If you love Regency romance with a heroine who has zero interest in being rescued, Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare might be exactly what you need. I went into this book expecting a classic enemies-to-lovers slow burn, and while I did get some of that, the experience was more complicated than I anticipated — in both good and not-so-good ways.

The Setup Is Genuinely Clever

Griff York, the Duke of Halford, is 35 years old and firmly committed to bachelorhood. However, his mother has other plans. She drags him to Spindle Cove — a seaside retreat full of marriageable young women — and makes him a deal. If she can train any woman he chooses to become a proper duchess, he agrees to marry her. If she fails, she stops pestering him about marriage forever.

To spite his mother, Griff picks Pauline Simms, the serving girl. She is a farm girl with no polish, no connections, and no desire to be a duchess. In Griff’s mind, she is untrainable — and that is exactly the point.

Out of pure spite, Griff selects Pauline Simms, a serving girl and farm girl who has none of the refinement expected of a duchess.

However, Griff secretly makes Pauline another offer. If she intentionally fails the duchess training, he will pay her one thousand pounds. Pauline dreams of opening her own bookstore, so the money would change her life. Because of that, she agrees to the arrangement.

What follows is an attempt at transformation led by Griff’s mother, along with a growing attraction between Griff and Pauline that complicates everything.

I loved that setup. It is clever, a little absurd, and full of potential.

Pauline Is the Best Part of This Book

Pauline is my favorite thing about Any Duchess Will Do. She has spunk, practicality, and actual goals — something refreshing in a Regency romance heroine. She never once falls into the fantasy that a handsome duke is going to sweep her off her feet and solve all her problems. From the moment Griff selects her, she sees the situation clearly. She plays along, not because she is starstruck, but because she is smart.

Pauline also does something I did not expect: on her very first day in the duke’s household, she tells his mother the truth. She admits that Griff is paying her to fail. Most heroines would keep that secret to avoid trouble. Pauline just puts it right out there.

What makes this even better is how the mother reacts. The Duchess was not at all fazed. She could already sense what was coming between her son and Pauline, and she welcomed it. I liked the mother from the very beginning. She is not the villainous society matron forcing her reluctant son into marriage. She is warm, perceptive, and frankly more interesting than Griff for much of the book.

My Mixed Feelings on Griff

Here is where things get complicated for me. For much of the story, Griff came across as someone primarily concerned with his own emotional comfort. He is brooding and guarded, which I understand — there is clearly a backstory there. However, for a romance novel, I found it hard to root for him early on.

The relationship between Griff and Pauline begins with attraction. Their first kiss happens unexpectedly on Pauline’s first night in the house. Then Griff declares it will never happen again. Then it does. And again, he says it will never happen again. That cycle repeats, and while I appreciate a slow burn, this particular pattern started to feel less like romantic tension and more like frustration.

I also want to be upfront: there is quite a bit of physical content in this book. I have no issue with sex scenes in romance novels. What I personally hoped for was more romance alongside the heat — more emotional intimacy woven in before things escalated. For me, the balance tipped more toward lust than love, at least in the first half.

Does It Come Together as a Love Story?

This is where I land, honestly: I am not sure I would fully call it a love story, at least not at the start. The emotional connection between Griff and Pauline builds gradually, and by the end, it is genuine. However, if you are looking for that slow, swoony emotional build-up throughout the whole book, you may find yourself waiting longer than expected.

That said, Tessa Dare writes with a lot of wit and warmth. The banter is sharp, the premise is fun, and Pauline carries the whole story on her capable shoulders. The Regency romance setting is well-drawn without being overly stuffy, and the supporting cast — especially the mother — adds real texture.

Final Thoughts on Any Duchess Will Do

Overall, Any Duchess Will Do had several enjoyable elements. Pauline is a strong and memorable character, and Griff’s mother adds humor and warmth to the story.

However, I personally wished the book had focused more on emotional romance and less on repeated moments driven by physical attraction.

If you enjoy historical romances that include bold characters, witty dialogue, and plenty of passionate moments, you may enjoy this book. On the other hand, if you prefer slower-building romance and a deeper emotional connection, this story might feel a bit unbalanced.

For me, the characters were interesting enough to keep reading, but the story felt more like a tale of attraction than a true love story.