Ever since I got into this genre, I’ve been lurking around r/HistoricalRomance in search of new books to read. And from the very beginning, What I Did For a Duke was one of those standouts that people recommended for all sorts of tropes and requests.
I would dutifully click on its link, almost every time this book appeared, but something about this cover and its synopsis just repelled me. Inevitably, I’d give up for something else, until the next thread where this book got mentioned.
One such time, I was in search of a book like Black Silk by Judith Ivory. Or, at the very least, a writer like her, so I could dig into something new. And wouldn’t you know it, there What I Did For a Duke was. I looked at it. It looked at me. Screw it, I said, and got the thing without even reading the sample (which is not something I normally do).
The spoiler-free overview is: This was an enjoyable read! The prose is a bit lacklustre but I didn’t mind all that much because I couldn’t wait for Alex and Genevieve to interact again. I loved the way they spoke to each other, and how really low-stakes this was, how much they understood each other. If you’re having a similar conundrum as I did, just go read it, it’s at the very least inoffensive, and at best could be your new favorite!
- Heat level: Yes, it’s very spicy, a lot of the main character’s relationship is even about the physical chemistry, but it doesn’t start before about 60 to 70% and while I would say it’s explicit, it’s also very emotional for both characters.
- Standalone or series? This is a part 5 of the Pennyroyal Green series, but I read it as a standalone and it worked well. Each of these books is about a different couple, sometimes unrelated to the family featured in this one, and there’s no overarching plot.
- Content warnings: Loss of a child, loss of a spouse, threat of violence and murder
- Page count: 365 pages
- Read if: You want really great chemistry between the love interests, good conversations, age gap romance that’s not icky, and overall if you’re new to the genre and want something easygoing, not too dramatic, and really quite sweet. Excellent hero, too!
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Thoughts and Feelings
So, as I said, I bit the bullet and got the book without even reading a sample. And I wish I could tell you I didn’t regret my decision for a single second, but, erm… I did almost DNF this at first. Let me explain.
The first chapter or two — anything before Alex and Genevieve meet — is so boring. And the writing does nothing to make up for it. We see Ian and Abigail getting caught by Alex, and then Henry telling Genevieve that he wants to marry Millicent, and then endless descriptions of Olivia and things that happened in earlier books, none of which was fun. And I’m patient (see: Black Silk), but up to that point I didn’t see anything that would truly pull me in.
Until, that is, Alex and Genevieve meet. And much like Alex seeing Genevieve smile for the first time, I finally realized the beauty of this book. Up to that point it seemed dry, uninteresting. But then they began speaking and it felt like the sun was shining down on me. This is why, I thought, this is why everyone loves this book so much.
The two of them are such a lovely pair and their chemistry makes them feel more real. Immediately, there’s an enjoyable back and forth — with Genevieve being so disinterested in the duke, and the duke being disinterested in Genevieve beyond his revenge, and both of them melting slowly, just a little at a time, for each other.
They’re so honest with each other as well. If you’re worried about the revenge plot Alex has come up with — don’t be! Genevieve is smart and she sees right through him almost immediately. But Alex is so fascinated by that point that he doesn’t even care. He’s happy to come up with another plot (making Harry jealous) just so he can keep hanging around her.
And the age gap is another obvious issue (though issue may not be the right word for most people). I didn’t really notice it all that much to be honest. It’s not harped on as it sometimes is in age gap books. At first, Genevieve is focusing on his salt and pepper hair and sees Alex as more her father’s friend, but this all goes away as soon as they get some time together. By the time they kiss, it’s practically not a thing.
It’s not a slow burn, but I didn’t mind; most importantly, it’s not insta love either. I’d say this romance progresses more nicely, more sensibly than what you’d expect. Yes, it happens over less than a week, but so what!
And it’s quite funny too! Alex is not what you’d expect from a broody, recluse duke, or at least he’s unlike any recluse dukes I’ve read so far. He has a sense of humor, an open, kind nature (despite what he says), and the sort of maturity that comes with age. He’s patient, considerate, and honest.
Genevieve is his perfect match in many ways. Her family sees her as this serene, calm creature, but she has passion burning beneath all that, sarcasm, opinions, temper — all of which the duke draws out and sees from the get go (especially because Genevieve is not inclined to be nice to him due to her heartbreak).
The only thing I didn’t like is how Genevieve didn’t realize that he loved her. She’s always able to see through him, except when it comes to this, and that was sort of surprising. It sort of makes sense — she always wanted to marry Harry, and she’s young, so she went with safety and what’s familiar.
But not to worry, the third act breakup/drama isn’t too long, and it’s mostly funny. Her family’s shock at her accepting Harry’s proposal, the painting the Duke gives her, the way she just dashes off. My heart did break for Alex, though, because he did his best to make sure every future Genevieve got was perfect, even if it wasn’t with him.
And you know what, Alex might just be one of my favorite heroes from historical romance. Such a warm, safe man (despite what he thinks of himself).
All that said, the prose really is lacklustre. Sometimes, it’ll be so lovely, so poignant. Then sometimes you’d get repetitive filler or clunky sentences that made no sense at all. It’s not my favorite prose, but it does the job, and in the end, the romance is so good that you won’t even notice.
Overall, I liked this book. It’s one of those I’ll likely return to at one point or another and enjoy it just the same, perhaps even more. I highly recommend it if you’re just getting into historical romance as well, in particular because it’s so inoffensive and mild, but also spicy and full of chemistry (just get through the rough patch that are the first few chapters). Happy reading!
