ARC Review: Brilliance (Diamonds of the First Water #5) by Sydney Jane Baily
14:00
Series: Diamonds of the First Water #5
Author: Sydney Jane Baily
Published April 23rd 2023 by WOLF Publishing
Goodreads Synopsis
In this sparkling early Victorian romance by USA Today bestselling Sydney Jane Baily, a reticent musician gets caught in the web of the one-of-a-kind diamond daughter.
She’s open-hearted and guileless, but he’s been fooled before. Twice!
Brilliance Diamond is one of a kind amongst her siblings. Unpredictable, some might say feather-brained, but always with the best intentions. Alas, when she says aloud things that others only dare think, she ends up in the suds time and again—until an impulsive act leads her directly into the arms of her prince charming.
Lord Vincent Hewitt, parliamentarian and pianist, seems to have an unerring ability to put his trust in the wrong person. When he meets a sweet lady who is both honest and candid, his battered spirit starts to heal. After all, she would never consider deceiving him. Would she?
Determined to help the reticent musician, Brilliance unwittingly sets off a chain of events leading to betrayal and lies… and her own devastating heartbreak. Will the treachery in Vincent’s past destroy any chance for their sparkling happily-ever-after?
Engaging characters, attention to period detail, and passionate romance with a touch of intrigue — you’ll find it all in the stories by USA Today bestselling author Sydney Jane Baily.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
Lady Brilliance Diamond may be the youngest of her siblings, but that doesn't mean she isn't ready for her own adventure. Spending time at a house party following her first season, she butts heads with Lord Vincent Hewitt, the cousin of her hostess, and finds she is drawn to him like she never was to any other gentlemen she's met. However, she can be unpredictable at times, and unintentionally she sparks a series of events which bring up the worst memories in Vincent's life. Can she make amends, or is their relationship doomed to fail?
Well, the one thing that immediately comes to mind is: "thank god that's over with!" I've never loved this series, but I've liked it, and I honestly wanted to DNF this book so many times. Brilliance is one of the worst heroines I've ever had the misfortune to read. She was so scatterbrained, and dangerously naive, it was ridiculous. I couldn't really understand how she was the sister to the MC from the previous books, as she was so different, and not in a good way. I understood why many of the guests at the house party, and even Vincent himself, were annoyed with her, and I wasn't rooting for the relationship at all. Towards the end it did pick up, but only enough to move this into 2 star (and only just 2 star) territory. Such a disappointing ending to the series.
Dates Read:
April 29-30, 2023
Rating
2 Stars
0 comments