Tessa Dare: The Wallflower Wager

New York Times and USA Today Bestseller

They call him the Duke of Ruin.

To an undaunted wallflower, he's just the beast next door.

Wealthy and ruthless, Gabriel Duke clawed his way from the lowliest slums to the pinnacle of high society—and now he wants to get even.

Loyal and passionate, Lady Penelope Campion never met a lost or wounded creature she wouldn’t take into her home and her heart.

When her imposing—and attractive—new neighbor demands she clear out the rescued animals, Penny sets him a challenge. She will part with her precious charges, if he can find them loving homes.

Done, Gabriel says. How hard can it be to find homes for a few kittens?

And a two-legged dog.

And a foul-mouthed parrot.

And a goat, an otter, a hedgehog . . .

Easier said than done, for a cold-blooded bastard who wouldn’t know a loving home from a workhouse. Soon he’s covered in cat hair, knee-deep in adorable, and bewitched by a shyly pretty spinster who defies his every attempt to resist. Now she’s set her mind and heart on saving him.

Not if he ruins her first.

CW: sexual assault/molestation, abandonment, extreme poverty

The third in a series that I thought worked great as a standalone, The Wallflower Wager might’ve been more appropriately titled The Devil’s Bargain or the Ruin of Duke.  Because there was more of a bargain struck between these unlikely paired MCs, rather than a wager, and its later agreed Lady Penelope is less of a wallflower than a recluse.  But, you know, that’s just me and my nit-picking about titles that are a bit misleading.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book.  It feels like a formulaic joy ride in the beginning, with an eccentric spinster who’d rather tend to animals than be with people (other than her besties) and a ruthless businessman nicknamed the Duke of Ruin (because his surname is Duke) who team up to solve their mutual problem.  He wants her to stay in residence to increase the value of his house flip next door, but she can only stay if she homes her menagerie of rescued animals.

Both have some pretty significant childhood trauma (see content warning above) that Dare teases until all is revealed somewhere towards the last half of the book.  I like that we get to know these characters a bit before they reveal themselves to each other (and to us reader) and it feels like we are better prepared through some hints/foreshadowing.

Once this unlikely team begins, misadventures follows leading to some hot tension and ultimately intimacy.  I think this is a definite opposites attract story that doesn’t lean too heavily on other tropes and takes an interesting turn towards the last quarter of the book that was satisfying but surprising that it steer-cleared of the usual formula.

Dare is known for her comedic prowess, and this book has some delightfully funny moments, especially if you love absurdity and rompish scenes.  The dialogue at times is spanking and also authentic.

The era is played well, although most of the activity happens on the road or in townhomes rather than at ton parties or balls.

For being the Duke of Ruin, Gabriel has a soft side that comes out in his interactions with Penny.  I liked his character, especially some of the interactions with his builder and housekeeper, and later Penny’s friends, and he seems like a human desperately in need of love.  Other readers may find him hard to love or know, just because he is intensely private and reserved.

Penny is painted as a lovable savior who devotes all her time and attention to rescuing animals after a terrible debut.  Without giving too much away, we come to understand why she has become reclusive (I think Dare hints at the reasons pretty well, but I see other readers felt like it was a plot twist) and although I didn’t love the way this subject matter was handled in some ways it also felt like there was some agency given to Penny when often that doesn’t happen for survivors of trauma.

There are lots of intimate scenes, some difficult subject matter, and a fair amount of levity.   This is the type of book I might return to in the future, looking for something fun and comfortable, or if I get my hands on the other books in the series and read them in order.

I would recommend this for readers who are comfortable with mature, and sometimes difficult, subject matter, sex scenes, and like stories of unlikely lovers.

Content Rating/Heat Index
Mature Content
Poverty, abandonment, sexual assault/molestation, animal cruelty
Intimacy
Mostly vanilla, but a lot of intimate scenes
Violence
Mild carriage accident and an assault

Overall
Best for readers who enjoy tough subject matter and intimate scenes.