A Bet, A Rake and A Wallflower | Historical Romance Reviews
It’s time for some more mini-reviews. I really like doing these, I get to share a quick few thoughts and books that I either loved or hated to read. Today’s reviews are all on historical romances that I have read recently. I’m sharing my thoughts on To Love and to Loathe (The Regency Vows #2) by Martha Waters, The Spinster and the Rake (Never a Wallflower #1) by Eva Devon and The Wallflower Wager (Girl Meets Duke #3) by Tessa Dare. Here we go.
To Love and to Loathe (The Regency Vows #2) by Martha Waters
Pages: 384
Publish date: April 6th 2021
Publisher: Atria Books
ISBN: 9781982160876
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD
The widowed Diana, Lady Templeton and Jeremy, Marquess of Willingham are infamous among English high society as much for their sharp-tongued bickering as their flirtation. One evening, an argument at a ball turns into a serious wager: Jeremy will marry within the year or Diana will forfeit one hundred pounds.
So shortly after, just before a fortnight-long house party at Elderwild, Jeremy’s country estate, Diana is shocked when Jeremy appears at her home with a very different kind of proposition.
After his latest mistress unfavourably criticized his skills in the bedroom, Jeremy is looking for reassurance, so he has gone to the only woman he trusts to be totally truthful. He suggests that they embark on a brief affair while at the house party—Jeremy can receive an honest critique of his bedroom skills and widowed Diana can use the gossip to signal to other gentlemen that she is interested in taking a lover.
Diana thinks taking him up on his counter-proposal can only help her win her wager. With her in the bedroom and Jeremy’s marriage-minded grandmother, the formidable Dowager Marchioness of Willingham, helping to find suitable matches among the eligible ladies at Elderwild, Diana is confident her victory is assured. But while they’re focused on winning wagers, they stand to lose their own hearts.
To Love and To Loathe:
I received an e-arc of The Love and To Loathe by Martha Waters in exchange for an honest review this has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.
This was a fantastic historical romance. I didn’t know what to expect from this one, I hadn’t read anything from the author – but after my interview with her, I knew I had to pick up her books.
The Love and To Loathe follows Lady Diana Templeton and she strikes a bet with the Marquess of Willingham, Jeremy. Known for their sharp tongues and bickering, this time it’s getting real. Jeremy will marry within the year or Diana will forfeit one hundred pounds. But as Diana tries to match Jeremy with a woman, she can’t help but spend time with him and then they strike another deal.
Diana was a delightful protagonist. I loved her quick tongue and the fact that she never gave up. She was seriously just a blast to read. I love that while she had this facade, the reader also gets to see her vulnerability throughout the book.
Photo by Halanna Halila on Unsplash
Jeremy was an interesting love interest and protagonist. While I didn’t love him as much as Diana, I did like seeing him evolve throughout The Love and To Loathe. I loved that he wasn’t a flat character, and the reader can see him really take on Diana.
I adored these together! Their banter was off the chats and I simply didn’t want to put the book down because of them. I was expecting there to be more sexy time considering their second deal. I just felt that it lacked throughout the book. There aren’t many historical romances I’ve read where a widow is one of the protagonists. And I felt that I wanted more from them.
Overall, I loved reading The Love and To Loathe by Martha Waters. It was a great romance, an intriguing plot and I could not put it down. I can’t wait to go back to the first book in this series and then the rest of the books. If you are looking for a new historical romacne authors – then pick this series up.
The Spinster and the Rake (Never a Wallflower #1) by Eva Devon
Pages: 306
Publish date: February 9th 2021
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
ISBN: 9781682816134
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU
Edward Stanhope, the icy Duke of Thornfield, likes his life in a certain order. Give him a strong drink, a good book, and his dog for company, and he’s content. But when he goes to his library and finds a woman sitting in his chair, petting his dog, what starts as a request for her to leave quickly turns to a fiery battle of wits, leading to a steamy kiss that could ruin them both if they were caught.
So of course, damn it all, that’s when Edward’s aunt walks in and thereafter announces Miss Georgiana Bly is the future Duchess of Thornfield.
Georgiana was content to be a spinster, spending her days reading and working to keep her family out of debt. But now her days are spent locked away with a growly duke, learning how to be the perfect duchess, and her nights spent fighting the undeniable attraction to a man who was never meant for her.
As their wedding day approaches, the attraction between them burns hot and fierce, but is it enough to melt the duke’s chilly facade?
The Spinster and the Rake:
I received an e-arc of The Spinster and the Rake by Eva Devon via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.
I didn’t know too much about this book or the author before I started reading The Spinster and the Rake. I picked it up because it sounded really interesting and something that I would love – and in the end, I ended up really enjoying it.
The Spinster and the Rake follows Edward Stanhope, the Duke of Thornfield who doesn’t want much with life. He is pretty content with the way things are going. But when the Duke’s aunt interrupts and fiery battle the Duke and Miss Georgiana Bly things change, very quickly. Now engaged both Edward and Georgiana need to learn to live with the changes in their lives.
Edward is grumpy and is the type of male that wants things to go his way. And it’s all turned on its head when Georgiana comes into this life. He is the type of protagonist that I hate to love. He can be mean sometimes, but you can also see his soft side that he tries to hide.
Photo by Thomas Kelley on Unsplash
Georgiana is very similar to Edward in many ways and I think that is why they clash so much. And while he wants to have his quiet life, Georgiana wants to do as much for her family as she can. As much as any women can. And as the novel goes on we get to see why she is this way.
From the start, I was hooked by the fantastic romance. I also love a grumpy male that doesn’t want to fall in love, but then is taken about with how quickly he falls. Georgiana and Edward both break down each other’s walls. And then the reader really gets to see them for who they are. Edward and Georgiana were fire and ice and I adored it.
Overall I had a great time reading The Spinster and the Rake by Eva Devon. It’s not my favourite historical romance out there, but I will pick up more books in this series and by this author. The romance was great, the pilot was great and I always wanted to know what was going to happen next. It’s a good introduction to historical romance as well.
The Wallflower Wager (Girl Meets Duke #3) by Tessa Dare
Pages: 368
Publish date: August 13th 2019
Publisher: Avon
ISBN: 9780062672155
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD
They call him the Duke of Ruin.
To an undaunted wallflower, he’s just the beast next door.
Wealthy and ruthless, Gabriel Duke clawed his way from the lowliest slums to the pinnacle of high society—and now he wants to get even.
Loyal and passionate, Lady Penelope Campion never met a lost or wounded creature she wouldn’t take into her home and her heart.
When her imposing—and attractive—new neighbour demands she clear out the rescued animals, Penny sets him a challenge. She will part with her precious charges if he can find them loving homes.
Done, Gabriel says. How hard can it be to find homes for a few kittens?
And a two-legged dog.
And a foul-mouthed parrot.
Also a goat, an otter, a hedgehog . . .
Easier said than done, for a cold-blooded bastard who wouldn’t know a loving home from a workhouse. Soon he’s covered in cat hair, knee-deep in adorable, and bewitched by a shyly pretty spinster who defies his every attempt to resist. Now she’s set her mind and heart on saving him.
Not if he ruins her first.
The Wallflower Wager:
I love this series and I put off reading this one because of the delay of book four. But I couldn’t hold myself back any longer and I had to read it – and I loved it oh so much.
The Wallflower Wager follows Gabriel Duke hasn’t had the easier road, and it everything in him to get where he is now. Lady Penelope Campion is a sucker for a wounded creature. And she can’t help herself and has to take them home and mend them. When the Duke of Ruin moves next door, Lady Penelope doesn’t know what is about to hit her, but neither does Gabriel.
I’ve been hanging from Penelope’s story from the start. She is a lovely, intriguing and captivating character and protagonist. I love that she cares so much, it just makes my heart warm. Her warm nature just jumps off the page and makes everything so much better. I adore her love for the broken and fixing them as she could. The reader is also able to see her growth throughout the novel and it was fantastic.
Photo by Piotr Łaskawski on Unsplash
Gabriel on the other hand is rough around the edge. He has his hard exterior that Lady Penelope tries to break down – but that isn’t easy. Right from the start, you can see that Gabriel is taken aback by Penelope and her nature. He hasn’t encountered someone like her before. It takes some time for him to get used to her – but he actually never really does.
The romance in this one was fantastic. I loved the banter between Gabriel and Penelope. The tension was fantastic. I also love how they were around one another. They both have their own walls up for different reasons and as The Wallflower Wager goes on we get to see them slowly fall for one another – before they both even realise it.
Overall The Wallflower Wager is a fantastic inclusion to the ‘Girl Meet’s Duke’ series by Tessa Dare. I’ve loved everyone that I have read and I cannot wait for more. I also can’t wait to read more Tessa Dare – which I hope to soon. This one is full of fantastic banter, a lovely romance and many laughs. If you haven’t picked up this series yet and love historical romances – then please do.
And there we go, those are some mini historical romacne reviews. Have you read any of these? Are you planning on reading any of these books? What is a historical romance book that you have loved recently? Let’s Chat!
