Tessa Dare is a best-selling American historical romance novelist. She has written fifteen novels and novellas and created five different series. In 2012, she won the Romance Writers of America RITA award for Best Regency Historical Romance for her book A Night to Surrender.

Biography

During her childhood, her family moved frequently, and books became very important to her. She said books were her safe place, her way to have fun, and a way to learn about many different subjects. In a way, books felt like her home. When she felt lonely or lost, reading a book she knew well helped her feel better. She would read during meals, during school, late into the night, and even while walking.

Dare works as a full-time author and currently lives in Southern California with her husband, two children, and three cats.

Her writing

Her first published fiction was Jane Austen fan fiction written under the name Vangie. Soon after, she entered and won the Avon FanLit contest, and her short story "Forget Me Not" became Chapter Four of the HarperCollins e-book These Wicked Games. This contest helped her begin her publishing career, along with the other winner, Courtney Milan.

Dare later signed with Ballantine to publish her debut novel, Goddess of the Hunt. In 2011, she began writing for Avon with the first book in her Spindle Cove series, A Night to Surrender.

When asked why she mixes humor with serious emotion in her writing, she explained it relates to her first date with her husband. "I ran into a flagpole, face-first. More than a decade later, we're still laughing about it. So mixing funny and serious moments feels real to me, because it matches my own life."

Awards and reception

• 2009 – Goddess of the Hunt won the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best Historical Novel.
• 2010 – One Dance with a Duke won the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Regency-Set Historical Romance.
• 2011 – A Night to Surrender won the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best Historical Love & Laughter.
• 2012 – A Week to Be Wicked won the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best Historical Love & Laughter.
• 2012 – A Night to Surrender won the Romance Writers of America RITA Award for Best Regency Romance.
• 2013 – Any Duchess Will Do won the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best Historical Love & Laughter.

Dare’s books have received multiple starred reviews from Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist. All of her books reviewed by Romantic Times received a 4-star rating or higher.

Her books have appeared on the USA Today bestseller list, including titles such as Romancing the Duke, Say Yes to the Marquess, Once Upon a Winter’s Eve, A Week to Be Wicked, A Lady By Midnight, Beauty and the Blacksmith, and Any Duchess Will Do.

Her first book, Goddess of the Hunt, was praised by Romantic Times, which called it a Top Pick and described it as a story with "wit, humor, and heart." The same publication named it Best Historical Novel of 2009. Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review and said it includes "sensuous scenes, humor, and well-developed characters." Jane Litte of DearAuthor called the writing "exquisite" and gave it a B+ rating.

A Lady By Midnight reached #30 on the New York Times bestseller list on September 16, 2012.

A Week to Be Wicked reached #31 on the New York Times bestseller list on April 15, 2012. Publishers Weekly said the book has "a balance of romance, humor, and clever dialogue."

Library Journal described The Beauty and the Blacksmith as "an engaging story with rich details about village life and interesting characters."

Kirkus Reviews said Any Duchess Will Do has "great writing and characters that keep readers interested." Publishers Weekly noted that while the story’s inspiration from classic tales might not fully explain the plot, the book includes "romance, humor, and emotional drama." In 2015, author Beverly Jenkins listed Any Duchess Will Do as #2 in her Top 10 Historical Romances for Publishers Weekly. Library Journal also named it one of the Top 10 romance novels of 2013, calling it "a funny and surprising story."

Library Journal said Romancing the Duke has "humor, joy, and a happy ending that feels like a fairy tale." Kirkus Reviews called it a "unique story with two characters who are perfect for each other but would never have met without a difficult life situation."