Today one of my favorite authors is visiting! Tessa Dare is her to give us a glimpse of her newest release and you can read my impressions of it as well. Don't forget to fill out the form below for your chance to win a great prize.....
What's a duke to do, when the girl who's perfectly wrong becomes the woman he can't live without.
Griffin York, the Duke of Halford, has no desire to wed this season-or any season-but his diabolical mother abducts him to "Spinster Cove" and insists he select a bride from the ladies in residence. Griff decides to teach her a lesson that will end the marriage debate forever. He chooses the serving girl.
Overworked and struggling, Pauline Simms doesn't dream about dukes. All she wants is to hang up her barmaid apron and open a bookshop. That dream becomes a possibility when an arrogant, sinfully attractive duke offers her a small fortune for a week's employment. Her duties are simple: submit to his mother's "duchess training"… and fail miserably.
But in London, Pauline isn't a miserable failure. She's a brave, quick-witted, beguiling failure-a woman who ignites Griff's desire and soothes the darkness in his soul. Keeping Pauline by his side won't be easy. Even if Society could accept a serving girl duchess-can a roguish duke convince a serving girl to trust him with her heart?
EXCERPT:
“I thought you didn’t have noble impulses.”
“Believe me.” He stared into her eyes and spoke the words without lewdness or irony. “I don’t.”
If he possessed a single grain of decency, he would have set her down long moments ago. Wicked as it made him, he loved the way she was clinging to his neck. As though the world around them were a vast, frozen waste and sharing the heat of his body was her only chance to survive. It was so easy to believe, for this moment, that she needed him. Needed his touch, his mouth, his heated breath. His bared, feverish skin all over hers.
Amazing, what acrobatic contortions the lusting male mind could achieve. He’d almost convinced himself that kissing her lush, sweet lips was the noble thing to do.
Almost. But not quite.
“I’ll put you down now,” he said.
She nodded.
And then she pressed her lips to his.
Praise and curses be heaped. The girl kissed him.
“Believe me.” He stared into her eyes and spoke the words without lewdness or irony. “I don’t.”
If he possessed a single grain of decency, he would have set her down long moments ago. Wicked as it made him, he loved the way she was clinging to his neck. As though the world around them were a vast, frozen waste and sharing the heat of his body was her only chance to survive. It was so easy to believe, for this moment, that she needed him. Needed his touch, his mouth, his heated breath. His bared, feverish skin all over hers.
Amazing, what acrobatic contortions the lusting male mind could achieve. He’d almost convinced himself that kissing her lush, sweet lips was the noble thing to do.
Almost. But not quite.
“I’ll put you down now,” he said.
She nodded.
And then she pressed her lips to his.
Praise and curses be heaped. The girl kissed him.
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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS STORY:
Next to Lorraine Heath I have come to also count on Tessa Dare to write a historical book that leaves me immensely satisfied after reading it. This latest release left just such an impression with me. From start to finish this book completely won me over heart and soul and just thinking about the main characters puts a smile on my face! To put it plainly, Pauline and Griff have become my quintessential couple, the one by which all other couples will be measured. Their interactions crackled from the moment their eyes met. They were delightfully playful with one another and their scenes together teemed with sexual tension. Not only did they make good lovers, but they were truly good friends too. No matter their differences in social status they found much to connect them and found great comfort in their mutual understandings.
Pauline always wanted more in life but was held back by a father who couldn't stand to see her become better than him. She never stopped dreaming though and planned a future for her and her slow-thinking sister as a self-sufficient woman. Just when she gets a bit ahead financially something always happens to set her back. That's why Griff's offer is so appealing to her.....he'll give her a thousand pounds to prove she'll never become the duchess his mother promises she can turn Pauline into. After being called a disaster her whole life she knows that her failing is guaranteed and the money for her library within reach. Being around Griff brings out the best in her and before long she starts becoming his ideal duchess. Unfortunately society rears its ugly head and it will take all her courage to grab the HEA she's truly discovered she wants. Pauline is an amazing heroine! Protects her sister and works hard to provide for her family without complaint. She's honest and strong-willed, not afraid to be who she really is. Even as she learns to be a duchess she still does it in her own fashion. There's no artifice about her, just a refreshingly smart and loyal young woman who helps Griff to heal from a heartbreaking loss.
Griff was always thought of as a rake until a heartbreaking loss, that he's kept hidden from everyone, has him changing his way of living. He's now sworn off women and marriage and sets out to thwart his mother's plan for his future using Pauline as a pawn at first. He quickly comes to admire her and soon does everything in his power to protect her. They have an easy rapport with one another with a romance that evolves slowly and steadily. They start out as friends who share their hopes and dreams with one another and then as lovers they make those dreams come true. No matter how much Griff calls himself a rake and a scoundrel he can't help but be heroic and caring. No matter how hard he hid his heart, Pauline brought him back to life with her quiet support and understanding. His sadness was heartbreaking and being with Pauline was like a breath of fresh air and had me rooting for their HEA every step of the way.
Along with a wonderful main couple comes Griff's mother. She was a wonderfully cantankerous woman who appeared gruff but was a truly caring woman beneath her commanding exterior. Even as she was teaching Pauline you could see her learning too. She loosened up and showed a more loving and funny side as the story progressed. The sexual encounters between Pauline and Griff were hot and yet playful. You could sense their connection deepening every time they were together. While there are no big misunderstandings, Griff's reasons for swearing off marriage are big to him. It takes a lot of unloading of emotional baggage for him to realize how important Pauline is to him as opposed to his past and the moment he acts on it is truly crowd pleasing.
This whole story ends up being an absolute joy with characters I still think about long after the final page was turned. Ms. Dare's Spindle Cove series continues to entertain and I look forward to the next installment where hopefully I can catch a glimpse of my new favorite couple again.
My rating for this is an A+
*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
Tessa Dare a part-time librarian, full-time mommy, and swing-shift writer. She makes her home in Southern California, where she shares a cozy, cluttered bungalow with her husband, their two children, and a dog.
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