NetGalley Review: A Duke Will Never Do by Darcy Burke

This read as a classic historical showing many of my favorite “romance-isms.”  Some of it left me cold, but overall, a solid read.  

The good stuff:  This one features all our favorite tropes.  Protagonist shuns the elite in a show of feminism? Check!  Nursing a handsome, but beleaguered Duke to health and emotional stability? Check!  Woman makes the first move? Women banding together for good?  Everyone gets a HEA? Check, check and check. This one will probably scratch all your genre itches.

The not so great stuff: Consent.  One of my favorite parts of romance novels is the framing of the relationships, sexual and otherwise, as a meeting of equals (even when it would not have been the cultural norm).  This book misses the mark a bit in this regard.  While making the leading lady the instigator of the relationship was a solid opener, it quickly devolves into feeling like Jane is pressuring Anthony while he is physically injured/in substance recovery. I can't say anyone does anything they don't want to do, but it skirts the line in a manner not necessary for the progression of an otherwise great story. 

This was my first book by this author, and while I am not 100% in love with this one,  I am interested in reading more of her works.  I am hoping this was just a minor wobble since the rest of the book indicates this series would be very fun to read.