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 https://www.facebook.com/MadelineHunter/photos/a.10150099706873177/10155404391278177) 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.

This was a definite improvement on the previous book in the series (though the first book remains my favorite). Madeline Hunter has been hit or miss for me, but this one definitely was a hit.

I really liked Davina and Brentworth. Davina felt like a fully formed character the instant she appears. She's determined to restore her rights to her ancestral home, while cutting through the BS that everyone around her keeps giving her, particularly the many men in her life who only value her for her potential inheritance. She's resourceful and self-sufficient without being a Mary Sue-type character. I was concerned that Brentworth would be a repeat of Langford from Devil of a Duke (ignoring the heroine's wishes and being a general jerk), but he turned out to be a very supportive character. His back story felt a little too close to Rochester's (in Jane Eyre), but it didn't distract too much from the main story.

Overall, I highly recommend this for someone looking for a historical romance that's well written and compelling, with just a bit of angst thrown in.

Thank you to Kensington and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

So I have mixed feelings about this series. The first book I loved, the second was okay (I thought the heroine was manipulative) and this book was I am sorry to say a bit boring until the last 1/3 of the story. Eric and Davinia were boring people. You might say this story is supposed to be about a “ducal duke” but it could have been presented in a more interesting and entertaining way. The adventure of them finding proof of her claim to lands was interesting, just not a romance. I like a lot of dialog in stories and this story contained a lot of musings. Will I continue reading Ms. Hunter’s stories? Of course, I suspect this is just a fluke that I did not like the book.

Book three of The Decadent Duke Trilogy is sadly the last of the Series. A great end to a truly lovely series. I absolutely love Madeline's writing, her stories are original and character driven. I discovered Madeline's writing in 2000 with her first Historical Romance "By Arrangement" and I have read and kept every one since then.

Eric Marshall, the Duke of Brentworth is the last of the Decadent Dukes that is single. He is a very private man, even his closest friends don't really know him. This doesn't stop the woman of the Ton from trying to gain his attention and the title of Duchess. When he is summoned to the Royal Palace by the King he is irritated. The King is an idiot and he doesn't have time for his foolishness. Until he finds out that there is a dispute involving one of his estates. He has no intention of giving up his land to an imposter and is determined to expose the fraud.

Miss Davina MacCallum has come all the way from Scotland to make the King of England make good on his promise to help her recover land that was stolen from her family in her Grandfather's time. She knows that the Duke of Brentworth won't just give up the land and is counting on the Crown to help. Unfortunately, she cannot get an audience with the current King and will have to convince the Duke of her claim and hope he will cooperate. Neither she or Eric count on the attraction that flares up between them. Davina is determined to resist Eric. Eric has other ideas. He is intrigued by Davina and he has never backed down from a challenge.

How will Davina convince Eric to return her family's land? Will their attraction to each other offer another solution? You will have to read this book to find out. I highly recommend that you do!! I loved Davina, she is a strong determined woman who is not afraid to go toe to toe with a Duke. Eric loves her spirit and courage and admires her determination, but can they come to some kind of solution.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. Never Deny a Duke is the third title in the trilogy, but can easily be read as a standalone. Davina is determined to claim land that belongs to her family that was lost after Culloden and has traveled to London to press the Prince of Wales to honor a vow that was made to her and her grandfather before her to help. The only problem is the current owner of the property, the Duke of Brentworth, known for being one of the most proper dukes in England, unlike several of his best friends who also happen to be dukes. Once Brentworth finds out about Davina's quest, he tracks her down and after butting heads, the two eventually agree to travel north to try and track down any evidence that may exist that Davina's grandfather was in fact the son of the previous owner who was reported to have died as a child but may have actually been sent into hiding for his own safety before Culloden.


Readers will appreciate the back and forth between Brentworth and Davina as they discover events from long ago and Brentworth deals with more recent memories of the disputed estate. Davina is a strong woman and can more than hold her own against Brentworth. As for Brentworth, as readers learn more about his history, his instance on avoiding scandal and proper behavior make him much more relatable. I loved the chemistry between the two; readers of Madeline Hunter won't be disappointed with trade mark wit on full display. Hunter does a wonderful job of writing fully fleshed out characters and her writing is beautiful like always. Although sad to see this trilogy come to the end, I can't wait to see what comes next.

Davina MacCallum answers a summons to St. James Palace regarding a legacy her father told her was theirs, but he is now deceased, and she is having a hard time finding someone to help her. She has a letter to her grandfather from a previous monarch to prove the land belongs to her family.

Eric Marshall, Duke of Brentworth, is the owner of her land, though he was not aware someone was trying to reclaim it. He believes she’s a fraud and he’s not letting her have it. She believes he’s a cheat. One of his friends suggested he marry her and that did not go over well.

As they both head to Scotland to look for evidence of ownership he becomes attracted to her. Davina’s father was a doctor and she wants the land for a hospital. As they get to know each other desire brings them together. There is so much more going on in this wonderful book, but I won’t spoil it. I highly recommend it.

First the good things...this is my first Madeline Hunter book and I was impressed with her writing skill. Technically she has a superb command of language and she's a good writer. I am certainly interested in reading other books by this author.

But this book just wasn't for me. There's nothing wrong with it...it's just that much of what drove the plot was external to the characters. There was a lot of time spent focused the land dispute and the sociopolitical events that produced Davina's current predicament with her lands. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE history. I just...felt like there was a lot of attention paid to these elements and less attention paid to these characters, their feelings for each other, and their chemistry. Sometimes I felt a little bit bored. But that's just me. This book has great reviews on Goodreads. I strongly suggest fans of historical romance should get it a try and see what they think.

Well developed steamy historical romance

Madeline Hunter’s Decadent Dukes Society end with
Davina and Brentworth/Eric story in Never Deny A Duke, not quite enemies to lovers but they are definetly at odds st the beginning of the story. I loved how page by page their awareness of each other changes. The plot was entertaining and had some unique twists and turns. While the book works well as a stand alone story I enjoyed seeing how the couples from the previous books were up to. I’m sad to see this series end but look forward to reading Madeline Hunter’s next series.
I received an advance reader copy via Netgalley.

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 ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Never Deny A Duke is the third book in Madeline Hunter’s The Decadent Dukes Society Trilogy. It can be read as a stand-alone but I enjoyed reading the first two so do recommend reading them. Davina MacCallum is trying to regain the land that her family lost after Cullodan when it was mistakenly thought that her grandfather had died. Eric Marshal, Duke of Brentworth is the current holder of the lands in question and he is not about to give them up. This is a delightful tale of enemies to lovers as the two set out together on a journey to Scotland to find the truth of who owns the lands. The slow burn as they discover that perhaps they have more in common than first thought will keep you up reading way past your bedtime. Medium Steam Publishing Date April 30, 2019 #KensingtonBooks #NetGalley #NeverDenyADuke #MadelineHunter #ZebraRomance

The whole set up for this story was pretty unbelievable, but once you decide to totally suspend all skepticism about the likelihood of the plot, it became very enjoyable. I liked the characters. I also liked that they got married part way through the book. Too often romance novels end with the marriage and then a few pages of epilogue. I like to see how the couple adjusts to married life, especially for such an unlikely pair as Davina and her duke.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

When the last of the unmarried Dukes, Bentworth, is confronted by a young lady, Davinia MacCallum, he is unmoved, especially when he finds out he is not her target; one of his lesser Estates in Scotland is.
He then is called in to see the King, to take care of this problem. Bentworth is not happy about any of it. Something happened at this particular Castle; he certainly does not want anyone to know, what that is.
Davinia, unimpressed by any Duke, much less this one, wants proof that it once belonged to her family, making her a Baron, granting the mansion, and lands to her!
The two start as enemies, they both have something the other wants! An excellent read, with two mysteries, going on during the same period. I did like how the sexual content was handled, nothing x rated, not the typical page after page of lust. The two are well suited; their characters developed; you understand what drives each of them. Something is missing, almost like the couple are operating by rote. It could have been better. She is a great author. I do recommend her body of work.
Thank you Netgalley!
carolintallahassee.com

This story has a very intriguing beginning. Davina MacCallum wants the king to restore her family’s property and title to her. The property belongs to Eric, the Duke of Brentworth, and he has his own reasons for wanting to keep the property. Davina and Eric don’t particularly trust each other’s motives, and so they travel together to get to the bottom of this claim of hers.

Davina definitely has a cool head on her shoulders. She knows what she wants, and she isn’t afraid to go after it. The Duke is very restrained and proper, but Davina made him realize that there is more to him than a title, and that maybe he can have more as well.

I liked the two main characters. They didn’t go around making stupid decisions and creating all kinds of misunderstandings. The question of who is the rightful owner of the property served very well to bring them together.

The story was fun and interesting to read, I enjoyed seeing how the characters divulged their secrets to each other and became more open than they were before.

I received an advanced copy of the book from Netgalley to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A perfect ending to the Decadent Dukes series. Hunter never fails to give her Regency readers what they want and this book was no different, strong women characters and of course the beyond handsome males. Want escapist reading that will make you laugh and send you to a different world? Give Hunter's Regencies a try.

I enjoyed this book. I liked the characters, especially Davina. I've also read some previous books in the series, which helped. Brentworth was a bit of a butt more often than not, but he came around by the end. I just wish he'd been a bit more supportive of Davina right off the bat.

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.

A good reason to get together and a good reason to be adversaries. This is a opponents to friends to lovers story. Each has very good reason for their stand and each finds more to win than to lose. A history lesson as well as a love story. The characters are interesting and the results satisfying.

A terrific enemies to lovers story. This trope works so well in the hands of an accomplished author and Madeline Hunter is one of the best. I loved the character development.

Davina is on a mission to find the necessary proof to reclaim her ancestral land. She is not letting anyone stand in her way of discovering the truth, not even the King. Brentworth, the Duke, is not about to give up his claim to those lands that Davina insists are hers. But when the two decide to work together to discover the truth they fall passionately in love.

I highly recommend this book to all Historical Romance readers.
I read book #2, A DEVIL OF A DUKE, in this series and loved that one also. Each is a standalone so I will definitely seek out Book #1, THE MOST DANGEROUS DUKE IN LONDON.

Never Deny a Duke is the third book in the Decadent Dukes Society trilogy by Madeline Hunter. I have not read any of the other books and that may have been why I could not get into the plot. It just felt a little flat and lacking in any depth.

Davina is the daughter of a physician and she believes she is heir to a Scottish barony. In her quest to prove her title, she seeks help from the King but he does not want to get involved. King does not want to get involved. He tells the current owner of the property Eric, Duke of Brentworth to resolve the matter and so the story begins.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. All views are my own.

The writing style was good. The heroine had a good backbone until about 80% in. I dropped the book then. Just wasn’t for me.