Romance at a Glance

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The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare | Fall into Historicals

Romance at a Glance is a podcast where hosts Bridget and Shani review romance novels and interview some of romance’s biggest authors diving into candid conversations about life, relationships, and sexual desires. Expect 100% honest reviews, spontaneous singing, life lessons, indecent anecdotes, and bawdy humor. Leave us a rating and review on iTunes.

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Book Review at a Glance

Heroine Rating: Penelope

Shani: 🍑🍑🍑🍑🍑

Bridget: 🍑🍑🍑🍑🍑.

Hero Rating: Gabriel

Shani: 🍆🍆🍆🍆

Bridget: 🍆🍆🍆🍆

McDreamy to Mc Steamy:

Shani: McDreamy

Bridget: I think he’s supposed to be a McSteamy, but he ends up being a McDreamy.

Classy to Nasty:

Vanilla but HOT. Great descriptions


Romance at a Glace Reviews The Wallflower Wager By Tessa Dare

AKA Tessa Dare is a goddess of historical romances!!!

**Trigger Warning- Grooming/child molestation in the heroine's past**

Friends, this historical season is doing us right. Tessa Dare delivered and we had a great time meeting her at the panel last fall.

This episode was recorded PRE Corona - so enjoy a nostalgic time when we could wander the streets of Target and in general leave the house with no fear. 

Some major points we discussed: 

  • The parrot - Pretty girl - Fancy a fuck, love?"

  • Their meeting - her lusting after him immediately

  • Her aunt/brother saying she has to get married or move into the country

  • Her taking in all the lame and weird animals. So many funny moments!

  • Duke of Ruin - willing to ruin everyone’s reputation

  • Their love story (OBVI!)

On Romance at a Glance, we discuss and review all genres of romance novels, as well as get into the nitty-gritty of real-life romance, relationships, and sex... while cracking each other up. Expect some spontaneous singing, funny anecdotes, honest reviews, and naughty language.


Quick Guide Review of the Book and Notes

Book Title: The Wallflower Wager

Author: Tessa Dare

Audio Narrator: Mary Jane Wells

Part of a Series: Book 3 of the “Girl Meets Duke” series

Genre: Historical Romance

Cover Art:

Shani: Love it, it’s sweet and steamy just like the book.

Bridget: The cover is very pretty. Not sure that I know it is a historical romance from the cover though. The sort of angel light thing they have going is also pretty, and he’s shirtless, so that is nice. But after having read the book, this doesn’t really tell me anything about their characters. Like it would have made more sense if there were some animals in there or something for Penelope’s character.

Synopsis: 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.

Heroine Rating: Penelope

Shani: 🍑🍑🍑🍑🍑

Bridget: 🍑🍑🍑🍑🍑 I thought she was funny and weird and goofy and lusty.

Hero Rating: Gabriel

Shani: 🍆🍆🍆🍆 I thought he was justified in his jadedness, Love his thoughtfulness at end of the book.

Bridget: 🍆🍆🍆🍆 I liked him… but also thought it was something that wasn’t going to be a good thing

McDreamy to Mc Steamy:

Shani: McDreamy

Bridget: I think he’s supposed to be a McSteamy, but he ends up being a McDreamy.

Classy to Nasty:

Vanilla but HOT. Great descriptions

Favorite Lines in the Book:

Favorite Review:

Shani’s from Goodreads:

IntrepidFraidyCat . 5 stars

 The Best Yet! 

Without giving anything away....this book made me burst out laughing in many places which is always a welcomed thing. We get to know Penny's backstory and the ending ....oh, the ending was just the best! The sham and tuna-ish are still around too. Mary Jane Wells always does an excellent job. I'll be listening to this one several more times...like I did with the first two books.

EDIT: I've listened to this book several times now. I love how the author gives even minor characters some development...ie: the house keeper and the architect. It is another reason I enjoyed this book so much. I sure do hope that there will be a fourth book...one last friend to go. There were hints at the end of this book. Don't leave us hanging!

Bridget’s from Goodreads:

Riley rated it 5 stars

the slytherin/hufflepuff ship we deserve

Worth the Read?

Shani: I LMFAO reading this book. It’s not a book you want to read while multitasking. From the hilarious banter to the well-written sex scenes this book was a delight. Penny’s menagerie of rejected and wounded pets adds to the hilarity of the story as they are constantly causing a ruckus…. And let’s not forget Penny’s horrid vegetarian food. 

Gabriel Duke is remarkably practical and I love the way he tries to maneuver around Penny. The scene in which he hires bad actors to pretend to be farmers was especially hilarious. I highly recommend it.

Bridget: Love this!! My favorite of season 3 so far. This book was hilarious, and fun, and quirky and I loved every minute of reading it. Get yourself a copy!

Buy it on Amazon | Buy on Bookshop: Support Local Bookstores


Full Podcast Transcript

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Welcome to Romance at a Glance, a podcast that uses romance novels to dive into candid conversations about life, relationship dynamics, and sexual desires. 

As hosts Bridget and Shani review books and interview some of romance’s biggest authors, they explore the breadth of the genre, openly embracing the sex, diverse couplings, and taboo in order to create a safe space for listeners to be exposed to different lifestyles, fantasies, and to pique their naughty curiosity.

Expect 100% honest reviews, spontaneous singing, life lessons, indecent anecdotes, and bawdy humor.

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May your books be your lover and your hand your best friend