The Gentleman Jewel Thief

The Hope Diamond Trilogy, Book #1

By Jessica Peterson

 ISBN# 9780425272077

Author’s Website:  http://jessicapeterson.com/

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Una

In an era when ladies were demure and men courtly, one priceless treasure set England ablaze and incited unimaginable scandal and passion—the Hope Diamond.

The Gentleman Jewel Thief is a romantic historical fiction. It is a delightful light read and has enough romance and intrigue to keep you interested until the end.  Heir to an impressive title and fortune Lord William Townshend, Earl of Harclay is bored and seeking excitement.  He decides to steal the world’s legendary gemstone from its owner Mr. Hope who happens to be William’s banker.  Surprising is that it is not the robbery but the lady who is wearing it that gets his passion stirring.

The lady in question is Lady Violet Rutledge who also banks with Mr. Hope and feels that since she is the one who has lost the jewel it must be she who retrieves it.

Both William and Violet are caught in a game of secrecy and seduction and Violet must find a way to protect her fortune and her heart before she loses both forever.

The efforts to retrieve the stolen jewel lead to madcap adventures and William can be exasperating at times- especially when he challenges his sister’s suitor to a duel for doing exactly what he is doing to Violet or when his thoughtlessness almost ruins everything that Violet holds dear.

I feel that Violet herself is an enigma for the times as she drinks like a male and can beat most males in cards: seen in those days as a very unladylike quality. Also in a society where females where considered the “fairer sex” and were not allowed the rights that males had, Violet comes across as a strong individual who has learned to play and win in a male dominated society to get what she needs and wants to maintain her families fortune- at the expense of her finding a suitable husband which was considered necessary for this time period for any well respected woman.

Both Violet and William have a strong sense of family loyalty which strengthens as the book progresses.

I think the love story between Violet and William is passionate and wild for the time period. Neither of them wanted the affair but the chemistry is too strong between the two to do anything but follow their desire for each other. The language is explicit but is told in the period language so does not come across as vulgar or distasteful.

Although I found the whole King Louis plot a bit far-fetched it did give a bit of question to the ending and keeps the reader in suspense.

The writer was clever in the way that the ending mimicked the beginning and tied up the loose ends. It also gave possibilities for the story to continue.

I enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes historical romances.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*