Review & Excerpt: The Diamond and the Duke by Christi Caldwell

The Diamond and the Duke (All the Duke's Sins #3) by Christi Caldwell

Publication Date: February 20th 2024 by Berkley

Pages: 304

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Loved this story so much! Ellie was a breath of fresh air, sweet, quirky and I loved how she spoke her mind! She has no plans to marry and give up her independence and rights as she was treated horribly by her now dead father, but she’d make an exception for one man: Wesley.

Wesley came back from the war a broken man, both physically and mentally. He is hurt and angry, and everyone tiptoes around him except for Ellie.

The Diamond and the Duke was such a delight! Unrequited love, shared pain, and love letters (unbeknownst to Wesley) bond these two. I relished their interactions and was so moved by the comfort and love they provided each other! While still being deeply emotional, I appreciated the story was low on ridiculous drama! 

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

When a wounded soldier and self-proclaimed "beast" finds unlikely friendship with a headstrong and unconventional beauty, they quickly find themselves weaving a tale as old as time…
 
Despite a hero’s return to England from the Napoleonic Wars, Wesley Audley isolates from the ton. Deep wounds from the horrors of combat—and the despair of a broken heart—left him scarred. As he struggles to cope and resume his place in Polite Society, Wesley is quick to cut himself off from everyone…except for Ellie Balfour. 
 
Independent and strong-willed, Ellie has dreams of captaining her own husband-free life and a penchant for meddling in other’s business. She knows befriending Wesley is a risk but Ellie can’t bear to see his heartache. Nor can she seem to silence all the temptingly intimate thoughts his nearness provokes. 
 
But Ellie is yet to face a battle she can’t win—and Wesley’s heart is worth the fight. If only her campaigns ever went to plan…

Excerpt:

Photo Credit: Kimberly Rocha

About the author:

Christi Caldwell is the USA Today bestselling author of the Sinful Brides series and the Heart of a Duke series. She blames novelist Judith McNaught for luring her into the world of historical romance. When Christi was at the University of Connecticut, she began writing her own tales of love—ones where even the most perfect heroes and heroines had imperfections. She learned to enjoy torturing her couples before they earned their well-deserved happily ever after. Christi lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she spends her time writing and being a mommy to the most inspiring little boy and empathetic, spirited girls who, with their mischievous twin antics, offer an endless source of story ideas. Learn more online at www.christicaldwell.com.