless woman she makes herself out to be, and he wants her to live and enjoy her life rather than just trudge through it. As fellow guests at a house party they cannot completely avoid each other, which makes their interactions even more of a delight. It’s clear that West isn’t actively trying to charm Ivy (although his charm is so natural that he really can’t help it!) and isn’t pretending friendship in order to get her into bed. He wants her, yes, and offers to teach her about pleasure, but he leaves it to Ivy to decide how their relationship should proceed.

One of the things I really liked about the book is the way in which both West and Ivy are changed by their association. Ivy deliberately represses her emotions because she believes that allowing herself to feel will lead to more pain and heartbreak, but hasn’t realised that in doing so, she has cut herself off from positive emotions as well. She is profoundly affected by West’s honesty and zest for life – and starts to realise what she has been denying herself; not just passion but pleasure in even the simplest things. And West has his eyes opened to the terrible situation faced by so many when he accompanies Ivy and some of the other ladies on a visit to a local workhouse, and is moved to help; not just because he wants to impress (although he admits that might be part of it) but because his compassionate nature compels him to do so.

West has his own cross to bear in the form of his puritanical mother, whose reaction to his normal, healthy, teenaged preoccupation with females was to castigate and beat him. As a result, he began to take delight in defying and shocking her, his rebellion taking the form of leaping in to the beds of as many women in as scandalous a fashion as possible. It’s perhaps a bit extreme, but the Duchess is a complete horror and fortunately, doesn’t get a lot of page time.

I liked the way the truth of West’s character is gradually revealed and the subtlety with which the author shows the evolution of his feelings for Ivy. He’s intrigued by her spirit and intelligence from the start, but it takes her rejection to get him to start looking beneath the beautiful surface, and to realise that there is a lot more to her than meets the eye. And that’s another of the things I loved about him; he’s intuitive and as sensitive to the things people don’t say as to the things they do.

The chemistry between West and Ivy is scorching right from the start, and I’d venture to say that the love scenes in this story are probably the sexiest I’ve read in any of this author’s books. There’s one particularly sensual scene where all West does is talk… kudos, Ms. Burke, on that, because not many authors can write a Kindle-melting scene where the characters are a) upright and b) fully clothed.

In spite of the eyebrow raising concept of the nobleman sex-therapist, The Duke of Desire – the book, and the man himself – completely won me over. The pairing of the independent, somewhat repressed heroine who needs to learn to let go once in a while with the confident, all-round-swoon-worthy hero who oozes sex appeal is a potent one that proved, in the end, to be a winning combination.

Great Historical Read! Ivy stays in the hidden as a lady’s companion but when she meets Sebastian at a house party her quiet life will be turned upside down. Great characters and a very entertaining story with plenty of steam. I loved it!

Hidden desires!

3.5 stars.
Ivy Breckenridge is a woman with secrets. When she and Sebastian Westgate, Duke of Clare, or rather, the Duke of Desire, so named by Ivy and her friends, meet at a house party something zings. (Really, these house parties seem to be designed, in novels at least, to be hot beds of gossip and extra martial, or not so extra marital, intrigue.)
I really liked West and Ivy. Ivy on the outside is a blue stocking who holds her feelings in check, for good reason as we painfully discover. West is attracted to Ivy and even more so as he comes to appreciate, not only her hidden beauty, but her intelligence and devotion to her charity work. Ivy and West both have to come to terms with their past before they can move forward. Ivy gives in to her feelings for the Duke of Desire and in true 'carpe diem' fashion seizes the moment, more than once with West, like a thirsty woman crying for water. West finds himself experiencing feelings that he'd not known possible, but will Ivy believe him?
A very steamy continuation of the 'The Untouchables' series.

A NetGalley ARC
(March 2017)

The Duke of Desire, the fourth book in Darcy Burke’s series, The Untouchables, is quite possibly my favourite of them all so far. I will admit that when I read the blurb, I was doubtful. After all, the idea that the eponymous duke is a kind of Regency Era sex-therapist who helps couples to liven up their love lives by sleeping with the wives and helping them to learn to find and give pleasure – is certainly most unusual, not to mention unlikely. But bear with me; the ability to suspend your disbelief on that point will pay dividends, because said duke turned out to be one of the most charming, well-balanced and thoroughly adorable heroes I’ve read about in a while.

Sebastian Westgate, Duke of Clare – known as West to his friends – has such a notorious reputation as a seducer of married women that he has been nicknamed ‘The Duke of Desire’ by lady’s companion, Ivy Breckenridge and her friends Lucy and Aquilla (heroines of the previous two books). West is one of several eligible gentlemen the ladies also designated as ‘Untouchable’, men so far about them in station that they daren’t even look that high, let alone think about doing anything else. However, given that Lucy and Aquilla have recently married two of those men (The Duke of Daring and The Duke of Deception), it seems that perhaps the Untouchables weren’t so far out of reach after all. Although Ivy has absolutely no intention whatsoever of finding out if the Duke of Clare is touchable or not; in fact, she wanted to nickname him ‘The Duke of Depravity’, because the ease with which he embarks upon his numerous affairs disgusts her.

She is therefore not best pleased when, at a house-party she is attending with her employer, the duke takes notice of her and attempts to start up a flirtation. There’s no doubt he’s very handsome and very charming, but Ivy isn’t interested, and certainly not in a man whose attention to a lowly, paid companion can only lead to one thing. And Ivy isn’t interested in that, either. Yet in their few, brief encounters, West reveals himself to be something quite different to the heartless seducer Ivy believes he is. He doesn’t deny the truth of his many affairs, but unlike the other rakes she has encountered, West is not self-centred or jaded – in fact he’s the exact opposite. She has never before met someone who seems so comfortable in his own skin, someone with such a capacity for joy and the desire for others to find their own happiness… and in spite of her misgivings, she begins to wish she could experience some of that joy for herself.

But she persists in holding herself back from both joy and him. Ten years earlier, Ivy fell in love with a young man who promised her marriage but then left her utterly ruined. In the intervening years, she endured great hardship, and then, with the help of a kind lady patroness, re-invented herself and made a new life, leading to her current situation as a companion. She isn’t interested in men or in marriage; she just wants to live a quiet, respectable life and to pursue her many charitable interests, most of which take the form of helping to improve the lot of people who have been unlucky enough to have ended up in the workhouse.

Ivy may come across as rather cold and inflexible to begin with, but she has good reasons for that, some of which are quickly obvious, some of which are revealed to good effect later on in the story. But in spite of her past and in spite of her determination not to like West, she soon finds that it’s completely impossible not to fall under his spell. West is determined to pursue Ivy at first, but once she turns him down, he backs off, and, as he has no wish to ruin her, tries to leave her alone. But he also recognises that she needs someone like him – he says himself that it’s his nature to push people into challenging themselves – because he can see that Ivy is not the dry, mirthless woman she makes herself out to be, and he wants her to live and enjoy her life rather than just trudge through it. As fellow guests at a house party they cannot completely avoid each other, which makes their interactions even more of a delight. It’s clear that West isn’t actively trying to charm Ivy (although his charm is so natural that he really can’t help it!) and isn’t pretending friendship in order to get her into bed. He wants her, yes, and offers to teach her about pleasure, but he leaves it to Ivy to decide how their relationship should proceed.

One of the things I really liked about the book is the way in which both West and Ivy are changed by their association. Ivy deliberately represses her emotions because she believes that allowing herself to feel will lead to more pain and heartbreak, but hasn’t realised that in doing so, she has cut herself off from positive emotions as well. She is profoundly affected by West’s honesty and zest for life - and starts to realise what she has been denying herself; not just passion but pleasure in even the simplest things. And West has his eyes opened to the terrible situation faced by so many when he accompanies Ivy and some of the other ladies on a visit to a local workhouse, and is moved to help; not just because he wants to impress (although he admits that might be part of it) but because his compassionate nature compels him to do so.

West has his own cross to bear in the form of his puritanical mother, whose reaction to his normal, healthy, teenaged preoccupation with females was to castigate and beat him. As a result, he began to take delight in defying and shocking her, his rebellion taking the form of leaping in to the beds of as many women in as scandalous a fashion as possible. It’s perhaps a bit extreme, but the Duchess is a complete horror and fortunately, doesn’t get a lot of page time.

I liked the way the truth of West’s character is gradually revealed and the subtlety with which the author shows the evolution of his feelings for Ivy. He’s intrigued by her spirit and intelligence from the start, but it takes her rejection to get him to start looking beneath the beautiful surface, and to realise that there is a lot more to her than meets the eye. And that’s another of the things I loved about him; he’s intuitive and as sensitive to the things people don’t say as to the things they do.

The chemistry between West and Ivy is scorching right from the start, and I’d venture to say that the love scenes in this story are probably the sexiest I’ve read in any of this author’s books. There’s one particularly sensual scene where all West does is talk… kudos, Ms. Burke, on that, because not many authors can write a Kindle-melting scene where the characters are a) upright and b) fully clothed.

In spite of the eyebrow raising concept of the nobleman sex-therapist, The Duke of Desire – the book, and the man himself – completely won me over. The pairing of the independent, somewhat repressed heroine who needs to learn to let go once in a while with the confident, all-round-swoon-worthy hero who oozes sex appeal is a potent one that proved, in the end, to be a winning combination.



Note: For some reason, at time of writing this title is listed on Amazon has being 65 pages long; that is incorrect, it is a full length novel, of around 300 pages.

My honest review for this ARC is that any Darcy Burke is guaranteed to please. The character are always so complex and the stories keep you engaged. This one, one of a series, certainly does not disappoint.

After Ivy Breckenridge's life is ruined when she was a green girl, she has reinvented herself as a companion and does her utmost to be proper in every situation. She has finally found some peace after surviving a horrific time on her own and she's vowed never to marry or let a man rule her or her emotions again. Sebastian Westgate has been nicknamed the Duke of Desire for his numerous affairs. He's a rake and once he sets his sights on Ivy, he's the one to be disappointed by her lack of interest.

I loved how Ms. Burke let Ivy and Westgate's attraction slowly grow through numerous interactions. I'm not a fan of instant "love" and this book allowed the natural progression of feelings. I admired Ivy's determination to make her own way--she was a strong and independent young woman. Westgate soon learned that not every woman swooned at his feet. He had to learn to cater to Ivy's desires and not his own. There were a few twists in the book and it kept my interest throughout. Fans of regency romances will absolutely love this book.

I have read all of the books in this series and this one is my favorite story. I loved Ivy even though her story is tragic. She is a strong woman and you know she will pull through. I liked West, however I was uncomfortable with his “service”. I am not a prude but it did not sit well with me. That being said, West did change and I liked how he would not give up on Ivy. This is a very emotional story that was beautifully written.

Loved this book. West and Ivy's story take many twists and turns before ending in marriage. It is well written and the words flow in such a great way that it keeps your interest until the very end. I would recommend this book, you will not be disappointed.

I have an affinity for historical romance books, but it does occasionally leave a distasteful lingering feeling of offense. Historically speaking, you can’t expect to find feminism in regency romances, but that’s exactly what some of today’s historical romance writers are doing, and I’m pleased to discover that Darcy Burke is among that list. Part of the appeal is character outrage when the dainty female who was raised to find a husband and have his heirs turns out to be a witty, intelligent, and independent. Ivy Breckinridge embodies all of those qualities and more.

Sebastian Westgate, the Duke of Clare, is every rake lover’s dream. “Tall, with eyes as dark as sin and hair that was even blacker, he looked like some sort of hero of old- all he needed was a sword in his hand and mail across his wide chest.” If his good looks and reputation isn’t swoon-worthy enough, he’s also an avid reader and hell-bent on discovering just what makes Ivy smile. Of course, Sebastian’s layers continue to peel, and I was delighted to discover that my new book boyfriend has some dark depths.

Ivy Bridgewater, a lady’s companion, has risen from the ashes of social ruin by reimagining herself and moving on with her life. Her strength is admirable, and the reader is left wondering if anyone should be enough to reach her heart again. Together, their chemistry practically melted my Kindle, but it’s more than just lust. It’s a friendship and a need to discover how they can support each other.

The Duke of Desire includes the best parts of regency romance. With bluestockings, aristocracy gossip, dances, and more, the characters are steamy, the dialogue is hilarious, and the climax is sure to make your heart skip a beat.

Ten years ago Ivy Breckenridge’s life was ruined. She had to reinvent herself, and after painstakingly making her own way in the world, she’s now a lady’s companion. She attends a house party with Lady Dunn & meets The Duke of Clare a man who peers into her soul and awakens every one of her hidden desires. But no matter how good he makes her feel, she can’t trust him, she can’t trust any man, alone by choice is better than alone by necessity.
With a notorious reputation for training married women in the art of passion, Sebastian Westgate, Duke of Clare, is reviled by some and celebrated by others. Ivy & her friends have given West the nickname of The Duke of Desire although Ivy thought the Duke of Debauchery would have been better. He doesn’t allow anyone close enough to see past his charming exterior. When Ivy uncovers the man beneath, the seducer is suddenly the seduced. Enraptured by her mind and spirit, he wants more but revealing his darkest secrets is a price he won’t pay.
West is toe curlingly gorgeous, yes he’s arrogant but not the pleasure seeking Duke he wants the world to see, there’s SO much more to him. The scene where he tells Ivy what he’d like to do to her is so, so hot I’m surprised my kindle didn’t combust! Ivy is happy that her friends have found happiness but she can’t change her past & the life changing mistake she made when she was seventeen. The attraction between the pair is obvious from the start even though Ivy fights it & West wonders what’s so different about Ivy.
Again I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the characters are well portrayed & the pace doesn’t lag at all & I was loathe to put it down
This is the fourth in the series but could be a standalone read. I look forward to more Untouchable stories

I have read this series from the first novel and it is a wonderful series. The author, Darcy Burke, does a good job with the characters and the plot. Even though each story is it own, it still brings back some of the characters from the previous books in the series. Each story builds on the other.
Ivy Breckenridge was ruined ten years ago by a man who promised her marriage and then left her. She was forced to leave her family and now has reinvented herself as a lady's companion.
Sebastian Westgate, Duke of Clare, has a reputation of training married women in the art of sex. He has been named the Duke of Desire by Ivy and her friends. He does this for the pleasure of sex and helping these women receive pleasure. He helps the women to find more carnal pleasures in the bedroom with their husbands.
When West meets Ivy, he is stunned by her beauty and her wit. She wants nothing to do with him and that intrigues him. He wants to be near Ivy and uncover her secrets. He cares about her and even wants to hurt the man who ruined her. Ivy reinvented herself to escape her past and West makes her feel things she should not. She desires him but cannot act on that desire. West introduces Ivy to pleasures and she craves more. As they spend more time together, West begins to want Ivy like never before and falls in love with her. Ivy cares for West, but cannot take a chance and risk losing her position. However, Ivy's past is catching up with her and could ruin the new life she has built for herself. West has is own secrets about his chosen path, which began from his childhood. However, he tries to help people and is amazed by the charity works Ivy does. Will West be able to protect Ivy and convince her they should be together? Can they both overcome their pasts so they can have a future together?

"The Duke of Desire" is the forth book in the series - and I loved it just as much as I loved the other books!

Well, I was a bit miffed at our hero, the Duke of Desi...,pardon, Duke of Clare's in the beginning because he was very insistent and very seductive and, well, let's face that fact once more, right: seduction was fine in those times - if you didn't happen to be a woman, then it just meant that you were completely and utterly ruined.

Unfortunately Ivy Breckenridge is a woman - and one who has suffered enough already. So no matter how well meaning and how whatever our Duke's efforts were, I was not very happy with him. So wasn't Ivy, actually, at least, well. Persistence and perseverance can change a lot, can't they? And slowly, very slowly, Ivy dared to dream of something more than just going on with her life as it was.

The Duke of Desire and I got along much better when he finally realized that there was much more to Ivy and that she meant much more to him than he thought possible. I loved to see their attraction grow, to see him fall for her - and when her past catched up to her ...let's just say that he really really won me over then,

Well written with an interesting plot, very complex and likeable characters, especially an extraordinarily strong heroine - I really enjoyed reading this book and I'm already looking forward to the next book by the author!