The Duchess Deal: A stunning Regency romance from the New York Times bestselling author. Perfect for fans of Bridgerton (Girl meets Duke, Book 1)
£2.40
‘Prepare to Fall in Love’ Julia Quinn, author of Bridgerton
‘Love her writing.’ Jodi Picoult on The Governess Game
‘I absolutely loved it; her style is so warm and funny.’ Nicola Cornick
‘I am a Duke. I’m not asking you to marry me. I am offering to marry you. It’s a different thing entirely.’
When the Duke of Ashbury returns from war scarred, he realises he needs an heir – which means he needs a wife! When Emma Gladstone, a vicar’s daughter turned seamstress visits wearing a wedding dress, 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 secrets and some rules of her own:
– They will have dinner together every evening.
– With conversation.
– And teasing.
– Last, and most importantly… Once she’s seen the man beneath the scars, he can’t stop her from falling in love…
Praise for The Duchess Deal
‘The irresistibly provocative, classy love scenes set the bar high for other historical romance novels.’
Publishers Weekly
‘This book is funny, it’s charming, and the romance works so beautifully.’
Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
‘A rollicking and passionate romp that is just what… fans will relish.’
Library Journal
‘Wickedly funny and soul-satisfyingly romantic novel…’ Booklist
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Additional information
| Publisher | Mills & Boon (22 Feb. 2018) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| File size | 2624 KB |
| Text-to-Speech | Enabled |
| Screen Reader | Supported |
| Enhanced typesetting | Enabled |
| X-Ray | Enabled |
| Word Wise | Enabled |
| Sticky notes | On Kindle Scribe |
| Print length | 385 pages |
by Nicci
This book felt like a regency retelling of Beauty and The Beast! I’m not sure that it was supposed to be a retelling but that doesn’t change the fact that it triggered B&B vibes in my brain!
You’ve got a seriously battle-scarred Duke who is bitter and grumpy expertly manoeuvring a kind natured young woman into marrying him as he desperately needs an heir.
The deal is that once he has an heir, she needn’t ever share his bed but she’ll be taken care of for the rest of her life and expected to raise the child well.
Sounds like a sweet deal right? Especially when you’re estranged from your family and barely making ends meet as a seamstress!
I love that Dare doesn’t dilly-dally in getting to the point. The Duke (aka Ash) and Emma meet in the first few pages and they’re married within a few chapters. It’s quick and transactional just like it’s supposed to be because all the fun stuff comes after they’re married!
Ash has a heart but it has been badly damaged by people’s cruel words and actions since returning from the battle of Waterloo badly disfigured. Emma has her work cut out for her to tear down the walls and reach his heart but she isn’t a cold, nor faint, hearted ninny so goes for it!
Watching the pair of them fall in love, and watching Ash learn to accept himself, was a pleasure and I inhaled the book over the course of a single evening as I couldn’t put it down.
It was the perfect little escape from the real world…
I’m very much looking forward to reading the other books in the series and watching Emma’s friends meet their matches, for I think this is quite possibly the quirkiest and most interesting bunch of women I’ve seen crop up in regency romances ever!
by Jade
“You’re here,” he repeated, taking her hand and drawing it against his chest, right above his pounding heartbeat. “In my heart. Somehow you crashed your way into it when I wasn’t looking. The same way you barged into my library, I suppose. But you’re here now, inside. Emma, you’re the very life of me.”
This was my first Tessa Dare book and I enjoyed it immensely.
We have a marriage of convenience, a cold deal really. Ash needed an heir and Emma was down on her luck financially.
Usually I’d avoid the coldness to the beginning of this romance but I was drawn to this story and so glad I read it.
-There’s a somewhat beauty and the beast theme to this.
-Emma’s no damsel in distress and had no problem challenging Ash.
-Ash, a self-proclaimed monster could certainly be a D… but he was more grumpy with a dash of being jaded.
-Speaking of Ash and Emma, Emma’s challenging mixed with Ash’s dry wit was wonderful. Funny and charming, honestly.
-Then we’ve got the meddling house staff which were hilarious and my favourite Khan! Omg his sarcasm and humour killed me. I loved him.
-A c… blocking cat who honestly deserved more page time imo.
-Ash and Emma growing together and falling in love while trying to convince themselves they weren’t.
-Trevor.
-Emma’s group of girlfriends
– Sweet and steamy
Now, this is a historical so yes, how some things are presented sometimes were not my favourite. I personally think Ash deserved to grovel way more but he got away with it because of things that wrapped up and glossed over way too quickly. The structure of the writing, it ran together. No separation of pov , threw me off at first But I did get used to it quicker than I thought I would. But hey ho, it was what it was and I still liked this story a whole lot and so glad I have it a go.
by Carol Cork
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 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.
by Sianne Wilford
Charming book from an old Nottingham Library. It’s a great book, read before but adding to my bookshelf. Good quality, no issues at all. Thank you!
by Alexandra Priest
My first Tessa Dare book and I absolutely loved the characters, the story and humour! I laughed and cried my way through Emma and Ash’s beautiful story.