Friday, September 28, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Review: When You Give a Duke a Diamond by Shana Galen
He had a perfectly orderly life...
William, the sixth Duke of Pelham, enjoys his punctual, securely structured life. Orderly and predictable—that's the way he likes it. But he's in the public eye, and the scandal sheets will make up anything to sell papers. When the gossip papers link him to Juliette, one of the most beautiful and celebrated courtesans in London, chaos doesn't begin to describe what happens next...
Until she came along...
Juliette is nicknamed the Duchess of Dalliance and has the cream of the nobility at her beck and call. It's disruptive to have the duke who is the biggest catch on the Marriage Mart scaring her other suitors away. Then she discovers William's darkest secret and decides what he needs in his life is the kind of excitement only she can provide...
The blurb above is a little misleading, I think. Not to say that Juliette doesn't have men who are interested in her, but this implies Pelham chases men away from Juliette's side continuously and I can recall only a couple of instances where that happens.
Despite that little quibble, I thoroughly enjoyed When You Give a Duke a Diamond. With each new book by Ms. Galen I read, I find myself believing her writing improves. This book had suspense and intrigue (and a murder!), as well as the typical romantic arc and sexual tension between the hero and heroine. True to Pelham's regimented lifestyle, everything happens with a purpose and at the precise time it needs to. When You Give a Duke a Diamond sets up the two future books nicely, so I'm anxious to see what will happen to the remaining Diamonds.
(A very special thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley who provided me with an ARC of When You Give a Duke a Diamond.)
