New York Times and USA Today Bestseller
They call him the Duke of Ruin.
To an undaunted wallflower, he’s just the beast next door.
Wealthy and ruthless, Gabriel Duke clawed his way from the lowliest slums to the pinnacle of high society—and now he wants to get even.
Loyal and passionate, Lady Penelope Campion never met a lost or wounded creature she wouldn’t take into her home and her heart.
Penelope Campion never met a lost or wounded creature she wouldn’t take into her home and her heart.
When her imposing—and attractive—new neighbor demands she clear out the rescued animals, Penny sets him a challenge. She will part with her precious charges, if he can find them loving homes.
Done, Gabriel says. How hard can it be to find homes for a few kittens?
And a two-legged dog.
And a foul-mouthed parrot.
And a goat, an otter, a hedgehog . . .
Easier said than done, for a cold-blooded bastard who wouldn’t know a loving home from a workhouse. Soon he’s covered in cat hair, knee-deep in adorable, and bewitched by a shyly pretty spinster who defies his every attempt to resist. Now she’s set her mind and heart on saving him.
Not if he ruins her first.
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Series: Girl Meets Duke #3
Publication Date: 8/12/19
Number of Pages: 384
*** 3.5 Stars rounded up to 4 ***
As I sit here trying to write this review, I am in a quandary over how to rate it. Sadly, that is the usual case with me and this author. Her books are always witty and filled with quirky characters that you can’t help but love. However, they are also thoroughly modern books dressed in period clothes and that really bothers me.
I do want to mention here, near the beginning of my review, that there is a trigger in this book. It is hinted at throughout the earlier parts of the book, but it is spelled out beginning around the 78% mark. I won’t tell which trigger it is – but – if you are sensitive to certain triggers, at least you’ll know that it does contain one.
Gabriel (Gabe) Duke, known by the ton as the Duke of Ruin, is a self-made man in every way. Immune to emotional entanglements, he is ruthless in business and single-minded in the pursuit of what he wants. He was born in the gutter with no idea who his father was and his mother was a gin-addicted woman who sold him as basically a slave to a pub owner. After the pub, he spent years in an abusive workhouse. He’s never had anyone who loved him and he’s certainly never loved anyone himself.
Gabriel’s current focus is the profitable sale of a newly acquired property on Bloom Square in Mayfair. He’s been refurbishing it, adding modern conveniences such as running hot water and updating the interior. Now, all he needs to do is rid the neighborhood of the menagerie living in the house next door. Who knew the menagerie’s owner could be such a delightful creature.
Lady Penelope (Penny) Campion is everything light and beautiful – from her soul, to her physical appearance, to her heart – she is beautiful inside and out. She always looks for, and finds, the best in everyone. That gloriously enormous heart of hers extends to animals as well as people. Her home is filled with the world’s castoff animals – a parrot who is really foul-mouthed, a dog with useless hind legs, a goat, an otter, a hedgehog, laying chickens that don’t lay, a Scottish coo, many, many, many kittens – you name it and she takes it in. Now, both her family and her neighbor are demanding that she get rid of them all. How will they survive without her care?
There are so many delightfully entertaining scenes in the book – something on every page – that will keep you smiling if not laughing out loud. The banter and dialogue are thoroughly modern but so very entertaining. The scene with the three men acting as a midwife for a goat is one of the best I’ve ever read.
If you want a highly entertaining read – and don’t care about historical accuracy, this book is for you – unless the trigger will bother you. As I’ve written this review, I’ve pondered the rating and have decided that I’ll rate it at 3.5 stars – because it is so historically inaccurate, but I’ll round that up to 4 because it is such an entertaining book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This might be my new favorite book. I’ve read it three times since it came out, just because the dialogue (and internal monologues) are So. Darn. Funny. I love the premise, I love the hero (so much) and I just love this book.
Full disclaimer: I have read all of Tessa Dare’s novels over the summer. And I have been anxiously waiting for this one. And oh my! It didn’t disappoint.
This novel is full of love and packs so many emotions. I couldn’t stop reading. And yes, this one does have as background very heavy topics (and if you go on Tessa’s website, you’ll see the content advisories). I felt that it was part of their stories and who they were and how they both tried to deal with their past.
It was also very fun and flirty and I fell in love with Penelope and her strength and her dedication and with the way she sees Gabriel. And then with the way he rediscovers himself and helps her.
Of course like all Tessa Dare’s novel, there were moments when my heart clenched. Moments where I giggled. Moments when I swooned.
Highly recommended!
When her adopted parrot Delilah escapes her cage and flies into the neighboring house, Lady Penelope “Penny” Campion of course follows, but finds a lot more than just her wayward parrot. She finds the new owner of the house, Gabriel “Gabe” Duke, AKA the Duke of Ruin, barely dressed and dripping wet and for the first time in her 26 years, Penelope feels lust and desire so intense it stuns her.
Gabriel Duke is a self-made man, he grew up penniless and destitute and has worked hard to amass a fortune that will ensure that he will never know poverty again. He hates aristocrats and thinks nothing of using their secrets and debts against them earning himself the moniker of the Duke of Ruin. Gabe bought the house next door to Penny’s because he knows he can turn a profit by selling the renovated house to a commoner just because she is the neighbor. He is shocked to see that she is lovely and young, he heard that she was a spinster and a recluse, but after seeing her, he can’t imagine why and thinks the men of the ton must be blind or stupid.
The next day Penny gets a visit from her Aunt Caroline and is told in no uncertain terms that if she doesn’t make some sweeping changes in her life and get rid of the animals that she has accumulated, that Caroline will not stop her brother Bradford from taking her back to Cumberland for good. Penny cannot bear the thought of returning the family seat and with her parents away in India, her brother is in fact able to force her to return with him. She promises her aunt that she will get a new wardrobe, attend events and find homes for her foundlings.
Gabe’s architect comes to him to complain about Penny, showing Gabe a stack of letters she has sent that have delayed construction. Gabe promises to take care of Lady Penelope and gets his chance a short while later when he sees her in the park with a goat. He confronts her and tells her that she must get of the animals, she tells him that it doesn’t matter, she will be leaving soon anyway. He says she can’t leave, his profit in the house depends on her! He tells her he will help her find homes for the animals. And so it begins…
This was an absolutely charming, fun and surprisingly emotional story. As always, the writing is outstanding and the story is paced well. The characters are both entertaining and likeable, the banter is amusing, the secrets they both hold are heart retching, the resolution to her heartache is amazing, the love scenes are steamy, the cameos from Chase, Ash, Emma, Alex and Nicola are priceless and the ending is wonderful. I loved Gabe and Penny together, I thought their chemistry was evident from their first encounter and never waned. As much as I loved this story, I did think that the title was a bit misleading as there was no real “wager” and that there is a real contemporary feel to this book, and while it wasn’t enough to ruin my enjoyment, it did at times jar me. This is the third book in the series, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone with no problems.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected e-ARC that was provided to me by Edelweiss and the publisher.*
The debut scene was everything I love in Mrs Tessa Dare’s work, a lovely and lively miss struggling to find a way to solve the issue she is facing and meeting the hero at the worst possible moment.
How I laughed from they antics and witty banters to Penny’s pets having their own mind.
Their inability to not shred their clothes in no other way possible otherwise than in tatters
This was a sweet journey where Penny with her way of caring for the unfortunate, is able to see behind the mask of the Duke Of Ruin. She sees the child longing for love even he is himself not aware of his own hunger.
Gabriel, such a beautiful name for a fallen angel, craves fulfillment. He believes his achievement will satisfy his thirst, unable to grasp material possessions can’t answer his heart’s yearning.
Why he is always hungry, needing to fill his body to not sense as an empty shell. He unwittingly seeks for more than holdings, probably why he is so drawn to Penny, he sees her beyond her caretaker exterior. He feels in him she is better than a loving spinster, he knows in his guts she conceals a deepest pain than the one she shows the world.
Despite the apparent lightness of this read, it deals with the heavy theme of child abuse.
The shame Penny has felt all her life, so much she couldn’t stand to be in the light, she wanted to be forgotten, trying to fade with her environment. Because of the stigma impregnated in her young mind by the society rules, she suffers as guilty when she is the victim. Why she tried to disappear, to become forgettable, pouring all her love in creatures who will not judge her and accept her for whom she is.
Until Gabe.
He is her ultimate challenge, the one that awaken all she has buried thoroughly in her soul with no hope of acceptance. Because in spite of his words, she is more to him than a valuable asset for his business to come.
« “I need you, Lady Penelope Campion. I’m not letting you go.” »
While she sees the child hankering for love behind the ruthless facade of the businessman.
« “Gabriel Duke. You are priceless.” »
A man who trusts her, never doubts her words and will protect her.
Her perfect half to be whole.
« “Let me tell you, Lady Penelope has her hands full. I’m vicious. Untamed. I won’t come to heel.” He leaned forward, lowering his voice to a growl. “And I bite.” »
There is so much more to tell about this read, like the joy to see again the heroes from the previous books, their quips and bickering. The merriment of many scenes, so much my hub thought me crazy when I was hilarious during our return flight to home. It is a standalone read but if you want to prolonge your enjoyment, read also the two previous installment.
I have been granted an advance copy by the author, but also purchased my own.
Here is my true and unbiased opinion.
Tessa Dare is an ace at writing light-hearted, humorous historical romance, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Penny, the animal loving, oddball lady, and Gabriel, a man born in the gutter who is about as far removed from high society as one can get. A delightful HEA comes together between these two!
This turned out to be my favorite in the series so far. I ADORED this book. I couldn’t get enough of these two. And the ending? SWOON. I wish I could forget it and read it again for the first time.
I can always count on a Tessa Dare book to pull me out of a reading slump. I couldn’t put this book down. Steamy and funny it was the perfect combination. My only regret is that I read it so quickly.
I read this book in one day. I knew once I started that my day was going to be shot but it was absolutely worth it. Ms. Dare makes you laugh, cry and cheer. How can you not love a Tessa Dare novel. I’m not usually a reader of historial romance but I never miss one of her gems.
The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare is book Three in the Girl Meets Duke Series. This is the story of Penelope ‘Penny’ Campion and Gabriel ‘Gabe’ Duke. I have read the previous books (and Loved them!) but feel you can make this a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Gabriel climbed his way from the worst of the streets to now be well off enough never to have to worry about being in that position again. The climb did make him harden his heart and used to getting his way or forcing his way in situations. Penny is around 26 years old, has very eccentric ways, takes in stray animals and has a heart big enough to soften anyone. So when one of her animals escapes into Gabriel’s house she thinks nothing of going into it to rescue it. But what she finds is Gabriel who makes her feel something she never has before…desire. Gabriel too is feeling something to but he moves forward to fight it. Gabriel demands that she get rid of her animals but she only will do so if he finds them happy homes. Gabriel is sure this isn’t going to be a problem for him until the cracks in his heart start to break.
I am such a fan of Ms. Dare’s writing! You get everything in her books I feel…loved it.
Okay, first I need to admit that Dare is an auto-buy for me. I am here for her witty banter. I have loved this whole series, but this one might be my favorite. I managed to get my hands on an early copy and there were so many parts where I wanted to find someone else who had already read it so we could laugh together and discuss. There is just so much fun in this book.
I kept seeing this series and actually have them on my kindle, but did not get around to reading them yet. But something about this synopsis just pulled me in and I wanted to give this new-to-me author a try sooner rather than later. And even though the characters from the first books were featured in this one, it can be read as a total standalone and it just makes me want to go back and read more about their courtships. This is a quirky and loyal group of friends, and it is now time for them to help their sweet friend Penny…Lady Penelope Campion.
Penny is a self-imposed wallflower and avoids society expectations. She is caring, loyal, romantic, but an object of ridicule and pity. She has her reasons that she keeps to herself. She spends in her time taking care of her menagerie of misfit animals and being a good friend. But when her aunt gives her an ultimatum, she has to take a hard look at her life and figure out how she can win more approval.
Gabriel Duke, otherwise known as the Duke of Ruin, is temporarily staying next door as he supervises renovations of his newly acquired property. He is glad to have a Lady next door to raise up property values but had no idea how odd this Lady could be. He has survived a rough past and is known for his cutthroat business practices and wealth gained by the misfortune of others. He is a ruthless, shameless, rough-edged beast with a black heart who does not care to conform to society.
These two come from different backgrounds, worlds, and beliefs. They share a common ground of self-worth issues and are two outcasts to society despite money or station. And somehow they start to become catalysts for change. Maybe it is time for Penny to show her backbone and be her own person. And somehow he finds himself wanting to show Penny her hidden value even if he cannot find it in himself. There just might be a heart hidden under his invincible facade that only she can see. They find lust, trust, and appreciation of each other’s idiosyncracies. But they are not the clear cut answers to each other’s problems and there are plenty of challenges both due to personal issues and societal standards. There are some secrets and twists along the way as well.
This also features her groups of friends and their significant others Emma, Ash, Alexandra, Chase, and Nicola. They, along with other entertaining side characters both animal and human add some drama and comic relief. I loved all the fun and witty banter between the friends and the couple. It reads fast and does not get bogged down like some historicals do with language and descriptions. I enjoyed this story and am interested enough to want to read the rest of the series.
Arc provided by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
At Last!! Penny gets her Duke!! Lady Penelope Campion is the sweetest young lady with a tender heart who rescues animals that most people would just as soon throw away as look at them. A dog with wheels instead of hind legs, a parrot from a brothel who has foul and hilarious one-liners, a goat with digestive problems and a hedgehog who likes her belly rubbed. Just to name a few. She is a true romantic, who loves her friends and wants everybody to be happy. As for herself, she never goes out into Society. Her first foray into Society was a disaster and she is perfectly happy with her life just the way it, or so she thought.
Gabriel Duke is a self-made man. Born in the slums, sold for a shilling he grew up alone, cold, and hungry. He has clawed his way up to the top, one of the richest men in England. He hates the Aristocracy. He is ruthless and has ruined an untold number of noblemen. He feels only contempt for fools who gamble away their inheritance or are so incompetent they can’t keep what they have. He has no problem buying their estates and businesses and making a profit on them by breaking up and reselling at higher prices. As for woman, he never has trouble attracting the female species with his looks and fortune.
Gabe and Penny are polar opposites, never meant to be breathing the same air until the day he moves in next door. Their lives will never be the same again. Gabe knows that Penny is well above his touch, but he can’t seem to help himself. She is so different from any Proper Lady that he has ever met. Penny has never met any man who she would ever consider giving up her life for. Gabe knows he does not deserve a woman like Penny, he has done things in his life that would make her hate him. He doesn’t realize that Penny doesn’t care about any of that, she loves a person for who they are on the inside, and she knows that Gabe is good. She just has to convince him.
I love Tessa’s writing. I laughed out loud a number of times while reading this story. Tessa will make you cry too as she lets you into Gabe and Penny’s hearts. Penny is hiding a secret that no one knows, she has carried it with her since she was a little girl. Can Gabe rise to the challenge of being worthy of Penny? You have to read this book!! It is Amazing!!
Tessa Dare delivers again! <3 Great hero and heroine, but I might just love the parrot the best!
I love reading about the strong, unique woman in this series and the wounded damaged heroes who love them. Penny and Gabriel are my new favorites. This book made me feel all the things. It was such a joy to read. Lady Penelope has a menagerie of abandoned, damaged animals and her weirdness has set her apart from society. But her family now believes she needs to stop her foolishness and come back to live in the family home she despises. Gabriel was born in the gutter to a prostitute and grew up in the workhouse. But he is now a wealthy man who has purchased the house next door to Penny. His ability to sell his house for a profit depends on Penny being in residence next door. An unlikely alliance between them is formed to keep Penny in her current home and thus begins Penny and Gabe’s journey to their inevitable HEA. This book has a little bit of everything – sweet moments, fan your face steam, real life issues, imperfect characters, tearful moments, and heart squeezing love – expect to laugh, to swoon, and to cry. While I love reading romances for the HEA, when real life issues are included – like poverty, childhood trauma, and social judgment – and the scars those experiences leave, it makes for more three dimensional characters and more well rounded storylines. This story was a masterpiece of all the things and I will definitely keep reading the series.
Lady Penelope Campion is supposed to be the spinster next door or so does Gabriel Duke aka the Duke of Ruin believes. But when he meets a young and rather pretty woman in the most awkward of situations, he’ll find himself in the middle of an inconvenient attraction to his peculiar new neighbor.
Despite being the daughter of an Earl, Penny stays in the fringes of society and is not even considered by the ton given her eccentric behavior and her proclivity to rescue any out casted creature that ends up in her vicinity. Then she’s informed she has only a few weeks to go out in society and find homes for her beloved animals or will be taken away from life as she knows it.
I liked this book. The author gives us a couple that’s been affected by the issues of their past and see themselves as somehow underserving because of them, but it all changes when they meet. Their friends and animals give them a funny, sometimes crass backdrop, but they make things funny and light.
I enjoyed the fact that Penny wanted to be the one making decisions for herself and, though she liked feeling protected by Gabriel, she didn’t want him to decide for her at any given time.
5 stars – I loved it!
Lady Penelope Campion has spent her life taking care of the lost and wounded creatures that everyone else seems to have abandoned. When her imposing and attractive new neighbor demands she get rid of the animals, she challenges him to find them loving homes. But Gabriel quickly realizes that finding new homes is going to be a lot harder than he expected considering they are not just cats and dogs.
This was a wonderful, animal filled romance. Penny has been my favorite from the beginning so I was so excited to finally see her fall in love. Penny is an extremely compassionate and kind woman who relates more with animals than people, which I can totally understand. She spends her days caring for her menagerie of animals that were abandoned, mistreated, or disabled. I adored her dedication to her animals and showing all beings that they deserved love.
Gabriel is a hero who is known for his ruthlessness but he is actually very giving. Penny is the only one who has ever seen beyond the ruthless mask he portrays. Gabriel was a hero I instantly loved, even when he was denying his feelings so much. Penny was just the perfect partner for him because she showed him that he was worthy of love. Also, I really loved the banter and flirting between these two.
These two were adorable and I couldn’t get enough of them, or the animals. I really can’t wait to read Nicola’s book now and see the last rebel find love.
Trigger Warnings: Sexual abuse of the heroine when she was a teen.
It’s too gushy at times.
Stirring Romance
This one warmed my heart. A common man who spends his childhood in destitution meets a noble spinster with a big heart. Each in their own way goes about alleviating the suffering of others, whether human or animal. As a pet lover, I was touched by the way Penelope cared for helpless animals, and Gabriel was a man of character despite his desperate upbringing. Add in the friendships that existed from the previous books and it became a touching story full of humor and romance.
Adequate romance. I usually love Tessa Dare this was just OK