The Diamond of London
Andrea Penrose
Born into an illustrious family of swashbuckling war heroes and brilliant political leaders, Lady Hester Stanhope was a Regency-era adventuress who lived on her own terms and refused to conform. Fans of Shana Abé, Theresa Ann Fowler, and Fiona Davis will be captivated by the unforgettable spirit at the heart of USA Today bestselling author Andrea Penrose’s dazzling new historical novel based on the real life of Lady Hester Stanhope (1776-1839), a British aristocrat, antiquarian, and adventurer who defied all conventional strictures of what a woman could and couldn’t do during the Regency era. Even with her privileged life, Lady Hester Stanhope knows that claiming the adventurous life she truly wants will not be easy, thanks to her eccentric father’s stifling grip. more
368 pages, Paperback
First published Kensington
3.55
Rating
440
Ratings
137
Reviews
Andrea Penrose
18 books 1600 followers
Andrea Penrose is the USA Today bestselling author of Regency-era historical fiction, including the acclaimed Wrexford & Sloane mystery series, as well as Regency romances written under the names Cara Elliott and Andrea Pickens. Published internationally in ten languages, she is a three-time RITA Award finalist and the recipient of numerous writing awards, including two Daphne Du Maurier Awards for Historical Mystery and two Gold Leaf Awards.A graduate of Yale University with a B.A. in Art and an M.F.A. in Graphic Design, Andrea fell in love with Regency England after reading Pride and Prejudice and has maintained a fascination with the era’s swirling silks and radical new ideas throughout her writing career. She lives in Connecticut and blogs with a community of historical fiction authors at WordWenches.com. She also can be found at AndreaPenrose.com and on Instagram @AndreaPenroseBooks.
Community reviews
Publication date: 1-23-2024Charming story of a fabulous British personality intent on forging her own way through life in the early1800's. Lady Hester Stanhope's story provides a pleasant escape into a world long passed away. Certainly love and it's intricacies never change. My thanks to the author, Andrea Penrose, and the publisher, Kensington Books, for my ARC of this book. #Goodreads Giveaway. more
The real Lady Stanhope weathered many tragedies and this book really wallows in them all. I’m a little disappointed by this book being too faithful to her life - my gosh, throw the old girl a win. You’re allowed to play in the sandbox a bit when writing fiction. This book is almost all “tell” and no “show. ” A lot of action is just told to us after the fact and there are time jumps. more
This book was a captivating read—a blend of a love story (actually multiple love stories. ), coming of age, and an exploration of the changing times of women’s rights and submissive roles in society. What was more intriguing to me was that the main character, Lady Hester Lucy Stanhope was a real figure in history and that that the author built her semi-fictional tale on true history. May all our lives reflect the growing rights of women. Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the Advanced Review copy. more
This is wonderful historical fiction. Lady Hester Stanhope led a rich and fascinating life. I'd previously known nothing about her. After enjoying this book, I'm eager to learn more. more
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. 3. 5 starsI was intrigued by the premise of this historical fiction novel. I had heard of Lady Hester but only in passing. What a character. more
I had high hopes for this book, but alas, I didn't finish more that about 25% percent of it. I might pick up the pace once you get further in, but for me, it dragged and I just could not get into the story. The introduction to the family's history felt very tedious and set up took too long. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the change to read an arc of this book. All opinions expressed are my own. more
Extraordinary. I began this title whilst in the middle of another genre. Caught up in that read, I put this away for a time, wondering if I’d make it back. I’m glad I did. The more I read about Lady Hester Stanhope, the more intrigued I became. more
I enjoy historical fiction based on real people, but I admit I didn’t know who Lady Hester Stanhope was. But I did recognize her famous uncle, William Pitt, the British Prime Minister. Right from the Prologue, I was intrigued as the author drew us in with Lady Stanhope recounting how the “The Diamond,” one of the world’s largest, came to be sold to her great-great-grandfather. A diamond that will pass through the hands of French kings and queens, even Napoleon. The story goes on to be a fascinating coming-of-age tale as we follow Lady Hester through her twenties and thirties, with romances and adventures. more
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this novel and this is my freely given opinion. I was a bit iffy about this because it is a fictional piece about a real historical figure, Lady Hester Stanhope. I am iffy about that because I am torn between wanting to know the real historical details, facts, timelines, etc. It can be dry, but I do love historical details, and facts in and of themselves (and if it is medical, science, criminal, or food history - then you really have me). But I also love a good fictional story too. more
Well written and interesting, but I found it very difficult to read at times. There were so many people mentioned that it made it difficult to follow everything. Additionally the details of the war were an interesting addition, but there was so much that felt that it was not fully adding to the story for me. I know people who will love this book and I cannot wait to recommend to them, so my rating is specifically based on MY own interest in the book, the book itself was good. Thank you Netgalley for an Advanced copy to read for review. more
4. 5 starsA good story. I learnt about Hetty Stanhope and her life. I didn't reaise she had a relationship with General Moore. I think that because it's written in the first person we don't get so much passion or even really her trauma about the Cad who plays all ends to the middle. more
My favorite way to learn history is through fiction. Many will say it not accurate but that’s okay. I believe fiction gives me a feel for the era and someone to root for. Lady Hester Stanhope was a modern woman who lived when it wasn’t proper in the past. She had roles and performed acts that were thought not right for a woman but she did it anyway. more
Lady Hester Stanhope was a British adventurer, writer, antiquarian, one of the most famous travellers of her age, and closely related to the Pitt family. She is also The Diamond of London, just like the legendary jewel that was the basis of the Pitt family fortune. This well researched presentation is as if a memoir of the first thirty-odd years of her life. The writing is seamless and really does seem as if it is the woman herself who is relating it all. The author is very clear about where she has taken poetic license and when it is simply the kind of rewording used from Ms Stanhope's own writings. more
Although well written I found that I was never able to really get into the story, to my dismay. Other readers will likely love this well reviewed historical fiction but I just wasn't able to connect with this one. Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the DRC. more
I thought the story line of this book was very interesting. It is always neat to me to read about history in ways I could not have imagined. I also love a good regency romance. I just reviewed The Diamond of London by Andrea Penrose. #TheDiamondofLondon #NetGalley[NetGalley URL]. more
Ok, I have put in a good-hearted effort and gotten through to all the OUABC gift pages and it's only gotten worse so I am done. I will gladly put this away for Gracie Gold's memoir which is arriving later today. Where do I start. Began hopefully, with a good opening scene of being threatened by her father. Honestly it was a really well-written chapter and I was excited for the rest of the book. more
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. Prior to picking up The Diamond of London, I had heard a little about Lady Hester Stanhope in passing in some books I’ve read, and what little I knew about her fascinated me. So, I was eager to read a book with her as the protagonist. But upon finishing this, I feel my time would have been better spent with an actual biography, as opposed to…whatever this was. more
Andrea Penrose, Author or “The Diamond of London” has written an intriguing novel. The Genres for this novel are Historical Fiction, Regency Era Romance, and Fictional Biography. The Author writes about Lady Hester Stanhope, and her desire for adventure, being a non-conformist of the times, and independent in her political views. Lady Hester ’s family line was filled with politicians, and war heroes. Lady Hester’s father was eccentric and quirky, and neglected his children. more
I love historical fiction based on real people ,and Lady Hester Stanhope was quite the character. A member of the Pitt family, she became a hostess for her Uncle William Pitt the younger in his times in and out of the government as Prime Minister. The history of the times, with King George and his son the Regent, hence the Regency, as Pitt was in and out of favor. Lord Stanhope, Hester's father was an eccentric who made life quite difficult for her and her brothers. I particularly like to learn history through novels such as this. more
I found this story frustrating. To be fair, Lady Hester found her life frustrating so maybe the writer captured that exceptionally well and that’s what I’m getting. However, I think part of this is that it reads like an autobiography and I didn’t want an autobiography. I wanted a story, to have fun and escape from the frustrations of my reality, and nothing in this book aided that. Oh, I came away exceptionally happy I didn’t live during this time, especially since chances are I’d be poor instead a lady having to depend on her rich relatives. more
In summary- this book dragged. Once we reached the end and I read the epilogue of what her life became I felt ripped off. Why didn’t we get that story. It’s sounded so much more interesting than the comings and goings of boring regency life. I wish the book started where it ended. more
Lady Hester Stanhope is an intriguing and complex character. A woman who lived according to her rules and not those of the society. The member of a family of famous politicia, like Pitt the Younger, and a traveller. I love Andrea Penrose's stories and loved this well researched and well plotted storyHighly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine. more
This was surprisingly a good book. I am a huge history nerd, but I'm not very much into romance books. However, this one was a delightful blend of historical fiction and occasional romance, all wrapped up in a compelling story about a compelling woman in early 1800s British high society. . more
Andrea Penrose writes wonderful books. I have read several of her books and I am never disappointed. This book was a pleasure to read. . more
I went into this book thinking that I wouldn't like it. I've never been a huge fan of historical fiction, so I didn't expect to be a fan of this. But let me tell you, this is not like any historical fiction I have ever read. It reads more like a fantasy novel than a historical one, and I LOVE that. It definitely had some unexpected plot twists, and one towards the end that I could see coming but didn't want to happen, because this book gets you invested in the characters. more
Andrea Penrose has a long series of historical mysteries, but here she pivots to straight historical fiction, illuminating the life of Lady Hester Stanhope, who lived during the Regency period in England. After her mother, who was related to the powerful Pitt family, died young, she was left with an eccentric father and the responsibility for three stepbrothers. Hester spent much of her young adult life with her grandmother, Lady Chatham, and a bit later served as hostess and secretary to her uncle, William Pitt, who served as Prime Minister. One of the things I truly enjoy about historical fiction is “meeting” a real person who I would have otherwise known nothing about, most of them women. Hester was fated to be an outlier in her own family story, eternally scrambling for a place to live and a means to live her life. more
3. 5 stars for this excellently researched “fictional biography” of Lady Hester Stanhope which I received as a GR giveaway. I received it in November, but I’m afraid with the holidays it sat unopened for a couple months. I know the publication date is this week, 1/23/24, so wanted to rate and review the first six chapters I’ve read. I’m putting in on my “not-sure-shelf” for the reasons below, but am enjoying it and did not want to mark it as DNF with an undeserved low rating. more
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Andrea Penrose for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Diamond of London coming out January 23, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own. Even with her privileged life, Lady Hester Stanhope knows that claiming the adventurous life she truly wants will not be easy, thanks to her eccentric father’s stifling grip. With the help of her renowned statesman uncle William Pitt the Younger, she takes on the glittering, treacherous heights of London Society. Her formidable intelligence, outspoken opinions, and headstrong determination gain the favor of the beau monde’s leading taste-maker Beau Brummell—and she quickly learns to bend the rules of the ton to her own advantage. more
This was a book which I enjoyed so much. Everything in this was spot on. The setting, background, the main characters and the secondary characters of which there were many, but they did not detract from the story. They all added nuances and depth. Lady Hester Stanhope was different to the other young ladies. more