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A review by the_rabble
Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.75
Two egregiously down-on-their-luck 1800s-ish British protagonists occupy a dilapidated castle on together. Shenanigans ensue.
2 POVs, spicy historical romance/home reno/proto nerd culture story. 3rd person, past tense. I think both protagonists are late 20s.
This one has a bunch of unexpected turns and fun payoffs. Dare pulls from a lot of places and topics she clearly loves. It'd be very easy to be spoiled and- as someone who loves a spoiler- it actually is more fun to just ride the ride. The stakes are stable/not outsized so the urge isn't there. Dare does a good job foreshadowing and building surprise without dread.
Ransom and Izzy are excellent. Really loved both of these characters. Both POV voices are distinct and choices are character driven and relatable. We get some late reveals, but they're fun to watch bump against each other.
Sex scenes are great.
First book of three book series. You can read them in any order. Promise of the series' premise is "woman owns castle" and the stories are independent from book to book.
This one may be my favorite of the three.
2 POVs, spicy historical romance/home reno/proto nerd culture story. 3rd person, past tense. I think both protagonists are late 20s.
This one has a bunch of unexpected turns and fun payoffs. Dare pulls from a lot of places and topics she clearly loves. It'd be very easy to be spoiled and- as someone who loves a spoiler- it actually is more fun to just ride the ride. The stakes are stable/not outsized so the urge isn't there. Dare does a good job foreshadowing and building surprise without dread.
Ransom and Izzy are excellent. Really loved both of these characters. Both POV voices are distinct and choices are character driven and relatable. We get some late reveals, but they're fun to watch bump against each other.
Sex scenes are great.
First book of three book series. You can read them in any order. Promise of the series' premise is "woman owns castle" and the stories are independent from book to book.
This one may be my favorite of the three.
Graphic: Ableism and Sexism
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent
Ableism and sexism are largely in the story as relevant institutional elements of 1800s England.
Child abuse, bullying, and emotional abuse (of a child/young person) are all off-page background and not something done by anyone we meet in the story.
[Ableism]Ransom is newly blind/severely vision impaired and while micro-aggressions abound , the final conflict involves institutional ableism in the form of bad guys sending him to an asylum due to his vision.