Category: Sophie Barnes

Your 2021 Advent Calendar

14/11/2021

Sealed with a Yuletide Kiss by Sophie Barnes

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Twenty-four romantic short stories are to be found in this Christmas-themed collection, designed to be read from the 1st to the 24th of December.

This is undoubtedly the best advent calendar I've ever had the pleasure to open. Okay, so it's an ARC which means I had to read and review it beforehand, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to restrict myself to one story a day - they are heart-warming, sweet, and so easy to consume. The advent calendar idea is pretty awesome. It also works really well. And I'm not just saying this as a Sophie Barnes fan! Any reader who dabbles in historical romance will enjoy this..

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An Unlikely, Unlikeable Hero

14/8/2021

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The Formidable Heir (Diamonds in the Rough #6)
by Sophie Barnes

Simon Nugent is an unlikely hero, but he feels compelled to assist the daughter of a friend when he finds her in her brothel. Ida Strong's father was hung for a crime he didn't commit and now that she's resurfaced, her life is in danger. An earl is the only one who can help her - but every moment spent with him means risking her heart. Because she can never be his wife, only his mistress.

Bringing back a villainous suitor from one book and making him into the hero of another was simply too off-putting to me. Simon continued to be unlikeable, despite some character development that deal with his cowardliness. I did like Ida, though. And her quest to prove her father's innocence. But Simon was unfortunately in most scenes and I really wanted to throw a chamberpot at his head. I'll give Barnes props for what she tried to do here, but it's not for me.

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Sin City

9/8/2021

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The Forgotten Duke (Diamonds in the Rough #5)
by Sophie Barnes

Regina is desperate to escape a marriage to a mere boy and runs away in her wedding dress on the morning of her big day. She finds herself in St Giles, at the mercy of the streets - and Carlton Guthrie, a crime lord who offers her sanctuary, but out of the goodness of his heart. He wants revenge. Regina's father wronged him and he means to settle the score. Falling in love is out of the question.

I remember thinking "do I really want to see the Scoundrel of St Giles get his own story?" and the answer is a most emphatic yes! Easily my 2nd favourite book in the series (Blayne will always have my heart!). Carlton was perfect as the scoundrel with a heart of gold and I loved how his and Regina's relationship developed. Bonus intriguing subplot. And even if I hadn't already read Marcus' story, I would have felt for him. I could go on and on, but basically I freaking loved this book.

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The Widow and the Rake

7/8/2021

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The Infamous Duchess (Diamonds in the Rough #4)
by Sophie Barnes

Widow Viola Cartright shuns Society so they can't shun her for marrying an infirm and wealthy duke the day before his death. She has spent her fortune on building London's best hospital. But she might be about to lose it all when her wayward stepson returns to ruin her life. Henry Lowell wants to help her - and love her, if she'll have him - but he has his own reputation and she's been hurt before.

I was pretty much sold from the premise! I've had a soft spot for both Viola and Henry from the previous books, so I was delighted to see them in a story together. I thoroughly enjoyed The Infamous Duchess and the villain was so wonderfully detestable. I was so desperate to finish this book because I had to know how it all turned out! I look forward to completing this series, though I also dread it since I've enjoyed it so much...

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Love in the Time of Typhus

4/8/2021

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The Illegitimate Duke (Diamonds in the Rough #3)
by Sophie Barnes

Juliette Matthews grew up in the slums and has little interest in using her newfound position to marry well - not when she could be putting her wealth to good use in funding a hospital. Florian Lowell is an admired physician and set to become a duke, but the secret of his birth makes him feel unworthy - and could endanger anyone he might love. So he definitely has no plans to give in to temptation...

An excellent return to form after the previous book, notably because the villain had a much more commanding presence in this one instead. I am such a sucker for novels with deadly diseases right now (I think it might be my coping mechanism!), so I enjoyed the typhus epidemic in The Illegitimate Duke and how it affected the romance building between the main characters. Florian was a delightfully tortured character and Juliette was perfect for him. Loved it.

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When the Brother is Away...

3/8/2021

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The Duke of Her Desire (Diamonds in the Rough #2)
by Sophie Barnes

Thomas Heathmore has promised to look after his friend's sister, but he can't stop himself seeing her in ways he definitely shouldn't. Amelia Matthews couldn't help falling for the Duke of Coventry, but she knows he will never return her feelings and it smarts whenever he finds something about her that he disapproves of. It's hard to avoid him, however, when she needs his help.

This wasn't bad. I just...wasn't all that invested in the goings on, mainly because there didn't seem to be any conflict. Both the characters liked each other and had no true obstacle stopping them getting together - and the villain of the story had scarcely any presence before going entirely MIA, without any justice being served. This all said, it was a nice enough story...and I really liked Amelia in the previous book so I wanted her to get her HEA.

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Raphe to Riches

2/8/2021

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A Most Unlikely Duke (Diamonds in the Rough #1)
by Sophie Barnes

Raphe has struggled with his sisters in the slums for fifteen years, turning to the punishing sport of boxing to support them. But as fortune would have it, he's now the sole contender for the title of Duke of Huntley (thanks to some deaths in the family!). Lady Gabriella's new neighbours are in desperate need of her help to enter polite society and she's happy to help, though she really should spend more time with the man she's supposed to marry...

Yep, I've got some catching up to so, so I jumped to the beginning of the series. An excellent decision! I instantly adored Raphe and wanted him to one-up the ton. Gabriella was a sympathetic, extremely likeable character who made me want to yell at everyone who had ever derided her hobby. I just find the books in this series so incredibly fascinating, because of the different aspects Barnes chooses to explore. In A Most Unlikely Duke, you get slums, boxing, what happens to a woman without her family's support, and scandal is unavoidable. And really, who can pass up a rags-to-riches story?

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Book Reviews

Your 2021 Advent Calendar

Sealed with a Yuletide Kiss by Sophie Barnes

An Unlikely, Unlikeable Hero

The Formidable Heir (Diamonds in the Rough #6)
by Sophie Barnes

Sin City

The Forgotten Duke (Diamonds in the Rough #5)
by Sophie Barnes

The Widow and the Rake

The Infamous Duchess (Diamonds in the Rough #4)
by Sophie Barnes

Love in the Time of Typhus

The Illegitimate Duke (Diamonds in the Rough #3)
by Sophie Barnes

When the Brother is Away...

The Duke of Her Desire (Diamonds in the Rough #2)
by Sophie Barnes

Raphe to Riches

A Most Unlikely Duke (Diamonds in the Rough #1)
by Sophie Barnes

About

Archives

Categories

Book Reviews

Your 2021 Advent Calendar

Sealed with a Yuletide Kiss by Sophie Barnes

An Unlikely, Unlikeable Hero

The Formidable Heir (Diamonds in the Rough #6)by Sophie Barnes

Sin City

The Forgotten Duke (Diamonds in the Rough #5)by Sophie Barnes

The Widow and the Rake

The Infamous Duchess (Diamonds in the Rough #4)by Sophie Barnes

Love in the Time of Typhus

The Illegitimate Duke (Diamonds in the Rough #3)by Sophie Barnes

When the Brother is Away...

The Duke of Her Desire (Diamonds in the Rough #2)by Sophie Barnes

Raphe to Riches

A Most Unlikely Duke (Diamonds in the Rough #1)by Sophie Barnes

About

Archives

Categories

The Formidable Heir (Diamonds in the Rough #6)
by Sophie Barnes

The Forgotten Duke (Diamonds in the Rough #5)
by Sophie Barnes

The Infamous Duchess (Diamonds in the Rough #4)
by Sophie Barnes

The Illegitimate Duke (Diamonds in the Rough #3)
by Sophie Barnes

The Duke of Her Desire (Diamonds in the Rough #2)
by Sophie Barnes

A Most Unlikely Duke (Diamonds in the Rough #1)
by Sophie Barnes