When You Give A Duke A Diamond

by Shana Galen

Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca

My Rating: 

He had a perfectly orderly life…

William, the sixth Duke of Pelham, enjoys his punctual, securely structured life. Orderly and predictable—that’s the way he likes it. But he’s in the public eye, and the scandal sheets will make up anything to sell papers. When the gossip papers link him to Juliette, one of the most beautiful and celebrated courtesans in London, chaos doesn’t begin to describe what happens next…

Until she came along…

Juliette is nicknamed the Duchess of Dalliance and has the cream of the nobility at her beck and call. It’s disruptive to have the duke who is the biggest catch on the Marriage Mart scaring her other suitors away. Then she discovers William’s darkest secret and decides what he needs in his life is the kind of excitement only she can provide…

My Review:

I absolutely loved this historical romance by Shana Galen.  With intrigue, danger, and a trio of beautiful courtesans, Shana Galen has set the stage for an unforgettable historical romance series.

Juliette, he heroine, is independent, determined, and pretty much does as she pleases.  She uses society to foster her reputation and has made a comfortable life for herself.  She does have some concerns and dealing with the Ton is never easy, but after witnessing something dangerous, her complications become life-threatening.  Her only hope for safety is with the brooding and predictable Duke of Pelham.  William, the Duke of Pelham is used to order in his life and is unprepared for the whirlwind that is the Duchess of Dalliance, who he feels obligated to protect.

There is so much that I loved about this book.  I love the 3 Diamonds, they are three courtesans who act and dress the part of lovely, seductive women.  Wherever they go, crowds are sure to stare.  Juliette is one of these courtesans, known as the Duchess of Dalliance (all three courtesans have these witty nicknames).  I loved her character, she plays the ton instead of them playing her.  For Juliette, the Duchess of Dalliance is a role to play to keep her place in society and a home for herself.  She always wanted a home and a family, but was not willing to sacrifice her happiness and well being.

As for the William, the Duke of Pelham, he is a hard character to really like, especially at first.  He is brooding, judgmental, and can be very cruel to Juliette.  As the story goes on, his reasons for his actions become clear, and I felt for him as well.  William grew on me and I wound up liking his character a lot too, and hoping that he could get himself together for Juliette’s sake.

There is more than a romance to this story, there is also of intrigue and murder.  Juliette gets caught up in  the drama of an underworld intrigue involving missing diamonds.  Her life is in danger, and from more than one source.  There is not much known about the murder and the source of the intrigue until the book winds down, where it promises to continue through future books.  The missing diamonds are much more than jewels and involve some of the secondary characters in the book.

For me, When You Give A Duke A Diamond has that something extra that makes it a 5 star book.  The writing is excellent, I love the characters (especially the spirited heroine), their nicknames, their place in society, the gossip of the Ton, and the romance.  All together, I am hooked and I can’t wait to read future books in this series.

I highly recommend When You Give A Duke A Diamond to all romance readers, especially the historical romance fans.  This book releases September 4, and on September 13 Shana Galen will be at Book Savvy Babe with an interview, so be sure to mark your calendars!