A review by pantsreadsbooks
The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Your honor, I loved it. First of all, if you haven’t done the audio of this one, it’s Mary Jane Wells at her best. I loved it so much, I swear to you, I fell asleep and still paid attention. 🤣 Ash is the crankiest of all cranky boys, but with solid reasoning, obviously, and Emma’s quest to get him out of his own way is absolutely perfect. (She gives big YOU WILL BE MY FRIEND energy which I love.) Plus we adore a historical heroine who is into sex and knows it. The pet name shenanigans were phenomenal, and Khan enters the Hall of Fame of Side Characters for sure. Having just read Balogh’s The First Snowdrop and Davidson’s Joy to the Earl, this genuinely felt like it had elements from both of those books, but made them work in a way that neither did. It even felt at least as Christmas-y, even if it’s not technically a Christmas book. I loved getting into my first Tessa Dare— it was a long time overdue!