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Summary
Summary
When girl meets Duke, their marriage breaks all the rules...
Since his return from war, the Duke of Ashbury's to-do list has been short and anything but sweet: brooding, glowering, menacing London ne'er-do-wells by night. Now there's a new item on the list. He needs an heir--which means he needs a wife. When Emma Gladstone, a vicar's daughter turned seamstress, appears in his library wearing a wedding gown, he decides on the spot that she'll do.
His terms are simple:
- They will be husband and wife by night only.
- No lights, no kissing.
- No questions about his battle scars.
- Last, and most importantly... Once she's pregnant with his heir, they need never share a bed again.
But Emma is no pushover. She has a few rules of her own:
- They will have dinner together every evening.
- With conversation.
- And unlimited teasing.
- Last, and most importantly... Once she's seen the man beneath the scars, he can't stop her from falling in love...
Author Notes
Tessa Dare is a bestselling American author of historical romance novels. Her books comprise multiple series, including: Castles Ever After, Spindle Cove, The stud Club Trilogy and The Wanton Dairymaid Trilogy. Her writing has won numerous accolades, most notably, the 2012 RITA award for best Regency Romance for A Night to Surrender.
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Dare's delightful Girl Meets Duke series commencement unites two wounded souls in Regency England, as a duke meets his match in a seamstress. The Duke of Ashbury desperately needs an heir, and he decides to ask seamstress Emma Gladstone to be his wife after she demands payment for his former fiancé's wedding gown. Ashbury admires Emma's pluck and beauty, and hopes that his very businesslike offer of marriage and property will help Emma overlook his scars (which he feels are hideous) long enough to provide him with an heir. But Ashbury doesn't anticipate Emma's ability to stand up to him and insist that they have dinner together and converse. Emma refuses to be intimidated by Ashbury, displaying the confidence and intellectual ability to engage him in lighthearted banter. Their love scenes are both sensuous and alluring. Emma isn't fearful of her own desires and often leaves the duke flummoxed by her willingness to show her love for him. Dare (Do You Want to Start a Scandal) perfectly crafts an ever-present romantic tension that propels the novel swiftly forward to its breathless conclusion. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* The Duke of Ashbury needs a wife. Well, to be more specific, Ash needs an heir to keep his feckless cousin from inheriting the title. However, before Ash can hope to achieve his goal of securing an heir, he first needs a wife. So, when seamstress Emma Gladstone suddenly turns up on his doorstep demanding payment for the wedding gown Ash's previous fiancée ordered, Ash doesn't just see an outstanding bill but an opportunity. Ash believes convincing Emma to accept his offer of marriage should be a piece of cake (wedding, of course), but what he doesn't realize is that the spunky vicar's daughter has a few conditions of her own for Ash before she will walk down the aisle with him. RITA Award-winning Dare once again works her own irresistible brand of magic by taking a cast of richly nuanced characters (including an emotionally and physically scarred hero and the feisty heroine who refuses to give up on him), a deliciously clever plot that manages to be both superbly sexy as well as thoroughly romantic, and a generous measure of addictively tart wit, and then she spins the whole thing into pure literary gold.--Charles, John Copyright 2017 Booklist
Library Journal Review
The last thing seamstress Emma Gladstone expects when she confronts the battle-scarred Duke of Ashbury to demand payment for the wedding dress she made for his former fiancée-even though the wedding had already been called off-is an offer of marriage. Disbelieving, Emma resists, but Ashbury needs an heir, and Emma appears to be the one person who sees through his physical injuries to the caring, honorable man beneath. A marriage of convenience allows these appealing protagonists to learn to love and let go of the past. The story is enriched by a cast of exceptional secondary characters (a young street urchin is delightful) and a "Monster of Mayfair" hero who finds ways to make the most of his flaws. -VERDICT Sexy, tender, and wickedly funny, Dare's newest offering is a spirited tale with a Beauty-and-the-Beast theme and the perfect launch for her latest series. Dare (Do You Want To Start a Scandal) lives in Southern California. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.