Helpful Score: 3
I truly enjoyed this author's first trilogy, which was also her debut, and didn't hesitate to buy this book which is the first book in her new series. I really liked the story and both the hero and heroine..... until the end of the book, not to give away any spoilers but, the herione acts like a complete idiot at one point and I just wanted to reach into the book and slap her. Alas, she realizes her mistake and rectifies it. Other than that one bout of stupidity in the book I will be buying the next one that comes out next month.
Helpful Score: 2
I just read a really heavy book so I needed a little fun so I revisited Tessa Dare's One Dance with a Duke, the first in the Stud Club series. First off let me say that I read a lot of historical romances I like them they are my guilty pleasure. But some are better than others and Tessa Dare is one of the best. I had never read any of her books until I saw this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4DzoNkomQ0. It is the book trailer for this series and it made me laugh out loud and I went out and got all 3 books.
I hope you watched the trailer because I won't be going into the synopsis of the book. Her characters are engaging, the plots have a mystery to be solved, the love scenes are HOT and not gratuitous. Just let me say that I give this book a 5 star read, and Tessa Dare is an auto buy for me.
I hope you watched the trailer because I won't be going into the synopsis of the book. Her characters are engaging, the plots have a mystery to be solved, the love scenes are HOT and not gratuitous. Just let me say that I give this book a 5 star read, and Tessa Dare is an auto buy for me.
Helpful Score: 1
Superior to most things I've read by TD, with the exception of Surrender of a Siren. It doesn't really come close to that kind of brilliance, and it's a tad wallpapery, but I greatly enjoyed it. The writing is witty and engaging, and what it lacks in unique setting & storyline, it compensates well for by being just an all-around enjoyable read.
I gave it an A-.
Sensuality Rating: R
I gave it an A-.
Sensuality Rating: R
Helpful Score: 1
I didn't care for the plot; it seemed disjointed and I wish a couple of the subplots hadn't existed. But the characters? They were awesome. I'd read a book where Tessa Dare stuck them all in a room and made them talk for 400 pages, and I'd like it.
It was worth the read and was enough to convince me to read the next books in the trilogy. It didn't convince me to keep it.
It was worth the read and was enough to convince me to read the next books in the trilogy. It didn't convince me to keep it.
Helpful Score: 1
I thought this was great. I read a few reviews where Amelia's affection for her brother Jack was overdone,but I thought it worked with the way her relationship and self-martyring personality was. And to be fair, the self-martyring wasn't really all that bad...that was more Spencer's take on Amelia, not mine.
Amelia and Spencer meet at a ball, minus any romantic impulses. They are married just days later, as a business arrangement, and fall into friendship and love. I loved how Spencer was ...more I thought this was great. I read a few reviews where Amelia's affection for her brother Jack was overdone,but I thought it worked with the way her relationship and self-martyring personality was. And to be fair, the self-martyring wasn't really all that bad...that was more Spencer's take on Amelia, not mine.
Amelia and Spencer meet at a ball, minus any romantic impulses. They are married just days later, as a business arrangement, and fall into friendship and love. I loved how Spencer was able to admit that he loved Amelia from the second she pressed her handkerchief into his palm.
One of my favorite parts of this book is an impromptu ball given to the newly married Spencer and Amelia. Amelia is just absolutely shining in her new role as duchess, and Spencer notices it, and so does every single other male in the room. I loved how Spencer later made her watch herself in the mirror to show her what face others see when they look at her, but how the faces she makes in passion are only for him. In fact that was in general just a great scene.
This story is well done, and the writing is easy to follow without being simplistic. I loved it, and definitely want to read the next book in the series
Amelia and Spencer meet at a ball, minus any romantic impulses. They are married just days later, as a business arrangement, and fall into friendship and love. I loved how Spencer was ...more I thought this was great. I read a few reviews where Amelia's affection for her brother Jack was overdone,but I thought it worked with the way her relationship and self-martyring personality was. And to be fair, the self-martyring wasn't really all that bad...that was more Spencer's take on Amelia, not mine.
Amelia and Spencer meet at a ball, minus any romantic impulses. They are married just days later, as a business arrangement, and fall into friendship and love. I loved how Spencer was able to admit that he loved Amelia from the second she pressed her handkerchief into his palm.
One of my favorite parts of this book is an impromptu ball given to the newly married Spencer and Amelia. Amelia is just absolutely shining in her new role as duchess, and Spencer notices it, and so does every single other male in the room. I loved how Spencer later made her watch herself in the mirror to show her what face others see when they look at her, but how the faces she makes in passion are only for him. In fact that was in general just a great scene.
This story is well done, and the writing is easy to follow without being simplistic. I loved it, and definitely want to read the next book in the series
Joan W. (justreadingabook) reviewed One Dance with a Duke (Stud Club, Bk 1) on + 1712 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I too really enjoyed this book as a first in the series. The others to follow have a lot of promise based on this one. I liked the characters and how they each developed and were able to change for the better. I did have the same reaction as the other review towards the end of the book in wanting to reach in and slap the lady for being stupid over and over again but she did come around! A good book. Enjoy.
Karin A. (Jerseygirltoo) -
Helpful Score: 1
What a great book. The writing was so wonderful, there were some paragraphs I had to reread 2 or 3 times, I just loved Tessa Dare's way with words so much. The title led me to believe this book would be a lot more frivolous than it was; actually the story was mainly serious, although there were many light moments. Spencer is a man of action, not words, and he is Exhibit A of Men Who Can't Express Emotions(or are not even sure they have any) and when he does speak, he is tactlessly blunt, but he does improve as the story goes on. Amelia is the opposite, she loves to give and receive affection. However it turns out they are perfect for each other.
Mary R. (greatdanelover) reviewed One Dance with a Duke (Stud Club, Bk 1) on + 131 more book reviews
Thoroughly engaging read. Spencer and Amelia grab your interest and keep you rading until the very end. Can hardly wait for the next book in the series.
Delightful read! Was my first by Tessa Dare and I have since added all her other books to my WL! The writing was very witty and I LOVED how the hero always managed to say the most inappropriate things at all the wrong times! Made me laugh out loud. Also some good steamy scenes (someone already mentioned the dressing table/mirror scene: had to fan myself with that one!). I liked all the secondary characters as well and look forward to reading the others in this trilogy to see how some of them get their HEA.
Lately I've become a little bored and a hard sell where romances are concerned. But I loved this one. It's top notch for what it is... alight, fun read with a simple premise and lovable characters.
Third book I read by this author, most annoying secondary characters. I wanted to kill off some of the other members of this "Stud Club" of shared horse ownership, and the families of the hero and heroine (what was left of them). Can't say much for the subplots, but the family loyalty versus spouse loyalty plot was okay. Rather than super-villains, this book just had a bunch of whiny and hot-tempered secondary characters. Any of them could be villainous, at the drop of a hat, because you want to hate them and have them transported, executed, or die in a fatal shootout.
The hero and heroine, these two I mostly liked. The heroine is an atypical slightly bustier, more wall-flowerish heroine, who enjoys plotting menus and embroidery, not social reform activism. In that respect, she seems like a more believable period character. The hero is the opposite, with a weird contrived background story and unpredictable anti-social tendencies. They worked together, in a weird way balancing each other out. Would like to see more of them in a sequel, but not at the risk of needing to read more about the Stud Club.
The hero and heroine, these two I mostly liked. The heroine is an atypical slightly bustier, more wall-flowerish heroine, who enjoys plotting menus and embroidery, not social reform activism. In that respect, she seems like a more believable period character. The hero is the opposite, with a weird contrived background story and unpredictable anti-social tendencies. They worked together, in a weird way balancing each other out. Would like to see more of them in a sequel, but not at the risk of needing to read more about the Stud Club.
Something just didn't quite work for me in this book. It was fairly well written, well paced, steamy love scenes...but I kept wanting to hurry the story along. Waiting for something interesting to happen, waiting to care about the characters. I do think I will read others from this series because I don't have a great complaint about this book, but it just wasn't very strong. I felt impatient with the story and the characters.
My first Tessa Dare book and I enjoyed it~!
I liked it.
Connie P. (Activegram149) reviewed One Dance with a Duke (Stud Club, Bk 1) on + 809 more book reviews
Read this series out of order but did not matter. Loved it. Can't decide which one is better than the other.
Good read.
