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A review by phira603
Dangerous in Diamonds by Madeline Hunter
3.0
Spoilery, but important content warning:
Having read all four books in this series now, I think Madeline Hunter's writing is just not for me. And that's okay. Her writing is not bad, and there are some things about it that I really enjoy. But overall, the tone doesn't quite work for me, and more often than not, I don't feel like I can relate to the protagonists.
A lot of the mystery in all of the books feels so deliberately hidden from the reader that it comes off really awkwardly. Like, the characters thinking about their secrets, but vaguely (e.g. Daphne's narration will say that she's thinking about the real reason she's resisting Castleford, but it won't, you know, say what the reason is), or coming up with plans off the page. There's a twist at the very, very end that really does come from out of nowhere with almost zero foreshadowing, so that's ... okay, I guess.
I will say this, though--I thought Castleford was a very fun male protagonist to read. The way he reforms is gradual enough that it doesn't feel like he's 100% doing it for Daphne, and it definitely feels like he's doing it by accident. There's also a character trait of his that's consistent across the entire series, that he gets bees in his bonnet about stuff and just has to sate his curiosity. It's one of the main reasons why his whole, "I have to seduce this woman, it's the only thing I can think about" feels ... well, not natural, exactly, but within character. Tuesdays, man.
That being said, I don't think that Castleford's turn as the male protagonist would have been even half as enjoyable had I not read the preceding three books in the series. And if you weren't a fan of the previous three books, I don't think that Castleford alone is going to make up for it.
Spoiler
the bad guy in this book is a serial rapist, and the heroine is one of his victims. There aren't any scenes that involve depictions of active sexual assaults, but there are references to the ones he committed, and there are moments where the heroine is alone with him where he is vaguely threatening.Having read all four books in this series now, I think Madeline Hunter's writing is just not for me. And that's okay. Her writing is not bad, and there are some things about it that I really enjoy. But overall, the tone doesn't quite work for me, and more often than not, I don't feel like I can relate to the protagonists.
A lot of the mystery in all of the books feels so deliberately hidden from the reader that it comes off really awkwardly. Like, the characters thinking about their secrets, but vaguely (e.g. Daphne's narration will say that she's thinking about the real reason she's resisting Castleford, but it won't, you know, say what the reason is), or coming up with plans off the page. There's a twist at the very, very end that really does come from out of nowhere with almost zero foreshadowing, so that's ... okay, I guess.
I will say this, though--I thought Castleford was a very fun male protagonist to read. The way he reforms is gradual enough that it doesn't feel like he's 100% doing it for Daphne, and it definitely feels like he's doing it by accident. There's also a character trait of his that's consistent across the entire series, that he gets bees in his bonnet about stuff and just has to sate his curiosity. It's one of the main reasons why his whole, "I have to seduce this woman, it's the only thing I can think about" feels ... well, not natural, exactly, but within character. Tuesdays, man.
That being said, I don't think that Castleford's turn as the male protagonist would have been even half as enjoyable had I not read the preceding three books in the series. And if you weren't a fan of the previous three books, I don't think that Castleford alone is going to make up for it.