Lords in Love (Darcy Burke) Books in Order

This series is set in Marrywell, a village in England with a long-running May Day Matchmaking Festival at its center. That tradition gives the books their shape. Every spring, hopeful romantics, titled visitors, local families, and determined meddlers come together for festivities, expectations, and the possibility that someone might actually meet the right person.

It is a charming setup, and Burke makes the most of it.

The appeal here is not just the romance, but the setting itself. Marrywell feels lived in. There are houses full of opinionated relatives, village traditions everyone takes seriously, and festival events that bring people together whether they want that or not. The countryside matters too. These books are less about London ambition and more about what happens when people slow down long enough to notice each other.

Across the series, the stories pair dukes, heiresses, marquesses, widows, and quietly capable women who know their own minds better than Society expects. The men may arrive with titles and plans, but the women often understand the place, the people, and the emotional stakes far better. That balance gives the books a light tug of class difference without making them feel heavy.

There is a sweetness to these romances, but they are not flimsy. Characters still carry disappointment, old heartbreak, or practical worries about marriage, money, and security. What makes the series so inviting is the way Burke lets all of that play out against a festive backdrop full of music, flowers, gossip, and hopeful chaos.

If you want historical romance that feels village-centered, seasonal, and a little softer around the edges, this is a good place to land. Start with Beguiling the Duke, then continue with Romancing the Heiress and Matching the Marquess to stay inside the world of Marrywell and its matchmaking traditions.