Reviewed by stacey_is_sassy on
There were so many things that I absolutely loved in The Wallflower Wager, but my very favourite was that Lady Penelope fought her own battle. Generally, I'm always in favour of the dashing hero rushing in to save the damsel, but in this case, I was happy he stayed at her back. Sure, considering the type of man Gabriel was (bossy, demanding and controlling), he wanted to take charge, but he also knew that Penny needed to win this battle on her own. It was such a surprise when it happened that I had to pause my listening to take it in. Historical Romance is not known for women taking charge. In some cases, it's even considered far-fetched, or inaccurate. Tessa Dare makes Penny's 'win' something that could happen and was believable...not that I'd know.
I loved Penny, and to be honest, that was a bit surprising. See, I love animals, I just don't like touching them. So, a story where the heroine is an animal lover who can't sleep without an animal in her bed, makes my skin crawl. But, Penny is funny, sweet, kind and caring. She's also strong-willed and stubborn when she wants something. It made me smile when Penny refused to be pushed away by Gabriel. Of course, he was pushing her away because he thought she was too good for him (bloody numbnut), but she was determined to keep him.
It was no surprise to me that I absolutely LOVED Gabriel. I love a man who is the maker of his own fortune and doesn't let where he came from changing his course. It made my heart flutter with joy every time he gave in to Penny and her animals. I also loved when and how he realised how much he loved Penny and that living without her by his side was not a life he wanted to live.
There were so many parts of this story that made me smile and I think that the enjoyment had a lot to do with how well the narrator told the story. Mary Jane Wells voice was easy to listen to and her characterisation was spot on. I will definitely look forward to hearing more stories narrated by her in the future.
Again, Tessa Dare has treated us to a fantastic story that left me completely satisfied. The characters were original, loving and perfect for each other. The storyline kept my attention from start to finish and I hated having to hit pause. The additional characters enhanced the story and I loved getting to know more of what was going on in the other Girl Meets Duke characters lives. There is a section of the story that was a little hard to read, but I never felt too uncomfortable and seeing Penny confront her past made everything better.
If you're looking for a story that was funny, sweet, sexy and heartwarming, I definitely recommend giving The Wallflower Wager a try.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 4 May, 2020: Finished reading
- 4 May, 2020: Reviewed