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Tessa Dare The Duchess Deal: Girl Meets Duke

Last updated: June 17, 2019

Tessa Dare The Duchess Deal: Girl Meets Duke
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We looked at the top Romance Novels and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we've determined the best Romance Novel you should buy.

Overall Take

In our analysis of 55 expert reviews, the Tessa Dare The Duchess Deal: Girl Meets Duke placed 5th when we looked at the top 9 products in the category. For the full ranking, see below.

From The Manufacturer

When girl meets Duke, their marriage breaks all the rules…

Expert Reviews


What experts liked

Secondary characters are well delineated. Trevor, the “Monster of Mayfair’s” young follower, Lady Penelope and her little circle, and Ash’s servants, all not above a bit of scheming to force the duke into a long hoped-for romance with his wife of convenience, are deftly and delightfully depicted with large doses of humor.
I found The Duchess Deal to be an enjoyable and light-hearted read. Ms. Dare has crafted some great supporting characters who I hope to learn more about in future books.
I think the humor is what ultimately sold me. Throughout the book and the rushed marriage of convenience, the Duke of Ashbury only wants to be called “Duke” or “Ashbury” by his new wife and she’ll have none of that. She spends many scenes coming up with new and ridiculous pet names for her husband that had me cracking up more often than not, especially when she got her new “misfit” friends to help her out.
The Duchess Deal has great secondary characters. Emma’s new friends are fun, and it looks like Lady Penelope Campion (animal rights activist), mad scientist/baked Nicola Teague, and clock enthusiast/engineer Alexandra Mountbatten will make up the rest of Tessa Dare’s Girl Meets Duke Series. Trevor, Robin to Ash’s Batman, is a really sweet and intelligent boy.
All I can say is that after finishing the book (at 2 am in the morning, no less), my heart was just full of love. This was definitely another successful work for Dare! (And look at that cover – absolutely gorgeous.)
This book was fabulous - can I leave it at that and call it a day? This book made me smile, giggle, swoon, fan myself, and swoon all over again. I adore marriage of convenience stories, and this one did not disappoint.
The whole thing is concluded and both parties are happy. Emma gets her way and Ashbury realizes that he has been an idiot. All’s well that ends well.
This was a great story, I must say. I love Dare’s writing and I love the sense of humor that she instills in her characters. In this book Ashbury has a very dry wit and he never hesitates to bring it forth. I loved the banter between Ash and Emma and wanted more and more.
There is a wounded, self-deprecating, yet still confident hero, a strong, bright, loving heroine, wonderful humor, true romance, and plenty of steam. THE DUCHESS DEAL is beautifully written, and has everything I need in a book – it’s definitely on my favorites list for this year and I already can’t wait to read it again!
Their chemistry is electric, which made all the deals and negotiations and lackluster ceremony all the more delightful. Humor, staff meddling, and an obnoxious cat provided entertainment. I loved this beauty and the beast courtship. The arrangement trope is one of my favorites and Dare breathed new life into it.
I loved the dynamic between the two and watching their love grow, the trust develop and how each character in turn learned the value of self-worth, mutual affection, the power of attention and how to move forward with life and let yourself be happy.

What experts didn't like

Some readers might have a difficult time with Ash’s initial proposal to Emma. It comes completely out of the blue, and it does require you to just go with things that don’t make a great deal of sense at first.
This book starts off a bit rough. You’re given very little background information and thrust right into the thick of things without much to go off of in terms of the characters, their personalities, and their desires. I wasn’t really a fan of how the romance began with the duke simply pursing Emma because “she would do.”
If I am to offer critique, I’d say that there are several interesting secondary storylines that are opened up, but never really explored or resolved in a way fulfilling way.
I have to admit, after reading pretty much most of her works, there were some familiar tropes she used that were also seen in other books as well.
There is one tiny part of the climax that I didn't love, because it involves Ashbury swallowing his pride when Emma should have also swallowed hers. I definitely agree with Ashbury manning up and doing this and that, but I also think Emma should have backed down and swallowed her pride too.
If you are the type that doesn’t like explicit sex scenes, I will say that this book isn’t for you. They have intercourse multiple times and it is talked about nearly every other page. But, for a Valentine’s Day read, it wasn’t too shabby at all.
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