“Irresistibly sexy and witty, Jane Feather is one of the all-time greats of historical romance.“ —Madeline Hunter, New York Times bestselling author of Heiress for Hire Three friends who met at an elite English boarding school take on the town—and the ton—one by one, in this sparkling new series about love, loss, and lustrous gemstones, from New York Times bestselling author Jane Feather . . . A … Times bestselling author Jane Feather . . .
A FINE ROMANCE…
Diana Sommerville seems to have it all—beauty, brains, and vast wealth, thanks to her family’s ownership of a diamond mine abroad. But when her beloved brother dies in battle and leaves a lion’s share of his estate to his best friend, Diana finds herself in a situation that seems scripted for the stage: Sharing her family home with the man she used to love—and now loathes. Worse, her unfaithful former fiancé has already moved in . . .
OR AN EXCELLENT FAKE?
Rupert Lacey didn’t expect Diana to take the news without a fight. Still, he didn’t expect her to bring the battle directly to their newly shared doorstep—complete with a full set of trunks, and a full set of orders to the staff. Yet there she is, bold, regal . . . magnificent as ever. Now they would face a formidable challenge: to ignore each other—and the unanswered questions that stood between them. The only sure thing is their still blazing desire. But with a woman like Diana, it will take nothing less than a momentous misunderstanding, a missing prized mare, and a shocking revelation to restore a love that hasn’t lost its shine . . .
Jane Feather’s novels are:
“Enchanting.” —Publishers Weekly
“Dynamic.” —Booklist
“Captivating.” —RT Book Reviews
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2.5 stars
Diana Sommerville and Rupert Lacey have a past, and that is exactly where Diana would like to keep things between them – in the past. She arrives home from South Africa after losing both her brother and father to find that her former fiancée is living in her family home. She learns that her brother Jem named Rupert his heir and now owns half of the Somerville estate, including shares in a diamond mine, properties in England and a race horse.
Rupert didn’t expect Diana would be overjoyed to learn that he was now going to be a permanent fixture in her life, but he is still a little surprised how angry she is. He refuses her offer to buy him out and refuses to leave the house. He says that they were engaged when she left for South Africa and never told anyone she broke with him, so they will live together as husband and wife to prevent scandal. Secretly, Rupert hopes his close proximity and forced cohabitation, will rekindle their love.
Diana is beyond furious and feels betrayed by her brother. She is unhappy and she won’t make this transition easy for Rupert, nor will she forgive him for not fighting for them, when she broke their engagement. Is their love still alive? Can they both move beyond the hurts of the past or is their reunion doomed?
I really wanted to love this story, but a confusing timeline, a “I hate you / I want you” relationship and a just plain spoiled and nasty heroine ruined the book for me. It is well written, has steamy love scenes and Rupert, while far from perfect, is a mostly likable hero. But I just couldn’t get past Diana’s attitude and her underhandedness, I understood her anger and even accepted that she might feel betrayed, but instead of empathizing, I found myself thinking she was being unreasonable and childish. There were also some storylines that felt like they were dropped (however, this is the first book in the series and those things might be mentioned or resolved in future books), I am also relatively sure the ending couldn’t have happened the way it was written, because of Lord Brougham’s “Cooling Off” Act of 1856 and this book is set in 1902.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*
Good book. Diana is dismayed and angry when she returns to England after her father and brother’s deaths to find that her ex-fiance has moved into her family home. It’s even worse when she learns that her brother left his share of their inheritance to Rupert and not her. To cap it all off, he refuses to leave occupancy to her and insists on sharing the house with her.
Rupert knew Diana wouldn’t take kindly to the news, but he didn’t expect such an extreme reaction. He’s still angry over how she broke their engagement and dealing with his own grief over the loss of his best friend.
Boy, did the sparks ever fly between these two. When Jem and Rupert left England for South Africa to fight in the Boer War, Rupert and Diana were engaged. At the same time, she left England to stay with her father in South Africa and be near Rupert and Jem. But when she arrived, Diana confronted Rupert over a rumor she heard regarding a mistress and a child. She wasn’t angry or accusing; she simply wanted to know the truth. However, Rupert never answered the question; he just turned and walked away. That left Diana feeling that she had no choice but to break the engagement. Fast forward two years and Rupert and Diana are thrown together.
I liked both Rupert and Diana, but I also had problems with them. Rupert is a gentleman and an officer in the Horse Guards. However, due to his upbringing, he has some serious trust issues. He does not lie, and when someone questions him, he takes it badly, believing that person doesn’t trust him. His unwillingness to answer a simple question made him appear guilty, so I couldn’t fault Diana for her reaction. Diana is a practical woman and one who doesn’t like to be left in the dark. She has no problem questioning things that happen around her. But when there is something that she doesn’t like, she can be petty and childish, deliberately provoking Rupert.
The development of the relationship between Rupert and Diana was a fiery one. Before the broken engagement, their love seemed deep and unshakeable, and their attraction undeniable. Not much is said about the time they were apart, but it quickly becomes clear that they hadn’t forgotten each other. It was interesting to see that Rupert not only expected Diana’s reaction, he looked forward to it, though he is surprised at how furious she is. He refuses all of her proposals that would cede the house to her, instead proposing that they share it. To avoid scandal, using their engagement before they left England, Rupert insists that they pretend they are married. Diana’s anger and hurt over what she sees as her brother’s betrayal are understandable, but she goes overboard in her reaction. Instead of working with Rupert to find a compromise, Diana takes petty to a new level. Not only does she divide the house into his and her rooms, but she also refuses to allow the servants to help him.
A large part of the book is full of Rupert and Diana pushing each other’s buttons, seeming to revel in ticking each other off. I honestly wanted to shake them both and tell them to grow up. Complicating matters was the attraction that still burned between them. It appeared that every time they got into an argument, they ended up in bed. They finally got to the point where they accepted the attraction, but Diana kept the distance between them. When it looks like maybe they will finally get to the bottom of what came between them, yet another rumor rears its head. Diana desperately wants to know the details of her brother’s death, Rupert isn’t talking, and Diana gets disquieting comments from other people. When Diana asks Rupert for his side, he once again walks away rather than answer her. I liked that this time Diana doesn’t take his departure lying down but determinedly pursues him. Tracking him down gives her a new perspective and appreciation of his past, making it easier to break through his walls. I loved seeing Rupert finally open up and tell Diana everything. I ached for him and the guilt he felt and loved Diana’s honest and practical reaction to what he told her. With that demon off their backs, Rupert and Diana are finally able to look to their future. I loved the ending and the surprise that Rupert had for her.
Great storyline, but the main female character was too childish for my liking.
Tempt Me With Diamonds by Jane Feather contains a creative plot twist for a Regency novel in the wide field of this genre. Diana has returned home to claim her inheritance, part of which is her home, after her father and then, her brother have died in South Africa. When she arrives she discovers that her nemesis, Colonel Davis Lacey has taken up residence. In Regency England it is highly inappropriate for an unmarried, unrelated man and woman to share a residence, no matter how innocent. In addition, Diana never wanted to see him again, let alone share her house with him. They had been lovers, betrothed when she perceived he had been unfaithful. Never great talkers, when she asked for an explanation, he was offended and their relationship was over. Now this.
This was a fresh plot, not without its issues but new and different. The characters are compelling. Diana, justifiably outraged at Davis’ behavior, both past and present, is livid. Davis, having a goal, well several, one of which is to annoy Diana, is an amusing and endearing character. Tempt Me With Diamonds is an original and extremely amusing book, which should be read for the plot, but would certainly hit the spot with characters alone.
I received a free ARC of Tempt Me With Diamonds in exchange for a fair and honest review. #netgalley #temptmewithdiamonds
This was not the usual story but involved sharing an inheritance with a former love interest. The ending was worth the read.
Could not finish. Repulsive characters, weak story line.
Always enjoy Jane Feather. One of my favorite authors.
My problem with this is I read so many books I can’t remember which is which.
It was predictable but I enjoyed it anyway
The lead female character was irrational, and the male was prideful. A difficult pair to enjoy.
Enjoyed this book!!
It has been a while since I have read a Jane Feather Historical Romance, and for the life of me, I can’t remember why. I love her books. Her writing is superb and her unforgettable characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this love story. Renewing and re-acquainting a love that was lost due to words unspoken and a loss of trust. Both are stubborn and have a short rein on their tempers which makes the sparks fly and the sex great. Can they learn to trust each other and think before they act? You will have to read this wonderful book to find out. I am so glad I found Jane’s books. Enjoy this love story.
Tempt Me with Diamonds by Jane Feather is book One in the London Jewels Series. This is the story of Rupert Lacey and Diana Sommerville. Rupert and Diana were once engaged to be married but things happened along with a misunderstanding. Diana has been away but in now returning to the family home after her father and brother have passed away. What Diana finds is that her brother Jem has left half of Somerville estate and everything else in halves to Rupert. So a standoff of sorts starts with both not giving a inch and putting forth a battle that will surly end with their happiness.
This is the first book in a new series, taking place in England in the early 1900s, following the end of the Boor Wars.
Colonel Rupert Lacey had been orphaned at the age of 4, and sent to live with his only living relative, his grandfather, who ignored the boy until he was old enough to send him off to school. There he became best friends with Jem Summerville, and the Summervilles embraced him as part of their family. At the time, Diana Summerville was only 8 years old, but as they grew older, their relationship changed and eventually they became engaged. The Summervilles had made their fortune in the diamond mines, so Jem Summerville felt it his duty to sign up to fight, and as his best friend Rupert Lacey had joined him. A misunderstanding, pride and stubbornness had Diana break off their engagement, but Jem had high hopes that they would reunite, so wrote a will, splitting his inheritance between the two of them, never expecting to be killed in battle. Diana returns to London, not knowing about the will and is shocked to find Rupert entrenched in her home. Rupert knew what Jem had done and refuses to move out or sell out, hoping to win Diana’s heart back. To avoid the scandal of two singles sharing the same house, he suggests for the meantime to allow people to believe that they were in married as planned in South Africa. The passion between them is still there. Can they open up to each other, or will they allow pride and hurt stand in the way?
I received a free ARC from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review. Wonderful characters, a compelling plot and artfully written narrative make this a enticing read.
Despite owning several books by this author, I realized that this is the first work of hers that I’ve read. I’ll admit that it was a rough start for me. The head-hopping in the first chapter was confusing enough to almost make me put the book down (and it *was* enough for me to post a general question about the topic of head-hopping in one of the reader groups I belong to). Admittedly, the head-hopping got better/less prevalent as the book progressed, so I’m not sure if it was a result of the author trying to establish the tone of the book and the nature of the characters and once that was done, it was not as “necessary” (inasmuch as it’s ever necessary that much – which it’s not!).
There was some usage of obscure vocabulary words that I’m not sure would have even used by the elite of British Victorian/Edwardian England. Even if they were, given that this is a book published in 2019, I feel like some of that could have been toned down a little.
Rupert was a war veteran dealing with some guilt over some of his wartime decisions, but that wasn’t really explored as much as it could have been (a missed opportunity for exploring the topic of PTSD?). Diana was headstrong and independent and while I admired that she was written to be this way, I also felt that she and Rupert were also depicted acting more like petulant teenagers instead of the adults that they were. Frankly, the relationship between them was confusing. I absolutely LOVE a good enemies-to-lovers (or in this case lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers) – the sexual tension can be delicious – but for some reason, their relationship didn’t tick of those boxes for me.
The book also felt as if it wrapped up things rather quickly given the “obstacles” presented all the complaints from both Diana and Rupert about each other’s behavior. It was like one minute they were at each other’s throats and the next, they shrugged and said, “no biggie – lets spend the rest of our lives together.”
It’s no secret this is the first in a trilogy and you do get some teasers and tidbits of the other stories. Will I check them out? Maybe (reader OCD is real).
*eARC provided by the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.*
Diana and Rupert find themselves at odds after a broken engagement and then being forced to share the same house. Worst of all they have to pretend to be married. Every time they fight they seem to end up tangled passionately in bed. They finally realize there is no escaping their fate of being husband and wife in truth.
Colonel Rupert Lacey’s best friend, Jeremy Sommerville, died in South Africa leaving him half of everything in Jeremy’s parents’ estate. The other half goes to Jeremy’s sister Diana, who at one time was engaged to Rupert. The estate consists of properties, homes, gold and diamond mines and a race horse. When Diana returns to London from South Africa, she is shocked to realize she must share things with Rupert. Part of her anger is not knowing exactly how her brother died and something else Rupert refuses to talk about.
They decide that sharing the house may scandalize her elderly aunt and others, so they pretend to have married in S. Africa. However, they can’t seem to keep their hands off each other. Her best friends, Fenella and Petra, are sympathetic to her but have no problems with their arrangement. Diana and Rupert get along, but there is always something keeping them from admitting they love each other. He finally gives up and moves out, but that doesn’t make her happy. Of course, there is a HEA and my favorite quote from Fenella: “To the most unromantic but perfectly matched couple that ever was.” I’m looking forward to Fenella and Petra having HEAs.
Jane Feather is a force in historical romance. I have read many of her stories they are so true to historical settings and characters that seemed alive. Tempt Me With Diamonds is not different. But the two main characters are at such odds even though deep down, you know they will eventually come around to their true feelings that have been tampered down.
Coming from a family of wealth, Diana seems to have it all until her fiance’ Rupert goes off to war with her brother, Jem. Unfortunately her brother was killed and in a twist of fate, he leaves his estate to his sister and his best friend Jem. How bad could that be you say? Well they parted not on good terms when he left for war and as he returns and they end up sharing the house together, everything comes apart.
Betrayal, angst and anger seem to control their reunion and it appears the rift may never be broached! There was so much back and forth between the two and Diana seemed determined to be make them both miserable.
Can these two ever find peace and come together? An intense story that will keep you reading until the end!!
I love second chance romance and have been on a roll lately with reading so many. This is a lovely story of misunderstanding, reuniting and coming to realize that love will win out. Both Rupert and Diana learn from their past mistakes and seeing them realize that you cannot always believe what you hear made this story kind of sad but also uplifting. I loved it.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
3.5 stars from me because I liked our hero.
After the death of her brother in the South African Boer War and her father soon after, Diana is left alone in the world and the sole heir to her family’s South African diamond mines and fortune, including estates in England as well. Or so she thinks. Upon returning to England, however, she finds that she must share her inheritance with her brother’s heir and best friend, and her former fiance, Colonel Rupert Lacey. Rupert fought at her brother’s side during the war and feels guilty for his survival and his friend Jem’s death. Despite their estrangement, he has always loved Diana, whom he has known forever, and harbors a small hope that their relationship may yet be repaired. Diana, on the other hand, is fiercely determined to maintain her independence and exclude Rupert from estate business as much as possible.
It took me awhile to get into this and get it read, but overall it was enjoyable and I would recommend it.
**Potential spoilers ahead**
Full disclosure: I hated Diana. She just came off as a spoiled little brat and once the reasoning for her year long estrangement from Rupert and their broken betrothal was revealed, it was just ridiculous to me. Their problem was nothing more than a minor tiff which could’ve been easily resolved by communication, which Rupert was too hurt to endure and Diana was too stubborn to hear or ask for. While their was indeed some fault on both sides, I felt that mostly it was just Diana being determined to believe the worst and being set in her beliefs and refusing to hear anything else. Upon being forced to share a house with Rupert, who tries to be gentle and caring with her, Diana is just hateful to him at every turn and tries to make his life a misery, except at night when she basically just uses him for sex. Then the end is rushed. The two finally talk as they should have done from the beginning, both realize their assumptions were wrong and they really do want to be together and boom, without any real words spoken, they’re just going to live happily ever after, the end. So while the ending was happy and all, it wasn’t entirely satisfactory; more development would’ve made it better to me.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.