by Tessa Dare
Series: Girl Meets Duke #3
Genres: Historical Romance
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Heat Level:
They call him the Duke of Ruin.
To an undaunted wallflower, he's just the beast next door.
Wealthy and ruthless, Gabriel Duke clawed his way from the lowliest slums to the pinnacle of high society—and now he wants to get even.
Loyal and passionate, Lady Penelope Campion never met a lost or wounded creature she wouldn’t take into her home and her heart.
When her imposing—and attractive—new neighbor demands she clear out the rescued animals, Penny sets him a challenge. She will part with her precious charges, if he can find them loving homes.
Done, Gabriel says. How hard can it be to find homes for a few kittens?
And a two-legged dog.
And a foul-mouthed parrot.
And a goat, an otter, a hedgehog . . .
Easier said than done, for a cold-blooded bastard who wouldn’t know a loving home from a workhouse. Soon he’s covered in cat hair, knee-deep in adorable, and bewitched by a shyly pretty spinster who defies his every attempt to resist. Now she’s set her mind and heart on saving him.
Not if he ruins her first.
The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare is the third novel in the Girl Meets Duke companion series and Dare delivered with laughs, swoons and plenty of four-legged beasts. Grab an iced coffee and chat with me!
The romantic gestures, the animals and bold heroine made The Wallflower Wager my favorite summer romance!
Coffee Dates with The Wallflower Wager
- First Date: Our date begins when we meet Penny (Lady Penelope Campion), the daughter of an Earl and based on Ton standards a spinster. She is trying to coax a parrot from her window ledge before he takes flight but the parrot does so and enters an open window in her neighbor’s home. Not to worry, the new owner is not in resident and she’ll just nip over and retrieve her wayward ward. Said owner, Gabriel Duke (the Duke of Ruin) is in fact in residences and just like that I am hooked! From the talking parrot, to the chemistry I know nothing will go as planned and I cannot wait for my next date.
- Second Date: Penny’s Aunt has informed her that her brother will come to collect her at the end of the month. She begs her Aunt to intervene and a deal is struck. If Penny gets rid of her animals and appears in the society papers her Aunt will plead her case. Gabriel needs Lady Penny to stay in residence if he hopes to sell the home next door and so he agrees to assist her. I laughed so much I had tears. Between the animals and Gabriel’s housekeeper. It was all so delightful. The back-and-forth banter and chemistry between Penny and Gabriel was swoon-worthy. Penny was simply refreshing and I loved how impulsive she was. The whole sandwich thread… Hilarious ?
- Third Date: Feels, obstacles, confessions and growth made my dates delicious. I laughed, cried, and enjoyed watching the romance develop between them. My kindle sizzled and their chemistry felt genuine as did the obstacles they encountered. Dare tends to keep things realistic and doesn’t drag out the drama. She also touched on some tough subjects involving young adolescents girls. View Spoiler » My date wrapped up nicely and we were even treated to an epilogue.
Once again Tessa Dare transported me and I became completely swept up in Gabriel and Penny’s story. I recommend you add The Wallflower Wager and all the Girl Meets Duke books to your summer reading list.
Tessa Dare delivered a delicious #historical #RomCom with The Wallflower Wager #GirlMeetsDuke #NewRelease Share on X
About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Carla
This one sounds like a lot of fun. Great review Kimberly.
Angela @ Simply Angela
I love Tessa Dare. She’s one of my go-to authors when I need a pick me up. I really need to read this series and I’m itching to read this one, especially!
Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library
Oh this sounds absolutely lovely. I love a MC who is an animal lover and there’s a lot of room for hijinks in the middle of the romance.
Nadene
This sounds like a fun read. Glad you enjoyed it.
sjhigbee
This one sounds like great fun:). Thank you for a great review.
Melliane
It’s an author I heard great things about and I need to read books by her!
Sophia Rose
Oh man, this sounds like a blast. I don’t know what I’ve been waiting for when it comes to reading her books.
Mary Kirkland
I love a book that can make me laugh. This sounds pretty good.
sherry fundin
A talking parrot, four legged beasts, and an intriguing neighbor, sounds interesting. I enjoyed your dates.
Jenea's Book Obsession
Penny and Gabriel sound like my kinda characters!
kindlemom1
This is an author that both you and Nick love that I have definitely been meaning to try.
Angie Elle
I enjoyed this one, too. Penny and Gabriel had amazing chemistry! I forgot to mention the housekeeper in my review, but yes! That whole side-story was hilarious!
Great review.
Samantha
I loved this story so much!!