The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare is the third instalment in her Girl meets Duke mini series. Lady Penelope Campion, the strong minded and independent heroine lives alone with her menagerie of pets which include a goat, hedgehog and a dog. Her first season was a disaster, culminating with her hedgehog falling out of pocket during a ball! She is happy to live as an eccentric recluse but her Aunt has warned her that her brother is going to bring her home if she doesn’t get rid of her animals and return to the Ton. Gabriel Duke owns and is renovating the house next door. He knows he will get a better sale price with an aristocrat living next door so doesn’t want her to leave although he would be quite glad to see the back of the menagerie. The pair cook up a plan to help her get her name in the society papers and regime her beloved animals. The chemistry between the two is palpable but there is a slight shift in the tone of the book as Penny’s childhood secret is revealed.
I have enjoyed reading the whole of this series. The heroines are unusual in the fact that they know their own noses and are prepared to stand up to the heros rather than just being simpering, virginal waifs in need of a strong man to whisk them away. There is also a send of continuity in the series- characters don’t just disappear once their stories are told but reappear, however briefly, in other novels. There is also humour - the animals, vegetarianism and interaction between the characters is fun and can bring a chuckle from the reader. I am not the greatest fan of historical romance novels but I really enjoy these.
I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley.
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