Dangerous in diamonds

Hunter's fourth Rarest Blooms Regency (after Sinful in Satin) masterfully weaves a sensual web ensnaring florist Daphne Joyes and Tristan, the scandalous duke of Castleford. Their paths cross when Daphne's landlord dies and Tristan inherits the land on which she runs her modest flower business. Rarest Blooms secretly offers sanctuary to women who need it, no questions asked. Dukes always get what they want, and Tristan instantly wants Daphne, but she challenges him in arguments as passionate and provocative as their eventual lovemaking. The backdrop of spousal abuse and the millworkers' riots is leavened by mishap as Tristan acts on erroneous assumptions that Daphne cheerfully refrains from correcting. Fans will be delighted to learn what the previous Rarest Blooms ladies and their husbands are up to, laugh at their chatter, and cheer their unwavering friendship. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

The Duke of Castleford considers the responsibilities of rank onerous and boring, which is why he restricts his attention to them to Tuesdays. The rest of the week he indulges in other ducal privileges, like drinking and cavorting with women. He therefore isn't totally sober when he visits one of four parcels of land he's inherited from the late Duke of Becksbridge. The tenant, Mrs. Daphne Joyes, a widow and proprietor of the Rarest Blooms enterprise, had had an arrangement with Becksbridge and had expected to receive ownership of the property upon his death. There is more at stake here than this incorrigible duke needs to know. Yet Castleford's legendary curiosity gets the better of him, as he considers Mrs. Joyes a conundrum he might risk sobriety to unravel. She just wants him gone. Verdict The last installment in Hunter's "Rarest Blooms" quartet (Ravishing in Red, Provocative in Pearls, Sinful in Satin) features characters from the earlier novels, plus a host of others to bring the series to a satisfying close. The incorporation of historical events (the Battle of Peterloo) highlights the unrest of the times and intensifies our heroine's precarious situation. And could there be a more arrogant duke-or one more irresistible? Hunter's flowery centerpiece will suit every romance table. Highly recommended.-Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.