Title: The Duke of Ice
Author: Darcy Burke
Series: Untouchables #7
Genre: Regency Romance
Length: Novel
Available: Now
Everyone Nicholas Bateman ever loved has died. Except Violet Caulfield, which must mean he never loved her. Nine years after she threw him over to marry a viscount, Nick is a widowed duke who prefers isolation. When a friend convinces him to leave his lair of self-imposed solitude, he considers taking another wife, provided she agrees to his terms: no emotional attachment of any kind.
Now widowed, Lady Violet Pendleton hopes for a second chance with the man she’s always loved. But she isn’t prepared for the desolation in his soul or the animosity he still bears toward her. Despite those obstacles, it’s clear their passion hasn’t dimmed. However, the heat between them isn’t enough to melt the Duke of Ice, and this time Violet may find herself the jilted party. Can love, once so tragically lost, finally be found?
Source: ARC from the author via NetGalley
Even though this is technically the seventh book in this series, it essentially reads as either a stand-alone or a new beginning, because although the world is the same and the idea of the Untouchables carries through, the characters are all new and there is definitely a nice bit of scene setting for the next few books. So if you’re new to the Untouchables but are put off by that number, don’t worry, you can jump right in.
Having said that, this isn’t my favourite of the series. Normally I love a second chance romance and I’m quite fond of a little antagonism. The problem was that Nick, the eponymous duke, really wasn’t ready to rejoin society. He has lost a lot in his life and is understandably still grieving over them, which is why he’s so icy, but it also makes him quite nasty at times. Yes, there is some goodness in him, which is why he’s willing to venture out of his self-imposed isolation for his best-friend, Simon’s sake, but it doesn’t excuse his behaviour.
Violet was better. A widow who has pain of her own to deal with, yet who can still see the good in others. Even Nick, who does nothing to deserve it. Their romance never quite fit for me. They knew each other before and fell in love, so they must automatically fall in love again this time – based on nothing much. I much preferred the friendship she formed with Simon, and probably would have been happier if she had ended up with him instead.
I really liked Simon, even if I was doubtful that any duke, let alone a young one, would ever be cast out of society for any reason, even one as dark as his. He’s the best part of this book and I can’t wait to read his own story.
Sadly, I didn’t really like any of the other characters, especially not Hannah the shallow hostess, and the new young debutantes were a bit interchangeable, even if they do seem to have sturdy feminist principles for a nice change. As for the way the plot veers after the house party… that really didn’t work for me. I had felt a little sorry for Nick at times, but the final third swiftly sorted that out.
So, in all, this is my least favourite of the series, despite having one of my favourite tropes. Neither the characters, nor the romance really worked for me, and I didn’t like the way the plot unfolded. However, it did introduce me to Simon, and I can’t wait to see how his story unfolds next.
The Duke of Ice is Out Now.
Visit Darcy Burke for more details.
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