'The Duchess Deal' (Girl Meets Duke #1) by Tessa Dare

‘The Duchess Deal’ Goodreads Synopsis –

‘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…’

‘The Duchess Deal’ Novel Review –

Please don’t tell me I’m not the only reader who dies over these types of novels! Once finishing this novel, I have given ‘The Duchess Deal’ 3/5 stars.

Don’t get me wrong the romance in this novel was a winner. I’m a sucker for very heavy romantic contemporary novels and this really hit my mark, hence why I didn’t sleep over the weekend when I read this.

Another thing I really enjoyed about this novel was the era in which Tessa Dare wrote it. Courting ladies and ballroom parties are some my favourite things to read, especially if there’s a happy romance.

To the things I didn’t really enjoy about this novel was that it was slightly ridiculous. I got the impression from the blurb that the main female character was going to be an independent woman who was headstrong but those thoughts when out the window when she decides to marry a practical stranger who she found in a library.

Her reasoning behind this was because she wanted to support her family, but come on, could have been a bit more romantic than just marry me because I want your money.

Darcy, the main male character, is meant to be scarred on one side of his face. The way I see it in the cover, he’s a very handsome looking man. I hate misleading novel covers!!

All in all, I thought that this novel was one that could be considered a very quick and enjoyable read. For any readers of classic contemporary this novel would definitely suit you!