The Duke and the Darkness
Author: Anna Harrington
Reviewer: Jen
Rating: B-
November TBR optional theme: It Came From the 1990s!
What I’m Talking About:
I could NOT find a book in my TBR that fit this month’s “It Came from the 1990s!” theme. I didn’t start reading romance, etc. until the 2000’s and any older books have been well-read by now. So instead, I jumped on a newer book I’d bought in August since the second book in the series comes out next month.
The Duke and the Darkness is the first book in Harrington’s new The Dukes of Darkness historical series. The story introduces Devlin Raines, Duke of Dartmoor, the male MC, along with his best friends, all of whom have some trauma and clandestine secrets buried in their pasts. In Devlin’s case, he’s hidden the fact that his father, the previous duke, was a horrible criminal involved in smuggling, money laundering, and slavery.
Peyton Chandler has pretended to be dead for the past decade after her parents her murdered and she was nearly raped. She’s come back to London in order to exact revenge on the man she thinks is responsible, Devlin.
The first third of the book is spent introducing the characters and their plights, along with Peyton deviously taking down Devlin. I was concerned that she would go too far and end up regretting her actions, but Harrington takes the plot just to the point of uncomfortable before turning it around. It doesn’t happen instantly and Peyton expresses all kinds of doubts before she trusts Devlin. I really enjoyed the back and forth play as the pair work to discover the truth together. However, their arguments over sharing the truths about their fathers’ actions got repetitive after a bit.
The romance is quick moving, especially since both felt an immediate attraction, even when Peyton was trying to ruin him. Additionally, due to danger and the need to keep Peyton’s true identity a secret, the pair have some quasi force proximity pushing them together. I love that they open up and share the damage from their past, creating a stronger bond.
As for the plot to discover what really happened the night her parents died, I had my guesses early on which turned out to be correct. It seemed pretty obvious to me and really was the only thing that would make sense for the story to work.
The Duke and the Darkness is a pretty quick read and a solid start for the series.
My Rating: B-
Jen
About the Book:
When Their Deepest Secrets Come to Light…
Devlin Raines, Duke of Dartmoor, has worked hard to put his father’s sins and his life as a former mercenary into the past. He’s saved the family’s reputation, kept his mother and sisters safe, and is on the verge of a respectable—if loveless—marriage. His future seems on track—until a mysterious, beautiful woman inverts his world…a woman who can only be a ghost.
Only the Darkness Can Save Them
Peyton Chandler is dead to the world. When assassins attacked her family’s carriage ten years ago, killing her parents and attacking her, she faked her own death to stay alive. But now she’s returned to London to seek revenge against the man she believes was responsible…Devlin Raines. Only the more time she spends with him, the more everything she thought was true falls apart. And before she knows it, her only safe path to finding answers depends upon her ability to trust the one man she swore to destroy.
As events draw them closer, they’re forced to work together to uncover the truth. But can they ever truly begin to trust—perhaps, even love—each other…or will the past destroy them both?
Release Date: August 27, 2024
Publisher: Self-published
Series: The Dukes of Darkness #1
Genre: Historical Romance
Format(s): paperback (288 pages), e-book
Book Source: purchased with my own funds
Purchase Info:
Amazon (affiliate link)