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Wednesday 23 October 2019

Book Review: A Game of Desire by Sharon Ibbotson

Last Updated: 21 September 2021

A Game of Desire by Sharon Ibbotson book cover

AD* | The Queen of Diamonds never loses...

Felicity Fox is a rarity for a woman living in the early 1800s. Not only does she frequent the ‘gambling hells’ where most ladies would not dare to tread, but she can also beat any man at his own game. It’s no wonder she’s gained notoriety as the ‘Queen of Diamonds’.

Edward, Earl of Addington, despises gambling and is not exactly enamoured of Felicity Fox either, especially after she tried to swindle his family. Except now the Earl requires assistance from the Queen of Diamonds – and there’s everything to play for. But with Edward will Felicity find she’s involved in a more dangerous game than she’s ever played before?

A Game of Desire mixes gambling with matters of the heart in this high-stakes story of love and redemption.

Felicity, aka 'The Queen of Diamonds', is a woman born before her time, making a living swindling the rich gentlemen who frequent the gambling halls of Regency England. Crafty and highly skilled, Felicity is a deep, multi-faceted character who must put all her knowledge to the test in order to succeed.

The Romeo to Felicity's Juliet is Edward, the Earl of Addington, who is her opposite in so many ways. Where Felicity is feisty and wily, Edward is uptight and concerned with precious little other than his family name and reputation.

When their two worlds collide, sparks fly and neither's life will ever be the same again... Add in an intelligent and wildly jealous love rival, and you've got a recipe for plenty of drama and excitement!

I felt that this story had a lot of potential and the plot was both intriguing and exciting. Felicity is a great main character, too, even if Edward falls pretty flat in comparison. However, the thing I struggled most with in this book was the fact that about halfway through the story, all common sense and logic seemed to disappear out the window and nothing made sense from that point on. Characters found themselves in unlikely, unrealistic scenarios, causing the story to jar and grate rather than flowing smoothly.

Sadly, as a result, I struggled to engage with the book and was left feeling rather confused by the events that unfolded in the story. Although I felt the potential was definitely there, unfortunately, I was left underwhelmed by the end of the book.

Rating: 2 stars

A Game of Desire is available to buy now.

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* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Will you be reading the book? Let me know in the comments below!

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