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dkfma's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.25
This was my first foray into Tessa Dare's work, and I don't regret it at all.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Mary Jane Wells, and I found her narration to be engaging and easy to listen to. I have a love/hate relationship with audiobooks since I feel like the experience is heavily dependent on the narrator (which can both make a book better or make it worse), but I really enjoyed this one.
This book is the first of the Girl Meets Duke series. It follows Emma Gladstone, a vicar's daughter-turned-seamstress, and the Duke of Ashbury. Ash was injured during Waterloo and his resulting injuries have left half of his face heavily scarred, creating a distance between him and everyone other than those working for him.
Ash sets out to find a wife, but solely to have an heir to carry on his title. Luckily for him, Emma quite literally just appears on his doorstep, demanding to be paid for her labor on the wedding dress she made for his ex-fiancée.
The characterization and development were the strongest points of the novel, and I'll definitely be reading more of Dare's work in the future. Plus, this book was just so much fun. The back and forth between Emma and Ash never felt contrived, and the chemistry between the two just worked. They supported and balanced each other out, and the affection they developed for each other felt natural.
If you're someone who needs their books to be very, very historically accurate, this isn't for you. But if you're like me and can look past it or simply don't know enough about the time period to have your enjoyment marred, I definitely recommend this one.
tl;dr
A fun, lighthearted marriage of convenience story with a Beauty and the Beast-esque angle. Not 100% historically accurate, but 200% a good time.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Mary Jane Wells, and I found her narration to be engaging and easy to listen to. I have a love/hate relationship with audiobooks since I feel like the experience is heavily dependent on the narrator (which can both make a book better or make it worse), but I really enjoyed this one.
This book is the first of the Girl Meets Duke series. It follows Emma Gladstone, a vicar's daughter-turned-seamstress, and the Duke of Ashbury. Ash was injured during Waterloo and his resulting injuries have left half of his face heavily scarred, creating a distance between him and everyone other than those working for him.
Ash sets out to find a wife, but solely to have an heir to carry on his title. Luckily for him, Emma quite literally just appears on his doorstep, demanding to be paid for her labor on the wedding dress she made for his ex-fiancée.
The characterization and development were the strongest points of the novel, and I'll definitely be reading more of Dare's work in the future. Plus, this book was just so much fun. The back and forth between Emma and Ash never felt contrived, and the chemistry between the two just worked. They supported and balanced each other out, and the affection they developed for each other felt natural.
If you're someone who needs their books to be very, very historically accurate, this isn't for you. But if you're like me and can look past it or simply don't know enough about the time period to have your enjoyment marred, I definitely recommend this one.
tl;dr
A fun, lighthearted marriage of convenience story with a Beauty and the Beast-esque angle. Not 100% historically accurate, but 200% a good time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Drug use
tinysnek's review
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Vomit, and Toxic relationship
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