Michelle McLean’s latest, THE DUCHESS TAKES IT ALL, features recently widowed Tamsin Palmer, Duchess of Clevesly, and Christian August, Count of Rauchberg. Christian has been named co-guardian to Tamsin’s son by her deceased husband. Tamsin is horrified by this development and does everything in her power to destroy Christian’s peace of mind. Unfortunately for her, the greatest threat to his peace of mind is his attraction to her. 
 
While some of the plot might not be the most original, it is refreshing to read about a hero who is not a typical duke (although Christian can be aggravating) and to have a major plot problem outside the usual for a historical romance.   Widows with a problem to solve are certainly nothing new in historical romance, but a widow trying to find her place in society while dealing with a co-guardian of her son is one I have not encountered before. I appreciated Tamsin trying her best to be perfect because, while she is a duchess, she was not born to the aristocracy and is not accepted by the peerage. I love heroes and heroines who haven’t always been part of the ton. And I really liked her unique way of dealing with Christian by driving him crazy. 
 
I generally like heroes who like to follow the rules and are rigid, but Christian could be off-putting at times with his high-handedness. Especially because it seemed he chose to be this way purely because he enjoys following rules. 
 
I will say my least favorite thing about this title is the eleventh-hour solution that comes in so the couple may have their HEA and how this solution almost seemed like an afterthought and like it should’ve been thought of and decided upon much earlier. 
 
I enjoyed McLean’s writing style and THE DUCHESS TAKES IT ALL is an enjoyable read.