Adam
Series: Diamonds of the First Water #3
Author: Sydney Jane Baily
Published September 22nd 2022 by WOLF Publishing

Goodreads Synopsis
In this sizzling early Victorian romance by USA Today bestselling author Sydney Jane Baily the heir to an earldom must take a suitable wife... unless he falls for a middle-class governess with a shadowy past.

Lord Diamond leads a charmed life. The only brother amongst four sisters, he is touted as the best thing since frothy syllabub. Every young lady in London wants his leg shackled to hers. Summering in Bath brings freedom from the marriage-minded Mayfair mothers and reaps a new crop of single females. Problem solved!

Mrs. Alice Malcolm has an ideal situation tutoring two young ladies in an upper-class home. A clean room, a roof over her head, and best of all, she is safe from the demands and threats of her former brother-in-law. What does it matter if she is living a lie?

While Adam pursues Alice to be his mistress—anything more is unthinkable—she has only two options... ignore his amorous advances or flee for her life. Will pride, prejudice, and secrets keep these two out of paradise?

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.

Lord Adam Diamond has seen his two elder sisters fall in love and marry, and considers that now might be right for his own nuptials. Off to Bath to decide whether to sell or keep his maternal grandparents home, he meets Mrs. Alice Malcolm, working as a governess to friends of his family, and he is smitten. He wants Alice, and she seems to want him too, but she's keeping a secret - one which if it was revealed, would ruin everything. Can Adam break through her barriers, and show her that being with him will be nothing like her late husband, and she can take a risk?

With this being the third book in the series, we already know most of the Diamond clan, but Adam has always been a little aloof from his sisters. As heir to the Earldom, he's a catch, but he's never really considered marrying yet, but seeing Clarity and Purity find happiness, he wants the same. I liked Alice, a lot. She had a past, and though she was extremely secretive, I did understand why she was that way. She was extremely lovable, and it was lovely to see the way the Diamond's rallied around her, particularly when times got tough. A good addition to the series!

Dates Read:
October 25-27, 2022

Rating
3 Stars