A review by yourbookishbff
The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare

emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad 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? No

5.0

My stand-out favorite of the Girl Meets Duke series, The Wallflower Wager had me crying and crying-laughing throughout. Penny has been the glue holding this crew of unlikely female friends together, and it's her ability to make others feel safe and loved, and her determination to live beyond her own trauma, that makes this such a heart-wrecker of a book. This is another class difference story, this time with a lady, though a spinster and a wallflower, and a Duke in power - not title - who has schemed his way to the upper echelons of a society that rejects him for his business acumen and "lowborn" roots. 

This isn't insta-love, but it is insta-trust, which doesn't bother me at all, and the chemistry between these two is HOT. Penny takes pleasure on her own terms, and Gabriel Duke, the Duke of Ruin, commits himself to whatever she wants or needs. I love how Dare navigates both of their backstories, handling trauma with sensitivity and care so that it never feels gratuitous, and so that each character can find the closure they need through their own actions and agency. 

Come for the brothel parrot, stay for the moment you sob over a penny.
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