The Duchess Deal (Girl Meets Duke, #1)

by Tessa Dare

[stacey_is_sassy]

Loving the person, scars and all.

I can confidently say that everyone has scars. Not all scars are the same and some are invisible to the eye. It’s easy to stare at a scar and see the damage. Some people wear their scars with honour and some hide them in shame. Can a person learn to love their scars and grow from their survival? For me, the answer is a definite YES. I have scars and I wear them with honour. Who wouldn’t be proud or learnt from a mistake, when they’ve survived car accidents, childbirth and running when told to walk. You cannot control what other peoples reactions are to your scars but you can choose to be around people who can look beyond them and love you for them.

The Duchess Deal was a remarkably refreshing tale about dealing with scars. Two lonely people making the best of their situations. One is a hard-working seamstress trying to get paid her due. She is not afraid to work hard and tries to make the best of her situation. The other is a scarred Duke who acts and feels like a monster. The remarkable part…these two are the funniest characters I’ve met in a long time.

I heard rumours that The Duchess Deal was funny but to be honest, my first thought was – how many laughs could there really be with a scarred Duke and a poor Seamstress? Well, it’s bloody funny. The humour in this is definitely my kind of humour…dry, sarcastic and very tongue in cheek. How refreshing that we’re not left with a dark and dreary alcoholic recluse who hides behind a mask? Oh sure, Ash (the Duke) has his moments of feeling sorry for himself but I never felt pity for him. It cracked me up that he forced his butler to play badminton with him. It made me look to him with pride that he used his monster status and looks to do good…ish deeds. He may be scarred and was a little bit broken but he was a survivor.

To match the monster, you need a sweet and kind beauty who will sooth the beast, don’t you? Well, Emma is pretty and she is thoughtful and sweet, but she’s probably not what you would call soothing. This chick was fabulous. She’s demanding, bossy and funny with a secret she can’t deny…Emma is passionate. I loved Emma’s handling of Ash. She showed concern towards him when he had discomfort but never made him feel less. Emma was curious about Ash’s scars but never disgusted or sickened by them. She gave as good as he and then called him out for hiding behind the barbs. Emma is a strong woman who became strong because she lived through her own scars.

I absolutely LOVED this story. I was laughing and smirking from start to finish. We are treated to the kind of love story that leaves you feeling mushy gushy and truly believing that there’s love out there for everyone. Sparks fly between this couple and we are treated to steamy scenes that show a connection that is hard to deny. Even though the storyline is built around a serious subject, it never felt bogged down or depressing. I absolutely loved the way they dealt with each other's scars and made them feel whole and loved despite them. These two are a perfect match and I loved their journey to happiness.

The Duchess Deal was fantastic and I highly recommend it. I can’t wait for more in this series and I hope that we may have met a few of the heroines for the rest of the series. Penny, Alex and Nicola were fascinating and I want to know more about them.