{Historical Romance Review} Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare

What’s a duke to do, when the girl who’s perfectly wrong becomes the woman he can’t live without?

Griffin York, the Duke of Halford, has no desire to wed this season—or any season—but his diabolical mother abducts him to “Spinster Cove” and insists he select a bride from the ladies in residence. Griff decides to teach her a lesson that will end the marriage debate forever. He chooses the serving girl.

Overworked and struggling, Pauline Simms doesn’t dream about dukes. All she wants is to hang up her barmaid apron and open a bookshop. That dream becomes a possibility when an arrogant, sinfully attractive duke offers her a small fortune for a week’s employment. Her duties are simple: submit to his mother’s “duchess training”… and fail miserably.

But in London, Pauline isn’t a miserable failure. She’s a brave, quick-witted, beguiling failure—a woman who ignites Griff’s desire and soothes the darkness in his soul. Keeping Pauline by his side won’t be easy. Even if Society could accept a serving girl duchess—can a roguish duke convince a serving girl to trust him with her heart? (Blurb via Goodreads)

{Details} Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages. Published May 28th 2013 by Avon. Source: library

{Rating} 4/5 - I really liked it!

{Review}

"Griff cracked open a single eyelid." (line 1, page 1)

Confession: I love Tessa Dare's books. I love her heroines, her heroes, how she can write both heart touching and heart wrenching scenes. She's a fabulous writer. Any Duchess Will Do is book four in the Spindle Cove series - and we do see glimpses of established characters - but it can definitely stand alone.

Pauline is spunky, determined, obstinate, kind, loyal and caring. She is such a likable character. Beneath his gruff exterior - and there's a reason for it, he's haunted by something that Dare is slow to reveal - Griff is a good guy. He's also a charmer with prejudices and a tendency to speak before he thinks, but he is loving and protective of his family and willing to do what he must to make things right. The chemistry between Pauline and Griff is undeniable from the start but as Pauline points out repeatedly she's the hired help and there are thirty three orders of precedence between them. It seems hopeless but as is true throughout the book, nothing is as it seems.

And there is knitting... deformed, full of love knitting, you've got to read the book to find out about that. Go read all of the other books in the Spindle Cove series and all of Dare's other books. You won't be sorry.