Diamonds in the Rough series by Sophie Barnes -> Restarting May 31st, 2025

[Aly]

He never thought he'd become a duke, or that the secrets of his past would cost him his greatest love...

Raphe Matthews hasn’t stepped foot in polite circles since a tragedy left his once-noble family impoverished and in debt. The bare-knuckle boxer has spent the last fifteen years eking out an existence for himself and his two sisters. But when a stunning reversal of fortune lands Raphe the title of Duke of Huntley, he’s determined to make a go of becoming a proper lord, but he’ll need a little help, and his captivating neighbor might be just the woman for the job…


After her sister’s scandalous match, Lady Gabriella knows the ton’s eyes are on her. Agreeing to tutor the brutish new duke can only lead to ruin. Although she tries to control her irresistible attraction to Raphe, every day she spends with him only deepens her realization that this may be the one man she cannot do without. And as scandal threatens to envelop them both, she must decide if she can risk everything for love with a most unlikely duke

[Melanie]

Started book 1 tonight.



Chapters 1-9
(view spoiler)[
I'm enjoying this so far. I like the idea of a regular person ending up a duke so I'm interested to see how Raphe handles it all. His sisters are sweethearts and I hope they manage to learn what's needed so they aren't made fun of.

Gabriella is great so far. I love that she has uncommon interests like entomology. I only hope it doesn't take long for her to realize she can be herself and that she doesn't keep trying to sacrifice herself for her family by marrying that pompous earl.
(hide spoiler)]

[Melanie]

Chapters 10-18
(view spoiler)[
I'm glad that Raphe opened up to Gabriella about his past. Those two are great together. I love that he's supporting her interest in entomology.

Fielding is a jerk and I hope he gets what's coming to him. He has no right to do that to Gabriella.
(hide spoiler)]

[Ashlyn]

I thought I would be able to recheck this one out, but wasn't able to, so now I have to wait about a week or two before I can start this one. I'll start as soon as I get it though.

[Ashlyn]

I actually ended up getting the book! So going to start this week!

[Ashlyn]

Chapters 1-4 (view spoiler)[I'm getting pirate vibes from Raphe because of the way he talks. (hide spoiler)]

[Ashlyn]

Chapters 5-10 (view spoiler)[I love how she's is helping his sisters. (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 11-13 (view spoiler)[Did his speech improve suddenly out of nowhere?? (hide spoiler)]

[Ashlyn]

Chapters 14-18 (view spoiler)[Ugh he proposed. I saw it coming but still. (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 19-26 (view spoiler)[Is the next book about Victoria and Ben??? (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 27-30 (view spoiler)[I'm so glad her dad is finally coming around.

I was not expecting his mother to return. Glad she is going to America and Warwick stood by his side. (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[Overall I liked it, but didn't love it. I'm hoping the next one will be better. Can't wait to see who the characters are! (hide spoiler)]

[Kira]

Starting the first book soon!

[Melanie]

Finally picked this one back up today.



Chapters 19-27
(view spoiler)[
Fielding is such a prick, announcing an engagement that Gabriella never agreed to. I'm glad Raphe dealt with him and got him to call things off.

The situation with Gabriella's sister is heartbreaking. I'm glad she reached out to Gabriella for help. I like that Raphe found a way to help her as well and it seems like a good solution.
(hide spoiler)]

[Melanie]

Chapters 28-35
(view spoiler)[
I'm glad that coming clean helped win over Gabriella's father.

I was not expecting Raphe's mother to show up, thought she was dead.

I'm not surprised word of Raphe being in the fight got out. A duke in a prize fight? That's very bit gossip.
(hide spoiler)]

I enjoyed this one and now need to find time to fit book 2 in.

[Ashlyn]

Chapters 1-4 (view spoiler)[I wonder how she will come up with the money. (hide spoiler)]

[Ashlyn]

Chapters 5-10 (view spoiler)[I cannot belive Mr. Gorrell did that to her!! Good thing the sale went through. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 11-12 (view spoiler)[I bet the fire was on purpose. Hopefully The building is okay. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 13-14 (view spoiler)[Finally they kiss! Hopefully Thomas can make up for what he said though. (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[The ending was too rushed with them getting married and having a baby. Hopefully the next book is better with the doctor. (hide spoiler)]

[Kira]

Chapter 1 - 5 :(view spoiler)[ I seriously considered not picking this up because of time constraints but am actually so happy that I did because I loved the beginning of the book. It is quite difficult from other historical romances I’ve read so far - male mc coming from humble beginnings and all and seems like this would be a enemies to lovers kinda thing so definitely excited (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 6 - 12: (view spoiler)[I quite like this storyline ngl. Gabriella and Raphe share a striking chemistry and it’s visible whenever they are in a room together. I liked how Gabriella took charge of letting his sisters know the way of the ton and although I do not understand her parents completely, Caroline’s words rang sad but true (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 13 - 20: (view spoiler)[I really thought Warwick would agree to let Raphe court Gabriella in exchange of the painting, well guess not. What Fielding did was completely intolerable, how even did he think it was a good idea to kiss Gabriella like that. And now Guthrie. I honestly feel so bad for Raphe atm, after whatever he has faced in the past, he deserves to be left in peace for a while (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 21 - 27: (view spoiler)[Woohooo way to go Gabriella and Raphe! I like that they were brave enough to decide on what they wanted and work towards that goal. Vicky’s story however was very sad. I feared something like that might have happened when it was revealed she hadn’t written back to Gabriella in a year. Now onto see how the Warwicks would agree to this match and what does Raphe’s boxing competition would result into (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[Wow this was so good! The way Raphe won over Warwick’s heart just made my day and then gifting him the painting LOL! Gabriella standing right by him through this all was also admirable - I like heroines with a backbone. She simply did not stand by watching everything happen. I am excited about the next book since it hinted on being Amelia and Duke of Coventry’s love story. (hide spoiler)]

[Kira]

Chapter 1-5: (view spoiler)[Can’t say Coventry’s anger was unreasonable but Amelia’s desire for independence isn’t wrong as well. I wonder if he will help her with the money she owes for the building (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 6-10: (view spoiler)[Mr Gorrell turned out to be even slimier than i would have thought! Atleast Coventry was there to help Amelia. I like that she realised she was falling for him slowly rather than holding on to the “love” she had for him from afar. I don’t think Jeremy is Coventry’s son…maybe his sister’s who died? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 11-15: (view spoiler)[I believe the fire may have been set up deliberately but no focus on it so far. The kiss was so freaking passionate, I loved it. It’s so obvious Thomas is falling in love with Amelia as well but is holding back because of his responsibilities. I hope he comes back to his senses soon (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 16-20: (view spoiler)[Well i knew it, Jeremy is indeed Thomas’ nephew. Now all that remains is taking care of Bartholomew. He sounds dangerous. I hope Amelia doesn’t start believing that Thomas only proposed to her because they were caught in a compromising position. (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[That was a happy ending although it did become way too much action for me with the stabbing. I wasn’t expecting that at all. But I did like Huntley’s interrogation of Thomas, it was hilarious at some points lol. Excited to read Juliette and Florian’s story in the next book (hide spoiler)]

[Kira]

Chapter 1-5: (view spoiler)[Juliette and Florian being involved was hinted at in the previous book so it didn't really come as a surprise. I like how passionate both of them are in life and it's bound to be the one quality that attracts them both to each other (hide spoiler)]

[Kira]

Chapter 6-11: (view spoiler)[Both Florian and Juliette are strong headed and confident in their beliefs which is very refreshing. I like their intellectual conversations and their drive to do something for the underprivileged. Florian's self loathing though is an issue and I hope Juliette helps him see his value (hide spoiler)]

[Kira]

Chapter 12-17: (view spoiler)[Florian always pulls himself back whenever distances start shortening between him and Juliette and I understand where he's coming from but it's still so frustrating. He can be as charming as ever when he wants to be but his hot and cold attitude towards Juliette is getting tiring. Bartolomew is at it again and I can just hope he doesn't bring much harm to Florian (hide spoiler)]

[Kira]

Chapter 18-24: (view spoiler)[It was so sad about Vivien and her aunt, I wish they could have been saved. The way Florian took care of Juliette was so nice and it really showed how much he cared for her. He is only hiding his feelings because he truly believes he doesn't deserve her and that's just sad. The way they said I love you to each other when Juliette was sick made me so emotional (hide spoiler)]

[Kira]

Finished: (view spoiler)[Phew if that proposal wasn't romantic as hell, I don't know what would be. I am so so glad that Bartholomew is finally taken care for and although I still do not like Armswell atleast he did the right thing towards the end wrt Florian. The last chapter gave us a glimpse of the next book and I am very excited for Henry's story! (hide spoiler)]

[Kira]

Chapter 1-5: (view spoiler)[I am a bit put off with Henry's relenless pursual of Viola, no wonder she doesn't believe him when he tells her that not all rumors about him are true. Robert is here and I am genuinely afraid for her now considering the things Henry knows about him and his temperament (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 6-11: (view spoiler)[Things are looking dire for Viola to me, she really is in a pickle and her conversation with the lawyer is making me lose hope for her. I liked that Herny was with her for the meeting with Robert and Hayes (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 12-17: (view spoiler)[Viola is an admirable character with her determination for the hospital and the rejuvenation centre. I really enjoyed her making preparations for the party and then Henry's grandparents making an appearance was absolutely delightful. It looks like Henry is about to challenge Robert to a duel though which is scary (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 18-23: (view spoiler)[I am not sure I like this quick marriage plot between Henry and Viola. Her being an illegitimate child also just came out of nowhere. I like Henry's grandma pushing the two together but getting married so soon? weird (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[That was quite a showdown for a romance book. I did not expect Guthrie to do that for Henry and Viola and the last chapter indicates he might be getting his own book or something? That would be interesting. Atleast Robert was finally punished for all his nefarious deeds and Henry and Viola got their HEA (hide spoiler)]

[Ashlyn]

I have book three checked out from my library, just trying to get through some of my current reads and loans ending sooner first.

[Kira]

Chapter 1-4: (view spoiler)[So Regina's father was somehow involved in whatever happened to Guthrie's father and now he wishes to exact revenge upon him using his daughter. I feel bad for Regina, although Guthrie is genuinely getting attracted to her, he did send a letter to her father insinuating some things which could harm her reputation. This is a recipe for disaster in the future (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 5-8: (view spoiler)[There is no doubt Guthrie suffered a lot because of whatever Regina's father did to his family. Regina really is an innocent soul and I hope she doesn't get hurt in the crossfires of this revenge. Regina's father is not owning up to anything despite the letters and that makes me think he is truly despicable. I am liking the growing connection between Regina and Guthrie and all their scenes together are very enjoyable (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 9-13: (view spoiler)[Patrick's betrayal simply came out of nowhere and it shocked me to the core. Why would he be kidnapping women? Marcus is working so hard to find his sister which makes me a little comforted that Regina atleast had one person in the household who loves her wholeheartedly. Carlton is so torn between his thirst for vengeance and budding feelings for Regina. I hope he comes clean to her soon (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 14-19:(view spoiler)[Oh damn that were a lot of secrets revealed. I am so disgusted by the fact that Guthrie's father and regina's mother had an affair which is the reason this is all even happening. I am atleast glad that Guthrie didn't end up killing Hedgewick, it surely would have ruined his life and now that Regina has discovered who he really is, I am curious to see what her next set of actions would be. Will she turn on her father once she confirms that he indeed was responsible for Windham's death? (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[I loved that Regina stood up against her father and brought justice to Carlton through proper channels. Their romance was passionate and strong and I liked how everything was wrapped up. I also appreciate that the last chapters in these books give us a glimpse of what the next book has in hold for the readers making it quite interesting to look forward to (hide spoiler)]

[Kira]

I'll be reading the next book in this series in a couple of days, life got busy this week!

[Melanie]

I'll be getting to the next book in a few days.

[Aly]

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RESTARTING AUGUST 10TH, 2023

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[Melanie]

I'm going to pick this up sometime next week!

[Kira]

Chapter 1-4: (view spoiler)[Simon is so tight strung, I was having difficulty understanding just how he'd come about to having feelings for Ida but they seem to be getting along well together. Ida is a strong self confident girl, and I like how she didn't turn into someone timid when faced with difficulty rather handled it all gracefully. I am curious to see how she and Simon exact vengeance for her father. They work well together ngl (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 5-9: (view spoiler)[Ugh Simon shouldn't have acted like he was embarrased to be seen with Ida in society, she really wished to dance at the ball and he won't just let her mingle with anyone, it frustrated me so much. No wonder she feels like he wants to keep her hidden. Now that she is going to find out he is related to one of the suspects, I can only imagine how shocked and betrayed she'd feel (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 10-13: (view spoiler)[Ida is so sweet to agree to give a second chance to Simon so easily, I hope he doesn't break her trust again in any way. Somehow I don't believe that Elliot would have been involved in the scheme to frame Ida's father but he is just deperate to maintain his reputation. Ida shooting him was quite unexpected but well deserved. I can't say that I absolutely love the romance between the two MCs but it's bearable (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 14-18: (view spoiler)[UGH Simon infuriates me, him believing that Ida should be perfectly happy and satisifed by just being his mistress was unbelievably selfish of him. I had hoped he had changed his way of thinking by then but nope. Then he planned a whole dinner party in order to propose her but didn't consider simply talking about it all with her for once. I am so over it. Ida being arrested came out of nowhere and now that everyone believes Elliot was the one behind it all, I am more than disappointed (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[Yikes all three of the suspects were innocent after all and the businessman played them all, how could they never catch up with him I will never understand. I guess I did kind of warm up to Simon at the end especially when he chased after Ida and rescued her from this prisoner ship, I wasn't expecting her to agree to the proposal so easily but to each their own I guess. The setting up of the plot for the next book was my favourite part about this one lol (hide spoiler)]

[Kira]

Starting book 7 now!

[Kira]

Chapter 1-4: (view spoiler)[Ah so this one is a fake engagement plot, I must say I was not expecting this at all. I thought it would be a straightforward bodyguard romance. I don't yet have much thoughts about this one aside from the fact that it might become just another book in the pile if there is nothing novel about it. Charlotte with her writing is a bit refreshing though, it is great to see a woman do something other than attend balls and soirees (hide spoiler)]

[Kira]

Chapter 4-7: (view spoiler)[I am guessing Blayne isn’t really just a bodyguard for Guthrie and may have come from nobility. He has killed someone in his past and maybe that’s what he is running from because he couldn’t forgive himself from it. If it indeed is true, there would be nothing original about this book left for me honestly. I am also 99% sure that Carlisle brother was behind the theft of the manuscript because Charlotte’s rejection bothered him (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 8-13: (view spoiler)[I did have an inkling that Charlotte might be the author of those raunchy novels and it turned out to be true! I still believe that Carlisle may have been behind the theft and published the novel to make profits off of it. I hadn’t banked on Cooper being able to reveal Blayne’s identity so soon, but it was quite clever of Blayne to present him with more attractive matches in order to save Charlotte. I am loving the maid Daisy, she is acting like cupid between the two MCs (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 14-17: (view spoiler)[Everything was going so good, Blayne and Charlotte were about to be married for real WITH her family’s blessings, i am pissed that his uncle showed up that way. I certainly was expecting something like this to happen but i still feel bad that it happened right when the wedding was about to start. I can’t even imagine how Charlotte must have felt. I am quite impressed though by her unwavering loyalty and trust for Blayne, she isn’t even angry that he did his real identity from her (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[Charlotte is so clever, she came up with the perfect solution to save Blayne quickly without having to reveal his identity at all. Charlotte getting shot wasn’t something I expected but i have gotten used to such drama in historical romances books honestly. I never even wondered if she’d make it or not. My theory about the theft was on point and Charlotte hiring Albert as dishwasher to pay off the money he stole from her was absolutely hilarious. The setup of next book’s plot has piqued my interest as usual (hide spoiler)]

[Ashlyn]

I'll start this up when I'm in the mood for HR.

[Kira]

Chapter 1-4: (view spoiler)[I have fairly liked Marcus in the previous books so I am glad that he got his own story. No historical romance is complete without an awful father and this time both MCs have been awarded with the same. The eye surgery plot is interesting and Marcus traveling with Louise to Winterly home in order to perform the surgery was awfully sweet of him. I am curious to see how they come close during her recovery (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 5-8: (view spoiler)[I feel so bad for Marcus, he won't allow himself to fall in love with Louise, every time he gets close to her he tries to run away. I was honestly expecting the surgery to go well and Louise getting all better but the complications gave me a kind of reality check. I am loving their interactions together although afraid of when her father would catch up to them. the winterlys are sweethearts, literally, I love that Louise came here for the surgery (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 9-11: (view spoiler)[Woah Louise lied to Marcus to get her surgery done but she was clever to blackmail her dad the way she did, he is a terrible person and I wish his wife finds out about his indiscretions all on her own. Louise confessed her love first which took me by surprise, albeit a pleasant one. eager to see what Nigel's reaction is when Louise and Marcus approach him to break off the engagement (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 12-15: (view spoiler)[ARGH i was so annoyed when Marcus suggested they take some time apart in order for Louise to be sure of him but I am glad that he came back to his senses soon. Fairbanks took calling off the engagement with quite a stride, I was almost prepared for a duel or something between him and Marcus but I guess since he didn't really love Louise, it was ok. I hope we get to witness Louise and Marcus' wedding in Germany! (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[ Hmmm wasn't expecting another confrontation with Louise's dad or for him to still not accept the union till the very end but I did like that they got married despite everything. The scene with all the diamonds in the rough and their partners gathered together in the same room was the perfect homage to the entire series. It took me unbelievably long to get through all of them, only a novella left now! (hide spoiler)]

[Kira]

Chapter 1: (view spoiler)[I am all for fake engagement plot to make the actual suitor jealous but Sophie actually agreeing to marry Edward so easily left a bad taste in my mouth (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 2-3: (view spoiler)[Ok I take it back, Sophie's situation doesn't afford her the luxury to keep pining over someone who didn't write back to her for four whole years and still won't confess his feelings but expects her to call off the engagement still (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 4-5: (view spoiler)[Ugh the way Jack made him sleeping with other women seem like he was doing them a favor was so self indulgent of him, I don't think I am going to start liking him as a character. He won't marry Sophia himself but also won't let her marry anyone else, yikes (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 6-8: (view spoiler)[Oh this is ridiculous, right when Jack finally has the guts to stand up for the one he loves, Sophia's brother pops out of nowhere and forbids them from marrying for an entire year. At this point, I am just reading this to finish it , only a handful of pages left (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[This book had no purpose at all, I do not even know why the series warranted a novella but this book had nothing going for it. They married after a year without any kind of conflicts, doesn't make sense to me (hide spoiler)]

[Ashlyn]

I'll get back to this one soon.

[Melanie]

I should hopefully be picking up the next book soon.

[Ashlyn]

Will get to this one soon.

[Ashlyn]

I should be able to start soon.

[Ashlyn]

Coming back to this one soon.

[Ashlyn]

Haven't started yet, but will soon.

[Ashlyn]

Getting back to this soon.

[Ashlyn]

Will continue soon.

[Melanie]

I'll be getting back to this one soon, just finishing up some other buddy reads first.

[Ashlyn]

Continuing soon

[Alaina]

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RESTARTING MAY 31st, 2024


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[Ashlyn]

Starting soon

[Ashlyn]

Reading soon

[Ashlyn]

Will read

[Melanie]

Hoping to read the next book soon.

[Ashlyn]

Updating this now since I’ll be on vacation the next few weeks.