As the Earl Likes - Darcy Burke

As the Earl Likes

By Darcy Burke

  • Release Date: 2024-10-17
  • Genre: Historical Romance
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 32 Ratings

Description

Rogue Rules
When a young lady is ruined, her friends vow none of them will ever be ensnared by a scoundrel again. They will resist every gentleman’s charms even—and especially—if it means gaining a reputation for being impossible to woo. It will take extraordinary rogues to break their rules...

From USA Today Bestselling Author Darcy Burke, author of The Untouchables and Phoenix Club series, comes your next Regency romance must-read.

As the Earl Likes
Heir to a dukedom, Clive Halifax, Earl of Shefford, is weary of fixing his father’s scandalous messes and watching his mother suffer for them. Sheff vows to live as the Lothario everyone believes him to be, never to wed. However, his parents will not stop insisting he marry, so he chooses the most inappropriate bride he can find and pays her to be his fake betrothed for the remainder of the Season.
 
Josephine Harker lives at the edge of Society with a mother who runs a gaming club and an artist father who flits about the ton. She just wants the ability to choose her own path instead of what society dictates—or what her parents think is best for her. When Shefford, a notorious rake, proposes a faux engagement along with a substantial sum, she cannot refuse.
 
Dangerously captivated by one another from the outset, their attraction explodes into a searing passion they can’t deny. But the last thing Jo wants is to risk her heart on a rogue who can’t see he’s much more than his reputation—or that there is such a thing as true love.

Reviews

  • A Real Treat!

    5
    By Peg1951
    Sheff and Jo have two things in common. They have very bad examples of married life courtesy of their parents, and neither of them wants to marry. Sheff has grown tired of the pressure to wed and produce an heir, and of cleaning up his father’s messes. Jo’s mother wants her to take over her club, but Jo wants to be independent and host literary salons. They are long-time friends. Following an episode at the club involving his father, Sheff proposes that he and Jo pretend to be betrothed, and for this she will receive payment that will help her meet her goal of independence. At the end of the season, Sheff will give her reason to call off the betrothal. This will work, right? I really enjoyed Sheff and Jo’s story. They really fit together well. The plot is well-written and interesting, and there are some surprising twists. The story is a slow-burn romance with humor, drama, emotion, and wild family dynamics. The characters are, without doubt, immensely entertaining. The parents are in a world of their own. I like Jo’s salon friends, especially Min and Ellis, and former Rogues. This is a story that holds your attention from beginning to the absolutely wonderful end. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.