Review: The Diamond's Absolutely Delicious Downfall (The Notorious Briarwoods #2) by Eva Devon

      

Print Length:  172 pages

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (May 29, 2024)

From Goodreads.com: Lady Juliet, sister of the Duke of Westleigh, is determined to marry an earl, at least. A duke would be best! After all, she’s the diamond of the season. While her mother is proud of her role as an actress, married into a notoriously eccentric family, Juliet hates those that sometimes treat her mama as if she’s beneath them. Juliet can’t wait to show everyone just how perfect she can be and how marvelous her mama is at making matches.

Still, she can’t quite ignore the wild streak that runs through her blood. One night while visiting her aunt in secret, backstage at Drury Lane, she meets a ridiculously handsome, and impossible, American rogue who mistakes her for a lady of the night. When they meet again at a ton ball, sparks fly, and passion cannot be denied. Nor can it be denied that he finds the English intolerable, arrogant, and beneath his ideals.

Yet, despite the fact that they have every reason to stay away from each other, an undeniable connection keeps pulling them back together where wars of words and kisses of longing threaten to steel her heart. Even though the American heats her blood and tempts her with his gruff wit, he’s far from a duke and Juliet can’t sacrifice everything she’s always worked for. . . Not even for love.

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My Rating: 2 stars out of 5

This book was okay. Honestly, there wasn't really anything that I found that really made it stand out against all of the other books in this genre, except for how utterly ridiculous these characters could be at times. 

Let's start off with Juliet. She is proud of the fact that she comes from a family with a tradition of not caring what other people think and doing what makes them happy. Yet she has convinced herself that she has to marry a titled man (preferably a Duke) so that she can wield power over the ton and get them to stop gossiping about her mother (who was an actress before she became a Duchess). The thing is, her mother doesn't care about the gossip and never has. Nor does Juliet's brother, or any one else in the family, so it called into question her true motives for wanting to be a titled lady knowing that most ton marriages were little more than business transactions when her parents and her twin sister both had love matches. 

Then we have Tobias, who claimed to hate the aristocracy and all they stood for, but seemed all too keen to spend time with Juliet and her unique family. I felt we understood his motivations a bit better however, as he had fought in the revolutionary war, and his goal was to help Juliet's brother by publishing pamphlets that would hopefully help stop an uprising from happening in England the same way one was on the rise in France. 

Finally, we have Juliet's family. All well-known for being eccentric. For all of Juliet's griping that she wanted people to stop gossiping about her mother, not once during this entire novel did I see one bit of gossip about the Duchess. Nor was Lady Juliet shunned by anyone in polite society because of her mother's background, which again, led me to question her true motivations. One thing I feel I must point out is that if you are a stickler for proper rules and stories that are more accurate than you may not find this one to your liking as not only does Juliet's family not keep the marital act a secret from the young ladies of the house, but her family goes the extra mile to throw Tobias and Juliet together (and then leave them alone). In fact, her brothers even tell Tobias that he is welcome to sleep with Juliet so long as they are discreet about it. I'm sorry what? In what world would a noble family (no matter how eccentric) allow their daughters and sisters to be deflowered, especially when planning to make a match within the ton?

If you can overlook that, this was a quick read with minimum drama. However, it was also often predictable. I am rather curious however about the Duke's book and whether or not he decides to turn an American business woman into a Duchess of his own.