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The Rarest Blooms #4
Dangerous in Diamonds
The Duke of Castleford has been so bad for so long that scandal can't be bothered to rise up around him anymore. To alleviate the boredom of his privileged life, he occupies himself with drinking and whoring, not to mention the occasional duel. When something piques his interest, however, he has been known to emerge from his ennui and employ his considerable mental faculties to finding answers to the questions that fascinate him.
When Daphne Joyes rejects this notorious hedonist's seduction, she assumes that he will forget about her and continue on his path to hell. Instead her beauty, grace and formidable composure captivate him, and she becomes one of those fascinations to him. That he intends to have her, and soon, is actually the least of the dangers that his pursuit of her presents. More troublesome is his interest in her past and her history, and the way he keeps poking his nose into the secrets behind the distant relative's bequest that gave him ownership of the property where she lives.
When Daphne Joyes rejects this notorious hedonist's seduction, she assumes that he will forget about her and continue on his path to hell. Instead her beauty, grace and formidable composure captivate him, and she becomes one of those fascinations to him. That he intends to have her, and soon, is actually the least of the dangers that his pursuit of her presents. More troublesome is his interest in her past and her history, and the way he keeps poking his nose into the secrets behind the distant relative's bequest that gave him ownership of the property where she lives.
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First published April 26, 2011
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About the author
Madeline Hunter
102 books2,106 followersMadeline Hunter is a nationally bestselling author of historical romances who lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. Her books have won two RITA awards and seven nominations, and have had three starred reviews in Publishers Weekly. In a parallel existence to the one she enjoys as a novelist, Madeline has a Ph.D. in art history and teaches at an East Coast university.
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April 6, 2025
Dry, sardonic wit lights me up like an incandescent bulb so, after being introduced to Tristan, Duke of Castleford, a devout hedonist specializing in drinking, gambling, dueling, and whoring, I was glowing like Times Square at midnight, and stayed lit the entire book.
Castleford has just received a deed to four small properties from his newly departed and despised distant relation, the Duke of Becksbridge, along with a letter from the duke telling him the properties are held by tenants in which he has a “committed interest” and which need to be managed discreetly. The old duke closes his letter with a scold:
I trust this is a small matter that your stewards can execute without troubling you. It should in no way interfere with the inebriated fornications that normally occupy your time. (And which, I am obligated to remind you, bring disrepute to your name and blood, a likely early death to your person, and inevitable damnation to your everlasting soul.)
Since Castleford has designated only Tuesdays as his sober, whore-and-duel-free day in which to conduct his business affairs, it takes him a bit to visit the first property but only a minute to decide to seduce the property’s lovely occupant, Mrs. Daphne Joyes, regardless that he quickly surmises the delectable woman must be a former mistress of Becksbridge, the old hypocrite.
Daphne is fully aware of Castleford’s reputation as they have mutual acquaintances, is sitting on a powder keg of secrets, and is appalled to realize that Castleford thinks he can seduce her after knowing her less than a full day. She needs the property, she must guard her secrets, and she resolves to manage Castleford without succumbing to his charms. Castleford has cunning and curiosity on his side, and will not be outmaneuvered.
This tale is cleverly written, frequently downright funny, and perfectly paced, but it’s really all about Castleford, and he is delicious. He has joined the ranks of Dain, St. Vincent, and Bewcastle as one of my all-time favorite romantic MMC’s. By the end of this novel he’s been conquered by love, but not tamed in the least.
”It occurred to me that I could admit that I have been with no other woman since we met.”
Her head snapped around and she gaped at him in shock. He had to laugh. “Hell of a thing, isn’t it? I’ll try to explain why someday, but it is the truth. I am sure that I can give up that part of being bad now, if I married the right woman. She would have to agree to let me be bad with her instead, of course.”
“How bad?”
“Very bad, I’m afraid.”
Please don’t point out the flaws: that there’s no reason for Castleford’s love for Daphne other than her beauty, and that Daphne’s big plan to expose a villain was preposterous and doomed to failure if Castleford hadn’t intervened. I see the flaws and I recognize this is a 4-star book but it’s got a 10-star hero, so sue me.
Castleford has just received a deed to four small properties from his newly departed and despised distant relation, the Duke of Becksbridge, along with a letter from the duke telling him the properties are held by tenants in which he has a “committed interest” and which need to be managed discreetly. The old duke closes his letter with a scold:
I trust this is a small matter that your stewards can execute without troubling you. It should in no way interfere with the inebriated fornications that normally occupy your time. (And which, I am obligated to remind you, bring disrepute to your name and blood, a likely early death to your person, and inevitable damnation to your everlasting soul.)
Since Castleford has designated only Tuesdays as his sober, whore-and-duel-free day in which to conduct his business affairs, it takes him a bit to visit the first property but only a minute to decide to seduce the property’s lovely occupant, Mrs. Daphne Joyes, regardless that he quickly surmises the delectable woman must be a former mistress of Becksbridge, the old hypocrite.
Daphne is fully aware of Castleford’s reputation as they have mutual acquaintances, is sitting on a powder keg of secrets, and is appalled to realize that Castleford thinks he can seduce her after knowing her less than a full day. She needs the property, she must guard her secrets, and she resolves to manage Castleford without succumbing to his charms. Castleford has cunning and curiosity on his side, and will not be outmaneuvered.
This tale is cleverly written, frequently downright funny, and perfectly paced, but it’s really all about Castleford, and he is delicious. He has joined the ranks of Dain, St. Vincent, and Bewcastle as one of my all-time favorite romantic MMC’s. By the end of this novel he’s been conquered by love, but not tamed in the least.
”It occurred to me that I could admit that I have been with no other woman since we met.”
Her head snapped around and she gaped at him in shock. He had to laugh. “Hell of a thing, isn’t it? I’ll try to explain why someday, but it is the truth. I am sure that I can give up that part of being bad now, if I married the right woman. She would have to agree to let me be bad with her instead, of course.”
“How bad?”
“Very bad, I’m afraid.”
Please don’t point out the flaws: that there’s no reason for Castleford’s love for Daphne other than her beauty, and that Daphne’s big plan to expose a villain was preposterous and doomed to failure if Castleford hadn’t intervened. I see the flaws and I recognize this is a 4-star book but it’s got a 10-star hero, so sue me.
July 14, 2013
4.5 stars
I haven’t read or listened to any of the other books in this series, but I picked this up in the recent Tantor Audio sale (gawd bless ‘em!) and was immediately hooked by the superb narration by Kate Reading.
The story is pretty much a variant of your “jaded-rake-meets-woman-who-finally-interests-him” plot, but what marks it out as a bit different is the inclusion of the historical detail around the Peterloo Massacre in 1819, plus Daphne’s network of “sisters”, women who have been through similar experiences to herself at the hands of unscrupulous men.
At the beginning of the story Tristan, the Duke of Castleford is surprised by the bequest of several plots of land he has received in the will of the Duke of Becksbridge, a distant relation. He doesn’t need the money or the land, and the late Duke’s accompanying missive is cryptic to say the least, but while Castleford might spend six days out of every seven drinking and whoring, he does tend to his estates – on Tuesdays – and by all accounts has a very shrewd head for business and management.
He decides to visit the closest of these packets of land, and finds himself at the “Rarest Blooms”, which is currently inhabited by Mrs Daphne Joyes, the widow of a soldier, and a younger, rather nervous woman named Katherine Johnson. The property houses Mrs Joyes’ flower growing business and is also a sort of refuge for women who need to escape from the eyes of the world (or worse things) and live in peace and anonymity for a while.
Castleford is immediately captivated by the beautiful and intelligent Mrs Joyes, and sets about trying to seduce her. As far as that element of the story goes, it’s not especially original, but it does have some delightful dialogue between the pair as they develop a friendship of sorts, and as Daphne begins to realise that there is more to the Duke than many people believe – or rather, than he allows many people to believe.
But Daphne is a mystery, and Castleford’s acute mind won’t leave it alone – he has to find out just who she is and why she is living alone, as well as working out why on earth he was left the properties in Becksbridge’s will which are all dotted around in different parts of England. He begins to piece the puzzle together slowly and it’s likely the reader/listener is a bit ahead of him, but Daphne’s story, when it is finally revealed, packs no less a punch for that.
I admit that I really liked Castleford as a character. He’s jaded and he’s a rake and makes no bones about admitting it, but he’s fiercely intelligent and honourable at the same time. He’s witty, has a great sense of humour, and he doesn’t lie to Daphne. He makes it clear to her that he wants her to become his mistress and that theirs will be a finite relationship, but he also shows her a lot of consideration, especially when he makes her a promise that most men would have found it impossible to fulfil.
The trouble is that it’s hard to believe that this intelligent, witty, kind man only manages to stay sober on one day each week. During the course of the book, we only see him after he has received the bequests and has become intrigued enough by Daphne and her situation to want to devote more time to delving into her past and the mystery that surrounds her, but it’s still difficult to believe that someone with his proclivities hasn’t drunk himself to death or gambled away the family fortune long before now!
Daphne is (obviously) his perfect mate. She can match him in intelligence, determination and wit, but she is not completely honest with him. I suppose this is understandable, given her history and Castleford’s reputation for insobriety and dissipation, but I did feel as though her insistence on not giving him her trust got a little wearying, especially after she’d given in to his blandishments and become his lover.
The sexual tension between the pair crackles from their first meeting. Daphne is adamant that she does not want to be seduced, but is unable to stop herself becoming more and more fascinated by Castleford, who is such an odd mixture of depravity and astuteness as well as someone she is pretty sure knows how to show a girl a good time! Even simple kisses raise the temperature and the love scenes, while not graphic, are very sensual.
There are some fascinating glimpses of the political situation of the day in the novel, too. England after the Napoleonic Wars was still suffering great hardships. There was widespread famine and chronic unemployment, and conditions were made even worse by the introduction of the first corn laws, which meant it was illegal to import cheap wheat, even when there were shortages. In the earlier part of the novel, we hear about the civil unrest that is spreading in the north of England and Castleford takes part in several discussions about what is happening and about what parliament should be doing in order to prevent disaster. When he follows Daphne to Failsworth (five miles outside Manchester), they both get to experience first-hand the effects of the meeting at St. Peter’s field and the subsequent military charge.
But the book is first and foremost a romance, and these events take place in the background so the progress of the central relationship is not slowed down in favour of a history lesson.
As with so many other books in my TBR mountain, this is a title I opted to listen to rather than read, and I’m so glad I made that choice, because Kate Reading’s narration was outstanding. Each of the characters in the book was voiced distinctly and there was never any confusion as to who was speaking. Not only were the male and female voices different – I think Ms Reading is one of a handful of female narrators who is able to lower the pitch of her voice sufficiently to sound reasonably convincing as a man! – but her portrayal of characters of the same sex was also very clearly delineated. I noticed as well that even when she was narrating what was in a character’s head she tended to speak using a tone similar to the one she used for that character’s speech, so that it was very clear when we were hearing Castleford’s thoughts or when we were hearing Daphne’s. I was so impressed with her delivery in this that I immediately headed over to Audible to see if I could find what other books Ms Reading has narrated. I’m pleased to say that she has worked on the Lauren Willig Pink Carnation series, several of which are already on my TBR pile, but it doesn’t look as though she has narrated many historical romances at all, which is a great loss to the genre, IMO.
In the end, I opted to give Dangerous in Diamonds 4.5 stars. While I liked Castleford, it’s impossible not to be a little distracted by the inconsistencies in his character, and that, together Daphne’s repeated refusals to trust him did unbalance things a little for me in terms of the story. But the narration is stellar, and I thought it more than made up for the things I found problematic. I haven’t listened to any of the other books in this series and I’m not sure I’ll be doing so any time soon. Had they been narrated by Kate Reading, I’d probably be glomming them right now, but the other three books use someone else I’m not familiar with, so I might wait a while before I pick any of them up.
I haven’t read or listened to any of the other books in this series, but I picked this up in the recent Tantor Audio sale (gawd bless ‘em!) and was immediately hooked by the superb narration by Kate Reading.
The story is pretty much a variant of your “jaded-rake-meets-woman-who-finally-interests-him” plot, but what marks it out as a bit different is the inclusion of the historical detail around the Peterloo Massacre in 1819, plus Daphne’s network of “sisters”, women who have been through similar experiences to herself at the hands of unscrupulous men.
At the beginning of the story Tristan, the Duke of Castleford is surprised by the bequest of several plots of land he has received in the will of the Duke of Becksbridge, a distant relation. He doesn’t need the money or the land, and the late Duke’s accompanying missive is cryptic to say the least, but while Castleford might spend six days out of every seven drinking and whoring, he does tend to his estates – on Tuesdays – and by all accounts has a very shrewd head for business and management.
He decides to visit the closest of these packets of land, and finds himself at the “Rarest Blooms”, which is currently inhabited by Mrs Daphne Joyes, the widow of a soldier, and a younger, rather nervous woman named Katherine Johnson. The property houses Mrs Joyes’ flower growing business and is also a sort of refuge for women who need to escape from the eyes of the world (or worse things) and live in peace and anonymity for a while.
Castleford is immediately captivated by the beautiful and intelligent Mrs Joyes, and sets about trying to seduce her. As far as that element of the story goes, it’s not especially original, but it does have some delightful dialogue between the pair as they develop a friendship of sorts, and as Daphne begins to realise that there is more to the Duke than many people believe – or rather, than he allows many people to believe.
But Daphne is a mystery, and Castleford’s acute mind won’t leave it alone – he has to find out just who she is and why she is living alone, as well as working out why on earth he was left the properties in Becksbridge’s will which are all dotted around in different parts of England. He begins to piece the puzzle together slowly and it’s likely the reader/listener is a bit ahead of him, but Daphne’s story, when it is finally revealed, packs no less a punch for that.
I admit that I really liked Castleford as a character. He’s jaded and he’s a rake and makes no bones about admitting it, but he’s fiercely intelligent and honourable at the same time. He’s witty, has a great sense of humour, and he doesn’t lie to Daphne. He makes it clear to her that he wants her to become his mistress and that theirs will be a finite relationship, but he also shows her a lot of consideration, especially when he makes her a promise that most men would have found it impossible to fulfil.
The trouble is that it’s hard to believe that this intelligent, witty, kind man only manages to stay sober on one day each week. During the course of the book, we only see him after he has received the bequests and has become intrigued enough by Daphne and her situation to want to devote more time to delving into her past and the mystery that surrounds her, but it’s still difficult to believe that someone with his proclivities hasn’t drunk himself to death or gambled away the family fortune long before now!
Daphne is (obviously) his perfect mate. She can match him in intelligence, determination and wit, but she is not completely honest with him. I suppose this is understandable, given her history and Castleford’s reputation for insobriety and dissipation, but I did feel as though her insistence on not giving him her trust got a little wearying, especially after she’d given in to his blandishments and become his lover.
The sexual tension between the pair crackles from their first meeting. Daphne is adamant that she does not want to be seduced, but is unable to stop herself becoming more and more fascinated by Castleford, who is such an odd mixture of depravity and astuteness as well as someone she is pretty sure knows how to show a girl a good time! Even simple kisses raise the temperature and the love scenes, while not graphic, are very sensual.
There are some fascinating glimpses of the political situation of the day in the novel, too. England after the Napoleonic Wars was still suffering great hardships. There was widespread famine and chronic unemployment, and conditions were made even worse by the introduction of the first corn laws, which meant it was illegal to import cheap wheat, even when there were shortages. In the earlier part of the novel, we hear about the civil unrest that is spreading in the north of England and Castleford takes part in several discussions about what is happening and about what parliament should be doing in order to prevent disaster. When he follows Daphne to Failsworth (five miles outside Manchester), they both get to experience first-hand the effects of the meeting at St. Peter’s field and the subsequent military charge.
But the book is first and foremost a romance, and these events take place in the background so the progress of the central relationship is not slowed down in favour of a history lesson.
As with so many other books in my TBR mountain, this is a title I opted to listen to rather than read, and I’m so glad I made that choice, because Kate Reading’s narration was outstanding. Each of the characters in the book was voiced distinctly and there was never any confusion as to who was speaking. Not only were the male and female voices different – I think Ms Reading is one of a handful of female narrators who is able to lower the pitch of her voice sufficiently to sound reasonably convincing as a man! – but her portrayal of characters of the same sex was also very clearly delineated. I noticed as well that even when she was narrating what was in a character’s head she tended to speak using a tone similar to the one she used for that character’s speech, so that it was very clear when we were hearing Castleford’s thoughts or when we were hearing Daphne’s. I was so impressed with her delivery in this that I immediately headed over to Audible to see if I could find what other books Ms Reading has narrated. I’m pleased to say that she has worked on the Lauren Willig Pink Carnation series, several of which are already on my TBR pile, but it doesn’t look as though she has narrated many historical romances at all, which is a great loss to the genre, IMO.
In the end, I opted to give Dangerous in Diamonds 4.5 stars. While I liked Castleford, it’s impossible not to be a little distracted by the inconsistencies in his character, and that, together Daphne’s repeated refusals to trust him did unbalance things a little for me in terms of the story. But the narration is stellar, and I thought it more than made up for the things I found problematic. I haven’t listened to any of the other books in this series and I’m not sure I’ll be doing so any time soon. Had they been narrated by Kate Reading, I’d probably be glomming them right now, but the other three books use someone else I’m not familiar with, so I might wait a while before I pick any of them up.
May 15, 2011
I have been anticipating Castleford’s story since I first met him back in the first book of this series, Ravishing in Red. He was drunk, debauched, arrogant, thoroughly wicked, and I was helplessly intrigued. He was almost unlikable in the beginning, but he grew through each book and stole the show whenever he had page time.
I think this book can be read as a standalone, but I don’t think you’ll have the same investment and fascination with Castleford if you haven’t seen him evolve throughout the series. It’s like Bewcastle in Mary Balogh’s Slightly series. You need that build up and growth throughout the series to really make the character pop.
I’m pleased that the Castleford we see in this book is the same that we saw in the previous books. I was kind of afraid his character would be whitewashed. But no, he’s still the same man. He has an ego the size of Texas, and he expects to get his way. He’s a duke and it shows. He knows that he can be as bad as he wants and people will still fawn and simper over him. It also helps that he’s quite attractive and has a wicked charm under all that debauchery.
I’ll be honest, Castleford carried this book for me. I found that Daphne lacked the personality that was hinted at in the previous books. Even though I sympathized with her situation I found her a little lackluster. I didn’t dislike her at all, but I found myself a little bewildered by Daphne’s role as the catalyst for Castleford’s change. I understood in the beginning because Castleford was just temporarily changing his behavior to win her. That’s smart and calculating, and just like him. But as we read we realized that he was slowly growing and changing permanently (which was lovely to watch). It’s that change that left me confused. I just didn’t see the click between them that would have explained that.
Ignoring the catalyst of it, I loved watching Castleford change. It happened slowly and felt authentic. I loved that he would not readily admit what was happening in the long run. Any new objection by Daphne that was stated or implied was quickly dealt with—no matter how much it galled him. Some of them led to quite hilarious scenes!
I enjoyed Daphne’s reaction to Castleford’s maneuvering of her in the beginning. He manipulates her into staying in London so he can seduce her. She knows what he’s doing, but she doesn’t flip out about it. She lets him play his little game and continues to deny him what he wants. All the while she continues to pursue her own goal. The fact that she never lets Castleford mow her over pleased me. Castleford’s the kind of guy who will push as far as you will let him. He’ll back off when you show him the line, but he’ll plot and deviously sneak until that point. I liked that she had a realistic struggle over whether or not she could say no without it rebounding on her. Even if Castleford didn’t threaten her, she would have had to be completely dim not to fear the wrath of a duke.
The friendship between Castleford and the previous heroes is just as good as it ever was. The scenes between them popped and I found it hilarious that Hawkeswell was so devastated by the thought of Castleford reforming. The scenes between them and the easy camaraderie were one of the highlights of the book for me. I also loved that even though Castleford wanted to be with Daphne, he was mortified by the thought of anyone knowing the lengths he went to please her in certain situations. He kept making her promise not to tell anyone becasue it would “ruin” his reputation.
Although I enjoyed a lot about this book, there were some things that bothered me. As I stated before, I felt that Daphne’s personality wasn’t as developed as I would have liked. I also found her plot to discredit a certain someone in the book rather lame. It wouldn’t have succeeded at all if Castleford hadn’t shown up and put his two cents in. I also wished the spark between Daphne and Castleford could have flared a little bit more. Hunter is not what I would term a hot writer, so I wasn’t expecting to be blown away by that, but the attraction was a bit more low-key than I was expecting for Castleford’s story. I also didn’t like the surprise at the very end. I felt it needed more build up to feel natural to the story.
Even though I did have gripes, I was pleased enough with Castleford’s story to not let them bother me too much. I’m glad that Hunter finally gave us a story about him and gave us a look at what makes him tick.
Favorite Quote:
I think this book can be read as a standalone, but I don’t think you’ll have the same investment and fascination with Castleford if you haven’t seen him evolve throughout the series. It’s like Bewcastle in Mary Balogh’s Slightly series. You need that build up and growth throughout the series to really make the character pop.
I’m pleased that the Castleford we see in this book is the same that we saw in the previous books. I was kind of afraid his character would be whitewashed. But no, he’s still the same man. He has an ego the size of Texas, and he expects to get his way. He’s a duke and it shows. He knows that he can be as bad as he wants and people will still fawn and simper over him. It also helps that he’s quite attractive and has a wicked charm under all that debauchery.
I’ll be honest, Castleford carried this book for me. I found that Daphne lacked the personality that was hinted at in the previous books. Even though I sympathized with her situation I found her a little lackluster. I didn’t dislike her at all, but I found myself a little bewildered by Daphne’s role as the catalyst for Castleford’s change. I understood in the beginning because Castleford was just temporarily changing his behavior to win her. That’s smart and calculating, and just like him. But as we read we realized that he was slowly growing and changing permanently (which was lovely to watch). It’s that change that left me confused. I just didn’t see the click between them that would have explained that.
Ignoring the catalyst of it, I loved watching Castleford change. It happened slowly and felt authentic. I loved that he would not readily admit what was happening in the long run. Any new objection by Daphne that was stated or implied was quickly dealt with—no matter how much it galled him. Some of them led to quite hilarious scenes!
”Mrs. Joyes, did I hear correctly? Are you accusing me of being diseased?"Can you imagine Castleford’s reaction to that? LOL!
"The possibility is there. That is all I am saying. One cannot be too careful.”
"I agree. Which is why I am most careful. I assure you that I am not a danger to you."
She swallowed hard. "One never knows."
His gaze sharpened. "One most certainly knows."
"The results of recent debauches may not be apparent yet to you.”
I enjoyed Daphne’s reaction to Castleford’s maneuvering of her in the beginning. He manipulates her into staying in London so he can seduce her. She knows what he’s doing, but she doesn’t flip out about it. She lets him play his little game and continues to deny him what he wants. All the while she continues to pursue her own goal. The fact that she never lets Castleford mow her over pleased me. Castleford’s the kind of guy who will push as far as you will let him. He’ll back off when you show him the line, but he’ll plot and deviously sneak until that point. I liked that she had a realistic struggle over whether or not she could say no without it rebounding on her. Even if Castleford didn’t threaten her, she would have had to be completely dim not to fear the wrath of a duke.
The friendship between Castleford and the previous heroes is just as good as it ever was. The scenes between them popped and I found it hilarious that Hawkeswell was so devastated by the thought of Castleford reforming. The scenes between them and the easy camaraderie were one of the highlights of the book for me. I also loved that even though Castleford wanted to be with Daphne, he was mortified by the thought of anyone knowing the lengths he went to please her in certain situations. He kept making her promise not to tell anyone becasue it would “ruin” his reputation.
Although I enjoyed a lot about this book, there were some things that bothered me. As I stated before, I felt that Daphne’s personality wasn’t as developed as I would have liked. I also found her plot to discredit a certain someone in the book rather lame. It wouldn’t have succeeded at all if Castleford hadn’t shown up and put his two cents in. I also wished the spark between Daphne and Castleford could have flared a little bit more. Hunter is not what I would term a hot writer, so I wasn’t expecting to be blown away by that, but the attraction was a bit more low-key than I was expecting for Castleford’s story. I also didn’t like the surprise at the very end. I felt it needed more build up to feel natural to the story.
Even though I did have gripes, I was pleased enough with Castleford’s story to not let them bother me too much. I’m glad that Hunter finally gave us a story about him and gave us a look at what makes him tick.
Favorite Quote:
"It may take you a year to get an exquisite woman into bed, but I assure you it will be a week in my case." Or two, perhaps. Three at the outside. But a year was ridiculous, and never was out of the question.
"Then you must have an ace in your hand that I do not know about."
"Only my charm."
Hawkeswell thought that was hilarious. He laughed so rudely he turned red.
February 5, 2017
This is the final in a series and references the characters from those earlier books. You don't need to have read the others to enjoy this one. Probably. But I'd still recommend it.
I've been looking forward to this book from the beginning. Or, rather, I looked forward to a romance containing either Daphne or Castleford. Bonus that it's both! Castleford has been the go-to guy for out-of-the-box solutions for the guys in the series and Daphne the same for the women. So they're already strong characters before we start and I looked forward to fleshing them out.
Unfortunately, the first half of the story has Castleford being a huge jerkwad who decides that he really must "have" Daphne. Which, okay that's fine and all, but circumstances at the start put her rather decisively in his power (he inherits the home and lands she has had use of for the last six years). And he uses that power to coerce her options to his liking; like living close by and forcing her into his orbit. It's not quite sexual coercion, but it skirts a very fine line. He never says "sex me up or I'll turn you and the people you care about out on your ear" but he certainly implies it and her internal dialogue takes that threat very seriously. Hunter seems content that we see from his internal dialogue that he never intends to carry through with that (and we see him making provisions for her future regardless of her decisions and rather handsomely at that). But I paid attention and Daphne never gets even a small whiff of this and is left to believe that she must comply with his whims or else.
Okay, it's actually worse than that. . This put a serious damper on my engagement with the novel. Castleford was always a bit of a tool, but I had hoped that he'd reform a whole lot sooner. There's ample indication that he can be human. I wish it hadn't taken so very long to actually get there.
Offsetting that, at least somewhat, was Daphne's depth. She turned out even more sympathetic than I expected. And yes, that made it even harder to deal with Castleford being a jackwagon. Sigh.
Anyway, the story was good and the events mostly worked. The new villain was kind of cardboard, but he was at least a valid foil for Castleford and Daphne and giving them a common cause eased a lot of the pain of their sexploits. And I appreciated the conclusion once it came. So it was worth getting through the pain to get to the good stuff. But only just.
A note about Audible: The narrator for this, Kate Reading, was the kind of competent that mostly fades into the background (a good thing). Except for one thing that showed her mastery of her art. It has been a running gag throughout the series that Castleford has designated Tuesdays as his "get stuff done day" where he stays sober and curtails his debauchery to take care of business. Reading does a fantastic job of imbuing the word "Tuesday" with a wonderful array of negative emotion from distaste to disgust to impatience to accusation. I'd love to have a cut of every time she says the word just to have that vast range in one place. She was so good that not only could you tell what character said it but what their emotional state was at the time.
A note about Steamy: Audiobooks take enough time that I sometimes lose count of the explicit scenes. That is the case this time as well. There are a handful (at least three), putting this at the upper part of my middle steam tolerance. I felt them more because Hunter contrives a theme of adding Jewelry into their erotic play (to justify the title?) and that felt forced and vaguely out of character for both Daphne and Castleford. The eyerolling wasn't conducive to narrative immersion, is what I'm saying.
I've been looking forward to this book from the beginning. Or, rather, I looked forward to a romance containing either Daphne or Castleford. Bonus that it's both! Castleford has been the go-to guy for out-of-the-box solutions for the guys in the series and Daphne the same for the women. So they're already strong characters before we start and I looked forward to fleshing them out.
Unfortunately, the first half of the story has Castleford being a huge jerkwad who decides that he really must "have" Daphne. Which, okay that's fine and all, but circumstances at the start put her rather decisively in his power (he inherits the home and lands she has had use of for the last six years). And he uses that power to coerce her options to his liking; like living close by and forcing her into his orbit. It's not quite sexual coercion, but it skirts a very fine line. He never says "sex me up or I'll turn you and the people you care about out on your ear" but he certainly implies it and her internal dialogue takes that threat very seriously. Hunter seems content that we see from his internal dialogue that he never intends to carry through with that (and we see him making provisions for her future regardless of her decisions and rather handsomely at that). But I paid attention and Daphne never gets even a small whiff of this and is left to believe that she must comply with his whims or else.
Okay, it's actually worse than that. . This put a serious damper on my engagement with the novel. Castleford was always a bit of a tool, but I had hoped that he'd reform a whole lot sooner. There's ample indication that he can be human. I wish it hadn't taken so very long to actually get there.
Offsetting that, at least somewhat, was Daphne's depth. She turned out even more sympathetic than I expected. And yes, that made it even harder to deal with Castleford being a jackwagon. Sigh.
Anyway, the story was good and the events mostly worked. The new villain was kind of cardboard, but he was at least a valid foil for Castleford and Daphne and giving them a common cause eased a lot of the pain of their sexploits. And I appreciated the conclusion once it came. So it was worth getting through the pain to get to the good stuff. But only just.
A note about Audible: The narrator for this, Kate Reading, was the kind of competent that mostly fades into the background (a good thing). Except for one thing that showed her mastery of her art. It has been a running gag throughout the series that Castleford has designated Tuesdays as his "get stuff done day" where he stays sober and curtails his debauchery to take care of business. Reading does a fantastic job of imbuing the word "Tuesday" with a wonderful array of negative emotion from distaste to disgust to impatience to accusation. I'd love to have a cut of every time she says the word just to have that vast range in one place. She was so good that not only could you tell what character said it but what their emotional state was at the time.
A note about Steamy: Audiobooks take enough time that I sometimes lose count of the explicit scenes. That is the case this time as well. There are a handful (at least three), putting this at the upper part of my middle steam tolerance. I felt them more because Hunter contrives a theme of adding Jewelry into their erotic play (to justify the title?) and that felt forced and vaguely out of character for both Daphne and Castleford. The eyerolling wasn't conducive to narrative immersion, is what I'm saying.
October 20, 2025
I liked this book more on reread (as I often seem to, LOL). This time I had a lot more sympathy for Castleford, the rakish duke, and Daphne with her dark secrets. I'm still not keen on the idea of Castleford putting his considerable intellect towards writing a guidebook to London's best brothels, of all things. Yes, such books were written, but possibly not by dukes? I suppose it did establish his credibility as an actual rake though.
Sadly, many HRs about supposed 'rakes' don't show a lot of rakish behaviour. It then just becomes a meaningless trope. But in this book you did feel Castleford was an actual rake, and his gradual reform was well written. The idea that he would drink on 6 days of the week, but be sober on Tuesdays so he could conduct business, was humorous enough I suppose. He actually didn't do that much drinking in the book, so I guess he was well on his way to changing for the better. And he did mostly show forbearance and integrity in his behaviour, so he ultimately became quite an appealing character.
Daphne's background and her role at her horticultural business, The Rarest Bloom, were closely tied to some darker themes of unpleasant men (not the MMC) taking advantage of women who were their social inferiors. It was handled sensitively in the book, and sadly some of the horrid behaviours of some creepster men rang true. This thread added some depth and interest to the book, and helped maintain the tension of why Daphne was reluctant to fully commit to her relationship with Castleford.
So, another well-written book by the late and sadly missed Ms Hunter. For some reason, I don't seem to have read all of the books in this series, so I guess I now have to go back and fix that LOL.
Sadly, many HRs about supposed 'rakes' don't show a lot of rakish behaviour. It then just becomes a meaningless trope. But in this book you did feel Castleford was an actual rake, and his gradual reform was well written. The idea that he would drink on 6 days of the week, but be sober on Tuesdays so he could conduct business, was humorous enough I suppose. He actually didn't do that much drinking in the book, so I guess he was well on his way to changing for the better. And he did mostly show forbearance and integrity in his behaviour, so he ultimately became quite an appealing character.
Daphne's background and her role at her horticultural business, The Rarest Bloom, were closely tied to some darker themes of unpleasant men (not the MMC) taking advantage of women who were their social inferiors. It was handled sensitively in the book, and sadly some of the horrid behaviours of some creepster men rang true. This thread added some depth and interest to the book, and helped maintain the tension of why Daphne was reluctant to fully commit to her relationship with Castleford.
So, another well-written book by the late and sadly missed Ms Hunter. For some reason, I don't seem to have read all of the books in this series, so I guess I now have to go back and fix that LOL.
December 14, 2025
This was simply devilishly delightful
My friend Gloria's qualification of the type of character, "He has joined the ranks of Dain, St. Vincent, and Bewcastle as one of my all-time favorite romantic MMC’s." is spot on!
࿔*:･ The hero
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・
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
My friend Gloria's qualification of the type of character, "He has joined the ranks of Dain, St. Vincent, and Bewcastle as one of my all-time favorite romantic MMC’s." is spot on!
࿔*:･ The hero
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・
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
May 2, 2017
Once again I am completely taken by surprise. I kind of want to know what was going on in Madeline Hunter's head when she wrote Sinful in Satin and this book because, in all honesty, these two books were LEAGUES above the first two. I mean its night and day from book 2 to book 3. Just incredible :).
I seriously don't know where to begin because even after 10 days, I am still speechless. As I was hoping for in my Sinful in Satin review, Madeline Hunter decided to end her quartet with the equivalent of a noonday quick draw between the sherif (Daphne, female MC) and the lawless bandit (Castleford, male MC). And just like a quick draw it was fast and dangerous. Oh man XD XD XD XD XD
The biggest issues I had with the first two books is that the plots seemed very small. Like they weren't big issues but Madeline wrote them like they were. I empathized with why Audrianna and Verity felt the need to hide out with Daphne but it wasn't dire. Now Celia and Daphne's stories were dire. In fact the plot in this book was the most complicated of them all and I totally understand why Daphne needed to hide. There was a reason that she had that gun and it wasn't for show. Daphne's back story was tragic, heartbreaking and powerful. I was literally in shock as it came to light and when it finally did, you understood why Daphne acts the way she does and why The Rarest Blooms exists. This book centred a lot around Castleford and Daphne and their tryst but it did also parallel Daphne's back story which was definitely the way it needed to be done and it was done exceedingly well.
In terms of characters in this book, you do see the others occasionally. I found that we didn't see Audrianna, Verity and Celia too much in this one but we do see more of the boys of course which isn't so bad because they are Castleford's 'Rarest Blooms' mates. We also get to see what happens to Katherine, the girl Verity picked up by the harbour in her book, Provocative in Pearls and Edward, Castleford's practically indentured secretary LOL. So many wonderful side characters were introduced and all of them were memorable. I have to say that our villain was Grade 'A' bad. I mean despicable. Damn SMH.
THE REAL HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD here though are (and its not because this is their book) Daphne and Castleford. Knowing that these two were going head to head was like waiting for the Tyson and Holyfield fight ( Am I dating myself?!?!? OH MY :$ ) and I was salivating at the bit. These two did not disappoint!!!!!!! From the jump the word play was at the highest as compared to the rest of the books in this series. It was definitely a no holds bar scenario here and I loved every minute. Listen, 6.0% ( page 22) into the book this is what you are looking forward too if you pick it up:
Daphne: "There is a young woman living here. If you in any way importune her in your ongoing efforts toward varied badness, if you even flirt with her, I will shoot you."
Castleford: "If I die, they will hang you."
Daphne: "No, they will not. My lawyer will pack the courtroom with other women you have seduced, and every father on the jury will vote to acquit me."
LMFAO!!!!!!!!! I am telling you it only gets BETTER from here. Incredibly witty, fast paced, and lethal is the way to describe the banter between these two silver tongues and I am impressed by it. Well Done Madeline * slow clap * Honestly I didn't even know if it was possible to reign in Castleford but I knew if anyone could do it, it would be Daphne. The ending was honestly so beautiful and touching. It was really memorable and emotionally charged. Castleford truly shows his merit and behind the vices lies a man of incredible integrity and honour.
Okay I can't gush about this book any longer because I am starting to tear up but if you haven't decided to read this book after all of this, there is nothing more I can say. I hope everyone gives the series a try overall. These books are very interconnected so I do feel that you should really read all 4 books in order to fully understand everything and everyone ESPECIALLY CASTLEFORD as he is a character that grows throughout all the books. In fact you get to learn more about Daphne's character and her ideology by reading about her in the earlier books too but Castleford is the one with the most character growth overall.
If any of you attempt to read this series or even just this book comment down below and let me know what you think.
Happy Reading
Jo :)
I seriously don't know where to begin because even after 10 days, I am still speechless. As I was hoping for in my Sinful in Satin review, Madeline Hunter decided to end her quartet with the equivalent of a noonday quick draw between the sherif (Daphne, female MC) and the lawless bandit (Castleford, male MC). And just like a quick draw it was fast and dangerous. Oh man XD XD XD XD XD
The biggest issues I had with the first two books is that the plots seemed very small. Like they weren't big issues but Madeline wrote them like they were. I empathized with why Audrianna and Verity felt the need to hide out with Daphne but it wasn't dire. Now Celia and Daphne's stories were dire. In fact the plot in this book was the most complicated of them all and I totally understand why Daphne needed to hide. There was a reason that she had that gun and it wasn't for show. Daphne's back story was tragic, heartbreaking and powerful. I was literally in shock as it came to light and when it finally did, you understood why Daphne acts the way she does and why The Rarest Blooms exists. This book centred a lot around Castleford and Daphne and their tryst but it did also parallel Daphne's back story which was definitely the way it needed to be done and it was done exceedingly well.
In terms of characters in this book, you do see the others occasionally. I found that we didn't see Audrianna, Verity and Celia too much in this one but we do see more of the boys of course which isn't so bad because they are Castleford's 'Rarest Blooms' mates. We also get to see what happens to Katherine, the girl Verity picked up by the harbour in her book, Provocative in Pearls and Edward, Castleford's practically indentured secretary LOL. So many wonderful side characters were introduced and all of them were memorable. I have to say that our villain was Grade 'A' bad. I mean despicable. Damn SMH.
THE REAL HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD here though are (and its not because this is their book) Daphne and Castleford. Knowing that these two were going head to head was like waiting for the Tyson and Holyfield fight ( Am I dating myself?!?!? OH MY :$ ) and I was salivating at the bit. These two did not disappoint!!!!!!! From the jump the word play was at the highest as compared to the rest of the books in this series. It was definitely a no holds bar scenario here and I loved every minute. Listen, 6.0% ( page 22) into the book this is what you are looking forward too if you pick it up:
Daphne: "There is a young woman living here. If you in any way importune her in your ongoing efforts toward varied badness, if you even flirt with her, I will shoot you."
Castleford: "If I die, they will hang you."
Daphne: "No, they will not. My lawyer will pack the courtroom with other women you have seduced, and every father on the jury will vote to acquit me."
LMFAO!!!!!!!!! I am telling you it only gets BETTER from here. Incredibly witty, fast paced, and lethal is the way to describe the banter between these two silver tongues and I am impressed by it. Well Done Madeline * slow clap * Honestly I didn't even know if it was possible to reign in Castleford but I knew if anyone could do it, it would be Daphne. The ending was honestly so beautiful and touching. It was really memorable and emotionally charged. Castleford truly shows his merit and behind the vices lies a man of incredible integrity and honour.
Okay I can't gush about this book any longer because I am starting to tear up but if you haven't decided to read this book after all of this, there is nothing more I can say. I hope everyone gives the series a try overall. These books are very interconnected so I do feel that you should really read all 4 books in order to fully understand everything and everyone ESPECIALLY CASTLEFORD as he is a character that grows throughout all the books. In fact you get to learn more about Daphne's character and her ideology by reading about her in the earlier books too but Castleford is the one with the most character growth overall.
If any of you attempt to read this series or even just this book comment down below and let me know what you think.
Happy Reading
Jo :)
June 29, 2025
3.5 uncertain ⭐️
I loved the last 20% so much and I loved Tristian all the time. Is he a little manipulative, sure, and he can be that with me anytime. I have a thing for men who will do anything behind the scenes to be with me, even though I am not informed. Swoon.
What I didn’t love was the pacing, it moved too slowly for me. I understand it’s addressing very difficult topics and it’s doing that well but I do feel the romance suffered for it. I just didn’t feel a lot reading this.
Should you read it? Yes I guess, but I would have to see what you have enjoyed first. It’s pretty slow moving
P.S. I found out late in the game, that it’s a part of a series and that could probably be a part of the problem, since I did not read the others. It can be a standalone though.
I loved the last 20% so much and I loved Tristian all the time. Is he a little manipulative, sure, and he can be that with me anytime. I have a thing for men who will do anything behind the scenes to be with me, even though I am not informed. Swoon.
What I didn’t love was the pacing, it moved too slowly for me. I understand it’s addressing very difficult topics and it’s doing that well but I do feel the romance suffered for it. I just didn’t feel a lot reading this.
Should you read it? Yes I guess, but I would have to see what you have enjoyed first. It’s pretty slow moving
P.S. I found out late in the game, that it’s a part of a series and that could probably be a part of the problem, since I did not read the others. It can be a standalone though.
March 1, 2011
Hmm, I am not sure how I feel about the big surprise in the last 10 pages.
Another solid effort from MH . . .
Another solid effort from MH . . .
January 5, 2024
Pardon my french, but I don’t give a rat’s ass about the conflict. It’s all too predictable and ended too corny and simply... unreal. The climax is literally like a telenovela or a speech at a #meetoo movement which is nowhere near what I want my romance book to be.
This book is about Castleford , a duke who likes whoring and drinking and is only sober on Tuesdays. How quirky. This man inherited a few estate from his dead relative, Becksbridge, even though he’s filthy rich. Basically he was like huh?? why did Becksbridge give me this insignificant building even though I’m filthy rich?? So he takes a look at these estates and found widows staying there as a tenant, one of whom is Daphne Joyes. She has a small business of flowers there. He likes her and manipulates her to come to London because her fate is in his hands after all. She must do his every bidding! Anyways, we found out that the reason Castleford inherited these estates is because Becksbridge didn’t want his heir, Latham, to inherit it. BEcause dun dun dun Latham has bad blood with the ladies who stays there. —-The reason is so obvious tbh. Most of the book consists of talks of lands, properties, seduction, scandals, and surprise surprise... money.
I did not like the characters. Castleford, our hero, is to put it simply, has no substance. He is like every other man on this planet. Every time I see him, I see a jackass rich modern man. I cannot swoon over his actions. One time he got rid of his bed because he had too much sex on it. Are we suppose to swoon over that? Here have diamonds, I want to see you naked in them. What am I suppose to say?? Oh my god you’ve captured my heart with how you gave me stuff and constantly saying you want to fuck me? YEah no.
Daphne is a strong independent woman. I see no reason to actively hate her. It’s just that she’s so boring and has nothing new. When I describe Daphne, I would probably only say, “She like scolding people and she’s smart.” That’s it. With her background, the author could’ve delved into how she’s craving safety, tired of having no one to talk to, or tired of being strong all her life. She has none of that. She’s just... there. Reacting to conflict about estates and Castleford seduction and Latham’s history. She could’ve had soooo much depth. How can that not affect everything??
Romance is more than just... words of lust. We need compatibility, a reason to love the characters and ship them together. This book talks about the history of the characters, sure, but the feelings they have about that history are missing. Daphne is stone cold and seems so unaffected by all of it. She doesn’t feel lonely, devastated, or * *insert any other deep feelings here**. Even if she does, it doesn’t change anything about the story when it should’ve. This book talks too much about inconsequential things I just gave up, almost DNF’ed it altogether. But Nope. I stood strong.
The main conflict of this book is the H and h mutual hatred towards Latham. In the introduction of this review, I said I don’t care about the conflict. I will explain why the act of feminism in the climax of this story did not move me.
I like justice. I read books to feel safe. The way this book handled this is too modern for me. If things had gone my way, Latham would be dead, or at the very least, imprisoned. I get that that’s not realistic, but realistically, this is a book and I can wish whatever I prefer and that is to see the hero totally assassinate the antagonist.
BUUUT because this book is all about estates, reputations, and inheritance, Latham just got publically shamed and got scammed resulting the H and h to be more rich but me unsatisfied.
I also acknowledge that this book is trying to be funny. I was just not feeling the banter at all. There’s this one time where Castleford and his friends were joking around and saying goodbye like in a funeral to a mattress and it took me a whole minute to figure out that that was supposed to be funny. To the books defense, humor is subjective. What’s funny to you, might not be for me. That’s the case for this one. I’m just not feeling the humor.
Anyway, I do not hate this book. Madeline Hunter seems to be a hit or miss for me. I acknowledge that she is a good writer and that is why this book still has stars.
This book is about Castleford , a duke who likes whoring and drinking and is only sober on Tuesdays. How quirky. This man inherited a few estate from his dead relative, Becksbridge, even though he’s filthy rich. Basically he was like huh?? why did Becksbridge give me this insignificant building even though I’m filthy rich?? So he takes a look at these estates and found widows staying there as a tenant, one of whom is Daphne Joyes. She has a small business of flowers there. He likes her and manipulates her to come to London because her fate is in his hands after all. She must do his every bidding! Anyways, we found out that the reason Castleford inherited these estates is because Becksbridge didn’t want his heir, Latham, to inherit it. BEcause dun dun dun Latham has bad blood with the ladies who stays there. —-The reason is so obvious tbh. Most of the book consists of talks of lands, properties, seduction, scandals, and surprise surprise... money.
I did not like the characters. Castleford, our hero, is to put it simply, has no substance. He is like every other man on this planet. Every time I see him, I see a jackass rich modern man. I cannot swoon over his actions. One time he got rid of his bed because he had too much sex on it. Are we suppose to swoon over that? Here have diamonds, I want to see you naked in them. What am I suppose to say?? Oh my god you’ve captured my heart with how you gave me stuff and constantly saying you want to fuck me? YEah no.
Daphne is a strong independent woman. I see no reason to actively hate her. It’s just that she’s so boring and has nothing new. When I describe Daphne, I would probably only say, “She like scolding people and she’s smart.” That’s it. With her background, the author could’ve delved into how she’s craving safety, tired of having no one to talk to, or tired of being strong all her life. She has none of that. She’s just... there. Reacting to conflict about estates and Castleford seduction and Latham’s history. She could’ve had soooo much depth. How can that not affect everything??
Romance is more than just... words of lust. We need compatibility, a reason to love the characters and ship them together. This book talks about the history of the characters, sure, but the feelings they have about that history are missing. Daphne is stone cold and seems so unaffected by all of it. She doesn’t feel lonely, devastated, or * *insert any other deep feelings here**. Even if she does, it doesn’t change anything about the story when it should’ve. This book talks too much about inconsequential things I just gave up, almost DNF’ed it altogether. But Nope. I stood strong.
The main conflict of this book is the H and h mutual hatred towards Latham. In the introduction of this review, I said I don’t care about the conflict. I will explain why the act of feminism in the climax of this story did not move me.
I like justice. I read books to feel safe. The way this book handled this is too modern for me. If things had gone my way, Latham would be dead, or at the very least, imprisoned. I get that that’s not realistic, but realistically, this is a book and I can wish whatever I prefer and that is to see the hero totally assassinate the antagonist.
BUUUT because this book is all about estates, reputations, and inheritance, Latham just got publically shamed and got scammed resulting the H and h to be more rich but me unsatisfied.
I also acknowledge that this book is trying to be funny. I was just not feeling the banter at all. There’s this one time where Castleford and his friends were joking around and saying goodbye like in a funeral to a mattress and it took me a whole minute to figure out that that was supposed to be funny. To the books defense, humor is subjective. What’s funny to you, might not be for me. That’s the case for this one. I’m just not feeling the humor.
Anyway, I do not hate this book. Madeline Hunter seems to be a hit or miss for me. I acknowledge that she is a good writer and that is why this book still has stars.
July 11, 2021
Regency England. About 8 yrs ago I read this 4 book
Rare Bloom series. Bks #1 & 4 remain my favs.
This was my 2nd re-read of this book.
Daphne managed a greenhouse. She grew/ sold flowers
and flower arrangements with help of associates who
delivered them to London. She took in stray women of
various circumstances ie battered wives etc. Privacy was
a house rule. Daphne rented this property, called the
Rarest Blooms, from the Duke of Becksbridge for a
tiny fee.
Wealthy Tristan, also a duke, inherited 4 small properties
(one used by the h) when the Duke of B died. Tristan
despised B's faux moralist heir, known as Latham.Tristan
assumed the Duke of B & Daphne had been lovers.
Tristan indulged in booze & lightskirts & used Tuesdays as
his only sober day, in order to conduct business. He feared
boredom when sober. His 3 BMFs were ridiculously & happily
married.
Tristan appeared unannounced, finding widowed Daphne
smart and visually stunning. He cautioned she must not
'scold' him. Once he met Daphne, he desired no woman
but her. He played cat-and-mouse with her RE the Rarest
Bloom property.
It was fun to see Tristan restrain himself in the booze/
sex/ emotions dept. But how to reach independent Daphne,
unimpressed with his charm and gifts of jewels? Tristan
sensitively helped Daph cope with a disturbing incident
in her past.
Daphne stood toe-to-toe w/ Tris. She out-smarted him
a few times too. Her demand of Tris near the mid-way
point: just a hoot! This was a fun 'battle of the sexes.'
Rare Bloom series. Bks #1 & 4 remain my favs.
This was my 2nd re-read of this book.
Daphne managed a greenhouse. She grew/ sold flowers
and flower arrangements with help of associates who
delivered them to London. She took in stray women of
various circumstances ie battered wives etc. Privacy was
a house rule. Daphne rented this property, called the
Rarest Blooms, from the Duke of Becksbridge for a
tiny fee.
Wealthy Tristan, also a duke, inherited 4 small properties
(one used by the h) when the Duke of B died. Tristan
despised B's faux moralist heir, known as Latham.Tristan
assumed the Duke of B & Daphne had been lovers.
Tristan indulged in booze & lightskirts & used Tuesdays as
his only sober day, in order to conduct business. He feared
boredom when sober. His 3 BMFs were ridiculously & happily
married.
Tristan appeared unannounced, finding widowed Daphne
smart and visually stunning. He cautioned she must not
'scold' him. Once he met Daphne, he desired no woman
but her. He played cat-and-mouse with her RE the Rarest
Bloom property.
It was fun to see Tristan restrain himself in the booze/
sex/ emotions dept. But how to reach independent Daphne,
unimpressed with his charm and gifts of jewels? Tristan
sensitively helped Daph cope with a disturbing incident
in her past.
Daphne stood toe-to-toe w/ Tris. She out-smarted him
a few times too. Her demand of Tris near the mid-way
point: just a hoot! This was a fun 'battle of the sexes.'
Read
October 2, 2025Dnf at page 100. This wasn’t a bad book just not for me. I think I’m going to give up on this author. I wanted to love this book, but couldn’t get into the plot. I was bored reading this. Spoiler: The two main characters had already kissed on page 48. So that annoyed me. Also where was the plot? Nowhere to be found. This was also my fault because this was the fourth book but overall didn’t enjoy this. So I decided to give up on it.
October 1, 2017
This is the first book on my Top 10 List of historical romance novels. Ms. Hunter has several awesome alpha heroes, but Dangerous in Diamonds leapt into my head for my first review for several reasons. One, I love all Madeline Hunter's books. Two, I have to say that Castleford just might be my ultimate hero. Three, the book has an exciting, rich story to go along with its two interesting lead characters.
I love Castleford. He reminds me of the Duke of Avon in These Old Shades. Oh, they are not alike in personality, of course, but they are alike in that they behave the way I would hope a real duke might behave. Powerful, decisive, and determined. Oh, and handsome. And clever. And a sophisticated lover. And--well, you get the point.
Like Hunter's other novels, there is actually some history to go along with the romance. The story takes place in the midst of violent social unrest that adds a dimension of immediacy and physical danger (which I don't want to give away) to the novel.
While Britain undergoes a post-War personality shift Daphne and the Duke of Castleford are engaged in their own struggles. Daphne doesn't want to become yet another of Castleford's many women, and he, not surprisingly, is intrigued by any woman who doesn't leap into bed with him.
Neither is exactly what they appear on the surface and discovering exactly who they are is both fascinating and page-turning.
I've re-read the book 3 times and still laugh out loud whenever Hunter gives the reader a peek inside the duke's head. He is so arrogant there should be another word in the dictionary just for him. But he is also clever, thoughtful, and surprisingly aware of the thoughts and behaviors of those around him.
I believe Daphne is is perfect foil and her strong, silent, and determined personality thwart Castleford in a way that is more believable than any head-on confrontation would be. She is a woman of her time and works within the limitations that were once imposed on our gender. She is a heroine who maintains her dignity.
I find the way Hunter depicts the development of their relationship particularly compelling. I love how there is some distance between the characters right up to the end. He is a duke. I would imagine one does not start calling a duke by his Christian name within a day of knowing him. I like that Hunter maintains this distinction because I believe it is part of who Castlford is and would not be easily shed.
What I love even more than Hunter's great characterization, interesting story, and swoony romance is the fact she doesn't transform Castleford into something unrecognizable by the end of the book. No, instead he remains himself. Which doesn't mean he is unchanged, not at all. Like any romance hero he has to make choices that will ultimately show he puts his love for his heroine above everything else in his life. But he is not so altered by the process the he isn't still Castleford.
This is the fourth book in the quartet, but I inadvertently read it first. Immediately after finishing it I bought the others. While I love the first three and admire how each story is distinct, Dangerous in Diamonds is my favorite among Hunter's books.
I love Castleford. He reminds me of the Duke of Avon in These Old Shades. Oh, they are not alike in personality, of course, but they are alike in that they behave the way I would hope a real duke might behave. Powerful, decisive, and determined. Oh, and handsome. And clever. And a sophisticated lover. And--well, you get the point.
Like Hunter's other novels, there is actually some history to go along with the romance. The story takes place in the midst of violent social unrest that adds a dimension of immediacy and physical danger (which I don't want to give away) to the novel.
While Britain undergoes a post-War personality shift Daphne and the Duke of Castleford are engaged in their own struggles. Daphne doesn't want to become yet another of Castleford's many women, and he, not surprisingly, is intrigued by any woman who doesn't leap into bed with him.
Neither is exactly what they appear on the surface and discovering exactly who they are is both fascinating and page-turning.
I've re-read the book 3 times and still laugh out loud whenever Hunter gives the reader a peek inside the duke's head. He is so arrogant there should be another word in the dictionary just for him. But he is also clever, thoughtful, and surprisingly aware of the thoughts and behaviors of those around him.
I believe Daphne is is perfect foil and her strong, silent, and determined personality thwart Castleford in a way that is more believable than any head-on confrontation would be. She is a woman of her time and works within the limitations that were once imposed on our gender. She is a heroine who maintains her dignity.
I find the way Hunter depicts the development of their relationship particularly compelling. I love how there is some distance between the characters right up to the end. He is a duke. I would imagine one does not start calling a duke by his Christian name within a day of knowing him. I like that Hunter maintains this distinction because I believe it is part of who Castlford is and would not be easily shed.
What I love even more than Hunter's great characterization, interesting story, and swoony romance is the fact she doesn't transform Castleford into something unrecognizable by the end of the book. No, instead he remains himself. Which doesn't mean he is unchanged, not at all. Like any romance hero he has to make choices that will ultimately show he puts his love for his heroine above everything else in his life. But he is not so altered by the process the he isn't still Castleford.
This is the fourth book in the quartet, but I inadvertently read it first. Immediately after finishing it I bought the others. While I love the first three and admire how each story is distinct, Dangerous in Diamonds is my favorite among Hunter's books.
August 25, 2020
You know how when you're a kid you just can't wait to open that one really special-looking present and it seems the day will never, ever arrive, but it finally does and you open it and there's just underwear and socks inside? That's kinda the way I felt when reading this, after waiting so many months with so much anticipation. The book has some beautiful moments but they are counterbalanced by some strange, awkward or boring ones. The secondary female characters, heroines of the 3 previous books, have turned into silly, giggling females. Daphne, the heroine in this one, is a bit lacking in personality, is too serious, earnest, and humorless. The only character to stay in character is Castleford and even with him you wonder just what it is about Daphne that inspires him to reform.
If you have not read the 3 previous books, you might wonder what's all the fuss about Castleford. I think you have to get hooked on his character over the space of those stories. But hooked I was so I did enjoy the story and Hunter's writing is very good, as usual. I also enjoyed the interaction of Castleford with the male secondary characters (the heroes of the first 3 books) although Jonathan (H of SINFUL IN SATIN) is much less interesting and compelling here than I found him to be in his own story. Well, none of the secondaries, male or female, are as interesting here as they were as stars of their own books (with the possible exception of Hawkeswell), but I suppose that's to be expected.
Castleford is, fortunately, as compelling and fascinating as ever and his reformation and wooing of Daphne is amusing and entertaining to behold. BTW, Hunter must have heard some readers' complaints about Castleford's risky ways with loose women. (I confess to being one of them. Complaining reader, that is, not loose woman.) He is forced to prove to Daphne that she will not suffer any health consequences from a physical relationship with him. That's one of the amusing sections of the romance. I personally wouldn't have been too convinced he was STD-free from his explanations but Daphne was and that's all that matters. There are many such entertaining interactions between the two. The meeting places chosen by Castleford, what he does with his bed, his reaction to his own unexpected sobriety, etc.
We have serious moments too because of secrets in Daphne's past and even in Castleford's. Side stories with regard to women's powerlessness in the face of abuse, oppression of the working class by the elite and subsequent riots, etc. But some of this just seems thrown into the mix for no real reason and does not advance the story but rather sets it off on tangents.
Still, it is worth reading. Castleford may be my favorite romance character since Loretta Chase's Dain. He is splendid and complicated and I believe I'm as in love with him as Daphne is. That's why I was wanting a bit more from Daphne as a reason for Castleford to fall in love with her. Yes, she is ethereally beautiful but I'm sure he's met up with beautiful women before. Perhaps the beauty mixed with the earnestness/goodness was what his subconscious was looking for as a reason to reform himself.
If you have not read the 3 previous books, you might wonder what's all the fuss about Castleford. I think you have to get hooked on his character over the space of those stories. But hooked I was so I did enjoy the story and Hunter's writing is very good, as usual. I also enjoyed the interaction of Castleford with the male secondary characters (the heroes of the first 3 books) although Jonathan (H of SINFUL IN SATIN) is much less interesting and compelling here than I found him to be in his own story. Well, none of the secondaries, male or female, are as interesting here as they were as stars of their own books (with the possible exception of Hawkeswell), but I suppose that's to be expected.
Castleford is, fortunately, as compelling and fascinating as ever and his reformation and wooing of Daphne is amusing and entertaining to behold. BTW, Hunter must have heard some readers' complaints about Castleford's risky ways with loose women. (I confess to being one of them. Complaining reader, that is, not loose woman.) He is forced to prove to Daphne that she will not suffer any health consequences from a physical relationship with him. That's one of the amusing sections of the romance. I personally wouldn't have been too convinced he was STD-free from his explanations but Daphne was and that's all that matters. There are many such entertaining interactions between the two. The meeting places chosen by Castleford, what he does with his bed, his reaction to his own unexpected sobriety, etc.
We have serious moments too because of secrets in Daphne's past and even in Castleford's. Side stories with regard to women's powerlessness in the face of abuse, oppression of the working class by the elite and subsequent riots, etc. But some of this just seems thrown into the mix for no real reason and does not advance the story but rather sets it off on tangents.
Still, it is worth reading. Castleford may be my favorite romance character since Loretta Chase's Dain. He is splendid and complicated and I believe I'm as in love with him as Daphne is. That's why I was wanting a bit more from Daphne as a reason for Castleford to fall in love with her. Yes, she is ethereally beautiful but I'm sure he's met up with beautiful women before. Perhaps the beauty mixed with the earnestness/goodness was what his subconscious was looking for as a reason to reform himself.
January 31, 2015
I enjoyed Kate Reading's narration of this audiobook just as much as I enjoyed reading the book three years ago. I had forgotten some of the delicious details of the romance between Castleford and Daphne, and listening to these scenes was a toe-curling experience. I particularly liked the large doses of real life added to this rake-meets-spinster tale: the Peterloo massacre and the dilemma of unmarried ladies taken advantage of by powerful men. I do like real history in my historical romance.
May 5, 2011
There are too many things wrong here. I cannot believe how Daphne was portrayed. Unbelieveable. Her past was just a headshake what? Oh really. Hmm. As for Castleford, while it irks me, his development was rather good.
SPOILERS RECAP:
Blah blah the Rarest Bloom we already know about. Daphne lives in the current residence that shelters the women that needs to get away from their unwanted past. Enter Castleford - absolute rakehell - who decided to check out what his damn father left him. Check: they meet. Daphne hides her identity until he states his intentions. Yes, she threatens to shoot him if he does anything. That's the character I know and appreciate from her small roles in the other books. She can easily just look through a man like glass who attempts to charm her but oh no, she knows better than to easily for their tricks. Until she met Castleford. Cue: he tries to seduce her, she evades him. I loved Daphne at the start. Right of the bat when the walked through the garden and they kiss. She puts up resistance - HELL YES - but she succumbs easily as well - WHAT THE FUCK - before gathering her wits and puts up her front again. Good so far. Skip to the next time they meet.
He blackmails her to stay. Coz in 10 days, he WILL bed her, he assures himself. That's how he is. Manipulating her about the arrangement with the property. She stays. Skip inner thoughts of both characters who are frustrated, confused and determined to NOT let him seduce her. Fail. *sigh* He kisses her all the time now and she just melts, no resistance although she attempts to reprimand herself. This is coming from a woman who is apparently strong. There's a party, blah blah, she tenses at Castleford's 'friend' - a duke who is bad despite his good reputation - and Castleford kisses her again in the garden. Much later on - in between, they make out with Daphne already just like another female character in histroicals who just falls for all the sexual acts the hero throws her way - they make a deal. Actually Castleford does. With the number of whores and ladies he had sex with, Daphne is worried. This was just to throw him off. He's dumbfounded and seals the deal with bringing her his clean records. Oh, he gives her diamonds just like he did to any woman he's fucked or wanted to. She knows this but of course, she melts. And considers the deal. The woman I admired in this series? She was here in the first chapter. Gone midway. Castleford takes the spotlight as he changes.
Castleford gets his documents from a doctor (who checks all the brothels he went to and the women there are apparently clean) who argues he isn't 100% sure that Castleford is clean. The duke just dismisses him afterwards, doesnt care there's a tiniest ever chance he isn't clean just so he can bed Daphne. Yeah, talk about being careful. Oh yes, he's also writing a book and the last chapter is about his seduction of Daphne. Right. He's stuck at this but to me, he could have finished this soon with how Daphne falls over everytime she's in his arms. At this point, Daphne still puts up her strict, proper front to others. Of course.
Much later, we finally get into the main plot. Castleford finds out the why his father kept the Rarest Bloom which he assumed was just a front for his mistresses. Wrong. Great, I'm loving Castleford's gradual change and revelations. 3/4 into the book, Daphne/Castleford also focuses on the victims. Read the rest for the...well, rest. And yes, their HEA.
Daphne really pissed me off here. This female character just- she just ARGH. She just lets him lead her around, she knows it but hardly fights later on. Not interesting at all. A virgin who lets her would-be lover cover her with himself and anticipates him? I can read most of that in other historical/romance books. I thought Daphne could do better. Sure it's sexual tension, but Daphne was just so easy midway. It frustrated me so much as I kept reading. Why? I don't know but maybe because of Castleford. And she doesn't call him by his Christian name. Daphne aside, it's an okay read. I already expected Castleford to be a bit of an ass, which he is, but still I liked him okay.
SPOILERS RECAP:
Blah blah the Rarest Bloom we already know about. Daphne lives in the current residence that shelters the women that needs to get away from their unwanted past. Enter Castleford - absolute rakehell - who decided to check out what his damn father left him. Check: they meet. Daphne hides her identity until he states his intentions. Yes, she threatens to shoot him if he does anything. That's the character I know and appreciate from her small roles in the other books. She can easily just look through a man like glass who attempts to charm her but oh no, she knows better than to easily for their tricks. Until she met Castleford. Cue: he tries to seduce her, she evades him. I loved Daphne at the start. Right of the bat when the walked through the garden and they kiss. She puts up resistance - HELL YES - but she succumbs easily as well - WHAT THE FUCK - before gathering her wits and puts up her front again. Good so far. Skip to the next time they meet.
He blackmails her to stay. Coz in 10 days, he WILL bed her, he assures himself. That's how he is. Manipulating her about the arrangement with the property. She stays. Skip inner thoughts of both characters who are frustrated, confused and determined to NOT let him seduce her. Fail. *sigh* He kisses her all the time now and she just melts, no resistance although she attempts to reprimand herself. This is coming from a woman who is apparently strong. There's a party, blah blah, she tenses at Castleford's 'friend' - a duke who is bad despite his good reputation - and Castleford kisses her again in the garden. Much later on - in between, they make out with Daphne already just like another female character in histroicals who just falls for all the sexual acts the hero throws her way - they make a deal. Actually Castleford does. With the number of whores and ladies he had sex with, Daphne is worried. This was just to throw him off. He's dumbfounded and seals the deal with bringing her his clean records. Oh, he gives her diamonds just like he did to any woman he's fucked or wanted to. She knows this but of course, she melts. And considers the deal. The woman I admired in this series? She was here in the first chapter. Gone midway. Castleford takes the spotlight as he changes.
Castleford gets his documents from a doctor (who checks all the brothels he went to and the women there are apparently clean) who argues he isn't 100% sure that Castleford is clean. The duke just dismisses him afterwards, doesnt care there's a tiniest ever chance he isn't clean just so he can bed Daphne. Yeah, talk about being careful. Oh yes, he's also writing a book and the last chapter is about his seduction of Daphne. Right. He's stuck at this but to me, he could have finished this soon with how Daphne falls over everytime she's in his arms. At this point, Daphne still puts up her strict, proper front to others. Of course.
Much later, we finally get into the main plot. Castleford finds out the why his father kept the Rarest Bloom which he assumed was just a front for his mistresses. Wrong. Great, I'm loving Castleford's gradual change and revelations. 3/4 into the book, Daphne/Castleford also focuses on the victims. Read the rest for the...well, rest. And yes, their HEA.
Daphne really pissed me off here. This female character just- she just ARGH. She just lets him lead her around, she knows it but hardly fights later on. Not interesting at all. A virgin who lets her would-be lover cover her with himself and anticipates him? I can read most of that in other historical/romance books. I thought Daphne could do better. Sure it's sexual tension, but Daphne was just so easy midway. It frustrated me so much as I kept reading. Why? I don't know but maybe because of Castleford. And she doesn't call him by his Christian name. Daphne aside, it's an okay read. I already expected Castleford to be a bit of an ass, which he is, but still I liked him okay.
February 6, 2018
***4.5 Devilish Duke Stars***
August 18, 2017
4.5/5. The Duke of Castleford works hard six days of the week to sustain his reputation as the supreme master of debauchery and wickedness. Tuesday is his only sober day, where he tends to tedious ducal matters. To his utter irritation, he unexpectedly inherits some minor land titles and dwellings, one of which houses the very proper and cool Mrs Joyce and her floral business. She piques his interest and disrupts his hedonistic pursuits and suddenly Tuesdays are no longer so tedious, and in fact he might decree there to be more Tuesdays in the week. Castleford is a marvellous hero - arrogant and humorously self-deprecating; proudly excelling in all libertine activities and yet acutely observant and intelligent in a minimalistic way; commanding but caring and ultimately decent. His lines are fabulously witty, inducing many laugh-out-loud moments. Daphne provides a great challenge and opposition to him, unwilling to readily yield to his naturally lofty presence and bringing him (not entirely unwilling) down a notch a two. She forces him into very un-dukelike behaviour, which he still manages to execute in his somewhat autocratic manner, so as not to compromise himself too badly. Wonderful prose throughout, very authentic with an interesting little subplot involving the events of the Peterloo massacre.
October 8, 2013
I finished it, because the writing was good and I was interested in the heroine's backstory, but it was hard because I HATED THE HERO SO MUCH. Classic alpha-hero shredding of the heroine's boundaries, possessiveness, imposition, deception, I HATE HATE HATE this premise. Blech, ick, ugh.
June 5, 2016
This might be worthy of a 3.5 stars. A standard Hunter experience for me, generally well written with some good sex scenes but just lacking sufficient heat, or story, or character interaction to take it to the next level of rating. It's frustrating because, as I've said before, I think she has the basic chops to write something special but it just doesn't get there and in some ways she's a victim of that when it comes to my grading . Probably how teachers feel when gifted kids just phone in their work to get a B grade when they're capable of more.
This is the only one of the Blooms series I've read so the whole 'house for women in hiding where they also grow flowers' was a bit lost on me, if I'm honest, as were the relationships between the previous heroines.
Daphne, the heroine was good. She needed a bit more characterisation, a bit more motivation exposition. Hunter wants the mystery about her background and particularly the bombshell dropped at the very end. Sometimes though, the desire to prolong the mystery undersells the character to the reader, a reality many romance writers would do well to remember in a genre that (for me) works best when trying to develop the relationship between two people with whom the reader develops an affinity. But by and large, I liked her and I wanted her to get her HEA.
Castleford was better for me. Again, in some ways underdeveloped but much more is revealed about him and so he felt more rounded. I like that he's a typical duke - arrogant, rude and rakish.
Their romance develops in fits and starts. It's too based on desire for my liking. When the declarations of love came at the end, I was asking myself - but why? Which is never good in a romance novel. There's not sufficient banter between the two of them and the moments which could have been seminal and utilised to power the romance were rushed.
The story generally is a bit all over the shop, and the pacing is off. Peterloo was shoehorned in and the Duke as a government man seemed to come out of nowhere (perhaps it's dealt with in the earlier books). And the villain was so utterly villainous, moustache twirling - the whole nine yards.
I sound very down on this. I did read it all the way through. I didn't skim and it passed the time more than adequately. It won't be my last Hunter because I'm hoping, one day soon, she writes the book I'm sure she can write.
This is the only one of the Blooms series I've read so the whole 'house for women in hiding where they also grow flowers' was a bit lost on me, if I'm honest, as were the relationships between the previous heroines.
Daphne, the heroine was good. She needed a bit more characterisation, a bit more motivation exposition. Hunter wants the mystery about her background and particularly the bombshell dropped at the very end. Sometimes though, the desire to prolong the mystery undersells the character to the reader, a reality many romance writers would do well to remember in a genre that (for me) works best when trying to develop the relationship between two people with whom the reader develops an affinity. But by and large, I liked her and I wanted her to get her HEA.
Castleford was better for me. Again, in some ways underdeveloped but much more is revealed about him and so he felt more rounded. I like that he's a typical duke - arrogant, rude and rakish.
Their romance develops in fits and starts. It's too based on desire for my liking. When the declarations of love came at the end, I was asking myself - but why? Which is never good in a romance novel. There's not sufficient banter between the two of them and the moments which could have been seminal and utilised to power the romance were rushed.
The story generally is a bit all over the shop, and the pacing is off. Peterloo was shoehorned in and the Duke as a government man seemed to come out of nowhere (perhaps it's dealt with in the earlier books). And the villain was so utterly villainous, moustache twirling - the whole nine yards.
I sound very down on this. I did read it all the way through. I didn't skim and it passed the time more than adequately. It won't be my last Hunter because I'm hoping, one day soon, she writes the book I'm sure she can write.
April 22, 2011
Daphne Joyes has secrets and when the Duke of Castleford sees her and falls in instant lust, he makes it his mission to ferret out what she's not telling him and to seduce her.
The manslut hero in this book was really unique from run of the mill regency rakes because while he really was a manslut (he writes a guide book to London brothels), Madeline Hunter contrasts his rakish ways to another manslut/rake who is a disgusting criminal lecher. I found this contrast interesting because both rakes had common backgrounds, but Castleford managed to maintain his humanity and is a guy who likes and respects women (also he's no criminal).
I enjoyed the rapport between Daphne and Castleford. I also had great appreciation for how the issue of promiscuity and STDs was addressed and Castleford's response.
The pacing of the story was perfect. Secrets were revealed at a gradual pace and there were no big misunderstandings so I enjoyed the suspense and stayed up all night reading. My only qualm was that I would have liked a bit longer ending but you know a book is excellent when you don't want it to end - so I can't complain.
The manslut hero in this book was really unique from run of the mill regency rakes because while he really was a manslut (he writes a guide book to London brothels), Madeline Hunter contrasts his rakish ways to another manslut/rake who is a disgusting criminal lecher. I found this contrast interesting because both rakes had common backgrounds, but Castleford managed to maintain his humanity and is a guy who likes and respects women (also he's no criminal).
I enjoyed the rapport between Daphne and Castleford. I also had great appreciation for how the issue of promiscuity and STDs was addressed and Castleford's response.
The pacing of the story was perfect. Secrets were revealed at a gradual pace and there were no big misunderstandings so I enjoyed the suspense and stayed up all night reading. My only qualm was that I would have liked a bit longer ending but you know a book is excellent when you don't want it to end - so I can't complain.
September 7, 2022
Thoroughly satisfying close to the Rarest Blooms series. Castleford's reformation still left enough of his wickedness intact to make him intriguing, and Daphne's secrets were heartbreaking enough to justify her holding onto them for so long. Together they were a well-balanced couple and I can see them settling into marriage with their friends the Summerhayes', the Albrightons and the Hawkesvilles quite nicely. Can't wait to see what Hunter has in mind for her next project. I have no doubt it will be as much fun as the Rarest Blooms has been.
April 27, 2011
Very rarely I come back to give an extra star (from 4 to 5) a few hours after reading it.
Madeline Hunter is an exceptional romance writer. This final story in the Rarest Bloom series with Castleford and Daphne did not disappoint even though the plot and tempo seemed a more "subdued" version of what I had expected of the characters- even so- The authentic dialogue and Castleford's reactions to love were terrificly portrayed.
Madeline Hunter is an exceptional romance writer. This final story in the Rarest Bloom series with Castleford and Daphne did not disappoint even though the plot and tempo seemed a more "subdued" version of what I had expected of the characters- even so- The authentic dialogue and Castleford's reactions to love were terrificly portrayed.
January 8, 2018
I have...feelings about this book that I'm not sure I can put into words. But one word I definitely know to used and will use is disappointment. UGH, I am just SO frustrated with this series overall! It could've been a really good one and utterly enjoyable if it weren't for little (or not so little) things that ruined my enjoyment to smaller or bigger degree.
May 2, 2011
Not her best but methinks it's her most amusing book to date. Worth it just to see how the Duke of McSlut forsakes others & the rubber. If U're a HP addict, U can spot the surprise from a yard away. Not sure why she bothered to tell us his name is Tristan if Daphne nevah calls him that.
As always, a plethora of "Astonish" - her fav word & its variety (astonished, astonishing, astonishment). @ last count : a whopping 19. Don't ask me why, my OCD compels me to tally. I'm just a weirdo that way. @ least it's not anotha letdown a la "The sins of Lord Easterbrook". "Ravishing in red" & "Sinful in satin" remain superior in the series. MH's still an auto-buy I'm willing to shell out full price for.
As always, a plethora of "Astonish" - her fav word & its variety (astonished, astonishing, astonishment). @ last count : a whopping 19. Don't ask me why, my OCD compels me to tally. I'm just a weirdo that way. @ least it's not anotha letdown a la "The sins of Lord Easterbrook". "Ravishing in red" & "Sinful in satin" remain superior in the series. MH's still an auto-buy I'm willing to shell out full price for.
February 18, 2015
Rapey. If you think it's great if a man forces himself on a woman and, after pushing him away, saying no, and trying to leave (he's holding power over her so she can't), she then decides it must be love... Then this is the book for you. If, on the other hand, you prefer your heroes to respect women, not commit sexual assault, be sure the woman is willing, take no for an answer... Then hop over to Eloisa James and the other Avon writers.
February 15, 2016
O melhor livro da série, principalmente graças ao personagem principal. O Tristan é tão engraçado. Adorei-o!
January 7, 2023
Re- read.
Dissolute unapologetically roguish dukes that give off major competence kink vibes are my jam. The duke of Castleford is haughty, naughty and a complete rogue who can't be bothered to human decently and soberly unless it's a Tuesday (this becomes a running joke and it never gets old) He's afflicted with a serious case of boredom so he alleviates it by drinking and wenching. Until he gets an unusual bequest in a will from a disapproving relative and he's intrigued. He travels to the small.property left to him and there he finds a home full.of women who run a flower business. He immediately suspects why the women are there but when he meets the woman running the home the no-nonsense plain-spoken ice queen widow Daphne, he's immediately captivated. But she disdains him and tells him to his face that she's not into f*ck bois and he doesn't have a chance in hell with her. So lo and behold the haughty duke grudgingly gets his shit together to get her into bed, or so he tells himself because he couldn't possibly have FeEliNgS 🙄
But she makes him basically bend over backwards to get under her skirts and reader, it's so deeply satisfying. I love nothing more than a rake brought down a peg or two by a straight-laced, strong willed independent woman. I am also completely dead and gone for a rescue trope and a competent hero who isn't above doing shady things to save the woman he loves. The writing is sublime and the narration by Kate Reading just elevates this to an eargasm in book form. It's delightful in every way. This is the last book in the series and while it kind of stands alone, I think one or two of the other books should be read in order to appreciate Castleford's character arc properly. Both MCs appear throughout the series. I'd recommend this book and the series to fans of Mary Balogh's Bedwyn and Loretta Chase. I do think the book starts a little slow but once it gets going, it is a near-perfect character-driven story with a mystery and a great plot twist at the end. My biggest complaint is that it lacks an epilogue (for shame!) and it ends very abruptly 😩
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
🔥/5
Tropes:
Rake/widow
Class differences
Rescue
TW: discussions of rape and past SA
Dissolute unapologetically roguish dukes that give off major competence kink vibes are my jam. The duke of Castleford is haughty, naughty and a complete rogue who can't be bothered to human decently and soberly unless it's a Tuesday (this becomes a running joke and it never gets old) He's afflicted with a serious case of boredom so he alleviates it by drinking and wenching. Until he gets an unusual bequest in a will from a disapproving relative and he's intrigued. He travels to the small.property left to him and there he finds a home full.of women who run a flower business. He immediately suspects why the women are there but when he meets the woman running the home the no-nonsense plain-spoken ice queen widow Daphne, he's immediately captivated. But she disdains him and tells him to his face that she's not into f*ck bois and he doesn't have a chance in hell with her. So lo and behold the haughty duke grudgingly gets his shit together to get her into bed, or so he tells himself because he couldn't possibly have FeEliNgS 🙄
But she makes him basically bend over backwards to get under her skirts and reader, it's so deeply satisfying. I love nothing more than a rake brought down a peg or two by a straight-laced, strong willed independent woman. I am also completely dead and gone for a rescue trope and a competent hero who isn't above doing shady things to save the woman he loves. The writing is sublime and the narration by Kate Reading just elevates this to an eargasm in book form. It's delightful in every way. This is the last book in the series and while it kind of stands alone, I think one or two of the other books should be read in order to appreciate Castleford's character arc properly. Both MCs appear throughout the series. I'd recommend this book and the series to fans of Mary Balogh's Bedwyn and Loretta Chase. I do think the book starts a little slow but once it gets going, it is a near-perfect character-driven story with a mystery and a great plot twist at the end. My biggest complaint is that it lacks an epilogue (for shame!) and it ends very abruptly 😩
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
🔥/5
Tropes:
Rake/widow
Class differences
Rescue
TW: discussions of rape and past SA
January 29, 2019
3 Stars because I loved the hero. Low however, because it dragged on forever and wtf was that plot twist at the end?? Literally the most random thing there was never a SINGLE allusion to ANYWHERE in the book. Very poorly done and did not add anything of substance to the book
December 6, 2017
I enjoyed the humor in this, but this secretive style of writing is not my favorite. I don't mind secrets, but I prefer to at least have a clue about them. As a result of this style, where the secrets are kept from both the hero(or heroine in other books) and the reader, the heroine comes off as cold and I never warmed up to her. I really enjoyed the hero, and I understood the need for secrecy in the end, I just prefer the style where the reader is clued in a bit more as the book progresses.
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