Author: Tessa Dare
Publisher: Avon
Series: Girl Meets Duke #1
Pages: Kindle Edition, 384 pages
Genre: Historical Romance
Release Date:& August 22nd 2017
Summary:
hen girl meets Duke, their marriage breaks all the rules…
Since his return from war, the Duke of Ashbury’s to-do list has been short and anything but sweet: brooding, glowering, menacing London ne’er-do-wells by night. Now there’s a new item on the list. He needs an heir—which means he needs a wife. When Emma Gladstone, a vicar’s daughter turned seamstress, appears in his library wearing a wedding gown, 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 a few rules of her own:
- They will have dinner together every evening.
- With conversation.
- And unlimited teasing.
- Last, and most importantly… Once she’s seen the man beneath the scars, he can’t stop her from falling in love…
Review:
And this ladies and gentleman. This right here is why I read historical romances.
So if you wanna try the genre. Read it. If you like the genre. Read it.
Well, basically just READ IT.
END of REVIEW
okay, just kidding. About the end of the review. Not about the reading part. Because The Duchess Deal is .. well nothing short of amazing.
Right from the beginning I got sucked in and I barely could put my kindle down in between. I wasn't really planning to just read for most of my Saturday afternoon. No, I was going to start this because I felt like some Tessa Dare. Something swoony and well written, and adult. (I've been reading YA for the week). My plans were to read a little, finish some work and do some social stuff... and well I read. The fact that I was expected to have supper in between and talk to my husband was a tad exasperating, because hello? how disruptive is that? I was right in the middle of .. of.. well, swooning for Ash.
Let me stop fangirling and get to the crux of the matter.
As I said this is really well crafted.
The writing style is classic Dare. So it has beautiful descriptions and fun banter, hot smut scenes and amazing quirky characters. On top of that, it feels authentic. It feels like it could have happened.
The storyline felt a bit like a mash-up of Beauty & the Beast, Notting Hill and Love Actually. Well, basically if their parents had a love child. Or is it their grandparents? Who knows And actually it doesn't matter. It has the best parts of all three but it feel less fairytale or make believe than any of them. It also seems to have more depth. It definitely is more adult ('cause there is smut, very hot & sensual smut) I didn't want it to end, at all. And I hope there will be a book for each and everyone of the fabulous quirky girlfriends Emma made on the way. And maybe a book for a grownup Menace? Well, I just want more!
The character building is what makes this such an amazing read however. I adored each and every character. I felt for Ash, adore his weird little hobbies and his Robin-Hood streak (or is it more Batman and Robin?) I love how Dare shows how calculating he thinks he is, his insecurities and yet how wonderful he truly is, despite being lost somewhat and grumpy.
Emma is your big hearted do-gooder at first glance. But she is also brave and yet very insecure and lonely. Just like Ash the more I read the more I got her and I rooted for her. I feel like I got to know them both and I understand them. More than that... I could identify with both of them. And let's face it, I have no big ugly scars nor do I have a terrible father. Yet I saw bits of myself in both of them.
The support cast is quite extensive and each character is unique and well written. They don't feel like support but rather like full parts. As I said I hope Dare will write books about them, because not only did I get to know them quite well, I adore them and I want to revisit them all.
I think in the end we all read novels, because we do live through the characters. We discover new worlds through them, explore new settings.. but in only the best books to we identify with the characters, we see pieces of ourselves in them. This is one of those books for me.
Which is why I can only recommend for you to go read it.
Rating:
No comments:
Post a Comment