Prudance Lancaster has been Fiona Wingate Duchess of Overton companion before she was Lady Cassandra Westbrook when she is kidnapped by Bennet St. James, the Viscount Glastonbury, suiter of Lady Cassandra's who is desperate from money. His father had wasted all the money and he is taking care of his great aunts but has no money so he was looking for a rich dowey. He thought it was lady Cassandra. Lady Cassandra and Prudance had change cloaks before they left where they were at. Pru and the viscount happen to get stuck together at a small inn while they deal with bad weather and carriage malfunctions. for a few days before Bennet can take her back to london without anyone knowing what happen to her, Pru had come to london to find her mother all she had of her birth mother was a ring. She ended up giving it to the viscount to sell it but he didn't want to and started wearing it. The ring belongs to a family who knows it once once his aunts. Bennet meets with pru telling her what he found out and she goes to this lady and finds out she is the daughter of her and is welcomed into the family who she finds out she knew all along. During the way Pru and Bennet fall in love.

I’ve read many books written by Darcy Burke, but I think this is my favorite.
If Bennet St. James, the Viscount Glastonbury, doesn’t find a bride with a sizeable dowry, he’ll be in the poorhouse along with his interminable number of female relatives. Desperate, he hatches a scheme to snare an heiress only to be foiled by a most vexing and alluring—and unfortunately equally destitute—paid companion.
Prudence Lancaster is single-minded about finding her mother and filling in the missing pieces of her life. But a villainous viscount interrupts her plans, and his surprising charm and understanding tempts her in the most indecent ways. Soon, she’s dreaming of the future instead of wallowing in the past. But when Bennet shares a dark secret, her hopes are dashed. For he won’t break the promise he made to his family, even if it means losing the greatest love he’s ever known.
This book is beautiful. Both characters are really well developed and have all this meaningful past. So many secrets and people who left them alone struggling in their own ways. I enjoyed their time in the inn a lot. It was so real and emotional. It was hard for me to put this down to be able to continue with my life. Kids, food and all that.
Great sexy times but my favorite thing about this book were the dialogs.
This is a deep, sweet romance, perfect for tender hearts with a bit of spicy souls.
I highly recommend this story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Bennet Glastonbury, Vicount, has just made the worst mistake of his life, attempting to kidnap Lady Cassandra to convince her to elope with him. He didn't think it could get worse, but it is: the woman "trussed up like a pheasant" in front of him isn't who he expected! Witty, clever, and remarkably possessed of poise, Prudence Lancaster is never at a loss for words. But will she know what to say when she finds that she is stuck with her captor in a small inn for days, as rain threatens to wash away the roads, and maybe her inhibitions?

Indecent is the 4th novel in the Phoenix Club series by Darcy Burke. This is only my second book of Burke's but I found I enjoyed it even more than the other installment I have read, Indecent. I do believe this could be read as a stand-alone, though! The start of the book (the first third or so), has a slower pace than the rest of the novel, which I enjoyed, as it allowed me to get to know the main characters and their points of view better.

I found the plethora of Aunt characters a fun choice to give Bennet, and liked how it gave the author a chance to discuss mental health/illness as well.

A lovely read! My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to review this book!

Bad luck seems to follow Bennet. His attempt to solve his money problems by kidnapping an heiress goes wrong when his henchmen grab the wrong girl. They brought him the paid companion, not the heiress. To compound the situation, the weather and a coach in need of repair strand Bennet and Prudence at a country inn for a week. It wasn’t all bad. Prudence forgave him, and they spent the time getting to know each other VERY well. Their return to London creates complications for both of them.

I really enjoyed this story. There were some anxious moments, twists, turns, surprises (big ones), humor, and romance. Bennet is truly a good and caring person. He tends to be impetuous and make poor decisions at times, kidnapping for example. Prudence is intelligent, witty, independent, and optimistic. He is dealing with his rather eccentric family. Their interactions are humorous and heartwarming. Prudence is trying to find her family. She was adopted, but has been given clues to her parentage (this is where one of the surprises comes in). Friends from the Phoenix Club are ready and willing to help these two along with their happily ever after. Indecent is a quick enjoyable read and a fantastic addition to the series.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Perfection. Exquisite. Charming. These are the first words that come to mind when attempting to describe this story! If you are unfamiliar with this series, “Indecent” is the fourth book in Darcy Burke’s “Phoenix Club Series” and I think this series just gets better and better! Although I highly recommend the entire series, technically this story can be enjoyed as a standalone. This story is the perfect blend of several tropes including— opposite’s attract, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, fake relationship to real, spinster finds love, and noble loves a commoner— all blended masterfully together with a few extra surprises along the way! I enjoyed every word!! 😍

Society’s most exclusive invitation...

Welcome to the Phoenix Club, where London’s most audacious, disreputable, and intriguing ladies and gentlemen find scandal, redemption, and second chances.

If Bennet St. James, the Viscount Glastonbury, doesn’t find a bride with a sizeable dowry, he’ll be in the poorhouse along with his interminable number of female relatives—all of whom he loves but are a drain on the negative fortune his father left when he died of a broken pocketbook. Desperate, he hatches a scheme to snare an heiress only to be foiled by a most vexing and alluring—and unfortunately equally destitute—paid companion.

Lady’s companion Prudence Lancaster is single-minded about finding her mother and filling in the missing pieces of her life. But a villainous viscount interrupts her plans, and his surprising charm and understanding tempts her in the most indecent ways. Soon, she’s dreaming of the future instead of wallowing in the past.

But when Bennet shares a dark secret, her hopes are dashed. For he won’t break the promise he made to his family, even if it means losing the greatest love he’s ever known.

The MCs in this story are very well developed and realistically flawed — each of them grow as the story progresses. The supporting characters continue to be amazing, including those from previous books and those introduced during this story. I loved them all … even the squirrels 🐿

The chemistry between Bennet & Prudence is hot 😍🔥 and their passion adds to the overall story but doesn’t take over the plot.

I really can’t wait for the next book and hope the author continues the series at least until Lucien gets his happily ever after!!

Overall 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 5 Flames 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 — a high recommendation for this book & series ❤️

Desperate times call for desperate measures

Bennet is stuck between a rock and a hard place, so he devises a plan to force Lady Cassandra into marriage despite the lady's interest in another and her father's refusal of Bennet's courtship. In a twist of fate hinted at in the previous book, Prudence, Lady Cassandra's companion, is taken by mistake, setting off an intriguing chain of events that turns both Prudence and Bennet's lives upside down.

I loved their entire romantic adventure, and I adored the challenging way their romance developed. It was hard to believe at first that Prudence could ever look favorably upon Bennet, but the more we got to know him, the more his fine attributes outshined his momentary lapse in judgment. Their HEA was perfectly satisfying and I loved the little hints about the next book in the series.

I loved the author's use of humor and the secondary characters are, as always, stellar. Ms. Burke is one of my all-time favorite hist-rom authors, and this book is a fine example of her talents. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

When last we read about Bennet St. James, the Viscount Glastonbury, he was the villain in the previous book. And this book branches off with Bennet story. He is in desperate financial straits, which has left him with no choice but to marry a heiress. Kidnapping Cassandra was the logical choice, but when the thugs he hires brings him the wrong women, Prudence Lancaster, Cassandra Lady’s companion. His bad luck just seems to go downhill. Due to bad weather they are stuck as the only guests in a out of the way inn. And yes things do get worse, but Bennet and Prudence come to a truce as their stay lengthens. Both have secrets and both never want to marry, but Prudence decides that this maybe her only chance at passion.
Once back in London they both found that there is more than one night, as their lust for each other grows. It doesn’t have a future with Prudence only being a paid companion and Bennet a Viscount. He still needs funds to save his home and family and she doesn’t want to marry, plus not of the same social standings as Bennet.
Will they find their HEA? Read on with all the twists and turns, secrets and wonderful characters. It will be best to read the previous book since this practically picks up from there. I must say I couldn’t put it down and read it in one day. Can’t wait to read the next book!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #Indecent #DarcyBurke

An exciting journey to finding love that takes a lot of twist and turns, but is so worth every step!

Really excited to find out what happened to dear Prudence at the end of the last story that left us wondering... of course it could be no other than Bennett, Viscount Glastonbury, that has abducted her!

A case of nabbing the heiress, only to find out he got the lady's companion instead! What to do?
A series of mishaps strands them together, and as they get to know each other, it seems they
might actually like each other.. okay maybe more, but it does not seem meant to be!

I adore Darcy's stories and she always leaves me with a smile and a sigh. Just cannot wait to see what happens next in this delightful series!

Indecent is the latest installment in the Phoenix Club series. This novel picks up immediately after the ending of the third book. We finally get to learn the circumstances surrounding Prudence's mysterious elopement.

Any book that starts out with a kidnapping is super intriguing to me! Prudence and Bennet are instantly likeable characters. It's easy to see their chemistry from the start. The plot seemed so different from many other historical romances and was refreshingly sweet yet spicy. I liked how Prudence's character was outwardly confident when interacting with people but was able to be vulnerable with Bennet, Seeing them be domestic at the inn were some of my favorite scenes of the story.

The secondary cast of characters are as entertaining as ever. We get to see a bit more of Cassandra and Ruark with glimpses of the other previous couples. I'm stilling holding out hope that Lucien and Evie get a book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Darcy Burke, and Zealous Quill press for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was disappointed in the last entry in this series, so I wasn't sure if I would end up liking this book, but I did. Lord Glastonbury--Bennet--was a villain in the previous book, and Prudence Lancaster was companion to the woman (Lady Cassandra) he tried to marry for money. This starts with the typical romance novel kidnapping trope, but the difference is that Prudence is such a salty character, there are no concerns that she can't hold her own with Bennet. For his part, Bennet transforms from sort of a scheming loser to a truly vulnerable guy who is easy to sympathize with. The writer did a nice job of fleshing him out, and introducing his eccentric family members, who are all dealing with a form of mental illness (from the modern-day perspective, they would probably be categorized as manic-depressive and obsessive-compulsive).

I thought the topic of mental illness was handled with a nice balance, and I'm glad that Prudence got a story of her own. Sometimes it's nice when the h isn't a wealthy debutante. Also, the plot complication involving Bennet's financial status and the situation Prudence finds herself is well-handled, with just enough realistic emotion but not so much angst it starts to grate. Finally, I thought the secondary characters were charming (except for the gossipy witch Bennet almost married, of course).

The reasons I'm giving this 4 stars:
--The story gets off to a slow start. For such a dramatic situation, there's a lot of repetition of conversation/ thoughts. I wanted the first chapters to move along more quickly, with more tension. The dialog is on the stilted side.
--That said, Prudence and Bennet jump into bed together awfully quickly. I thought her dialog and behavior were out of character for her, and for any young woman of that time who was a virgin of little means and had to protect herself against men's advances. I really needed more scenes for their relationship to develop first, although (without wanting to give too much away) the timing is tied somewhat into the plot. (I personally think the "spinster decides to sleep with the rogue because she'll never wed" trope has been way overdone.)
--Prudence's character development seems to stall, but suddenly she changes her attitude at the very end. I didn't like her reaction to Bennet's family and what he'd kept from her. Obviously, it was a lot to take in, but it was obvious that he was overwhelmed, as well. I needed to know more about her past to understand why she seemed so repressed at 24 years old. Having a mom who encouraged her to bottle up her emotions when she was a child seemed like a stretch. I'd assumed that she'd hit a bit of a rough patch, maybe that she'd been harassed or assaulted by a man in a household where she worked in the past, but this is never explored.

Overall, though, once I got past the opening chapters, I really started to enjoy the story, the secondary characters, and Bennet. I'm intrigued to see how everything unfolds for Ada and Viscount Warfield in the next book in this series.

Steam level: 4. The love scenes are more effective once Bennet and Pru's relationship becomes a bit more developed.

I read an advanced copy of this book and this is my honest review. Opinions are my own.
#Intolerable #NetGalley

Bennet St. James, the Viscount Glastonbury, is in deep financial trouble thanks to his father gambling away the estate's future. He needs to marry an heiress and fast before he loses everything. He plans a desperate kidnapping plot, but when things go sideways, he's left with an even bigger mess. Miss Prudence Lancaster is kidnapped out of her bed instead of the heiress and when she finds out who's behind the plot, she must do everything she can to escape. With a horrific thunderstorm raging outside, Prudence is stuck at an out of the way inn with the viscount. Can she reconcile her growing feelings for Bennet while being furious for the situation he's landed them both in?

This was another enjoyable story from Ms. Burke. I could understand Bennet's desperation trying to save his family from destitution, but he soon realizes how wrong he was to hatch the kidnapping plot in the first place especially as he gets to know Pru better. He realizes there's so much more to her than her quiet and reserve personality, but she's a penniless companion and he cannot marry her even if he wanted to, besides the fact that he's hiding a devastating family secret. I really liked Pru. She was a strong woman who had been dealt some serious blows in her young life, but she carries on with her head held high. I loved the plot twist as Pru finds out who she really is. This couple had a rocky path to their HEA, but love does triumph in the end. Can't wait to read Ada's story.

I started reading Darcy Burke's Indecent in the wee small hours of Friday morning and, thankfully, figured out early on that I needed to backtrack immediately and read the first three in the series.

My weekend, as they say, was completely "booked." 

By the time I woke up on Saturday morning I was finished with Improper, and already a third of the way through the second book, Impassioned. Sunday arrived with me being ready to start Intolerable, and rather thankful that I had the night off from work... and that my son was being picked up by his father that afternoon. I think we may have had the television on for an hour or so at some point Saturday morning, but that was just to add to our various watchlists for future reference. Sunday we watched some things together before he left and we also took a couple of breaks to eat and play some video games, but for the most part the weekend was spent with him attached to his iPad and me to my Kindle. When he left I was well into the third book and anxious to begin Indecent ... again. Each book begins where (or even slightly before) the previous one ends so it has made complete sense to binge them back to back. 

I have loved them all. The first is the story of Tobias and Fiona and gives a decent introduction to future main characters and The Phoenix Club. The second is, at this point, my favorite. It's Constantine and Sabrina's story and they're already married to each other when the story begins. On paper, anyway. The third belongs to Cassandra and Ruark. She is the sister of Con and Lucien -- the owner of The Phoenix Club and a character that I am more than a tad smitten with. He is one of Lucien's best friends. Finally, Indecent features Prudence and Bennet -- she, the former companion to Fiona and then Cassandra; he, a former suitor of Cassandra's. So far it's a close second to Impassioned as being my favorite of the four. 

I have been watching Pru from the beginning of the series with increasing curiosity. Remember, I started reading Indecent first before backtracking so I already knew a little (very VERY little) about what was ahead for her. It has been an absolute joy getting to know her more and having her take center stage. As for Bennet, I was definitely not a big fan during Intolerable. Happily, he grew on me. Not as much as Constantine... and I doubt any will be as much as Lucien... but he turned into someone to root for when all was revealed about why he was so unrootable when we first met. 

The fifth is set to be released in April and I will definitely be reading it as soon as I can... as well as any that may follow... even if I lose some sleep in order to do so.

I had no idea how the author was going to make this work, but I was desperate to see how she would accomplish it. Likewise, I did not have the faintest clue how much else was going on below the surface and behind the scenes in Prudence and Bennett's worlds. Their chemistry wasn't immediately evident, and theirs is a slower burn romance. I think there are a couple reasons for that, and they make perfect sense within the story. They start out being sort of enemies, yet their forced proximity during the storm conditions made them open up to one another more than they had to nearly anyone else in their lives. Also, both Prudence and Bennett are striving to control their emotions with every fiber of their being. However, eventually their emotional connection overwhelmed their natural reserve to break through the restraint they're both holding on their emotions. I love that this book has given at least a ‘happy for now’ ending to everyone involved in this story. And, the hints that have been dropped about what may happen in the next one have made me very curious to see how that matchup will play out.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book through NetGalley.

4 stars

Glastonbury has turned up in the other books as a Beta character, now he gets his own book. We find out why he's desperate for money. Prudence was also in the other books as a companion to the other heroines. She'd originally met Lucien the owner of the Phoenix club when she went to ask for money from her legitimate half brother. He refused her aid and so Lucien rescued her. Bennet kidnaps Prudence by mistake and then opens up to her and they eventually start a relationship. Knowing that he needs to marry an heiress he reluctantly leaves Prudence and searches out a rich widow.
The story continues. Prudence finds her long lost mother and eventually reconnects with most of her family. Ada her book keeping friend from the Phoenix club is sent by Lucien to sort out Prudence's half brother, thus the author sets us up for the next episode in this series. A good edition to the series.

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

All good romance readers know that despite the problematic elements (Stockholm Syndrome, anyone?), a kidnaping is a great place to start a romance. In Indecent, Bennet tries to kidnap Lady Cassandra only to end up with her companion, Prudence. To add insult to injury, the two get stuck together at a small inn while they deal with bad weather and carriage malfunctions. To no reader's surprise, the two fall in love during their period of forced proximity... but Bennet needs an heiress, Prudence has no money, and they both have secrets in their pasts.

Refreshingly, Prudence's reputation is never used as a reason for their relationship development. The way the couple works together feels authentic, and even though what brings them together isn't our favorite plot device, their reactions didn't feel out of character. Indecent continues Darcy Burke's MO of decent people who fall in love with each other and try to make it work.

I received this book as a ARC from NetGalley. These are my opinions.
I loved this book. While it is part of the Phoenix Club series, most of it takes place elsewhere.
I was really happy that Prudence got her own story.
When she was mistakenly kidnapped by Bennet St. James, Viscount Glastonbury, who thought he was kidnapping her employer, they are horrified. His father made poor investments and Bennet needs money to keep his family afloat. There is a raging storm and they are trapped at the inn for several days.
Prudence has a complicated past. She was adopted, and knew who her real father was, but not her mother. When her adopted mother passed away, she gave Pru a ring that had belonged to her mother. She gives the ring to Bennet, and it is recognized by one of his friends.
This book has a lot of surprises and is a wonderful can't put it down read.
I can't wait for the next book! Congratulations Ms. Burke on another wonderfully entertaining read!

This was a free ebook from NetGalley for preview and this is my freely given review. Thanks NetGalley.

This is the fourth book in the Phoenix Club series by Darcy Burke and is the story of Prudence, companion to the heroines of book 1 and book 3, Fiona and Cassandra, and Bennet, Viscount Glastonbury.

Prudence was always a bit of an enigma, a quiet background character in the prior books, quiet and mysterious. Lucien helped her out by finding her jobs as a companion to two debutantes, including his sister. She seemed to be quietly observant, and did not interfere too much. But not a lot was known about her background. In this book, we find out the secrets Prudence is hiding, and why.

Bennet St. James was one of Cassandra's suitors, from Intolerable, book 3. He is a handsome Viscount, who unfortunately inherited a title and estate in horrible debt because of his father's mismanagement. It also sounded like he inherited a large household of dependents too. He is just barely managing to keep things together, and it sounds like he is just about to drown in the River Tick, unless he manages to marry an heiress. Hence his courtship of Cassandra... and if you read book 3, you would know pretty much how successful he was there.

In one last effort of desperation, he engages in a reckless act to elope with Cassandra, which leads us to the beginning of this book... he hires thugs to break into the inn that Cassandra and Prudence were staying to kidnap Cassandra so he can elope with her. But Prudence had switched places with her charge and the thugs kidnap her instead. She is furious and he is incredibly sorry for his ill thought out actions, and the harm he may have caused her.

Due to a variety of mishaps and ill-luck, Prudence and Bennet end up staying together at an out of the way farmhouse/inn for the better part of a week. During the course of that week, he tries to make things up to her, and she ends up forgiving him, as they become closer and friendlier.

Unfortunately she is neither an heiress, nor his social equal, and he still needs a large cash infusion for his family to survive, via an heiress's dowry.

They decide to part as friends, and leave the past behind them as she goes back to being a companion, and he seeks his fortune. But, that would not be all that romantic an HEA would it?

Anyways, no spoilers, as there are some quite interesting little twists here, especially involving other relationships, and both these characters backgrounds. But I enjoyed finding out more about what makes Prudence tick and this story definitely fleshed out Bennet a bit more, as he seemed a rather one dimensional character in the last book. I definitely felt some empathy for his character, and his fears for the future. His family history and manifestations of their illness was interesting to read. I had a friend years back who had family like that. One would have this urge to stock up and collect food stuffs, but ironically, they did not cook and often ordered take out. One thing I got into a habit of doing when I visited was to clean out their fridge because fruit and veggies were rotting in it. I remember counting 49 bags of sugar one day - in the guest room.

Anyways, digressing...

I enjoyed this story quite a bit. The conflict in social status, the fleshing out of two prior background character's backgrounds and personalities, the teasing out of relationships and other characters. I don't remember a lot of Ada being mentioned before in the prior novels, but enjoy the set up to book 5, which will be Ada's story, and that of Lucien's friend, the Marquess of Warfield (though it was interesting that his father was referred to as the Viscount of Warfield a couple of times here - error, or am I missing something?).

4 out of 5 stars for me.

I am very much so looking forward to book 5, and wondering how Ada's personal history will fit into that story... again, no spoilers.

Also wondering if the Duke, and his sister will have more details added to their characters as time goes on, or their own stories. The more I read about the patriarch, the Duke, the more I rather am starting to like and feel empathy for him.

DNFed 22%. I just felt like their relationship was developing way to quickly for my taste, like they were flirting real hard but then what’s supposed to happen? So it was a meh book (at least what I read)

Bennet St. James, Viscount Glastonbury, is struggling to pay his bills and sinks to kidnapping a future bride for her sizeable dowry. Yet when he mistakenly kidnaps Prudence Lancaster, a paid companion of the heiress, he finds himself captivated by her whilst resolute in his ambition to marry for money. Pru is single-minded in finding her mother, who left her at birth with only a ring, as a clue to her heritage. When she finds herself together with Bennet, her future looks decidedly different.
A great addition to The Phoenix Club and I enjoyed seeing characters from previous books as well as Bennet’s aunts. These characters added to the lovely romance between the two main characters. Whilst I found Bennet a bit frustrating at times, I could understand his motivation. The character of Pru is quite independent and I enjoyed her ability to push past disappointments and to get on with her life. I so look forward to reading about Lucien, one person who has added so much to this book and to previous books.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It was supposed to be an invitation, not a kidnapping. And the woman was supposed to be a duke's daughter, not her companion. But the brigands Bennet hired behaved like…well, brigands. Now, with a storm raging, he and Prudence are trapped in a tiny inn with only one bed. If he were any kind of gentleman, he would marry her. But after his father bankrupted the viscountcy, Bennet must marry an heiress to protect his family and tenants from financial ruin. Can he solve his financial troubles so he can marry the woman he's slowly coming to love?

After the last book, and the botched kidnapping in this one, I wasn't sure how the author was going to redeem Bennet. But the remorse he shows at how things went awry is genuine. Prudence is naturally outraged at first but gains sympathy for his predicament. Their relationship progresses quickly from there. If you like tropey Regency romance, this book is for you.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.