One Dance with a Duke by Tessa Dare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I thought this was great. I read a few reviews where Amelia’s affection for her brother Jack was overdone, but I thought it worked with the way her relationship and self-martyring personality was. And to be fair, the self-martyring wasn’t really all that bad…that was more Spencer’s take on Amelia, not mine.
Amelia and Spencer meet at a ball, minus any romantic impulses. The circumstances of the tongue-in-cheek Stud Club bring them together…the founding member Leo has been murdered, and Amelia takes it upon herself to tell his twin sister Lily, rather than let the men tell her. And throughout this awful night, Spencer sees how strong Amelia is, and how she handles everybody.
Spencer and Amelia are married just days later, as a business arrangement, and fall into friendship and love. I loved how Spencer was able to admit that he loved Amelia from the second she pressed her handkerchief into his palm that first night.
One of my favorite parts of this book is an impromptu ball given to the newly married Spencer and Amelia. Amelia is just absolutely shining in her new role as duchess, and Spencer notices it, and so does every single other male in the room. I loved how Spencer later made her watch herself in the mirror to show her what face others see when they look at her, but how the faces she makes in passion are only for him. In fact that was in general just a great scene.
Amelia’s brother Jack is a gambler, and Amelia is an idiot where Jack is concerned. At the end, there is a bit where Jack sails off to America, but the resolution isn’t quite what I would like to have seen. Jack and Amelia’s dealings with her brother, putting him before her husband and such, are the main reason that this isn’t a 5 star book. I do think it fit with Amelia’s personality though, so I tried not to let it bug me too much.
This story is well done, and the writing is easy to follow without being simplistic. I loved it, and definitely want to read the next book in the series.
Hmmm, great review, definitely sounds like something I’d read.
Great review! Sounds like a great historical romance!! I really need to read something by this author!
thanks Leilani, I’ll put up the second book review later on today. It’s called Twice Tempted by a Rogue.