(Girl Meets Duke, #1)
Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)
Cover Blurb:
When 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…
♥♥♥♥♥♥
Whenever I pick up a Tessa Dare book, I know that I’m going to be enchanted by a story rich in warmth, emotion and humour; one that is romantic, sexy and full of endearing characters. THE DUCHESS DEAL, the first book in her new Girl Meets Duke series, certainly didn’t disappoint
Ash is an ill-tempered, brooding, cynical man, convinced that no woman could ever want an embittered, scarred wretch like him; something he has every reason to believe to be true, as I discovered later in the story. However, beneath his gruff exterior lies an honourable and caring man which is evident in his genuine concern for those people who work on his estate and in his need to protect and care for Emma. I love the scene where Ash puts the fear of God into Emma’s father and I totally agree with Ash’s opinion of the sanctimonious vicar – “You crusty botch of nature. You poisonous bunch-backed toad.”
So often the hero’s father is cruel or abusive and it was a refreshing to know that Ash’s father was such a wise and loving father whom Ash wanted to emulate. My heart ached for Ash when he says he would not want to see his own son or want his son to see him because he fears he could never be like his own father.
Ash’s son could never admire him the way Ash had worshipped his own father. His father had been unfailingly wise, good-natured and patient. Not ill-tempered and bitter, as Ash had become.
I adore Emma for her courage and resilience. Despite being thrown out by her father for a youthful discretion with nothing but the clothes she stood up in, she walked all the way to London in the height of winter and succeeded in building a life for herself as a seamstress to society ladies. I also admire her genuine compassion for and desire to help her friend, Davina Palmer, because she doesn’t want another young woman to face the sort of rejection she had.
Emma hadn’t landed in Miss Palmer’s delicate situation, but she, too, had been punished for the simple crime of following her heart. The memories still pained her – and the thought of watching the same cruel fate befall another young woman? It made her quake with anger at the injustice of it all.
Emma and Ash have such wonderful chemistry and their romance is funny, poignant, romantic and sexy. I love how Emma more than holds her own against Ash and even challenges his ‘house ’ rules with ones of her own. The banter between them sparkles and I love how Emma refuses to call him Ashbury or Duke and keeps coming up with pet names which Ash hates.
“If I choose to make a darling of you, there is nothing you can do about it.”
“Of course, there’s something I can do about it. I can have you sent to an institution for the feebleminded and insane.”
She shrugged. “If you say so, cherub.”
Ash’s habit of cursing in Shakespearean quotes was priceless and this is my favourite, aimed at the ‘hellion cat’.
“Do you hear me? Get out. ‘Thou art a boil, a plague-sore, an embossed carbuncle.’ King Lear, Act Two.”
I love how Emma gradually captures Ash’s heart with her warmth, wit and passion. She sees beyond his scars to the person he truly is behind the gruff exterior – someone funny, patient and passionate. In Emma, Ash sees a woman who doesn’t shy away from his scars; a woman who ‘touched him, kissed him, made him feel human and wanted and whole’.
I love the ballroom scene towards the end of the book where Ash makes such a memorable entrance with the words:
“Yes, I know,” he said impatiently, turning the scarred side of the face to the room. “Faulty rocket at Waterloo. You have precisely three seconds to move past it. One. Two. Right. Now where is my wife?”
Ash’s long-suffering servants are hilarious with their mad-cap plots to throw Emma and Ash together in the hope that they will fall in love.
There is a colourful cast of secondary characters including…
- Penelope, Nicola and Alexandra, the unusual trio of ladies who befriend Emma and Ash, and are, I’m sure, future heroines of this series.
- Khan, Ash’s devoted butler, who isn’t afraid to give him a good rollicking…
“You’re going to lose her. And when you do, you are losing me too. I’ve served your family for thirty years. I’m due a pension, and I’m not enabling this self-pitying codswallop any further. I wish you all happiness living alone and growing old with your twenty cats.”
- Trevor, the young lad whom Ash meets on his nocturnal sorties around London
- Last, but not least, Emma’s cat, Breeches
The charming Epilogue is just a delicious topping on this delightful confection.
VERDICT: Tessa Dare continues to captivate me with her heart-warming stories, endearing characters and sparkling humour and I’m looking forward to reading the other books in this series. Highly recommended.
REVIEW RATING: 5/5 STARS
SENSUALITY RATING: HOT
Girl Meets Duke series so far (click on the book covers for more details):
Lovely review, Carol. I suspected that you would love it, as I did.
Thank you, Rose. ❤
Excellent review! I loved this book, too. Your review makes me want to do a reread!
Thank you, Sharlene. 💜
I like her books and the fact that it’s the first in a new series is a plus. Loved your review!
Thank you, Mary. This promises to be another great series. 😊
There was so much I loved about this book too. It was one of her best works in my opinion. And the supporting cast of characters were awesome too!! I just loved the Butler.
Renee, I think this compares with A Week To Be Wicked and Any Duchess Will Do, two on my absolute favourite books. I loved Khan and Breeches.
Great review – I absolutely LOVED this book! It is definitely going to be on my top 10 of 2017 Must Re-Read Books
Thank you, Tracy. It’s one I definitely want to re-read too.
I just picked this book up on sale on Amazon. I’m looking forward to reading it and hoping I like this series better than the “Castles” series.
Dot, I think you will like this one. 🙂