To avoid further scandal after the death of her elderly husband, the Duke of Tremaine, Viola Cartwright sought refuge in her work at the hospital she founded. When Florian Lowell has to treat his brother Henry for the gunshot wound he suffered in a duel, Florian requests Viola's assistance. Henry's reputation as a rake precedes him, and Viola quickly understands why; Henry is a born seducer. But once bitten and twice shy, Viola is bent on resisting him, although she likes him a lot. However, the impending arrival of Robert, the new Duke of Tremaine, steers Viola's attention away from Henry. She knows that Robert wants to get his hands on the money she inherited and that he will do everything in his power to get it.

Ever since the first book in this fabulous series, I always fear that the newest installment couldn't possibly equal the previous one, and every time I am elated to be so woefully wrong. THE INFAMOUS DUCHESS stands entirely on its own, but reading THE ILLEGITIMATE DUKE beforehand will greatly enhance your enjoyment. I cannot fathom how Sophie Barnes manages to sustain such excitement, such freshness with each installment, but she does and in grand style. Ms. Barnes' exquisite attention to detail adds texture and substance to a divine romance, where wooing and courting reign supreme. Ms. Barnes' flowing and elegant prose, delightfully clever dialogues, superb character development, and multiple jaw-dropping plot twists contribute to making what I thought would be a great story a positively enthralling one.

Viola had intrigued me since she had been introduced, I was dying for her story, and it surpasses everything I had hoped for. How Viola and Henry get close filled me with joy; THE INFAMOUS DUCHESS is an incandescent slow burn that made this reader deliriously happy. Henry's and Viola's interactions are so ordinary, yet I was completely mesmerized because they are meaningful and propel the story forward. Henry oozes charm, and I fell in love with him much earlier than Viola did. He is utterly irresistible, and I just melted at the fact that he was amenable in pursuing a platonic friendship until she acknowledged her unmistakable attraction to him. Sophie Barnes has again written characters so engaging and so well matched that the romance nearly made me swoon!

Sophie Barnes' flair for creating the perfect atmosphere is extraordinary. While we bask in the sunny glow of Henry's and Viola's growing bond, the feeling of impending doom of Robert's black cloud hovers above and makes you dread the moment disaster will strike. Oh, the drama! Towards the end of the book, I was seriously worried that it would not end well, but it is the very last chapter that just slayed me - and please, please, do not peek! The glorious ending, the promise of what awaits us; how will I ever make it until the next book! THE INFAMOUS DUCHESS , and each book in the remarkable Diamonds in the Rough are treasures that should grace every historical romance reader's bookshelves.