Review: One Dance with a Duke by Tessa Dare

One Dance with a Duke (Stud Club #1) by Tessa Dare
Synopsis (Goodreads):

A handsome and reclusive horse breeder, Spencer Dumarque, the fourth Duke of Morland, is a member of the exclusive Stud Club, an organization so select it has only ten members—yet membership is attainable to anyone with luck. And Spencer has plenty of it, along with an obsession with a prize horse, a dark secret, and, now, a reputation as the dashing “Duke of Midnight.” Each evening he selects one lady for a breathtaking midnight waltz. But none of the women catch his interest, and nobody ever bests the duke—until Lady Amelia d’Orsay tries her luck.

In a moment of desperation, the unconventional beauty claims the duke’s dance and unwittingly steals his heart. When Amelia demands that Spencer forgive her scapegrace brother’s debts, she never imagines that her game of wits and words will lead to breathless passion and a steamy proposal. Still, Spencer is a man of mystery, perhaps connected to the shocking murder of the Stud Club’s founder. Will Amelia lose her heart in this reckless wager or win everlasting love?

My Thoughts: Oh, I liked this one! Amelia isn't some simpering miss determined to land a husband. In fact, she's resigned herself to her unmarried state and she doesn't think she's all that pretty. She's all heart, though. She can't help but be kind to everyone who crosses her path, including one grumpy, uncommunicative Duke with more than a few social issues.

I loved that Spencer likened winning Amelia over to breaking a horse. He teased her, soothed her, got her to trust him, and then backed off to see if it was enough. Unfortunately, he didn't count on his own physical reaction to her -- which led to some interesting situations for the poor Duke. The two of them together where just... fun. Sexy and fun. An excellent combination, if I do say so myself.

While I enjoyed the book as a whole, I wasn't thrilled with the way Amelia turned a blind eye to how her brother was using her. Here's the thing, though, I get it. I get that it's hard to face that someone you love is falling into a deeper and deeper hole and they're using you to try to pad the bottom. I felt for Spencer because he was nothing but honest with her about what he saw in her brother's actions and she refused to see it time and time again.

All in all, this was a fun, sexy, sweet romp with two people who are both hardheaded in their own way but who managed to work nicely around their problems. As an added plus, I giggle every time I see "Stud Club". Stud Club. Ha!

Books in this series
1. One Dance with a Duke - Paperback | Kindle
2. Twice Tempted by a Rogue
3. Three Nights with a Scoundrel

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