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The Men of Medicine Ridge #3
El secreto de John
Sassy Peale estaba desesperada por ayudar a su familia, pero su exiguo sueldo no le daba para mucho. Entonces conoció a John Callister y creyó que su nuevo amigo era un sencillo, rudo y honesto vaquero en el que se podía confiar.
Pero John no era un trabajador de rancho, sino un millonario perteneciente a una de las familias más poderosas de Montana y, cuando Sassy descubrió quién era realmente, no le cupo ninguna duda de que el arrogante millonario sólo estaba jugando con ella.
John tendría que convencerla de que era el hombre que ella creyó ver en un principio: un diamante en bruto.
Pero John no era un trabajador de rancho, sino un millonario perteneciente a una de las familias más poderosas de Montana y, cuando Sassy descubrió quién era realmente, no le cupo ninguna duda de que el arrogante millonario sólo estaba jugando con ella.
John tendría que convencerla de que era el hombre que ella creyó ver en un principio: un diamante en bruto.
Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2009
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About the author
Diana Palmer
1,041 books3,097 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Diana Palmer is a pseudonym for author Susan Kyle.
(1)romance author
Susan Eloise Spaeth was born on 11 December 1946 in Cuthbert, Georgia, USA. She was the eldest daughter of Maggie Eloise Cliatt, a nurse and also journalist, and William Olin Spaeth, a college professor. Her mother was part of the women's liberation movement many years before it became fashionable. Her best friends are her mother and her sister, Dannis Spaeth (Cole), who now has two daughters, Amanda Belle Hofstetter and Maggie and lives in Utah. Susan grew up reading Zane Grey and fell in love with cowboys. Susan is a former newspaper reporter, with sixteen years experience on both daily and weekly newspapers. Since 1972, she has been married to James Kyle and have since settled down in Cornelia, Georgia, where she started to write romance novels. Susan and her husband have one son, Blayne Edward, born in 1980.
She began selling romances in 1979 as Diana Palmer. She also used the pseudonyms Diana Blayne and Katy Currie, and her married name: Susan Kyle. Now, she has over 40 million copies of her books in print, which have been translated and published around the world. She is listed in numerous publications, including Contemporary Authors by Gale Research, Inc., Twentieth Century Romance and Historical Writers by St. James Press, The Writers Directory by St. James Press, the International Who's Who of Authors and Writers by Meirose Press, Ltd., and Love's Leading Ladies by Kathryn Falk. Her awards include seven Waldenbooks national sales awards, four B. Dalton national sales awards, two Bookrak national sales awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award for series storytelling from Romantic Times, several Affaire de Coeur awards, and two regional RWA awards.
Inspired by her husband, who quit a blue-collar manufacturing job to return to school and get his diploma in computer programming, Susan herself went back to college as a day student at the age of 45. In 1995, she graduated summa cum laude from Piedmont College, Demorest, GA, with a major in history and a double minor in archaeology and Spanish. She was named to two honor societies (the Torch Club and Alpha Chi), and was named to the National Dean's List. In addition to her writing projects, she is currently working on her master's degree in history at California State University. She hopes to specialize in Native American studies. She is a member of the Native American Rights Fund, the American Museum of Natural History, the National Cattlemen's Association, the Archaeological Institute of Amenca, the Planetary Society, The Georgia Conservancy, the Georgia Sheriff's Association, and numerous conservation and charitable organizations. Her hobbies include gardening, archaeology, anthropology, iguanas, astronomy and music.
In 1998, her husband retired from his own computer business and now pursues skeet shooting medals in local, state, national and international competition. They love riding around and looking at the countryside, watching sci-fi on TV and at the movies, just talking and eating out.
Diana Palmer is a pseudonym for author Susan Kyle.
(1)romance author
Susan Eloise Spaeth was born on 11 December 1946 in Cuthbert, Georgia, USA. She was the eldest daughter of Maggie Eloise Cliatt, a nurse and also journalist, and William Olin Spaeth, a college professor. Her mother was part of the women's liberation movement many years before it became fashionable. Her best friends are her mother and her sister, Dannis Spaeth (Cole), who now has two daughters, Amanda Belle Hofstetter and Maggie and lives in Utah. Susan grew up reading Zane Grey and fell in love with cowboys. Susan is a former newspaper reporter, with sixteen years experience on both daily and weekly newspapers. Since 1972, she has been married to James Kyle and have since settled down in Cornelia, Georgia, where she started to write romance novels. Susan and her husband have one son, Blayne Edward, born in 1980.
She began selling romances in 1979 as Diana Palmer. She also used the pseudonyms Diana Blayne and Katy Currie, and her married name: Susan Kyle. Now, she has over 40 million copies of her books in print, which have been translated and published around the world. She is listed in numerous publications, including Contemporary Authors by Gale Research, Inc., Twentieth Century Romance and Historical Writers by St. James Press, The Writers Directory by St. James Press, the International Who's Who of Authors and Writers by Meirose Press, Ltd., and Love's Leading Ladies by Kathryn Falk. Her awards include seven Waldenbooks national sales awards, four B. Dalton national sales awards, two Bookrak national sales awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award for series storytelling from Romantic Times, several Affaire de Coeur awards, and two regional RWA awards.
Inspired by her husband, who quit a blue-collar manufacturing job to return to school and get his diploma in computer programming, Susan herself went back to college as a day student at the age of 45. In 1995, she graduated summa cum laude from Piedmont College, Demorest, GA, with a major in history and a double minor in archaeology and Spanish. She was named to two honor societies (the Torch Club and Alpha Chi), and was named to the National Dean's List. In addition to her writing projects, she is currently working on her master's degree in history at California State University. She hopes to specialize in Native American studies. She is a member of the Native American Rights Fund, the American Museum of Natural History, the National Cattlemen's Association, the Archaeological Institute of Amenca, the Planetary Society, The Georgia Conservancy, the Georgia Sheriff's Association, and numerous conservation and charitable organizations. Her hobbies include gardening, archaeology, anthropology, iguanas, astronomy and music.
In 1998, her husband retired from his own computer business and now pursues skeet shooting medals in local, state, national and international competition. They love riding around and looking at the countryside, watching sci-fi on TV and at the movies, just talking and eating out.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
October 31, 2016
A sweet but sedate Cinderella tale, with all the DP staples. But also without any of her usual nasties.
The h is a poor and naive (almost gauche) 19 years old, and he's a 'millionaire' rancher. He comes to town and keeps his identity secret. He’s fascinated with her from the word go and pursues her in a sweet gentlemanly way. There’s not much of a plot/story but he keeps helping her one way or the other and she’s also attracted to him. So they tumble along to an engagement, minor mu, wedding, wedding night and back to the ranch for the hea.
Only novelty was that there was no ILY said in the book! And that dint really feel odd.
DP loves to portray rural Middle America as the last bastion of morality and the good simple life, and all the lectures are almost sweet in a way. But still the h’s unworldliness was bit of an eyeroller. Sample this…
“I guess I’ve been very sheltered. I do have a cell phone, but I don’t know how to do text-messages.”
This from a girl in a book published in 2009. And later, conversely she shows knowledge of the social media..
“I guarantee if you so much as kiss me, we’ll be on every Internet social networking site in the world,” she told him.
The h is a poor and naive (almost gauche) 19 years old, and he's a 'millionaire' rancher. He comes to town and keeps his identity secret. He’s fascinated with her from the word go and pursues her in a sweet gentlemanly way. There’s not much of a plot/story but he keeps helping her one way or the other and she’s also attracted to him. So they tumble along to an engagement, minor mu, wedding, wedding night and back to the ranch for the hea.
Only novelty was that there was no ILY said in the book! And that dint really feel odd.
DP loves to portray rural Middle America as the last bastion of morality and the good simple life, and all the lectures are almost sweet in a way. But still the h’s unworldliness was bit of an eyeroller. Sample this…
“I guess I’ve been very sheltered. I do have a cell phone, but I don’t know how to do text-messages.”
This from a girl in a book published in 2009. And later, conversely she shows knowledge of the social media..
“I guarantee if you so much as kiss me, we’ll be on every Internet social networking site in the world,” she told him.
February 25, 2019
A totally safe DP book. Who knew!?
Sassy is only 19 but she's an old soul. John is 31 and has a hard time feeling comfortable with his attraction to Sassy when she is so much younger.
The blurb is kinda misleading. It suggests that the angst of the story is when Sassy finds out he is a millionaire and that he has to work hard after that to get her to believe in his love.
Nope. She is briefly pissed about it. But as soon as she sees him again he sets her straight and he had already declared himself anyways.
So nothing much happens. But it was sweet. DP gets on her soap box about this and that as usual.
I listened to the audio and it was entertaining but not particularly memorable.
The reader, Jack Garrett, has that 'cowboy' voice that DP seems to like so much. He does a good job.
Sassy is only 19 but she's an old soul. John is 31 and has a hard time feeling comfortable with his attraction to Sassy when she is so much younger.
The blurb is kinda misleading. It suggests that the angst of the story is when Sassy finds out he is a millionaire and that he has to work hard after that to get her to believe in his love.
Nope. She is briefly pissed about it. But as soon as she sees him again he sets her straight and he had already declared himself anyways.
So nothing much happens. But it was sweet. DP gets on her soap box about this and that as usual.
I listened to the audio and it was entertaining but not particularly memorable.
The reader, Jack Garrett, has that 'cowboy' voice that DP seems to like so much. He does a good job.
May 27, 2009
This was a fun, sweet read by one of my favorite authors. John is probably one of the nicest heroes that Diana Palmer has ever written. Yes he did pretend to be a modest cowboy, but you can't hold that against him, considering his past. From the beginning, he reaches out and helps Sassy with no underlying motives. He sees the good and the beauty in a small-town, simple girl who has sacrificed everything for her sick mother and adopted sister.
Although I love her writing, and don't have any issues with it, some readers find Palmer's stories to be formulaic. If that is the case, they would probably enjoy this story because of its freshness. Also for the fact that John is not like her typical heroes, fighting falling in love with Sassy. He has a moment or two of apprehension as he realizes he is getting in deep, but surrenders fairly quickly to the knowledge that he is in love with Sassy and wants to spend the rest of their life together.
The ending of this book reads like a fairy tale comes true, the downtrodden princess gets her happy ever after with the handsome rich prince, and all ends well. But isn't that why we read romance novels? At any rate, I couldn't help smiling as the last pages of this book went by my eyes.
Although I love her writing, and don't have any issues with it, some readers find Palmer's stories to be formulaic. If that is the case, they would probably enjoy this story because of its freshness. Also for the fact that John is not like her typical heroes, fighting falling in love with Sassy. He has a moment or two of apprehension as he realizes he is getting in deep, but surrenders fairly quickly to the knowledge that he is in love with Sassy and wants to spend the rest of their life together.
The ending of this book reads like a fairy tale comes true, the downtrodden princess gets her happy ever after with the handsome rich prince, and all ends well. But isn't that why we read romance novels? At any rate, I couldn't help smiling as the last pages of this book went by my eyes.
February 15, 2014
Super sweet heroine and a very smitten hero who is a true prince charming. He saves the heroine and her family from poverty, from sickness and even from an evil guy who tries to rape our heroine. I want John Callister all to myself!
December 28, 2021
2 ⭐⭐ - Meh!
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The traveling was beginning to wear on him. Although he dated infrequently, he’d never found a woman he wanted to keep.
He knew she was untouched. Tarleton had stolen her first intimacy from her, soiled it, demeaned it.
“There’s nothing wrong with honest labor and hard work,” she told him. “I could never wrap my mind around some rich, fancy man with a string of women following him around. I like cowboys just fine.”
“You have a big heart, Sassy,” he said, his voice very deep and soft. “Plenty of other people don’t, and they will use your own compassion against you.”
He glowered at her. “Just because a woman threw me over, I’m not damaged goods.” “How did she throw you over?”
“She got engaged to me while she was living with a man down in Colorado.”
“It’s that old Scotch-Irish second sight. My grandmother had it as well. She could see far ahead.” She frowned. “She made a prediction that never made sense. It still doesn’t.” “What sort?” “She said I would be poor, but my daughter would live like royalty.” She laughed. “I’m sorry, darling, but that doesn’t seem likely.”
“What sort of pot did you have in mind throwing at me?” he taunted. “Something made of cast iron,” she muttered. “Although I expect you’d dent it.” “My head is not that hard,” he retorted.
It was so sweet that she moaned with the ardent passion he aroused in her. She’d never felt her body swell and shudder like this when a man held her. She’d never been kissed so thoroughly, so expertly.
“That was a mistake,” he said curtly, putting her firmly at arm’s length and letting her go.
He pulled his hat low over his eyes. “It’s been a long, dry spell.” “Well, if that isn’t the nicest compliment I ever had,” she muttered. “You were lonely and I was the only eligible woman handy!” “You were,” he shot back.
The big problem was going to be the distance between them socially.
He was going to take her out a few times. Maybe kiss her once in a while. It was nothing he couldn’t handle. She’d just be companionship while he was getting this new ranching enterprise off the ground.
“I guess you…do that all the time,” she stammered. He shrugged. “I used to. But since I met you, I haven’t wanted to do it with anyone else.”
John had consoled himself that he still had time to tell Sassy the truth.
“The man’s full name is John Taggert Callister,” he said in a gentler tone. “He’s Gil Callister’s younger brother.” Sassy’s face lost color.
March 6, 2011
Oh. My. Goodness. If it were possible to issue a negative rating, I definitely would have done so. Romance novels all try to spoon-feed readers a little bit; they seem to spell the plot out, and cheesiness is expected.
This book was so much worse.
Rather than focus on all the horrific things (weak plot, one-dimensional characters, pure sap, etc.), I'm just going to focus on the most horrific thing: the style of writing. I can't even describe the kind of language this novel used. It was so simplistic and... plain that some parts were truly painful to get through. Let's be clear, I don't mean 'plain' as in 'honest,' or 'straightforward.' I mean that it seemed to be written by an elementary-school student. The remainder of the novel was so ridiculously cliched that my heart broke. It wept in sorrow. My eyes dimmed as I wearily turned to the next page, and the next, and the next... hoping, praying that there would be an end in sight... Well, you get the idea.
Honestly, I have no clue how Diana Palmer is such an established author! I can only hope that I picked up one of her worse novels (although it doesn't seem like it judging by the reviews here).
This book was so much worse.
Rather than focus on all the horrific things (weak plot, one-dimensional characters, pure sap, etc.), I'm just going to focus on the most horrific thing: the style of writing. I can't even describe the kind of language this novel used. It was so simplistic and... plain that some parts were truly painful to get through. Let's be clear, I don't mean 'plain' as in 'honest,' or 'straightforward.' I mean that it seemed to be written by an elementary-school student. The remainder of the novel was so ridiculously cliched that my heart broke. It wept in sorrow. My eyes dimmed as I wearily turned to the next page, and the next, and the next... hoping, praying that there would be an end in sight... Well, you get the idea.
Honestly, I have no clue how Diana Palmer is such an established author! I can only hope that I picked up one of her worse novels (although it doesn't seem like it judging by the reviews here).
March 16, 2024
Wanted it for spring break steam and there was no steam. Cute story tho! Also age gap??!?!? Creepy.
November 1, 2019
Shallow fairy tale of exceedingly poor scrapper of a girl meets mysterious millionaire pretending to be just an ordinary cowboy, until he cures her mother's cancer, beats up her handsy boss, and generally rescues her from her poor life.
The characters are ok, if two-dimensional. The plot is sweet, if predictable.
I was flabbergasted that this was written in this century. It has all the heavy handed machismo of the 1970s. Diana Palmer is still using the same formula she started with in 1979.
The lecherous boss locks Sassy in a stock room, tears her blouse to shreds, forces his kisses on her, leaves bruises all over and is trying to wrestle her to the ground when he is caught in the act. Her condition after her struggle is immediately well documented by boss the law and doctor. The district attorney though, tells her that they can't prosecute for sexual assault unless it was "sexual." Basically, unless she can prove rape, he will walk free. They can't go after him based on "a few bruises and unwanted kisses." And this same guy has been charged with sexual assault or battery in several previous jobs. Sassy needed that job, as she (at 19) was the sole provider for her small family of three. It's textbook and should have been a slam dunk.
This is only one example of what an anachronism this book is. I read plenty of her older books and understand this mentality of female victimization is product of that era, but along with other signs of modernization in this story (cell phones, hotel key cards), this attitude toward women needs to be updated.
The characters are ok, if two-dimensional. The plot is sweet, if predictable.
I was flabbergasted that this was written in this century. It has all the heavy handed machismo of the 1970s. Diana Palmer is still using the same formula she started with in 1979.
The lecherous boss locks Sassy in a stock room, tears her blouse to shreds, forces his kisses on her, leaves bruises all over and is trying to wrestle her to the ground when he is caught in the act. Her condition after her struggle is immediately well documented by boss the law and doctor. The district attorney though, tells her that they can't prosecute for sexual assault unless it was "sexual." Basically, unless she can prove rape, he will walk free. They can't go after him based on "a few bruises and unwanted kisses." And this same guy has been charged with sexual assault or battery in several previous jobs. Sassy needed that job, as she (at 19) was the sole provider for her small family of three. It's textbook and should have been a slam dunk.
This is only one example of what an anachronism this book is. I read plenty of her older books and understand this mentality of female victimization is product of that era, but along with other signs of modernization in this story (cell phones, hotel key cards), this attitude toward women needs to be updated.
March 1, 2022
Mengawali awal tahun dengan buku yang lembut-lembut, keset(?)
Berlian terpendam, salah satu buku mbak Diana yang alurnya smooth. Konfliknya biasa saja. Lumayan buat selingan. Tidak terlalu serius. Ya seperti harlequin (yang tipis) pada umumnya.
Jatuh centong pada pandangan pertama. Si laki-laki kaya dan gadis desa. Belajar yang namanya saling percaya. Cemburu. Hah.. 💞
Yang kusadari, dari sekian buku Mbak Diana yang aku baca, pasti tokoh utama laki-lakinya lebih tua👀 Wow😆
Lumayan buat cem-ceman awal tahun. Like it :) Bukunya mbak Diana sejauh ini belum ada yang mengecewakanku😭💞
Berlian terpendam, salah satu buku mbak Diana yang alurnya smooth. Konfliknya biasa saja. Lumayan buat selingan. Tidak terlalu serius. Ya seperti harlequin (yang tipis) pada umumnya.
Jatuh centong pada pandangan pertama. Si laki-laki kaya dan gadis desa. Belajar yang namanya saling percaya. Cemburu. Hah.. 💞
Yang kusadari, dari sekian buku Mbak Diana yang aku baca, pasti tokoh utama laki-lakinya lebih tua👀 Wow😆
Lumayan buat cem-ceman awal tahun. Like it :) Bukunya mbak Diana sejauh ini belum ada yang mengecewakanku😭💞
December 20, 2022
Conclusion: Overall, a light read to pass the time, not to be taken seriously lest ire befalls you.
There were several things I found quite flummoxing about this romance, I'll list four so as not to spoil your experience of the novel (but reason with me after you read it, if indeed you do).
1. The heroine (Sassy) was almost raped by her feed store manager, only being saved by John Callister by the hair's breadth, but she seems to pity the guy when he's being sentenced saying things like, "Poor Mr. Tarleton".... spends more time pitying Mr. Tarleton's wife than being glad he's in jail and no longer able to keep sexually assaulting women. She doesn't seem able to dredge up anger at him for what he almost succeeded in doing to her. How perplexing!
2. The brief love-triangle between John Callister, Caleb Danner and Sassy- I didn't quite believe Caleb's 'story' of needing to throw his buddy off track and Sassy seemed quite naïve to volunteer her photo to someone who just happened to pop back into her life after being stationed overseas, someone she wasn't sure she'd see again. John never gets to finish his sentence on how he feels about it. I'm not quite sure what Caleb Danner's role in the story was meant to be. Quite befuddling really.
3. The odd get-together and chat that Kasie and Sassy seem to have in Chapter 11. The conversation is out of place and seems as if the author is trying to list facts to link this book to the others in the series, rather than write out a natural conversation between two new sisters-in-law. Nobody has conversations like that. I couldn't quite understand its necessity, it was simply odd.
4. Perhaps the most baffling of all is that after her ordeal with Mr. Tarleton, Sassy seems to bounce back to normality without needing counselling after sexual assault, without any counselling being offered to her... even her mother, Mrs. Peale spends more time talking about the history of the Bradbury ranch with John after he brings her home and apart from the short, "she had a rough day..." explanation, Mrs. Peale doesn't ask more about her daughter's traumatic experience saying about her trauma, “We’ll deal with that…if we have to." I was thoroughly disappointed with how the author presented a mother's response to her daughter's sexual harassment by her boss (angry about it but doing nothing) and eventual sexual assault. However not all mothers are mama bears for their children; illness or otherwise, this one certainly wasn't.
There were several things I found quite flummoxing about this romance, I'll list four so as not to spoil your experience of the novel (but reason with me after you read it, if indeed you do).
1. The heroine (Sassy) was almost raped by her feed store manager, only being saved by John Callister by the hair's breadth, but she seems to pity the guy when he's being sentenced saying things like, "Poor Mr. Tarleton".... spends more time pitying Mr. Tarleton's wife than being glad he's in jail and no longer able to keep sexually assaulting women. She doesn't seem able to dredge up anger at him for what he almost succeeded in doing to her. How perplexing!
2. The brief love-triangle between John Callister, Caleb Danner and Sassy- I didn't quite believe Caleb's 'story' of needing to throw his buddy off track and Sassy seemed quite naïve to volunteer her photo to someone who just happened to pop back into her life after being stationed overseas, someone she wasn't sure she'd see again. John never gets to finish his sentence on how he feels about it. I'm not quite sure what Caleb Danner's role in the story was meant to be. Quite befuddling really.
3. The odd get-together and chat that Kasie and Sassy seem to have in Chapter 11. The conversation is out of place and seems as if the author is trying to list facts to link this book to the others in the series, rather than write out a natural conversation between two new sisters-in-law. Nobody has conversations like that. I couldn't quite understand its necessity, it was simply odd.
4. Perhaps the most baffling of all is that after her ordeal with Mr. Tarleton, Sassy seems to bounce back to normality without needing counselling after sexual assault, without any counselling being offered to her... even her mother, Mrs. Peale spends more time talking about the history of the Bradbury ranch with John after he brings her home and apart from the short, "she had a rough day..." explanation, Mrs. Peale doesn't ask more about her daughter's traumatic experience saying about her trauma, “We’ll deal with that…if we have to." I was thoroughly disappointed with how the author presented a mother's response to her daughter's sexual harassment by her boss (angry about it but doing nothing) and eventual sexual assault. However not all mothers are mama bears for their children; illness or otherwise, this one certainly wasn't.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2022
John Callister arrives in Hollister to oversee construction of his family's new ranch. Not wanting to attract attention he pretends to be just the ranch foreman. Though he's attracted to the young assistant manager of the local feed store, he knows his age and his money are an obstacle to the relationship. When she suffers an assault, John is determined to protect her.
Another sweet small town romance. I enjoy kicking back with a Diana Palmer book on a quiet afternoon. She crosses over her series so that we get to regularly visit with characters from other stories. These books are like taking a deep, relaxing breath between some of the heavier suspense and darker stories are also enjoy.
Another sweet small town romance. I enjoy kicking back with a Diana Palmer book on a quiet afternoon. She crosses over her series so that we get to regularly visit with characters from other stories. These books are like taking a deep, relaxing breath between some of the heavier suspense and darker stories are also enjoy.
August 1, 2018
This is a lovely story of two lost souls who find each other. Sassy is a lovely homebody who lives for her family and helping them in any way she can....and what a beautiful character John Callister is. The frustrating aspect of this story however was the unbelievable aspects of it. No one in today's western world could be as naive as Sassy's character. It was obvious that this was a remake of an old story introducing modern technology to make it seem new. Some things weren't changed though which gave the age of the story away. Overlooking that though, this was a lovely story with beautiful characters.
November 15, 2025
Comfortingly dramatic, romantic, and vintage Diana Palmer.
_ Diamond in the Rough_ brings everything I love about Diana Palmer’s storytelling — a stubborn, protective hero; a resilient heroine; and a romance filled with tension, misunderstandings, and genuine emotional payoff.
The pacing is classic Palmer: slow-burn, high-tension, and deeply character-driven. The chemistry simmers, the drama hits just right, and the emotional growth between the leads is satisfying.
It’s the kind of story you read when you want a blend of nostalgia, romance, and a rugged hero whose edges are softened by love. A true comfort read.
_ Diamond in the Rough_ brings everything I love about Diana Palmer’s storytelling — a stubborn, protective hero; a resilient heroine; and a romance filled with tension, misunderstandings, and genuine emotional payoff.
The pacing is classic Palmer: slow-burn, high-tension, and deeply character-driven. The chemistry simmers, the drama hits just right, and the emotional growth between the leads is satisfying.
It’s the kind of story you read when you want a blend of nostalgia, romance, and a rugged hero whose edges are softened by love. A true comfort read.
August 8, 2018
Ahhh! I really enjoyed Sassy and John's story. It was sweet and entertaining. Sassy is a poor innocent young girl ( 19 years old) working for a sleazy boss, to help support her mother and young adopted sister. One day her boss attacks her, however, she is saved by John, a multimillionaire that she believed to be just a working cowboy. This was a good read, the characters likeable and the story flew well. No steamy scenes however. Highly recommended, nonetheless
September 21, 2021
The series continues with successful rancher, John, breaking off on his own and starting a new ranch. He decided to go by his first and middle name so people accept him for who he is vs the rich, successful rancher he is. He meets a scrappy clerk at the local feed store that ends up with them getting married after some twists and runs along the way. Kind of an easy read...not too deep a story, but it allows the reader to get to know brother, John, better!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2024
A very likeable PG-13 story! Not a lot of heat or angst. Diana Palmer has slowed down! But a very nice story! The hero is absolutely just that! He takes care of the heroine and her family! He’s not gruff but funny, kind and charming! The heroine is a young virginal 19 year old country girl. She’s like a 12 year old in her naïveté . But she’s very sweet, extremely responsible and likeable.
July 14, 2020
I liked this one even though I don’t read a lot of books with 19yr old heroines anymore. The best thing is that this is a rare DP with a nice H and no OW. I do wonder about Caleb and his best friends girlfriend though....does he get a book?
December 17, 2021
5 star modern western romance. Rich rancher falls in love with a young poor girl. I loved it - could have used 2 more fight scenes though.
Great characters and not too much stupid drama. A joy to read. Perfect ending.
So good that I did the whole 8 hour audiobook in one day.
Great characters and not too much stupid drama. A joy to read. Perfect ending.
So good that I did the whole 8 hour audiobook in one day.
August 26, 2017
You can't go wrong with a book by Diana Palmer, and this is one of my favorites!!
March 26, 2018
Nice book.
October 11, 2020
I did not realize until I read this that the Diana Palmer-verse stretched beyond Jacobsville, TX.
February 25, 2021
John es el mejor de todos los que he leído de las historias de Diana, el caballero de ensueño, me encanto su historia...
February 4, 2022
One of my favorite books by Diana Palmer. One of the best writers out there.
May 14, 2025
I guess I have to learn about western stories
March 21, 2013
John Callister, seorang pria tampan dan kaya pemilik sebuah peternakan sapi terkenal dari Medicine Ridge, Montana. Mereka baru saja membeli sebuah peternakan yang telah lama ditinggalkan pemiliknya di Hollister. Peternakan yang telah rusak tak terawat itu membutuhkan dana yang tidak sedikit untuk dihidupkan kembali. Untuk mencegah melambungnya harga barang-barang yang dibutuhkan karena namanya, John menyembunyikan identitas dirinya dan datang ke Hollister sebagai seorang mandor pekerja bernama John Taggert.
Di Hollister, John bertemu dengan Sassy, seorang gadis muda yang bekerja di sebuah toko pakan ternak. Berawal dari rasa simpatinya akan nasib malang Sassy yang mengalami pelecehan seksual oleh atasannya, John terlibat semakin jauh dalam kehidupan Sassy. Cara pandang Sassy tentang kehidupan ini membuat John semakin jatuh cinta. Keluguan dan kesederhanaan Sassy membuat John begitu terpesona. John melihat betapa Sassy sangat mensyukuri apa pun yang dimilikinya dalam kehidupannya yang serba kekurangan. Betapa Sassy selalu memikirkan kepentingan orang lain di atas kepentingan dirinya sendiri. John menganggumi Sassy yang mencintainya apa adanya, sangat berbeda dengan para wanita yang selama ini mengelilinginya, yang hanya menginginkan harta keluarga Callister.
Namun masalah timbul ketika Sassy mengetahui jati diri John yang sesungguhnya. Ia marah dan kecewa karena merasa John telah mempermainkannya. Namun akhirnya John mampu meyakinkan Sassy bahwa hanya dengan Sassy lah ia mempunyai keinginan untuk berkomitmen dalam sebuah ikatan pernikahan.
Sebuah cerita Cinderella dengan versi yang berbeda. Seorang gadis miskin yang dipersunting oleh pangeran impian dan berakhir bahagia. Sebuah kisah sederhana yang tidak perlu menguras otak ketika membacanya. Saya menyukai tokoh Sassy yang tegas dan mandiri, tidak cengeng dan menjalani hidupnya dengan ikhlas. Seorang gadis desa yang lugu dan tidak materialistis. Tokoh John juga digambarkan sebagai seorang pria nyaris sempurna. Tampan mempesona, kaya dan baik hati. Cerminan pria ideal dambaan setiap wanita. Sedangkan tokoh antagonis disini digambarkan melalui sosok Bill Tarleton, sosok yang memanfaatkan jabatannya untuk melakukan pelecehan terhadap bawahannya. Tipikal laki-laki yang sangat pantas untuk dikebiri. Cerita mengambil latar di sebuah kota kecil yang tidak terlalu sibuk dimana penduduknya masih sangat peduli satu sama lain. Sebuah tempat yang sangat indah dan hangat. Alur cerita dibuat maju sehingga tidak membingungkan.
Saya mengagumi Diana Palmer sebagai seorang penulis yang cukup santun dalam menggambarkan adegan mesra. John dan Sassy, mereka masih menjaga nilai-nilai moral. Meskipun lumayan jauh, namun mereka tetap menjaga untuk tidak melewati batas yang seharusnya. Mereka tetap bersabar untuk menunggu saat dimana mereka telah resmi menjadi suami istri, meskipun sesungguhnya mereka sangat menginginkannya.
Sebenarnya saya tidak terlalu tertarik untuk membaca cerita-cerita Harlequin. Tapi ternyata sebagai bacaan untuk melemaskan otak, buku ini tidaklah mengecewakan. Dan tampaknya saya mulai menyukai buku bergenre romance seperti ini… (hasyyaaahhh !!!)
Just for share untuk direnungkan:
Saya menyukai ucapan Sassy di hlm. 174:
“Jadi apa tepatnya yang dilakukan orangtua untuk mengenal anak-anak mereka? Semua orang terlalu sibuk sekarang ini. Aku membaca beberapa anak harus mengirimkan SMS pada orangtua mereka dan membuat janji untuk bertemu.Padahal mereka bertanya-tanya kenapa anak-anak sekarang berkelakuan buruk”.
Semoga tidak satu pun dari kita yang mengabaikan anak-anak kita ditengah kesibukan dunia kita.
-.Miss Kodok.-
August 25, 2012
Seorang pria berpendirian teguh yang langsung berkomitmen untuk menikah dengan sang tokoh wanita dengan jarak usia cukup jauh dalam cerita karya Diana Palmer? Hmm, aku tidak ingat pernah menemukannya sebelum John Callister di buku ini. Memang pada awalnya pria ini hanya menganggap Sassy sebagai sosok rapuh seorang wanita yang ditimpa kemalangan: ditinggalkan ayahnya sejak kecil, punya seorang ibu yang menderita kanker dan seorang adik angkat yang masih kecil, dan terakhir mengalami pelecahan seksual yang dilakukan oleh atasannya. Namun John menyadari bahwa Sassy tidak serapuh kelihatannya dan mulai tertarik padanya yang berjuang keras menghidupi keluarganya. Keduanya menjadi dekat dan John nyaris melewati batas
John tahu bahwa jarak usia mereka yang terpaut cukup jauh menjadi salah satu hambatan untuk mendekati Sassy sehingga dia memilih untuk menjauhi gadis itu. Namun saat melihat kedekatan Sassy dengan seorang pria yang jarak usianya tidak jauh beda dengan gadis itu, John merasa terganggu. Setelah berpikir ulang dan belajar dari sejarah hubungan kakaknya dan kakak iparnya yang juga punya perbedaan usia yang cukup jauh, John mulai mendekati Sassy kembali dan membantu menyelamatkan ibu gadis itu dari kematian.
Sassy merasa ragu dengan lamaran John, terutama setelah mengetahui latar belakang pria tersebut yang diketahuinya dari pengacara terkait kasus pelecehan oleh atasannya sebelumnya. Namun John berhasil meyakinkan gadis itu dan berusaha mendekatkannya dengan sang kakak ipar yang diam-diam dijadikan panutan oleh John. Tanpa hanyak halangan lebih lanjut keduanya pun menikah dan bahagia selamanya :D
Nilai lebih dari cerita ini hanyalah perbedaan karakter John yang tidak hit and run-nekat mendekati si gadis polos, merenggut kehormatannya, dan melarikan diri-seperti tokoh-tokoh pria lainnya di buku karya Diana Palmer. John tidak seperti itu, dia tidak terlalu keras kepala, masih berpikir logis tentang risiko mendekati Sassy, dan masih mau membantu gadis tersebut secara diam-diam.
Untuk karakter Sassy sendiri masih setipe dengan tokoh wanita karya Diana Palmer lainnya yang selalu polos, tanpa pengalaman, sangat tidak beruntung, dirundung malang, dan berasal dari keluarga serba kekurangan. Untung saja Sassy masih punya prinsip dan mau bekerja keras untuk akhirnya meraih kebahagiaannya sendiri.
Well, setiap membaca karya-karya Diana Palmer, bisa dipastikan yang ditemukan adalah cinderella complex syndrom yang melulu seperti itu dengan akhir yang tentu saja bahagia. Untunglah karyanya kali ini masih bisa membuatku tidak menyesal membacanya seperti terakhir kali kemarin.
John tahu bahwa jarak usia mereka yang terpaut cukup jauh menjadi salah satu hambatan untuk mendekati Sassy sehingga dia memilih untuk menjauhi gadis itu. Namun saat melihat kedekatan Sassy dengan seorang pria yang jarak usianya tidak jauh beda dengan gadis itu, John merasa terganggu. Setelah berpikir ulang dan belajar dari sejarah hubungan kakaknya dan kakak iparnya yang juga punya perbedaan usia yang cukup jauh, John mulai mendekati Sassy kembali dan membantu menyelamatkan ibu gadis itu dari kematian.
Sassy merasa ragu dengan lamaran John, terutama setelah mengetahui latar belakang pria tersebut yang diketahuinya dari pengacara terkait kasus pelecehan oleh atasannya sebelumnya. Namun John berhasil meyakinkan gadis itu dan berusaha mendekatkannya dengan sang kakak ipar yang diam-diam dijadikan panutan oleh John. Tanpa hanyak halangan lebih lanjut keduanya pun menikah dan bahagia selamanya :D
Nilai lebih dari cerita ini hanyalah perbedaan karakter John yang tidak hit and run-nekat mendekati si gadis polos, merenggut kehormatannya, dan melarikan diri-seperti tokoh-tokoh pria lainnya di buku karya Diana Palmer. John tidak seperti itu, dia tidak terlalu keras kepala, masih berpikir logis tentang risiko mendekati Sassy, dan masih mau membantu gadis tersebut secara diam-diam.
Untuk karakter Sassy sendiri masih setipe dengan tokoh wanita karya Diana Palmer lainnya yang selalu polos, tanpa pengalaman, sangat tidak beruntung, dirundung malang, dan berasal dari keluarga serba kekurangan. Untung saja Sassy masih punya prinsip dan mau bekerja keras untuk akhirnya meraih kebahagiaannya sendiri.
Well, setiap membaca karya-karya Diana Palmer, bisa dipastikan yang ditemukan adalah cinderella complex syndrom yang melulu seperti itu dengan akhir yang tentu saja bahagia. Untunglah karyanya kali ini masih bisa membuatku tidak menyesal membacanya seperti terakhir kali kemarin.
June 23, 2012
Rasanya rindu banget dengan gaya DP yg dulu….
Sassy Peale, gadis manis di usia belia telah menjadi tulang punggung keluarga. Setelah ayahnya kabur bersama wanita lain, dan ibunya didera sakit kanker serta masih ditambah lagi dia memiliki adik angkat berusia 6 thn, tak pelak lagi Sassy lah yg menjadi tumpuan utk membiayai kehidupan keluarga kecil Peale.
Pekerjaan apa yg bisa didapat Sassy yg hanya tamatan SMA di kota kecil Hollister selain sebagai penjaga toko pakan ternak.
Sayangnya, Sassy sering mendapat perlakuan tidak senonoh dari Mr Tarleton, sang manajer toko .
John Callister, pebisnis dan peternak kaya raya, yg terbiasa hidup sangat berkecukupan, dan senang berekspansi, datang ke kota Hollister, sbg mandor peternakan bernama John Taggert, yang mengawasi renovasi lahan ternak Bradbury yang sudah bobrok dan tak terawat.
Dan satu-satunya toko pakan ternak yg dapat memasok semua kebutuhan utk peternakan John di Hollister adalah toko tempat Sassy bekerja.
Di toko pakan ternak inilah kedua sejoli ini bertemu...dan selanjutnya alur cerita terasa mudah ditebak...; hampir tak ada kejutan.
Sassy, memang berlian yg terpendam….gadis sederhana yang selalu bersyukur atas hal-hal kecil yang didapat, gadis yang penuh tanggung jawab, mendahulukan kepentingan orang lain….gadis yang tulus dan sangat mencintai keluarganya.
Komenku, DP masih mempertahankan kekhasannya, yaitu kesenjangan usia dan taraf hidup (kesejahteraan) hero & heroine nya; heroine nya pernah mendapat perlakuan yg kurang baik dari lawan jenis; kehidupan yg berat yg harus ditanggung heroine..
Tapi, rasanya ada yang mulai berkurang kekhasannya DP ; biasanya sang hero bersikap keras, berprasangka negatif dan cenderung kasar serta kurang menganggap keberadaan sang heroine...tapi di novel ini, John benar2 pahlawan/ksatria berkuda putih yang selalu ada utk Sassy, sinterklas yg selalu siap membantu Sassy...
Biasanya klimaks cerita terjadi, manakala sang hero dihadapkan kenyataan akan keberadaan siapa sang heroine...sang hero akan 'dipermalukan' oleh sikapnya sendiri terhadap sang heroine...sang hero ‘merendahkan diri’ dalam caranya memohon maaf kepada sang heroine, ‘merasa malu’ saat kedoknya terbuka, dan mencoba sebisa mungkin menjelaskan kepada sang heroine….tapi di novel ini tidak ada hal semacam itu.
Sassy Peale, gadis manis di usia belia telah menjadi tulang punggung keluarga. Setelah ayahnya kabur bersama wanita lain, dan ibunya didera sakit kanker serta masih ditambah lagi dia memiliki adik angkat berusia 6 thn, tak pelak lagi Sassy lah yg menjadi tumpuan utk membiayai kehidupan keluarga kecil Peale.
Pekerjaan apa yg bisa didapat Sassy yg hanya tamatan SMA di kota kecil Hollister selain sebagai penjaga toko pakan ternak.
Sayangnya, Sassy sering mendapat perlakuan tidak senonoh dari Mr Tarleton, sang manajer toko .
John Callister, pebisnis dan peternak kaya raya, yg terbiasa hidup sangat berkecukupan, dan senang berekspansi, datang ke kota Hollister, sbg mandor peternakan bernama John Taggert, yang mengawasi renovasi lahan ternak Bradbury yang sudah bobrok dan tak terawat.
Dan satu-satunya toko pakan ternak yg dapat memasok semua kebutuhan utk peternakan John di Hollister adalah toko tempat Sassy bekerja.
Di toko pakan ternak inilah kedua sejoli ini bertemu...dan selanjutnya alur cerita terasa mudah ditebak...; hampir tak ada kejutan.
Sassy, memang berlian yg terpendam….gadis sederhana yang selalu bersyukur atas hal-hal kecil yang didapat, gadis yang penuh tanggung jawab, mendahulukan kepentingan orang lain….gadis yang tulus dan sangat mencintai keluarganya.
Komenku, DP masih mempertahankan kekhasannya, yaitu kesenjangan usia dan taraf hidup (kesejahteraan) hero & heroine nya; heroine nya pernah mendapat perlakuan yg kurang baik dari lawan jenis; kehidupan yg berat yg harus ditanggung heroine..
Tapi, rasanya ada yang mulai berkurang kekhasannya DP ; biasanya sang hero bersikap keras, berprasangka negatif dan cenderung kasar serta kurang menganggap keberadaan sang heroine...tapi di novel ini, John benar2 pahlawan/ksatria berkuda putih yang selalu ada utk Sassy, sinterklas yg selalu siap membantu Sassy...
Biasanya klimaks cerita terjadi, manakala sang hero dihadapkan kenyataan akan keberadaan siapa sang heroine...sang hero akan 'dipermalukan' oleh sikapnya sendiri terhadap sang heroine...sang hero ‘merendahkan diri’ dalam caranya memohon maaf kepada sang heroine, ‘merasa malu’ saat kedoknya terbuka, dan mencoba sebisa mungkin menjelaskan kepada sang heroine….tapi di novel ini tidak ada hal semacam itu.
May 17, 2013
Sometimes, Diane Palmer writes books that are character-driven and enjoyable (Renegade); other times, she writes the same book over and over again, employing the same fiction tropes and it gets old after a while (Diamond in the Rough). This book is part of her series, “The Men of Medicine Ridge”, and focuses on wealthy rancher John Callister and his romance with sweet, naïve Cassandra (“Sassy”) Peale.
My first objection to this book is the age of the characters; John is 30, Sassy is 19 and innocent. John, at numerous points, feels that he’s too old for her. I would agree. Several of her books have heroines that are barely out of high school and are falling in love with men who are much older. It’s getting creepy. My second objection is the book’s length. Her books are generally short, and a lot of details are obscured. Each chapter has a couple of concluding paragraphs that describe what happens to various characters. Why not go into greater detail and show some character development, instead of simply summarizing?
However, John is a good, strong character. He protects Sassy from her lecherous employer, at one point walking into a situation where Sassy is about to be raped. The police are called, and the employer is hauled away. However, a few sentences later, the author describes John looking at Sassy’s “sexy body” and “pert little breasts.” She was almost raped a few paragraphs ago; did the author realize how jarring this transition would be--to go from protecting her to fantasizing about her body? John proves his worth by arranging for Sassy’s mother to receive lifesaving surgery as well as promoting Sassy to assistant manager.
Sassy is what a perfect 19 year old should be: devoted to her family (her mother is dying of lung cancer and she also cares for her 6 year old stepsister) and hardworking (her salary is their only source of money) and, of course, sexy in a guileless way. Sassy is naïve in some respects, but she still has “grit” as the author reminds us repeatedly (find another word to use, please). The book isn’t her best, but it’s a sweet Cinderella story.
My first objection to this book is the age of the characters; John is 30, Sassy is 19 and innocent. John, at numerous points, feels that he’s too old for her. I would agree. Several of her books have heroines that are barely out of high school and are falling in love with men who are much older. It’s getting creepy. My second objection is the book’s length. Her books are generally short, and a lot of details are obscured. Each chapter has a couple of concluding paragraphs that describe what happens to various characters. Why not go into greater detail and show some character development, instead of simply summarizing?
However, John is a good, strong character. He protects Sassy from her lecherous employer, at one point walking into a situation where Sassy is about to be raped. The police are called, and the employer is hauled away. However, a few sentences later, the author describes John looking at Sassy’s “sexy body” and “pert little breasts.” She was almost raped a few paragraphs ago; did the author realize how jarring this transition would be--to go from protecting her to fantasizing about her body? John proves his worth by arranging for Sassy’s mother to receive lifesaving surgery as well as promoting Sassy to assistant manager.
Sassy is what a perfect 19 year old should be: devoted to her family (her mother is dying of lung cancer and she also cares for her 6 year old stepsister) and hardworking (her salary is their only source of money) and, of course, sexy in a guileless way. Sassy is naïve in some respects, but she still has “grit” as the author reminds us repeatedly (find another word to use, please). The book isn’t her best, but it’s a sweet Cinderella story.
February 26, 2010
This book was a nice, simple read. Nothing too strenuous at all. It was a typical Diana Palmer with a naive and unworldly heroine and a hero who is much older than the heroine and much, much, much richer. Sassy Peale unlike other Diana Palmer heroines is extremely poor and lives in a house with her sick mother and her mother's six year old adopted daughter. At the age of nineteen, Sassy has to bear the brunt of providing for her family on the meagre salary she made as an assistant at the feed store. John Callister, moves to Hollister, Montana to rebuild a small dilapidated cattle ranch that he and his brother Gil had purchased. John had also left Medicine Ridge to because he had started to feel like a fifth wheel at the ranch since his brother's recent marriage. John decides initially to hide the fact that he was one of the new owners of the Bradbury ranch for fear that this information would cause the locals to raise their prices. It is his search to find someone to build him a new barn that he stubbles upon Sassy Peale working a the feed store and realizes the stores lecherous manager was making unwanted advances. In true hero form, John acts to save Sassy, while lying about his true identity as an ultra rich cowboy. Needless to say they fall in love, inspite of the obstacles.
A lot of people complain about the macho alpha male characters that are Diana Palmer heroes but in this book I did not find John Callister to be a jerk in any way, he was a breath of fresh air. Yes, it may annoy some women that Diana Palmer heroines always need to be save but at least it was not so hard to see in this case why the heroine falls in love with the hero.
A lot of people complain about the macho alpha male characters that are Diana Palmer heroes but in this book I did not find John Callister to be a jerk in any way, he was a breath of fresh air. Yes, it may annoy some women that Diana Palmer heroines always need to be save but at least it was not so hard to see in this case why the heroine falls in love with the hero.
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