Regular price: £6.39
Olivia Kingsley didn't expect to fall in love and receive a secret marriage proposal two weeks into her first season. However, one dance with Allen Wimpleton, heir to a viscountcy, and her fate is sealed. Or so she thinks until her eccentric and ailing father, unaware of Allen's proposal, announces he's moving the family to the Caribbean for a year. In two days.
Amelia's writing was often prone to getting her into trouble. Hence why she eventually took on a pen name. But it seems, once again, her unthinking need to spill out everything onto paper will land her in hot water. After her sisters persuade her the only way to get over her love for Lord Nicholas Wentworth is to write about him, Amelia devotes hours and hours of ink to the subject. However, she never expects for Nicholas to end up in possession of this information.
Ivy Leighton is no sweet English rose. Perhaps it's her gypsy roots, but she would rather make a spectacle of her independent spirit than sit quietly on the sidelines. If that means that the only place she'll ever have in society is firmly on the shelf, then so be it. But when Ivy runs into the handsome, rakish Leo, who's looking for a respectable, well-bred wife, she can't stop thinking about the troubles they can get into. Now she just has to convince him that a life with her is really what he needs.
Recently widowed Charlotte may be the proper Countess of Portsmith to society, but when she is around Ewan, she still feels like the enraptured little girl who met him decades before when her brother was best friends with him and his cousin. A planned trip to spend Christmas with their families at Duke of Donburrow Ewan’s estate reunites the old friends. But when a storm keeps the others from arriving on time, Charlotte decides to stop living in fear and pursue the man she has desired and loved her entire life.
A widow with a past...The last thing Victoria Barrett, the Viscountess Waters, has any interest in is romance. When the only man she's ever loved was killed, she endured an arranged marriage to a cruel man in order to survive. Now widowed, her only focus is on clearing her son's name from the charge of murder. That is until the love of her life returns from the grave. A leader of a once great agency...Nathaniel Archer, the Earl of Exeter head of the Crown's elite organization, The Brethren, is back on British soil.
The wild and charismatic Duke of Abernathe is the kind of friend anyone would wish to have. He even formed the 1797 Club, consisting of 10 men who would all be dukes. But he has full-throatedly declared he will never marry and no one understands why. But Miss Emma Liston doesn't care why. A longtime wallflower with an absentee father who is a scandal waiting to happen, she needs to marry. Now. She decides to take a wild chance and ask the help of her friend Meg's brother James.
Olivia Kingsley didn't expect to fall in love and receive a secret marriage proposal two weeks into her first season. However, one dance with Allen Wimpleton, heir to a viscountcy, and her fate is sealed. Or so she thinks until her eccentric and ailing father, unaware of Allen's proposal, announces he's moving the family to the Caribbean for a year. In two days.
Amelia's writing was often prone to getting her into trouble. Hence why she eventually took on a pen name. But it seems, once again, her unthinking need to spill out everything onto paper will land her in hot water. After her sisters persuade her the only way to get over her love for Lord Nicholas Wentworth is to write about him, Amelia devotes hours and hours of ink to the subject. However, she never expects for Nicholas to end up in possession of this information.
Ivy Leighton is no sweet English rose. Perhaps it's her gypsy roots, but she would rather make a spectacle of her independent spirit than sit quietly on the sidelines. If that means that the only place she'll ever have in society is firmly on the shelf, then so be it. But when Ivy runs into the handsome, rakish Leo, who's looking for a respectable, well-bred wife, she can't stop thinking about the troubles they can get into. Now she just has to convince him that a life with her is really what he needs.
Recently widowed Charlotte may be the proper Countess of Portsmith to society, but when she is around Ewan, she still feels like the enraptured little girl who met him decades before when her brother was best friends with him and his cousin. A planned trip to spend Christmas with their families at Duke of Donburrow Ewan’s estate reunites the old friends. But when a storm keeps the others from arriving on time, Charlotte decides to stop living in fear and pursue the man she has desired and loved her entire life.
A widow with a past...The last thing Victoria Barrett, the Viscountess Waters, has any interest in is romance. When the only man she's ever loved was killed, she endured an arranged marriage to a cruel man in order to survive. Now widowed, her only focus is on clearing her son's name from the charge of murder. That is until the love of her life returns from the grave. A leader of a once great agency...Nathaniel Archer, the Earl of Exeter head of the Crown's elite organization, The Brethren, is back on British soil.
The wild and charismatic Duke of Abernathe is the kind of friend anyone would wish to have. He even formed the 1797 Club, consisting of 10 men who would all be dukes. But he has full-throatedly declared he will never marry and no one understands why. But Miss Emma Liston doesn't care why. A longtime wallflower with an absentee father who is a scandal waiting to happen, she needs to marry. Now. She decides to take a wild chance and ask the help of her friend Meg's brother James.
A dour duke and a wistful wallflower - an impossible match until fate intervenes one enchanted night.
A dour duke....
Jules, the Sixth Duke of Dandridge disdains Society and all its trappings, preferring the country's solitude and peace. Already jaded and cynical since the woman he loved died years ago, he's become even more so since unexpectedly inheriting a dukedom's responsibilities and finding himself the target of every husband-hunting vixen in London.
A wistful wallflower....
Forever in her stunning sister's shadow, Jemmah Dament has adored Jules from afar for years - since as children they were the best of friends. She daren't dream she can win a duke's heart any more than she hopes to escape the life of servitude imposed on her by an uncaring mother. Jemmah knows full well, Jules is too far above her station. Besides, his family has already selected his perfect duchess: a poised, polished, exquisite blueblood.
But one enchanted night....
A chance encounter reunites Jules and Jemmah, resulting in a passionate interlude neither can forget. Jules realizes he wants more - much more - than Jemmah's sweet kisses or her warming his bed. He must somehow convince her to gamble on a dour duke. But can Jemmah trust a rogue promised to another? One who's sworn never to love again?
Caution: This historical regency romance contains a duke who literally thumbs his nose at society, a sweet and intelligent wallflower with a secret dream, a villainess worthy of a fairy tale, and two delightful match-making dowagers.
Wow I loved this story. I haven’t laughed that hard in quite sometime. Cameron is an extremely talented writer mixing wit and wisdom. I can’t wait to read more of her books. I thought Stevie Zimmerman's performance was fantastic.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Would you try another book from Collette Cameron and/or Stevie Zimmerman?
No. I have tried with this author, but I keep forgetting that she can't write dialogue. The H says something,then 10 minutes later the heroine says something else. It is very slowly paced and becomes boring. I use to think her books would be better if they were shorter, but even under 3 hours and this book is too long. The internal dialogue is so stupid that it does nothing for the character development. What a waste.
Has A Diamond for a Duke turned you off from other books in this genre?
Yes. I won't be continuing with this series. I try to keep an open mind on authors, but CC is not one I plan to read again.
Did the narration match the pace of the story?
The narrator is great, but even she can't make a slow uninteresting book into something worth listening to.
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
disappointment. I really thought less could be more. In this case , it's just less, but at least it is wasting less time too.
Any additional comments?
Audable needs to stop offering new, but terrible books. There are back catalogues of better authors that could be worth recording.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
A Diamond for a Duke is the retelling of a Cinderella-like story by Charles Perrault entitled Toads and Diamonds. This is a heartwarming tale of a lonely Duke and a young lady treated little better than a servant by her mother and older sister. They are childhood friends who lost touch with each other. Is it possible that these two friends could find their happily ever after with each other? Aunt Theo and Lady Lockhart, aka the fairy godmothers in this tale, think so and embark on a plan to make it happen.
This story has all the elements of a good fairy tale. There is a sweet damsel and a gallant rescuer. There are nasty villains and fairy godmothers to thwart them.
Collette Cameron has written a happy and humorous story that will put a smile on your face. Stevie Zimmerman brings this charming story to life. Her narration is a pleasure to listen to and her voices are wonderful.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
As much as I like Ms. Cameron’s books/novellas I’m just going to give up on her. A person will say something and then you have to go through 20 or 25 pages before someone else answers or replies. It’s just one long narrative after another. It becomes so boring waiting for more dialogue.
Of course, Jules was drop-dead gorgeous and Jemmah was NOT. God, I hate these kinds of stories. They had been friends as children and had seen each other throughout the years, including two years before, and suddenly he loved her? After their sudden meeting in the library he was like a lovesick fool and, naturally, she couldn’t figure out why he would want someone plain like her instead of her beautiful, spoiled, self-absorbed, hateful sister Adelinda.
Between Belinda, Adelinda and Jemmah’s mother, Adelinda herself, and Phryne Milbourne (what a name) Jules was always hiding from someone. And Adelinda and Phryne were exactly alike. It’s no wonder he didn’t want either of them.
Anyway, this was just a story of fluff and that was ok. There was a kiss or two but nothing else.
As to the narration: I actually paid almost $4.00 for less than 3 hours of listening just because Stevie Zimmerman was the narrator. Crazy, huh? I can’t help it. I love Ms. Zimmerman’s male voices, the difference she makes in the female voices, the young and old alike. And her emotions.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I loved it. After being mistreated for so long love came alone, and I couldn't stop I had to here all of that.
Jules, the Sixth Duke of Dandridge, has had his fill of society. His preference is the countryside. He loved once at a young age and has since sworn of marriage. His uncles and aunts constantly prompt him to marry. Ton mamas throw their daughters at him.
It is at one of these overbearing events, as Jules is dashing away from a young lady that he comes upon Jemmah Dament his childhood friend and childhood confidant. They were the best of friends. Jules finds her asleep on one of the library settees. As she awakens, she also awakens Jules desires for her. Jemmah has loved Jules from afar for many years but always believing he was far to above her station.
Jemmah' meddling mother, of course, wishes for Jules to make a match with her older sister. Both her mother and sister have treated Jemmah harshly she has been neglected and ignored by them. Jules, however, thumbs his nose at society and pledges his love for her.
This is truly a Cinderella/Prince charming novel. Ms Cameron carefully developed her characters and pulls at your heart strings routing for them to make it. I enjoy this book from being to end. I would highly recommend it.
Having read several of this author's books, I think I may have found a new favorite (well, a close second anyway). This is another wonderful story. I love all the characters. Colette Cameron always provides plenty of wonderfully endearing characters, who quite often find themselves in a fix.
The story develops nicely at a good pace and holds the reader's interest. If you like historical romances, I highly recommend this one or anything by this author. They are all very good.
The narrator did a very good job, giving each character a distinct voice. For me, the narration really enhanced the story.
This was based on a fairytale, not unlike Cinderella. This is a sweet romance with two very likeable characters, Jules, Duke of Dandridge and Gemma. When Gemma’s father died she has been treated more like a servant than a daughter, unlike her sister Adelinda, who is pampered and spoilt. Luckily, Gemma has other relatives who look out for her. It also touches on the serious problem of how some parents treat their children. I love it when the villains get their comeuppance. The narrator gave an excellent reading, really bringing the characters to life. I received an copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. This is my honest review.
Collette has written a wonderful real life Cinderella story. I loved it and Stevie was fantastic!