Lady Helena Lark has spent years trying to avoid getting married to the Duke of Lusk (and yes, Lark and Lusk got mixed up in my head more than once while reading this book) in order to stay on the land that her grandmother left her and grow apples. Her family finally forces them together in order to make money from the land via the Duke of Lusk using it for transporting goods from his mine near the property. She has run before though so Declan Shaw, a mercenary known as "The Huntsman" is hired from prison to keep track of her and make sure she doesn't run away again. Motivated by money and the desire to not go back to prison he is determined to see her married off to the Duke, that is until he actually sees her.

Unable to keep their hands off each other, Lady Helena Lark comes up with a plan to find another bride more suitable for the Duke, and Declan goes along with her plan because it's one sure way to keep his eyes (and hands) on her.

While the story was worth finishing, there were just some aspects of it that weren't my cup of tea. Helena's family for one was just awful. I really disliked them all minus <I>maybe</I> the sister that was nice to her at the end, but where was her support throughout the rest of the story? I also dislike the 180 degree personality change near the end of the book. I wont say more than that because *spoilers*

I like that Helena nicknamed all the women she tried to pawn off on the Duke after the seven dwarfs, and I honestly liked some of those characters. I hope upcoming books feature some of those girls. *Fingers crossed*

This is somewhat a retelling of Snow White and the Huntsman.
I thought it was quite well done as regards the 2 main characters, Helena and Declan.
Helena, the daughter of an Earl is being sold off in marriage to a Duke she cannot stand. She has tried everything to try to brake this betrothal.
Declan is an army man, a mercenary. Known as the Huntsman. He is hired to keep tabs on Helena and make sure she makes it down the aisle.
With the amount of time these 2 spend together, things were bound to happen.
So they come up with a plan to try entice the Duke with another Lady, the 7 potential dutchess ( get it...instead of the 7 dwarfs)
My only criticism of this book was that too much time was spent on the search for the 7 potential Duchesses. But I did love the way it ended. A very good twist i did not see coming.
41/2 stars rounded up to 5.
I want to thank Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

I really enjoyed this unique story.

I liked the fact that Helena tries everything to not become a duchess. And I can understand completely because I could not stand the duke, he was a complete ass.
Declan was a hero you can easily fall in love with.

I really enjoyed Ms. Michael’s writing and can’t wait to read more by her soon.

I enjoyed this book, but am having trouble remembering much about it as I try to review it. Which probably says a lot about the book, in itself.

There is so much to enjoy here. We get a bride who wants to run away, a wrongfully accused man who only wants to do right by his family, and several clandestine meetings that quickly turn steamy.
Lady Helena Lark is being used by her family to gain status and money by marrying her off to a duke that couldn't care less about her if he tried. She's spent the last five years trying to get out of this engagement and she's run out of time. Declan Shaw is a mercenary hired by the duke's uncle to make sure that Lady Helena goes through with the marriage no matter what. Of course, it's attraction at first sight and a desperate dash to find someone else to catch the duke's eye and free Helena from the engagement. Along the way, we get to enjoy clandestine encounters, familial reconciliations, convincing young ladies to try for a duke's interest, and a mysterious figure.
There's a lot to enjoy here, and it plays into the best of romance in that you know the HEA is coming but you really do feel like things are dire at times. It also gets extra points for making laugh several times and managing to be predictable yet incredibly enjoyable.
Both Helena and Shaw are well-rounded characters and I loved every single one of their interactions. Michaels really did a phenomenal job of creating relatable characters and letting them evolve and grow over the course of the book.
Definitely an incredibly enjoyable read.

Many happy thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the early read.

This was a new to me author and I couldn’t pass up that synopsis.

I loved Helena and Declan. She’s determined and he’s smitten and together they have some fantastic scenes. I loved their honesty, willingness to help each other, and the natural progression of the relationship. Yes, there’s instant interest, but it’s not insta-love.

Plot wise, it was good. I liked Helena’s idea of getting other ladies to audition (of sorts) and even though the act of meeting them was repetitive, each woman was different. There is a bit of push and pull between Helena and Declan, but (as he puts it), she’s relentless. I will say that I was sort of annoyed at the last bit of resolution for Declan. I won’t spoil anything, but it was something serious and was dealt with so flippantly.

Overall, the characters were so much fun and I love this different sort of fairy tale. I can’t wait to read the next one.

**Huge thanks to Avon Books for providing the arc free of charge**

Declan Shaw is rotting in Newgate, charged with a crime he did not commit. He was hired by the palace to escort Miss Knightly Snow to her aunt in the south of France, but Miss Snow disappears and Declan is charged with abduction and foul play, with the threat of murder hanging over his head. He has tried without success and at considerable expense to have the charges dropped, but to no avail. But all that changes when he is visited by Titus Girdleston, the uncle to the Duke of Lusk. He tells Declan that The Duke is betrothed to Lady Helena Lark, but the lady is not thrilled at the prospect of marrying the duke – she has evaded the marriage for the last five years, but has at last agreed to come to London. Girdleston wants Declan to guard her and make sure she doesn’t bolt – the reward if he succeeds is great, enough to settle his debts and care for his father and sisters, not to mention having the charges against him dropped. But if he fails, he will get nothing and quite possibly will be returned to jail. With no opinions, Declan accepts – besides, how hard could watching a young woman and delivering her to her wedding possibly be?

Lady Helena Lark has used many strategies over the years to put off marriage to the duke – she knows he doesn’t want her, but their families want the land that her grandmother left her – the land that contains a summerhouse that she calls home, her apple orchard, a forest and tenants – all of which will be lost if she marries the duke. She is determined to end her betrothal and has the perfect plan – she will find a new duchess for the duke – because if he jilts her, her family will finally let her retire to her forest in peace. When she arrives in town, she is prepared for Girdleston’s spies – but even knowing isn’t enough to stop her immediate fascination with Declan. She has never felt even the slightest attraction to a man before – but she is drawn to Declan and hopes to win him to her side.

Helena waits until everyone is asleep and slips out to the stables to talk to Declan – he tries to resist, but he is just as taken with her as she is with him and cajoles him into helping her. And against his better judgement, he tells her he will help her and then to make matters worse – he kisses her. He is angry with himself and fully intends to resist her and to inform Girdleston of her plan – but he can’t and finds himself falling under her spell. But he has secrets and while he will help her, he can’t afford to lose his heart to her, but will he be able to walk away?

I really loved this story, it was a fun tale with a bit of a Snow White twist – Helena and Declan are both wonderful characters and I loved their interactions and dedication to each other – which never wavered, no matter how dismal things appeared. The story is well written, fast paced, filled with witty banter, schemes, secrets, surprising twists and turns, a couple of warm love scenes, great secondary characters and a very satisfying ending complete with a epilogue, The copy I read was an uncorrected proof, so I assume that the typos and title errors will be corrected by publication and did not factor them into my review rating. This is the first book in the new series and I am hooked – I highly recommend this book and am really looking forward to the next installment.

**I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected eARC that I requested and was provided by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.*

Classic Fairy Tales are right in my wheelhouse and A Duchess A Day, a retelling of Snow White and the Huntsman, gets a solid 3 stars from me. Heroine Lady Hellena, a strong character, who is betrothed to the Duke of Lusk is trying everything in her power to stop this unfortunate marriage from taking place. The unlikely hero Declan who has been charged with escorting Hellena to the wedding ends up falling for her. However, the story complicates when we find out about the tangled web of Declan’s situation that includes potentially going back to jail for a crime he did not commit if he cannot deliver Hellena safely to her Duke. 
 
Although an ominous storyline, the book maintains a feel-good vibe throughout with cute elements that lighten the mood and mimics a good historical romance novel. The characters are likable and the pacing is good. Ironically, I really enjoyed the Duke of Lusk character and the twist at the end which really completes the story in a comprehensive way. I had some reservations with the rushed love situation of the main characters that lacked development in its hurried nature and led to some missed chemistry throughout the story in my opinion. Also, the conflict was resolved a bit too easily leaving the reader to wonder how dire the situation really could have been. Overall it was a nice read but something I may not remember in the long term.
 
Special thank you to NetGalley for giving me this arc for my honest review!

4.5 stars!

In the five years she’s been betrothed to the Duke of Lusk, Lady Helena Lark has tried everything she can think of to escape the match. The man is wholly uninterested in marrying, but her refusals have nonetheless all failed and her family is determined to see the lucrative match finally come to fruition. But Helena has one last idea to make good on her escape: find another bride for Lusk.

Declan Shaw, a former soldier turned mercenary, better known as The Huntsman, is well-known for his skill and has his pick of wealthy clients. His last job seeing a young noblewoman to the south of France ended in disaster, with Declan imprisoned and falsely accused of kidnapping his charge. He’s not interested in having anything further to do with the aristocracy, but is left little choice if he hopes to be released from prison so he agrees to mind the duke’s fiancé and see she makes it down the aisle.

But when Declan meets Helena, he finds her utterly irresistible. She senses his reluctance to aid the duke and enlists him as an ally. Against his own rules forbidding involvement with a client, Declan is soon all in with Helena, helping her enact her plan to see herself free of Lusk and securely in Declan’s arms instead.

I do love a good fairytale retelling, and this was a cute one. I’ve never read anything quite like it and while some of the plot points still don’t quite make sense to me, I really don’t even mind. I adored Declan as the initially somewhat reluctant hero. Once he decided he was all in, there was no hesitation and he was fully committed to Helena. She was just as steadfastly loyal to him and their determination to be together no matter what made this a delight to read. I loved that Helena was fiercely determined to have her freedom and make her own way, but she never came off as shrewishly insufferable or arrogant as is the case so often with heroines lately. Instead, she was willing to reevaluate and admit to being wrong, considering Declan’s feelings along with her own. I enjoyed picking out all the nods to Snow White and they gave this regency a refreshingly whimsical feel. I’m continuing this series and looking forward to the next fairytale.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Duchess a Day kicks off Charis Michaels’ new series, Awakened by a Kiss, nicely. It’s a lighthearted regency romance based loosely on Snow White and the Seven Dwarves that delivers admirable hero/heroines, a nicely paced plot, a sensual romance, and a happy ending. There are some missteps along the way, but overall this is a fun, frothy, sweet romance.

Lady Helena Lark has been engaged to the Duke of Lusk for five years. She is desperate to avoid this marriage as the Duke (or more appropriately, the Duke’s uncle Titus) simply wants her land to use as a transportation route for his mining operation. The plans would destroy a forest, an apple orchard, and a cottage that Lady Helena adores and protects. So every time the wedding approaches, Helena simply runs away. Uncle Titus is done waiting and has brought Helena and her family to London to live with him and the Duke until the wedding. This time Uncle Titus is taking no chances and has hired a keeper for Helena.

Declan Shaw, soldier turned mercenary, is languishing in Newgate, falsely accused of murder. Uncle Titus has decided that Declan, also known as “the Huntsman”, would be the perfect guard for Helena. He conspires to get Declan released from prison, but only if Declan agrees to guard Helena and make sure she gets to the altar. If he doesn’t succeed, he will return to prison. A desperate Declan agrees to the bargain and is brought into the Duke’s household as Lady Helena’s private groom.

There is an immediate attraction between Declan and Helena but Declan has a hard time understanding why Helena wants to escape her fate so desperately - until he meets the Duke who turns out to be a lily-livered lout. Slowly, Declan begins to feel sympathy towards Helena and her plight, and she convinces him to aid her. She has a plan - she will find other women in London to introduce to the Duke, women who are desperate to be a duchess, women who will awaken the loser Duke with a feeling of passion so strong he will jilt Helena. And she has a plan to save Declan from a return to prison and provide him with the security he seeks for his father and sisters. So she and Declan make a list of potential candidates and set off to meet a “duchess a day”.

Ms. Michaels creates an unusual heroine in Helena. She’s definitely feisty and driven but she has enormous sympathy for Declan’s plight and works hard to make sure he is not sacrificed to her goals. I expected her to be selfish and grating, but she is simply faithful to herself while being considerate to and respectful of others. She’s also playful and light-hearted in spite of her circumstances. Declan finds it hard to resist her pull and sooner than he can imagine, he is following along with her plans and falling in love. Declan is a man torn between his obligations and love for his family, and his budding feelings for Helena. I appreciated how honest they were with each other early on in the story - there is no big misunderstanding here, just the two of them working to free Helena from a dark future. I wasn’t a fan of the rush to the physical here and would have preferred more tension to build before they started kissing, but their attraction is obvious and solidly written.

Uncle Titus and Helena’s family are worthy antagonists, but the Duke of Lusk is underdeveloped as a character. He perks up at the end, but his character trajectory is all over the place. I’m wondering if he is being set up as the hero in the next novel. Right now, he comes across as a bit of a buffoon so hopefully not! And sticklers for historical accuracy will definitely find problems here, such as - is a burly, attractive groom really the correct chaperone for a single lady and the only one she needs? And why isn’t anyone keeping a closer watch on Lady Helena? Also, the ending is a little too lucky for Helena and Declan. I did appreciate how cleverly Ms. Michaels weaves elements from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves into the story - the apples, the huntsman, the potential duchesses nicknamed after the dwarves. It will not appeal to readers looking for a traditional regency read, but it will tickle those who can appreciate a lighter feel in their books.

Even with these issues, A Duchess a Day is a charming, light read that will entertain readers who enjoy a little whimsy with their romance.

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent bookstore
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I savored every word of this fantastic romance!

Paying homage to the Snow White fairytale with many direct and in-direct references, this delightful romance starts with a clever plot and ends with a surprise twist. The writing is sharp, witty, sardonic, and zany at times and is exquisitely descriptive, both visually and emotionally. The story is filled with the kind of swoony romantic scenes that make a romance novel truly great.

Helena is desperate to extricate herself from an arranged marriage to a dissolute duke, so she hatches a plan to find an assortment of more qualified young ladies in the hopes he'll choose someone - anyone - in her stead.

Tasked with ensuring that Helena makes it to the altar, Declan (the "Huntsman") finds himself increasingly drawn into her plan and inextricably drawn to her. He has everything to lose by helping her, but it seems he just can't say no to her.

Their adventures involve examining seven lovely ladies as possible replacements as duchess, but these missions serve mostly as the background opportunities for Helena and Declan to discover just how much they're willing to risk to ensure the other's happiness.

Containing elements of both insta-love and slow-burn attraction, this story had me hooked from the very first scene and I found myself rereading various passages just to enjoy the charming interplay once again. Just when you think all is lost, a completely unexpected twist brings the perfect solution straight to their door. I was simply amazed at how this was all worked out in such a marvelous way, and stunned that I hadn't seen it coming, despite all the glorious little hints that hindsight reminded me were sprinkled throughout the story.

I loved every bit of this story and highly recommend it for everyone who reads historical romance. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

I've picked up and put down this book so much, but I just cannot make it work for me. While I enjoy Charis Michael's writing, I am not connecting with the characters, or believing they have a connection. Ultimately I did not finish this book at around 41%, and for this reason I will not be reviewing it on my blog. I look forward to reading what Charis writes in the future! Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me with this opportunity.

I have read many Beauty and the Beast retellings. I love a good fairy tale. This is my first Snow White retelling and my first book by Charis Michaels and I am 100% sold on both! I think I fell a little in love with Declan as the Huntsman and certainly loved his and Helena's love story. It was fun and light and just steamy enough to keep you wanting a little more. Their story resolved in such a clever way and I can't wait for the next book!

Truly a 4.5 star rating.

I loved this a whole lot! This was much more of a Snow White and the Huntsman retelling than I had thought I was going to get, and was pleasantly surprised by it. Especially the tie in with the dwarves. 🤣
Both Helena and Declan were loveable characters in their own way, though I can see people having a tough time loving Helena in parts of this story.
I was loving all of the stolen steamy moments between our couple, and when they finally became one, I thought it was very sweet and genuine, with all of the cards on the table at the time it happened.
I am looking forward to exploring more from this author, and will DEVOUR any sequel that comes out in this series!

Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Emotional Depth:💔💔💔
Sexual Tension:⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Number of Sex Scenes: 🍆🍆

This was my first Charis Michaels and boy, am I sold. I already have 5 of her 6 books published coming to me from the library. Rarely do a find a writer that just interests me so quickly. Wraps me up in the world of the story where I’m so eager to keep reading. I absolutely adored her writing style.

This book is a Snow White and the Seven Dwarves retelling, in a way and I absolutely love the way it was done. Clever, clever. I adore fairy tale retellings.

Our heroine is Helena and she’s been betrothed to the uninspiring Duke of Lusk for years. She has begged, pleaded, and ran away to try to escape her wedding. But, the time has come, and the Duke’s uncle is going to make sure she will walk down the aisle.

In steps our criminal, err hero - Declan. Found in Newgate Prison, he’s hired to keep Helena where she should be, following her every step right up until she’s walking down the aisle. He’s willing to do about anything to get out of jail.

Give this book a try if you want:
- Forced proximity – these two are on page together the whole book and it’s glorious
- Fairy tale retelling – Snow White version
- Class differences – heroine is the daughter of an earl and hero is a commoner
- Lower steam – lots of touches and kisses but only 1 full sex scene (The tension and kisses make this book feel a bit steamier)
- Lower angst – there’s some worry about what will happen but ultimately the story is about the hero and heroine working together towards a goal and growing closure with every chapter.
- I also put it under masquerade, but it's a smaller part of the book closer to the end.

Helena was a delight to me. She’s got a problem (her engagement) and she is not going to sit around and bemoan the circumstances of her life. She’s going to do something about it, whether anyone will help her or not. She has both her parents and 3 sisters, but she is not close to any of them. There’s a small family dynamic that goes on with the sisters that I rather enjoyed. Made the characters feel all the more real.

Declan, it’s kind of hard for me to peg what kind of hero he is. If you read it, let me know what you think. He doesn’t really feel like an alpha to me, but he’s not all beta either. It’s like he’s the best of both worlds wrapped up in one man. He cares so much, and he lets the Helena take the lead but he draws the line where it needs to be drawn. I enjoyed him.

Things that bring down the rating just a tad for me was a wish there was one intimate scene that went a little further. They had such great tension and the kisses were so so good, but I wanted it to go just a little further, at least once.

Also some things were just borderline silly. Some things made me wonder, would that actually even happen or be possible??? But I am not a stickler about that stuff, and just went along for the ride. Just a small note – I really wish they would have gone off to the apple orchard Helena talks about so much in the story. I was wanting to experience that since her love for it was so vibrant.

While not hilariously funny (thinking of the slap stick situations of Tessa Dare), I found Michael’s writing to have my favorite kind of humor. Woven throughout the story, a line here and there relating to a specific character or situation. Witty and clever writing.

Also, I actually was surprised by the ending. And while it was a bit silly, I quite loved it.

In coming gushing in…3…2…1…

My fairytale adoring heart WEPT WITH JOY.

A Duchess a Day by Charis Michaels is a Snow White inspired romance. (*flails*) Helena and Declan have ELECTRIC chemistry…they share the most gorgeous first kiss I’ve read in a looooong time. (*more failing*)

The viscerally head over heals way this couple falls for each other just lit up my heart and soul. I’m gushing. I know. But I absolutely loved, LOVED, every page. This is why I read romance. For this exact feeling. The whole book is beautiful and romantic with brilliantly witty and evocative writing.

And if you’re not so into the fairytale retelling thing, don’t fret. I would not call this a “retelling” exactly. The Snow White infusions are fresh and original and completely delightful…not at all heavy handed. Just perfect. Oh, and if be remiss if I didn’t mention my everlasting love for this gorgeous beyond GORGEOUS cover!

I cannot WAIT for the rest of this series.

Thank you Avon and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all thoughts and opinions are my own

What an unexpected delight! This was my first book by Charis Michaels and it makes me so happy to find a new author that I love. When reading the description I really didn't know if this trope would interest me. I read very few books where a titled lady falls for a commoner and from reading this, I see what a travesty that is. Not every hero has to be a Duke and this book is the perfect example of this. I loved Helena and Declans relationship. I loved that the conflict really wasn't anything they were doing to each other but more from outside forces and the beauty of this couple is that they were determined these forces were not going to be successful. I will say the "reveals" were not really reveals as I knew all along who people were and what was going to happen but that didn't lessen the enjoyment. Highly recommend!

I expected to like this book far more than I did—I am a sucker for both mercenary heroes and bodyguards, after all. But Declan lacks the kind of dark, gritty vibe I want from a character with his background. The evil machinations behind the scene also fell short of truly dramatic, and the plot at the forefront (finding various potential brides) was a bit of a slog to get through. I'd have liked both of these elements to be cranked way up.

That said, there were some good vibes between Helena and Declan, and Helena was genuinely enjoyable as a heroine.

I received a digital advanced copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It's been a loooong time since I've relished a book like this. There have been books I truly enjoyed and gave 5 stars. But this one makes me question the metric. Were those others really 5 star reads? In comparison to this one?
Goodness, I loved it. The author continually surprised and entertained and created a fabulous couple I genuinely wanted to see succeed. Well done. 5 very enthusiastic stars!

This was an enjoyable romance novel. I loved the two main characters and the plot kept me interested the entire time.