Any Duchess Will Do

Overview

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 ...

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Any Duchess Will Do

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More About This Book

Overview

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?

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
Dare’s fourth Spindle Cove romance returns to Regency England’s eclectic seaside community, where young ladies seek refuge from society. Griffin York, the marriage-shy eighth Duke of Halford, is dragged to the town by his mother, who orders him to pick a bride. He brashly selects Pauline Simms, a proud tavern serving girl. Griff’s mother declares she can turn Pauline into duchess material; Griff retorts that if she fails, he’ll be off the hook. He offers Pauline £1,000 to go to London and fail the training, promising that he’ll return her to her home, and her mentally disabled sister, within a week. Pauline’s hasty bargain to ensure financial security for herself and her sister is complicated by her attraction to Griff and her ability to see the man inside the titled facade. Griff admires Pauline’s pluck as he reveals his deepest secrets and bares his soul. Though hints of Cinderella and Pygmalion aren’t enough to make the premise plausible, Dare more than makes up for that with romance, humor, and intense emotional drama. (June)
Kirkus Reviews
When his mother tries to force his hand in selecting a bride, Griffin York, the Duke of Halford, decides to teach her a lesson by choosing the nearest serving girl, then astounds them all by falling in love with her. Pauline Simms' desires are simple. She wants to work hard enough to get her and her developmentally challenged sister out of her abusive father's house and open a bookshop. For the working class, however, simple is not easy, and earning enough to follow her dreams is nigh impossible for a barmaid. So when a duke's mother issues her son an ultimatum in the tavern where Pauline works, demanding he pick a bride from the women present, and Griffin York, Duke of Halford, chooses Pauline, she makes a deal with the arrogant aristocrat. His mother will give Pauline "duchess lessons," at which she'll fail miserably, and he'll give her the astounding sum of £1,000. Seeing the gift for the miracle it is, Pauline agrees, leaving her tearful sister behind for a week, journeying to London to mingle with high society, while spending far too much time alone with Griffin, who clearly hides secrets that haunt him. Pauline chinks away at his emotional armor and grows dangerously attracted to him, while Griffin begins to wonder how he ever survived without her. Historical romance favorite Dare has penned a Cinderella-themed late-Regency romance with a working-class heroine who dares to dream beyond her station and a libertine determined to change his life. It's a fairly outlandish plot in historical terms, but readers will be willing to suspend disbelief for this couple who are so perfect for one another, despite being scandalously mismatched socially. Great writing and characterization will keep readers engaged and invested. Sly nods to classic and modern Cinderella favorites enhance an already fun, textured plot. Moments of laugh-out-loud humor, emotional intensity and sensual passion woven through an engaging plot and endearing characters make this a great read for romance fans.
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780062240125
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
  • Publication date: 5/28/2013
  • Format: Mass Market Paperback
  • Pages: 384
  • Sales rank: 127802
  • Product dimensions: 4.18 (w) x 6.75 (h) x 0.96 (d)

Meet the Author

Tessa Dare is a sometime librarian, full-time mom, and swing-shift writer. Recently, Booklist magazine named her one of the "new stars of historical romance." She makes her home in Southern California, where she shares a cozy, cluttered bungalow with her husband, their two children, and a big brown dog.

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