The Dishonored Viscount
Series: Diamonds in the Rough #8
Author: Sophie Barnes
Published September 21st 2021 by Sophie Barnes

Goodreads Synopsis
He knows he doesn’t deserve her, yet he can’t get her out of his mind...

Stripped of his title because of a crime his father committed, Marcus Berkly has struggled to find a new place for himself in the world. Now, as London’s most skilled eye-surgeon, he dedicates his time to his patients while steering clear of Society. Until a chance encounter with a determined young woman upends his life.

When Lady Louise discovers that Mr. Berkly’s surgical method could save her from permanent blindness, she decides to enlist his help. Against her father’s direct orders, she takes charge of her fate, and falls desperately in love in the process. But can a proper lady and an ill-reputed scoundrel have a future together? Or are the odds against them simply too great?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

All her life, Lady Louise, daughter of the Earl of Grasmere, has had difficulties with her eyesight. With her cataracts moving, she'd had to undergo surgery after surgery, but the couching has never lasted long term. She knows that to go against her father, and the opinion of his friend and trusted doctor, would cause a rift in the family, but meeting the handsome Dr Berkly at a recent society event, and learning he would be able to perform surgery that would be long lasting, and save her from permanent blindness, she would do anything to make it happen. But, Dr Berkly also happens to be the son of the infamous Earl of Hedgewick, who had murdered his friend, and whom Marcus had had a hand in bringing to justice. In getting his father charged, he lost his title, estate, and reputation amongst the ton. However, Louise doesn't seem to care about it, and when the two spend a month together at her in-laws estate, while she's recovering from the secret surgery, they fall in love. Will they be to be together, or will their father's pull them apart?

I quite enjoyed the sixth book in this series, which I was approved for a while ago, and when I spotted another of Sophie's books available to review on NetGalley, I decided to give it a go, and liked this one just as much. Both of the main characters were fantastic to read about, and I loved how neither of them were perfect, and their flaws were on show here, as were the things in their pasts/families which were obstacles for them to overcome. Louise, as the youngest daughter of an earl, is expected to make a glowing match, but her sight troubles, which no one really knows the full extent of, have caused her to become somewhat of a laughing stock to the ton. She's had her heart set on one man since he rescued her from a fall during a dance, and it's only really her large dowry that will entice him. I felt like she was a little too focused on this person, and there's a definite lack of communication between her and Marcus which could've solved problems a lot quicker. All in all, a decent book, and can be read as a standalone.

Dates Read:
July 31-August 1, 2021

Rating
3 Stars