ANY DUCHESS WILL DO by Tessa Dare

A Spindle Cove Series Novel
Avon

May 28^th, 2013

978-0-06-224012-5

Historical Romance

Paperback Advance Reading Copy

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Publisher

3.5 Hearts

Griffin York is determined to not get married, no matter what his mother wants. But when she gets him to Spinster Cove, she forces him to choose a bride from the ladies there. Annoyed by this, he chooses the least reputable woman- a serving girl. Pauline Simms is shocked when the Duke of Halford chooses her to be his bride. All she ever wanted to do was not be overworked and to open a shop of her own. When Griffin offers her a sinful amount of money to get “Duchess training” by his mother & fail miserably at it, both find that Pauline is not a failure at all. Quick-witted & brave, Pauline finds herself falling for the duke even as he tries to stay away from the beguiling miss. But when hearts are involved, sometimes what you need the  most is the one thing worth fighting for.

I really enjoyed Tessa Dare’s ANY DUCHESS WILL DO. The story flows quickly with no bumps in the storytelling, which was a nice breath of fresh air and this author delivers a story that I enjoyed immensely. The writing is tight and the characters completely captivated me. This is an author who knows how to steal her readers hearts with masterful storytelling that weaves a spell around them until the very last page is read. The characters are intriguing, diverse and I had to chuckle a few times over the quips they made. I really loved the dynamics between Griffin and his mother as well as Griffin’s determination to not give into his mother’s manipulations. With a broad stroke of her keyboard, Ms. Dare delivers a charming story that will transport you and keep you highly entertained from start to finish. This is an author who created multi-faceted characters to fall in love with. From Griffin’s desire to be single to  his mother’s determination that he be married to a hardworking woman’s desire for her dream to come true, the author gives the reader several characters to enjoy and I, for one, am hoping some of the secondary characters get their own book in the future.

ANY DUCHESS WILL DO is more than a cross-class story, it is one where the people who are center stage are more than they seem and that is what I loved about this book. You got people/characters being what society expects them to be even as they are not really those things or it is a small percentage of who they are. Ms. Dare definitely knows her characters and gives them plenty of room to shine in so many ways within the pages of ANY DUCHESS WILL DO. Now I need to check out the rest of the Spindle Cove series by this author in the future. Ms. Dare has a fan in this reader.

If you enjoy a highly entertaining story with complex yet enjoyable characters, then give this latest book by Ms. Dare a try. I can highly attest you won’t want to put it down once you start it.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement 

 

A NIGHT TO SURRENDER by Tessa Dare

Publisher:Avon Books
Date published:August 30, 2011
ISBN 978-0-06-204983-4
Historical Romance
Paperback
Reviewed by Lynne
Obtained via publisher


Spindle Cove is a haven for well-bred young ladies who need a change of scenery, well away from the opposite sex. Susanna Finch has no use for aggravating men, least of all for the new Earl of Rycliff, Victor Bramwell, who has arrived at Spindle Cove - a place he deems for spinsters - to gather a militia. Seems simple enough, until he meets Susanna Finch, a woman who sorely tries his patience.

Susanna is determined to maintain her haven for young ladies as a quiet, peaceful utopia where they will be kept safe from becoming involved with or marrying the wrong men of the ton. A matriarch extraordinaire, she soon has Bram’s full attention when he discovers she is the one everyone turns to for help and advice regarding the Town and pretty much everything else. Even the local vicar seeks her out for advice and direction.

Impressed with Susanna’s fortitude, amazing skills, and intelligence, Bram soon finds himself at odds with himself and the mission he is intent on fulfilling. Unable to keep his thoughts and his hands off of her, the two soon encounter each other for an epic battle between the sexes. Determined to do the honorable thing where Susanna is concerned, he is astounded when she rebuffs his every effort to do so.

In the end, when all stubbornness and pride is laid aside, only then will the truth between them be revealed and life-changing decisions have to be made, regardless of the consequences to Spindle Cove and everything it stands for.

A NIGHT TO SURRENDER by Tessa Dare is an amazing read. Full of many pleasant and sensual, intimate happenings, it is the story of a handsome war hero and an assertive woman who clearly knows what she wants and goes for it.

Ms. Dare is a skilled writer who has woven an interesting tale of a utopia where women are free to indulge themselves, albeit in a peaceful manner, until the sort of men they are trying to avoid invade their peaceful little hamlet. The only men in town are so whipped, in my opinion, that even they have lost their desire to demand leadership of a town which is instead governed, to a point, by a strong, seemingly superior woman. A woman of such intelligence, knowledge, and unique skill that everyone has come to depend on her for all of life’s cares and problems. But Spindle Cove is a happy place, up until the invasion of Victor Bramwell, who himself becomes enamored by Ms. Finch’s unusual attributes and unique talents.

I enjoyed A NIGHT TO SURRENDER because it takes the reader from the real world for just a spell and into a seemingly imaginary place where a pleasurable retreat awaits any female who feels the need to escape from a man’s world, as he expects it to be. Ms. Dare does a wonderful job in sharing such a retreat with her readers.

The wonderful dialogue and snippets of humor throughout A NIGHT TO SURRENDER keep one turning pages to see how the conflicts between Bram and Susanna are finally resolved. Susanna’s incredible talents are often brought to light in clever ways that bring a smile to the reader’s face. And Ms. Dare’s research of how to load flintlocks and make efficient use of Mrs. Worthington’s Book of Wisdom adds a bit spice to a rather dull lesson in weaponry.

I also loved the injection of the pet sheep named ‘Dinner’. It was an original, very cute idea which lent some additional humor to A NIGHT TO SURRENDER.

If one enjoys history and romance, then A NIGHT TO SURRENDER is a delightful story that will keep you engrossed, entertained, and smiling to the very end.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.