READING: Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare

Publication date: January 28 2014
Published by: Avon
Genre: Adult, Romance, Historical, Chick Lit, Fairytale
Rating: 

As the daughter of a famed author, Isolde Ophelia Goodnight grew up on tales of brave knights and fair maidens. She never doubted romance would be in her future, too. The storybooks offered endless possibilities.

And as she grew older, Izzy crossed them off. One by one by one.

Ugly duckling turned swan?
Abducted by handsome highwayman?
Rescued from drudgery by charming prince?

No, no, and… Heh.

Now Izzy’s given up yearning for romance. She’ll settle for a roof over her head. What fairy tales are left over for an impoverished twenty-six year-old woman who’s never even been kissed?

This one.

She’d always envied beautiful women. Not solely for the beauty itself but because when attributes were parceled out by whatever deity assigned them, beauty seemed to come tethered to confidence. She craved that more than anything. 

A historical romance gem 💎

I thought I left my HR days behind me, the unabashed enjoyment of illicit ravishings in castle gardens, the incessant sighing over devastatingly handsome rakes.
Turns out I was wrong!
Even though Romancing the Duke may put you a bit off at first with its insta love, or rather insta lust, don’t fret. This book is so much more than that.

The story was so sweet and touching, almost like a fairy tale.
You have the scarred hero, who is reclusive and grumpy (but still hot) and the heroine who, at 26, has never known the love of a man because of her plain appearance.
Ransom has abandoned all hope of love after his injury which left him blind and disfigured. Although, the scar didn’t sound that grotesque if you ask me. But I guess at a time when appearances were everything, it must have been considered bad. He has decided to live out the rest of his life in solitary, certain that real love is just for stupid people who don’t know better (he said it, not me.)
Izzy has too abandoned all hope of love, although for completely different reasons. She was brought up reading all these great romance stories of princesses and knights and she believes in love with all her heart. However, no matter how much you want to love someone and be loved, it doesn’t mean that it’s going to happen. Izzy is so plain looking that at 26, she is still a virgin with no one having ever courted her or even touched her.
So you can imagine that when those two meet, Ransom with his icy, broken heart and Izzy with hers full of love, it’s pure magic.
She brought hope and bliss back into his life and he brought her pleasure and love. And it was so beautiful 💖

I loved Dare’s writing. She made her characters so intriguing and actually smart and logical, instead of over the top and dramatic. I really liked that Izzy wasn’t portrayed as this virginal, shy, ugly duckling but as a strong woman who knows where she stands in life and exactly what she wants.
Also, I loved how funny it was at times! I mean, Plan E had me actually laughing out loud!
Most of all though, I adored the setting: the magnificent gothic castle, its high turrets with their scenic views, all the references to knights and princesses; it all made for a charmingly beautiful picture. 

Short and sweet - that’s what you get with Romancing the Duke. Emotional, romantic, funny, charming and 100% enjoyable! 
This was my first Tessa Dare book and it definitely won’t be the last.