‘I am a Duke. I’m not asking you to marry me. I am offering to marry you. It’s a different thing entirely.’
When the Duke of Ashbury returns from war scarred, he realises he needs an heir – which means he needs a wife! When Emma Gladstone, a vicar’s daughter turned seamstress visits wearing a wedding dress, he decides on the spot that she’ll do.
His terms are simple:- They will be husband and wife by night only.- No lights, no kissing. – No questions about his battle scars. – Last, and most importantly… Once she’s pregnant with his heir, they need never share a bed again.
But Emma is no pushover. She has secrets and some rules of her own:- They will have dinner together every evening.- With conversation.- And teasing.- Last, and most importantly… Once she’s seen the man beneath the scars, he can’t stop her from falling in love…
When a girl meets a Duke, their marriage breaks all the rules…
| Title: | The Duchess Deal |
| Author: | Tessa Dare |
| Series: | Girl Meets Duke (Book 1) |
| Pages: | 384 |
| Category / Genre(s): | Historical |
| Trope(s): | Marriage of Convenience |
| Point of View: | Third Person Past Tense Dual Viewpoints (Hero & Heroine) |
| Location: | London, England |
| Setting: | Regency |
| HEA: | ✔️ |
| Release Date: | 28th December, 2017 |
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Captivating and humorous romance
I’ve read a number of Tessa Dare books but this one made me wonder why she’s not on my auto-buy list and why I’m not fan-girling over her at every available opportunity. I was blown away by how fun and engrossing this story was.
The premise was original and hilarious – it really sets the scene for what you should expect with this book.
Ash bears some physical and mental scars from Waterloo and beyond. He’s considered a monster by the ton and so that what he’s become. But never fear, he’s blooming adorable. “With most, he merely took reverse pleasure in being a pain in the arse.” He would hate me to say it but I loved him for it. He was so prickly and stern but Emma never really believed that. The way he seemed truly baffled by her refusal to obey him and her teasing, was just delightful.
Emma. Loved her. Yes, she was a seamstress. Yes, she was Ash’s social inferior. And yes, she had her own demons. But she was her own woman. She was smart, intelligent and believed in herself. And in Ash. It was really lovely and made my heart happy.
Together, the pair were perfect for each other. Ash brought a security to Emma’s life while Emma brought Ash to life again and made him happy. It was funny to watch them spar with each other and then dodge their growing feelings. It was written so well that we as the reader, much like Emma and Ash themselves, couldn’t’ pinpoint exactly when the pair actually fell in love.
“…he seemed truly baffled by her refusal to obey him and her teasing, was just delightful.”
The sex also brought a nice jolt to the tummy, too, which is always a bonus. Just enough sexual tension and actual sex to keep this reader content.
This is the first book in a new series called Girl Meets Duke. We meet the heroine of the next book – Alexandra – in this first. We don’t learn much about her in this book but I’m still keen to read her own tale – The Governess Game – which comes out in August 2018. I’m assuming that Nicola and Penny – also introduced in this book – will get their own stories in the rest of the series. I’m also kind of hopeful that ‘The Menace’ gets an appearance in the rest of the series – he was hilarious! But fear not, there are no godforsaken cliffhangers in this book. Emma and Ash’s story is finished just as it should be.
But since I’ve brought it up… I bloody hate authors who sell books that don’t finish the whole story – especially without making it clear in the blurb. Do you go into McDonalds, pay for a Big Mac and then realise you’ve only been given the bun? Naw – ya dinnae. Just stop. Pisses me right off.
Moving on…
This isn’t a dark and deep Regency romance by any means. It’s light and sparkly but it’s so wonderfully real. The banter was divine – I think I probably highlighted so many passages of text that genuinely made me laugh out loud. And made me sigh in a Regency-swoon-like fashion. I finished the book and my first thought was that this is why I fell in love with Regency romances; this wonderfully captivating tale filled with love and humour. It’s pure sweetness in a book. 5 stars.
Tessa Dare is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of fourteen historical romance novels and five novellas. Her books have won numerous accolades, including Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® award (twice!) and the RT Book Reviews Seal of Excellence. Booklist magazine named her one of the “new stars of historical romance,” and her books have been contracted for translation in more than a dozen languages.
A librarian by training and a booklover at heart, Tessa makes her home in Southern California, where she lives with her husband, their two children, and a trio of cosmic kitties.
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Girl Meets Duke Series:
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