A solid installment in the Decadent Dukes series, and easily read as a stand alone. An enjoyable read if somewhat implausible, Davina McCall is determined to prove she's the heir to her family estate, and needs to face down the British government and the man who it now belongs to.

The last book in the Decadent Dukes Society trilogy is about the wickedly handsome Eric Marshall, the Duke of Brentworth who finally meets his match in the fiercely independent Davina MacCallum. Davina has papers to prove she is the legal owner of her ancestor’s lands and estate and request they be returned to their rightful owner. The problem is the Eric feels he is the rightful owner. It’s a battle wits between them while the king and his advisors are trying to determine who has the true legal right and ownership of a Scottish estate. Davina is willing to go to some lengths to prove her claim and she pits herself against a King, a Duke, a Scottish nationalist. A great story with a strong independent woman and the oh so handsome Duke are battling for their home and lands, but maybe they’ll find more than they bargained for and find their HEA!!! I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

This is the last of the books about the Decadent Duke Society Series. The Society was formed by a small group of boys, all ducal heirs, at school together. In the first book, Adam Penrose, Duke of Stratton finds his duchess and in the second Gabriel St James, Duke of Langford finds his. Neither had been looking for a wife and found one that was "different" from the usual duchess. So in this third book, the last of the trio, Eric Marshall, Duke of Brentworth finds his.

Davina MacCallum came to London to recover her heritage, Scottish land that was confiscated by the Crown and give to Brentworth's. Two kings have promised to look into the matter and now she and Brentworth are both summoned to come to a compromise. Although he is extremely wealthy and has bad memories of the property, he is loath to give it up to someone he first believes is trying to defraud him. But his best friend's wives, who have befriended Davina, convince him to check out her claim, after the press gets a hold of the rumors. She insists that she comes with him or she will go on her own, so they set out on an adventure that slowly reveals the real person behind the public facade. And they both find that real person irresistible.

As always, well developed characters with an intriguing plot and well researched background of the period. Secrets are woven into a conflict that makes this book hard to put down.

I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

This was a lovely, emotional story about honor and hope. A sensual romance that builds to a wonderful ending. Brava!!

Madeline Hunter is a crafted storyteller. She pulls you into the story immediately with her descriptions. I enjoyed this story and will read the first two books of the series. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

While I have read and experimented with a few new authors these past couple of months, Ms. Hunter is not new to me. This book though is not a favorite and I don't think because its the last book in a trilogy that I haven't read.
Davina MacCallum has come to London, looking for the fulfillment of a promise by the King that was originally made by his father to her grandfather and then to her by the current King. The King however has other plans and uses the Duke of Brentworth as his agent to get out of his commitment.
Supported by a delightful cast of characters the two snub their nose at society as they venture to Scotland and the land in question in search of proof of Davina's claim. Along the way Davina and her duke develop a relationship. Will that relationship be enough to net Davina what she wants? I did enjoy Davina's straight forward character who is goal oriented and will do what she needs to do in order to realize her goal. Similarly the Duke while attracted to Davina has been brought up in a very controlled fashion well understands the cost of letting passion rule him.
While the happily ever after ending is inevitable this being a romance after all I felt the story developed from an almost business like marriage of convenience to a full out deep romance almost as though the word count was done and there wasn't enough time to ease the reader into a passionate discovery of the heart.

Heat Factor: Understated but present
Character Chemistry: Also understated but believable
Plot: Exploration of the past helps us grow into our future
Overall: Sometimes subtlety is satisfying

After reading The Most Dangerous Duke in London, I really, really, really, really, really wanted the Duke of Brentworth’s story. There is nothing like a starchy prig with altogether too much reserve to pique my interest. I was not disappointed.

The third (and least decadent) of the Decadent Dukes, Brentworth was raised by his father, a paragon of dukishness, to be basically the perfect Duke. Brentworth is polished, he’s circumspect, and he’s extremely powerful. So when he hears that Miss Davina MacCallum is in town to petition the crown to return her (Scottish - read Culloden) family’s lands to her, he reasonably advises the King’s adviser to give them back as the path of least messiness...until he learns that they’re part of his inheritance. Then the charming and intelligent Miss MacCallum he’s recently met becomes a grasping female out for her own interests.

She’s not. In the first place, Brentworth doesn’t want to be responsible for losing any family holdings because he was raised to be the perfect Duke, and perfect Dukes don’t reduce the size of their holdings, they increase them. But more importantly, Brentworth has a Secret, and it is closely tied to the estate in question. Also, Davina is not trying to hide anything, so she comes across as an honest and sincere individual, and Brentworth does recognize that, at least subconsciously.

There is a lot of writing without a lot of specific action--the plot is not action-based, so when Brentworth and Davina get to Scotland, we’re already halfway through the book, but we’ve been in Brentworth’s and Davina’s heads enough to understand that there’s a burgeoning interest between them. Up to this point, however, Brentworth’s Secret as well as his upbringing prevent him from acting on an interest in an Respectable but Unsuitable woman. For her part, Davina has never really considered a long-term relationship, so she doesn’t think much about it.

As Davina unknowingly pushes Brentworth to confront his past during their quest for her future, they both realize the future they thought they’d have wasn’t really the future they wanted. It’s a slow burn, and it’s great. This is not a book for someone looking for a lot of hot sex (the prose is more purple than explicit). It doesn’t have sweeping, climactic declarations or overt swoon-worthy moments. Brentworth is so calm and matter-of-fact that it might be easy to miss how he feels if you’re not paying attention. This is the sort of story where actions and gestures rather than quivers and sweeping declarations tell us a romance, and it’s understated and lovely.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

I’ve always loved this author, some of her books are my favorites. This book is good, but not up to the level of some earlier books. This story involves a Duke, his property and the Scots bred h, Davina, who claims the propriety rightfully belongs to her. Descended from a Scot Baron, who had been secretly raised in Northumbria, Davina is pursuing her birthright through the king, she is a thorn in the side of Eric Marshall, Duke of Brentworth. Though attracted to one another from the start, the romance developed slowly, but was passionate when it did. The realistic and fair resolution of their conflict was good, not ignored once they got together, as it could have been. Another strong book from Hunter, just not my favorite . That’s The Wicked Duke, or The Seducer. I received a free arc in exchange for an honest review.

Never Deny a Duke by Madeline Hunter is book Three in the Decadent Dukes Society Series. This is the story of Davina MacCallum and Eric Marshall, Duke of Brentworth. This can be a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Even though Brentworth is the last of the Decadent Dukes that is not why Davina is after him. Brentworth is in possession of land that was given to him but taken away from her family unfairly she feels. Brentworth has enough land and estate surly one little one wouldn't be worth his interest, that rightfully should be her birthright. Brentworth is used to women throwing themselves at him but when he meets Davina he is drawn to her intelligence and that she didn't seem interested in him as other women were. Brentworth is informed about Davina plan to claim his land and knows this will just lead to a free for all for others to start trying to claim more land.
These two end up butting heads but its not to long before they both start wanting the same thing.....each other.

Miss Davina MacCallum has been summoned to St. James’s Palace to meet with Mr. Haversham of the King’s household. She has come to plead for the return of her great-grandfather’s estate that had been taken by the Crown after he died. The King at that time promised her father that it would be returned. That King is now dead, and the current King promised her that he would address the matter. The King is inclined to think that the request might be a forgery unless Davina can produce proof.

As she leaves St. James Palace, Eric Marshall, the Duke of Brentworth, arrives. His nickname is the most ducal duke. Eric has been summoned by the King, but is unsure why. When he sees Davina leaving, he recalls having met her recently and that she is a writer with an interest in medicine. Eric soon learns that the estate that she seeks is owned by him. The King does not want to let Davina have the land back and now he is trying to get Eric to marry her so the land stays with him.

This story continues with twists and turns which, quite frankly did not draw me in at all. To think there was a King so greedy and completely out of touch was a real turnoff. I’m sorry, but this book is just not for me.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A nice end to the series, Never Deny a Duke isn’t my favorite of the three books but it’s nice.

The Duke, Fire set by mistress at Scottish estate She died in the fire. Original Scottish owner’s grand daughter wants property returned

She’s fierce and determined. A new writer for a women’s journal and the tutor are a Scottish man’s daughter, shes only in town to fight for her father’s land.

They’re all connected and a happy couple devises a plan for them to travel together which of course is when they discover more about one another and fall in love.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the third book in the series but can be read as a standalone. Davina needs the help of the Duke of Brentworth over of dispute regarding lands which now belong to his family. As the spend time together sparks begin to fly. This is a fast-paced historical read with plenty of drama and great chemistry. The story is entertaining and I liked the characters. A good read.

❤️❤️ out of 5
Funnily enough this historical romance didn’t have the same problem as most that I have read recently (in that they were boring with no plot), however in this book the plot eclipsed the romance almost completely and once again there were a lot of modern ideals stuck in the confines of a historical romance that couldn’t run true.
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Our heroine is out to reclaim property she believes is owed to her through her great grandfather and petitions the king. The problem with this? The property for that last couple of generations has belonged to Duchy and the current Duke does not want to give up his property to anyone let alone a fraud.
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Because of the plot driven storyline you don’t see a whole of lot character growth (if any) and the romance is so slow burn as to almost be non existent. (Spoiler: the first kiss didn’t come till after halfway through the book!) While I really have enjoyed other books by this author I can’t really say I enjoyed this one.

This is the story of Davina and Eric, Duke of Brentworth.
Davina is the daughter of a physician and granddaughter of a Baron. But the lands in Scotland her family had owned were taken away during the Scottish rebellion. She is trying to fight to get them returned, but she doesn't have enough proof. What she has is a letter from the previous king, agreeing that he would look into this matter.
Eric, the Duke of Brentworth, owns this property. He has his own memories of this property and refuses to give it up.
The 2 decide to go to Scotland to try to find more evidence to support Davina's claim.
That's where the adventure begins. That's also where the book finally starts to pick up. It was a little slow in the beginning. But it finished up very nicely.
I received this free from Netgalley for an honest review.

It was an enjoyable story. The passion was good, but a bit on the tame side, description wise, which was fine. Just go in not expecting a Donna Grant or Christine Feehan style with the passionate scenes. I enjoyed the characters and the concept, and the plot was steady and flowed well. I would have liked to see more emotional tension between the two main characters once they were married and Brentworth was sometimes too aloof, even when he declares his love. Overall, I liked it, but a bit on the tame side for my usual tastes.

4.5 Stars

On his deathbed, Davina MacCallum’s father confides that she is the rightful heiress of a Scottish estate and title that may pass down to a female if there is no male heir. The estate was confiscated by the British after the battle of Culloden, as it was believed the heir, Davina’s grandfather, died. Davina travels to London in order to petition the king to return the land, which has since been granted to an English duke, back to her as rightful heir. Her grandfather, while alive, had already started the process, and provided the previous king with proof, which now, conveniently, has been lost. Davina won’t give up on her inheritance, as she has noble plans for the estate. Her father was a doctor, and Davina has assisted him over the years. She’d love to create a hospital on the land, providing medical care for those who desperately need it.

Eric Marshall, Duke of Brentworth, meets Davina at a social event, and is pleasantly surprised at how much he enjoys her intelligent conversation, and her lack of deference to his title. She doesn’t fawn or shy away from him, but simply treats him as an interesting man. At that time, Davina knows that Eric is the duke who now holds title to her estate, though he’s not yet aware of her claim. When Eric is summoned to visit the king, he learns of Davina’s claim, and immediately changes his opinion of her, thinking her a con artist solely out to steal from him. He is ordered by the king to find a solution to the “situation” without causing any embarrassment to the crown. His majesty even suggests that marriage between Davina and Eric may be the ideal resolution.

Davina is very straightforward with Eric, and I love that about her. She doesn’t play games, but shares the information she has. Though Eric is still somewhat wary, they come to an agreement to pursue all leads and clues together to find proof of the truth, one way or another. Their quest eventually leads them back to the Scottish estate, somewhere Eric never wanted to see again. Years ago, as a very young man, Eric was involved in a tragic event which occurred there. This event caused Eric to become the staid, upright, and excessively discreet man he is today.

Eric’s resolve is sorely tested as he and Davina become more intimately acquainted and attracted to one another. They almost become lovers until Eric realizes Davina is still innocent, though she is seemingly worldly and knowledgeable. Eric is honorable enough to not ruin a young lady, though his backing off leaves Davina extremely frustrated. I really like that both these characters were level headed, sensible people who acted like adults, despite their being on opposite sides of a significant dispute. When they finally do become lovers, Eric is adamant that they marry. After all, it’s what the king wanted, and no matter how their dispute turns out, they will both have the property.

I love the simmering steam between this couple, as well as the respect and consideration they show despite being adversaries. Eric’s guilt over his youthful misstep has colored his actions for the past ten years. Davina listened to his story without judgment, and helped him to work through his guilt. The romance is beautifully written and believable. NEVER DENY A DUKE is a great read and a satisfying wrap up of the DECADENT DUKES SOCIETY series. I’ve mentioned many times how much I love a good epilogue, and I adored the wrap up in this book, which gives a heartwarming look into the future, showing all of the desirable dukes living out their fabulous happily-ever-afters.

What a good read this was! I liked the concept of Davinia trying to establish her rights to a title and lands in Scotland. This involves the king and Eric Marshall, Duke of Brentworth. Brentworth keeps his private life very close. There is a secret attached to the land that Brentworth doesn’t want discovered by the general public. He has decided that when he marries he doesn’t want passion involved. Davinia and Brentworth are attracted to each other but both fight against it for their own reasons. I enjoyed the way that little snippets were discovered about Davinia’s ancestry. Davinia was such a selfless person putting her own safety to one side to help a friend in need. This was a very engaging read that moved along at a good pace. I loved the friendship between the three dukes. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Davina MacCallum is trying to retrieve proerty that once belonged to her family, some of whom were Jacobites, enemies of the English. The land now belongs to the Eric Marshall, Duke of Brentworth, who has his own reasons for not wanting to give up the preoprty. She tries to convince the current King that her grandfather had sent information in that proved he was in line to own the property, and it would've been passed on to her father, but the information has been conveniently lost. They both head to Scotland to look for evidence to support her claim, and become very attracted to each other. Lots of intrigue and secrets divulged, and visits from the other two 'decadent dukes', and of course, there's a very HEA!

Book #3 in The Decadent Dukes Society series, Never Deny a Duke can be read without knowledge of the previous books. However, it seems the last book in the book is also the best one!
From the very beginning, I got very interested in Davina McCallum and the Duke of Brentworth's story. Davina, fighting to recover her family's land in Scotland, couldn't care less that Brentworth is a (handsome) duke. She only knows he is her enemy and that she can't let him win.
Brentworth is amazed at Davina's lack of interest in him. Being a nice man, he overcomes this first reaction and tries to help Davina with her predicament, even if his family is the very cause of her problems.
In some moments, Brentworth and Davina's interaction reminded me of one of my favorite couples in Ms. Hunter books, Hayden and Alexia, from Rules of Seduction.
All in all, this book is a nice way of finishing the series.

THIS IS A DUAL/PANDORA'S BOX REVIEW - overall grade, B+/4.5 stars

Dabney and Caz are both fans of Madeline Hunter’s work, and both read Never Deny a Duke – they’re here to share their thoughts on the novel.

Caz: First of all I have to say that I was really relieved to discover that Never Deny a Duke was a big improvement on the previous book in the series, A Devil of a Duke, which just scraped a C grade from me last year. And I liked the premise of this one – and the way Ms. Hunter handles it – quite a lot. Davina MacCallum has come to London in order to petition for the return of the Scottish lands and title she believes were unfairly … ‘diverted’ to an English nobleman following the Jacobite uprising in the mid-1700s, but although the King (George IV) had given her reason to believe he would support her when they met during his recent visit to Edinburgh, when he returns to London nothing happens, so Davina comes south to further her cause. It turns out that the lands in question were given to the Dukes of Brentworth, and the current holder of the title – reserved, discreet and formidable Eric Marshall – has no intention of just handing over part of his estate. This story could so easily have been one of those “feisty-heroine-stomps-her-foot-a-lot-while-driving-reserved-hero-round-the bend” stories, but Ms. Hunter instead presents two grown-up, sensible characters who, while striking sparks off each other, approach the situation with a degree of common sense. They are opponents and neither wants to give way, but they’re not stubborn for the sake of it and while each wants to be proven right, there’s no sense that they’d resort to underhandedness to do it.

Dabney: This is my favorite Hunter since her Rarest Blooms series. This novel is wonderfully calm. As I turned page after page, there was emotional space that rather than being filled with hard to believe drama was simply replete with a growing respect and love between two leads I’d like to spend time with.

Caz: Yep, there was a real sense that these two were mature individuals who thought things through, and that made their attraction even more believable, because they both knew it was so irrational considering their circumstances. The author wisely kept the drama to the actual drama of the situation rather than manufacturing it. And on that note, I also liked the way she handled Brentworth’s Big Secret – which could have been badly overplayed, but wasn’t.

Dabney: Agreed. Even the way the claim to the estate is resolved is sane and sensible. Hunter trusts her characters’ inner thoughts and outer actions to tell the story and does so beautifully.

I also really like the sexual side of this story. This is a sensual story that breaks slowly. Without spoiling, let me just say that the last conversation in the novel the two have about the passion they share was singular in its honesty and focus. I loved it.

Caz: I also appreciated the lack of overdone mental lusting. There’s no doubt about the attraction between the couple, but as you say, it’s a slow, sensual build and it was lovely to read.

I really liked both leads – I keep coming back to the words “mature” and “adult”, and I suppose that’s partly because they’re so strongly contrasted with the number of romance protagonists who don’t behave that way – but I got a real sense that both of them were people who knew themselves and were comfortable in their own skins. They communicate well, even when doing so might not be in the interest of gaining their objective. I particularly liked that Davina, while having unusual ambitions for a woman of the time, doesn’t feel the need to jump up and down while shouting “look how unconventional I am!”

Dabney: Let’s also give a shoutout to how well Hunter handled the history in this book. It could have been sooooo dull, all that stuff about historical documents, church records, and the plunder of the British Empire, but, instead, Hunter tells her story in a way that all those small details are interesting and feel nicely integral to the story.

Caz: Yes, and I particularly liked the way she portrayed the king (George IV) which was, from everything I’ve read, pretty accurate, especially about his propensity to agree to things and then backpedal, or his tendency toward paranoia.

Dabney: I’m happy for you. I am an HR reader who, unless it’s so egregious that I am aware of it – I’m still not clear when the Regency era ends and the Victorian begins – the specific historical veracity of a story doesn’t matter much to me.

Caz: Um… yeah, well, we’re polar opposites on that one. So rather than get into a fight about it (!), I’m going to move on and say this; it’s common, in the last book of a series, to bring back characters from earlier novels, but sometimes that seems as though it’s done just for the sake of it. Here, however, the Duke of Stratton (from The Most Dangerous Duke in London) has a significant part to play. He’s a good friend to Brentworth, listens well and offers good advice, and I appreciated that he wasn’t there just to pay lip service. What I didn’t like so much, though, was the way that both the previous heroes came across as rather hen-pecked (!) I know we like it when these sexy, alpha heroes fall for their women, but that doesn’t mean they need to turn into doormats after the wedding!

Dabney: Um… *looks around furtively* …Well, as someone who is famous for her bossiness and who is blessed to be married to someone who lets me have my own way on many things, I didn’t notice that. I did, however, really like that the friendship between the two men seems real and important to them. They’re not bros raising beers, they’re mature men sharing wisdom and supporting one another.

Caz: I’ve been going back and forth over a final grade for this one and have decided to go with a B+. The characters, the romance, the plot and the historical detail all combine to make this one of those ‘quiet’ character-driven romances I really enjoy.

Dabney: Me too. It’s a lovely, wise, subtly sexy read.