Julie Anne Long is at her best, in my opinion, when she is writing the book equivalent of a bottle episode. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors, but I do have my minor (and occasionally not minor) quibbles with her Pennyroyal Green series. I didn’t care for the first book (I feel like there might be a review floating somewhere in the ephemera detailing my issues), I was destroyed by the second book, the third and fourth books suffered from my same issues as the first (I’ll touch on that slightly when I get into the review), but truth be told, I was reading this series solely so I could get to this book. The first, third, and fourth books for me — not that Julie Anne Long is not GOOD at writing mystery/suspenseful plots, it’s just that I think her specific set of talents shines when she’s simply writing about the growth of a relationship and emotions between the two main characters. It’s no secret whatsoever that I love a May/December romance. I have, literally, loved May/December since I was a preteen. When I found this one repeatedly mentioned on lists of the best romance novels with significant age differences, I decided I would give the Pennyroyal Green series another go around. Which has turned out to be a BEAUTIFUL decision. But to say there was a lot of anticipation and build-up for me in getting to this book would be an understatement. For one of the very few times in my reading lifetime, a book that was so hyped up in my brain, did not disappoint me at all. The Duke of Moncrieffe, Alex, is a widower who is cuckolded by Ian Eversea (a name familiar to those who know something of this series). Well, sort of. Alex is engaged to Abigail Beasley and Ian takes it upon himself to romance her a little. Alex catches them, and instead of calling Ian out, as Ian fully expects, Alex instead vows revenge. Oh, and he’s been somewhat accused of poisoning his deceased wife.Genevieve Eversea is Ian’s baby sister, all of 20 and madly in love with her nearly-life-long best friend, Harry Osborne. She and Harry comprise a trio with Millicent, and on the first day of the Everseas’ house party, Harry tells Genevieve that he’s planning to propose — to Millicent. Genevieve is devastated. Completely heartbroken and devastated. Naturally, this is when it’s revealed that Alexander, Duke of Moncrieffe, has been added as a last minute participant of this little house party. And boy, does he have some plans for Genevieve.What I love about Julie Anne Long’s writing, in all of her books, is the fact that no one she writes is purely a caricature. The villains aren’t just villains, the heroes aren’t merely heroic. Everyone seems like a real person. Genevieve is naive, she is rather innocent, she is a tad dramatic, while also being quiet and reserved and intelligent. But at no time do you want to shake her for being too innocent, or too stupid, or too anything. I think the thing I love most about Genevieve is that her quietness and the way in which she expresses care and kindness toward others, is seen almost solely through the eyes of Alex. Genevieve’s virtues aren’t something that impressed upon us like a hammer between the eyes. It’s not something that Genevieve internally strives for. It’s just part of Genevieve, and Alex is the only one that really notices it because Alex is so deprived of that sort unthinking consideration. Alex is especially interesting to me in this novel, he could so easily come across as the haughty, distant, lascivious asshole. After all, he’s there to use Genevieve to get revenge on her scallawag of a brother. But he’s actually a complex person. He’s not inherently cruel, vicious, evil, or any of the other adjectives that tend to be attached to him. The slow reveal of what happened to his wife, and the impact it had on him is beautiful. As always, it seems, in the hands of Julie Anne Long, the trauma of his backstory and how it affects his ability to both feel and accept love and kindness is not something that is drawn in aggravatingly broad strokes. Instead it just quietly, and simply, a part of Alexander who has dark and light shades to him. Genevieve and Alex have such a wonderful dynamic between them. She’s heartbroken, his heart was broken years ago. She’s the quiet one who is lost in a sea of the insanity of the Eversea clan, he’s the duke that everyone writes off as the haughty (perhaps murderous) heartless man. Somehow, in trying to use her, he ends up becoming hers. And it’s just gorgeous. It’s gorgeous. It made me laugh out loud. It made me clutch my heart. It made me flush. The sex scenes are well. You know. It’s good. That’s what I’m saying. Read this book. It’s some of the very best from Julie Anne Long, and some of the very best period. The amazing exciting Eversea family's daughter Genevieve is quiet and deep and I found her to be dull. The story was a yawner and I would almost think written by a different author. I see it had many high ratings but it wasn't my cup of tea. It takes a duke to make her realize no one has ever really known her and he helps Genevieve discover her passionate nature. The amusing parts of this book involved Ian and his "punishment" for attempting to seduce the Duke's fiance.
What do You think about What I Did For A Duke (2011)?
The heroine felt a bit unrealistic at times, but more than once, I caught myself smiling as I read.
—wildhoney
All I have to say is WOW. I loved this book.
—Manda
