Guest Review: Rough Diamond – Cassandra Dean

Owner of the Diamond Saloon and Theater, Alice Reynolds is astounded when a fancy Englishman offers to buy her saloon. She won’t be selling her saloon to anyone, let alone a man with a pretty, empty-headed grin…but then, she reckons that grin just might be a lie, and a man of intelligence and cunning resides beneath.
Rupert Llewellyn has another purpose for offering to buy the pretty widow’s saloon—the coal buried deep in land she owns. However, he never banked on her knowing eyes making him weak at the knees, or how his deception would burn upon his soul.
Each determined to outwit the other, they tantalize and tease until passion explodes. But can their desire bridge the lies told and trust broken?

Series:
Release Date:  September 26, 2012
Publisher:  Decadent Publishing
Source:  Provided by Author
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Reviewer’s Thoughts:

When Rupert Llewellyn shows up in Freewill, Wyoming Alice Reynolds notices him. He tends to stick out from the crowd of coal miners, trappers and ranchers with his fancy waistcoats that are too loud and too bright, and his hair all slicked up with hair oil. His public school English accent makes him all that more handsome and when he shows up at the Diamond Saloon that Alice owns and wants to buy it from her she is not only adamant in her refusal but suspicious of the man who she is sure is just playing at being a fool.

Alice Reynolds is not what Rupert had expected at all. He was sure he could quickly purchase the Diamond and  the claim Alice inherited from her late husband for the coal company he was working for and be done with it. He didn’t expect to be insanely attracted to Mrs Reynolds and for her to have no desire to sell her saloon. Wyoming Coal made Rupert  sign a confidentially clause so he can’t tell Alice why he is there and the more he meets her and develops feelings for her the more he wants to be able to come clean.

Rough Diamond is a fantastic story of love, lust and greed in the old west. With a widowed saloon owner who was married off as a child bride and shipped out to Wyoming and a Welshmen that does his best to hid his bastard status and poor upbringing the story doesn’t lack for secrets, steamy sex and love. When Alice and Rupert do come together it is as hot as a prairie fire and as explosive as the O.K. Corral.

I found this to be a really fun read with a good mix of steamy sex and story so while it was a very hot read it also had the substance and plot line to back it up.  Who would have thought you could have a hot hunky hero named Rupert?!?
I wish that the book had been just a bit longer and maybe gone into the emotional history of the characters more but that doesn’t detract from it being a great read.

I give Rough Diamond a 4 cocktails review.

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