The Illegitimate Duke: Diamonds in the Rough

Written by Sophie Barnes

Narrated by Carolyn Morris

United in a common cause…

Lady Juliette Matthews longs to be much more than just another pretty ornament in society. But using her recently acquired fortune to do some good is more complicated than she anticipated. Young ladies are not expected to risk their safety in helping the less fortunate. And the one gentleman who could help in her mission is stubborn, infernally handsome—and far too honorable to act on their mutual attraction.

And in a desire impossible to deny…

Florian Lowell has suddenly been made heir to the Duke of Redding—a far cry from his status as a dedicated physician. Yet even with his new role as the country’s most eligible bachelor, the beautiful, fearless Juliette is utterly beyond his reach. The scandalous circumstances of his birth would destroy both their reputations if they became known. But when a more urgent danger threatens Juliette’s life, Florian must gamble everything…including the heart only one woman can tame.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Aug 28, 2018
• ISBN: 9780062883841

Sophie Barnes

Born in Denmark, USA TODAY bestselling author Sophie Barnes spent her youth traveling with her parents to wonderful places all around the world. She's lived in five different countries, on three different continents, and speaks Danish, English, French, Spanish, and Romanian. But, most impressive of all, she's been married to the same man three times—in three different countries and in three different dresses. When she's not busy dreaming up her next romance novel, Sophie enjoys spending time with her family, swimming, cooking, gardening, watching romantic comedies and, of course, reading.

Reviews for The Illegitimate Duke

[UchennaEzeh · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Nice book! Complex characters but well tied together. Enjoyed it

[beckymmoe_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Diamonds in the Rough series continues! (And it will go on, even though Julie is the last Matthews sibling--Florian's brother's story is next! Yay!)The Illegitimate Duke is another slow burn romance, much like the two series books that came before it. Juliette isn't at all sure she even likes Florian, though she has a lot of respect for his capabilities as a doctor and his dedication to his patients. Since she was sickly as a child (and especially after their youngest sibling died from illness) she's always been very conscious of the help that those less fortunate need, especially medically. A bout with the measles and her desire to make a difference throw her right into Florian's path, and at first neither of them is too sure they appreciate the encounter. (Which of course made them that much more fun!)But Florian has his own secrets--and the biggest is related to the suspense plot from the previous book ( The Duke of Her Desire ; yep, he's back)--which again felt a bit extra. I don't know that we needed to see the scenes from the villain's POV--it really didn't make him feel like a more fleshed out character; he still seemed to be of the mustache-twirling variety--honestly there was enough going on with the typhus outbreak and all, the danger to London as a whole and Julie's best friend in particular. But still...I enjoyed seeing who Julie ended up with and how, what was going on with the first two books' characters, and the sneak peak into the next book. The Illegitimate Duke is the third book in the series, though other than not knowing the relationships going in (who Julie's siblings are and whom they're married to, mostly--they do get explained early on) you should do just fine if you pick this one up first. I can't guarantee you won't want more details about how a destitute eight-year-old responsible for the welfare of his three younger sisters came to be a duke later in life, though--be ready for your TBR pile to grow!Rating: 4 stars / BI voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.