This turned out to be an interesting book. The story kept my attention the whole way through by adding characters and little tangent storylines.

Anna Harrington's "The Duke and the Darkness" is a captivating romance that kicks off a promising series.
The MMC, Devlin Raines, a haunted ex-mercenary turned duke, and Peyton Chandler, a woman believed dead who returns seeking revenge. Together, they unravel a mystery involving murder and betrayal, confronting their intertwined pasts and developing unexpected feelings for each other.

Devlin and Peyton are fun to read, they are quite complex characters especially with their shared tragedy. But Boy, They do have CHEMISTRY from the Get-go!

The predictable plot are the highlighted low point but it still kept me engaged AND obviously, I'm eager to see how the series continues to develop with the other 2 book in the series!

Thanks Netgalley for the arc review, all thoughts and opinion are mine!

Dark is the name of the game. Highly charged and emotional. Whew, that was one wild ride. A good revenge story where all of the pieces are not as they seem is page-turning. I could figure out of some it but some I was thrown off. Anna’s writing is so good I couldn’t stop myself from turning the pages. Devlin and Peyton were deal devastating blows and their working together was a soothing balm to each other. A fantastic read.

"When you meet the devil in the darkness, he never gives you his true name."  

The Duke and the Darkness by Anna Harrington is a great start to what promises to be an intriguing series. The story follows Devlin Raines, an ex-mercenary turned duke haunted by his past, and Peyton Chandler, a woman believed to be dead, who returns to London seeking revenge for her parents' murder- a crime she believes Devlin is connected to. As they work together to uncover the truth, they are forced to confront hidden truths and unexpected feelings that challenge everything they thought they knew about the past and each other.

I enjoyed Devlin and Peyton's story. They're both complex and layered characters with rich backstories that make their motivations and actions heartbreaking and understandable. Devlin’s struggle to move beyond his past and Peyton’s drive to uncover the truth created an interesting and compelling dynamic, and I was curious to see how they would resolve their very different views about how to handle the past.  

The romance between Devlin and Peyton is so swoon-worthy, and I love that he falls first. Bound together by tragedy, the pair has undeniable chemistry from the very start. The "Who did this to you?" vibes are fantastic, and the connection between Devlin and Peyton, shaped by their pasts and their present, was powerful, adding a layer of emotional depth that highlighted their deepening feelings.  

Harrington also does a great job of balancing the darker elements of the story with heartwarming moments and spicy scenes. It's an intriguing plot, and though I predicted a couple of things, there were a few unexpected twists that surprised me. The story does delve into some difficult subjects, so I would definitely recommend checking out the content warnings before starting the book.  

Overall, The Duke and the Darkness is another entertaining and swoon-worthy romance by Anna Harrington and an excellent start to her new series. I'm looking forward to seeing how the stories of Devlin's friends will unfold in future books in the series. Special thanks to NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

This book was a miss for me, but I can certainly see others enjoying it. So I'm giving 3 out of 5 stars for that.

I didn't care for the main characters at all and didn't think they had real chemistry. Its gard for me to explain why, but I just could not connect with these characters. The plot was super predictable, but that didn't bother me. The writing style was good. So while I couldn't stand the MCs, I'm sure that other people will love reading Devlin and Peyton's story.

Peyton Chandler returns from the dead to London to exact her revenge. After ten years in France, she's ready to destroy Devlin Raines, the Duke of Dartmoor. Using another name, her plan falls into place, only the Devlin she thought she knew, is not the man he really is. It's a game of seduction, secrets and facing her past. Secrets that explain what happened the night her parents were murdered and she was attacked. Revealing her real identity as bait will catch a murderer. Instead of her enemy, Devlin becomes the man she needs to give her peace. A fast paced mystery with twists and turns. Descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Tropes: MC out for revenge, scarred MMC, MC's with troubled pasts
Steam level: 3-4
First in a series

3.75 stars. The first chapter of this book does an outstanding job of drawing in the reader; I loved the sharp, sexy banter between the MC's and the fact that the MFC was in control of the situation (even though I wasn't crazy about the anachronistic name Peyton). The first half in general is pretty well paced and reminded me of Elizabeth Hoyt's Maiden Lane series. The MMC, Devlin (maybe a slightly less anachronistic name) turns out to be a good guy early on--almost too good to be true, to the point that it takes away some of Peyton's thunder, tbh.

Peyton wants to be one of those "modern" Regency MFC's, strong and intelligent and fierce, revered by the awesome MMC, but the plot also calls into question that intelligence. The identity (ies) of the baddie (s) is pretty much telegraphed, even though there's an extra twist toward the end. I strongly dislike mustache-twirling villains, so that didn't help matters. Most of the spice was well done, but one scene toward the end seemed a bit overcooked and threw off the pacing for me. As well, there were sections of overly repetitive dialog during the second half that came across as filler; I wished the sharp wittiness of the early chapters would have re-emerged.

Overall: the first half is strong enough to squeak this up to 4 stars, but with tighter editing, more complex characterization, and a less obvious twist in the plot, this would have been a solid 4-5 stars.

Do the sins of fathers haunt the sons? In this new series (The Dukes of Darkness). we find just how profoundly sins affect those who are left behind. Although Devlin Raine, the Duke of Dartmoor and Lucien Grenier, the Duke of Crewe have committed themselves to ending their fathers' illegal activities and businesses. Unfortunately, the deaths caused can not be undone or can they? Ten years before the murder of the Chandler family was caused by Devlin's father. Now someone is out to ruin Devlin' s life. A mysterious woman out for revenge. Who is she? Has Peyton Chandler come back from the dead and why does she want to ruin Devlin? The reader's attention is grabbed right from chapter 1, and does not let up until the end, leaving her anxious for next in the series. This author's books always seems to have the right mix of great characters, intrigue, danger, romance, and secrets just waiting to be told. I do hope that further books are planned for each of Devlin's friends, Lucien, Chase, and Shay. Enough information was dropped in the reading of this book to peak my interest to discover more about them and uncover their secrets.

Marvelous premise to the start of a new series for the Dukes of Darkness.
Devlin has a multitude of worries pressing on him when a lady twirls into his life upsetting his long held beliefs.
Peyton is a woman on a mission. Together they strike passionate sparks but the past and their future cannot be aligned or can it?
Absorbing read, page turner.

This is a first in a new series by Anna Harrington. Many times the first book in a new series introduces many characters and then the storyline gets lost. But I didn't feel that in this book. I felt the storyline ànd the romance were the main focus.
Payton and Devlin. Two wounded souls who were greatly effected by the deeds of their parents. They come together to solve the mystery of who murdered Payton's parents and in doing so, find love.
I look forward to the next book about Crewe.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book

I received this arc copy via NetGalley. This author is a first for me and while I did enjoy the storyline overall after the first few chapters I had a feeling of who the bad bad guys were and I did feel the plot was very predictable. I didn’t really think the main characters had much chemistry or the build up of it.

As the kickoff to a new series by Anna Harrington, I am fully onboard for whatever this series is cooking up for its next installments given how much I enjoyed this first book.

Devlin and Peyton are both unwittingly bonded by a shared traumatic past thanks to their families, and while Devlin has done everything in his power to bury it, Peyton is working to bring the past into the light. Obviously, that kicks these two off onto a collision course that to describe too much of would delve way too far into spoiler-territory. What I can say is that both Devlin and Peyton are really well-rounded and relatable characters, both reacting to trauma in their own ways. Their shared history works very well in establishing why they quickly latch onto each other but also how that both hinders and helps their dynamic.

As for Devlin's friends who will likely be the focal point for the next books in the series, I'm very intrigued to learn more about what is turning them into "the dukes of darkness." Lucien's plotline is set up in the epilogue of this book and it definitely already has me excited to see what's coming up.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have always enjoyed a good historical fiction/romance but this one blew me away. The FMC wasn't incapable or a delicate flower. She was strong, determined, and sure of herself (most times). The MMC supported her in that despite his wants to keep her safe. He never made her feel less than him and treated her with respect. The tension between the two characters was beautifully done as was their character development. The part that I enjoyed the most was the aspect of mercenaries and the underground crime business. That wasn't something I had experienced in historical fiction romances but it was definitely what caught my attention when deciding on which book to read. The spicier scenes were well done and didn't overpower the actual plot of the story. Overall, I'll be recommending this to my followers on socials for a great read and a wonderful break from the typical fantasy/dark romances I normally read.