Review & Giveaway - - The Diamond and the Duke

The Diamond and the Duke

by Christi Caldwell

All the Duke's Sins - Book 3

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: February 20, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

When a wounded soldier and self-proclaimed "beast" finds unlikely friendship with a headstrong and unconventional beauty, they quickly find themselves weaving a tale as old as time…
 
Despite a hero’s return to England from the Napoleonic Wars, Wesley Audley isolates from the ton. Deep wounds from the horrors of combat—and the despair of a broken heart—left him scarred. As he struggles to cope and resume his place in Polite Society, Wesley is quick to cut himself off from everyone…except for Ellie Balfour. 
 
Independent and strong-willed, Ellie has dreams of captaining her own husband-free life and a penchant for meddling in other’s business. She knows befriending Wesley is a risk but Ellie can’t bear to see his heartache. Nor can she seem to silence all the temptingly intimate thoughts his nearness provokes. 
 
But Ellie is yet to face a battle she can’t win—and Wesley’s heart is worth the fight. If only her campaigns ever went to plan…

PJ's Thoughts:

With each book she writes, Christi Caldwell takes me on an emotional, heart-wringing ride where love wins but the journey there is one filled with so many feelings. This one, more than most. I loved every single moment.

In Ellie and Wesley, Caldwell has created two characters who have both been changed by pain. For Wesley, it's both the visible wounds of war as well as those hidden in his mind. Ellie's wounds are not so easily seen but no less life changing, giving her the insight to help Wesley heal where all others have failed. I loved her strength, her resilience, her intrepid spirit, and the tender heart she sought to protect. I loved how she never gave up on Wesley even when he did his best to scare her away, how she loved him with all that she was but, ultimately, put his happiness ahead of her own. And then there's Wesley. Oh, how my heart ached for him...at the start. Then, of course, I just wanted to toss him off a cliff but that was all part of his journey, his healing process. Eventually, he won my heart as completely as he did Ellie's.

Both Ellie and Wesley had significant growth arcs in this book that were managed beautifully and realistically by Caldwell. I appreciated the mutual respect that slowly grew between them, the genuine affection and tender moments that evolved over time, and the gradual awakening of their deepest feelings, eventually bringing them to a point where they were finally able to put the past behind and move forward with love, joy, and trust in their hearts. How Caldwell circled back to their first meeting years earlier to tie it into the final scene of the book was heart-tugging perfection. 

This is the third book in Caldwell's All the Duke's Sins series. It stands well on its own but carries more understanding of family dynamics and emotional significance, in my opinion, if read in order. The earlier books are Along Came a Lady and Desperately Seeking a Duchess. Click the titles to read my reviews of the earlier books.

Content Warning: child abuse (off page-in the past), PTSD

Have you read Christi Caldwell?

Do you have a favorite book or series of hers?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, February 24 will receive a print copy of The Diamond the the Duke. 

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Thanks for Berkley Publishing for today's giveaway copy of The Diamond and the Duke. 

Review - - Desperately Seeking a Duchess

Desperately Seeking a Duchess

by Christi Caldwell

All the Duke's Sins - Book 2

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: May 24, 2022

Reviewed by PJ

 

Cailin Audley doesn’t fit in with Polite Society. A life spent among the working class taught her to value her independence in a way no newfound fortune or glittering ballroom could ever erase. When a major misstep sees the new heiress whisked away to the English countryside, Cailin soon realizes the vexing lengths her family will go to see her settled.  But having risked her heart once before, Cailin has no interest in the men of the ton—especially not the frustratingly charming Duke of St. James.
 
Courtland Balfour, the Duke of St. James, devoted brother and notorious rogue, despises what he must become—a fortune hunter. But with the ducal coffers drained by his late, spendthrift of a father, Courtland knows his duty lies at the altar and he will do anything to ensure a future for his siblings. Just his luck that the one lady who could make this new fate bearable, who enflames him like no other, is the one woman who wants nothing to do with him or his title.
 
But when an act of desperation inadvertently lands he and Cailin at the heart of another scandal, Courtland knows better than to waste his chance. Surely he can convince Cailin to love him?

PJ's Thoughts:

This second book in Caldwell's All the Duke's Sins series is another page-turner that kept me entertained from beginning to end. Caldwell is so skilled at creating complex, fully-developed characters and that ability is once again on full display here, with both primary and secondary characters leaping from the pages. 

Cailin and Courtland are intriguing, multi-layered characters with whom I felt an immediate affinity. I loved that they began as adversaries who then moved into friendship that gradually deepened into unexpected love. Caldwell has gifted them with snappy banter, a fair number of chuckles and a modicum of angst, along with some steamy attraction. She's also given them complex family relationships that threaten to derail their budding relationship at several turns along with outside obstacles looming over them like a stormy cloud. I enjoyed the evolution of both main characters, especially Courtland's as he comes to realize (with help) that working together is much more beneficial than trying to carry family burdens alone and Cailin's, as she learns she can embrace her true self and still find a place within her new family. 

There's a solid secondary cast in the book with the potential for future stories among them. I know Cailin's remaining brothers are on deck but I'm already hoping that Courtland's youngest sister will be a future heroine of her own story. She's only 14 now but she's a firecracker and glimmers of the adult she will grow to be are already strong.  

You can read Desperately Seeking a Duchess as a standalone but I think you'll have a deeper understanding of the Audley family dynamics as well as Cailin herself if you begin with Along Came a Lady. If you're interested in the Duke of Bentley's back story as well as his romance with Lady Lydia, check out the series prequel, It Had to Be the Duke. 

Review & Giveaway - - Along Came a Lady

Along Came a Lady

by Christi Caldwell

All the Duke's Sins - Book 1

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: August 24, 2021

Reviewed by PJ

 

Rafe Audley lives to thwart his father, the Duke of Bentley. The ne’er do well who abandoned his children claims he wants to make up for his failures, but Rafe only cares about protecting the people of his mining community and providing for his three siblings, who've been his sole responsibility since childhood. So far, Rafe has turned away the duke's man of affairs, solicitor, and other interlopers, until the clever duke sends the unlikeliest of people to convince Rafe to join English High Society—a bold and intriguing woman.

Edwina Dalrymple has never failed a charge. She's quite adept at successfully transforming young women of the gentry and daughters of newly minted lords to take their place in society. Taming a bastard son of a duke will be child's play, plus this job promises to enhance her reputation within the ton. All she has to do is fetch the wayward Rafe and groom him to be presentable to Polite Society. 

As the tenacious teacher and her domineering, stubborn, refuses-to-be-taught pupil engage in a fiery battle of wills, their chemistry ignites and the true lesson becomes clear: opposites attract and hearts must be heard.

PJ's Thoughts:

Christi Caldwell launches her new series with a story that reeled me in and kept me entertained from start to finish. First of all there's the setup: duke discovers his deceased mistress gave birth to four children (his) and is determined to bring them (now adults) to London to take their rightful places in society, beginning with the oldest, Rafe. A gruff, broody, coalfield foreman, Rafe wants no part of the man he believes knew about them all along and only now wants to acknowledge them. Edwina is an accomplished governess/tutor who would give anything for the opportunity being handed to Rafe and needs the opportunity successful completion of this task will bring her. She's not about to let muddy coalfields, abrasive townspeople, or a scheming, grouchy man - even if he is gorgeous, surprisingly caring, and knows his way around a kitchen - derail her mission. Let the fun begin!

The sparks that these two set off could start a forest fire. I love the snappy banter, the unexpectedly sweet moments, the humor, and the battle of wills that ensue as these strong-willed characters go head to head. They both stretch, grow, and slowly unveil facets of their characters that are only brought out by the other. They are so much fun to watch evolve and grow closer together even though Edwina knows nothing can ever come of that closeness. Or can it?

Caldwell is so good at creating a sense of place. I had no trouble at all envisioning the atmosphere of the perilous, muddy coalfields (a definite Poldark vibe and, yes, I did happily envision Rafe as a deliciously gruff Aiden Turner through the entire book), the dark but lively village pub (Regency "karaoke" scene is *chef's kiss*), and the duke's grand mansion. Her vivid descriptions bring the reader into the scene, no longer an observer but a part of the actual story. 

The sibling dynamic is also very realistic with each of the Audley siblings holding their own unique place in the family. I'm already invested in all of them and eager to read each of their stories. 

My only quibble with the book (and it's small considering how much I enjoyed this story) is that the ending seemed a bit rushed, especially as it pertains to Edwina's family situation. That was such an important part of her character; I really wanted to see it given more attention. As for Rafe and Edwina, I was happily satisfied with the outcome of their relationship and am looking forward to following their progress as a couple through Rafe's siblings' stories. 

It's worth noting that Caldwell has written a prequel novella to this series which tells the duke's story. It Had to Be the Duke is a heart-tugging, second-chance love story that can be read either before or after Along Came a Lady. I adored it. 

Have you read Christi Caldwell yet?

Do you enjoy a rollicking battle of wills between lead characters? 

Who is your favorite battle of wills pairing (books, movies, tv)? 

One person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, August 25 will receive a print copy of Along Came a Lady. 

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

*Void where prohibited