Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare
Series: Castles Ever After #1
Genre: historical romance
Themes: fairy tale
Add it to your TBR
As the daughter of a famed author, Isolde Ophelia Goodnight grew up on tales of brave knights and fair maidens. She never doubted romance would be in her future, too. The storybooks offered endless possibilities.
And as she grew older, Izzy crossed them off. One by one by one.
Ugly duckling turned swan?
Abducted by handsome highwayman?
Rescued from drudgery by charming prince?No, no, and… Heh.
Now Izzy’s given up yearning for romance. She’ll settle for a roof over her head. What fairy tales are left over for an impoverished twenty-six year-old woman who’s never even been kissed?
This one.
Purchase it
Review
Heat: ★★★
Rating: ★★★★
This was the kind of beauty that one could rightly call “striking”. As in, he felt struck by a brick.
The first word that comes to mind when thinking about this novel is “delightful”. This was the most wonderful historical romance, with some similarities to the typical Beauty and the Beast storyline. I was expecting a typical Regency romp, but what I actually read was honestly one of the cutest, most heartwarming storylines I’ve ever come across. That, juxtaposed with some surprisingly steamy sex scenes, really solidified this as perhaps one of the best historical romances I’ve had the pleasure of reading.
“Every time you wake up, you let fly the most marvelous string of curses. It’s never the same twice, do you know that? It’s so intriguing. You’re like a rooster that crows blasphemy.”
I very much liked the hero in this, his crude words and flaws making him fabulously attractive, and I absolutely loved that fact that, although a virgin and never been kissed, Izzy was not naive at all, and a highly intelligent woman. Their flirtatious banter was exceptional, and I read this with a smirk plastered across my face the entire way through. I really appreciated that Dare didn’t take herself too seriously here, using the Regency as a backdrop for a fairy tale adaptation, incorporating cosplayers.
The one thing Ransom wanted less right now than a swooning woman? A nuzzling woman.
Yes, it was cheesy, there were grand gestures (though maybe the most entertaining I’ve ever read, it has to be said), and perhaps it wasn’t the most believable plotline, but the fact that it was such an original plotline really, really made up for it. Reading this really was a pleasure.
Would I read the sequel? Hell yes. Gimme more cuteness and hilarity.
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