ARC Review: The Formidable Earl (Diamonds in the Rough #6) by Sophie Barnes
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Series: Diamonds in the Rough #6
Author: Sophie Barnes
Published November 17th 2020 by Sophie Barnes
Goodreads Synopsis
He's breaking the rules for one woman, and coming dangerously close to falling in love…
Simon Nugent, Earl of Fielding, knows he's flawed. He's arrogant, possessive, and haunted by a terrible choice he made long ago. So when a former friend's daughter gives him the chance to do a good deed, he grabs it. Except he'd like to grab her as well and teach her a thing or two about kissing. If only she weren't so damn stubborn.
Ida Strong wants one thing – justice on behalf of her father. She has no room for anything else, in spite of her growing and (at times) inexplicable attraction toward a certain earl. But for a woman who knows what betrayal tastes like, placing her trust in others is hard. Risking her heart, would be downright foolish. Until it's the only thing that seems to make sense.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
Orphaned Ida Strong knows she needs to keep hidden. Her father proclaimed a traitor and executed four years ago, she's got a target on her back for her very public proclamation for finding the true traitor. So when Simon Nugent, the Earl of Fielding, identifies her while she's hiding in a brothel, she's know even more at risk. Simon knew Matthew during their army days, and never believed the rumours of his treachery, but his wouldn't do anything to harm his reputation and speak up. Feeling guilty, he needs to help Ida, and working together, they try and discover the truth about the plot to free Napoleon. However, when people discover Ida the daughter of Matthew Strong, and is living in Simon's other London home, they assume the worse, and thought Simon is growing more and more in love with her, he won't harm his reputation by marrying her.
I haven't read the other books in this series, so probably missed a little of the backstory of the characters, especially Simon's jilting by Gabriella, and how Ida met Guthrie and was rescued by him, but I didn't think that was a real hindrance. Ida was such a strong and headstrong character, and she definitely stood by her morals and her aspirations. Being with Simon, opening up to him, was hard, as she's struggled to trust people since her father's execution, and knowing that the best she can hope for is to become his mistress is very difficult. Simon is definitely set in his ways, and his flawless reputation is everything, but little by little the shell is broken, and we see the real man underneath. Him and Ida together had a lovely relationship, and one that definitely developed naturally for the situation they were in. I enjoyed the secondary characters, such as the Duke of Huntley and Guthrie becoming involved in the investigation, and though I'd worked out who was the true traitor quite early on, the reveal was still enjoyable to read. Some parts of the book, such as the ending, was a little contrived, but all in all, a good read.
Dates Read:
August 31-September 2, 2020
Rating
3 Stars
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