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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This is a well-written, entertaining historical romance novel with likable, engaging characters, a heartwarming romance, and a happily ever after ending. The animals are a wonderful addition to the story! I look forward to reading the other entries in Ms. Dare’s “Girl Meets Duke” series.
The Wallflower Wager is the third in the Girl Meets Duke series but can also be read as a stand alone. I am loving this series, especially this story. Lady Penelope Campion, known to her friends as Penny, rescues wounded and abandoned animals which she relates to better than humans. Gabriel Duke, known to society as “The Duke of Ruin”, grew up in the slums but is now a wealthy man and has acquired the residence next to Penny which he plans to rehab and sell. Their first meeting occurs when Penny’s rescued parrot flies into the home next door. Penny sneaks in to rescue her but meets Gabriel coming out of the bath wearing only a towel. The story that follows is filled with laughs, tears, amorous encounters, resolution of past traumas and a wonderfully written happily ever after.
** 4.5 stars **
I can’t remember laughing so much while reading historical romance and liking it. It was rather refreshing. I liked the absurd situation both Penny and Gabe got into due to Penny’s multiple animal rescues. I must admit I was annoyed from time to time by Penny’s over the top attention to her animals, but as the story progressed it made sense that she made friends among creatures who never judge and can’t condemn for anything.
I really liked Gabriel Duke. He is the type of man who is gruff if not a bit rude but underneath he is a genuinely decent man. I enjoyed his interactions with Penny and how he just let her be herself. And Penny… Who knew that simple dresses were hiding a spitfire!
The story was well-paced, charming, at times hilarious and very passionate. I enjoyed it so much. I think I liked this book the most in this series.
This is one you’ll want to read in a single sitting. Great blend of humor and emotion. You’ll really want to cheer for the characters (human and otherwise). My favorite of the series so far!
Good writing. An easy read. I felt the romance was a lot of lust that never showed a development into love. Great sex, but the emotion wasn’t there for me. In the end, love was sort of assumed. The heroine’s backstory was difficult and not fully developed, nor did she have a chance to work through it. It was just quickly resolved, which was unlikely for the type of trauma she experienced. For a ruthless hero, Gabe was a surprisingly nice guy, which was fine. I loved the bawdy parrot. I enjoyed the wit. I liked the story a lot; I just didn’t love it. Tessa Dare will definitely remain on my excellent writer list.
Dare delivers yet another beautifully written story featuring delightful and dynamic characters and a lovely happily ever after. This is the reason I adore historical romance.
Introducing the Duke and Duchess of Ruin…
I’ve been waiting for this third book of the Girls Meet Duke series by Tessa Dare for a long time and was lucky to receive the ARC from Edelweiss. The series followed a group of four close friends who were unconventional and did not fit in the society. The Wallflower Wager is a standalone but I’d recommend you read the first two books to understand and appreciate the dynamics of their friendships. It was a joy to meet the previous couples and fall in love with them all over again.
This book is about a beautiful love story between Lady Penelope Campion, an earl’s daughter leading a quiet and contented life surrounded by her rescued animals, and Gabriel Duke, a wealthy successful yet ruthless businessman, who happened to be her new neighbor.
I was completely taken by surprise by Penny’s character. She was known among her close friends to be loving, loyal, trusting, and compassionate (to both humans and animals), but to society, she appeared to be shy and a bit eccentric. There was a reason behind her being withdrawn and becoming a wallflower. As the story was unfolded, my heart ached for her and all she had endured during her childhood. Being with Gabriel and loving him gave her more strength and courage than she ever thought she could have. She saw Gabriel for who he really was, and not what was written about him in the gossip column. From someone who always preferred to be a “shrubflower,” she became determined to take matters in her own hands, living life her own way, and couldn’t care less about society judgements.
And Gabriel… Oh my… I was laughing, crying, then swooning all over him. I believe he’s one of my most favorite heroes by Tessa. Having a rough childhood, he had risen from the gutters, and become a wealthy property owner across England. To Penny, he was always honest (daring to call her shamwich revolting), caring and protective, yet respectful of her choices and decisions. He thought himself to be undeserving of Penny’s love, but her persistence has given him courage to be the best he could be for her. From someone who never cared about animal welfare, Gabe became their caregiver and loving protector.
What makes the book so wonderful is the beautiful transformation in Penny’s and Gabe’s characters as they influenced one other and provided the strength and support to each other to overcome the scars from their pasts. And of course their attraction made sparks fly off the page. The witty banter, hot sexual encounter, and unexpected incidents made this book all the more charming and enjoyable. The reappearance of the previous heroes whose “bromance” was a great fun to read with lots of hilarious conversations. And the friendships among the ladies are heartwarming and delightful.
I can’t recommend this book enough! It’s beautifully written, the characters are well crafted and developed, the storyline is captivating with intertwined emotional and fun moments that will keep you reading until the end. I find myself yet again looking forward to more of this family, perhaps in the last book of the series featuring Nicola.
14 people found this helpful
What a fun emotional book to read. It read so easily and I couldn’t wait to find out what little episode was going to happen next. With both main characters having such terrible experiences in their former lives, they could still support each other in different ways, find love and find a happy ever after.
I liked the premise of the book, but there were too many sex scenes.
Tessa Dare has become a go-to for me regarding historical romances, and THE WALLFLOWER WAGER: GIRL MEETS DUKE is another winner. The romance between Penny and Gabriel is delightful, as is their banter and the menagerie they have to wrangle as they work their way to love. I laughed aloud several times while reading it, and it was the perfect audiobook companion when I took a recent long drive. If you love historicals with heart, you can’t go wrong with this one!
I loved this book! So funny but without losing the sexy angst I personally like in a romance. Terrific characters, lovely prose. Steamy love scenes. Just a great read.
I loved everything about this! It was funny, sweet, romantic, but also had some tearful moments. The storyline was unique and wonderful, especially the antics with Penelope’s animals. Penelope was a strong and independent heroine, and Gabriel a surprisingly different type of hero. This is one of those books to be enjoyed over and over. Highly recommend!
I love this series. The characters are quirky, with great dialogue, and the stories are a great mix of heartfelt emotion, tragic pasts, and lighthearted (often hilarious) moments.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Erica –
The Wallflower Wager is the third installment in the Girl Meets Duke series. Can it be read as a standalone or out of series order? Most definitely. While I did read the last in the series, I did so without reading the debut. I had zero confusion, just rolled with it. However, I do eventually plan on going back and reading the beginning.
Penny is on the shelf, done so deliberately, living alone in her family’s Town home. She spends her time rescuing helpless, wounded creatures, because the life she wished to have was destroyed long before she left childhood. Penny is irresponsible, sometimes irrational, but not to a too stupid degree. She’s naive, endearing – her gift is loving everyone fiercely, putting herself last in the equation.
Gabriel Duke has clawed his way up from the gutter, earning the title the Duke of Ruin. He’ll do anything to get ahead, ruthless and determined to prove his worth as a human being. Renovating a house to flip to an investor with new money who would love to live in the heart of Town with ladies and lords, Gabe has to get his lady neighbor in line.
Having spent a decade fostering animals, when she was supposed to be finding a husband, Penny’s brother is calling her home to the country, to live as a spinster should. the devoted aunt, where her entire existence will be rearing her nephews and living under the sufferance of her brother, nothing but a burden, no longer seen as a person.
When the reader digs beneath the surface, sensing the growing frustration and pain, the reality of how it must have been for a spinster, it’s almost too much to swallow. Kind and loving, Penny still has a backbone and determination to make a life of her own. She’s not giving up, even if it means making a wager with her well-meaning aunt.
The interactions between Gabe and Penny, alongside the menagerie of animals, it was hilarious yet heartwarming. Lust-filled tension eased slightly by witty banter and zany situations. I couldn’t get enough of Gabe and Penny, rooting for them from the first chapter. The flow and progression felt real, where I didn’t want the book to end. Both of them are suffering from the past, there’s a rawness to their pain since they simply tried to ignore it, not heal it.
Emotions running the gamut, from teary-eyed moments to outright hilarity, The Wallflower Wager was a delight to read. Most memorable, aside from the main characters and the animals, the banter of the secondary characters from books past, fighting over who got to be the second and best man, not the second’s second and best man’s best man. It offered levity to the novel, where some of the content was emotionally dark.
I highly recommend to historical romance readers and fans of Tessa Dare. I can’t wait for the next in the series, as well as going back to read the beginning.
Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
Another witty and wonderful historical romance in the Girl Meets Duke Series. And, again, some of the best scenes involve the Duke of Ashbury. Love that man and his irascible demeanor. Gabriel, aka The Duke of Ruin, was a fabulous hero in his own right. I always enjoy a brooding hero who slowly reveals his softer side to a tenacious heroine. Getting to know Lady Penelope beyond the quirky animal rescuer we’ve met in earlier books, was enlightening. Not only quirky and loving, but also hiding a devastatingly sad secret from her past. The author handled that element with sensitivity and with a satisfying comeuppance towards the end. I loved the humor, romance, and subtle drama in this series and eagerly wait for the next story.
This is the third book in the series. I loved the first two and this one didn’t disappoint either. There is much more to Penny than I first thought. A must read!
Best book in the Girl Meets Duke series so far. Coherent, if simple, plot; no weird tangents out of the blue with no follow-up, and a couple who actually suit together. There were plenty of steamy bits and they didn’t make me cringe this time round. I liked Penny and her large heart, and her backstory trauma was believable. The solution to it was satisfying. And I liked Gabriel even more. Excellent hero. The story of the last book was hinted at too, so I have to wait and see if it can top this one.
Tessa Dare never disappoints! I loved every page of this book. I’m always looking for romance and happily ever afters. But I am enacted when it is done with such creativity and humor. I loved the way the eccentric pets played into the plot of the characters. Loved it!
I feel like I waited forever for this book!
(I didn’t really. But Tessa Dare ratcheted up my need for it with all of the cute baby goat pics she put up on social media. Plus all the podcasts she went on, talking about the book. Not to mention the hints we got at Penny’s story in book 2, The Governess Game . I was chomping at the bit, I tell you.)
Penny and Gabe’s story was all I had hoped for and more! The grumpy guy next door who “won’t be tamed” and the wallflower who collects (literally or figuratively) wounded animals like they’re playing cards light up every page they’re on together. The witty banter! The swoony romance! The steamy sex! The mutual tending to fluffy (or feathery) creatures! It’s all here, and it’s as awesome as you could have hoped for.
Plus: Nicola, Emma, and Alexandra are back. And they brought Ash and Chase with them–Ash, Chase, and Gabe on the page together are pure gold. The Marigold in labor scene (sorry, Penny, it seems she is exactly that type of goat…not that there’s anything wrong with that) was brilliant. There was 100% snort laughing going on over here–if only I hadn’t been walking the dog at the time…
There are some heavier issues dealt with here as well. Gabe’s backstory is pretty rough, and Penny suffered abuse at the hands of a family friend when she was growing up. These parts were hard to listen to, but Ms. Dare dealt with them well, and knowing what they went through to get to their HEA made the ending even sweeter.
My favorite line of the book goes to Aunt Caroline this time:
“Now that was satisfying. I never knew until this moment how much I wanted to have henchmen.”
Frankly, Aunt Caroline, same.
The audiobook was delightfully read by Mary Jane Wells. Whether she was voicing the men or the women, she did a wonderful job and made this one even more of a joy to listen to.
Bring on Nicola’s book; I’m ready!
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A
This book was so good that I immediately read it again as soon as I was finished.