A review by anoveldestination
The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare

emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I really struggled to connect with the characters in this. For me, Penny was the stronger character of the two. Her backstory and love for animals gave her a lot more depth than Gabe, whose rake with a dark past storyline felt trite. Usually, Tessa Dare gives her heroes dark pasts, but each of the characters usually still has something unique in their story. Gabe's backstory and motivation didn't feel as fleshed out as Tessa Dare's characters usually are. Also, while Penny was a more believable character, the animal lover trait did seem like it was a little absurd and taken too far. 

Perhaps, it was my struggle to believe the characters that also made me doubt their romance, but I didn't feel a lot of tension in their relationship and I never felt invested in their future as a couple. I didn't dislike their story and the progression of their relationship made sense, but I didn't care about their story either. It was a very "meh" romance for me.

In terms of style, I thought this book lacked some of Tessa Dare's usual humor. I didn't really find myself laughing or smiling in many parts, only in the scenes with characters from the previous books in the Girl Meets Duke series. The one redeeming quality of this story for me was the ending and Penny's character growth. 
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