The Infamous Duchess

February 25, 2019
Barnes’s solid fourth Diamonds in the Rough Regency introduces a duchess and a gentleman whose reputations are vastly different from their true personalities. Viola Cartwright, Duchess of Tremaine, is an enigma and doesn’t mingle with her own social class. Instead she runs St. Agatha’s Hospital, providing free care to the poor with the help of physician Florian Lowell, Duke of Redding. Viola’s deceased husband, Peter, Duke of Tremaine, married her on his deathbed and named her his sole heir; his son, Robert, has returned to London, intent on restoring his fortune by having Peter’s will declared invalid. Henry Lowell, Florian’s brother, is shot in a duel and treated at St. Agatha’s. Viola is determined to resist Henry’s charm while caring for him during his convalescence, but he tells her that the rumors about his rakish ways are untrue. As Henry and Viola grow closer, Viola must decide whether she is ready to give up her independence to wed him. Unconventional and progressive aristocrats, sensual romance, and a swift-moving plotline add allure to this capable novel.

March 1, 2019
When the widowed Duchess of Tremaine is accused of fraud by her husband's heir, she finds an unexpected ally in Henry Lowell, who wants to help her save the hospital she's built to take care of London's poor.Viola Cartwright, Duchess of Tremaine, has spent her inheritance building a hospital that caters to London's poor, with the help of Dr. Florian Lowell. Viola married the duke on his deathbed, then honored his oft-discussed intentions for the hospital. In fact, Viola was the daughter of the duke's physician, a dear friend who'd saved the duke's infant son, Robert. When Viola's father died, the duke took her in, and as a teen, she'd fallen in love with Robert, who'd seduced her then cruelly tossed her aside. After being abroad for years, Robert returns home and accuses Viola of stealing his inheritance, hiring a barrister to recoup the fortune. Viola's business partner, Florian, is traveling with his wife, but his brother, Henry, steps in to lend help and moral support. Hiring her own barrister doesn't solve the problem, and secrets about Viola's background damage her credibility, but Henry becomes increasingly devoted to her. Meanwhile, it seems Robert has a number of horrifying secrets of his own and some powerful enemies who might make him regret the choice to go after Viola. Barnes' (When Love Leads to Scandal, 2019, etc.) most recent Diamonds in the Rough title has a lively storyline but is bogged down by imprecise writing; a lack of internal conflict (Henry falls for Viola immediately, and they don't have any reasonable barriers to a relationship); a villain of ridiculous, mustache-twirling proportions; and too many instances of characters asking themselves why they're doing something or characters doing things that make readers wonder why.At times engaging but also variously careening and cumbersome.

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Starred review from April 1, 2019

The subject of malicious gossip for marrying the aging Duke of Tremaine just before his death, Viola Cartwright, Duchess of Tremaine, devotes all her energies to the hospital and new rejuvenation center she has established. Romance is the last thing on her agenda--until Henry Atticus Lowell, nightclub owner and rake, comes into her life and decides to change her mind. Although temptation simmers between them, Viola is wary. Then her stepson, the new duke, returns to England bent on reclaiming "his inheritance" and destroying Viola. She will need all the help she can get, including Henry's. Vivid supporting characters (a sadistic villain is memorable) and sharp attention to period detail--the scientific and medical research is fascinating--are bonuses. VERDICT Smart dialog, breathtaking sensuality, a mystery or two, and a well-crafted plot make this a worthy addition to Barnes's addictive series. Barnes (The Illegitimate Duke) lives on the East Coast.

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