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    The Duchess Deal
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    The Duchess Deal
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    The Duchess Deal
    Audiobook7 hours

    The Duchess Deal

    Written by Tessa Dare

    Narrated by Mary Jane Wells

    4/5

    ()

    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    ‘Prepare to Fall in Love’Julia Quinn, author of Bridgerton

    ‘I absolutely loved it; her style is so warm and funny.’ Nicola Cornick

    *WINNER OF THE 2018 AUDIE AWARD FOR BEST ROMANCE*

    Mills & Boon presents The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare

    ‘I am a Duke. I’m not asking you to marry me. I am offering to marry you. It’s a different thing entirely.’

    When the Duke of Ashbury returns from war scarred, he realises he needs an heir – which means he needs a wife! When Emma Gladstone, a vicar's daughter turned seamstress visits wearing a wedding dress, 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 secrets and some rules of her own:
    - They will have dinner together every evening.
    - With conversation.
    - And teasing.
    - Last, and most importantly… Once she's seen the man beneath the scars, he can't stop her from falling in love…

    Praise for The Duchess Deal

    ‘The irresistibly provocative, classy love scenes set the bar high for other historical romance novels.’
    Publishers Weekly

    ‘This book is funny, it’s charming, and the romance works so beautifully.’
    Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

    ‘A rollicking and passionate romp that is just what… fans will relish.’
    Library Journal 

    ‘Wickedly funny and soul-satisfyingly romantic novel…’ Booklist

    ‘Prepare to Fall in Love’
    Julia Quinn

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateFeb 22, 2018
    ISBN9780008274856
    Unavailable
    The Duchess Deal
    Author

    Tessa Dare

    Tessa Dare is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of more than a dozen historical romances. A librarian by training and a book-lover at heart, Tessa makes her home in Southern California, where she shares a cozy, cluttered bungalow with her husband, their two children, and a pair of cosmic kittens.

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    Reviews for The Duchess Deal

    4/5

    418 ratings23 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This my first ever Tessa dare book and I can say if you love steamy scenes read this book. It's amazing
    • 5/5
      Just amazing. So well written, so witty and fresh. And oh, the humor! Love it.
    • 5/5
      I basically did nothing but squee through this whole wonderful book. I’ve never laughed out loud so much at a romance, and I loved it; I can’t wait to read more Tessa Dare.
    • 2/5
      Couldn’t get past the reading. Pace was all over the place! Made it seem like a children’s book.
    • 5/5
      I ABSOLUTELY ADORED this book, I started and finished it in one sitting. This book will have you laughing from start to finish. BRILLAINT
    • 5/5
      will i ever stop re-reading this book? i don't think so, since it's funny, heartwarming, hot, touching and soft.
    • 4/5
      Technically I believe this is my first historical romance and I absolutely loved it! It was fun and the banter between Emma and Ash the Duke was fantastic.

      This follows Emma who is a Seamstress and a vicars daughter. The Duke of Ashbury needs a wife and an heir. After seeing Emma standing in front of him in a wedding dress he confirms she will do. He has rules such as don’t talk about his scars, no lights or kissing in intimate moments and falling for each other. Emma is to produce and Heir and that’s it. But Emma has rules to such as have dinner with each other every night. But once he starts to open up Emma can’t stop falling.

      The banter these two had was so fantastic, quirky and swoony. I was laughing so much and when the spice hit I loved it even more. Also I’m a sucker for when a character has past injuries and are open about there insecurities. Emma was so supportive of the Duke due to this and it’s just so cute. I need to read more of Tessa Dare for sure

      If you love:

      ?A Duke & Seamstress
      ?In Need Of An Heir
      ?Historical Vibes
      ?Witty Banter
      ?Funny & Quirky Characters
      ?Great Plot
      ?Very Good Spice

      Genre/Type: Historical Romance 18+
      APK: Audiobook Scribd
      Audio Length: 7h 56m
      Rating: ????.5
      Spice: ?️.5
      Series or Stand Alone: Series Book 1 in Girl Meets Duke
      Tropes or Themes: Marriage Of Convenience, Beauty & The Beast Retelling, Royals & Historical.
      Check Triggers ⚠️
    • 5/5
      Awesome listen…enjoyed this romance immensely. Highly recommend if you like your heroes physically and emotionally scarred and your heroines delicately and enormously sweet. I found them to be the perfect complement to each other. Wish there was more…ended too soon!
    • 4/5
      Such a fun read with a rich cast of characters. If you like beauty and the beast, you'll find this blossoming relationship entertaining.
    • 4/5
      Since I am not usually a romance reader, I never imagined I would read a book like this until a friend and I did a fun book challenge where we chose books for each other. As it turns out, I came out on the winning end of the challenge because I had a ton of fun with this book. The plot line hardly mattered at all to me because the star quality of this book was the clever dialogue which was snappy, amusing and completely entertaining. The whole experience was further enhanced by the excellent audio I listened to. The narrator brought such life and personality to these characters. I finished it in a day and had a smile on my face the whole time. For the record - my friend is still struggling through her copy of Animal Farm which she hates :)
    • 3/5
      A seamstress suddenly finds herself married to a reclusive "beast" of a nobleman.3/4 (Good).The sense of humor is good, and the character development is excellent. I never understood the appeal of the Beauty and the Beast story, and removing the fantasy elements from it is no way to win me over, but this book handles things remarkably well for what it is. My biggest complaint is that it's 100 pages too long. The story seems to come to a resolution three or four times, then backpedal, before finally ending for real. Although, part of that is just my own impatience with the trope of People Who Don't Want To Love.This is only my second modern romance novel. I am relieved to find that that first (badly written) book I read is not necessarily representative. But despite liking this book, I wouldn't say I'm a fan of the genre so far. I am a fan of Characters Who Love Each Other, but is that the one thing a romance story can't have (until the ending)?
    • 5/5
      Absolutely charming Beauty & the Beast romance. We had some bleak cold rainy days this May, and this was the perfect antidote (and anecdote.) I loved Ash and Emma, and their smart and funny repartee, but I also loved the side characters. Dare's often-present delightful spinster bluestockings are in da house and I am looking forward to their stories. The cheeky Indian butler is a ton of fun. I even liked the villain in this one. A cover to cover delight.
    • 4/5
      This is a light fun romance sort of Cinderella meets the beast in a Beauty and the Beast story. Vicar’s daughter on her own, working as a seamstress and broke approaches the Duke for payment on a wedding gown from his a cancelled wedding. The Duke is badly scarred from his time in the war and has hidden himself from the public and is in need of a wife so that he can produce an heir so his cousin won’t inherit his lands, tenants and wealth. He proposes to Emma saying how would you like to be a Duchess and she thinks he’s insane. But they marry, they have conditions, bicker, play, get to know one another and have their HEA
    • 4/5
      Cute story.

      Pros: I absolutely love the banter between Emma and the Duke (Ash). She's so relaxed and he's stubborn. Every couple should banter like this
      Con: I did not care for the constant language. To me, it distracts readers from the wit and humor.
      Overall, the supporting characters were sufficiently developed and added to the story. The background stories tied in well with the plot. I would like to read more of Tessa Dare's work as long as the language isn't an issue.
    • 4/5
      Emma is a gentlewoman fallen on hard times, and the broken engagement of the Duke of Ashbury leaves her in dire straits since she has just finished the bride's dress. So, she goes to the Duke to seek payment. However, he offers a better bargain--while Emma needs a home, he needs a wife, and an heir, but with his war injury disfigurement no woman will want him. Hence, the two could marry and solve each other's problems. Of course, the two ultimately find themselves falling in love. The plot moves at a good pace though the side plot of the duke as a nighttime avenger seemed a bit forced. The witty repartee between characters and humor throughout created a perfect light read.
    • 5/5
      Loved, loved, loved! This sat on my TBR for way too long (I had both the print copy and the audio, so I have no idea what I was waiting for--not to mention, that cover is gorgeous...) and once I started the audio version, I kept looking for excuses to keep listening--more baking, dog walking, laundry folding, dish washing, heck--even house cleaning!--because I didn't want to stop. I adored both Emma and Ash (his Shakespearean curses made me LOL) and could not wait for them to realize that what they had wasn't "just" a marriage of convenience at all.It takes them long enough...but really, that was okay too, because Tessa Dare's writing is just so. Much. Fun. To. Read. Seeing him realize that he was so much more than a scarred monster was absolutely delicious.Since I'd read the second book first ( The Governess Game , I especially enjoyed seeing how the Girl Meets Duke "girls" started hanging out, seeing Alex and Chase's original meeting in the bookstore, and getting to know Ash after having seen him give Chase such a hard time in The Governess Game (it involved more Shakespearean insults, of course), even if it was all a little backwards.The narrator (Mary Jane Wells) did a fantastic job; hopefully she'll do the rest of the series as well!How long until the next book ( The Wallflower Wager ) comes out? (Answer: too long. Sigh...)Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A
    • 4/5
      Fantastic

      Tessa Dare writes the most amazing characters. They are just that touch larger than life that makes you wish you really knew them. Her writing is witty and you run though the whole gamut of emotions as you journey with Ash and Emma.
    • 5/5
      I basically did nothing but squee through this whole wonderful book. I’ve never laughed out loud so much at a romance, and I loved it; I can’t wait to read more Tessa Dare.
    • 4/5
      The Duke of Ashbury is a recluse after returning from Waterloo terribly scarred down one side of his body. His fiancée couldn't cope with his altered appearance and broke off their engagement. Emma Gladstone is a vicar's daughter turned seamstress. She must have payment for Ashbury's ex-fiancée's dress which she has spent months creating. When she burst's in upon him wearing the aforementioned dress, Ash, who needs an heir, proposes a marriage of convenience. A new take on Beauty and the Beast. Enjoyed.
    • 5/5
      Fantastic start to the new series. This is a Beauty and the Beast type of story. Ash is terribly scarred physically on one side of his body from injuries received during the war, and emotionally because of the cruel words of his ex-fiancée. He is holed up in his house, seeing no one but the servants, and trying to figure out how to get the wife he needs, when Emma bursts in on him. Emma is a vicar's daughter turned seamstress who is at the end of her rope. She is the one who made his ex-fiancée's wedding gown, but with the wedding canceled she hasn't been paid for the dress, and she has rent due. Ash is taken with the brilliant idea that Emma is the perfect solution and proposes a marriage of convenience.I loved Ash and Emma. I ached for him and the physical pain that he still endures, and for the emotional pain caused by his fiancée's rejection. But even though he believes that he will never have a normal life, he hasn't let it destroy his humanity. On his late night walks, he steps in to right several wrongs. His relationship with his butler is that of a friend as well as an employer. Plus, his sense of humor is still very much intact, though sometimes its very dryness makes one wonder. One of my favorite things was the advice he had gotten from his father, that an educated gentleman should not use vulgarities to express himself. Ash is very creative with his Shakespearean epithets.I hurt for Emma also. All her life she had tried to earn the approval of her vicar father. Her search for approval led her to make a decision that caused her father to turn his back on her and kick her out of the house in the middle of winter. I was impressed by her strength and resilience as she made her way to London on her own and carved out a place for herself. Through it all, she still tends to see the good in people, which has on occasion come back to bite her. I also like the way that she has no trouble standing up for herself, hence her trip to get Ash to pay the bill for the wedding dress.I loved the development of their relationship. The sparks between them are intense from the start, even though both try to resist. Ash does everything he can to keep Emma at an emotional distance but fails miserably. With each passing day (and night) the walls he has built around his heart begin to crumble. He doesn't go down easily, but the fall is inevitable. I loved seeing his confusion as the more he tried to push her away, the more trouble he had keeping her off his mind. It wasn't long before he felt an intense protectiveness toward her. I loved what he did when he found out about her father's actions. His tenderness and care after the confrontation with his ex at the opera were incredible. It was obvious by then that he was a goner.Emma knows that Ash doesn't want any emotions between them. She's okay with that because she's had her own run-in with love and it didn't turn out well. But she can't deny that the man behind the scars pulls at her heartstrings. She sees a man capable of great caring who refuses to believe that there is any good left in him. I loved the way that she teased and bullied him into taking the first steps back out into society.The heat between them was intense. In spite of his intention to bed Emma without emotion, he was completely unable to do so. I loved how he was so careful to make sure that he didn't hurt or frighten her. His surprise at how passionate she was made it even more difficult to maintain his distance. I ached for him and his fear of letting her see all his scars. Emma's ability to look past his scars was fantastic. She was curious but didn't make a big deal out them. They certainly didn't impact the way she burned for his touch, and how she slowly worked her way past his guard. But all that intensity also created a belief in them that it couldn't last. I ached for them both as secrets revealed hit both of them in their deepest fears. I liked Emma's strength of will that made her continue with what she felt was right in spite of Ash's reaction. I loved how it was Khan that made Ash see the error of his ways. I was on the edge of my seat as Ash was determined to make things right, but ended up being waylaid. His big moment at the end was incredible as he faced his biggest fears all because of his love for her.I loved the secondary characters in the book. Khan was fantastic with his lifelong devotion to Ash. He was another person who would stand up to Ash when he was an idiot. I also loved the way that he and the other staff members could see that Ash and Emma belonged together. Their attempts to throw the pair together so that they would fall in love were funny and heartwarming. I really liked the three women who included Emma in their group. The scene with Emma and Alex as they were fixing all the timepieces in the house was hilarious. I loved their support of Emma and their suggestions for what Emma should call her "cat" was great. The cat was another grand addition to the story, from the way he became part of the family to his intrusion into their bedroom. Last but not least was Trevor, the "apprentice" to the Monster of Mayfair. I loved his complete devotion to Ash and his absolute refusal to be run off.
    • 4/5
      After returning from Waterloo heavily scarred, the Duke of Ashbury has no illusions about his appearance. He knows he's a monster. Especially after his fiancée breaks off their engagement. But Ashbury is still determined to find a bride so that he can sire an heir. When Emma Gladstone shows up on his doorstep demanding payment for the wedding dress Ashbury's fiancée never wore, Ashbury finds Emma to be exactly what he needs. Convincing Emma to accept his proposal for a marriage of convenience, neither of them are under any illusions; once they conceive they'll part ways. But as Ashbury and Emma spend time together they discover there may be more to their marriage than convenience.Tessa Dare has become one of my favourite historical romance writers very quickly. This novel is just so delightful. Filled with humour, sweetness, charm, and some steamy scenes, the book exceeds all of the expectations I hold when picking up a book in this genre. Highly recommended for those who enjoy the genre.
    • 5/5
      So yeah, I saw the early reviews, and yes, I'm a big fan of Tessa Dare, so I HAD to read this one. And I absolutely loved it. Loved the Batman comments in the reviews, loved the "she doesn't need anyone" remark the able butler tells the hero toward the end. The only open ended thread for me was the dad - would have liked some resolution to that piece, although I'm not sure how she could have done that. And Robert kind of came out of nowhere, but I'll forgive those oversights for the rest of this brilliantly written book. Tessa Dare is an auto-buy for me. Loved it. Although I bought the ebook, I'll buy this hard copy as well. This is one of those books I'd read again and again.
    • 5/5
      When Ash, the Duke of Ashbury, writes "I need a wife", he doesn't expect that a woman in a wedding dress will arrive immediately afterward. Emma Gladstone is a seamstress who made the wedding gown for the Duke's ex-fiancee and she hopes he will pay the bill. But Ash isn't kidding about the wife thing and he finds Emma eminently suitable. He was horribly disfigured during the war, burnt by an exploding Congreve rocket and most women find him distasteful, yet Emma doesn't flinch.I'm always excited when a book I preordered shows up on my e-reader, especially when I love the story. I read this one as soon as I found it there. I'm a sucker for Beauty and the Beast type books and this is a wonderful example of that sub-genre, very much in the tradition of Simply Love by Mary Balogh, one of my favorites. Ash and Emma are a lovely couple, witty and great with banter. The servants scheme to help the couple fall in love (though neither of these lonely people needs much of a push). The writing is poignant in places and laugh-out-loud funny in others. I'm not always a huge fan of Tessa Dare's books, but this one is definitely one of my favorites. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.