Reviews

Diamond in the Rough by Jen Turano

betherin02's review against another edition

5.0

Full review and author q&a on FaithfullyBookish.com

Diamond in the Rough has it all from adventure and sweet romance to heartwarming faith-in-action, reconciliation, and light-hearted humor.

Poppy is simply delightful! Although her country roots and propensity for landing in outrageous situations don’t bode well for a triumphant social season among those 400 fancy folks in the big city, I greatly enjoyed the way she innocently shocked those stiff shirts and pampered ladies time and time again.

Reginald is a cautious, quiet gentleman. It’s no wonder he’s suspicious when surrounded by overly eager and flirtatious, title-seeking females and their mothers! I love the way Poppy inadvertently ruffles his feathers and leaves him hot under the collar!

Jen Turano lavishes readers with stories that touch the heart and tickle the funny bone. Fans will notice cameo appearances by characters from her previous stories yet this book can be easily be enjoyed as a standalone. Diamond in the Rough doesn’t skimp on the substance for the sake of being entertaining.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.

addy1991's review

3.0

Poppy is a spitfire! It was a bit exhausting following her around on one madcap moment after another. My main concern is that she never takes full responsibility for her actions ... it's always someone else's fault. Poor Reginald! I know the author paired them but I have a hard time seeing a serious sort fall head over heels for someone who flits from one thing to the next. I guess opposites do attract! Poppy is fun and amusing but Reginald and several supporting characters made the story, in my opinion.

melmo2610's review against another edition

5.0

Jen has done it again! There is a reason Jen is one of my absolute favorite authors, because her books have the perfect ratio of romance, humor, a bit of mystery and characters I love. I have yet to read one of her historical books that I didn’t adore (and I have read them all!), and Diamond In The Rough is no exception. The escapades that Poppy somehow manages get tangled up in kept me in stitches and I loved the new characters we met in this story, especially Murray. He was adorable and I loved seeing his growth in the book. If you love to laugh, I HIGHLY recommend this book. As for me, this book has more than earned its place on my keeper shelf next to the rest of Jen’s lovelies.

I received this book from the author and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

bookswithnopictures's review against another edition

3.0

It was a good storyline but felt repetitive for me. I think the first one was executed more successfully and I read both in anticipation of the third one that has recently released. The "misunderstanding" didn't get my buy in as much as I would have liked it to. I think Poppy and Reginald could have been more powerful individually and together.

melissasbookshelf's review

4.0

Another fun book by Jen Turano. This book is loosely based on Pride and Prejudice. There is a nod to Jane Austen throughout the book. It's a fun story of a girl raised on a horse farm whose estranged grandmother blackmails her into having a New York season. Her grandmother introduces her to English royalty, but Poppy time and time again is rescued by his cousin and travelling companion who is hiding the fact that he is the son of a duke and extremely wealthy in his own right. Despite the obvious chemistry between the two, Poppy thinks he's pompous and he thinks that she wouldn't make a good duchess. However, as time goes on, he begins to see Poppy in a new light. Ms. Turano always injects humor into her books and this one is no exception. It's a fun light read with a HEA ending. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

singerji's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

_carolcabrita's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 stars

I took down half a star from my overall rating because a lot of Poppy's problems were around corsets "that didn't allow her to breath". This is such annoying modern misconceptiong about corsets when in reality people in the past were smart about clothing.

Romance was cute but my favorite character was Murray. He's the sidekick that became a brother. Hopefully he'll show up in a scene the next book.

lawnchairbookworm's review against another edition

5.0

I adore Jen Turano’s spunky heroines! Poppy may be my favorite! She is clumsy and trouble seems to follow her wherever she goes yet she owns it. She is comfortable in her own skin and doesn’t let what society thinks bother her. She keeps her family and love interest on their toys as she tries to navigate her season in New York.
Jen, as always, had me laughing out loud and very engaged with her charming cast of characters. Diamond in the Rough is not only filled with romance and humor but there is plenty of mystery and action as well!
Thanks to Netgalley and Bethany House for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

dcgw's review against another edition

4.0

Exquisite

I love Poppy. Her irrepressible honest, direct, adventurous, caring approach to everyone and everything is so refreshing. She is hilarious. Miss Mable definitely had the right of it. People (& characters) do best when they are true to themselves. A thoroughly enjoyable read, from first to last. Definitely recommend it.

beckys_bookshelves's review against another edition

5.0

Diamond in the Rough is the second book in the American Heiress Series by Jen Turano. The story starts with heiress, Poppy Garrison, getting her tiara tangled up in her dance partner’s sleeve during a quadrille and that begins one of the most fun-loving and delightfully written books I have read in a long time. Poppy our heroine is funny, straight forward, and has a knack for finding trouble. (I might be able to relate) Our hero,Reginald Blackburn, is the second son of Duke who is everything that is proper. Together they are a great mix of order and chaos. I enjoyed reading all of their encounters, and laughed out loud throughout the story. There are a host of secondary characters in the story that are delightful and make this a memorable book.

Jen Turano has a way of making you smile, making sure you do not take yourself too seriously, and making you think. It really is quite impressive. I anxiously await the release of Jen Turano’s books. I was not disappointed with a Diamond in the Rough which was a joy to read. I highly recommend it.

I was given the book by the publisher and not required to write a review.