A review by overflowingshelf
The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare

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

4.5

CW: Body shaming; injury/injury detail; religious biogtry; abandoment; sexism; emotional abuse; pregnancy; war; death of a parent; vomit

When I read this book when it first came out in 2017, I wasn’t the biggest fan of it as I gave it 3-stars. However, I have no idea why. Since then, I have reread it twice, and I would like to have a word with past me as there is NO WAY this book was a 3-star read! What was I thinking??? Ash and Emma’s story is such a delightful spin on Beauty and the Beast. It’s so romantic and funny, but also heartfelt and emotional as Emma and Ash work through their own traumas.

The opening scene of this book sets the tone for the story so perfectly. It’s witty, clever, and unexpected – classic Tessa Dare. I love how Emma isn’t afraid to take matters into her own hands to get what she wants, and that she is not scared of Ash at all, even if he tries to act all beastly by offering her an absurd proposal. The chemistry between them is electric, and the banter is so good in the opening, and I love how that’s sustained throughout the book. Ash and Emma constantly challenge and surprise each other, which works so well for romance, but I also love how Dare subverts your expectations of the romance genre as well through them. Things that could be big conflicts in other books end up being a blip in the road for Ash and Emma as they never act fully how you would expect, which makes this book so dang fun.

I’m not a marriage-of-convenience fan, but I do love a class-differences romance and a bit of a tortured, broken hero, so the romance in this actually works so well for me. I love how the emotional feelings slowly build between Ash and Emma, as they both have some things to work through to feel comfortable letting love into their life. Sex plays a big part in their relationship since it’s predicated on her giving him an heir, but I love how the sex scenes don’t necessarily go as planned in the beginning. But even when they’re getting physical between the sheets, it adds some delicious tension as their romantic feelings come into play. Both Ash and Emma end up so far gone for each other by the end that it’s so sweet. These two are both so deserving of love, and I’m so happy they found each other in the most unlikely of ways. 

Emma reminds me a lot of one of my other favorite Tessa Dare heroines, Pauline. Emma is courageous, brave, caring, stubborn, and has a heart of gold. I love how she takes matters into her own hands to help others as well as help herself. When life throws her curveballs, Emma doesn’t roll over and give up but perseveres to try to make it on her own terms. I also love how she’s unabashedly herself, even when confronted with a grumpy Ash. She’s the perfect person to push him out of his shell, and I adore that she loves him, inside and out, and all the little ways she tries to get him to see himself the way she sees him. I also feel so much sympathy for her, especially regarding the relationship with her father. Man, talk about some religious trauma! All Emma wants is to feel loved, but she’s been burned by those who claimed to love her before.

And then we have Ash. All I want to do for most of the book is wrap Ash up in a big old hug. After being injured in war, he’s left with physical scars across most of his body, and his self-esteem is non-existent. He thinks of himself as a monster and that he’s unlovable because of how he looks and the reaction of his ex-fiancée (we hate her). He was even giving me Phantom vibes at one point but without all the murder. He needed Emma to coax him out of his shell, to challenge him, and to make him see his true worth. And as much Ash tries to play the monster, he’s genuinely a big teddy bear inside. Even if people draw back in fear at his appearance, he also cannot stop himself from helping others as he assumes the role of the Monster of Mayfair and picks up an unwanted sidekick along the way. He has so much hurt inside, but watching him find himself again through his love for Emma creates such a beautiful character arc.

Outside the romance and our main characters, I love Emma’s new friends, who will be the focus of the rest of the Girl Meets Duke series. Alexandra, Penny, Nicola, and Emma have such a great friendship and I love how each of them has their own quirks and slightly unusual things they’re passionate about. They support each other perfectly, and I love how Emma wraps them up in her schemes to get Ash to come out of his shell. 

Dare’s writing style is so uniquely her own. I love how she seamlessly balances humor and romance along with more serious topics. You never feel overburdened by some of the things in her character backstories, but she does the issues justice. Her voice is more modern by historical romance standards. Still, it doesn’t feel out of place in her stories, making Dare incredibly accessible to new readers of the historical romance genre. For those looking to make the jump from contemporary rom-coms to historical romance, The Duchess Deal would be a great entry point to the genre. 

Tessa Dare makes a tale as old as time feel fresh and new again with The Duchess Deal. I truly don’t know what I was thinking the first time I read this, as I’ve loved it more and more with each reread. It hits me right in the feels with the romance and the characters. I truly adore Ash and Emma, and I’m so glad they found each other. I laughed, I cried, I swooned – this book truly has it all. 

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