Dangerous in Diamonds [Mass Market Paperback]

Madeline Hunter (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 26, 2011

When the outrageously wealthy Duke of Castleford is bequeathed a small piece of property that houses a modest flower shop, he encounters its owner, the mysterious Daphne Joyes-a budding rose who quickly becomes the object of his seduction.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Hunter masterfully weaves a sensual web . . . Fans will be delighted

--Publishers Weekly

The depth of characterization and intense emotions will enthrall readers. . . the tight plotting and masterful storytelling will captivate.  Brava! --RTBookclub

About the Author

Madeline Hunter has published twenty-one critically acclaimed historical romances. Her books regularly appear on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. More than five million copies of her books are in print, and her books have been translated into twelve languages. She has won two RITA awards and is a seven-time RITA finalist. Madeline holds a PhD in art history, which she teaches at the university level. She loves to hear from readers and can be contacted through her website: www.MadelineHunter.com.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Jove; First Edition edition (April 26, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0515149349
• ISBN-13: 978-0515149340
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 1 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #273,237 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am a published novelist, a mother and wife, an art historian and a teacher. My first historical romance was published in 2000 and my bibliography shows the list of books since then. My books have been on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, USAToday, and Publishers Weekly (where I have also had two starred reviews.) I have won the RITA award twice and been a finalist seven times. My novels combine strong romances between layered and complex characters with plots that include mysteries or intrigues.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved the hero, Castleford! April 27, 2011

By Romanzwriter

Format:Kindle Edition

I've been waiting for Castleford's story and I wasn't disappointed. I liked Daphne too, but not as much as I enjoyed him. His dialogue and manner was reminiscent of the character "Algie" in "The Importance of being Earnest". It was witty, sarcastic, yet lovable! I do agree with one reviewer about disliking the Manchester uprising. It was almost odd and felt like it didn't belong, but other than that, I love the way he pursued Daphne. She has all these secrets that made her feel like she couldn't share her life with anyone, but she couldn't help but give in to Castleford when he'd kiss her. Frankly, I don't know what woman could! If this was a real man, he would be downright irresistible.

Kudos to Ms. Hunter for writing both Characters so well and not giving away Daphne's secret until the very end. I couldn't figure it out (well, the last secret, anyway), so it made me want to keep reading until I discovered all. On the other hand, I didn't want it to end because it meant saying goodbye to the duke of Castleford. :-)

I do recommend reading the rest of the books in this series. You might, like me, want to go back and reread them to get the full effect. Madeline Hunter is one of my favorite authors and she never leaves me disappointed.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't wait to read it--wasn't quite what I thought April 27, 2011

By HR Reader

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I have been looking forward to this book since the start of the series, rather hoping Castleford would be much like Sebastian in Kleypas' Devil in Winter. Castleford wasn't quite the same, but he came very close. I enjoyed this book, but am not dying to reread any parts, although I will definitely reread it at some point. I agree with the reviewer who said it seems less of a romance and more of a journey of self-discovery novel. Not that that is bad; it is just not what I was expecting. Tristan's move to sobriety was actually more believable than I thought the author would be able to convey--I mean come on, the guy was drunk every day but Tuesday for years, pretty hard core alcoholism. But the self-reflection his sobriety forces on him goes along way to explaining that sobriety. Daphne seemed rather toned down from previous books--just not quite as strong, but of course, her background as a victim is revealed, which must naturally convey a vulnerability that readers didn't see before. Overall, definitely worth reading!

34 of 42 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Major Disappointment After Major Anticipation May 3, 2011

By JuJuBee

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I'd been eagerly anticipating Castleford's story since book 1. What a letdown! Books 1 & 2 were quite good, the 3rd not so great, so I shouldn't be surprised the 4th & final was a disappointment. First of all, Ms. Hunter apparently forgot she placed Castleford at Rarest Blooms at the end of book 3, and although one of his friends believes Castleford stayed in his carriage the whole time, she hinted (I thought) that he briefly met, or had at least gotten an eyeful, of beautiful Daphne while all the other characters were running around in the garden wrapping up the book 3 storyline. How sly, how clever, how subtle, I thought, of her to drop these hints, igniting Castleford's appetite for Daphne and the reader's for book 4. I for one was waiting impatiently to find out exactly what happened between them that afternoon that gets the ball rolling on their romance. Instead I got book 4 opening with Castleford inheriting the Rarest Blooms property (okay, I can live with that scenario) but when he shows up to inspect the place he acts like he's never been there before and has no prior knowledge of the Rarest Bloom's existence. Huh? Then a few pages later he's acknowledging to his friends he's aware Daphne is linked to their wives, all of whom lived and worked at Rarest Blooms. On top of the sloppy continuity, there's a build-up with the Manchester subplot that just peters out, the villain comes home from the Continent and then returns to the Continent but there's no resolution (the reader never gets the payoff of seeing him suffer for his villainy, although Castleford half-heartedly parts him from some of his $).... The sex scenes are a bore, the std thing was anachronistic, the chemistry between the two lovers nonexistent, and the Big Secret at the end (** SPOILER ALERT**) was that tired old romance novel cliche the Secret Baby, or in this case, the Secret Teenager. Unfortunately, not only was the father unaware of the child's existence, so was the reader! Here was my biggest beef. Ms. Hunter devotes all of 3 or 4 sentences at the end to a major revelation about the major character-- what was she thinking, hey on the last page of the book I'll let the reader in on the fact that the central focus of Daphne's life has been her sacrifice of living apart from her daughter in order to keep her safe. The whole thing comes off as strangely cold and unemotional. And Daphne's reason for revealing a teenage daughter now, makes no sense. It's because the father fled to the Continent, but that's where he was for the child's entire life, except for a brief period. He's barely present in England, or the story for that matter, and then back he goes to France. This book was just a mess, nothing explored or resolved in any satisfactory way. Read more ›

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars High expectations that were hugely disappointed May 20, 2011

By sarah stewart

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I am sure I am not the only HR reader who was really looking forward to this book. Madeline Hunter has had us all on a string for the last couple of years, drooling over that incredibly naughty Tristain, Duke of Castleford. Let's face it, girls, there's nothing we love more than a rake who comes good as a result of the love of a good woman. And we just knew Daphne Joyce was the woman to bring that drunken, whoring man to his knees. So it was just a matter of ..."bring it on".

So...what did we get? A boring plot that zigzagged all over the place,with various threads that were either totally irrelevant or not explored enough *spoiler* eg the daughter born out of wedlock. A heroine who was one of the wettest women I have read about in a long while. Those sexually charged clashes and scenes of angst that I was expecting never materialised, and Daphne dropped her drawers pretty much as soon as she could.

But the worst thing about this book was Tristain. We caught brief glimpses of that marvelously cheeky but brilliant man, and I love the concept of sober Tuesdays. But on the whole he spent his time pressurizing Daphne for sex and came pretty close to raping her on several occasions. He was selfish, arrogant and charmless.

I am extremely disappointed and feel that Hunter has missed the opportunity to develop a hero that would go down into the annals as an all-time favorite...one that us girls would compare other heroes against and fondly remember in many reviews to come. Instead, she has come up with a character and book that I want to forget as soon as possible.