Since meeting Romsey in the Duke of Ice I wanted to know his story. He was so kind and gentle but had such a tragic tale that you are drawn to him. So when the Duke of Ruin came out I jumped on it and was not disappointed. It is all that you want and more.

This picks up with Romsey (Simon) helping his friend the Duke of Kilve out by going to Diana and helping her. She was supposed to marry Kilve but he is no longer available. Romsey is there to help her figure out her life now. He is willing to do what is needed so she can avoid scandal but also give her the freedom to choose. This is what makes Romsey different in those times. He respects women’s minds and their choices. He feels that DIana should be able to have freedom and choices. He even offers himself as a choice. Only at first Diana is wary of Simon due to his past. She knows he is a kind man but is afraid. Her dad has bred her to be one way and the fear of his wrath is still there.

As they go on the adventure of Diana finding herself and voice, Simon and Diana learn about one another. We see Diana see beyond the outside of Simon and to his kind and caring heart. To see that he is as he seems and gives her choice, love and respect. He supports her mind and decisions. Simon sees Diana come into her own. she blossoms away from society and gains confidence in herself. As they are on this journey they fall in love. ONly for Simon he struggles with this due to his past. He is a haunted soul with guilt weighing him down. Diana helps him feel whole and complete but he also fears that he doesn’t deserve it but he sure does want it.

So when things get out of control due to one moment, they decide to come together. This is when we see changes in both of them. We see them understand the others needs and truly be there for each other. We see their compassionate sides and we see them work together to make things better. We watch as Simon is Diana’s strength and vice versa. As he learns to move on and forgive himself but also as the truth of his past comes to light and we see that he is all Diana believed him to be.

diana and Simon suit one another. They are each other’s strengths and support. They love each other passionately and respect one another. A wonderful tale of love, forgiveness freedom and finding your way where the characters have you fall in love with them and their exploration of their feelings for themselves and each other. A sweet romance that is tender, heartbreaking and heart melting. .

I absolutely flew through this book in one sitting because it was a wonderful book AND it was the perfect story for Simon. I wasn’t so sure it was going to be the perfect story for him after I finished with the Duke of Ice and Nick had left Simon to clean up a huge mess of Nick’s making. I couldn’t picture how the author was going to make Diana into the perfect Duchess for Simon, but she sure did it – as a matter of fact – she did it over the top! The ONLY thing that could have made the book more perfect in my eyes would be if there was an epilogue with Diana pregnant (Simon wanted children so very much) – maybe at some celebration at their estate. It would also mention that Diana’s father had gotten some sort of comeuppance – maybe he showed his temper to the wrong person in society and they gave him the cut direct. That would be perfect because he was so very bent on his social standing.

This book is wonderfully written, well plotted and the characters are great! I was so invested in Simon from the previous book that I couldn’t wait for his HEA. I loved Diana’s cousin Verity and would love to see her as the heroine in a book. Maybe the chastened duke (her husband) comes back from America and tries to win his wife – or – he’s dead and she gets an actual love match. **** UPDATE *** I just learned that the next book - Duke of Lies features Verity. *** I couldn’t warm up to one person who was supposed to be a sympathetic character, and that was Simon’s mother. I just couldn’t buy her being a loving mother to Simon and yet abandoning him when he needs her the most. Just don’t buy it. I also don’t buy that a loving mother would, almost immediately on meeting her new daughter-in-law, come out with all of the stuff about the death of Simon’s first wife. So – no – I never did like her and so I was pleased that she was in only a very tiny part of the book.

Just to cover a bit from the last book – in case you didn’t read it – Nick Bateman, Duke of Kilve had betrothed himself to Miss Diana Kingman even though he was deeply in love with Violet. (Men are so stupid sometimes.) Nick wants to take off to Bath in order to persuade Violet to marry him so he leaves Simon to clean up his mess with Diana. He doesn’t even tell Diana he’s breaking the engagement – he leaves all of that and the management of the scandal to poor Simon to handle.

Simon Hastings, twelfth Duke of Romney is universally blamed for the death of his first wife and unborn child. Simon doesn’t dispute it – he can’t – because he can’t remember any of the details of that night. He only knows that he loved his wife and unborn child with all his heart and soul. He can’t bear to live or even to visit his estate where they died. He blames himself as much as society does. He’s a pariah and society shuns him. Simon is also a deeply romantic and loving man who only wants to do good for others. He wants to help Diana in any way he can.

Miss Diana Kingman seems cold and aloof, but she really isn’t. She resides in a very abusive home – her father is a beast. He doesn’t strike her, but what he does do instills fear into her. She is constantly afraid of what he will do if she doesn’t please him at all times. She’s really a sweet and very caring young woman who is really nothing like her father raised her to be – she just hides that fact very, very well in order to survive. Once Simon tells her about Nick breaking the betrothal, Diana is absolutely terrified of what her father will do – not only to her but to Nick as well. Simon offers to do whatever she wants, take her wherever she wants to go – her choice – if she wants to escape her father. After she thinks about it she decides to escape with Simon – she’ll go to her cousin Verity’s place and then she’ll decide what to do next.

I loved that Diana and Simon had time to get to know each other before they were in love. They had an endless carriage ride to Verity’s estate and they had lots of opportunities to talk and share. The romance was lovely. Simon, so scarred, lonely and hurting, knew love and knew he’d never find it again – and he knew he didn’t deserve to find it. Diana had never known love or affection and had absolutely no idea what the emotion looked like much less whether she had the capacity to feel it. It was all definitely sigh-worthy.

I love that the mystery of his first wife’s death was finally revealed and I especially liked where the revelation to the mystery came from.

Truly a wonderful read and I most highly recommend it.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley to read in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else's.

Simon, Duke of Romsey is willing to help his best friend Nick, no matter what. So off he goes to London to help his friend with a minor inconvenience, an unwanted betrothed name Diana. Simon hopes to lessen the possible scandal for Diana and he offers to help her escape the scorn of society.

Diana is in total disbelief that this is happening. She knows if she does not escape her household, her father would not be kind to her. He would find fault on why she allowed a “Duke” to abandon her for another. So she does the most impossible thing, runs off with Simon to escape the scandal that is sure to come when everyone finds out she has been thrown over for another.

Simon never expected to be accepted by society again, let alone Diana. But together, they become more aware of their need and want to be together.

Darcy Burke is one my favorite authors. I look forward to her books all the time. I find it complete torture waiting on her next book release. I have been a fan of Darcy Burke since the book “Her Wicked Ways.” This author truly knows how to captivate her reading audience.