Customer Reviews

The Duchess Diaries

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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

I loved this book. I ordered several books and this was the only one that kept my interest. Very passionate and good mystery!! This one will go on my read and read again list!

Barbara Dawson Smith has created great characters--a fiesty misunderstood heroine and a charming (and, of course, gorgeous) rogue with a heart who were once in love and now can't resist each other in spite of the distrust that looms between them. Murder, sexual secrets, history repeating itself and irresistable desire are all woven beautifully. If you like your historic romance with a good, solid, suspenseful plot--this will be a very satisfying read.

As an experienced, successful author Barbara Dawson Smith provides us with another well-crafted novel. She takes the typical pieces--England, Nobility, "Upstairs/Downstairs" style class tensions, appealing male/female lead characters and gives
us a break from our own stress filled 21st century lives. Everything works intelligently. So just relax, put up your feet, take the phone off the hook for a little while--got a nice cuppa' tea or maybe a glass of wine?--read and feel well cared for--then come back to the fight later, refreshed.

Ten years ago, Grant Chandler had an affair with Sophie Huntington, one of the fine young ladies of the ton having her first season. One chance remark shattered their relationship, sending her into the arms of his best friend and him away from home to seek his fortune. Now, Sophie is a widow with a young son whom Grant has been appointed the guardian of, and this brings him home. Moreover, he is certain that Sophie is a killer who poisoned his friend, her husband. He intends fully to have a brief, passionate reunion with her and then prove his case against her. Sophie has very different memories of their time together. On the strength of his declaration that he felt trapped into marriage, she wed his friend and gave birth to Grant's son, secretly raising the boy as her husband's, a situation that seemed to suit all concerned. Now, with Grant back in her life, both find that old feelings, both of love and hate, are alive yet. In a world filled with secrets, there are many truths that must be discovered and many trespasses to be forgiven.

**** Ms. Smith has penned a charming, easy to read novel. Neither Grant nor Sophie is an angel, and though he sometimes seems too unforgiving, he is not without reason. Fans of this author will find this a treasure. ****

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore, Freelance Reviewer.

A wonderfully written novel. It has all of the makings of a great read. The characters are true-to-life people each having flaws and redeeming qualities, the plot is interesting and constantly keeps you guessing, and the diction is descriptive. I could hardly put this novel down as each chapter kept me guessing and left me wanting more. The ending was unexpected but tied the novel together nicely. I loved this novel, and I think you will, too!

Grant Chandler, after an absence of ten years, has returned home to England having been summoned back by a secret death bed missive from Robert, the Duke of Mulford -- a man who was once his best friend and who had married the only woman Grant had ever loved. Grant found himself too late; Robert was now dead having named Grant guardian of his nine-year-old son Lucien. The only thing Grant could do for his old friend now was to prove that Robert had been murdered and find the evidence that the murderer was none other than Roberts young widow, Sophie.

Sophie Huntington Ramsey had always loved Grant Chandler, but after one night passion, knew that to force him into a marriage would be wrong. Young, foolish and prideful she sent him on his way then turned to his best friend whom she married. Now,
to have him involved in Lucien's life simply would not do - she couldn't risk Grant finding out that Lucien was his son.

As Grant sought to discover the evidence that Sophie poisoned Robert, she was delving into her own quest of discovering the 3rd Duchess of Mulford's diary. Neither denied themselves the physical passion that still existed between them as they embarked upon a sensual love affair. As each sought the truth, they would surprisingly both discover that the clues to solving the crime of Robert's death would be found in unearthing the century old secret diaries.

*** Grant, though a jewel thief was likeable in that his thefts were only against people who gained their jewels through ill-gotten means - not that that it made it any less reprehensible, but it did lessen any ill feeling against him. When his childhood is revealed, and his brother enters the picture (wish that had been developed more) I found myself really falling for our hero. Sophie was not the most likeable heroine. Young and foolish, she made a grave error in not telling Grant of his impending fatherhood (sin #1); but in lying when he asked if their were repercussions she compounded the error (sin #2). In at least telling the Duke of her condition BEFORE the marriage she does get some absolution. Still she was not one of my favorite or memorable heroines.

Not only does Barbara Dawson Smith give the reader a well-written story but she provides a wonderful conflict between the protagonists, a thoroughly engrossing mystery of who murdered the Duke, and a truly inspired surprise ending of who-done-it! All the elements were masterfully blended in giving you a fast-paced non-stop page turner that had some terrific sensuality for those who like their regency reads peppered up and spicy!
This reviewer found THE DUCHESS DIARIES to be a most enjoyable read and can most assuredly recommend it.

Marilyn Rondeau,RIO - Reviewers International Org., for The Best Reviews

A murder mystery and a love affair with an old flame--sounds promising, right? Until you learn the Duke was murdered after eating a piece of a prune tart, and the butler did it!!! I was disappointed in the mystery side of it. Grant and Sophie made a nice couple, but when was she going to tell him Lucien was his son???? I wish she had wrapped that up.