Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 what’s one of your Monday numbers? Mine are: 1 day off work & 3 kids off school bc of Presidents’ Day, 1 cup of coffee, 2 bags under my eyes, 60 degrees as a high for today.

The Diamond & the Duke by Christi Caldwell has the weight & warmth I was really looking for when I picked it up a few months ago—you know that feeling when you want to pick up a historical with that certain kind of tone…

There’s a lot of emotional heft to this one, as heroine Ellie Balfour—first introduced to us as a teen—struggles with a decision she has made that has caused giant ripple effects within her family.

That’s when she meets Wesley, future duke, & when she first fancies herself in love with him.

She feels such a kinship with this man that, later, when she believes it’s a matter of his life or death, she pretends to be the woman he loves in letters to him.

The plot of this book gets complicated by Wesley’s return & his realization that the woman who he thought loved him has moved on, Ellie Balfour is older, beautiful, & now fancied by many others, & he is struggling with a body devastated by war. Also that pesky matter of those letters…

The unconventional leads stand out in this book. The author plays with beauty & the beast & the ugly duckling stories & both are underpinned by leads who have both overcome quite a lot to get to where they are by the end of the book.

But I struggled with the decisions the leads made & the plot itself, & my incredulity had an overall negative experience on my reading.

Still, I enjoyed Caldwell’s writing style & the measured warmth of it all.

3.5 ⭐️. Out tomorrow!

Please see a trusted reviewer’s list of CWs.

[ID: Jess, a white woman wearing a green & white patterned dress, holds the ebook up in front of a gray wall.]

Ellie Balfour has never felt like you fit in with her family, so when her sister-in-law‘s brother, Wesley Audrey takes the time to notice her as a girl and encourage her tomboy tendencies, she falls hopelessly in love.

Fast-forward, and Ellie is no longer young girl, and Wesley has returned from the Napoleonic wars broken and scarred. Both have changed, but they find comfort in each other. Ellie still finds Wesley incredibly attractive and yearn to give him the strength to heal and carry on, well hiding from her debutant duties, as she is ready to face the ton and marriage mart.

Ellie is successful but in doing so, she loses Wesley… that is until she becomes the diamond of the season, and Wesley returns to the ballroom to fight for her affection!

There were so much in the story to love! From the Androes thorn in the lions, paw relationship between Ellie and Wesley, to the torrid nature of their relationship due to their married siblings. I loved how real Wesley struggle to recover was depicted, and how much Ellie had to work to let him in originally.

Having missed the second book in the All The Duke’s Sins series, that tells of the romance between their siblings, I was worried, I would feel like I was missing a major part of the story, but found it quite easy to jump into this book.

Christy Caldwell is a master at creating real gritty characters that you can’t help but love and Wesley is definitely in that club. This was an HEA that I couldn’t help rooting for from their adorable meet cute!

Thanks to Berkeley Publishing for my e-book review copy. Opinions are my own.

#TheDiamondandtheDuke #ChristiCaldwell

I’ve enjoyed all of the books in the All the Duke’s Sins series and I was glad to see that with Book 3, the series is still going strong.

This book had an injured war hero, secretive letters, love at first sight, and a HEA! I also liked that there was a little teaser about Hattie’s story at the ending of this book.

I recommend you read this book if you like Bridgerton, witty banter, and charming heroes.

The Diamond and the Duke by Christi Caldwell is book three in the All the Duke's Sins series and this might be my current favorite.

When Wesley Audley returns to England from fighting in the Napoleonic Wars, he is a shell of himself. He has injuries (internal and external) that prompt him to isolate himself from not only society but his family, and the woman he loved before going to war. The only person who is willing to face him and speak frankly is Ellie Balfour, the young lady he met years ago when Wesley's sister married Ellie's brother and for some reason, he is willing to give her more leeway than he does the others who try to pull him back.

Ever since the fateful day Ellie met and spent time with Wesley Audley, he has been the only man she is interested in - even though she has dreams of running her own husband-free life. She knows he doesn't see her as more than an irritating young woman who continues to pester and challenge him, but she is willing to take the risk and push Wesley to focus on who he is now instead of what he used to be. Because of her background, she knows she can help him and she's not afraid to try.

I loved how Ellie wasn't afraid to face off with Wesley and in fact, I also loved how she stood up to everyone on his behalf. Mostly because the way they were treating him was one of the things prompting him to see himself differently. Seeing their relationship build over time was great and as Ellie divulges her secrets to Wesley and things start to shift from friends to more, I couldn't help but root for both of them to figure things out.

If you're looking for a new historical romance to pick up, consider grabbing this one. Even though this is a third book in the series, I think you could read as a standalone. I would still recommend picking up the earlier books because they do show up in this one (Ellie is in the prior book too). I'll look for more from Caldwell in the future for sure.

THE DIAMOND AND THE DUKE is the third book in the All The Duke's Sins Regency Historical Romance series and can absolutely be read as a standalone. Author Christi Caldwell is a pro at weaving in any needed backstory, however; I highly recommend the first two books in this series. Readers will benefit from meeting the families and couples involved first-hand while enjoying two fantastic stories.

For reasons of her own, Lady Eleanor “Ellie” Balfour has plans to be a spinster. She vows to never allow a man to control her or her fate ever again. There was one man she would have given her heart to, but he disappointed and deserted her by going off to war. And since returning home, he's made no effort to contact her. Matrimony isn't for her . . . and she's perfectly fine with that. Captain Wesley Audley returned from the Napoleonic War a bitter, broken man suffering from PTSD who wants to be left alone. He refuses all visitors, preferring to live out his days in dark isolation while mourning what might have been. The dreams he once had of a loving wife and family died in the horrors he saw and experienced on the battlefield. What woman wants a man who can't take care of them? One who looks like a beast? And yet, when Ellie is there to welcome Wesley back to his family's home, he feels the old spark. While all others ignore him, Ellie refuses to go away and leave him alone. Her goal is no longer marriage, but she can't walk away with trying to bring Wesley back among the living. She has a plan . . . will it backfire on her?

THE DIAMOND AND THE DUKE is a heart touching story about the power of love to heal. It's a story of acceptance, forgiveness and kindred souls. Caldwell has a gift for tapping into the emotions of characters and bringing them to life on the pages. Her descriptive prose flows beautifully as the story unfolds and readers witness the transformation of Wesley. Fans of the first two books in the series will enjoy the appearance of previous characters in this story. THE DIAMOND AND THE DUKE is Regency Romance at its finest - a real diamond in the genre. Highly recommended to fans of historical romance in any time period.

DNF. My own fault really…I DNFed the prior book while in a slump and thought I could pick up with the next one when it got offered to me, bit every time the book made a veiled reference to what Ellie supposedly did to make her brother have to get married, I got more annoyed.

Lady Eleanor “Ellie” Balfour has loved Wesley Audley, illegitimate son of the Duke of Bentley, ever since he saw her practicing swordplay on her family’s Leeds estate as a teenager. He won her heart with his honesty, a refreshing change from her older brothers’ platitudes and her late father’s physical cruelty. Several years later, Captain Audley returns from the Belgian battlefields injured and broken, not realizing that the lovingly supportive letters he’d received overseas had secretly been penned by Ellie, rather than the old girlfriend whose name Ellie had carefully signed. When Ellie looks at Wesley, she sees a kindred spirit and strives to heal him, if only he can bring his walls down. In truth, she’s in desperate need of healing herself.

This emotionally rich mixture of Beauty and the Beast, Cyrano, and Bridgerton-style saga, set in the early 19th century, offers a multiplicity of romance tropes, which feels overcrowded at times, especially when the fake-relationship subplot appears. But Caldwell strikes a good balance between the serious theme of abuse recovery and the flirtatious hubbub of a pre-Regency London Season, and the couple’s visit to a female bonesetter adds originality. It’s a complicated road, but these wounded characters well deserve their happy ending.

(Reviewed for the Historical Novels Review, Feb. 2024)

The Diamond and the Duke
by Christi Caldwell
Pub Date: 20 Feb 2024

Despite a hero’s return to England from the Napoleonic Wars, Wesley Audley isolates from the ton. Deep wounds from the horrors of combat—and the despair of a broken heart—left him scarred. As he struggles to cope and resume his place in Polite Society, Wesley is quick to cut himself off from everyone…except for Ellie Balfour.

Independent and strong-willed, Ellie has dreams of captaining her own husband-free life and a penchant for meddling in other’s business. She knows befriending Wesley is a risk but Ellie can’t bear to see his heartache. Nor can she seem to silence all the temptingly intimate thoughts his nearness provokes.

But Ellie is yet to face a battle she can’t win—and Wesley’s heart is worth the fight. If only her campaigns ever went to plan…

This book was emotional and meaningful and beautiful all at once. I really admired Ellie’s character and her strength and resilience. It was so sweet how her and Wesley were able to lean on each other and move forward together. The book covered some sad, heavy topics but did so artfully. And it emphasized the important message that happiness can always be found again. I’m excited to read the rest of the series now! However, there were some obvious errors that will hopefully be updated from the ARC version to the final copy (referring to the wrong person, changing the descriptions of characters, grammar, etc.)

"When a wounded soldier and self-proclaimed "beast" finds unlikely friendship with a headstrong and unconventional beauty, they quickly find themselves weaving a tale as old as time...

Despite a hero's return to England from the Napoleonic Wars, Wesley Audley isolates from the ton. Deep wounds from the horrors of combat - and the despair of a broken heart--left him scarred. As he struggles to cope and resume his place in Polite Society, Wesley is quick to cut himself off from everyone...except for Ellie Balfour.

Independent and strong-willed, Ellie has dreams of captaining her own husband-free life and a penchant for meddling in other's business. She knows befriending Wesley is a risk but Ellie can't bear to see his heartache. Nor can she seem to silence all the temptingly intimate thoughts his nearness provokes.

But Ellie is yet to face a battle she can't win--and Wesley's heart is worth the fight. If only her campaigns ever went to plan..."

Yes, totally here because of the nod to Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

Regency Romance with all the feelings

This charming story is about two loners dealing with past hurts, and trying to find true love.

A captivating story that will bring all the raw emotion, fiery passion, and an unwavering faith in the transformative power of love.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for the eARC.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a sweet story! I haven't read any of the other books in the series, but I grew attached enough to the characters to want to. My interest Haddie's story is well and truly peaked. If you love a good regency romance give this one a try!

✨When you started crying, baby, I did too
But when the sun came up, I was looking at you…✨

Wow. This series is really just THAT good isn’t it??? This book, like the series as a whole, was absolutely brimming with emotion. I absolutely loved seeing two lonely people be a bit selfish and claim the love they absolutely deserved.

I’m not a huge fan of this plot type—think Love in the Afternoon where a soldier returns from war thinking he was writing letters with his “sweetheart” when really it was the heroine. But somehow Christi Caldwell worked out just the right amount of longing, angst, and denial. There was enough to hurt! me, but not enough to lose my interest or drag the book along aimlessly.

I enjoyed the pacing and am really happy how the third act played out. There were a few different directions it could’ve taken, but this one felt so right for everyone involved. And again, the EMOTIONS!

Overall, I really can’t wait to listen to Tim Campbell narrate this audiobook because I know he’s going to capture ~all~ of Wesley so perfectly. If you haven’t read the series, I definitely recommend starting with the novella prequels and reading in order!


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️🌶️/5



Thanks to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honestly and my own.

The Diamond and the Duke by Christi Caldwell is a captivating tale brimming with raw emotion, fiery passion, and an unwavering faith in the transformative power of love. This exceptional Regency romance is a true gem that will leave readers spellbound.

In this enchanting novel, Caldwell weaves a mesmerizing story set against the backdrop of the Regency era. The narrative unfolds with a depth of emotion that tugs at the heartstrings, immersing readers in a world where love conquers all.

The characters in The Diamond and the Duke are exquisitely crafted, each possessing their own unique charm and flaws. The Duke, a formidable and enigmatic figure, is irresistibly drawn to the captivating Diamond, a woman of unparalleled beauty and strength. Their passionate encounters ignite a spark that transcends societal boundaries, challenging the norms of their time.

Caldwell's storytelling effortlessly transports readers to a bygone era, where the opulence and grandeur of the Regency period come alive. The vivid descriptions of lavish ballrooms, sumptuous gowns, and the intricate dance of courtship evoke a sense of nostalgia and immerse readers in a world of elegance and sophistication.

What sets The Diamond and the Duke apart is its unwavering belief in the healing power of love. As the characters navigate through trials and tribulations, their journey becomes a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative nature of love's embrace.

The Diamond and the Duke is an exceptional Regency romance that will captivate readers from beginning to end. Christi Caldwell's impeccable storytelling, richly developed characters, and unwavering belief in the redemptive power of love make this novel an absolute must-read for fans of the genre. Prepare to be swept away on a breathtaking journey that will leave you yearning for more.

Lady Eleanor “Ellie” Balfour plans to never marry. She has her reasons for becoming a spinster, one she does not wish to share with anyone. There is one man who could possibly change Ellie’s m ind about matrimony. However, he is a man embittered and ravaged by war. She refuses to allow Wesley’s surliness to thwart her intentions of helping him heal. Can Ellie give Wesley a reason to live? Will she reveal why she is so averse to marriage?
Captain Wesley Audley returns from the Napoleonic War a broken shell of a man. He wants nothing more than to isolate himself from the world, including his family. There is, however, one person who refuses to allow Wesley to molder away in depression. Ellie Balfour is no longer the little girl he remembers from the past, but a woman grown. With Ellie’s help, can Wesley learn to cope with his injuries?
Ellie is my favorite Balfour. She made DESPERATELY SEEKING A DUCHESS entertaining to read. I could not request this book fast enough, once I found out it was her story! I respect Ellie’s decision not to marry. After years of enduring her father’s abuse, she did not want to exchange one for another. Women had no rights in that time-period. What I adore the most about Ellie is how she refused to allow Wesley to wallow in darkness. She never once treated him as an invalid but as a whole person.
I have always been a sucker for the wounded and tortured types. And Wesley did not disappoint me! I like how the author did not miraculous “cure” or “heal” him. Instead, we witness his slow journey of acceptance and healing. How it sometimes takes a kindred soul to help another confront their mental demons and heal. Wesley needed that.
THE DIAMOND AND THE DUKE is the third book in Christi Caldwell’s historical romance series, ALL THE DUKE’S SINS. I recommend reading this series in proper order. Yeah, the story can standalone. However, the first two explain the Audley family history and dynamics. The second book introduces the Balfours and their family circumstances. Plus, the couples from the prior books pop up throughout the story. I like that we get to meet Rafe and Edwina and Cailin and Courtland’s children.
I cannot wait to see who Hattie’s mystery love is? And Hunter is the last unmarried Audley. I wonder if the author plans to pair them together or someone entirely new for both. I am cool either way. Also, I hope Keir Balfour gets a book too!
My only nitpick. I have grown attached to the Balfours. I wanted each sibling to have their own book, a spinoff series. They, the Balfours, deserve a happy-ever-after. So, I was bummed to learn that Lottie married.

Run, do not walk to read The Diamond and the Duke. It is one of my most favorite Christi Caldwell titles ever!