I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence my review.

I’ve read a Jane Feather Historical Romance in the past and enjoyed it, so when I saw Tempt Me with Diamonds available for review I quickly requested it.

Feather sets this story in 1902, following The Boer War.

Colonel Rupert Lacey is a survivor of the war. Unfortunately, his best friend since childhood, Jem Sommerville, died fighting in South Africa. Jem’s father died shortly after. The inheritance was to be divided between two children, Jem and his younger sister, Diana. With Jem’s demise, the fortune should all have gone to Diana. However, unbeknownst to the sister, Jem had made a will leaving his half to Rupert. This includes half of the family home and one-half interest in a superb racehorse.

Diana Sommerville is a headstrong, intelligent young woman who returns from South Africa deeply grieving the deaths of her father and brother. She is horrified to find Rupert already installed in her home. Of course, the two have a past. Lifelong friends who fell in love, they were engaged to be married until betrayal led to breaking of the engagement. (Rupert betrayed; Diana left him. But there is more to that story than is initially explained.)

Diana expects Rupert to leave the house, even if she must buy out his share. They can’t live together when they are not wed. Rupert refuses to leave. His suggestion is that they simply pretend to have been wed in South Africa as originally planned. They will treat each other courteously in public but divide the house in two and lead separate private lives.

Jane Feather’s romances are of the steamy variety, so this couple has already consummated their relationship and waste no time resuming that side of it. It takes a bit longer for them to hash out their old hurts and forgive one another. In this author’s skilled hands, the pair do not irritate the reader by prolonging their bitterness and recriminations, but rather build upon a regard for one another that predated their falling out in order to reach a workable compromise. And then fall in love all over again.

Despite the somewhat strained premise, the story is an enjoyable read and the characters make for a satisfactory Romance.

A young lonely boy with no friends, meets Jem Sommerville and eventually all his family. Diana Sommerville was Jem's sister and was engaged to Rupert. Jem and Rupert joined the army. At the time they were fighting the Boers in Africa. Jem was killed during an altercation and Rupert blamed himself. Eventually he returned to England. and she returned soon after. Jem leaves his half of the inheritance to his best friend Rupert, but it causes a problem for Diana and him.
I enjoyed this story of love, friends and romance.. She was so angry with him because after they became engaged, she was afraid he might be cheating on her and they definitely had a falling out. There are some twists to this book but they are handled well by the author. Her writing runs smoothly, easy to read, the descriptions are great and you feel like you are there.

I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

I was looking forward to a new book by Jane Feather, but was very disappointed. I found I kept waiting for something to happen. Both the hero and heroine don’t trust each other. I was sure there would be a villain or a back story which would explain why they just didn’t talk their differences out. Alas, the explanation was too little too late.

A FINE ROMANCE…

Diana Sommerville seems to have it all—beauty, brains, and vast wealth, thanks to her family’s ownership of a diamond mine abroad. But when her beloved brother dies in battle and leaves a lion’s share of his estate to his best friend, Diana finds herself in a situation that seems scripted for the stage: Sharing her family home with the man she used to love—and now loathes. Worse, her unfaithful former fiancé has already moved in . . .

OR AN EXCELLENT FAKE?

Rupert Lacey didn’t expect Diana to take the news without a fight. Still, he didn’t expect her to bring the battle directly to their newly shared doorstep—complete with a full set of trunks, and a full set of orders to the staff. Yet there she is, bold, regal . . . magnificent as ever. Now they would face a formidable challenge: to ignore each other—and the unanswered questions that stood between them. The only sure thing is their still blazing desire. But with a woman like Diana, it will take nothing less than a momentous misunderstanding, a missing prized mare, and a shocking revelation to restore a love that hasn’t lost its shine.

This is a second chances historical romance title of a different sort. This couple seemed meant for each other all along, however misunderstandings have kept them apart.
The time frame is not one I am very familiar with as I don't read many books that are situated in the early 1900's. This is after the invention of motor cars and rife with the times of my Grandfather who was born in the late 1800's. Trains were a popular mode of transportation and the author used this fact to it's best.
Since I am unfamiliar with the exact history of the times I can not say if the historical facts are correct.
This book takes the reader on a sweeping journey through the English, Welsh and Scottish countryside of the times and brings together a well written book.
I gave this book 4.75 of 5.0 stars for storyline and character development. Sensuality is interspersed in this sweeping story and ranges from mild to heated.
I received a complimentary ARC of this title to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

The heroine, is bitter, immature, and stupidly impulsive. The hero is quick to anger and impulsive. This is one of those novels where everything could be settled if the two people just talked to each other instead of retiring to their separate corners filled with anger, resentment, and sexual attraction.

Diana’s brother died in the Second Boer War. Surprisingly, he left his fortune to his friend, Rupert, his sister’s former fiance, instead of to his sister. She doesn’t need the money since the family owned a diamond mine in South Africa, but she resents having to share her house and other property with Rupert. Instead of allowing her to buy him out, he insists on living in the London house with her. When she questions the scandal that would ignite, he suggests they pretend they’re married.

She agrees and only later questions what will happen if either of them want to get married or have love affairs with someone else. A pretend marriage might cause future problems. Ya think? Shouldn’t they have thought about that earlier? No matter. They can still have their little fights that Diana initiates and then fall into bed together. Then one or the other of them can get all offended and the whole cycle repeats.

I found both of them tedious and just wanted to knock their skulls together. Nothing was believable and Diana was downright unlikable.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

The writing is phenomenal but the pace of the story is slow. There is no real struggle or action that makes the plot thicken or the heart race. It’s all just very staid until the climax is reached. This, I must say, was well done and made me shed a tear or two. It finally made me feel for the characters and what they were going through.

For most of the book, it felt as if Rupert was the responsible adult trying to appease Diana while she was childish and stubborn. Not to mention the fact that she passes judgement way too easily.

Rupert, for me, was chivalrous and kind but not as forthcoming as he should’ve been. Even so, I really liked his character.

Diana, however, I found myself not having the empathy I should have had for her. She provokes him time and time again. She also had me wondering why she distrusts him so much when they practically grew up together. How she could even cast certain aspersions or doubts on his character didn’t feel right.

A good read but lacked the passion and the tension between the characters I was looking for.

I received an ARC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I did enjoy Diana and Rupert's story, but their relationship seemed a bit toxic to me. Because of this, it was just an ok read for me. They were not very nice to one another and that was a big turn off.

This is the second book of Feather's that I've read and I've given them both ratings of a 3. I don't know that I want to read anymore, but I am curious to see how Diana's friends find their HEA, so I'm still tempted to read those books.

Jane Feather is back to form with this first of a new series. I look forward to the next book which won't be out until 2020!

"Tempt Me with Diamonds" by Jane Feather
I liked this story... It was a good read.. I have no idea why I didn't fall in love with the story. But, I am glad I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for I truly did enjoy my time with Diana and Rupert as they put in the work to untangle the web of their lives.

This is the first book I've read by Ms. Feather and I thought the book had great potential. The first chapter set the stage for an interesting story, but that's the only thing I liked about this book. Diana Sommerville is shocked to learn that her beloved dead brother has left half of his estate to her former finance, Rupert Lacey. Diana had called off the engagement when Rupert wouldn't answer her questions about rumors that he was unfaithful to her. So sets the stage when Diana learns that 1/2 of everything means Rupert is also living in her family home.

I didn't like either of these characters. Diana is vindictive and Rupert is controlling on the verge of obnoxious. Both of them pushed each other's buttons and the only time they weren't fighting was when they fell into bed together. Pretending to be married was supposed to be a way to avoid scandal, but Diana goes out of her way to be overly friendly to a male friend just to incite Rupert's jealousy. The book continued on this way--first they're fighting and then they're having sex. Not much of a plot here and it wasn't until the end that we found out any details about her dead brother and his motives for leaving 1/2 the estate to Rupert.

Rating 3.5/5

A sweet second-chance romance. I loved the growth and maturity of these characters as a result of their lost time together and how is secured their love for each other now even more so than in the past.

Tempt Me With Diamonds by Jane Feather. Kensington Books, 2019.

Sometimes it seems that historical romances are forced to choose from a limited number of storylines, making most familiar and predictable. But this book has a plot that I’ve not encountered before.

Diana and Rupert, her brother Jem’s best friend, were close friends first, then lovers. When she ended their relationship abruptly, Jem was so certain they belonged together that he left his estate to Rupert. Jem died, forcing Diana and Rupert to cooperate to manage their shared assets, including estates, a diamond mine and a race horse. There was an awkwardness about their relationship, not surprising.

I liked the characters and found them credible and consistent and the book easy and pleasant to read and was totally engaged, never quite sure what was going to happen.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Tempt Me With Diamonds free via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon.ca won't accept a review until the title has been released.

Sassy, wealthy Diana Somerville has been engaged to Rupert Lacy the entire time they were in Africa. They should have returned as man and wife but that was not the case. Now Diana is forced to share her house and possessions with Rupert since her brother died and left his share to Rupert. Diana is determined to get Rupert out of her house and her life. Unfortunately, Rupert has no intention to move out, he still wants Diana just as much as ever. A good addition to the historical romance genre.

Tempt Me with Diamonds by Jane Feather will be available January 29, 2019 from Zebra, an imprint of Kensington Books. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

Enjoyed historical romance by Jane Feather.Love the challenge for keeping with priority and having romantic feelings for a for love. I look forward to reading reading more from Jane Feather.

I’m sorry but I really didn’t enjoy this and did not finish it. The author clearly has skill and some of the banter is sharp and funny, but the storyline and characters just didn’t work for me at all. Everything about the language and setting felt wrong.
Not one for me I’m afraid.
I was given a ARC by NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

I've been a long time fan of Jane Feather. This book did not reel me in as much as her works. It just fell on the ok side of the spectrum for me. I voluntarily read this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

When Diana Sommerville returns to London following the death of her father and her brother, she expects to take up residence at the family home. However, what she doesn't expect is to find her former finance and her brother's best friend living there already. A story about the twist and turns life sometimes requires to get us where we belong told in a. light, engaging way. Very enjoyable!

At the start of this 1902 English-set novel, Diana Sommerville returns from South Africa to discover that the London home she thought her recently dead soldier brother left to her alone was left to both her and to her former fiancé, Rupert Lacey. Everyone in England thinks that the two married while in South Africa, and they decide to pretend it is true, because stubbornly neither wishes to give up the house to the other.

"Rupert subverted everything she tried to do to assert herself, her own control of events... He made her feel like an obstinate child in the throes of a tantrum" (Kindle Loc 1363). Both of these statements felt only too true to this reader. Rupert is controlling and obnoxious, dealing out "punishing kisses" and upbraiding Diana for jilting him because he wouldn't tell her the truth behind gossip she had heard, while Diana swans about and is thwarted at every turn, mostly because she's TSTL. And of course, the two keep falling into bed.

The sexual politics here are not at all amusing, even though they are meant to be:

"I give you fair warning, Rupert Lacey, that I shall never hesitate to ask you anything I want to, and if you don't give me a proper answer I shall withhold my favors. So there." (2294)

"Oh, mercy me," Diana murmured... "What's a poor maiden to do?"
"Exactly what she's told," Rupert responded smartly. (2464)

Old Skool romance published in 2018? Save us, please.

Okay, so, this book was neither great nor bad. The premise was intriguing - I do love pent-up sexual tension, independent women. What I don't like, though, is miscommunication. In part, sure, if the explanation to the miscommunication is logical, but in this case, I felt like the issue could be more developed.

I also had some time before I came invested in the characters - Diana seemed spoiled and entitled and Rupert frankly felt like a man with an exaggerated opinion of his self-worth. I could overlook this, though, since they were grieving and stuck in their own heads, I guess. They seemed to feel greatly for each other, though. I did like the secondary characters, as well, like the staff and the friends.

Another thing I couldn't look past in this novel was the constant changing of POVs. Personally, I prefer to hear from both characters in a romance, so that's great. But it's not okay to change POVs in the middle of a paragraph and then change back just as quick and then change to someone else entirely. This unfortunately is a big drawback for this book. I hope it's dealt with in the final version - I've been quite late with this feedback.

So, the book has some redeeming qualities, with banter, unraveling secrets and sex. It's just not something I feel inclined to read again.

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher, for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC before the publishing date. This review and the opinions in it are entirely my own
/ Denise

I received a complimentary ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 stars from me because I liked our hero.

After the death of her brother in the South African Boer War and her father soon after, Diana is left alone in the world and the sole heir to her family's South African diamond mines and fortune, including estates in England as well. Or so she thinks. Upon returning to England, however, she finds that she must share her inheritance with her brother's heir and best friend, and her former fiance, Colonel Rupert Lacey. Rupert fought at her brother's side during the war and feels guilty for his survival and his friend Jem's death. Despite their estrangement, he has always loved Diana, whom he has known forever, and harbors a small hope that their relationship may yet be repaired. Diana, on the other hand, is fiercely determined to maintain her independence and exclude Rupert from estate business as much as possible.

It took me awhile to get into this and get it read, but overall it was enjoyable and I would recommend it.

**Potential spoilers ahead**
Full disclosure: I hated Diana. She just came off as a spoiled little brat and once the reasoning for her year long estrangement from Rupert and their broken betrothal was revealed, it was just ridiculous to me. Their problem was nothing more than a minor tiff which could've been easily resolved by communication, which Rupert was too hurt to endure and Diana was too stubborn to hear or ask for. While their was indeed some fault on both sides, I felt that mostly it was just Diana being determined to believe the worst and being set in her beliefs and refusing to hear anything else. Upon being forced to share a house with Rupert, who tries to be gentle and caring with her, Diana is just hateful to him at every turn and tries to make his life a misery, except at night when she basically just uses him for sex. Then the end is rushed. The two finally talk as they should have done from the beginning, both realize their assumptions were wrong and they really do want to be together and boom, without any real words spoken, they're just going to live happily ever after, the end. So while the ending was happy and all, it wasn't entirely satisfactory; more development would've made it better to me.