This is a well written and entertaining story which involved pranks and witty banter as well as a slow burn romance. I really liked both Christian & Tamsin they were interesting and different characters as neither were really of the ton as Tamsin is from a family in trade and Christian although a Count is German so both are outsiders. Very enjoyable and entertaining story.

Good story but very slow until 75% of book
I have read and enjoyed multiple books by this author and I truly feel awful giving this book such a low score but I kept falling asleep while reading it. It is well-written but the pacing is so slow that I had a hard time keeping engaged. The story line is wonderful but somehow it seemed unnecessarily drawn out. Loved the premise which is why I wanted to review this book.
The blurb tells you the basics of the story so I won’t add to it. If the book could have been as exciting at and past the 75% mark, this book would have easily been a four or five-star reading experience. I volunteered to read an ARC of it through NetGalley and Entangled.

A witty, enemies-to-lovers romance filled with fiery banter and irresistible chemistry. Tamsin and Christian’s constant clashes lead to a passionate, heartwarming story that’s as clever as it is steamy. With humor, pranks, and undeniable tension, this tale of love and power dynamics is a delightful, irresistible read.

I loved the premise for The Duchess Takes It All, in which widowed duchess Tamsin Palmer, whose position in society was purchased by her father. Tamsin is a lovely character and I warmed to her right away. Faced with a challenging position in a society filled with hypocrisy and prejudice and that looked down its nose at her because of her family, Tamsin still manages to act with dignity and compassion. I loved that she was such a hands-on mother to her young son James and the way she sought to protect him. Christian, Graf von Rauchberg, has been named by Tamsin’s husband as guardian of young James, something which Tamsin feels is both unwelcome and unnecessary and the banter between these two is excellent. It’s clear from early on that they’re attracted to each other and yet they fight that and each other regularly. This book provides plenty of entertainment and I enjoyed reading it.

POV: Dual
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️

I love historical romcoms, and this one changes it up a bit with having a MMC who is from German aristocracy instead of British. Christian came off as a bit of a know it all at first, but I love how Tamsin wasn’t having it and he ended up loving how independent she is and how she would always go toe to toe with him! He also isn’t a rake and is an all around good guy. I was frustrated with Tamsin’s need for acceptance, but can also understand where she was coming from. I liked her sense of humor and how she lightened up the otherwise serious Christian.

For me, it was enjoyable but slow until about 60 percent in when things got really interesting and then ends up with a twist! I would love if Christian’s brother gets his own story and continues in this regency world the author created with a great group of supporting found family.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sometimes, you pick up a book hoping for a fiery enemies-to-lovers romance with all the swoon-worthy tension, and instead, you get… well, a lukewarm cup of tea. That’s how I felt about The Duchess Takes It All. It’s not bad—it has its moments—but it’s not one that will stick with me, either.

Tamsin and Christian have all the right ingredients for a deliciously angsty romance: a widow trying to hold her own in a society that shuns her, a brooding count tasked with co-parenting her adorable son, and a mutual knack for driving each other absolutely bananas. Their banter is cute enough (shoutout to the goat prank!), but it never quite sizzles the way I hoped it would.

The pacing was also a bit uneven. The early tension between Tamsin and Christian felt promising, but the payoff didn’t land as strongly as it could have. Their "slow burn" romance sometimes felt more like a candle someone forgot to light. Plus, the stakes—society's judgment, their own stubbornness, the whole “will-they-or-won’t-they-surrender-to-passion” thing—never fully delivered the emotional punch I was waiting for.

That said, the book isn’t without its charm. Tamsin is a plucky heroine who refuses to let her station define her, and her love for her son gives her character some nice depth. Christian, though occasionally insufferable (by design), does grow on you. Their dynamic has flashes of wit and tenderness that show what the story could have been with a bit more polish.

I also appreciated the world-building—it’s fun to revisit the world of Four Weddings and a Duke (even if you haven’t read it, this stands alone just fine). The historical romance vibes are there, but they don’t overshadow the characters’ personal journeys.

Overall, this one was okay. It’s a breezy read with some sweet moments, but it’s not the kind of romance you’ll be daydreaming about later. Big thanks to Michelle McLean, NetGalley, and Entangled Publishing for the ARC! If you’re in the mood for a light historical romance and aren’t looking for anything too intense, it’s worth a shot. Just don’t expect it to take it all.

Tasmin's imagination for ways to coax Christian to do what she wanted was hilarious! I loved how they figured out who they are individually and as a couple. All of the characters rounded out the story perfectly. It was a fun entertaining story and definitely worth the read.

A lovely book! The characters were great. I loved Tamsin and Christian both. And the pranks Tamsin pulled were pretty hilarious too! I will definitely look for Michelle McLean books in the future.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing, LLC | Entangled: Amara for providing an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

It was ok. Good banter but the story didn’t keep my interest. If I had not just finished a different historical romance, which I was still thinking about, I might have felt differently about this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC | Entangled: Amara for this book. ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise~

Slight enemies to lovers theme with a splash of hilarious devilry in this one. Michelle McLean is a new author for me and this book takes you on a ride. While Tamsin and Christian get to know each other the book is lighthearted and fun but once their feelings start to develop the gravity of their separate lives and expectations come out. This book has all the angst you could want while cheering for our couple to beat impossible odds. I love Christian and his solid gold heart and Tamsins spirit is nothing to scoff. Beautiful character development and a solid storyline.

A historical romance.
A cute fun read about Tamsin who is a young widow with an infant son and her husbands cousin ,the Duke who is t now the guardian of her son.
Love the two of them together.
Voluntarily reviewed.

Currently paused at 44%. Sadly not feeling a connection to either character and it is feeling like the plot is dragging on. Hoping to try and listen to the story via audiobook when it is released for sale.

(4.25/5 stars)

The Duchess Takes it All by Michelle McLean is a historical romance featuring a very young dowager duchess and the man assigned co-guardianship of her young son.

This isn't listed as being part of a series, but some characters from this book can also be found in Four Weddings and a Duke.

Michelle McLean is definitely an auto-read author for me at this point. She does such a great job writing banter between our main characters, which I really love in romances. This one is a true enemies to lovers situation, and that's one of my absolute favorite tropes. There's a smidgen of miscommunication (one of my least favorite tropes) but it turns out okay in the end.

This was a plot I haven't seen yet before in historical romance, but it definitely felt plausible to me. It was interesting and fun! I absolutely bought the chemistry between our leads. Our supporting characters were also wonderful and I'm hopeful there will be more interconnected stories in this world so I can hear more about them.

A fun read of maybe enemies to definitely more than friends. Tamsin is a recent widow, the Duchess of Clevesly and mother to a Duke that is only a toddler. Loving the freedom of widowhood and her hope of acceptance by her piers, has its ups and downs. And now her deceased husband cousin Christian arrives from Germany as co-guardian, upsetting all her plans.
Love the banner between the MCs, many laugh out loud moments. Very entertaining read.

I really enjoyed this book. The banter between Tamsin and Christian had me laughing out loud. Look forward to more by this author.

Such a great and even paced book. I really liked this book and the characters in it. Michelle Mclean did a great job making them relatable, and even unlikable in some cases (ahem, Christian, lol). When they first meet Christian is a bit wary and judgmental of Tamsin, but he still can't help his attraction ho her. He's come to help with her son after her late husband requested him to, but he doesn't expect Tamsin to be so lively. I enjoyed reading their relationship blossom, and even Christian's interaction with her son.

This is a good book. There isn't much spice, I would say more anticipation than anything, but it's still well worth the read.

I would like to thank netgalley and Entangled Publishing for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Just lost interest.

If you are looking for a fun standalone historical romance that makes you feel like you are pulled into the world of Bridgerton then this is the book for you! This was a delightful read with enemies to lovers, desire vs. duty, female agency and independence, phenomenal banter and angst and a lot of laughs.

This story follows our FMC, Tamsin, who was recently widowed from a loveless marriage to a duke in England. Tamsin has a young son and is struggling to be accepted by the ton because she comes from common blood and is only nobility through marriage. As if dealing with her community's coldness is not enough, her late husband has assigned his cousin as a co-guardan to their son, and he is also responsible for matters of their estate. Enter our MMC, Count Christian, the handsome and insufferable Prussian nobleman who insists on dictating many terms of Tasmin and her son's life even though he is a stranger to her. Tamsin has gotten used to her independence and Christian seems intent on telling her how she should behave and how she should raise her son, and let's just say Tamsin is not having it. While the two are feuding over just about everything, Tamsin is also hiding some of her passions from Christian. Tamsin is very passionate about charity and helping those without a voice, which Christian is a bit aware of, but Tamsin also submits caricatures that are published monthly criticizing society and royalty under a pen name, so no one knows it is her. Tamsin is very passionate about this because she herself has noticed some of the small changes that have happened when the nobles are forced to look at their poor behavior head on. Tamsin wants Christian to go so she can focus on her work and resorts to absolutely hilarious laugh out loud stunts to try and rid herself of him, but alas nothing seems to work. As the two bicker at every turn, deeper emotions begin to blossom and the two find themselves unable to stay away from each other. The banter and tension is delicious and truly had me on the edge of my seat the entire book and their relationship arc is done so well. There are a plethora of reasons why being together would be difficult, but a main one is that Christian's uncle, and prince, has demanded that Christian secure a pure blooded, noble wife immediately or he will find a bride for him.The two are left grappling with the question of duty vs. desire, and how much is too much to give up in the name of love.

This was a great time, thank you so much Entangled Publishing for letting me have an arc of this!

The story is well-written, with complex characters that engage the reader. Its approachable style makes for an enjoyable experience, and the witty banter adds entertainment. I'm eager to see how a beautiful romance unfolds against the backdrop of societal expectations and challenges. Solid relaxing and easy read for any people who like romance

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is a cute, funny historical fiction romance that kept me laughing and turning pages until I finished. Tamsin's father is a merchant, so she's not a "blue blood". She married a (much older) Duke and her station was immediately elevated, but the ton shunned her, even more so after her husband dies. Christian is a royal from Germany that was appointed co-guardian of Tamsin's son. You can imagine how "thrilled" Tamsin is to learn this. She likes being able to finally make her own decisions, manage her own money and the estate, and most importantly, her son. Tamsin is determined to drive Christian back to Germany and out of her, and her son's, life.

Tamsin and Christian have immediate chemistry and their witty banter had me literally laughing out loud at times. The friendship group that Tamsin created for herself was incredible – I wish I was friends with them! They are so supportive and protective of Tamsin despite the ton’s snub of her. We all need friends like that.

Christian is such a swoon-worthy book boyfriend. His sense of duty is tempered with his acceptance of Tamsin’s autonomy and his support of her is unwavering. His friendship with Lord Feldhagen is such a bromance. They have each other’s back and call each other out on their BS. We all need friends like that in our lives.

This book is a quick and easy read that you can finish in an afternoon. It’s a delight to read and I look forward to reading more books.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Entangled Publishing. All opinions are my own.