The Gentleman Jewel Thief

The Hope Diamond Trilogy #1

by Jessica Peterson

In an era when ladies were demure and men courtly, one priceless treasure set England ablaze and incited unimaginable scandal and passion—the Hope Diamond.

Heir to an impressive title and fortune, Lord William Townshend, Earl of Harclay, is among the most disreputable rakes in England. Desperately bored by dull heiresses and tedious soirees, he seeks new excitement—with a dangerous scheme to steal the world’s most legendary gemstone from its owner, Thomas Hope. To his surprise, however, it’s not the robbery that sets his blood burning but the alluring lady from whom he pilfers the gem.

A string of bad luck has left the fate of Lady Violet Rutledge’s estate entirely in Hope’s scheming hands. So when his prized jewel disappears from around her neck, she has no choice but to track down the villain responsible for the theft. Only Harclay has his sights set on taking more from her than the necklace—and she’s tempted to surrender anything he desires…

Now, caught in a thrilling game of secrecy and seduction, Violet must find a way to protect her fortune—and her heart—before she loses both forever…

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Regency, Historical, Regency Romance

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 2014

About the author

Jessica Peterson writes romance with heat, humor, and heart. Heroes with hot accents are her specialty. When she’s not writing, she can be found bellying up to a bar in the south’s best restaurants with her husband Ben, reading books with her adorable daughters Gracie and Madeline, or snuggling up with her 70-pound lap dog, Martha.

A Carolina girl at heart, she fantasizes about splitting her time between Charleston and Asheville, but currently lives in Charlotte, NC.

Reviews

[Mary - Buried Under Romance · Rating 2 out of 5]

~Originally published on Buried Under Romance by Ezrah

The Gentleman Jewel Thief by Jessica Peterson is the first book in the new series: The Hope Diamond Trilogy and I was very disappointed. As much as I wanted to finish this book, I just couldn't. The premise was promising: bored gentleman steals a diamond just for the heck of it and gets attracted to the woman wearing the diamond who had a vested interest in the diamonds loss. Very interesting, right? Wrong!

I really had problems with the whole story. I did not like the hero, William at all. His reason for stealing the diamond was just too superficial for me to understand. His actions towards the heroine, Lady Violet were just selfish bordering on "jerky" (if there is such a word)! He also abducted Violet at the start for his own selfish reasons and did nothing to redeem himself in my opinion. This is one of the reasons I couldn't continue reading.

This quote showed the hero's lack of thought to the lady's reputation that did not sit well with me.

Again Harclay cleared his throat. "Yes, yes of course. Just working outwore in my house you might stay the night most comfortably."
"Spend the night!" she cried, the look of horror on her face so extreme it made Harclay laugh. "But you can't be serious! I may dance the waltz, Lord Harclay, and have a taste for stiff punch, but I do have a care for my reputation. If it is discovered I stayed unchaperoned at your house, I'll be ruined, and so will my family, my cousin Sophia-"

I usually don't have any problems with abductions (hero abducting the heroine without a care for society and resulting to the ruination of the heroine) but this did not set well with me. I think it was because I had a hard time connecting with the hero to begin with.

I actually liked Lady Violet. As far as I've read, she showed her strength and determination to help solve her family's financial problems (which William almost ruined). I really wanted Violet to have her own HEA but not with William. By the 10th Chapter, I had just about had it. I could not force myself to continue reading.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

_________________________

I'm of a similar opinion personally.

[Whitley Birks]

I didn’t make it very far with this one. It started out so promising, with smooth writing and an interesting set-up and the promise for all sorts of fun shenanigans. But it went downhill fast. The writing started fumbling as soon as the lust got introduced, as if an editor got distracted partway through the job, and all the shenanigans turned into contrivances instead.

To cap things off, the characters weren’t very smart. I think the worst part was when Harclay kept repeatedly congratulating himself for his “brilliant” robbery, which consisted of “make a loud diversion and then grab it.” Yeah, it worked, and robberies don’t have to be complicated to be effective, but maybe stop crowing about how ingenious it was? Then again, the rest of the characters aren’t much better. “Hm, the thief would have had to have been someone wealthy who attended as a guest. Hey, let’s ask that wealthy attendee who was standing right next to the diamond the whole time if he saw something!” I get the cultural hesitation to call a peer a criminal, but if you’re going to use that excuse you have to be smoother than that.

The only thing that could have saved this was the sex, but unfortunately, the sex was the most contrived part of the whole novel. (Well, the part of the novel that I read, at least.) Even for this genre, which can make some pretty silly situations seem hot, the set-ups were plain ridiculous. It didn’t help at all that the tone of the narration turned choppy and crude when “romance” was involved, giving the book a “teeheehee, they’re gonna bone” voice which just came off as juvenile and grating.

There’s really just nothing I can recommend from this book besides the premise. With some more work, it could have been a real gem, but alas. It wasn’t.

[Julie (Let's Read Good Books)]

I don't know how to rate this one - parts of the book are a hot mess, and almost all of the protagonists' woes are due to the selfish actions of the hero. The courtship was fun, though, and I really liked the heroine. The efforts to retrieve the stolen jewel were way, way out there, and the duel? There is nothing like the hero challenging his sister's lover for doing EXACTLY what he just did to another woman. He should have been the one who was shot, so maybe he would have learned his lesson sooner. If you enjoy madcap adventures - think Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom times 10 - you will enjoy this romance. If you don't, you will long to strangle William every few chapters, when his thoughtlessness almost ruins everything that Violet holds dear.

[Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ill-fated Hope diamond, a bored wealthy aristocrat, and an unconventional duke's daughter rattle around London in this Regency romp. I loved the idea of a story featuring a jewel heist and the heroine as the amateur detective. I enjoyed the fun tone to the story and some of the surprises that led to mayhem much of the time, but there were some things that didn't work for me too.

The story opens with William Townsend, the Earl of Harclay, learning from his banker Mr. Hope that Hope will be displaying a gorgeous diamond, The French Blue, at his annual dress-up ball. Harclay is wealthy, lucky at the gaming tables, and a connoisseur of women. He determines to have a bit of his brand of fun and steal Hope's diamond.

Impoverished and nearly on the shelf just where she wants to be Lady Violet Rutledge attends Mr. Hope's balls each year and finds them enjoyable. This ball is more sparkling than others before because she is the chosen person to display Hope's jewel and has the unsolicited attention of one of the biggest womanizers in town, the earl of Harclay. Things go downhill fast when the ball is interrupted by gun fire and mayhem. She is accosted in the crush and soon realizes that the diamond is missing and finds herself carried off purportedly to safety by Harclay.

Harclay is well pleased with himself for how his plan went off without a hitch until he discovers that his mischief has brought grief to others that he didn't intend and gotten him into trouble that he didn't anticipate with a ruthless element also after the diamond. He has never felt for a woman the way he feels with Violet and it throws him completely off his game and makes him take a good hard look at his life.

Violet knows who was the thief and now she just needs to find the diamond to prove it and get Mr. Hope's bank out of trouble where all her remaining funds are invested. While searching for the diamond, she engages the very attracted and attractive Harclay in a game of seduction too. Drawn to him, she never forgets that he's responsible for her tenuous situation. Then her participation in the hunt for the jewel lands her into deeper more disturbing waters than the playful, irresponsible Harclay.

I was excited about this plot when I read the blurb, but unfortunately I found the promise didn't quite deliver for me. There are some really enjoyable parts to the story that carried me through some of the stuff that didn't work for me. The overall plot was good with the stolen diamond that leads to a romance between opposing sides and a darker adventure than both anticipated. The personalities of the characters were engaging too though I found Lady Violet hard to believe. Her character was all over the place from supposed buttoned up man-hating virgin to dirty mouthed, card cheating seductress. I couldn't take her detecting seriously because it constantly devolved into just a poorly disguised opportunity to get with Harclay. He might have been a bit shallow, but at least he was honest about his wants and his feelings while she tended to lie even to herself. Harclay was bored and selfish at first which caused all the trouble, but I was okay with that because I enjoyed seeing him grow and mature. He owned his wrongs and set out to make them right even when the stakes got high. He tended to grow on me while Violet didn't really. Her stunt of jumping in front of a dueling pair as they were turning to fire had me rolling my eyes and unable to figure out why she allowed Harclay to take the blame and feel remorseful for it. I also couldn't figure out why she pushed him away with some flimsy excuse of family obligation when he's like the wealthiest man in the kingdom so he can deal with all the family financial woes and she loves him- just wasn't a true barrier. The romance was hot and came on fast, but I didn't mind that so much as those other inconsistencies I pointed out earlier.

Hope and the other secondary characters were a definite strong point. I found them all engaging particularly the secondary romance involving Harclay's sister. I hope she gets her own story. Hope's story is next and while this one was a bit loose for me, I still look forward to that one to see if a different heroine and plot thread will make a difference.

I thought all the side elements from the circus performer assassins to the con against the French royalty just hilarious. I swear that there was a little bit of everything tossed into this one and it was a blast just anticipating what over the top device would be tossed in when you least expected it.

All in all, it was fun if slightly weak in plot and the heroine, it was hot and it had a good intrigue element. I look forward to more from this author. Those who enjoy lighter, but spicy hot historical romance might want to try this one.

My thanks to Penguin Group for the opportunity to read this one in exchange for an honest review.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.5/10 I’d read the others. This was a bit silly but ok.

[Lynne Scopazzi]

very good looking forward to read 2nd book

[OpenBookSociety.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://openbooksociety.com/article/th...

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Una

the-gentleman-jewel-thief-the-hope-diamond-trilogy-jessica-petersonIn an era when ladies were demure and men courtly, one priceless treasure set England ablaze and incited unimaginable scandal and passion—the Hope Diamond.

The Gentleman Jewel Thief is a romantic historical fiction. It is a delightful light read and has enough romance and intrigue to keep you interested until the end. Heir to an impressive title and fortune Lord William Townshend, Earl of Harclay is bored and seeking excitement. He decides to steal the world’s legendary gemstone from its owner Mr. Hope who happens to be William’s banker. Surprising is that it is not the robbery but the lady who is wearing it that gets his passion stirring.

The lady in question is Lady Violet Rutledge who also banks with Mr. Hope and feels that since she is the one who has lost the jewel it must be she who retrieves it.

Both William and Violet are caught in a game of secrecy and seduction and Violet must find a way to protect her fortune and her heart before she loses both forever.

The efforts to retrieve the stolen jewel lead to madcap adventures and William can be exasperating at times- especially when he challenges his sister’s suitor to a duel for doing exactly what he is doing to Violet or when his thoughtlessness almost ruins everything that Violet holds dear.

I feel that Violet herself is an enigma for the times as she drinks like a male and can beat most males in cards: seen in those days as a very unladylike quality. Also in a society where females where considered the “fairer sex” and were not allowed the rights that males had, Violet comes across as a strong individual who has learned to play and win in a male dominated society to get what she needs and wants to maintain her families fortune- at the expense of her finding a suitable husband which was considered necessary for this time period for any well respected woman.

Both Violet and William have a strong sense of family loyalty which strengthens as the book progresses.

I think the love story between Violet and William is passionate and wild for the time period. Neither of them wanted the affair but the chemistry is too strong between the two to do anything but follow their desire for each other. The language is explicit but is told in the period language so does not come across as vulgar or distasteful.

Although I found the whole King Louis plot a bit far-fetched it did give a bit of question to the ending and keeps the reader in suspense.

The writer was clever in the way that the ending mimicked the beginning and tied up the loose ends. It also gave possibilities for the story to continue.

I enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes historical romances.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE GENTLEMAN JEWEL THIEF: Diamonds are Forever

ORIGINAL POST at my blog: FANGS, WANDS & FAIRY DUST on June 30, 2014

http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...

©2014 Stephanie Takes-Desbiens

E-Galley provided by publisher via NetGalley for review purposes. No remuneration was exchanged and all opinion presented herein is my own unless otherwise noted.



Wow! I found myself loving this book beaucoup after the first few pages. It’s a brilliant debut. With capers reminiscent of a Three Musketeers movie, magnetic attraction, hot hook ups and some life lessons handed down to the characters, this tale captured my interest and was very, shall we say, stimulating. I found Peterson’s writing intelligent, appropriately descriptive, and passionate. Some of the love scenes are beautifully written. Some things, like wine stained lips, were weirdly described as sexy, when I have noticed mine to be stained this way it is far from that..

There was one action scene on a boat I had difficulty understanding, but I generally find fights and battles hard to picture when I read them.

There may be a tiny paranormal element in the way the diamond is described as having a pull, and in the way the heroine can feel the Earl enter a room.


The Hope Diamond, which was cut from the Royal...

The Hope Diamond ( Wikipedia)

I loved the author’s note at the end discussing the historical realities of the diamond in question, the French Bleu which was later recut into a more standard shape as the famous Hope Diamond which Richard Burton gave Elizabeth Taylor; big news when I was a kid. This 50 carat stone makes Kim and Kanye’s ring seem small.

I thought the characters were interesting. I liked Violet, but found her behaviors, interior monologues and actions incongruous. There’s a line when Harclay meets Violet that totally surprises me and gives her character new perspective,. But, I was unsure whether it was a truth about her character or just how she liked to see herself.

Harclay is really wealthy, and it is hard to comprehend just why he wants to steal the diamond in the first place. The dialogue is witty and the earl is a real charmer. The entire plot about the item going missing is on the edge of too far fetched, but in the way of romance novels, you won’t really care.

One thing that bugged me was the Earl’s treatmenet of his sister, a dowager duchess. As a widow of higher rank tan Harclay, she would have been much less under his thumb.

But, I really loved this book, although not its cover. I highly recommend it to people who like steamy and fast paced, fantastic Regency romance! Sign me up for the second in the series!

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title sort of says it all. William, a rich, bored duke-tired of all the easily seduced females of London, most of whom want to get him permanently in their clutches, meets Lady Violet. She is almost past marrying age, being 22 and unattached. She is responsible for a dotering father, an aunt, a cousin and all their bills and property. Considering she is rapidly approaching the age of definite spinster-hood and feeling overwhelmed by her obligations, she has decidedly cast off any concern for propriety. She, too, is bored.

They meet at a ball where she is wearing the Hope diamond around her neck, suspended on a rope of diamonds. They dance a waltz, the ball is invaded by rowdies who destroy the chandeliers and after all the mayhem she discovers that the necklace is gone from her neck. Within a very few days, she concludes that William is the only one who could possibly have purloined it, though she knows not how. Thus begins a perfect summer's day read of romp and deception intermingled with VERY sexy seduction scenes and eventual mystery solved, diamond recovered and happy future assured for the reluctant lovers. What happens between the ball and the resolution however is fun and improbable but light and delightful reading.

Jessica has filled the book with enough subordinate characters of both sexes that her next novel in the trilogy deals with Mr Hope and his relationship with the less than mousy cousin, Sophia. Looking forward to it.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun start to The Hope Diamond Trilogy by Jessica Peterson, a new-to-me author. Bored with the ton, Lord William is blessed with fortune but wants to shake things up. He’s given the chance when banker Thomas Hope throws a ball to celebrate the most legendary gemstone, The French Blue. William has just the plan to ‘acquire’ this gem for his own, if only for a short time. Lady Violet is stunned when Mr. Hope allows her to wear the precious gem at his ball but the opportunity to dance with William is even more breathtaking. When the necklace disappears from around her neck Violet knows that she has to track down the thief to save her family’s fortune. With the help of William and the additional cast of fun characters, Violet will stop at nothing to save her family. I really enjoyed how intelligent Violet was, how she may be a lady but she had no problem speaking her mind and doing what she needed to save her family. There was a great connection between William and Violet and I loved how dumbfounded he was when he realized that what he felt was more than just physical. The remainder of the series will tell the story of the additional couples introduced in this book but telling their story of romance while the gem is hunted. Can’t wait to continue!

[Tammy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should have known from the description that I wouldn't like this book. The whole premise was not one that appealed to me. Bored and rich he decides to steal a rare gem for the thrill of doing it, with no thought as to how his actions would affect other people. Just the very type of behavior I can't stand in real life. I has a lot of trouble just staying interested in the story, which was so far fetched and ridiculous that I had to force myself to keep reading. The romance was just so-so, and the ending left me cold. I am returning the other two book in the series to the library unread. The first book in the series was enough to convince me they are not worth wasting my time. One other beef I have with this book was the historical inaccuracies found in the actions of the people. It read more like current times than a regency. Ladies of that time would not have been caught dead acting as the ones in the book did, with no thought to their reputations.

[Deborah Gebhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun journey of a well matched adventurer, adventuress and the Hope Diamond. The story moves well and fast. I have a few questions, however, was it pride that stopped Violet from accepting William's proposal? William certainly has enough money and a generous sprit, her and her family would be well taken care of had she said yes. And Lake, I don't think he thought through the possible outcomes of his disclosure of William's identity to the acrobats, and with his persistent pursuing of William's sister, his safety might/should have been of some concern. Although he of course had no idea of Violet's part in the intrigue or that her life would be endangered by his actions.
This is the first in the trilogy. Looking forward to the other two volumes.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical romance. Earl of Harley, bored with his life, decided to steal the Hope diamond while it is being worn at a ball. Evidently he totally forgot that a great share of his fortune was invested in the owner's bank. Hope, the banker who owned the diamond, watched as his investors remove their money from his bank. And who could blame them? Hope obviously couldn't keep his own money safe. Could he keep their money safe?

Meanwhile, the earl, Lord William is falling in love with Lady Violet, the lady who was wearing the diamond. Her entire fortune lies in Hope's bank and is quickly disappearing.

An entire cast of characters is trying to find the diamond. Some wish to return it to Hope; others to keep it themselves.

[Domisty · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing I have come to love about Goodreads & their first read giveaways is that I can read a book that I might not normally purchase for myself. That was the case with The Gentleman Jewel Thief. If I was "judging a book by it's cover" I would hvae thought this was a historical romance which it was but it was also an adventure with Lady Violet & The Lord of Harclay.

It captured me & I was rooting for a happy-ending. This book has love, romance & suspense. I can't wait for the second book to see what happens with this cast of chararcters.

**I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway **

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Jessica Peterson's first book and I liked it! It's a good, fun first book and kept me interested. It's loosely based on the movie "The Thomas Crown Affair". There were a few times where I thought a little more detail was needed, but when I won an ARC of her 2nd book, "The Millionaire Rogue" I realized it was not a sequel, but the event that begins this book told from another character's point of view. The trilogy is 3 couples' stories that began with the theft in this one. The characters are all connected. I liked the second book better than this one. I think you should try this new author as she will get better with each book.

[Jena Lang · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the adventurous, fast-paced premise of this fun Regency romp. There are some wonderful aspects of the story that kept me turning the pages, but some parts didn't work for me. Harclay acted more like a selfish scoundrel than a hero. And though Violet was strong and feisty, her behavior seemed a bit over-the-top at times. I loved the book's humor, but thought the excessive em dashes impacted the flow of the story. Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I look forward to the next book in the Diamond Trilogy.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story based loosely on the Hope Diamond legend. Violet and William are two people who truly enjoy life and live it to the fullest. When the Hope is stolen from Violet's neck during a masquerade ball, she becomes involved in a con of enormous proportions. Add in her cousin Sophia and the pull she has with Mr. Hope, and William's sister Caroline an her attraction to Mr. Lake, acrobats, duels, shootings and poisoning and the story is just too good to miss. Can't wait to read the next.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the tiniest font I've ever seen in a book. Definitely not one to read into the night - you'll go blind.

There were parts of this book I really liked and parts that just drove me crazy, because the hot-headed hero didn't think about the consequences of his actions or it was just weird - plot with the King of France is bizarre.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun romp! I actually gasped out loud at one point. I liked the premise from the start--very Thomas Crown Affair--and found it to be unusual. It made for an interesting character! And the ending had me on the edge of my seat. I look forward to the next one!

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved it! Especially loved the billiard cue fiasco...lol.
It was also nice to see the author wrote "arse" instead of "ass".
A lovely story which I thoroughly enjoyed.
My only gripe: the type in the book is too small for me.

[Mandi]

DNFing at 20%. Just can't get into it.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good kick-off to a new series.

[Suzy Manning · Rating 3 out of 5]

light read, lots of action. Interesting precept. Really appreciaetd the backup detail on the Hope Diamond

[Kelly Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Villains crashing parties (literally), sinking ships, and a stolen diamond. A diabolical hero and a heroine who has a gloriously strong will. Loved it!

[Macaron · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ridiculous. I couldn't finish this book. It sounds like a parody of some mixture of western and highland romance. Strange, isn't it?

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the characters, both of them somewhat immature in their schemes. But the plot line as nice, at times unexpected and a good read. And the romance was very very well written.

[D Nichols · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. I wish I hadn't read the second book in the series before this first book. Usually it doesn't matter but this time I think it made a difference.

[Amy Alvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!