A review by mariakureads
The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare

5.0

oooh this book!
It had me laughing and sighing - all good signs- that I was going to thoroughly enjoy this and I did.
Ok so long story short, The Duke of Ashbury came back from war as a scarred and burnt man in need of a wife, for succession reason (of course) and in walks in, literally, our heroine Emma.

I kid you not, that's how it starts - He's writing a letter starting with

"I need a wife."
He supposed he ought to state his requirements: a woman of childbearing age and respectable lineage, in urgent need of money, willing to share a bed with a scarred horror of a man.
Khan appeared in the doorway. “Your Grace, I regret the interruption, but there’s a young woman to see you. She’s wearing a wedding gown.”
Ash looked at the butler. He looked down at the words he’d just written. Then he looked at the butler again.
“Well, that’s uncanny.” “By all means, show her in.”

Seriously loved the witty dialogue and interaction between Emma, who's just a tad stubborn, willful, caring, funny, and smart and Ash, who's a cinnamon roll trying to be anything but a cinnamon roll, scarred and hurt but together are just a fantastic and realistic pair. So glad they got their HEA!

Not to mention I got some Beauty and the Beast vibes.. Lovely