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A review by pantsreadsbooks
Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I loved this one so much. I always get surprised by the ones I wasn’t especially looking forward to— Pauline we meet only in passing in Beauty and the Blacksmith, and Griff’s guest appearance in A Week to Be Wicked didn’t exactly recommend him as a MMC. (I do still question not giving a book to a side character with a heavier role, like Sally Bright.) But they absolutely hold their own in the greatest class difference divide since Alf got with a royal duke in Maiden Lane. Absolute My Fair Lady feels here, but like if Eliza got with Pickering (and now I want more of that? 🤣) Plus I feel like Tessa Dare upped her smut game here, this is seriously one of the hottest books I’ve read by her. (And I forgot, but the recommendation of one scene in particular was actually why I picked up this whole series to begin with. 😉😉😏😏)
And the conflict is good. It’s so believable that he genuinely couldn’t marry her even though he wants to, I didn’t feel like they were standing in their own ways for no reason. Big massive CWs for his backstory/personality shift, it’s super sad but handled well and that scene in the cab killed me.
I did end up bailing on the audio— we’ve switched narrators and Eva Kaminsky is fine? I liked her at Pauline’s accent in the beginning, but I preferred reading Dare describe Daniela’s speech impediment. I meant to go back, I’d be interested to hear how Pauline’s accent progresses, but I just got too drawn into it, lol. I’ll give her another chance with Lord Dashwood.
And the conflict is good. It’s so believable that he genuinely couldn’t marry her even though he wants to, I didn’t feel like they were standing in their own ways for no reason. Big massive CWs for his backstory/personality shift, it’s super sad but handled well and that scene in the cab killed me.
I did end up bailing on the audio— we’ve switched narrators and Eva Kaminsky is fine? I liked her at Pauline’s accent in the beginning, but I preferred reading Dare describe Daniela’s speech impediment. I meant to go back, I’d be interested to hear how Pauline’s accent progresses, but I just got too drawn into it, lol. I’ll give her another chance with Lord Dashwood.