Judith’s review of Dangerous in Diamonds
Outrageously wealthy, the Duke of Castleford has little incentive to curb his profligate ways-gaming and whoring with equal abandon and enjoying his hedonistic lifestyle to the fullest. When a behest adds a small property to his vast holdings, one that houses a modest flower business known as The Rarest Blooms, Castleford sees little to interest him…until he lays eyes on its owner. Daphne Joyes is coolly mysterious, exquisitely beautiful, and utterly scathing toward a man of Castleford’s stamp-in short, an object worthy of his most calculated seduction.
Daphne has no reason to entertain Castleford’s outrageous advances, and every reason to keep him as far away as possible from her eclectic household. Not only has she been sheltering young ladies who have been victims of misfortune, but she has her own closely guarded secrets. Then Daphne makes a discovery that changes everything. She and Castleford have one thing in common: a profound hatred for the Duke of Becksbridge, who just happens to be Castleford’s relative. Never before were two people less likely to form an alliance-or to fall in love…
The three previous novels in this series have introduced a panoply of characters that continue to play an important role in each succeeding novel. First and foremost, the women of The Rarest Bloom are each one, in their own right, the heroines of their own stories. All are women with a past, a euphemism often used in that historical time period for either a woman of questionable morality, or who had become disgraced by unwise social practices of one sort or another. Some were haunted by evils perpetrated against them by others, while others were hiding from spouses or relatives seeking to do them harm. Some were both haunted and hunted. Daphne Joyes has her own secrets and has opened her home to these women for whom society has no place. All of them together have entered into the flower business which brings in sufficient income to maintain their home and provide for their needs. It is a household free of men–at least that has been the case in the past until the Duke of Castleford shows up to examine the property which has been bequeathed to him by Daphne’s former landlord. Being a distant relative of the now deceased landlord, Castleford assumes that the property was important because the tenant was one of the old duke’s “soiled doves.” He couldn’t be more wrong, but Castleford, instantly desiring Daphne, determines that she is now fair game for him.
And so the romp begins . . . and Daphne is pulled into the machinations of Castleford, but she is no fool, either. Their encounters are full of humor and sexual tension, their attempts to outwit one another fascinating and in many ways endearing, their attraction growing and on Daphne’s part it is unwanted on some levels but compelling in others. Castleford is enthralled with her but his behavior puzzles his friends because he appears to be changing the way he lives–something he has never, ever done before for an object of his lusts. Wanting to see how all this was resolved had me rushing from one page to the next. And then their Latham, a man who has been Castleford’s best friend in the past and who is now the object of his derision, a man who has some hidden participation in Daphne’s past and for whom she has only loathing. When no other aspect of their growing relationship seems to be bringing Daphne and Castleford together successfully, their mutual hatred of Latham appears to the one thing on which there is no disagreement. And Castleford comes to believe that Daphne, naked and clothed only in a king’s ransom’s worth of diamonds is a dangerous woman indeed.
This is a truly enticing historical romance, full of wit and winsome love scenes, characters that almost jump off the pages, and filled with the tidbits of living in this historical period which make such novels so interesting for historical romance fans. Hunter keeps the pressure on, keeps the reader involved in the story to such a degree that it was painful when I had to put the book down to go pick up a grandchild from school or take a granddaughter to her martial arts lesson. When I got home, I was back in my room with my nose in the book and it didn’t come out until I was done. It was somewhat of a miracle that hubby got his dinner! It was delightful to become re-acquainted with characters that had populated the previous novels in this series, to read how their relationships were evolving sort of as an epilogue to their stories, and to find them to be continuing their involvement with The Rarest Bloom. All in all, it is one of those books that I set aside to go back and re-read, revisiting characters that have become friends, and taking the time to savor the story, more the second time since I know how it all comes out but enjoying the way it plays out just the same.
I think historical romance fans will enjoy this book alot, and Hunter fans will not be disappointed. I give this book a rating of 4.5 out of 5.
You can read more from Judith at Dr. J’s Book Place.
This book is available from Jove. You can buy it here
Looks like a wonderful book 🙂
Sarah Allen
(my creative writing blog)
The whole series was very good, Ravishing in Red a favorite, and now this the best of the series for me, loved it,
This was the funniest book she had ever written. I actually read passages out loud to my boyfriend.