Tag: #GirlMeetsDuke

The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews2 Comments

The Wallflower Wager (Girl Meets Duke, #3)The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare
Tracy’s rating: 4.5/5 of 5 stars

Series: Girl Meets Duke #3

Release Date: August 13, 2019

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 Governess Game by Tessa Dare

On By TracyIn Regency Era (1811-1820), Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews2 Comments

The Governess Game (Girl Meets Duke, #2)The Governess Game by Tessa Dare
Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Girl Meets Duke, #2

Release Date: August 28, 2018

Alexandra “Alex” Mountbatten met Chase Reynaud six months ago when he ran into her in a bookshop – literally – they did not exchange names but she never forgot him and he was the star in many of her fantasies. Secretly she hoped that he was thinking of her and they would met again.

Be careful what you wish for! They do meet again, but it is clear Chase doesn’t recognize her and mistakes her for a governess applicant. Chase is heir presumptive to his uncle, the Duke of Belvoir and as his uncle is incapacitated, Chase has taken over his duties, including the care and guardianship of two young hellions. He is desperate for a governess to teach the girls enough that they will be accepted into school. Chase is a rake and refuses to form attachments or make promises. When Alex takes him to task, he knows she is the perfect person to get the girls ready for school. He drags her up to meet them, but upon entering the room and seeing what appears to be a gruesome murder scene, Alex flees. Chase follows and offers her an outrageous amount of money to stay, but Alex refuses.

Later when a panic attack causes her to lose her chronometer and therefore her livelihood, she returns to his house and accepts the job. She starts the next day and immediately realizes two things, one, Rosamund and Daisy are not going to be easy and two, Chase is not going to be easy to ignore. She tries to bond with the girls, but quickly recognizes their pain, for she has been in their shoes. When she is awoken the next morning to attend the funeral of Millicent, Daisy’s doll, she learns that this is an almost daily occurrence and one Chase is also part of. Chase is called to perform the service and tries his best to make Alex laugh.

They all settle into a routine, the girls ignoring Alex, pulling pranks, Alex using Chase’s telescope to try and find a comet (her new profession) and daily funeral services with Chase officiating. Alex begins to see the real Chase and tries to include him in the girls lives. But Chase just seems to want to complete his Cave of Carnality and get back to his rakish ways. Slowly they get to know each other and kisses follow. She wonders what happened to make such a loving man keep everyone at arms length.

When the truth is revealed, Alex tries to make Chase see that he can move on from his past and help the girls, but Chase doesn’t believe he can be trusted and keeps pulling away. When Alex finally finds a comet, Chase is by her side and helps her face her own fears. They both confess their love and it seems like their HEA is well in hand. But when the unexpected happens, words are exchanged and hearts are broken. Can Chase finally conquer his demons and win back the only woman he has ever loved?

This was an extremely well written, witty, fast paced novel, that was nearly impossible to put down. Alex and Chase are wonderful leads, they both have things in their pasts that affect them, but they are incredibly supportive of each other, the secondary characters are great and highly entertaining, the love scenes are steamy, the story grabs you from the first pages and doesn’t let go until the last word. I highly recommend this book, it is the second in the Girl Meets Duke series, but it can absolutely be read as a stand alone with no problem.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected eARC that was provided to me by Edelweiss and the publisher*