8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic, February 8, 2006
This review is from: The Duchess Diaries (Mass Market Paperback)
It has been years since I last read an historical romance, but after reading The Duchess Diaries, I remember why I loved historicals so much. Barbara Dawson Smith's flawless historical details and perfect word choice give a rich sense of setting for true-to-life characters.
The hero is Grant Chandler. He is an illegitimate son and gambler turned high-stakes jewel thief. Ten years ago, Sophie Ramsey spurned him to marry a Duke - his best friend. Now, the Duke has been murdered, and he named Grant as guardian to his young son. Grant has reason to believe that Sophie may be the murderer, and he plans to expose her - as soon as he is done seducing her.
The heroine is Sophie, the Eighth Duchess of Mulford, and she has a secret. No one else knows that her husband, who died six months ago, was not the father of her child. She spent one passionate night ten years ago with her true love, Grant, but he was a rake and didn't want a wife.
Now, Grant is back, and he doesn't know that the young boy is really his son, and Sophie's biggest fear is that Grant will find out and take him from her.
The conflict between the hero and heroine is what kept me turning pages until the end of the book. I love this kind of conflict when both characters are equally justified in their actions, but also equally wrong. Sophie was justified in thinking the worst of Grant, but he's changed now and she refuses to see it. Grant is justified in wanting revenge because she chose his best friend over him, but he's seducing her again for the wrong reasons.
Sophie and Grant have ten years of bitterness and mistrust and lies to unravel, and they have ten years worth of passion to make up for, but they also have to find the Duke's killer.
The title of the book - The Duchess Diaries - refers to a set of journals written by an earlier Duchess of Mulford, and each chapter starts with a passage from her diary. Throughout the book Sophie is searching for the final journal. The diaries end up giving Sophie all of the answers she was looking for.
Barbara's story is a great combination of mystery, romance, and steamy sensuality. If you're looking for an historical romance novel to read - this is it.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Romance and Who done it one great book! ...lick your lips...uummm, November 9, 2005
This review is from: The Duchess Diaries (Mass Market Paperback)
From page one the characters in this charming book reached out and grabbed me. Page after page I just got sucked in deeper until I closed the book with a happy sigh. This book is both a great romance and mystery in one. Both characters felt "real" and made me believe they were in love with one another deeply. This book had everything you need to create a good romance: a dashing hero, a beautiful heroine and, most of all...PASSION! This book is sharp and fast-moving. Filled with Lovable characters, exciting and not too heavy action-mystery twists. Plenty of heart warming moments. The reader will feel the despair, the heartbreak, passion and the joy of Grant and Sophie in this very excellent character driven romance. I found the characters to be multi-dimensional and the author weaves a mystery into the story without slowing it down or interrupting the romantic flow. It also kept you wondering who the killer was and why would they want to kill such a sweet man as Robert. The plot and characters seemed fresh, the pace was quick, and it was a totally engrossing read. Full of enjoyable supporting characters and stories. I love this book. You will feel like smoking after the sex scenes in this book. The relationship between the leads is endearing. The secondary characters are enjoyable as well. This book is sharp and fast-moving. Filled with Lovable and exciting characters. This was a very entertaining book. This book was a pleasure to read and I couldn't put it down until it was finished. I really enjoyed the characters, as they were very likeable. A fast paced book with an intricate plot that I cannot help but enjoy. The interaction between the leads was great. There is enough conflict to make the story line interesting and not so much that your left wondering why they ever got together. This book is sharp and fast-moving. I was sad to have it end, but satisfied at the ending!
Wonderful love story, great characters with an emotionally scarred hero and strong but vulnerable heroine, unique setting, intriguing plot, heart-tugging emotion, excellent writing, intense sensual love scenes, and a superb ending.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
terrific Regency amateur sleuth romance, November 2, 2005
This review is from: The Duchess Diaries (Mass Market Paperback)
Grant Chandler was stealing the Devil's Eye in Constantinople when his friend Robert Ramsey begged him to come home insisting someone close to him was killing him. Thus in 1816 after a decade away from England, Grant returns to his homeland to learn that Robert is dead and he is the guardian to his friend's young son Lucien. Grant believes Robert's wife Sophie poisoned him and plans to seduce her while finding the proof.
However, to his chagrin Grant finds upon first seeing Sophie he still desires her. As he watches her care for her son, he begins to feel she could not have killed Robert especially when Lucien is poisoned. Grant and Sophie work together to find a killer who has no seeming motive for homicide. Once they ruled out Robert's gay lover, he soon learns other family secrets that shake and please him to his core. However, first identifying the killer remains the mission though the answer lies buried in a century old bloodline.
THE DUCHESS DIARIES is a terrific Regency amateur sleuth romance that readers will fully enjoy while wondering which relative is the killer (no one but Grant will believe that Sophie did the deed). Sophie is a fabulous protagonist grieving the loss of her husband who ironically was more and less than a spouse to her (read the book) while keeping her nine year old safe and hiding truths from the man she loves: Grant. He is a jewel thief who logically assumes Sophie killed Robert based on loose circumstantial evidence. Finding the killer while falling in love make for a fine time for historical readers.
Harriet Klausner
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