I normally like a sunshiny heroine and grumpy hero but I could not get into this story. It was nothing in particular since I have read the author before and enjoyed her books. I think the length of the book and the easy resolution might have been a factor.

This is a steamy, sweet, and exciting read. Duke of Warrington, Alexander Brett, known as Dare, has come to a house party at the encouraging push from his mother. They both know he needs a bride.
He is an exceedingly difficult man to be around. He is stoic, never smiles, always frowns, and doesn't say much to anyone. He comes to the party to meet Miss Marina Wetherby.

Marina Wetherby, her mother, and companion, Mrs. Juno Langton arrives. Marina is a shy, quiet, and sweet girl who wants nothing more than to just read, that is her passion. Her mother had written to Lady Cosgrove and told her the duke was coming to meet her daughter and see if they would fit.

Mrs. Juno Langton was there to help Marina to catch the duke for her own. They went for a walk and had truly little interaction, as with riding, eating, conversing, it was all the same. It was like that for the duke as well. She did not think they suited but was coerced by Marina's mother to keep pushing her.

What a fun and unusual story. He was such a stinker. Juno enjoyed watching him and trying to get him to give Marina some attention.

Juno and Dare grumble back and forth about pretty much everything. The writing is wonderful. It keeps your mind entertained. The characters are engaging and exciting. So much is going on at this party. The dialogue between Mrs. Wetherby and Mrs. Langton got serious and heated. Great party!

I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

This is a short and nice slow burn romance.
Mrs. Juno Langton helps young ladies develop the skills and confidence to secure an advantageous marriage. When a house party provides an opportunity to match her difficult charge with a duke, Juno will go to any lengths to satisfy her employer and ensure the young lady’s future.
The Duke of Warrington dislikes social gatherings and despises the Marriage Mart. He plans to secure his future duchess at a house party, but the young lady is being managed by a thoroughly meddlesome—and provocative—Mrs. Langton. He should marry her, not desire the companion. But now he’s rethinking his wife choices.
This story is easy to read and engaging. Juno is smart, witty and a force of nature. Dare is unsmiling, rigid and sour. But when these two collapsed with each other, sparks fly and the magic begins. I adored that she is a widow who had previous lovers. The dialogs are really funny and there are some great sexy times.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Normally I am a big fan of Darcy Burke but this story was just not as great as her other stories. I give it 3 stars and honestly I think that's being generous.

The house party was planned with the express purpose of matching The Duke of Warrington, Dare, and Lady Marina Fellowes. The problem is that although they are very much alike, social awkward (putting it mildly), shy, and mostly quiet, they simply do not like each other and refuse to be matched. No matter what Juno Langton, widow, refinement tutor, and Marina’s chaperone, says or does, the match just will not make. Dare has instead been drawn to the annoying, irritable, and cheerful chaperone. Fate at work?

This is a shake-your-head, laugh-out-loud romantic romp. Dare and Juno are truly opposites with an undeniable attraction. Their developing romance, punctuated by sneaky surprises and snarky banter, is a treat to watch. The story is filled with fun and entertaining characters, including a hostess with her own matchmaking tendencies and a couple of delightful gossips. This is a great beginning to a new series. I loved this one and look forward to what comes next. Another winner for Darcy Burke.


I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Juno is a paid companion who instructs young ladies on how to go about in society to make a perfect match. Dare is a duke who is not comfortable in social settings as he’s reserved and doesn’t do well in large settings. They meet at a house party where Juno’s charge is meant to snare Dare in the marital noose. When these two opposites meet, sparks fly. The more time they spend together, Juno sees beneath the façade that Dare presents to the world.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters are endearing and complex, while the love story is sweet and powerful. Dare, the Duke of Warrington finds that the key to his willingness to tolerate society is the love of the right woman. It’s fun watching these two interact and fall in love as the peel the layers back to discover what they want out of life and love. The secondary characters added dimension to the story and enable the reader to see the characters in different lights. If you are looking for a very good sunshine/grump trope this is for you. I am looking forward to the rest of the books in the series.

Title: The Rigid Duke.
Author: Darcy Burke
Pages: 156

*Thank you to NetGallery and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sunshine/Grump trope in historical romance. Juno Langton is the sunshine matchmaker, who is tasked with matching her difficult charge with the intimidating and very rigid Duke. Juno faces a lot of issues with this match, with two silent and slightly socially awkward charges, finding a spark is difficult, but then she discovers the spark - between herself and the rigid duke! That was not supposed to happen.

This book started off very well, with likable characters (yes even grumpy, rigid Dare), an interesting plot. and pleasant writing.

The problem, for me, with this book was the pacing. In the beginning I was so invested - by the middle I was kind of bored and then suddenly the book was done. The climax was none existent. For me what makes on romance book different from the rest of the romance books out there - is the way the hero and heroin reconnect, grovel and forgive before the happily ever after. In this book we barely get a glimpse at that. We have no real break and no real reconnection and for me that was definitely a miss in the book.

The book was enjoyable enough, and is very short if you are in the mood for something that won't take any concentration or a lot of time to read.

As such this books was enjoyable, but lacked one of the main ingredients of what I crave in reading this genre - as such I would not recommend this book to another lover of the genre.

Historical romance with typical characters, brooding hero,,pretty,lively heroine. No great dramas,straightforward story..

A hero who holds himself in tight control as a part of his station in life, out to obtain a match with the least effort possible.

A heroine, who was not suppose to be the object of his attention, until it could not be denied.

A truly delightful story of opposites coming together when least expected. Wonderful characters, witty conversations, and an unbending attitude slowly unwinding..... A great start to this new series that I cannot wait for the next edition!!

I received an ARC from the author via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The Rigid Duke is the first in a new series by Darcy Burke called the Matchmaking Chronicles, and it’s off to a pretty great start. While her prior series quickly soured for me, I find I’m much more optimistic for this one. While it is only a novella, it is intriguing and introduces the concept for the series and provides a great, full arc for the main couple.
While “rigid” and “Duke,” especially paired together, have historically been words that don’t appeal to me, I like Dare. Far too often, grumpy heroes are more plain rude; so the fact that this was not the case was refreshing: I’m socially awkward myself, so his own difficulty socially resonated with me, as did him being “particular” about things. And Juno is confident and outgoing, and is able to bring him out of his shell.
I also liked how the secondary characters were included without hogging up too much page time. With the setting of the series at a house party, it’s fun to meet the hosts and get a peek at what they’re doing, while they’re assisting Juno in her matchmaking.
I really enjoyed this, and can’t wait for more from the series. If you like Regency romances that are a blend of both sweet and sexy, you’ll enjoy this one!

Companion and tutor, Mrs. Juno Langton has full confidence that she can get her current assignment married to a duke by the end of the week. However, her charge is very antisocial and would rather be in the library reading than chasing after a marriage proposal. The Duke of Warrington doesn’t make Juno’s job any easier with his grumpy disposition and overall dislike of, well EVERYTHING. When Dare starts to show interest in one thing, Juno doesn’t want to hear it. She was hired to get her assignment married to the Duke, not herself.

Darcy Burke has done it again with another short, sweet romance. I really enjoy Burke’s novels and this novella is no exception. I really enjoyed Dare and Juno’s interactions. The background characters also had fun scenes in the story, making sure that nothing was boring. Fans of the grumpy/sunshine trope will enjoy the interactions between Dare and Juno.

A lovely sweet lighthearted regency romance with great interaction between the characters, even the busybodies caused a chuckle, and Dare and Juno complement each other perfectly. Another well written book by Darcy Burke.

This story was silly, light, spicy fun. Juno is vivacious and outgoing. Dare is a taciturn introvert. On the surface the pair seem too dissimilar to work, but they’re the perfect balance to one another. She pulls him from his shell, and he offers her unconditional acceptance. They kept me giggling and sighing through the whole book. I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for us next.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book through NetGalley.

I’ll admit, when I first read the title, I had a moment of “Huh, Darcy Burke wrote a full on erotic novel, cool” but I then reminded myself that rigid also is used in terms of one’s stodgy, manners and after reading the description, I realized that my second was the prevailing winner of my two reactions.

The I thought - yay! A new Darcy Burke series!

This one was so enjoyably diverting. I always look forward to her books because they’re always fun.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

I didn't like the beginning much. I dislike how Juno was acting towards Dare. It was annoying how she was pinning all the interactions on him and I did not like her take on the situation. However, from the middle towards the end was enjoyable. There is no crazy drama and there is some nice little spice sprinkled in. I think this is a very nice cute and comfy read. I liked Dare a lot. His infatuation with her was adorable and it made the pace of the romance more believable. It didn't feel like the romance came out of nowhere.

Darcy Burke has a talent for crafting a delightful historical romance, full of heart, steaming with chemistry and enchanted with endearing characters! This grump/sunshine historical romance is the start of a new series-The Matchmaking Chronicles. This romance is well paced, charmingly written and such a pleasurable start to a new group of romances.

This romance takes place at a country party where the hero, Dare-a duke, is hoping to find a wife and Juno, a ladies companion is hoping to help her charge make the perfect match. But little did Dare and Juno know that they would become fast friends who learn that they might have much more in common with each other than at first glance.

Not only do I absolutely love a house party, but I also love a grump/sunshine with a bit of a class difference thrown into the mix. I love that Juno and Dare have such an ease about them when they are in each other's company. I love that Dare only has eyes for Juno and that her being slowly opens him up in ways that he would never expect. I love that Juno might at first criticize his rigid ways but as she begins to discover his true being she can see he for the kind hearted and loving man he is. Watching two people open themselves to each other and trust each other is really rewarding. I also think that Darcy Burke, does a lovely job building up the chemistry between Juno and Dare and they both embrace their sensuality and growing feelings for each other in a beautiful and consensual way. I love that Juno's station in life, or her dreams to help young women find confidence in themselves become an issue. Dare and Juno both learn that in order to be together they don't need to sacrifice who and what makes them who they are.

Darcy Burke never disappoints, I always know I am going to get a deliciously sweet romance and be excited about future romances in her world. I would definitely recommend this new romance, it is such a wonderful story of two people who are truly made for each other and bring out the best in the other while fully supporting their hopes and dreams.

I am posting an honest review after reading an advance reader copy, ARC, of this story.

I'm sorry to say but I didn't enjoy this book. I'm not sure what didn't resonate with me but I never warmed up to the characters, any of them. Juno is a widow who has made a business of coaching young ladies for their season in London. She's supposed to be a gem at it but this girl is an epic fail. She's not a sexual hermit & doesn't play too hard to get but it all just rubbed me the wrong way. Dare, the duke, is a grumpy guy who thinks the sky is always falling. I found him tedious & never got a hero of the story vibe. In the end these two deserve each other and good for them for finding love.

#TheRigidDuke # Matchmaking Chronicles #netgalley # Zealous Quill Press #DarcyBurke #romance #historicalromance

I received "The Rigid Duke" from Netgalley and voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. Darcy Burke has written another excellent story.
Mrs.Juno Langton, excels at making debutantes be prepared for the marriage mart. The Duke of Warrington, Alexander Brett, plans on meeting one of Juno's charges, and finding his soon-to-be Duchess at a house party. Unfortunately, he finds the paid companion way more intriguing than he should even though they are two complete opposites, extrovert v introvert, friendly and charming v rigid and rude. The quips and banter among all the characters is fabulous.

Another great book from Darcy Burke! This one felt just a little rushed, like it could have used one or two more chapters but I still loved it. I really loved the play between Juno and Dare and how they brought out the best in each other.

Cheerful and fiercely independent widow Juno Langton works for her living. She’s a sought-after companion who helps young ladies to refine their manners and find a suitable husband. She’s very good at her job, but this time her task is quite hopeless: her charge is a sweet, but difficult young woman and the man her mother would like to match her with is a grumpy, cold and rigid duke!
Dare, the Duke of Warrington, is indeed rigid, but not cold. He just likes his life to be orderly and predictable. He dislikes large gatherings and parties, but he does need a wife. So he allows her mother’s friends to drag him to a house party with the sole purpose of matchmaking him with a young lady. Pity that her companion is much more alluring and brings out the best in him…
A thoroughly enjoyable read, with the grumpy-sunshine trope perfectly mastered. Dare is stiff and inflexible at the beginning, but he’s also likeable and rather sweet and it was wonderful seeing him change for love. And Juno is a real force of nature! I loved both characters and the love scenes are perfect, steamy and emotional as well.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.