As always Anna Harrington delivers a solid historical romance filled with drama and tension. I read it so easily

I am writing this review after having read the next book in the series (The Duke of Deceit) as well. And I have to say that I liked neither. With two out of two books being misses, I wouldn't recommend them, which is a shame because I liked Anna Harrington's books in the past.

Let's begin by saying that the big twist in the end was obvious. That was a let down considering that most of the book is focused on uncovering the truth rather than the romance. Second of all, I hated that Peyton was supposed to be calculating and someone with a sharp mind that would uncover the truth behind that fateful night only for her to end up as naive and always in need of help. I did not enjoy the book and I wonder how she could have gone all those years not knowing what had truly happened and connecting the pieces. The romance wasn't enough to save the book.

I love this kind of story with a hero who is a protector. In this one the heroine is out to revenge the murder of her parents. The characters are well fleshed out and the story grabs you right away. It's woven so well together it kept me reading page after page to see how these two would come together. It's not just a love story but there's a mystery, who is putting their father's criminal enterprise back together? We get introduced to two of Devlin's three comrades in arms, friends that bonded at Eton. I can't wait to read their stories.

Devlin Raines, Duke of Dartmoor has secrets up the wazoo and will do anything to keep them secret including acting the worse rake in London. He shares the burden of those secrets with one of his best friends Lucien Grenier, Duke of Crewe. Their fathers along with the vicious criminal Josiah Horrender did unspeakable things in their greed for money and power. Charles Chandler, Payton's father, was their banker who was a master at laundering the money so no one was the the wiser. In the story we find why Charles Chandler, his wife and daughter were killed.

Payton Chandler didn't die that night and now she's back to get revenge on her parents killer. She has been gathering evidence for the last ten years and is pretty sure Devlin Raines was responsible. Over a night of gambling Devlin meets a woman who is beautiful, intelligent, feisty, feminine and somehow familiar. When she bests him at cards he can't deny his interest. He never loses. Unbeknownst to him she is systematically is divesting him of his fortune and giving it away to charity anonymously. Next in her plan is to irreparably damage his reputation and bring an end to his engagement.

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

What a great start to this new series! I enjoyed this story immensely, especially the mystery aspect kept up the suspense. It was quite different from other historical romance books I read so far but that's what I liked about it. It's also my first Anna Harrington book and I'll keep an eye out for more of her books.

This is a new to me HR author, but I really enjoyed how the mystery and romance was woven in this story. It felt suspenseful and fresh, though I did end up guessing the culprit of the MFC's parents' death quite early on. I will look out for more by this author in the future!

This is the first installment of a new series, The Dukes of Darkness, and it is off to a smashing start! Devlin Raines, the brooding Duke of Dartmoor, is haunted by his father’s misdeeds and his past as a mercenary. He struggles to maintain the respectability he has fought to reclaim. Peyton has been living the last ten years as a ghost. As far as the world is concerned, she is as good as dead. In order to stay alive, she had no choice but to fake her death after being attacked by assassins. Now she is back in London seeking revenge on the man she thinks responsible, Devlin Raines. But the more time she spends in his company, the more she is drawn to him and the more she begins to doubt her vendetta.

This is a gripping romance blending love, revenge, and redemption, weaving together an intriguing and captivating tale.

The chemistry between Devlin and Peyton sizzles from their first encounter. Their relationship is marked by an ever-shifting dynamic of mistrust, desire, and grudging reliance as they unravel the mystery behind the assassination attempt that changed Peyton’s life. The slow-burn romance is complemented by well-paced action and clever plot twists. The story is well-written with well-drawn characters and comes to a satisfying and heartwarming conclusion.

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing and am voluntarily leaving my review.

What a great start to this new series! The Duke and the Darkness pulled me in with the intriguing connection between Devlin and Peyton. From beginning to end, I was very involved with each little piece as it unfolded. Harrington wove a story with interesting characters, clever dialogue, quite a bit of steam, and a plot that needed to be solved. I especially enjoyed Peyton’s character being very fierce and strong.

And now we have Crewe’s story to look forward to next with enough information to hook a reader to want to know more. Me. I’m that reader. I can’t wait to read what’s next!

This was a quick read - I have read a few other titles by Anna Harrington and the summary of this one grabbed my attention. The premise was engaging and I always love a heroine who can catch the hero on the back foot.

I'm excited to see the next stories in this series!

Thanks for the early copy!

The tone was a tad too dark and emotional for my tastes. The first chapter threw me into the drama quickly,(which I must applaud an author who doesn’t waste time!) and I just never found myself connecting.

What an amazing start to a new series! I loved this book there was so much depth and emotion to this story. Peyton is seeking revenge for her family. Devlin and Peyton come together and slowly their relationship grows. The build up was spectacular. I loved how they were with each other once they came together. Very spicy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)

Get ready for a ride filled with secrets, suspense, and simmering chemistry in The Duke and the Darkness! Anna Harrington delivers a historical romance that’s as much about mystery and revenge as it is about love. Devlin Raines, Duke of Dartmoor, is a reformed mercenary with a dark past, but just when he’s on the verge of settling into a safe (read: boring) life, in walks Peyton Chandler—a woman he thought dead, and one who believes he’s the villain who destroyed her family.

Cue the drama!

Harrington does a great job pulling readers into Peyton and Devlin’s tangled web of secrets. Peyton, who faked her own death after a brutal attack, returns to London for revenge. But the deeper she digs, the more uncertain she becomes about Devlin’s role in the tragedy that shattered her life. Their interactions are a mix of tension, distrust, and undeniable attraction, and watching them inch toward trusting each other—while juggling dangerous secrets—is one of the most enjoyable parts of the book.

The plot unfolds with plenty of twists, and Harrington keeps the stakes high, making it hard to put the book down. The chemistry between Devlin and Peyton is electric, but their relationship is also refreshingly complex—they’re both haunted by the past, and their emotional scars make for a much deeper connection than your typical love story. It’s a slow burn, and when things finally start to heat up, it’s well worth the wait.

So why 4 stars instead of 5? The pacing wobbles a bit in the middle, where the story gets bogged down in back-and-forths between the leads as they struggle with trust. It felt like it dragged just a touch before the action really kicked back in. But overall, it’s a small gripe in what’s otherwise a captivating tale of romance and redemption.

If you’re into historical romance with a dash of mystery and a pair of leads who are as wounded as they are strong, The Duke and the Darkness will sweep you away. Plus, who doesn’t love a revenge story where love complicates everything?

A group of men run an evil criminal enterprise until their deaths and now it's up to their adult children to try to repair the damage done to so many people. This books contains many dark topics - murder, attempted rape, kidnapping, and child prostitution are some of them. Ten years ago, when she was 16, Peyton's parents were murdered in front of her as their carriage was attacked and she was almost raped until someone saved her. She was declared dead to remain safe and taken to France to recover. Now she's back in England to get revenge on the man she believes tried to rape her and destroyed her family. Devlin has hidden his father's crimes to protect his family while trying to help those he can. When the truth starts to unravel her plans, and someone is trying to put the criminal ring back together, Peyton and Devlin must work together to make sure it doesn't happen. Deeply emotional, steamy, and gripping.

I love love love Anna Harrington! I’m a huge fan of her books and this one is not an exception!
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.
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.
OMG THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN THESE TWO! It was soooo good! I’ve read all of Anna’s books and I think this is one of my favorites. It’s sexy, witty and addictive, but at the same time is full of aghast, emotional boundaries and secrets. The chemistry is off the chart, and Devlin devastatingly handsome. I fell in love with him right from the beginning. Peyton is so strong and resilient! I wanted to hug her and fight by her side! So beautiful!
There’s suspense, a bit of action, lots of romance and steamy times. I couldn’t stop reading. I highly recommend this book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Duke and the Darkness is the first book in Anna Harrington's new series The Dukes of Darkness so if you're looking to start a new series, consider grabbing this one.

Devlin Raines, Duke of Dartmoor, has worked to put his father's sins in the past. His goal now is to keep his mother and sister safe and make a good marriage but when out of nowhere a mysterious (and beautiful) woman disrupts everything, he knows he has more work to do.

Peyton Chandler is our fmc and to the world, she has been dead for ten years. When she and her parents were attacked in their carriage, she faked her own death and left the country but now she's returned to London for revenge against the man she believes was responsible for it all - Devlin Raines. Peyton knows he was there that night and she is going to make him pay. Unfortunately, the more time she spends with him, the more what Peyton thought starts to fall apart and eventually the man she set out to destroy becomes the only man she can trust.

This book is heavy on the mystery aspect as Peyton and Devlin work to uncover what truly happened the evening of the attack and who was behind it as well as who is behind what has been recently occurring. Don't get me wrong - the romance is there, it just wasn't always front and center. I am also glad that Peyton was able to see who Devin truly is, not just because of how he was treated by his father, but because of what he does for those he loves and how he treats everyone around him...that he wasn't the spoiled womanizer she thought he was when they were younger.

Overall, I enjoyed this first book and I'll definitely be picking up the next book in the series when I can because with all the descriptions around Devlin's friends/counterparts, I'm intrigued to learn more about them.

This was definitely different! Not heavily on the romance but a lot of suspense and tension. I liked it! I did feel like there were a lot of names going on in the book without a storyline but maybe that's because sometimes I still struggle with English and can't always keep up. I loved how fearce Peyton is and the gentle side of Devlin and the bond with his family. I didn't see it coming who really attacked Peyton and her parents, the story was very well written!
I am looking forward to the second book, Crewes story sounds intriguing!

Also reviewed on Goodreads and will review on Instagram and tag the author

WOW! Just WOW!

I had to take a few moments to collect my thoughts about this novel, as I was bowled over by both the story and the writing, before I could leave my review. So without much more ado:

I really enjoyed this novel, the first I have read by Anna Harrington and the first in her new series with Dragonblade, The Dukes of Darkness. Already I am looking forward to Lucien's story as well as Chase's and Seamus's. All of these dukes seem to have been scarred by various events in their pasts or mistreatment by their morally bankrupt fathers. I, for one, am here for the rest of the series as all four men will be tasked with bringing their darkness into the light while winning over their heroines.

In terms of this first novel, it centers around a horrific crime that occurred ten years in the past, when Peyton Chandler witnessed the brutal murders of her parents at the hands of thugs she believes were ordered to carry out the crimes by Devlin Raines, the heir to the dukedom of Dartmoor. After being almost left for dead, she goes into hiding in France and plans to return to wreak havoc and revenge on Devlin, taking everything from him, as she believes he once took everything she held dear from her. But after returning to London and spending time with Devlin, she begins to doubt what she has been told about who is responsible for her parents' deaths, and she has difficulty reconciling who she thought Devlin Raines was and who he truly is beneath the handsome, suave surface he shows the world.

Make no mistake, there are dark themes in this novel, including spousal and child abuse in the past as well as what happened to Peyton that night, but it is so well-written that I became very invested in how Peyton and Devlin would move past their own painful histories to embrace a shared future with trust, love and happiness. Their love story is also steamy, and Anna Harrington writes some of the most tender intimate scenes in this book I've ever read. I liked both MC's, particularly Devlin and what he was wiling to do to atone for his father's sins. Both characters were nuanced and well-drawn, and I was rooting for them to work through their past pain together and recognize their love for each other. I also liked how well-drawn the secondary characters of Devlin's mother and sisters, and Lucien Grenier, Devlin's closest boyhood friend, were. I did figure out who the villain was early on, but not the twist or the why of it, and at the end, when I knew for certain that Peyton was facing her worst nightmare (again), I was a bit spooked by the darkness that had lurked beneath the surface since that dreadful night and wondered whether Devlin was going to have a key role in protecting her - or would she end up saving herself?

All in all, a really good read that I enjoyed immensely, and I am ready to find out why Lucien Grenier, Duke of Crewe, got his face slapped and by whom in the epilogue, in the next book of the series.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley, and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Whew, that was dark. It's right there in the title, "The Duke and the Darkness," but maybe I didn't actually believe it would be that dark? Anna Harrington is an excellent author and I love all her books that I've read. This book also has excellent writing. I guess I just wasn't prepared for it to be such a heavy read. I need to immediately go and read any of her other books for a palate cleanser lol.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

I thought that this was a great read, and I am eager to continue this new series. This book grabbed my attention very quickly and kept it handily. Devlin and Peyton are complex characters that were likable, and they had me deeply invested and passionately rooting them on. The story itself is well written and offers up a captivating combination of drama, mystery, emotion, intensity, action, spice, and twists that read smoothly yet packed a powerful punch.

Wow, riveting! This was a dramatic and extremely intense love story. It told of betrayals, abuse, lies, death, murder, attempted murders, plot of revenge, such excitement, action, suspense, mystery, and so much more that kept me enthralled and sitting on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. The characters were complex and strong-willed. I really enjoyed the romance with delicious passion that began despite everything turned into true love. I highly recommend reading!

Is she the darkness?

Devlin had a shady father and he never atoned for those sins. Those sins come back to haunt him in the form of a vengeful Peyton. She was almost killed, along with her family ten years ago and had to fake her own death. Yes, she is easily led astray on her path for revenge.