I received an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.
About the book:
Diamonds, Death, and Devonshire tea…
Miss Elinor Avely's proper upbringing cannot prepare her for the tiny, spinster vampire who crashes into her sitting room and demands to be fed with a sheep.
Elinor already has enough troubles without having to catch ruminants. First, her secret gift for divining jewels has landed her in scandal, exiling her from London society. Second, a nobleman of dubious repute wants her to find a cache of smuggled jewels, hidden somewhere along the Devon coastline. Last – and worst – she is invited to cream tea at the local manor. And while the autocratic and magnificent Earl of Beresford might be there (and perhaps the jewels themselves too), Beresford is the last person Elinor wants to meet over cream tea.
When a dead body is discovered along the cliffs, of course, such delicate considerations become secondary. Fortunately, Elinor now has a small vampiric chaperone – even if said spinster has a habit of appearing stark naked – and together they are ready to risk the hard questions.
Where are the jewels hidden? Who killed the smuggler? And just when is the cream tea being served?
Review:
I really enjoyed this book, especially the last 10 chapters. The characters gradually unfold in front of us, with the plot confusing the reader for a good portion of the book. The use of the English way of speaking back in the 1700s does a marvelous job at transporting us to a different time and place and throughout the book, we are able to get a glimpse of the social and political situation of England during that time. The story drags a little in the first chapters and it's generally slow-paced, which can put some readers off. However, it is definitely worth it to keep going.
My favorite characters are by far Miss Zooth and Zaq, their unique character and quick comebacks make them irresistible! I also really enjoyed the main character, Elinor. It cracked me up every time she talked about jam and cream tea, that girl has her priorities straight! The romance is slow and agonizing and I was waiting for something, anything to happen with so much excitement!
We didn't get to experience much of the rest of the magic and the people involved with it in this book but we do have a great start for the next one. The plot twist was well played out and the resolution well done.
All in all, The Lady Jewel Diviner is a very pleasant read, if one is patient enough and loves slow pacing and a slow burn romance.
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