THE GOVERNESS GAME (GIRL MEETS DUKE #2)

He’s been a bad, bad rake—and it takes a governess to teach him a lesson

The accidental governess.

After her livelihood slips through her fingers, Alexandra Mountbatten takes on an impossible post: transforming a pair of wild orphans into proper young ladies. However, the girls don’t need discipline. They need a loving home. Try telling that to their guardian, Chase Reynaud: duke’s heir in the streets and devil in the sheets. The ladies of London have tried—and failed—to make him settle down. Somehow, Alexandra must reach his heart... without risking her own.

The infamous rake.

Like any self-respecting libertine, Chase lives by one rule: no attachments. When a stubborn little governess tries to reform him, he decides to give her an education—in pleasure. That should prove he can’t be tamed. But Alexandra is more than he bargained for: clever, perceptive, passionate. She refuses to see him as a lost cause. Soon the walls aroundChase’s heart are crumbling... and he’s in danger of falling, hard.

Release Date: August 28, 2018

Avon

Girl Meets Duke #2

Historical Romance

Review copy provided by publisher

Liza's Review:

The Governess Game was another winner from Tessa Dare. I love that Ms. Dare writes such strong female characters in every single book, and Alexandra Mountbatten was no different.

While she appears at the home of Chase Reynaud to try and procure a job as a clock repairperson, she ends up being hired on site as the governess for Rosamund and Daisy, the two little girls Chase inherited along with his title as a duke. Let me just say that Rosamund and Daisy were two of the funniest characters who used morbid humor so often. Seriously, the number of times and ways they killed Millicent, Daisy's doll had me laughing out loud each time.

The connection between Chase and Alexandra was so amazing. She understood him in a way few others in his life did.  However, what I loved best was Chase thought Alexandra was perfect just as she was, with her intelligence being a turn on for him rather than a turn off. He actually listened to what she said about his life and the lives of the girls, even when he didn't always agree with her. The snark was strong with both Alexandra and Chase, and I loved how often I laughed reading this book.

The romance and chemistry was so strong between Chase and Alexandra, even as he tried to fight to keep it just physical between them. I loved they could talk about everything and Chase even accepted the way Alexandra was able to get the girls to learn. Early on I started looking at them as this little family as the girls really did just need the love Alexandra kept insisting to Chase every bit as much as he did. Chase and Alexandra had a wonderfully sexy physical relationship, yet they really did have so much more between them.

I adored The Governess Game so much. I honestly got pulled in with each new book from Tessa Dare. Her books really are like crack to me and I look forward to getting lost in each book. I highly recommend each of her books to fans of historical romance. 

Rating: 4 Stars (B+)

THE DUCHESS DEAL (GIRL MEETS DUKE #1)

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… 

Release Date: August 22, 2017

Avon

Girl Meets Duke #1

Historical Romance

Copy provided by publisher at RWA

Liza's Review:

Tessa Dare became an auto-buy author for me from the moment I read her very first book, Goddess of the Hunt. I love she writes such strong heroines and her voice pulls me in from the very first page with every single book.

The Duchess Deal is such an amazing book. I was pulled into the story from the very first page. Emma Gladstone is such a strong character. She has been taking care of herself since her father kicked her out of the house at 16. When she goes to the Duke of Ashbury's home to collect payment for the wedding dress she made for his former fiancée, she has not idea how much her life was about to change.

Ash has pretty much become a recluse since retuning from the war with major burn scars on his face. He definitely isn't your usual hero as he only wants a wife to provide him with an heir, and he is so bitter when we first meet him. I love that Emma was strong enough to meet his challenge but add conditions of her own. I honestly felt like Emma knew there was so much more to Ash than he saw in himself any longer.

There was a slow build up to the romance between Ash and Emma, and it totally worked for them as a couple. I loved seeing the more time they started spending together, the more time Ash wanted with Emma. I also loved that Ash became so protective of Emma and wanted to go after anyone who had ever hurt her. I also adored that neither Emma nor Ash could keep their hands off each other. There was both a sweetness and steaminess to their lovemaking as their relationship progressed. I absolutely loved them as a couple.

The Duchess Deal is another winner from Tessa Dare. As with all of her books, I didn't want the story to end. I highly recommend The Duchess Deal and can't wait for the next book in the series.

Rating: 5 Stars (A)

One Dance with a Duke

One Dance with a Duke is the 1^st book in Tessa Dare’s Stud Club series. From the back cover.~

A handsome and reclusive horse breeder, Spencer Dumarque, the fourth Duke of Morland, is a member of the exclusive Stud Club, an organization so select it has only ten members-yet membership is attainable to anyone with luck. And Spencer has plenty of it, along with an obsession with a prize horse, a dark secret, and, now, a reputation as the dashing “Duke of Midnight.” Each evening he selects one lady for a breathtaking midnight waltz. But none of the women catch his interest, and nobody ever bests the duke-until Lady Amelia d’Orsay tries her luck.

In a moment of desperation, the unconventional beauty claims the duke’s dance and unwittingly steals his heart. When Amelia demands that Spencer forgive her scapegrace brother’s debts, she never imagines that her game of wits and words will lead to breathless passion and a steamy proposal. Still, Spencer is a man of mystery, perhaps connected to the shocking murder of the Stud Club’s founder. Will Amelia lose her heart in this reckless wager or win everlasting love?

I’ve said before, I buy books as soon as they come out, but don’t always get to read them right away.  I loved Tessa’s first trilogy and had high hopes for The Stud Club trilogy, and with One Dance with a Duke, the trilogy gets an amazing start.

I am a huge fan of Tessa Dare’s books. In fact, her books are what got me back to reading historical romances after going years without going near one. She writes some of the best characters ever, and Amelia and Spencer are among my favorites (yes I’ve said this about some of her other characters before). I liked how strong Amelia is, even though she really doesn’t see herself that way. I love strong female characters in historical romances. Amelia actually approaches Spencer at the ball so she can ask him to forgive her brother Jack’s debt. Spencer didn’t know what to expect when Amelia stepped up to take his one midnight waltz at the ball. In fact, she overwhelms him to the point that he has to carry her outside so he can catch his breath. Once outside, they soon learn that Leo Chatwick, founder of the Stud Club, has been murdered. When Spencer returns Amelia home the next morning he decides they will be married and it will happen within the next 24 hours.

Amelia is attracted to Spencer from the first, but wants to get to know him better before she will make love with him. Spencer has wanted Amelia from their very first dance together, but isn’t happy about having to tell her personal information. Amelia and Spencer have some of the best chemistry from the very first. Amelia is attracted to her husband and once they make love for the first time, she can’t get enough of him. I really love that she never felt the need to hide her desire for her husband. There are a few bumps in the road that keep their relationship from being too easy. One would be Amelia’s brother Jack and his gambling problems that seem to get between Spencer and Amelia. Two would be Spencer’s young ward, Claudia, who is ugly to Amelia from the beginning.  Three would be the murder of Leo and the other members of the Stud Club and the fact the 3 remaining members can’t seem to agree on anything.

Both Spencer and Amelia make a great couple. They are both strong, yet need one another to be stronger. They each find a way to put their relationship above any of the roadblocks that have been thrown at them. With each page, I found myself loving them more and more as a couple, and as individuals.

I have the next 2 books in The Stud Club series in my TBR pile and plan to read them soon. I really do love having an entire trilogy in my hands before I read the first book, since I hate having to wait for the next book to come out. I highly recommend Tessa Dare’s books to anyone who enjoys historical romances.

Book Video by Tessa Dare

Operation Auction has some pretty amazing things up for grabs earlier this year. One of the best was the book trailer Tessa Dare offered up using her children's toys. Maya Banks was the winning bidder and today was the premier of the video for Maya's upcoming series The McCabe Trilogy.

From Dareling Room Productions:

http://youtu.be/Vn67JJmhZ9w

Seriously one of the best and funniest book videos I've ever seen.

A Lady of Persuasion

A Lady of Persuasion is the third book in Tessa Dare’s first historical romance trilogy. From the back cover.~

Only one thing could convince Sir Tobias Aldridge, and incorrigible libertine, to profess undying fidelity to a woman he’s just met. Revenge. What better way to get back at an enemy than by stealing the scoundrel’s sister? Not that Toby finds it a chore, seducing a beguiling, sultry beauty freshly arrived from the West Indies. When the prize is Isabel Grayson, vengeance is doubly rewarding.

Isabel is determined to marry a wealthy, powerful lord and become a lady of influence, using her rank and fortune to fight social injustice. Sir Toby, with his paltry title and infamous reputation, is unsuitable husband material-but he makes her blood race, her heart pound, and her long-buried passions come to the surface. If she can reform the charming devil, she’ll get exactly what she craves: society’s respect. But it’s a dangerous gamble. For if Toby wins this battle of persuasion, Isabel could lose her heart.

As much as I loved the first two books in this series, A Lady of Persuasion is my favorite of the three. Isabel knows exactly what she wants out of life and has no bones about going after what she wants. Toby, initially only wants Isabel because she is Gray’s sister, but very soon into their relationship I could see his feelings turning real. This book moved really fast, and felt like I was visiting with old friends, as we got to see Lucy and Jeremy and Sophia and Gray throughout much of the book. My favorite part of the book is when Isabel actually realizes how much she loves her husband and giving into her passion for him is not only ok, but wonderful and fun.

I read this series back to back to back, which is my favorite way to read a series. Always hate having to wait months for the next book to come out. Luckily, the next series by Tessa Dare will also be released back to back to back this summer, so not much waiting between books.

Surrender of a Siren

Surrender of a Siren is the second book in Tessa Dare’s first trilogy of historical romances. From the back cover.~

Desperate to escape a loveless marriage and society’s constraints, pampered heiress Sophia Hathaway jilts her groom, packs up her paints and sketchbook, and assumes a new identity, posing as a governess to secure passage on the Aphrodite. She wants a life of her own: unsheltered, unconventional, uninhibited. But it’s one thing to sketch her most wanton fantasies, and quite another to face the dangerously handsome libertine who would steal both her virtue and her gold.

To any well-bred lady, Benedict “Gray” Grayson is trouble in snug-fitting boots. A conscienceless scoundrel who sails the seas for pleasure and profit, Gray lives for conquest-until Sophia’s perception and artistry stir his heart. Suddenly he’ll brave sharks, fire, storm, and sea just to keep her at his side. She’s beautiful, refined, and ripe for seduction. Could this counterfeit governess be a rogue’s redemption? Or will the runaway heiress’s secrets destroy their only chance at love?

I really enjoyed the first book in this series. Partially because I loved how strong Lucy is and partially because I really loved the character Sophia. In Surrender of a Siren, we get to find out so much more about Sophia. In Goddess of the Hunt, Sir Toby wanted to marry Sophia because she was so perfect and innocent. In Surrender of a Siren, we get to see the real Sophia, not the perfect heiress she had tried to be her entire life. Yes, she is still an heiress and knows how to act as one when needed. But we also get to see the woman, not just the public image of the woman. Sophia is an artist and not only passionate about art, but about life. Sophia and Gray are attracted to one another from their first meeting. When they finally give in to their attraction, it is explosive. Of course, the fact that she hasn’t been using her real name and lied about her occupation to get on his ship causes just a few problems between them.

Much like Goddess of the Hunt, Surrender of a Siren starts a little slow. However, it picked up much fast and I loved this book. As with the first book in this series, I immediately had to start reading the final book in this trilogy once I finished this book. A Lady of Persuasion is the final book in this trilogy and I’ll get my post up by morning on it. I will say that in my opinion Dare again delivers with Surrender of a Siren.

Goddess of the Hunt

Goddess of the Hunt is the debut novel by Tessa Dare. From the back cover.~

Ever the bold adventuress, Lucy Waltham has decided to go hunting for a husband. But first she needs some target practice. So she turns to her brother’s best friend, Jeremy Trescott, the Earl of Kendall, to hone her seductive wiles on him before setting her sights on another man. But her practice kisses spark a smoldering passion-one that could send all her plans up in smoke.

Jeremy has an influential title, a vast fortune, and a painful past full of long-buried secrets. He keeps a safe distance from his own emotions, but to distract Lucy from her reckless scheming he must give his passions free rein. Their sensual battle of wills is as maddening as it is delicious, but the longer he succeeds in managing the headstrong temptress, the closer Jeremy comes to losing control. When scandal breaks, can he bring himself to abandon Lucy to her ruin? Or will he risk his heart, and claim her for his own?

I had heard and read about Goddess of the Hunt for months, and even bought it right after it came out based on many reviewer blogs. I’m so glad I finally decided to pick it up out of my TBR mountain. I will say that the beginning of the book moves just a little slow, but once it picked up, I wasn’t able to put it down. I love Lucy and really think she is one of my favorite characters I’ve read in a long time. Jeremy and Lucy together made me laugh out loud, even as I kept reading to find out what would happen next. Both are such strong characters and I really enjoyed watching them fall for one another. I also loved all the supporting characters in the book, especially Sophia. Dare gives the reader a funny and sexy story, and I highly recommend Goddess of the Hunt for anyone who enjoys historical romances.

As soon as I finished Goddess of the Hunt, I immediately had to start reading Surrender of a Siren, so I could read Sophia's story. I hope to post my thoughts about Surrender of a Siren tonight.