Historical Romance Book Club discussion
This topic is about
The Duchess Deal
Gaol/BOTM
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BOTM 1 - March 2022 - The Duchess Deal
I've read the next partand really liked it. , so Im in for this one
I think this is my favourite of this series, so I am really looking forward to the discussion!
I finished reading this HR and really enjoyed it. I gave it four stars. I enjoyed the extra characters in the story: The eccentric wallflowers in the Mayfair square that befriended Emma. Ash’s staff plotting ways to throw them together so they would fall in love. The cat Breeches attacking Ash and then he adopted Ash and slept in his room. The 11 year old that followed Ash around at night and wanted to help defend the helpless calling himself the Menace to Ash’s Monster of Mayfair.Emma wanted to call Ash something other than Ash or the Duke so she started calling him different names Dear, Darling, my love, sweetheart, pumpkin, lambkin, starshine, hot cross bun,weinerbrod just to name few. Ash’s swears or negative comments were always quotes from Shakespeare. He called her father a “ mammering canker- blossom”. The first time Ash saw Emma’s handiwork as a seamstress was when she was wearing the wedding dress she made for his former fiancé. He said the dress was like” unicorn vomit or the pelt of some snow beast rumoured to menace the Himalayas.” At the end of the book he said this about the gown she created and designed using his navy blue velvet drapes;”It looks like you sailed through the dark night like an angel and came back to earth covered in stars”
This is my favorite series of all-time!!
I loved this book! I hope everybody enjoys the book.Mamacita .., LMAO 😂😂😂 Well said!
Lauren wrote: "I forgot the cat"Gotta love Breaches.
Lorien wrote: "Lauren wrote: "I forgot the cat"Gotta love Breaches."
Right!
Lauren wrote: "I loved this book! I hope everybody enjoys the book.Mamacita .., LMAO 😂😂😂 Well said!"
Lauren we need to find a way to BR the other 2 books in the series after this one.
Mamacita aka MawMaw wrote: "This is my favorite series of all-time!!"
Brilliant!!!!
I love this book. I adore it. I will read it for the fifth time for this BOTM!!!! I still haven't been able to analyse why do I love it so much. Count me in, please :D :D
Count me in also
One of the very few books that I can read time after time! Delicious, emotionally satisfying, intelligent and witty. I love this book and the second in the series (the governess game) . Disappointed in the 3rd (The Wallflower Wager).
Susan, I agree ...the 1st and 2nd books are fantastic but I can't get into 3rd book either
I totally agree with above. Susan I also saw your note about book 4 in the series coming out in the future.
I agree too, I liked Governess Deal a lot.
I had read this one a couple of years back. Was fantastic.
This is a reread for me. I LOVED the first chapter. I am up to chapter 4 and the proposal progresses.
Chapter 8 with the badminton game was sooo good.
I just love the way she's constantly teasing him with all her name calling ::》》
my issue with any Tessa Dare bk is how contemporary her language is.
I don’t think Tessa Dare’s books have anything to do with historical reality - but I forgive her because of how well she handles humour, and provides emotionally satisfying stories. 😌
Susan and Leena, I agree with both. I so enjoy the humor and sweetness of Dare's writing but as I reread, I can totally see how modern many of the actions are. What Duke no matter how ugly could not find a Duchess.
I just started reading this today, so funny! I love books that have great banter between the hero and heroine. At first I thought the cover looked familiar so thought I might have read it before, but I haven't.
It's great that so many are loving this book. Sadly Tessa Dare is just not for me. I've tried several of her books (including this one) and just can't get into them. A good pick for BOTM though, as so many clearly are enjoying. It's just not my style of book. Just a personal preference.BTW my kindle copy has a lovely cover.
I should be getting the audio book version within a couple weeks. I look forward to a great read.
Jan wrote: "It's great that so many are loving this book. Sadly Tessa Dare is just not for me. I've tried several of her books (including this one) and just can't get into them. A good pick for BOTM though, as..."Hi Jan, sorry it's not your cup of tea. I'm half way through now and enjoying it, but I do have a goofy sense of humor. Your cover version is nice too, I noticed there are 34 versions listed, though some are in other languages!
I've noticed an increasing trend in blue covers and that colour makes everything so pretty.
I finished my reread and still very much enjoyed it. To me it is so fun and funny I am able to overlook that it is a bit of a contemporary story in a period setting.
I started last night thinking I would just get a couple of chapters in & ended up reading 7 chapters!
I am looking forward to starting this book. Heading to the library today. All the positive comments are very motivating.
Milly Jane wrote: "Hi Jan, sorry it's not your cup of tea. I'm half way through now and enjoying it, but I do have a goofy sense of humor. Your cover version is nice too, I noticed there are 34 versions listed, though some are in other languages! "Thanks Milly Jane. Glad you are enjoying. 34 versions. Wow!
3rd time Rereading it & still 5 *
Anybody wanna read the rest of the series?
Leena wrote: "I just love the way she's constantly teasing him with all her name calling ::》》"That's the best. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Merry Jewelhound wrote: "I finished my reread and still very much enjoyed it. To me it is so fun and funny I am able to overlook that it is a bit of a contemporary story in a period setting."Same here. Tessa Dare is one of my favorites. In regard to the contemporary thoughts, I think she helps balance those two worlds to the point where she will bring in more readers who would never try HR.
No one is as good at Banter as her & JQ & Eloisa James.
Mamacita aka MawMaw I have read the series. Really enjoyed the 2nd book but was so so on the 3rd. I am looking forward the 4th book but I don't know what happened to it as its been postponed till 2024
I'm looking forward to the 4th too. Nicola has been the quiet one, she really doesn't put herself out there. she's also prickly as seen in bk2. I'm just tired off all the Duke's sprouting up conveniently. so classist. some amohngvif regular red blood for a change??
You are so right! There are only 32 Dukedoms in the UK - yet the fictional variety would make up half the population if they really existed!
I'm only halfway through and am really enjoying it for the moment. I particularly like the modern language which is odd now and then. I feel it helps with the humor. Well of course, what Duke would he be if he hadn't had a badminton court inside of his "house"...
I'm reading and am utterly charmed thus far. I really like the way Emma is messing with the Duke, and I can't wait to see more of Breeches.
Oh, how I am looking forward to reading it again. This will be my fifth time. The thing is when I start with it I rarely pause and end up finishing it in one go. This time around I am determined to go chapter by chapter and post updates here.
This is my first Tessa Dare, so thank you for pushing me into reading this. 💓 finished this in a day! I actually wasn't that crazy over this one. I usually enjoy older HR books and am a bit uncomfortable with modern ones, and unfortunately, this was no exception.I do like the subtle banter, and I always ADORE heroines who are upfront with their feelings. (view spoiler).
The writing snapped me back into reality a couple of times, but I still managed to enjoy it enough.
For those who read many books by Tessa Dare: Is her writing always like this or is there some that are less contemporary-like? Perhaps losing the "ugh" and internal speaking with italics?
Aside from that, I didn't find any real problems that are deal-breakers. I thought this would be a good "transition" book if I want to change genres between contemporary and HR. Kind of like a bridge for either side.
MIles I have read the series and I think the other books were along this line. I normally do not enjoy the modern styling, but I think it's this author that has captured me.
Mod
It's nice that so much of you have liked the book! :)
Shes still better than other newer writers. I remember reading a historical where the heroine went out to "get a cab".😅And very recently the hero refuses to run in shorts only on the Caribbean beaches in 1817🙄
Historically shes more authentic, and Ive been checking out /googling to check if shes slipped. So, excused for modern language
Mod
I like her Spindle Cove or Castle Ever After series better. Humor is a guarantee and still fairly modern in writing, but not as much as this series I don’t think.
I liked her Romancing The Duke the best
I read this book fairly quickly and loved it. It was funny, sensual and heartwarming too. I would have liked to see more of Breeches the cat.
Historical Romance Book Club
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The Duchess Deal (other topics)The Duchess Deal (other topics)
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The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare
Synopsis:
When girl meets Duke, their marriage breaks all the rules…
Since his return from war, the Duke of Ashbury’s to-do list has been short and anything but sweet: brooding, glowering, menacing London ne’er-do-wells by night. Now there’s a new item on the list. He needs an heir—which means he needs a wife. When Emma Gladstone, a vicar’s daughter turned seamstress, appears in his library wearing a wedding gown, 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 a few rules of her own:
- They will have dinner together every evening.
- With conversation.
- And unlimited teasing.
- Last, and most importantly… Once she’s seen the man beneath the scars, he can’t stop her from falling in love…