02/25/2019
Barnes’s solid fourth Diamonds in the Rough Regency introduces a duchess and a gentleman whose reputations are vastly different from their true personalities. Viola Cartwright, Duchess of Tremaine, is an enigma and doesn’t mingle with her own social class. Instead she runs St. Agatha’s Hospital, providing free care to the poor with the help of physician Florian Lowell, Duke of Redding. Viola’s deceased husband, Peter, Duke of Tremaine, married her on his deathbed and named her his sole heir; his son, Robert, has returned to London, intent on restoring his fortune by having Peter’s will declared invalid. Henry Lowell, Florian’s brother, is shot in a duel and treated at St. Agatha’s. Viola is determined to resist Henry’s charm while caring for him during his convalescence, but he tells her that the rumors about his rakish ways are untrue. As Henry and Viola grow closer, Viola must decide whether she is ready to give up her independence to wed him. Unconventional and progressive aristocrats, sensual romance, and a swift-moving plotline add allure to this capable novel. (Apr.)
engaging” — Kirkus Reviews
“Unconventional and progressive aristocrats, sensual romance, and a swift-moving plotline add allure to this capable novel.” — Publishers Weekly
“Barnes continues her thoroughly entertaining Diamonds in the Rough series with a lusciously written, Regency-set historical, whose engaging story line conveys more than a hint of modern sensibility but also has enough well-researched and well-placed historical details to firmly anchor it in the past.” — Booklist
“Vivid supporting characters (a sadistic villain is memorable) and sharp attention to period detail—the scientific and medical research is fascinating—are bonuses... Smart dialog, breathtaking sensuality, a mystery or two, and a well-crafted plot make this a worthy addition to Barnes’s addictive series.” — Library Journal
“Viola’s a dazzling heroine – an ambitious medical practitioner, a protector of vulnerable women, and a kind-hearted, gentle soul... Barnes has crafted quite the compelling mystery and family drama that unfolds across dueling fields and medical facilities for a romance novel that dips heavily into adventure and operatic danger.” — Entertainment Weekly
Viola’s a dazzling heroine – an ambitious medical practitioner, a protector of vulnerable women, and a kind-hearted, gentle soul... Barnes has crafted quite the compelling mystery and family drama that unfolds across dueling fields and medical facilities for a romance novel that dips heavily into adventure and operatic danger.
Barnes continues her thoroughly entertaining Diamonds in the Rough series with a lusciously written, Regency-set historical, whose engaging story line conveys more than a hint of modern sensibility but also has enough well-researched and well-placed historical details to firmly anchor it in the past.
Barnes continues her thoroughly entertaining Diamonds in the Rough series with a lusciously written, Regency-set historical, whose engaging story line conveys more than a hint of modern sensibility but also has enough well-researched and well-placed historical details to firmly anchor it in the past.
Narrator Carolyn Morris delivers high tension from the moment this story opens on the aftermath of a duel. Henry Lowell is brought to the hospital run by Viola Cartwright, Duchess of Tremaine, to have a bullet removed from his shoulder. Henry becomes intrigued with Viola, who is reluctant to become involved with anyone, given the scandal of her marriage to the elderly Duke of Tremaine. Morris makes listeners feel totally immersed in London society. Viola is being threatened by her late husband’s son, Robert, whom Morris gives an appropriately menacing voice. In contrast, Morris provides Henry with a warmth that will have the listener cheering for him and rooting for Robert’s downfall. S.B. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Narrator Carolyn Morris delivers high tension from the moment this story opens on the aftermath of a duel. Henry Lowell is brought to the hospital run by Viola Cartwright, Duchess of Tremaine, to have a bullet removed from his shoulder. Henry becomes intrigued with Viola, who is reluctant to become involved with anyone, given the scandal of her marriage to the elderly Duke of Tremaine. Morris makes listeners feel totally immersed in London society. Viola is being threatened by her late husband’s son, Robert, whom Morris gives an appropriately menacing voice. In contrast, Morris provides Henry with a warmth that will have the listener cheering for him and rooting for Robert’s downfall. S.B. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
2019-02-17
When the widowed Duchess of Tremaine is accused of fraud by her husband's heir, she finds an unexpected ally in Henry Lowell, who wants to help her save the hospital she's built to take care of London's poor.
Viola Cartwright, Duchess of Tremaine, has spent her inheritance building a hospital that caters to London's poor, with the help of Dr. Florian Lowell. Viola married the duke on his deathbed, then honored his oft-discussed intentions for the hospital. In fact, Viola was the daughter of the duke's physician, a dear friend who'd saved the duke's infant son, Robert. When Viola's father died, the duke took her in, and as a teen, she'd fallen in love with Robert, who'd seduced her then cruelly tossed her aside. After being abroad for years, Robert returns home and accuses Viola of stealing his inheritance, hiring a barrister to recoup the fortune. Viola's business partner, Florian, is traveling with his wife, but his brother, Henry, steps in to lend help and moral support. Hiring her own barrister doesn't solve the problem, and secrets about Viola's background damage her credibility, but Henry becomes increasingly devoted to her. Meanwhile, it seems Robert has a number of horrifying secrets of his own and some powerful enemies who might make him regret the choice to go after Viola. Barnes' (When Love Leads to Scandal, 2019, etc.) most recent Diamonds in the Rough title has a lively storyline but is bogged down by imprecise writing; a lack of internal conflict (Henry falls for Viola immediately, and they don't have any reasonable barriers to a relationship); a villain of ridiculous, mustache-twirling proportions; and too many instances of characters asking themselves why they're doing something or characters doing things that make readers wonder why.
At times engaging but also variously careening and cumbersome.
