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balletbookworm's review
4.0
What a sweet, very sensible romance with a little bit of gender-flipped Pygmalion in the mix. It turns out that you can still have a story even when characters sit down and have intelligent conversations about past difficulties or character flaws without resorting to possessiveness, blackmail, kidnapping, or trapping anyone into marriage.
I was delighted to see that it looks like the next hero will be Coventry, which is good since I found his character quite interesting.
I was delighted to see that it looks like the next hero will be Coventry, which is good since I found his character quite interesting.
tales_of_a_bookbug's review
4.0
Another great read in a new series from Sophie Barnes!A Most Unlikely Duke is book one of the Diamonds In The Rough series and focuses on Raphe Matthews, a bare knuckle boxer, who by a stroke of luck is handed down the title of Duke of Huntley.He's had a difficult life, trying to raise his two sisters and make enough for a living.They don't even remember much about being among nobility, after spending so much time on the streets.So, its no surprise that though he's the new oddity among the ton, they won't readily accept him!And though its difficult for him to admit,with a little help, he and his sisters might be able to fit in with the ton and win them over.
Lady Gabriella has a lot of responsibility on her shoulders, after her sister's scandalous match and elopement the previous year. The once carefree girl is gone and in her place is the demure lady who needs a proper match to settle her family name and restore some honor.The new Duke is definitely not a proper match as per her family standards.But when she interacts with the Duke and his sisters,she sees that they see her for what she is and accept her.So, she volunteers to teach the girls how to be proper ladies!And also help out Raphe from time to time.
But the more time they spend together, the more their relationship develops.But Gabriella's family may never accept Raphe and he has a match that he is honor bound to participate in-one that will definitely cause scandal in the ton.Would he want to saddle Gabriella with such a life?
This book was written neatly with well developed characters.Though Gabriella seemed a little too tame in the beginning, we get to see her real character as the story progresses!I loved the fact that she loved bugs.Its very rare to find heroines with weird hobbies like that.And though she is told to hide and suppress her true self in society,Raphe and her sisters accept her for who she is.
The development of the relationship between Raphe and Gabriella was super sweet!In the beginning,he just wants to win her and seems a little rakish, but before he knows it , he has fallen for her too!I loved how dedicated Raphe was!He took great care of his sisters and is a man of his word.
The ending was fast paced and well done!I loved how they stood up to the society and for each other!
I can't wait to read Amelia's story in the next book!So excited for it!
Lady Gabriella has a lot of responsibility on her shoulders, after her sister's scandalous match and elopement the previous year. The once carefree girl is gone and in her place is the demure lady who needs a proper match to settle her family name and restore some honor.The new Duke is definitely not a proper match as per her family standards.But when she interacts with the Duke and his sisters,she sees that they see her for what she is and accept her.So, she volunteers to teach the girls how to be proper ladies!And also help out Raphe from time to time.
But the more time they spend together, the more their relationship develops.But Gabriella's family may never accept Raphe and he has a match that he is honor bound to participate in-one that will definitely cause scandal in the ton.Would he want to saddle Gabriella with such a life?
This book was written neatly with well developed characters.Though Gabriella seemed a little too tame in the beginning, we get to see her real character as the story progresses!I loved the fact that she loved bugs.Its very rare to find heroines with weird hobbies like that.And though she is told to hide and suppress her true self in society,Raphe and her sisters accept her for who she is.
The development of the relationship between Raphe and Gabriella was super sweet!In the beginning,he just wants to win her and seems a little rakish, but before he knows it , he has fallen for her too!I loved how dedicated Raphe was!He took great care of his sisters and is a man of his word.
The ending was fast paced and well done!I loved how they stood up to the society and for each other!
I can't wait to read Amelia's story in the next book!So excited for it!
waclements7's review
4.0
This book does an admirable job of portraying the difference within the ton of how ridiculous ones background was despite ones position. The author doesn’t go into the depth of some other authors, such as Rose Lerner or KJ Charles, but so few authors deal with the subject it was nice to find this one. It’s very readable (I really had a hard time putting it down) and I enjoyed the heroine, Gabriella, a lot. I liked that she never had really fit in just because she had...gasp...interests!... that weren’t ladylike and were considered odd, and she’d been made fun of as a child—I could identify with her. The characters were well developed. Raphe was an interesting hero. He and Gabriella were both interesting together, and I like the way they complimented each other relationship-wise as opposed to being subsumed by the relationship. I am looking forward to reading the next one.
kittykornerlibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
This is an engaging romance novel... not the best at historical details, especially the dialogue, which often sounded way too modern. I'm pretty sure it wasn't considered in good taste back then for gentlemen and ladies to make personal comments to one another; and these characters did it all the time. Awkward, and not really great dialogue anyway. The mixing of lower classes and the aristocracy was interesting. I did very much like Lady Gabriella and her passion for insects. This was good, but not great.
librarianmillie's review
3.0
A really good story but could have used more heat. I enjoyed the characters a lot, so I’m willing to keep going with this series. Hopefully there’s more kissing in the next one.
sadtomato's review against another edition
3.0
This was my first book by Sophie Barnes. I find refreshing that the characters are really honest with each other and there's no misscommunication, they openly acknowledge their feelings and the conflict is all external. Their relationship is wholesome, mature and progress naturally, and I like the way the difficulties to overcome their class difference is treated, like a real issue that has to be adress not only in the practical sense (what we have to do to be together?) but also in their own prejudices and missgivings (are we willing to face all this?). In some many of romance books the only thing that seems to get the characters together is the physical attraction between them, even when they treat each other awfully. That's not the case with this book, they are nice people treating each other with kindness and affection. All this said, I only give it 3 stars because it kind of lacks some spark, its very niceness is sometimes boring, the characters are nothing memorable and the writing is just ok, not particularly bad but just fine. I will read the stories of Amelia and Juliette to have a more formed opinion on this author.
gini_coll's review
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
Solo por ser el primer libro que me leo de principio a fin desde marzo merece esta puntuación.
Una de las relaciones más bonitas que he leído en un romance histórico y sin ruptura en el tercer acto (cosa que agradezco). Tengo que admitir que el personaje de Gabriella me ha parecido mucho más interesante y atractivo que el de Raphe. Y la tensión sexual durante todo el libro es de 10.
Peeeeeero...
Esa escena final la verdad es que no hacía falta y no crea la expectación que debería para la historia de Amelia y Coventry.
El romance histórico nunca me falla.
Una de las relaciones más bonitas que he leído en un romance histórico y sin ruptura en el tercer acto (cosa que agradezco). Tengo que admitir que el personaje de Gabriella me ha parecido mucho más interesante y atractivo que el de Raphe. Y la tensión sexual durante todo el libro es de 10.
Peeeeeero...
Esa escena final la verdad es que no hacía falta y no crea la expectación que debería para la historia de Amelia y Coventry.
El romance histórico nunca me falla.
readingwithemmett's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Despite my rating, I actually did enjoy this book. I liked both of the main characters and I enjoyed their story together. There were definitely parts that I wasn't expecting at all, which was nice. And the plot was interesting as well. I mean it was a dock worker who suddenly finds out he is a duke, so it was his transition into becoming a duke and falling in love throughout the story. My only issue is that the main male character had too easy of a time with his speech. I felt like it should have taken longer to correct it. Other than that, I did enjoy this story.
Despite my rating, I actually did enjoy this book. I liked both of the main characters and I enjoyed their story together. There were definitely parts that I wasn't expecting at all, which was nice. And the plot was interesting as well. I mean it was a dock worker who suddenly finds out he is a duke, so it was his transition into becoming a duke and falling in love throughout the story. My only issue is that the main male character had too easy of a time with his speech. I felt like it should have taken longer to correct it. Other than that, I did enjoy this story.
rockchick's review
3.0
Raphe and Gabriella came from different backgrounds but found themselves together.
I enjoyed the slow building romance between them.
I enjoyed the slow building romance between them.
jcmbank's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0