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manuthebooknerd's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
heyhaley17's review against another edition
4.0
The male lead is clearly the only reason to read this one-- he was fun and just overall possessing a great sense of humor that really enhances his interactions with Daphne. Its interesting to see a male lead who is considered a rake, actually be just that, he literally and is depicted as partaking in careful but non the less unsavory pass times, with only one day (Tuesdays) where he remains sober and diligently takes care of his
As he pursues Daphne he sobers up in order to put all of his effort into that, while also maintaining his roguish charms with her. I was particularly entertained by his own continued insistence that there was nothing odd about his behavior and it was simply a seduction even when it obviously becomes more than that.
Note that I've spoken almost exclusively on Castleford and not Daphne...that's because the one downer in this book was her. She had little to no personality. Her history was intriguing in the same way it was to Castleford, but when matched with a personality with Castleford she just came off as boring and lacking. The only time I enjoyed her was when she was interacting with Castleford and it had a lot to do with their witty banter and dialogue.
As he pursues Daphne he sobers up in order to put all of his effort into that, while also maintaining his roguish charms with her. I was particularly entertained by his own continued insistence that there was nothing odd about his behavior and it was simply a seduction even when it obviously becomes more than that.
Note that I've spoken almost exclusively on Castleford and not Daphne...that's because the one downer in this book was her. She had little to no personality. Her history was intriguing in the same way it was to Castleford, but when matched with a personality with Castleford she just came off as boring and lacking. The only time I enjoyed her was when she was interacting with Castleford and it had a lot to do with their witty banter and dialogue.
nicolesnook's review against another edition
3.0
Throughout this series Castleford and Daphne have been two of my favorite characters, so I was anticipating their romance. While it was a decent romance novel, overall I was disappointed. My favorite parts of the book was the interactions between the leading men in the series. It was great seeing Summerhays, Hawkeswell, Albrighton again and their reactions to Castleford pursuing their wives' friend were comical. I just didn't believe that the main characters really loved each other. So much time is spent on Castleford's attempts to seduce Daphne, that the relationship isn't really developed.
witandsin's review against another edition
3.0
The term “rake” is far too tame a descriptor for a man like the Duke of Castleford. The hedonistic duke with a Midas touch spends six days a week drinking, whoring, and other pleasurable pursuits, leaving anything of importance to be dealt with on Tuesdays. However, now that his friends have made the abominable decision to fall in love and marry, Castleford finds himself bored to tears. That is, until a relative bequeaths him several properties of seemingly no importance. Castleford is resigned to taking a closer look at what is so special about the lands in question. He’s surprised, however, that one of the properties houses The Rarest Blooms, a place where all of his friends’ wives once lived. What really breaks Castleford out of his ennui, however, is Daphne Joyes, owner of The Rarest Blooms. The exquisite widow temps Castleford like no woman has before. Unfortunately, she has an uncanny ability to resist his charms. Castleford can’t resist the challenge Daphne presents and it’s not long before the pair finds themselves in a dance of seduction that could lead to the most unlikely of outcomes – love.
There is a danger, I suppose, in highly anticipating a novel. Ever since the first Rarest Blooms book, Ravishing in Red, I have wanted to read the dissolute Duke of Castleford’s story. From Ravishing in Red to Provocative in Pearls to Sinful in Satin, Castleford stole every scene he was in, charming the hell out of me, even with his profligate ways. I absolutely loved him and couldn’t wait to see him fall in love. With such high expectations going in, I felt all the more strongly my disappointment in Dangerous in Diamonds. Up until his own book, Castleford has such life, such personality that he fairly exploded off the page. In Dangerous in Diamonds, Castleford is pretty subdued. He has some flashes of brightness, but overall he was a surprisingly lackluster hero. Daphne, in turn, is the same woman we’ve known all throughout the series: beautiful, honorable, and protective. Admittedly, she was never very interesting to me, so I was not let down by her blankness. As a couple, Daphne and Castleford do have some spark and that helped to carry Dangerous in Diamonds.
Despite my criticisms, Dangerous in Diamonds isn’t a bad book. Madeline Hunter’s writing is solid and the story moves along at a reasonable pace. Fans of The Rarest Blooms will delight in seeing all the prior heroes and heroines play a role in Daphne and Castleford’s story. The conclusion of Dangerous in Diamonds will likely satisfy the majority of readers. I will say that there is, for some reason, a curveball thrown in in the last ten pages of the story that was never really dealt with to my satisfaction. I don’t want to spoil what it was, but it felt like a pointless addition (I’m not a fan of obstacles slapped on at the very end of a book). Overall, Dangerous in Diamonds was a letdown for me, but readers who either haven’t read the previous Rarest Blooms books or didn’t adore Castleford’s personality will likely enjoy the book quite a bit more.
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed.
There is a danger, I suppose, in highly anticipating a novel. Ever since the first Rarest Blooms book, Ravishing in Red, I have wanted to read the dissolute Duke of Castleford’s story. From Ravishing in Red to Provocative in Pearls to Sinful in Satin, Castleford stole every scene he was in, charming the hell out of me, even with his profligate ways. I absolutely loved him and couldn’t wait to see him fall in love. With such high expectations going in, I felt all the more strongly my disappointment in Dangerous in Diamonds. Up until his own book, Castleford has such life, such personality that he fairly exploded off the page. In Dangerous in Diamonds, Castleford is pretty subdued. He has some flashes of brightness, but overall he was a surprisingly lackluster hero. Daphne, in turn, is the same woman we’ve known all throughout the series: beautiful, honorable, and protective. Admittedly, she was never very interesting to me, so I was not let down by her blankness. As a couple, Daphne and Castleford do have some spark and that helped to carry Dangerous in Diamonds.
Despite my criticisms, Dangerous in Diamonds isn’t a bad book. Madeline Hunter’s writing is solid and the story moves along at a reasonable pace. Fans of The Rarest Blooms will delight in seeing all the prior heroes and heroines play a role in Daphne and Castleford’s story. The conclusion of Dangerous in Diamonds will likely satisfy the majority of readers. I will say that there is, for some reason, a curveball thrown in in the last ten pages of the story that was never really dealt with to my satisfaction. I don’t want to spoil what it was, but it felt like a pointless addition (I’m not a fan of obstacles slapped on at the very end of a book). Overall, Dangerous in Diamonds was a letdown for me, but readers who either haven’t read the previous Rarest Blooms books or didn’t adore Castleford’s personality will likely enjoy the book quite a bit more.
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed.
jaimewrites's review against another edition
4.0
After reading Sinful in Satin, I was delighted to see that the final book in the series would be about Castleford. And really, he didn't disappoint in this book. Hunter seems to be very good at drawing characters that are slightly different than the usual historical heroes and heroines, which I appreciate.
I wish I was as enamoured of Daphne, though. After finding her interesting and mysterious in the previous book, when she stepped up for her turn in the spotlight I mostly felt underwhelmed. I wanted someone with a stronger personality to match with Castleford. She wasn't a horrible character, not by a long shot, but she was disappointing.
Still, a good end to a good series, and I will definitely be going back and reading the ones I missed.
I wish I was as enamoured of Daphne, though. After finding her interesting and mysterious in the previous book, when she stepped up for her turn in the spotlight I mostly felt underwhelmed. I wanted someone with a stronger personality to match with Castleford. She wasn't a horrible character, not by a long shot, but she was disappointing.
Still, a good end to a good series, and I will definitely be going back and reading the ones I missed.
ccgwalt's review against another edition
3.0
3.5*
Narrated by Kate Reading.
The Duke of Castleford is a notorious rake who only abstains from drinking and whoring one day a week: Tuesday. On Tuesdays, Castleford and his secretary go over all his business affairs. On that one day, Castleford is serious and responsible; the rest of the week he is focused only on pleasure. Daphne Joyes is a widow running The Rarest Bloom – a flower-growing business and a haven for women in need of anonymity and peace. Daphne and Castleford meet when the duke inherits several properties from an estranged relative. Curious as to why this relative would leave any holdings to him, the duke decides to visit the properties, starting with The Rarest Bloom.
Since I’d never read anything by Madeline Hunter, I gave Dangerous in Diamonds a try because it is narrated by the talented Kate Reading. Besides a lovely voice, she has wonderful sense of timing and conveys genuine emotions in her narrations. Ms. Reading’s narration brings this interesting, if somewhat problematic, book up a notch. Her character voices are all clear and distinct. The male voices feel masculine and the female characters, which are many, are easy to distinguish. One reason I enjoy listening to books set in England is hearing the different accents and Ms. Reading does that quite well.
The problematic parts of this book begin with Tristan, the Duke of Castleford, who simply isn’t a believable character. He has too much honor and intelligence for a man who spends six out of every seven days in idle dissipation. His head is too clear, and his senses too keen, on his one sober day a week for his supposed debauchery to be convincing. Since Tristan’s character strains credulity, he never gains the believability he needs to be a sympathetic hero. This doesn’t make him an unlikeable or uninteresting character, but it does make him feel underdeveloped.
Tristan decides he will bed Daphne soon after meeting the respectable widow. Daphne, though drawn to the Duke, has too much to lose by becoming embroiled in an affair. The game of seduction is entertaining until Daphne gives in with only moderate resistance. Given Daphne’s strong independent nature and her plans for the future, it seems unlikely she’d risk everything for a few sensual nights with Tristan. Conversely, though Daphne’s inability to trust Tristan is understandable, the use of that mistrust as a plot device goes on too long.
Several times Hunter introduces a storyline that seems full of potential, such as the Peterloo massacre in northern England, but fails to follow through on the promise. Though the plotting in Dangerous in Diamonds was uneven, Hunter’s writing overall seems solid, with a good balance of descriptive passages and dialogue. There was enough in the story to keep me interested to the end, and the narration added to the pleasure. I would be willing to give this author another try.
Reviewed for Speaking of Audiobooks at All About Romance: http://www.likesbooks.com/blog/?p=9138
Narrated by Kate Reading.
The Duke of Castleford is a notorious rake who only abstains from drinking and whoring one day a week: Tuesday. On Tuesdays, Castleford and his secretary go over all his business affairs. On that one day, Castleford is serious and responsible; the rest of the week he is focused only on pleasure. Daphne Joyes is a widow running The Rarest Bloom – a flower-growing business and a haven for women in need of anonymity and peace. Daphne and Castleford meet when the duke inherits several properties from an estranged relative. Curious as to why this relative would leave any holdings to him, the duke decides to visit the properties, starting with The Rarest Bloom.
Since I’d never read anything by Madeline Hunter, I gave Dangerous in Diamonds a try because it is narrated by the talented Kate Reading. Besides a lovely voice, she has wonderful sense of timing and conveys genuine emotions in her narrations. Ms. Reading’s narration brings this interesting, if somewhat problematic, book up a notch. Her character voices are all clear and distinct. The male voices feel masculine and the female characters, which are many, are easy to distinguish. One reason I enjoy listening to books set in England is hearing the different accents and Ms. Reading does that quite well.
The problematic parts of this book begin with Tristan, the Duke of Castleford, who simply isn’t a believable character. He has too much honor and intelligence for a man who spends six out of every seven days in idle dissipation. His head is too clear, and his senses too keen, on his one sober day a week for his supposed debauchery to be convincing. Since Tristan’s character strains credulity, he never gains the believability he needs to be a sympathetic hero. This doesn’t make him an unlikeable or uninteresting character, but it does make him feel underdeveloped.
Tristan decides he will bed Daphne soon after meeting the respectable widow. Daphne, though drawn to the Duke, has too much to lose by becoming embroiled in an affair. The game of seduction is entertaining until Daphne gives in with only moderate resistance. Given Daphne’s strong independent nature and her plans for the future, it seems unlikely she’d risk everything for a few sensual nights with Tristan. Conversely, though Daphne’s inability to trust Tristan is understandable, the use of that mistrust as a plot device goes on too long.
Several times Hunter introduces a storyline that seems full of potential, such as the Peterloo massacre in northern England, but fails to follow through on the promise. Though the plotting in Dangerous in Diamonds was uneven, Hunter’s writing overall seems solid, with a good balance of descriptive passages and dialogue. There was enough in the story to keep me interested to the end, and the narration added to the pleasure. I would be willing to give this author another try.
Reviewed for Speaking of Audiobooks at All About Romance: http://www.likesbooks.com/blog/?p=9138
rachelini's review against another edition
2.0
This was disappointing after the rest of the series. I was creeped out by how the hero wouldn't leave the heroine alone, even though she kept saying she wasn't interested. It's too bad, because there was a good story in the bits around their relationship.
lumbermouth's review against another edition
3.0
Hardly the world's most compelling read, BUT, the rapist fled to France in disgrace (SPOILER), and she gets to keep growing flowers or whatever.
nononanette's review against another edition
2.0
Like everyone else, I was looking forward to this book but it quite a let down. very disappointing. boring to a point. plot was really weak. Castleford was so much funnier and amusing in previous books.