Reviews with content warning for Classism - The Duchess Deal

This was a delightfully modern take on the Regency romance. Instead of a virginal shrinking violet, the heroine Emma is a more feminist imagining of a protagonist, with more agency and more nuance than you might find otherwise. Ashbury, the hero, is equally as nuanced, although kind of a jerk (trauma does not excuse poor behavior). The awkward situations the author puts these two in were very amusing, and the blossoming feelings left me charmed. While funny, I think some of the humor detracts from emotional moments in a record-scratch-type deflation of tension that I wasn't a fan of. The plot was a little bizarre but if you can suspend your disbelief, this book is a great time.

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breesbookmark's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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rharwood's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Although I had a lovely time reading this book. I know once it’s placed on my shelf I won’t think about it again.

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haley49's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A cute fun romance that was a worthy introduction to Tessa Dare! I had high expectations but it hit most of them. Had a fair share of both fluff and spice.

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jackbifrost's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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unsuccessfulbookclub's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I just really cannot get enough of Tessa Dare’s soft hearted curmudgeonly heroes, brave, stubborn, smart heroines and ultimate silliness in service of love. The banter in Dare’s books always delivers, and the spice is spicy! I laugh at least once while reading every Tessa Dare and the swoon factor is *high.*

In this book, we have another grumpy recluse of a hero in the Duke of Ashbury. Physically injured in the Napoleonic Wars and emotionally injured upon his return, he is in desperate need of a wife so that he can make and heir to pass his substantial fortune on to. He is sarcastic and mean, but ultimately more wounded than anything. Fun moment: similar to our favorite contemporary hero, Ren Bergman, all of his swears are Shakespearean. He’s a walking “who hurt you?” with a big gooey cinnamon roll middle.

Our heroine is Emma Gladstone, a talented seamstress who appears at the Duke’s residence in time of both of their greatest needs. She is strong and witty, and gives everyone the benefit of the doubt - maybe too much benefit.

The two embark upon a marriage of convenience that ends up being so much more. Tessa can write a grump like no other and the Duke of Ashbury is no exception.

👍🏻Recommended! This was exactly what I needed to bust up my reading slump. If you are considering historical romance but don’t know where to start, I cannot recommend Tessa Dare enough. There are many tongue-in-cheek references and a very modern point of view in these although they are set in the early 1800s. If you like Downton Abbey? You will like Tessa Dare.

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coacklebee's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Another silly and light romance novel that I quite enjoyed, even if it reads more like a contemporary than a historical romance. Having already read the third in this series (oops), I knew more about what to expect from Tessa Dare's style and was more willing to put aside my complaints about the characters very un-Regency actions. If you're looking for a true historical romance, this is definitely not it. But I did enjoy my time reading it!

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