The Duke Dare

Love's a Game #2

by Valerie Bowman

She took the dare.
Lady Gemma Brooks was still in her awkward phase when a spiteful young woman dared her to ask the unattainable Duke of Grovemont for a dance. Gemma accepted, not for herself, but to protect the other wallflowers from malicious gossip. But what began as a harmless dare spiraled into scandal, and Gemma soon finds herself forced into an unexpected marriage with a man she barely knows.

He paid the price.
Lucian Banks, the Duke of Grovemont, was still grieving his mother’s death when a simple wedding invitation turned his life upside down. Never did he imagine that his friend’s younger sister would draw him into a compromising situation, one that led to a hasty marriage. As a gentleman, Lucian will do his duty, but he’s convinced that Gemma trapped him, and has no plans to play the role of doting husband.

Can love bloom from obligation?
Lucian leaves London without a word, abandoning his new bride. But when he returns a year later, he’s shocked to find that the awkward girl he left behind has transformed into a stunning beauty and the toast of the ton. When the truth about their marriage finally comes to light, Lucian embarks on a mission to win his wife’s heart. Will Gemma be able to resist the man who once spurned her, especially when he turns from cold and distant to irresistibly charming?

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Marriage Of Convenience, Historical Fiction, Adult, Second Chance

288 pages, Paperback

First published November 25, 2024

About the author

Valerie Bowman is an award-winning author who writes historical and contemporary romance.

Valerie’s debut novel was published in 2012. Since then, her books have received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus. She’s been an RT Reviewers’ Choice nominee for Best First Historical Romance and Best Historical Romance Love and Laughter. Two of her books have been nominated for the Kirkus Prize for fiction.

Valerie grew up in Illinois with six sisters (she’s number seven) and a huge supply of romance novels. After a cold and snowy stint earning a degree in English Language and Literature with a minor in history at Smith College, she moved to Florida the first chance she got. Valerie now lives in Jacksonville with her family including her rascally dogs. When she’s not writing, she keeps busy reading, traveling, or vacillating between watching crazy reality TV and PBS.

Visit Valerie on the web at www.ValerieBowmanBooks.com and sign-up for her newsletter at: https://valeriebowmanbooks.com/newsle...
Be sure to follow Valerie Bookbub for the latest on sales https://www.bookbub.com/authors/valer...

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read: 1/21/25
3.5 stars
Nothing special, but I enjoyed it for what it was supposed to be. This was just a fun, light read.

The story starts with the stuck-up Duke, who believed the h trapped him in marriage. He acts indifferent to his bride that he plans to dump in the country. Then, he changes his mind and moves to India for 15 months without ever writing his wife. When he returns, he learns the truth of his marriage. The h had gone to the study to ask him to dance as a dare from an enemy. Because they were caught alone, they were forced to marry. Now, with the H knowing the truth, he will do anything to keep his bride from divorcing him. The H groveling was definitely satisfying.

Conclusion:
This was a good, light read but not something I would read again.

[Debbie DiFiore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good

I like marriage in peril books, only if there is no cheating of course, and this one was just that. It clarified that both of them had remained celibate. He went to India for business for 18 months and when he came back he realized he had been wrong in thinking she trapped him and decided to court her. I really.liked hoe they fell in love. But of course there is a last minute understanding and then she is kidnapped. The epilogue was very cute.

[Inna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I hate this audiobook narrator. I think I would have enjoyed this book more if it had been read by anyone else.

Safe

[Pam Bereznak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy Valerie Bowman's books. She is one of the authors on my "favorite authors" list. I wrote in my notes: awesome writer, quick reads but love all her stories and her characters, the sex is good and detailed. This is my 31st book by her and have reading her since 2017. So happy to see she has this new series out. I really loved book 1.

This book did not disappoint either. I loved Gemma and Lucian. I loved their story. As I mentioned before, I read 300 books a year in the same genre so tend to read similar storylines and I've really have been reading some different ones lately which has been great. I loved their chemistry and these characters were just a great read. Added to my favorite reads list for Dec, 2024. Can't wait for book 3.

[Holly in Bookland · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars ✨

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beware a dare!

Bless Lady Gemma Brooks' heart, she just wants the other debutantes and herself to be free to find their HEA without being bullied by Lady Mary.

I was surprised by the length of the tantrum Lucian Banks, the Duke of Grovemont, threw. I mean, really, it is very impressive...over a year. He is a grown man, a man responsible for what has to be 100's of people and if this is how he deals with EVERY disappointment... I feel badly for them all! How terrible to grow up not seemingly able to trust anyone new you come in contact with. What of business dealings? What about disagreements between tenants? I could only hope he handled those situations with more adult behavior, fairness and finesse.

Lady Gemma is spectacular! She is caring, has a personal strength to beat the band and an optimistic attitude toward everything....EXCEPT her new husband. I admired the way she stuck up for herself with Lucien, especially given his lack of fairness and again, that impressive tantrum!

Once the tantrum ended, I was still not completely willing to forgive Lucien. For me there was definitely NOT enough groveling. Yes, yes, he apologized. Yes, he started to be an adult. Yes, he started to charm Gemma, but he still came across as a spoiled little boy that suddenly realized that he was missing out on sweets and needed to do whatever he had to do to get the sweets. It's not often that I struggle to like the hero of a story, but Lucien was a trial! He is lucky he had Ms. Bowman on his side!!

The end is where Lucien finally gained not only my trust, but a smidgen of admiration. The villain surprised me, which was a nice twist. The end for the villain was just, but I wish something more would have fallen on Lady Mary. I remain hopeful that in the next book of the series some PUBLIC humiliation be falls her and she slinks off to some obscure island off the northern shores of Scotland to live out the remainder of her mean spirited life in a drafty castle.

I love the depth that Ms. Bowman builds into her characters. I always enjoy her humor and her conversations. This story overall was lovely, I stayed focused on Gemma, her friends and her family. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5

[Zoë Ann Book Queen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Miss Rail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely read where true love finds a way thanks to a silly dare. 

⭐4.5 stars⭐

[Lady E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heroine: Gemma Brooks, 19-20. Sister of the Duke of Southbury.

Hero: Lucian Banks, 30-31. Duke of Grovemont.

Date: 1817-1818

How they meet: Presumably met off page, but Lucian doesn’t remember Gemma when she finds him hiding in her brother’s study during a ball.

What happens: Gemma has witnessed another young woman bullying the other debutantes at the ball and wants to strike a bargain with the bully to get her to leave them alone. They decide upon a dare where Gemma has to ask Lucian to dance, because she will surely be rejected and humiliated in the process. Unable to find him near the ballroom, she learns he’s in her brother’s study, so she seeks him out there. She asks him to dance and instructs him to tell her no. The other girl shows up as a witness, but unfortunately that girl’s mother is right behind her. With an eligible duke in the room, the mother draws further attention to them, and in front of several witnesses claims it is her daughter who has been compromised by the duke. It is eventually sorted out that Gemma was with the duke and that she’ll be the one forced into a marriage she wasn’t looking for. She is rather sick about it, but realizes it was her own fault.

Lucian does the right thing by agreeing to marry Gemma, his friend’s little sister, but is convinced that she and the other girl were working together to trap him into the marriage. Lucian finds Gemma to be an awkward looking girl and decides he will punish her for her deceit by sending her away to a remote estate after a suitable amount of time has passed. He mainly avoids her, and when he can’t, is cold but polite. He eventually lets her know how angry he is with her and won’t let her explain what happened the night of the ball from her perspective. He is also very clear about how he is now in charge of her life. Gemma doesn’t want to be controlled and isn’t afraid to speak up for herself. He kisses her for the first time as a way to shut her up and finds there is an intense physical chemistry between them. Lucian is shocked by his reaction to kissing his wife. Since she is balking at being sent away to the country, he instead decides to take a trip to India that he had been intending to take. He doesn’t say goodbye or even write her a letter while he’s gone.

After 15 months Lucian returns to London. He immediately hears from friends and acquaintances that his wife has blossomed into a beautiful woman in his absence and is the toast of society. Further, all his servants have come to adore her. What he doesn’t know is that his wife has decided she wants a divorce over his abandonment of her and is even willing to take the blame and weather what is sure to be a horrific scandal. Lucian is very concerned about appearances and does not wish to divorce. The two have a discussion and Lucian finally hears Gemma’s side of the story from the night she was compromised, which he later corroborates with others. He realizes she wasn’t trying to trap him and is as much a victim of the circumstances as he was. He admits to himself he was a jerk for how he treated her.

Lucian slowly starts attempting to win over his wife. He also offers a bargain: if she will pretend to be happily married to him for two months--both publicly and privately--if she still wants a divorce he won’t stand in her way and will also give her a large sum of money to live on. He also admits his mistake in judging her and tells her he is sincere in wanting to convince her to stay with him. Over the succeeding weeks, Lucian is very attentive towards Gemma and she finds herself responding to him. While trust slowly builds, at different times each finds themselves questioning if the other is just acting.

They eventually hit a major roadblock when Lucian refuses to discuss his childhood and gets angry at Gemma for questioning him. Before this can be resolved, Gemma is abducted by a man who feels he deserves her more than Lucian. When she doesn’t come home, Lucian assumes it is about their argument and that she must be at her brother’s. This is further bolstered by a note he receives and gossip in the papers about a divorce. Gemma’s captor forces her to write a letter to her brother to explain her absence. Her brother finds the letter suspicious and goes to Lucian. Between the two of them, they figure out what is going on and Lucian goes to rescue his wife. During her short time as a captive, Gemma realizes she has true feelings for her husband and wants to make it work.

Trigger Warnings: remembered emotional abuse of a child; spousal neglect (on-page)

Verdict: I think this author is my new favorite. While the hero is a bit of an entitled jerk in the beginning, the use of humor in the novel makes what might have been a depressing situation into a comedy. The heroine stood up for herself, which is something her husband had never experienced in a woman before, and did it in a way that eventually earned his respect. The hero had a significant journey of personal growth and the heroine experienced some growth too. I also like that their coming together wasn’t about lust, but rather a deeper chemistry. It was really sweet to see the reserved hero work to woo his own wife once he realized his initial assessment of her was wrong. Loved the humor, loved the journey to come to understand each other, and loved that the hiccups in their journey didn’t drag on too long.

Steam level: steamy and explicit

Rating: 5 stars

[Sandra Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating for The Duke Dare, by Valerie Bowman: 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.

This was only the 2nd book I've read by Valerie Bowman, and it won't be the last. It is the 2nd in the Love's A Game series. These books can be read standalone, but I believe they would be more enjoyable if read in order -- as they are about the romances of two families.

Lucian was okay, but I was really annoyed with him for assuming that Gemma intentionally trapped him into marriage. It made sense that he assumed that, but he should have at least let her explain what happened. I get that his relationship with his terrible father led him to distrust people, but that's no excuse for refusing to listen to Gemma's explanation at all. He really deserved it when she threatened divorce.

I really liked Gemma, and I was glad that she stood up to Lucian when he tried to banish her to the country right after their marriage. I also liked that she still tried to enjoy life, in spite of her unhappy marriage. I was glad when the couple found their HEA, but I honestly thought Gemma should have made Lucian work harder for her forgiveness -- he should have had to grovel, at least a little.

I also liked that the sex scenes were fairly tame. There were several of them, but they weren't terribly explicit. I'm not a prude, and I enjoy sex scenes, but sometimes it is nice to read less explicit scenes. I liked that it wasn't completely clean (those books are often too tame for me, and can be a bit preachy), but was simply a really good romance.

I'm looking forward to reading the last book in this series.

My rating system is below.
1 star -- Hated it, or did not finish. I usually only give this rating if some of the content is truly objectionable to me, like if one of the main characters does something really awful, and gets away with it.
2 stars -- Didn't like it. This rating usually means that I thought the writing wasn't very good, the editing was terrible, I didn't like the characters, or it had other major flaws.
3 stars -- I liked it, but had some minor issues with it. This rating means that there were minor editing issues, the story needed more character development, it was just too unrealistic, or had some other fairly minor issue. The majority of books I read get this rating – I do not consider it a bad rating.
4 stars -- I liked it a lot. This is a high rating for me, and I rarely give a higher one.
5 stars -- I loved it, and will probably read it again. Very few books are good enough to get this rating from me. The ones that do are usually classics.

[Vania Nunes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gemma Brooks, sister of the Duke of Southbury, was impatient—a flaw she admitted to having—but loyal to her family and friends. So, when Lady Mary dared her to ask the Duke of Grovemont, the great Bachelor of the Season, to dance—knowing he would refuse and humiliate Gemma—she didn't think twice about doing it to help the other debutantes.

What seemed like an innocent dare ended up putting the couple in a compromising situation, forcing Grovemont to propose to Gemma.

Besides the two not knowing each other, Gemma was in that phase where her beauty hadn't yet blossomed—like her mother, it would blossom later, making her appear to have long arms and legs, unruly short hair, and an allergy to earrings.

Grovemont's plan was to keep Gemma at arm's length, since he had been forced to marry her. What he hadn't counted on was that Gemma's rebellious and sincere nature would captivate him, causing him to flee for 15 months, claiming he had to take care of his property's business in another country.

During this time, Gemma flourished. And even though she was already married, that didn't stop men from swarming around her like vultures on carrion, offering her the world.

When Grovemont returned home and discovered his wife's popularity, guilt also fell on him when he realized he had been unfair to her months before.

Now, he would have to resort to Gemma's way of never backing down from a dare to try to convince her that not only was he sorry, but that, somehow, she had irreversibly won him over.
5 stars

[Ashe · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up.

I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but this book just didn’t hit the same as her others. I still really enjoyed the characters and their romance but so many of the plot points seemed a little abrupt and disjointed. For example, I was really loving that Gemma found a friend, and even maybe a little bit of competition while Lucian was off being a whiny jackass but his transition into being a villain/almost attempted rapist just came out of nowhere, there was no foreshadowing or anything about his character to set that up before it happened. And I am very much NOT a stickler for historical accuracy or complete immersion and have no problem with some adjustments to fit the modern reader, but the lingo/slang especially really made these characters seem like they were plucked out of a contemporary romance and plopped into the 1800s.

And I understand how the whole ugly duckling storyline can be fun, but to me it would have been so much more satisfying for Lucian to return from his Temper Tantrum World Tour and appreciate Gemma for just the way she was.

All in all, I still had fun reading this book and would recommend giving it a try, but this one just didn’t hit the same as the author’s previous books, all of which I have loved.

[Margerm, Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had potential for more angst with OW and OM drama. The h is a late bloomer and sticks up for the wallflowers against a bully. She agrees to a dare in which she asks the H to dance and in return the bully will allow the wallflowers to dance at the h's brother's wedding celebration. Since the H has left the ballroom, the h tracks him down and finds him in her brother's study. She ensures that the bully is watching while she asks the H for a dance. As expected the reclusive H refuses. As the h is leaving, the bully's mother sees them and is scandalized that the h and H were alone in the study. The H does his duty in marrying the H but is angry because he is convinced that the h and bully collaborated to trap him in marriage. After the marriage is consummated, the H leaves to take care of business in India. He is gone for over a year. While he was away his wife bloomed and is now a popular beauty. He decides to set new rules for his marriage. She asks for a divorce. The H's difficulties in communicating and expressing emotions are responses to his father's coldness to him. The h's family is full of love and laughter. The last part of the book is weak. There is an unrealistic argument between the H and h, followed by an unlikely kidnapping. Unrealized potential in this book.

[Carey’s Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars! Loved it! I read this book in one day, I couldn’t put it down. Valerie Bowman is one of the most talented historical romance authors I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Her books are never boring & this book is no different. This is the 2nd book in the ‘Love’s a Game’ series but can be read as a standalone. The main characters are Lucian & Gemma. Both had pro’s & con’s and I loved them both pretty quickly. Lucian was a bit of a ‘Richard’ in the beginning but didn’t stay that way. Communication could’ve prevented a lot of pain & heartache but that would be a pretty boring romance book. Kind of an ugly duckling to a beautiful swan story which I enjoyed. A few surprises in the book I didn’t see coming. A couple of ‘sexy times’ scenes that were quite enjoyable. I’d definitely recommend this book and this author. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Valerie Bowman never disappoints.
*I received this book at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*

[Margaret Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Gemma Brooks was desperate to help her fellow debutants find mates even though she wasn’t looking for one herself. In order to prevent fellow debutante, Lady Mary from ruining the other’s chances at finding love, she took a dare to ask the Lucien, Duke of Grovemont, for a dance at her brother’s wedding ball. Gemma hadn’t planned on Lady Mary and her mother’s plans to trick the Duke of Grovemont into marriage. In order to save Lucien from Lady Mary, Gemma has to truthfully admit to being alone with him herself. Gemma and Lucien each have differing opinions on how their marriage will work and they will have to learn how to live together if their marriage will succeed. A great story that requires them to get past the misunderstandings that lead to their marriage in order to achieve their HEA.

[Elizabeth Carter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this in about one evening, and found it relatively enjoyable. I found the character development didn’t wow me, and I think Lucien needed a bit more time to address his issues regarding his childhood. The plot twist ending with Pembrooke was unexpected and largely unnecessary, and I think the book would have benefit from more discussion and growth between the two main characters, rather than her getting kidnapped and about to be sold into sexual slavery. This intense ending got resolved in all of a few pages, and I think it was unnecessary. All in all I was looking for a quick and light read, and found that this book served its purpose.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute Gem

Glued to every page, I read this in one sitting.
Great story with great characters. From the wicked debutant to the deceitful friend, the from the ‘ugly duckling’ to the ice cold duke, the characters lead the reader on a merry dance through this story. Equally, readers’ sympathies change through the course of the book, most notably near the end.
Highly recommended

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this second book in the series even more than the first one. Great tension between the two main characters with a surprising twist just as the reader thought things were beginning to slow done and conclude. The female character is witty, intelligent and impulsive trying to navigate being a young married naive woman but all with humor and genuineness. Good read! Onward to third book in the series with apparently two of the most challenging characters in the series.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much. I forgot how much I loved historical romance books. I won this in a Goodreads giveaway. I will have to get the other two books in this series now.

I just loved Gemma and Lucian’s back and forth. Their love was so sweet and it just made me want to finish the story as fast as I could. The suspense of a divorce and the kidnapping left me on edge.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valerie always delivers

When I was at a loss of what to read next and I wasn’t excited about anything in my TBR pile, I received a newsletter from Valerie about a just published book. She always delivers the Regency Romp and she nailed it with this one.
Couldn’t put it down. Read it in a day.

[mary dewan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was prepared to like this book. Second Chances. Romance. Love. Just awful. Another purported Regency or Victorian that devolved into explicit sexual acts that would not likely take place with the married aristocracy. Once again romance is subsumed into soft porn. There are still a few good writers left who can tell a love story--even with sexual tension, longing and love..

[Kaylaep · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars.

Received this as part of a Goodreads Giveaway.

Enjoyed the progression of Gemma and Lucian’s relationship. Also liked that you got to know know them as individuals as well as a couple.

Miscommunication is present, but almost seemed appropriate for the situation (Gemma’s age, Lucian’s upbringing). Only downside was the big conflict seemed somewhat far fetched.

[Paging Snidget · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

A pretty standard premise but treated in a wholly original way. I liked the characters and the way their relationship progressed. The third act conflict came out of nowhere, but all resolved well. Overall, a really fun and enjoyable historical romance. One of my favourites from this author.

[Malou]

3,9/5; sie geht wegen einer Wette in den Raum rein, wo er alleine ist und wird komprimitiert; sie werden zudrehe gezwungen; er bestraft sie mit Kälte und geht für mehr als ein Jahr zu indische Besitztümer; sie verharrt anachronistisch auf eine Scheidung; Plot ist psychologisch nicht nachvollziehbar; insta lusty — auf deutsch umsonst bei kindl; adbl Empfehlung; missy sagt ok

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a wonderfully different storyline.
I loved the way the relationship unfolded between Lucian and Gemma.
There were interesting secondary characters, and I loved her family.
Definitely a 5-star read, and I can't wait for the next one in the series.

[Denise Tocci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me begin with LOVED the book ,the story and the characters. Gemma and Lucien were meant for each other. Please read book one of the duke dare first. You will truly appreciate the characters more. Can't wait for book 3

[Darlene Foster · Rating 1 out of 5]

So bad that I'm returning the book unfinished. Gemma "flounced" out of the room one time too many for me. Unlikeable and childish for a girl of 19 on the marriage mart. Our hero is no hero. Bah, they deserve each other.

[MsWhiskey · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

Good first half, if only the resolvement was better. Villain abducting FMC and MMC saving her as a denouement will always be a cheap shortcut for me. What worse is the villain role was slapped on a side character, out of nowhere, without much sense of goal for kidnapping.

[Mrs Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average

I’m reading this out of order and book 2 isn’t as good as book 3. I found the lead male rather irritating and too vindictive. It was ok and a quick read but very average.