REVIEWED by Anna Lynn
TITLE: Romancing the Rough Diamond
AUTHOR: Clare London
SERIES: Romancing the… #4
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 256 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 17, 2019
BLURB:
Trust is the most precious jewel of all.
When Mayfair jewelers Starsmith Stones wins the commission for a gay royal wedding, CEO Joel Sterling is recommended to the brilliant young designer Matt Barth—only to discover Matt’s the man with whom he shared an anonymous and passionate kiss on the celebration night.
Disenchanted with the commercial jewelry industry, Matt nowadays prefers muddy archaeological digs to designing. Openly resentful of Starsmith’s hostile takeover of his family’s firm, he is horrified at the realization he’ll be working with the man who engineered that deal—but the opportunity to create something fabulous and unique for the royal couple is too tempting to refuse.
Working as a team reignites the spark between Joel and Matt. But when betrayal from within Starsmith threatens both the project and Joel’s confidence, will they have built enough trust to keep their newfound love as precious as the royal jewels?
REVIEW:
Matthew and Joel
Competitiveness begets love…
In business, there are usually competitors, no matter what industry you are in. It is very common therefore for these competitors to try to outdo each other. In an industry such as jewelry designing or sales, the competition is cutthroat, as they say. Aside from adhering to new laws regarding the black market and such, designers and jewelry store owners are wary of what they acquire from their suppliers especially regarding “conflict” stones/gems. Animosity amongst companies/jewelers/suppliers run rampant in these kind of industries.
What happens when a business savvy CEO meets a passionate, no-filter and angry designer who does not really give importance to how good he is at what he does and who hates big corporations? Surely sparks will not only fly but the anger and sometimes, arrogance? It is like country meets city! Opposites attract! But our two main characters are too honest for them to lead the other on. So an unlikely alliance started.
Off to a rocky start, who would have thought that Joel and Matt will form a connection, and that of a romantic variety. These two are meant to be with each other. They may be opposites in their lifestyle, but in the things that truly matter, they are totally the same.
The project they are working on is not only high profile but is also fraught with intrigue and saboteurs. They are on a tight deadline, and they have so much work to do. Keeping designs that are totally fresh, choosing the right manufacturers and jewelry-makers, and everything has to be kept in wraps. They can totally handle it. Right? But what happens when information gets leaked? Will old hurts come back? Distrust? Betrayal?
This book has all of these to offer and more. It is full of smart, sometimes sarcastic, banter between the main characters and the supporting characters as well. It also gives us a little peek at how the industry of jewelry design operates behind all the glamour. It shows us two independent, smart men who fall in love. Not easy when you are talking about one man who is so stubborn, opinionated with no filter, and full of anger and another who is sophisticated and used to leading with a commanding presence. Though they contrast, they both are very honest and believe in hard work.
Nothing comes easy when one thing is worth it. I love how Ms. Clare London has incorporated all of these qualities in her book. You would love her main characters and her supporting characters, they all have something to contribute to the whole story. I am looking forward to reading more from her.
RATING: 
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