To Dare a Duke

Girls Who Dare #1

by Emma V. Leech

Inside every wallflower is the beating heart of a lioness, a passionate individual willing to risk all for their dream, if only they can find the courage to begin. When these overlooked girls make a pact to change their lives, anything can happen.

Ten girls – Ten dares in a hat. Who will dare to risk it all?

Inside every wallflower is the beating heart of a lioness, a passionate individual willing to risk all for their dream, if only they can find the courage to begin. When these overlooked girls make a pact to change their lives, anything can happen. Eleven girls – Eleven dares in a hat. Twelve stories of passion. Who will dare to risk it all?

To Dare a Duke

Dreams of true love and happy ever afters
Dreams of love are all well and good, but all Prunella Chuffington-Smythe wants is to publish her novel. Marriage at the price of her independence is something she will not consider. Having tasted success writing under a false name in The Lady’s Weekly Review, her alter ego is attaining notoriety and fame, and Prue rather likes it.

A Duty that must be endured
Robert Adolphus, The Duke of Bedwin, is in no hurry to marry, he’s done it once, and repeating that disaster is the last thing he desires. Yet, an heir is a necessary evil for a duke and one he cannot shirk. A dark reputation precedes him, though. His first wife may have died young, but the scandals the beautiful, vivacious, and spiteful creature supplied the ton have not. A wife must be found. A wife who is neither beautiful nor vivacious but sweet and dull, and certain to stay out of trouble.

Dared to do something drastic
The sudden interest of a certain dastardly duke is as bewildering as it is unwelcome. She’ll not throw her ambitions aside to marry a scoundrel just as her plans for self-sufficiency and freedom are coming to fruition. Surely showing the man she’s not actually the meek little wallflower he is looking for should be enough to put paid to his intentions? When Prue is dared by her friends to do something drastic, it seems the perfect opportunity to kill two birds. However, Prue cannot help being intrigued by the rogue who has inspired so many of her romances. Ordinarily, he plays the part of a handsome rake, set on destroying her plucky heroine.

But is he really the villain of the piece this time, or could he be the hero? Finding out will be dangerous, but it just might inspire her greatest story yet.

Happy reading! And please do leave a review if you can – it would mean the world to hear what you enjoyed most about the book.

**** Warning: This book contains a careful selection of quiet determination, resolute tight-lipped-ness, and (almost) insurmountable levels of tension. Although coupled with the presence of occasionally descriptive sexual encounters, we are very pleased to highlight that this book - and series - is in no way verging on erotica.

**** AUTHOR'S NOTE: Girls Who Dare is an ongoing saga following the Peculiar Ladies, their friendships and loves, and is designed to be read in order. Whilst they may be read as standalone novels, some aspects of the story will not be explained if read in this fashion. The reading order is as follows:
•Book 1: To Dare a Duke
•Book 2: To Steal a Kiss
•Book 3: To Break the Rules
•Book 4: To Follow her Heart
•Book 5: To Wager with Love
•Book 6: To Dance with a Devil
•Book 7: To Winter at Wildsyde
•Book 8: To Experiment with Desire
•Book 9: To Bed the Baron
•Book 10: To Ride with the Knight
•Book 11: To Hunt the Hunter
•Book 12: To Dance until Dawn
(Also related: Matilda and Montagu, The story so far. A compilation of all the encounters between Matilda and Montagu from each book)

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Historical Fiction, Regency Romance, Audiobook

279 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 29, 2019

About the author

Bestselling author hiding mostly in 19th-century England, venturing out only for chocolate and tea.

Emma V. Leech is the award-winning author of multiple bestselling series across Regency romance, Regency mystery and paranormal romance. Fall in love with swoon-worthy rogues, bold heroines, witty banter and deeply romantic happily-ever-afters. Follow Emma on BookBub for new releases and exclusive deals.

EMMA’S BOOKS

Rogues And Gentlemen
Regency romance – 17-book series (ongoing)
Sexy, tumultuous and irresistibly romantic. From pirates and smugglers to earls and dukes, these unforgettable rogues will sweep you away!

Winter Rogue
A Regency Christmas romance within the Rogues & Gentlemen world
A scandal-weary earl, a runaway heiress and a crumbling country estate snowed in for Christmas. A sensual, heart-tugging holiday novella about redemption, desire and a love neither of them expects.

A Rogues and Gentlemen Christmas
A standalone Regency Christmas romance
A collection of three romantic holiday stories featuring beloved Rogues & Gentlemen characters. Expect snowstorms, sizzling tension, unexpected proposals, mistletoe moments and heart-melting happily-ever-afters – a cosy festive escape for Regency romance lovers.

The Girl Is Not For Christmas
A standalone Regency Christmas romance
Miss Olivia Penrose is the only thing standing between her family and ruin when a brooding aristocrat crashes into her carefully laid plans. Sparks fly amid family secrets, snowy scandals and irresistible festive longing in this passionate, witty and deeply romantic winter read.

Girls Who Dare
Regency romance – 12-book series
Inside every wallflower is the heart of a lioness. When these overlooked young women make a pact to change their lives, rules are broken, reputations are risked and love becomes the most daring adventure of all.

Daring Daughters
Victorian romance – 19-book series and two compilations
The next generation of the Girls Who Dare. Their mothers risked everything for love – now their daughters are ready to be even bolder. An ongoing series of fiercely romantic stories set in a rapidly changing world.

Wicked Sons
Victorian romance – 12-book series
Their mothers dared all for love. Their sisters did the same. Now it’s the sons’ turn… dangerous, tempting and determined not to fall – until the right woman brings them to their knees.

The Venturesome Ladies Of Little Valentine
Regency romance – my current series
A quiet seaside village, a wave of scandalous newcomers and local ladies who refuse to be swept aside. A warm, witty Regency series full of secrets, second chances and delicious enemies-to-lovers romance.

The Regency Romance Mysteries
Regency romantic suspense – 3-book series
Dashing heroes, wicked villains, murder, mystery – and heroines who refuse to sit prettily and wait to be rescued. Perfect if you like your Regency romance served with danger and intrigue.

The French Vampire Legend
Paranormal romance – 4-book series
A dark, dramatic and heart-wrenching tale of courage, sacrifice and a love that not even time, war or monsters can destroy. Gothic atmosphere, high stakes and a romance that refuses to die.

The French Fae Legend
Fantasy romance – 4-book series
An award-winning saga with close to sixteen million online reads. Moving between modern-day France and the Fae Lands, these books weave powerful magic, danger and an all-consuming love that proves stronger than any enchantment.

The Book Lover
A standalone paranormal romance novella
A book-obsessed young woman, an infuriatingly charming stranger and the unnerving sense that stories might be bleeding into real life. A short, intensely romantic tale for anyone who has ever fallen in love with books… and perhaps with something not entirely of this world.

Reviews

[Edwina " I LoveBooks" "Deb" · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had very mixed feelings about To Dare a Duke.

Prunella Chuffington-Smythe is living a secret life as an author Miss Terry. She is writing a story each week and the name resembles a real person. Robert Adolphus Duke of Bedwin. Her Duke in her story is the Duke of Bedsin. Prue has heard lies about Bedwin from gossiping ton memebers. She decides to bring an innocent man down using lies. She had never meet the Duke of Bedwin. Nor does she know the truth of what he endure at the hands of a cruel wife.

Robert's deceased wife was a cheat and really a whor!! Robert loved her but she betrayed him in everyway. On the morning of a hunt at his home he catches his wife having sex with a childhood best friend. In the Bed chamber ajoining his. She goes on the hunt and breaks her neck making a jump. Some believe he killed her.

I just couldn't forgive Prue. She made this man's life hell and she had never met him or knew anything about him. She became his judge and jury for a crime he didn't even commit against an evil women.

The story might have been better if Robert and Prue had more romance and less of Prue's attacks everytime he meets with her. She was downright rude and this would have never happen in any era for a lowly nobody to set down a Duke. The author has a good bases for a storyline Girls Who Dare but she really Miss The Mark on this one. I wish authors would remember Dukes were extemely powerful beings and write them as such. Robert was to whimpy running after Prue. He even forgives her for what she has done to his reputation. I think he should have dumped her and married her cousin Minerva!!

[Lady Nilambari Reads HR · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

It was a cutesy story. Felt very teenage giddy romantic type. I loved Robert, Prunella (unfortunate name aside) redeemed herself. I think a 20 year old me would have enjoyed it more than a 30 year old me!

[Heidi (can’t retire soon enough) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I took a break from my mystery reading binge to read this week’s guaranteed happy ending. Just what the doctor ordered for this COVID19 shelter in place bookworm (so far we’re all virus free including and especially my 82-year-old mom).

Back to the review.

I just love the bad boy-bookish spinster trope (is that the right word? If not, it does lend some Regency elegance to this review!!).

Romance, silly misunderstandings and fairly tame moments in the garden at moonlight alone run rampant here.

A charming romance for a rainy day stuck inside!!

PS— and thanks to the lovely author, it was free! Well worth the price!!

[Elodie’s Reading Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wallflowers and bluestockings are part of my favorite tropes, why the blurb caught my eyes and I do preordered this book.
And I’m glad I did it.
I even had to hurry finishing the book I was reading so eager I was to jump in this one.
Even if there was no mystery about how the plot will progress, I had some hard time to stop and put this book aside today, I was even late as some of my rendezvous because I was so in need to read few more pages.
I loved both main characters, Prue and Robert are two people shaped by their past, he payes a harsh tribute to his mistakes some distorted by the gossip rags, while she designed her future upon the ugly sample she had from married life.
Prue to built her freedom uses her talent with words and writes stories as a secret livelihood, she even narrates stories with known peer as background characters for her work, she just never expected to meet the vilain of her actual serial nor catch his eyes. And worst, the more she get to know him, the more she sees she was misguided by said gossips. But how can she stop the clock or go back in time now she knows she was wrong.
Robert after a failed marriage and the death of his scandalous wife has avoided the ton, preferring meddling with debauches and light-skirts than meet those who choose to believe the dirt told about him. But even if he is reluctant, he knows he must find a new wife for the usual heir and spare. But this time, she must be rather plain, dull, boring and scandal free, except the one woman fitting this portrait is not so dull nor boring, worse she utters nonsenses, dares him, intrigues him and even refuses him. The more she rejects him, the more he realizes she is the one woman he wants, really wants. She unsettles him and reawakens feelings he thought buried, but will it be enough to win her when she seems so reluctant to give up what she has carefully planned without a man in.
There are very few angsty moments, while the plot could have called for it, but it is more a story about guilt than anger, Robert was sentenced guilty by the Haute Monde because his wife died after an altercation and he feels it too as he never really did anything to stop the spreading of the gossips. While Prue in wanting to write about abusive men as her own father, she chose the wrong one for instance and her anger against vicious men turned to guilt to have fallen so easily prey to the hearsay and put all her resentment on the wrong character even if it was romanticized.
A great first book in a new series, so much I can’t wait for the next one.

[Somia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prue (I don’t’ blame her for not using her given name so I’m not going to use it here), is a wallflower, but she does not bemoan her position, due to her parents’ marriage she has no desire to marry, and her plans for the future require no man. Prue is a writer, writing under a false name in The Lady's Weekly Review, her work is gaining notoriety and fame, with many thinking the villain in her story is based on the real Duke of Bedminster, with many believing he killed his wife.

The Duke of Bedminster, has no wish to marry after the disaster of his first marriage, but he knows his duty and the need for an heir, and so he gathers himself to locate a wife, and when his uncle recommends Prue – who is loyal and intelligent, well the Duke decides she will be the women he weds, now if only he could persuade her.

The chemistry between Prue and Robert was clear, especially after the midway point, and as a couple I enjoyed them, however they are not a couple that will remain potently in my mind. There was a fire/spark in the authors depiction of them and events that was missing, although there were moments were glimmers of that spark were tangible.

I did expect the Duke to be a tad broodier, the shift from him being wary to in-love for me didn’t feel seamless/entirely natural, and I wanted the banter between the two main character to be snappier throughout the book, still this was a nice, albeit predictable read. The characters were engaging, but they didn’t grasp my attention and keep it ensnared in an iron grip.

This is a light HR book, the two main characters work well together, and I enjoyed this enough that I have started reading book 2.

Free on Amazon 1st June 2019 and available via KU.

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot can be summed up as just feckin tell him. So while this was cute, it was also irritating. I also prefer my heroes more alpha and less wet sop.

Complete story and available on ku.

[Cara Bristol · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love Regency romance, you HAVE to read this book. It is one of the best Regencies I've ever read.

Prunella Chuffington-Smythe, Prue to her friends, has a secret goal--to save enough money and move out of her aunt's loveless home and be an independent woman. She has no desire to ever put herself under a man's thumb by marrying. Toward that end, she becomes an authoress, secretly writing a serialized novel about the exploits of the "fictitious" roguish Duke of Bedsin, inspired by the very real Duke of Bedwin (S v. W). Her newspaper serial is the talk of the town.

Her plans begin to go awry when she encounters the real duke and she realizes he's not the blackguard gossip made him out to be (and that she had hand in advancing).

This book was such a joy to read. The characters are wonderful, and the story is great. The writing is awesome and fit the story and the time period perfectly.

Loved it. Loved it. Loved it.

[Gerda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once again Emma Leech steals the plotline from Georgette Heyer - here it is "Sylvester" - and does not even change the characters noble station, both times the hero is a duke and the heroine is a cinderella-like nobody with a spiteful cousin and aunt and successfully publishing a book about a character resembling the hero.

I expected some twist to distinguish it from above mentioned book, but it never came.
I am glad it was free on kindle.

[Dharini · Rating 3 out of 5]

This otherwise perfectly lovely book wouldn't have been such an exercise in patience if the heroine didn't feel the need to act like a brainless twit at every turn.

[ꕥ Ange_Lives_To_Read ꕥ · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

Started out with potential but quickly deteriorated, the heroine is a nitwit, and I just can’t waste any more of my life on another 200 pages

[SassyLeg · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Strong willed/clever h who longs for independence and is proud to be a wallflower meets a titled H with a "dark" past - he is looking for a sensible, lame wife... so the pursuit begins!
Good story, good characters and good "steam" - OK read!

[gottalottie · Rating 1 out of 5]

you know the actions of the heroine and the conflict are stupid when several side characters have to explain the motivations to both MCs several times over as the author tries to justify the trumped up storyline; boring

[Jessica Gaspar · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Lisa C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who would have the nerve to dare a Duke? A Wallflower, of course. Prunella Chuffington-Smythe has decided not to marry and become a published author instead. Robert Adolphus, The Duke of Bedwin has a nasty reputation, but he is a widowed Duke, so he's looking for a bride, a bride of convenience, definitely not love. Loved these characters - Prue is such a strong woman, trying to be independent and Robert's backstory is heartbreaking, you can't help but feel for the man. As this is the beginning of a series we are introduced to several of the characters from upcoming books, and I can't wait to read them all. This was a new author for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style and the premise of the story. Highly recommend.

[Sana Ajaz]

DNF @ 30%

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 30%

I could not take the heroine seriously. She made some incredibly stupid decisions and she was a know-it-all shrew.

I find it difficult to believe that a person whose parents had a toxic abusive relationship, who does not believe in love, and has no experience with men at all would be this amazing romance writer. Having her write mysteries or Penny dreadfuls would have made much more sense. I also have difficulty taking serious any heroine that swears off of marriage and is determined to be an independent woman without any sort of safety net. She is literally gambling her life on the fact that she will be able to live off her writing. The publishing industry and the public are notoriously fickle, and she's literally a new writer. She couldn't even open a bank account without a man. She could literally marry an old guy or someone with a noodle for a spine and have protection, respectability, a place in society, without trading her independence.

I really liked the banter she and the hero had at first, but the second he proposed she became unlikable. I just don't like shrew heroines. I will never understand why the heroes bend over backwards for such unlikable people.

[Book Addict · Rating 3 out of 5]

A combination of Dukes and wallflowers is perfect bait to get my attention.
I was very excited to get into the book.
Ten girls get together and form a book club and find friendship in the process, they each write a dare that will help them change their life and that's where the stories begin.
Though this book got me interested in the other stories that were to follow, it by itself failed to capture my attention. It was well written but this is a common enough theme and Leech failed to add anything new to the mix.
I look forward to the story of the other girls.

[_ paralivreando_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"...a vida é incerta e devemos aproveitar nossas oportunidades como pudermos. Se encontrar algo verdadeiro, agarre-o e não o solte. Quem se importa se não é o que achou que queria?"


A nova temporada iniciou, e com ela os bailes e a esperança de um casamento, se for lucrativo, melhor ainda. Todas estão lá para conquistar e serem conquistadas, exceto as jovens damas reunidas em um canto do salão em todos os bailes. Jovens com peculiaridades que as impedem de serem cortejadas a altura da sociedade.

Pruenella é uma delas, uma jovem com objetivos bem distintos de qualquer outra mulher. Não foram suas atitudes e escolhas que a impedem de se casar, mas o passado tenebroso que seu pai a fez viver, um homem controlador, abusivo e mentiroso.

Ter o mesmo passado que sua mãe não estava em seus planos e para poder viver sem estar debaixo do domínio de um homem, ela teria que conquistar seu próprio sustento. E por que não escrevendo?

Sua história tem um vilão baseado em um homem considerado pela sociedade como um tirano e assassino. Seus capítulos publicados fazem sucesso a cada semana. O final está quase pronto, até o dia em que Prue é apresentada ao homem que representa seu vilão.

Seria o Duque de Bedwin tão vilão quanto o seu Duque Maldito? Ou o que ela fez, foi somente julga-lo erroneamente quanto toda a sociedade? Estaria pronta para enfrentar seus medos e mudar todos os seus planos para conhecer a verdade?

"Ele pegou a mão dela e a guiou para a pista de dança... Isso não estava nos seus planos. Para os infernos com o homem, por que ele estava sempre revirando suas tramas e reescrevendo as coisas?"

Esse é o primeiro livro de sete da série Damas Ousadas, e estou ansiosa para ler os outros.

Achei o casal bastante envolvente e mesmo a Prue sendo teimosa, seus temores não são frívolos conforme a época em que vive. Eles têm um relacionamento bastante divertido, até o momento em que tudo parece estar desabando. Mesmo porque, o passado de Robert também não foi tão simples quanto desejava. Acreditar nas pessoas é algo que os dois irão precisar reaprender, pois o amor sem confiança não funciona.

Muitas festas, romance e grandes histórias para contar, afinal, ele é a introdução para todos os personagens que iremos conhecer durante toda a série, não esquecendo das risadas com a aleatoriedade dos assuntos que Prue levanta em várias páginas desse livro que transporta o leitor a uma época complicada de viver. Um período que pode ser tão romântico quanto assustador, dependendo de qual lado se está da sociedade tradicionalista e preconceituosa.

[CONNIE · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the chemistry between Prue and Robert but, it never addressed what happened to the signet ring. There should have been a”finale” for the ring too.
The storyline was not original either. I have read several historical romance books that followed the same plot and, that was a disappointment to me.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 I enjoyed the story itself but the letter inserts at the beginning of chapters and the girls meetings seem a little messy throughout. Maybe it’s because I’m listening and the narrator is male which is really weird to me because this is a book about daring girls and really should be narrated by a woman.

[nanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Livro mixuruca, viu. Personagem parece adm do quebrando tabu do século 19, cada fala era uma lacrada e se achando melhor que todo mundo porque "não ia ser escrava de homem 🤪🤪 pipipopopo". No final tomou uc e deveria ter tomado mais, put! chata.

[Rainelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was very entertaining. I like the plot. It’s different and new. The lead characters, I really liked.
I voluntary reviewed this ARC after receiving a free gifted copy.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been mainlining this series, so sorry, it's possible your feed will be dizzy with the next 10 books!

Fun, sweet, smexy, and addictive.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
This was a fantastic book!
Filled with so many amazing characters, with a lot of depth to them.
The very best one was our main guy. This man went through so much and he was such a sweetie for nearly the entire book. When he overreacted he apologised, when he misunderstood he was willing to admit it and hear the other person out, when he knew what he wanted he fought for it and his relationship with his younger sister was the best part.
Honestly such goals!

I loved our main girl and her group of friends, especially her maid. Her only fault was being so damn stubborn and constantly running away, which drove me just a little insane and made this a 4.5 for me.

We can not forget about his uncle, that man deserved the world.

It was just such a great book, with so many good scenes.
I devoured it in a day!

Buddy read with Martina 🤍

[Krys · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled to get into this story. There was nothing redeemable or likable about Prue and the way she treated Robert throughout this entire novel. Sure, it was understandable why at first she was leery of meeting him (she thought he was about to oust her for the horrid "story" she was publishing about him in which she made him out to be a villain based on nothing but the gossip she had heard). And of course, Robert's idea of a marriage proposal would have turned anyone off.

However, this book quickly became a constant back and forth of Robert trying to show her what kind of man he was and her being snappish and shrewish for no reason other than she didn't want him to find out that she was the author responsible for the stories being written. She leads him on asking him to dance with her at midnight (to fulfill a DARE her friends gave her), then asks him for a "token to remember the night by" only to then, once again be like Oh no. I don't want you whatever gave you that idea? I was even more turned off about the fact that his own uncle told him that he had known Prue for many years and that if Robert hurt her he would "never forgive" him. So I guess that just gives Prue to continue to play with his emotions and act the shrew? No thanks.

Eventually, the truth comes out, and she runs away like the mature adult that she is. But she ends up coming back and they finally have an adult conversation that puts everything to rest just as easy as you please (which was a bit anti-climatic to be honest especially when we aren't even privy to what he wrote in the "story" that he got published himself). In fact, I think much of this story would have been improved if instead of letters between "friends" breaking up different scenes some of the story that Prue was publishing weekly had been included as well.

I'm sure there are others to whom this story will appeal to more than it appealed to me. However, I would give this author another chance.

[Maria Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

PERFECTION!!!

Wowww! So long since I’ve read a book that truly captivated me and was so beautifully written! The chemistry! The teasing, the clandestine meets, the slow burn, the vulnerability, and the build up! LOVE LOVE LOVED!!!

I’m sadly a harsh critic and find most books don’t live up to my expectations or hopes. This was literally perfection for me. Not a thing I would have changed.

I’m also a sucker for Cinderella which I had no idea this was loosely mirrored after.

HEA: YES
CLIFFHANGER: NO
Series: Yes, and I strongly urge you to read in order, I started with the fifth book and was so lost with all the characters so I stopped and went to this book (1) and am SOOO happy I did.
STEAM: YES! but it’s a slow burn, in the best way and really well done. The build up is great! And if you’re not into the steamy stuff then it’s easily skipped. I’d say 2.5/5 heat.

[Kasey Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and inventive story...

I truly enjoyed this book. The final chapter wasn’t needed because it added nothing to the story. That is about the only issue I had with this story.
The characters are well thought out and fit into the story very well indeed. I felt the view of both society and nineteenth century London. I’m unsure where some of the spelling originated, but I put it down to maybe being the British spelling as opposed to the American spelling of some terms. All were very clear and did not slow the story at all. Overall this is a well written story and very entertaining.

[Ruse Era · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first review, but I'm going to barrel through. Here goes!

Short Summary:
Prunella Chuffington-Smythe wants to be an independant woman relying on no man to protect her and spends her time indulging in a passion of writing, which, somehow, builds up into a wild serialization depicting a poorly concealed story about the Duke of Bedwin- sorry, Bedsin.

On the other hand, The Duke of Bedwin is saddled with a scandalous reputation and a need for a wife, for what is a duke without an heir?

---

My Thoughts:

George and Prunella meet and sparks fly, even if not on the first meeting, sending both on a jouryney of romance, dancing, and love, despite the desire to refuse it on both ends of the table.

The story was overall well crafted, in my amateur opinion (because despite writing a bit myself, I am not professionally published, and in any case, I prefer to read as a reader than an author. Much more fun!), and well-paced. There was no instant declaration of love on either of the MCs' parts, but rather a gradual descent that was shown through their actions, which was a nice touch, I like to think.

The side characters were also well-developed, which I guess was partly due to their recurring presence in the series, and I adored the 'dares' and the book club! The colleciton of women was so beautifully varied and though there were a few sterotypes (when aren't they, with the focus on wallflowers), they did break out of their boxes with a little more depth than I would've presumed.

Moreover, the developement of Minerva was nice, if a bit too hurried. It would have been better to show it to be gradual rather than jump from one end of the discussion ("She hates me, just like her mother." - Prue) to the other ("She's nicer than I thought.").
Granted, it was probably intentional to show how Prue was breaking out of her shell and finally looking at the world around her (?) but it was also a bit sudden. Of course, I did like how she showed she wasn't completely perfect yet when she showed the manuscript to George, but that was also interestingly important both for the plot and for her character.

As for the main characters themselves...



Well, what can I say? They were very well crafted and pretty suited. As I mentioned above, they didn't fall in love immediately, but their compatability was shown right off the bat, which was great, because compatability and chemistry is pretty important when pushing two characters together.

I adored how George inspired teasing from Prue and was willing to give as good as he got. I also loved how she informed him right off the bat that she didn't believe he murdered Lavinia, though another great touch was the fact that she did, in fact, believe in the other rumors, coloring their relationship not just with a tension of convenience being the greatest reason he wanted to marry her, but also because she didn't want to be under the thumb of cruelty and was willing to give up a potential wealthy future only so she herself could be happy. Safe.

It was a pretty nice deepening of Prue's character, and revealed gradually enough that I was hungering on every step. I'm not ashame to say I blazed through it!

In short, Prue wasn't the perfect Mary Sue. She was flawed, she believed in rumors (like most so often do even if they profess otherwise), and she wrote something terrible about the man who did none of it.

But she made up for it and she did so with pizzazz. She knew her faults (at least the one she committed at that moment) and owned up for it. Sure, she did run away, but it was what she thought was best for everyone, so that everyone could move on. She inspired quite a few misunderstandings with both George and her friends (namely Matilda), but she was also loyal, and I liked her interactions with everyone.

I also loved the depiction of her inner conflict and the way it was constantly on her mind, making it pretty realistic and important and not instantly fixed by any means.

And George... well, the duke was a great character, too. He was pretty down and gloomy for the first part of the novel, which made me like Prue more (okay, I still like Prue more but anyway), but his improvement over the course of the story was nice enough that it made me love the two of them together.

I do love that he was the one who got off his ass and came to ask Prue for clarification rather than keep drowning himself in sorrow and self-pity (though it did start off that way and the real ending was actually becuse Helena is a pretty nice sister), and placed his fury under a lid in ways Prue's dad never did. He wasn't forceful, he wasn't disrespectful, and most of all, he wasn't an arrogant ass as a lot of dukely characters tend to be.

One thing I was sad about was not being able to read what Prue and George wrote in the newspapers, haha. I absolutely would love to and was having a fun time trying to imagine XD.



It wasn't a fiery, never-before-seen kind of thing, not a story of relentless passion and pursuit, but it was a beautiful not-quite-but-close-enough fluffy slow burn that had a happy ending and a cute cast of characters relentlessly moving towards an ending while starting their own stories.

I am definitely going to read more of this series!

[Richard Burlton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful idea to form the framework for an extended series filled with a wonderful variety of female characters. This plot make a great start and I particularly liked the heroine

[TheBookReviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got this book on kindle unlimited.
At first I did not understand why there are the list of friends at the start. In between the plot you will know why.
The story starts off with Prue the protagonist pinning down her version of the story. She tries to pin down this story based in her assumptions of society, but her flaw was that even she was not immune to the gossip around. So with the gossip as the sole witness she writes this story about a duke even before meeting him. Unexpected meeting with the duke terrifies her at the same time excites her. She will see the real persona of the duke.
I liked the line where he tells her that maybe he is the one that needs be rescued. It makes us the readers think that the coin has two sides, which breaks the gender inequality. We all assume only women need rescuing.
There is also a part where there is mutual respect for the fellow human beings irrespective of their stations.
This book is about how she tries to break free of the society norms and conditions. So basically she aspires to be an independent women. The author has also given the conversations between Prue and her friends which I found quite quite unique. It will not distract you from the book but just keeps you with the flow.
In between all of the factors the author has added a lot of romance. It becomes about trusting each other both Bedwin and Prue overcoming their past shadows. Hers were of that of her father and his were that of his infatuation with his past bride.
Twist in the story was the dare the title of the book. The dare actually changed the chemistry between the two. Post this is when they actually fall in deep for one another.
When she realizes she was too late to change the story which had already been written she tries to make her amendments by posting a last chapter wherein the villain becomes a hero overnight.
It also tells you of how superficial the society is just to believe a piece of gossip spreader -the paper.
The most romantic part was that when the hero woos her by writing her a story when she flees unable to bear the guilt and pain she had caused him.
The villain in her life was in fact actually her hero.
A little bit exciting,bit romantic and a happily ever after.
Looking forward to see how different the other stories will be.