Book Review: Because the Baron Broods by Darcy Burke

Title: Because the Baron Broods

Author: Darcy Burke

Series: Rogue Rules #2

Page Length: 286

Publication Date: April 30, 2024

Publisher: Zealous Quill Press

Synopsis: Growing up in isolation in Cornwall, Tamsin Penrose looks forward to the one month each year that she spends in an idyllic seaside town with her best friends. She’s shocked to receive a letter from her reclusive father informing her of a potential groom—they’ve never even discussed marriage and she rather expected to be a spinster. But she’s met a charming, if serious, baron and now she’s dreaming of a romantic, wedded life.

During his annual trip to a friend’s seaside estate, broody Isaac Deverell, Baron Droxford finds himself in an objectionable situation: socializing with a group of ladies over several days. He is not prepared for the storm of cheerfulness that is Miss Penrose, nor can he deny that she makes him feel…good.

Because Isaac is an unheroic rogue with a devastatingly sinful secret, he should flee this delightful ray of sunshine. However, he can’t keep his distance, and when her overzealous suitor arrives and won’t take no for an answer, Isaac protects her in a scandalously public fashion. Now he can’t run from her. Can these attracted opposites find a happy ever after, or will the past destroy their chance?

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This is the second book in the Rogue Rules series, and I loved it as much as the first book. The story follows Tamsin, a woman who lives in relative isolation except for one month a year when she visits her grandmother. During her visit, Tamsin is shocked when she receives a letter from her father saying he’s arranged a betrothal for her, and her betrothed will meet her at an upcoming house party. Isaac, a brooding baron, is at the same party, and he is instantly drawn to the positive and outgoing Tamsin.

Tamsin and Isaac have amazing chemistry, and I adored their opposites-attract, grumpy-sunshine romance. Tamsin is one of the few people who really understands Isaac. She reads him well, and she takes care of him in subtle ways that show how much she cares and wants to help. And Isaac is so smitten with Tamsin. It’s lovely, and if anyone deserves a happily ever after, it’s these two.

Tamsin has been a caretaker for her scholarly and often distant father and has led a pretty solitary life which all contrasts so much with her vivacious, extroverted personality. And something happened in Isaac’s past that made him close himself off to others, refusing to be vulnerable or to fall in love. However, Isaac can’t resist Tamsin’s charm, and Tamsin is intrigued by the quiet and serious baron. It’s easy to see why the pair becomes friends.

Of course, when Tamsin’s betrothed appears to whisk Tamsin away, she and Isaac must evaluate their feelings and decide what they want for their future. Will their friendship lead to more? Several obstacles stand in the couple’s way, including secrets, an unwanted betrothal, fear of abandonment, and past trauma, and it’s interesting to see how Tamsin and Isaac work through all of their issues, both together and individually. I especially liked how much Isaac grew and changed because of Tamsin’s influence and how he faces his past and the guilt and regret that came with it.

Several of the characters introduced in the first book make appearances in this book too, and the house party that Isaac and Tamsin attend has quite a few faves. I always love revisiting characters from the previous book in a series. It’s like catching up with old friends. lol I can’t wait to see which of Tamsin’s friends is the focus of the next book. Other characters, like Isaac’s aunt and Tamsin’s grandmother and father, are also interesting and complex.

The house party setting in the first section of the book is fabulous. It sounds like a beautiful place for a days-long party with close friends, and I enjoyed the scenes with all of the friends together. The banter is great, and you can see how much they all care for each other when they’re playing games, going on adventures, and even playing practical jokes on each other. I was also intrigued by Isaac’s home and how it changes once the couple is there together.

This is such a great addition to the series! The characters are compelling and dynamically developed, the friendships and setting are wonderful, and the romance is super swoon-worthy! I also like that you don’t have to have read the first book in the series to read this one, though the first book, If the Duke Dares, is amazing, and I highly recommend it!

• The romance.

• The secondary characters.

• The setting.

• opposites attract
• grumpy/sunshine
• found family
• HEA

Darcy Burke is the USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, emotional historical and contemporary romance. Darcy wrote her first book at age 11, a happily ever after about a swan addicted to magic and the female swan who loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations. Join her Reader Club at http://www.darcyburke.com/readerclub.

A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming husband, their two hilarious kids who seem to have inherited the writing gene, two Bengal cats and a third cat named after a fruit. In her “spare” time Darcy is a serial volunteer enrolled in a 12-step program where one learns to say “no,” but she keeps having to start over. Her happy places are Disneyland and Labor Day weekend at the Gorge.