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Besides the fact that I had enjoyed prior entries in The Untouchables series, the cover of this one drew me right in – regardless of what the book was about. It is STUNNING! With that out of the way, let’s dig into the actual story.

One thing that I have always liked are the characters that Burke creates. Jo is the sister of one of the heroines from an earlier installment in the series, The Forbidden Duke. I didn’t know this character well because I haven’t yet read her story, but she figures prominently into the plot here. Jo comes to live with her sister after her husband dies to determine what to do with her life. While the two sisters have a very warm relationship, there is some resentment that simmers as the story progresses from their earlier days. We get to see how Nora’s actions that resulted in her fairytale romance have affected her sister. I honestly think this was one of the strongest relationships in this book. Typically we see the heroines of the series traipse through the pages of all the subsequent novels, and while we hear of Ivy, Lucy, and Aquilla, it is only Nora who figures prominently for the women. However the men on the other hand get their due here! Most of the Untouchables make an appearance in a hilarious scene welcoming Bran back to England. While this scene served to familiarize the reader with each of the relationships, I thought it gave WAY too much away where you really don’t have to go back and read the other books because you know what happens. I think authors do themselves a disservice when they do this because instead of intriguing readers to go pick up their other books they have essentially taken that need away from them. Maybe explain a little less next time! I loved that Bran had his idiosyncrasies which made him very unique among his set, but I kept wanting to know a little bit more about what was the root of them. He is compassionate for his daughter above all else, which I have yet to read in any historical romance to date, it is usually the woman that happens to have a child from a prior relationship or out of wedlock, not the man. It is something needed in this genre for sure from time to time as it would have certainly been an issue at the time: a widowed father needs to find someone to be a mother to his children. Jo spends most of the novel wrapped up in the events of her past, both with her sister and late husband, which didn’t really allow for much growth of character but I found her likable anyway.

One element that I picked up on early in this story is how the author explores the concept of how a bad prior relationship can taint the ability to move on and have strong positive relationship. Whether the cause is physical, sexual, or emotional those mind games can effect how you related to other people and that happens here with Jo. She struggles throughout the novel with the lasting effects of her first marriage and constantly undermines herself, until she is finally able to get out of her own way. I thought that this was very well done.

During the experience of reading I thought that the plot was entertaining, but looking back on it, it was a little less exciting than other installments in this series. For the most part Jo doesn’t go anywhere other than her sisters home and Bran’s home. It honestly felt like there were only two scenes where the plot actually moved forward – one at the very beginning and one very nearly at the end. There is a lot of exploration of character (I won’t say it’s quite character development exactly), but nothing really happens. In The Duke of Deception the plot continually barreled forward, but it was a little lackluster here. The point of contention between the two love interests didn’t lend itself to a plot with action, it was just something for the two of them to trip over and ultimately find their way into each other’s beds. I would have liked the plot to be bulked up more which would have added to my overall enjoyment.

A copy of this book was received from the publicist and this review is also posted at The Maiden's Court blog.

The love interest owned a sugar plantation in Barbados… in other words, he owned people! Why the hell would you write a love story where the love interest is a slaveowner and not acknowledge it and critique it shortly within introducing this fact??? Totally ruined the series for me, and the author (so if anyone knows if she improves in future novels, please let me know! This problem is not unfixable)

After the passing of her cruel and uncaring husband, widow Joanna Shaw is not looking for a new husband, but finds herself envious of her sister having children. Her sister's daughter is friends with the daughter of the Earl of Knighton, Bran Crowther, and when Bran gets to know Joanna, decides she would make a wonderful governess. But when the two begin to fall passionately in love, it is Joanna's infertility that makes her believe she could not make him happy.

This story was pretty sweet. Obviously it covers infertility, so be cautious of this going in (I spent the entire book worried this would be handled terribly, but I thought it was done well). This is definitely a romance I recommend for people who love found family romance, particularly historical governess ones. I liked that this story also focused heavily on Joanna's journey, and seeing her grow into such a strong and open young women was really rewarding. Bran was also interesting, particularly with his backstory and life in Barbados, and how he detested returning to England to take on the Earldom. The sexual interactions between the two progressed a bit too quickly for my reading tastes, but it was still sweet and pulled at my heart strings. I took a .5 star off for a scene that was a little fuzzy with the consent, so keep that in mind.

The Untouchables rating order:
The Duke of Deception ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
The Duke of Desire ✯ ✯ ✯.5
The Duke of Daring ✯ ✯ ✯.5
The Duke of Defiance ✯ ✯ ✯
The Forbidden Duke ✯ ✯ ✯

What fascinates me most is Ms. Burke's ability to always surprise her readers. Not allowing herself to be pigeonholed means the skies the limit for this talented author. No matter the genre, she keeps the romance fresh, the tales intriguing and hearts aflame with her creative mind and powerful stories. Bran and Joanna are only the latest in a long line of exciting heroes and captivating heroines. The Duke of Defiance is an adorable tale that speaks of hope, courage and second chances in the face of some heartbreaking obstacles. It took the innocence of a child to help these wanderers find their way home.

2.5 von 5 Sternen