When girl meets Duke, their marriage breaks all the rules… 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…
more
Guys. I love Tessa Dare. I just love her. I held off on reading this for a bit because I wanted to have the time to really enjoy it, and I really did.
This is a true standalone. No connections to other books.
There’s a little bit of Beauty and the Beast going on here. Ashbury was wounded and disfigured in battle and people fear the very sight of him. He’s shunned everyone, including his former fiancee, and he’s really living the part of Beast.
Emma is a seamstress with a sordid-for-Regency-England past. She’s independent, knows her mind, doesn’t need anyone for anything. But then Ashbury makes her deal – get married, give him an heir, then live out her days in one of his estates without any interference from him – and she eventually agrees. Quickie marriage and then a month to have unemotional procreative sex. In, out, done, over.
OF COURSE THEY FALL IN LOVE.
This is a light read in the sense that humor and wit are woven throughout, there are steamy sexytimes, and relatively low angst. There are speedbumps along the way and moments that are truly profound, and these characters are easy to love despite their individual stubborness.
Emma’s cast of oddball friends are a delight, and Ashbury’s cadre of servants are hilarious.
Definitely glimmers of Beauty and the Beast with some of them.
Like I said, I love Tessa Dare’s books. This one did not disappoint.
Tess Dare makes it look so easy to create magic… You’ll laugh, cry, and want to start all over again when you reach the last page!
Tessa Dare’s clever wit graces the pages in this marvelous tale of a marriage of convenience!
Absolutely devoured this gorgeous romance from Tessa Dare. I love a wounded hero, and the Duke of Ashbury delivers in every way imaginable.
Paired with a quirky, witty heroine, it made for interesting chemistry.
I was amused by the side plot of ‘the monster of Mayfair’ and his sidekick (Batman and Robin style).
Fabulously original – and very satisfying.
I’ll be reading more.
Loved this book!!!!
I swear Tessa Dare just keeps on getting better and better. I started this book just this morning and I could not put it down. If you don’t enjoy snark, you may not enjoy it. But if you love it like I do, you will find absolute joy in it. My husband kept asking me what I was laughing out loud about. It was that funny. I lost track of how many humorous passages I highlighted. It had my favorite type of hero…tortured. So not only did I find laughter, but also tears. Oh, if you can read the passage containing the line “Don’t love me” without crying, you’re a lot stronger than me! The next book can’t come out fast enough.
How did I forget my favorite parts?!?! Emma calls Ash every pet name under the sun. It was hysterical! Bunnykins was a particular favorite.
A great read!
This lady can write. She is consistently good and fills her writing with laugh-out-loud humor, heart-wrenching emotion and characters to cheer for…with some really great lines for highlighting. This story combined the rags-to-riches trope (for Emma), the tortured (scarred) trope (for Ash) and the overcoming-broken-hearts trope (for both). And it all came together perfectly. Wonderful story, Tessa Dare.
Loved this delightful story of mis-matched, mistaken love. Tessa Dare always delivers heartfelt, emotional romance!
I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet, sexy, charming book. Ash was a brooding, humorous, and yet damaged hero who never veered too far into alpha territory for my tastes. Loved how strong the heroine was as well.
The Duchess Deal is the first book in the “Girl Meets Duke” Series by author Tessa Dare. I’ve always enjoyed Ms. Dare’s books and this one was no exception! What a fantastic start to what I expect to be an excellent series!
George “Ash” Pembrooke, the Duke of Ashbury was disfigured in the war. Ever since his injury he’s been miserable and has made everyone around him miserable. If he was going to look like a monster, he might as well enjoy the role….
Emma Gladstone is a vicar’s daughter now working as a seamstress. Emma was thrown out of her father’s home after an indiscretion and walked to London to create a new life for herself.
Oh my what a fabulous story! I adored Ash and Emma from the very start. They had a fantastic chemistry between them and the dialogue they shared was witty, entertaining and had me laughing at times. The secondary characters are extremely entertaining and add to the overall story. Emma’s friends Alexandra, Penelope & Nicola will be getting their own books and I can’t wait to read them. To me this was just an absolutely perfect story from the pen of author Tessa Dare!
GAH! Tessa Dare has truly become one of my unicorn authors. Her dialogue and storyline flow effortlessly through the pages. Each time I pick up one of her books, I know I’ll be lost in a world I never want to leave. The Duchess Deal was another brilliant books I’ll be rereading.
I know I’m rather late to the party, but this is my first book by Tessa Dare!
Loved, loved, loved it!
I actually listened to the audiobook and the narration by Mary Jane Wells is simply sparkling. She brings all the characters to life and I found myself laughing out loud often and desperate to snatch a moment to hear more.
Very highly recommended
From the start this book was funny and and enthralling. I previewed the first chapter and decided to buy it. I wasn’t disappointed! I loved the main characters. I laughed throughout the book at the dialogue between the characters. I loved books that make me emotional in some way.
This book–oh, this book–had me laughing out loud more times than I can count. The duke is a marred-faced beast of a man, but his humor is refreshing and cracks me up. Pair him with a headstrong seamstress and their banter is the best I’ve read in a very long time. It’s a tale reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast, though I’m not sure it was intended to be. It’s the first book by Tessa Dare that I’ve read and I’m excited to see what else she has in store for me.
I loved the wit of the characters and the unexpected story line. The romance developing realistically and tenderly as well as the passion. But the best part was the brilliant narration of Mary Jane Wells. I could listen to her read the phone book.
I received an ARC of this book
I loved this book and all it’s characters! The Duchess Deal is the first book in Tessa Dare’s newest series and I am really looking forward to the next one after how much I loved this book. The Duchess Deal had a Beauty and the Beast aspect to it which was fun to read but I really loved the way all the different characters interacted and learning more about them. The relationship between Ash and Emma has it’s ups and downs but I was happy to see how everything works out for them and thought the Epilogue was really cute. I also loved seeing how Ash acted with Trevor and I hope to see more of Trevor in the series. The relationship between Ash and his butler Khan was also a lot of fun to watch, I really liked Khan’s character.
I look forward to reading The Governess Game, the next book in the Girl Meets Duke Series.
OMG! I would give this book 10 stars if I could!
I LOVED this book and I’m going to say it – this is the best book I have read all year!
Emma and Ash are my new favorite book couple – the chemistry between them sizzled from their first meeting until the very last page.
George Pembrooke, the Duke of Ashbury aka Ash (as well as, bunnykins, my fawn, sunshine and honeybee along with several other pet names – LOL) is in need of a heir and for that he will need a wife. Almost as soon as he writes the words to his solicitor – a woman in a hideous wedding gown appears in his library. He doesn’t go out in society since he was wounded in the war, so having a bride appear in his home is perfect.
Emma Gladstone is a seamstress and when Ash’s former betrothed calls off the wedding – Emma is stuck with the gown and no money to show for her hard work. Desperate, she visits the Duke in hopes of payment. But to her surprise he offers her marriage. Of course she says no and leaves. But later she rethinks her refusal. Emma has scars of her own, but unlike Ash hers are not visible to the world. So when Ash shows up at her shop and tells her he really wants to marry her – she agrees.
They marry and Emma begins to break down the walls Ash has spent the last two years building. Love was never part of his plan – but as hard as he tries to keep her out, Emma storms the walls and steals his heart.
I laughed out loud, I cried and I had to fan myself reading this book – it was perfect. It is well written, flows perfectly, has a great supporting cast, witty banter, hilarious internal (and external) dialogue, steamy love scenes, a little heartache, a protective hero and a loving heroine.
If you are looking for a great read with a lot of laughs, emotion and a soulmate type of love, look no further – this is that book and it is a MUST READ KEEPER!!!
My heart grew 8 sizes while reading this book. It was a bit like beauty and the beast, but that is my favorite trope. I loved Ash and Emma so much and how their love grew and grew. A grumpy hero is my ultimate favorite and Ash was super grumpy, that is for sure. He had so many great one liners and Emma gave back just as good. The banter was phenomenal!
Wow! This book is FANTASTIC! It is gripping, romantic, heart-wrenching, heartwarming, swoon-worthy, quite steamy at times, and so much more. Whenever I picked up “The Duchess Deal”, I was whisked back in time to the Regency Era, going on such an emotional journey with this marriage of convenience and “Beauty and the Beast” esque-story.
Tessa Dare is such an incredible writer. Her writing is visceral, vivid, touching, full of heart, and pulls the reader into the story from the very first page. I could envision each and every character, as well as truly feel both the hero and heroine’s wants, fears, and desires so powerfully. I so wanted them to be each other’s happily-ever-after, and the story that Ms. Dare writes surrounding them is truly spectacular. I found myself unable to put the book down, and I felt like my heart was pulled into the story of these two characters.
Emma is such a strong, brave, intelligent, kind, and loving woman who sees the best in people. She is also an incredibly talented seamstress. She has had to make her own way in the world since her father horrifically threw her out, and Emma works hard to support herself and help others in need. When she bursts into the Duke of Ashbury’s home demanding payment she is owed for a dress, never could she have imagined how an offer of marriage will change her life forever.
The Duke of Ashbury is a guarded and smart man who has a heart of gold, even if he tries any way he can not to show it. After being injured in war, and being horrifically hurt by the woman who he was supposed to marry, he hides away from the world. Thinking everyone will be horrified by the way he looks, Ash stays home and believes no one could possibly love him. He also feels it is his responsibility to make sure the dukedom will pass on to a respectable person, and knows that he needs an heir. Never could he have imagined how offering Emma a marriage of convenience will change his life, and perhaps even give him happiness he didn’t think possible.
(Possible Spoilers!)
I found myself pulling for Emma and Ash from the very start, as their chemistry is instant and beautifully written. Throughout the book, these two challenge and really bring out the best in each other. They truly understand one another in ways others may not be able to. Both have been treated horrifically by people who supposedly care for them, and Emma and Ash are understandably afraid of opening up their hearts. Emma and Ash are able to get through difficult moments together, and help each other in more ways than one. The ending of this book brought tears to my eyes, and I so, so hope that we see their story continue. It truly is what is on the inside that matters, and these two really see into one another’s hearts in such a beautiful and special way.
I adore so many of the side characters in the book: Khan is so sweet, loyal, and caring. Mary is adorable. Alexandra, Penelope, and Nicola are so kind and such great friends. Davina is such a kind and loving young woman. Trevor is spunky and brave. And Breeches…oh my goodness, what an adorable kitty full of personality and spunk. I hope we see these characters in future books in this series as well!
If you enjoy historical romance, I highly recommend this book! It kept me turning the pages into the early hours of the morning (I might have stayed up until 3:30am!) to see what and how everything would work out. I can’t wait to continue reading this amazing series!
Thank you so much to Avon for the review copy of this book, it is incredible! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.