The Forgotten Duke (Diamonds In The Rough Book 5)
Carlton Guthrie, who appears in the first of Barnes’ Diamonds in the Rough series, plays the hero in this fifth installment when Regina, the Earl of Hedgewick’s daughter, flees an arranged marriage and falls into his arms. Despite Guthrie’s moniker as the Scoundrel of St. Giles, The Black Swan is the safest place Regina could possibly be, as Guthrie vows to protect and cherish her even though Hedgewick killed Guthrie’s father, destroyed his life, and forced him to assume a false name. Regina, passing from one protector to another and knowing marriage is her only escape, soon falls for Guthrie and the noble heart beneath his rough speech. But Guthrie refuses to yield to her beauty and charm and ruin her for another, since he expects to be hanged for murder after exacting his revenge.
The action feels low-key despite the dramatic incidents marking plot turns, but the romance is sincere and convincing. The heroes are clear-cut and the villains a touch caricatured, and there’s little sense of Regency London, high or low, as most of the scenes take place in the Swan. Still, Barnes’ fans will enjoy the gentle, gradual unfolding of Guthrie and Regina’s happy ending.
