I laughed so many times at this title. Tessa Dare’s humor is the main reason I just love her titles, and this was no exception. This title has a heavy contemporary feel to it, which I expect from Ms. Dare’s novels. I happen to enjoy historical romances with a contemporary feel, and so I liked that about THE WALLFLOWER WAGER, too.
I adored Gabriel and found him hilarious, too. I didn’t mind his ruthlessness because a good beast of a hero needs to be tamed. If he’s secretly a sweetheart the entire time it kind of defeats the purpose. I at first found Penny to be a little naive for my tastes and almost it be believable. But as her backstory was revealed, I realized that she chose to be happy despite her past. It certainly made me like her even more than I already did.
Some of the best scenes in the book featured Penny’s friends and their new husbands interrogating Gabe to see if he’s good enough for her. Those scenes were absolutely hysterical and ridiculous, and I loved each and every one of them.
I did feel like the premise of this title was resolved relatively easily and that the plot point of Gabriel finding homes for the animals was kind of pushed to the side. There was plenty of other stuff going on in the story to keep it moving along and entertaining so I wasn’t really bothered by that. There were more sexy times than I necessarily care for, but that’s my personal preference. They didn’t take away from the story.
Overall, THE WALLFLOWER WAGER was another delightful title from Tessa Dare. I can’t wait to read Nicola’s story next!!
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 neighbor 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. And 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.
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