This wasn't supposed to happen, but Genevieve is now a
duke, or rather a duchess, since she inherited the duchy
of Blakesley. She doesn't want it, she'd rather stay in
the country, but the estates have been somewhat
neglected, and she wants to do right by her people. She
might not know how to act like a proper duchess, but she
wants to do what is right, so she writes her aunt Sophia,
who will know how to help her with everything Genevieve
needs to know about her new status. Her aunt knows just
the man: Archibald Salisbury, Sophia's steward. Archie is
familiar with society: he's the third son of a viscount,
but was disowned when he opted to join the army.
Genevieve is a simple girl at heart, and her parents
never bothered to introduce her to society; they just
never bothered with her, period. Genevieve soon learns
that a duchess doesn't squeak, doesn't snort, doesn't
beam, doesn't enthuse, and certainly doesn't fall in love
with her steward...
Genevieve and Archie's first encounter is very tentative,
as Archie misjudges her: it's not because she doesn't
know what a duchess' duties are that she is an imbecile,
which Archie is quick to appreciate. Basically, achieving
her goal would mean squash her sunny nature, and Archie
hopes he isn't so successful that Genevieve loses her
radiance. He likes her a lot, more than a servant ought
to. Genevieve is not used to being with people, but it's
not as painful when Archie is in the vicinity, and she
never really gets comfortable around people. I felt she
became too dependent on him, and I expected her to show
more backbone as the story progressed; it seemed that she
suffered from some form of social anxiety disorder.
MY FAIR DUCHESS is lovely, sweet, and fun, but at the
same time heartbreaking when looking at Genevieve's empty
life before Archie came along, as well as what they want
and what must be seem incompatible with her lofty
position. The sexual tension simmers almost from the
moment Archie and Genevieve meet, and I loved that Archie
behaved like a gentleman at all times. MY FAIR DUCHESS is
a quiet little romance with some very touching moments,
however not as energetic as we are used from Megan
Frampton. It is a bit repetitious at times, and the pace
is rather sluggish; there was also a misunderstanding
that could have been avoided, which would have made the
story much more enjoyable; I didn't feel Archie acted
entirely according to his personality. Also, I'm not
quite sure if this was intentional on the part of the
author, but Genevieve seemed to lose some of her sparkle
as she became more adept at tending to her ducal duties.
This said, the cast of characters is splendid, each one
well defined, and as expected Ms. Frampton's writing is
wonderfully evocative.
My favourite passages in MY FAIR DUCHESS are the letters
that Archie and Genevieve exchange, or not: the letters
divulge their deepest feelings: some letters go to the
rubbish bin, while others are draft copies, as words are
crossed out, and those are the most revealing; the
letters are beautiful, funny, and filled with emotions of
all sorts. MY FAIR DUCHESS is unfortunately not the best
book in the Dukes
Behaving Badly series, as I
felt it lacked some of the author's outstanding sense of
humour, although there are glimpses here and there, but
it is still quite enjoyable, and I will be looking
forward to Megan Frampton's next offering, as she remains
one of my favourite historical romance authors.
Archibald Salisbury, son of a viscount, war hero, and
proficient in the proper ways of aristocratic society, has
received orders for his most challenging mission: Genevieve,
Duchess of Blakesley. How she inherited a duchy isn’t his
problem. Turning her into a perfect duchess is. But how can
he keep his mind on business when her beauty entices him
toward pleasure?
It was impossible, unprecedented…and undeniably true.
Genevieve is now a “duke”, or, rather, a duchess. So what is
she to do when the ton eyes her every move, hoping
she’ll make a mistake? Genevieve knows she has brains and
has sometimes been told she has beauty, but, out of her
depth, she calls on an expert. And what an expert,
with shoulders broad enough to lean on, and a wit that
matches her own. Archie is supposed to teach her to be a
lady and run her estate, but what she really wants to do is
unladylike—run into his arms.
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