Beauty and the Blacksmith by Tessa Dare

Beautiful and elegant, Miss Diana Highwood is destined to marry a wealthy, well-placed nobleman. At least, that's what her mother has loudly declared to everyone in Spindle Cove.

But Diana's not excited by dukes and lords. The only man who makes her heart pound is the village blacksmith, Aaron Dawes. By birth and fortune, they couldn't be more wrong for each other...but during stolen, steamy moments in his forge, his strong hands feel so right.

Is their love forged strong enough to last, or are they just playing with fire?

A dirty talking blacksmith with arms the size of tree trunks. Yes, please! I loved this so much...wish it had been longer!

3.5 stars. Great quick read for a rainy day.

Super quick and fluffy read. Love this series so much that I really liked this one, but not sure how well it'd stand on its own. Wanted a bit more backstory, but still worth it.

(Review originally posted here at The Book Barbies.)

Diana finally got her own story! I was so excited for this, because I've been waiting for it since the beginning of the series. It was also great having a lower class hero. Not that I don't love my dukes and earls, but it's a nice change of pace. Diana and Aaron had immediate chemistry! Yet it didn't feel unfounded; I could feel the fact that something had been brewing - at least on Diana's side - for a while even though we didn't know the back story yet. Perhaps the best thing about this book is that it was just a straight-up love story. Yes, they had to deal with some issues related to class, but for the most part, it was refreshingly simple, completely adorable, yet substantial. It just made me smile so much! I will definitely keep this one in mind next time I need a quick pick-me-up read.