Along Came a Lady had a really strong start--Edwina and Rafe's meeting was a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed the time they spend together in Rafe's mining community--sparks are flying like crazy, and I LOLed more than once. Once they get to London things shift--though the personal/family drama ramps up quite a bit, their relationship doesn't quite have the same vibe as it did previously.

Still, it's easy to root for them both, though the more time they spend in Town the trickier it seems getting them together for an HEA will be. The sexy times ramp up, though, so have your fans ready! ;)

I was a bit disappointed with the novel's ending--things just start to really ramp up for our hero and heroine when bam! the book ends without ever really giving us a glimpse of how their lives together will work and what that will look like. I honestly tried turning the pages of my ereader back and forth a few times, just to make sure I didn't miss anything. Ms Caldwell got them to the HEA, but I really wanted to see how that was going to look going forward. (She can 100% make it up to me by letting us see them together in Rafe's three siblings' books, though...I'm willing to forgive and forget if you throw me enough scenes of the two of them canoodling ;) )

Rating: 3 1/2 stars / B

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Caldwell has written a delightful tale of a father trying to fix the mistakes of his past. The author has left the ballroom of London for the coal fields of England. The romance is fresh as it’s between two people who aren’t part of the recognized ton, both Rafe and Edwina are bastard children of powerful peers. Caldwell really delivers in this first book for Berkeley.

Rafe and his siblings are the illegitimate children of a Duke. When their mother dies giving birth to his sister, Rafe, at the age of thirteen, is left to raise them on his own. They have a hard life working the coal mines, and now as an adult, Rafe is foreman. The Duke suddenly takes an interest in him and wants Rafe to travel to London to meet and take his place in society. He sends representatives out to convince Rafe to go to London but they all fail. Enter Edwina. Her livelihood is transforming women, making them ready to enter Society. The Duke hires her to convince Rafe to go to London and also to teach him lessons in etiquette and deportment. Edwina arrives at the coalfields parasol and all, a prattling chatterbox, optimistic, sunny, and cheerful. Rafe looks at her in befuddlement. He'll get rid of her like all the others sent to him. She, who gives lessons in the art of walking, has nothing to teach him! After an underhanded move by Edwina, he does agree to go to London, taking his sister too. He learns that under her sunny exterior, Edwina is also illegitimate, growing up bullied and ostracized in her village. Her dream is only to fit in and be wanted by her father. Their story is both funny and touching.

This was my first Christi Caldwell book, and consider me a fan! I highly recommend this historical romance if you're a fan of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series, especially Anthony's book! A great take on the classic enemies-to-lovers and opposites-attract trope.

A delightful reverse retelling of My Fair Lady. I enjoyed the enemies to lovers trope. It was a fun read and recommend for anyone who loves historical romance to read it!

Along Came a Lady is the first in a new series by Christi Caldwell and it was an absolute delight. I love a good battle of wills between two characters and Rafe and Edwina were two very stubborn individuals who gave their best to outwit the other. Edwina Dalymple was hired by the Duke of Bentley to convince his son Rafe Audley to come to London and take his place in Polite Society. Rafe has no intention of meeting his father, becoming his heir and leaving his life in Staffordshire. What Rafe doesn’t realize is that Edwina knows exactly what Rafe is denying himself and his family by not taking the Duke up on his offer. Edwina would give anything if her own father would just accept her. She’s an illegitimate as well and has to make her own way in the world as a businesswoman grooming young ladies to enter society. If she could get Rafe to London this would be the biggest feather in her cap, and she isn’t about to fail. She would get him there by any means. Even if it means accepting challenges on his terms and falling in love.

This was such a fun story to read and was very well written. As a fan of historical romances, Christi Caldwell is one of the best authors to deliver a story that is passionate and heartfelt, and this was no exception. I fell in love with Edwina and her plight and wanted her to win it all. Her backstory broke my heart and for any woman born into her situation. There was a strong cast of supporting characters who did their part to move the story along. My first suggestion is to try and read the prequel, It Had to Be the Duke, but it isn’t absolutely necessary. I read it after and it just made me more sympathetic towards the Duke of Bentley and want him to reunite with his grown children. I loved Along Came a Lady and I would highly recommend it for such an entertaining story.

This was my first Christi Caldwell romance and I was so excited to read it! I have seen Caldwell’s novels around the bookish world and I have often wondered how they compare to other historical romances. So when this one came up for review, I knew I had to jump on it even if I had to rearrange my reading calendar to make it happen.

I know a lot of people raved about this one and said it was the perfect book for fans of the Bridgerton books. I have to say, Caldwell has a voice all her own and while there might be similarities to Julia Quinn, they are clearly different writers within the same genre. That’s not saying that Caldwell is inferior to Quinn, just that they have a different flair so if you are thinking this book is going to be exactly like the Bridgerton books then you might be disappointed. But if you are wanting historical romance that is well done with some humor, then yes in that regard they are similar.

I picked this one up and read it super quick, which is typical for me when it comes to historical romance. Historical romances are usually light fun reading for me and this one was no different! If you have read Caldwell before, no doubt you will want to get your hands on this new series as it promises to be a wonderful series for fans of historical romance.

Summary
The brooding, illegitimate son of a duke meets his match in the determined woman hired to transform him into a gentleman from USA Today bestselling author Christi Caldwell—perfect for fans of Bridgerton.

Rafe Audley lives to thwart his father, the Duke of Bentley. The ne’er do well who abandoned his children claims he wants to make up for his failures, but Rafe only cares about protecting the people of his mining community and providing for his three siblings, who’ve been his sole responsibility since childhood. So far, Rafe has turned away the duke’s man of affairs, solicitor, and other interlopers, until the clever duke sends the unlikeliest of people to convince Rafe to join English High Society—a bold and intriguing woman.

Edwina Dalrymple has never failed a charge. She’s quite adept at successfully transforming young women of the gentry and daughters of newly minted lords to take their place in society. Taming a bastard son of a duke will be child’s play, plus this job promises to enhance her reputation within the ton. All she has to do is fetch the wayward Rafe and groom him to be presentable to Polite Society.

As the tenacious teacher and her domineering, stubborn, refuses-to-be-taught pupil engage in a fiery battle of wills, their chemistry ignites and the true lesson becomes clear: opposites attract and hearts must be heard. (summary from Goodreads)

Review
To be fair, while I did enjoy this one and I read it rather quickly there were times when I felt like it was a little on the silly side. This one was big of a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Posh girl brought in to tame the rather unruly and burly man into a passable lord. It started out pretty strong but then it quickly got overwhelming. There was a lot going on in the storyline (abandonment by the father, family issues, sibling tension, coal mining things, oh ya and romance!). At some point I had to just kind of ignore the background noise and focus on what was going on between Edwina and Rafe. I mean the book wasn’t bad there was just a lot going on for me and honestly the likelihood of a story like this happening was a pretty far cry but then again, it’s fiction and why not just enjoy it for what it is—love, romance, chemistry, and a happy ending. I liked this one, although I didn’t love it in the way that I have loved some other historical romances I’ve read this year.

That said, I would read more by Caldwell. There was enough of a good story here for me to want to read more. It was an easy read which provided me with a couple of nights of entertainment and a few smiles and chuckles and I can’t be mad at that! It was good enough that I would recommend it to fans of historical romance but there are other historical romances I would probably recommend first if that makes sense. I liked the premise but something just didn’t jive for me and I think it was just that there was a lot of layers to the story and a lot of threads to keep track of.

Edwina was generally sweet and sassy which was a great combo (one of my favorites in historical romances) and I loved the enemies to lovers troupe. Rafe was stubborn and yet had this strong protective quality about him that will endear him to readers. Edwina and Rafe had great chemistry and I would expect nothing less from a seasoned romance writer like Caldwell! She did a solid job even if I didn’t love the story in the way that I had hoped I would still recommend it and I was glad I read it. If you love historical romances then don’t miss this one!

Book Info and Rating
Format: 320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published: August 24 2021 by Berkley Books

ISBN: 9780593334911

Free review copy provided by publisher, Berkley Books, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 3 stars

Genre: historical romance

Wow! What a book! I really loved the original premise and I particularly loved the main characters. Their bond was so rich and nuanced and it really made the whole book sing. I heartily recommend this book to everyone!

Rafe Audley is the illegitimate son of the Duke of Bentley. Rafe has never had contact with his father. His mother had four children by the duke and not once did he visit his children. When Rafe was thirteen his mother died while giving birth. Rafe was left to take care of his newborn sister and his two younger brothers. Rafe began working in the coalmines as a child and worked his way up to head foreman. Eighteen years after his mother died, the duke sends solicitors to make contact with Rafe, who shuns all their attempts.

Miss Edwina Dalrymple is an instructor in etiquette to the daughters of wealthy merchants and powerful families of gentry. Unexpectedly, she is approached by the Duke of Bentley to bring his long-lost son to London. Edwina is offered a great deal of money and, more importantly, a chance to work in the elite circles of society. A good reference could ensure her a successful career. She is tasked with convincing Rafe Audley to accompany her to London and agree to lessons on behavior in polite society in preparation for him attending a season with his father, the duke, in London.

I loved this story. Christi Caldwell has written about Regency England high society from the perspective of illegitimate children. We are taken on a journey through the eyes of these children who have varying feelings of hatred, jealousy, and curiosity about their parents and the society that they are not a part of due to the circumstances of their births. She shows us what life might have been like for these offspring. She creates characters that are compelling in their beliefs but also in their ability to see reason when presented with new, unknown, information. The author brings us into places with vivid details that make us feel we are truly present, from coal mines to country inns and to great ducal estates. While the author did not use entirely period appropriate language, terms are modernized, it did not bother me.

Most of the couple’s encounters are passionate and full of emotion but there is some graphic sex. I loved this book. I will reread it in the future and I hope there are sequels involving the Rafe’s siblings.

~ Andrea

ARC provided by Netgalley

What a delightful start to a new series.

This is my first time reading Christi Caldwell, and I'm delightfully surprised and excited to find a new HR author to love.

The first line of the blurb says, "The brooding, illegitimate son of a duke meets his match in the determined woman hired to transform him into a gentleman". And this is the perfect plot of the book.

Rafe Audley is the illegitimate son of a Duke and for thirty years, he has resented the fact and spent the time hating the Duke. All the while, raising his three younger siblings (also the Duke's illegitimate kids). Now, the Duke wants to publicly acknowledge him and he wants none of it. He sends back all the people the DUke has sent to bring him back one way or the other.

So, this time, the Duke sends a woman. Essentially, a teacher who teaches young lady in how to behave in society. She is sent to train him and bring him to London.

Read this book if you love:
- Great meet-cute
- An absolute grumpy and broody hero
- A sunshine heroine with a sad past
- Hero's love for his younger siblings
- Great banter
- Heroine getting drunk in an establishment and losing it
- Hero is completely flabbergasted by the heroine and keeps running away from her to avoid her
- Determined heroine
- Slow burn with relatively early make out sessions. So, the best amount of steam
- Will they/won't they push and pull

Overall, a solid start to the series. I can't wait to read the next books of other Audley siblings.

BOOK REVIEW: Along Came A Lady by Christi Caldwell (All The Duke's Sins Series | Book 1)

Strong lead characters with dual perspective narration that delivers intriguing insight into both leads without "giving away all the goods" to keep the tension taut!... Spicy Romance | T.I.M.E. Jalapeno Rating: 🌶🌶 (Medium Spicy)... ✨😎✨

T.I.M.E. Most Anticipated Books of 2021

Genre: Historical Romance Novels
Sub-Genres: Enemies To Lovers Romance Novels | Steamy Romance Novels
Time Period: Victorian Era
Location: England

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All my reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Books, Lifestyle & Home Ideas for Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at www.thisismyeverybody.com

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

4.5 Stars

Witty, sensuous, emotional and wonderfully romantic, Regency fans will fall head over heels in love with Christi Caldwell’s latest historical, Along Came a Lady.

Rafe Audley has a very low opinion of his aristocratic father, the Duke of Bentley. Rafe has never forgiven his father for walking out on his children and lumbering him with the responsibility of bringing up his siblings. Rafe has no time for his father and despises everything he and men of his class stand for. With his siblings’ well-being to think about as well as that of his mining community, Rafe wholly rejects the notion of becoming a member of polite society – regardless of how much his absent father begs him to! Rafe’s papa doesn’t seem to be giving up. Yet, each time he sends his man of affairs, his eldest son slams the door in his face – until now. Rafe has never seen any reason to want to join the upper echelons of English society – until his father sent the intriguing Edwina Dalrymple to his door!

Failure is simply not part of Edwina Dalrymple’s vocabulary. She has never failed a charge and she is not about to start now. She has transformed a legion of young hoydens into biddable society brides and she is sure that she will knock Rafe Audley into shape and make him into a respectable member of the Ton in no time at all. Determined to enhance her reputation with the Ton, Edwina rolls up her sleeves and begins to work her magic on Rafe – although she quickly realizes that unlike her previous charges, her latest pupil will end up testing her like never before!

Despite all of her ministrations, Rafe refuses to be taught. A battle of wills ensues from the moment the two clap eyes on one another and as sparks begin to fly, their chemistry ignites kindling a sizzling flame of desire that refuses to be doused. Rafe and Edwina are two complete opposites, but the more time they spend in each other’s company, the more they realize that they are absolutely perfect for one another!

Could a lesson in seduction end up leading to a love that will last a lifetime? Or will Rafe and Edwina’s path to happiness be derailed by past wounds and old ghosts?

Christi Caldwell’s Along Came a Lady is simply delightful! A gender-swapped My Fair Lady retelling that sizzles with humor, heat, intensity and charm, Along Came a Lady is an irresistible Regency romance I couldn’t read fast enough. Christi Caldwell has a gift for writing witty banter, smoking hot chemistry and swoon-worthy passion that hooks readers from page one and keeps them gleefully turning the pages way past their bedtime and that is certainly the case for Along Came a Lady.

Rafe and Edwina are a terrific couple. Strong, intelligent, loyal and determined, these two characters will charm readers from the off and their love story is sure to touch the heart and leave readers roaring with laughter.

Sexy, uplifting and irresistible, Regency romance readers will be bowled over by Christi Caldwell’s Along Came a Lady.

The brooding, illegitimate son of a duke meets his match in the determined woman hired to transform him into a gentleman from USA Today bestselling author Christi Caldwell—perfect for fans of Bridgerton.

Rafe Audley lives to thwart his father, the Duke of Bentley. The ne’er do well who abandoned his children claims he wants to make up for his failures, but Rafe only cares about protecting the people of his mining community and providing for his three siblings, who've been his sole responsibility since childhood. So far, Rafe has turned away the duke's man of affairs, solicitor, and other interlopers, until the clever duke sends the unlikeliest of people to convince Rafe to join English High Society—a bold and intriguing woman.

Edwina Dalrymple has never failed a charge. She's quite adept at successfully transforming young women of the gentry and daughters of newly minted lords to take their place in society. Taming a bastard son of a duke will be child's play, plus this job promises to enhance her reputation within the ton. All she has to do is fetch the wayward Rafe and groom him to be presentable to Polite Society.

As the tenacious teacher and her domineering, stubborn, refuses-to-be-taught pupil engage in a fiery battle of wills, their chemistry ignites and the true lesson becomes clear: opposites attract and hearts must be heard.

Review to come closer to my tour date stop

This was a solid historical romance that falls into the bastard children of nobility trope. I like my historical romance heroes and heroines rich and damaged so it tracks.

3.75 stars

Thanks to Berkley for arc of this book!

One sentence review: Along Came a Lady is a fun, frenemies, historical romance with some great characters and some really entertaining dialogue that had me quickly flipping the pages.⁣
⁣
The book centers around Edwina Dalrymple, a woman who typically instructs women on etiquette. She takes a commission with a Duke who wants to bring his eldest son to London and for Edwina to instruct him on how to be a gentleman. Rafe Audley is a coal miner's foreman who wants nothing to do with the man who abandoned him and his two siblings. As so the story begins.⁣
⁣
My thoughts:⁣
⁣
- The author has created some fantastic characters. I'll admit to not particularly liking Edwina at first. But as the story developed I really grew to like her a lot. And I loved Rafe and his siblings from the very start.⁣
- The dialogue in this story is first rate. Edwina and Rafe appear to be complete opposites but the more they talk and get to know each other, the more it seems they have in common.⁣
- I can't wait to read Rafe's siblings stories!⁣
⁣
I recommend this book to fans of historical romance. If you haven't tried historical fiction, I think this would be a great one to start with.

CW: parental abandonment, MC hears mother die during childbirth (on page), classism, grief, discussion and mentions of dangers and deaths related to mining

I really enjoyed this enemies to friends to lovers historical romance. The tutor/tutee forced proximity trope worked perfectly for the story. Rafe and Edwina had amazing chemistry from the start and I loved their banter and how their prejudices and preconceived notions gave way to so much more. I appreciated that even though both gave as good as they got, they were also able to (eventually) own up to their actions and apologize if they made a mistake. I didn’t mind the slow burn between these two, but I did feel that it caused the ending to feel a bit rushed. There wasn’t much closure (I’m assuming this will be addressed in future books) and the epiphanies and declarations came moments before the end. I also felt that some of the dialogue and descriptions were overly wordy, but this could just be my unfamiliarity with the terminology. I’m definitely intrigued by the Audley siblings though and look forward to reading more books in the series!

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

This book should come with a tissue rating!! What a wonderful ride!

This series is going to be incredible! The premise has always been in the back of my mind to ponder....what happens to/with those born on the wrong side of the blanket?

Ms. Caldwell has taken it and given it life! She approached it with grace and an iron fist all at the same time. The anger and rage in Rage was resolute and nothing or no one was going to change that. Regardless of potential opportunities, Race stood strong in his belief that his view of the situation was the only one that mattered. He has pride in who he was, what he had accomplished and that he had done it on his own. There was no room in his life or the lives of his siblings for a man that sired them.

Edwina, part Mary Poppins and part professor Higgins, bursts into Rafe's world determined to show him the error in his thoughts and beliefs. She is determined, smart, witty, strong, and ready to help.

The deep fear they each have of rejection and not belonging is beautifully written so you are rooting for them and hoping they come to see that they are worthy of tenderness and love. Ms. Caldwell has a gift for writing characters you want to befriend and spend more time with. The conversations, the laughs, and the emotional revelations along the way had me turning pages into the night.

I look forward to the HEA's of Rafe's siblings. Thank you, Ms. Caldwell for the gift you share with us, your readers.

Disclaimer: I received a complementary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in anyway.

This is a rivals-to-lovers historical romance where Rafe Audley, who is the Duke of Bentley's illegitimate son, falls in love with his ...'etiquette teacher' Edwina Dalrymple.

Rafe works as a coal miner and wants nothing to do with his father, the Duke. Every time the Duke sends his man-of-affairs with the intention of bringing Rafe to London, he sends them all back empty-handed, until Edwina. Edwina teaches etiquette to young ladies and when the Duke & Duchess of Bentley come to ask for her services, she is shocked. Teaching a thirty-year-old man etiquette is not what Edwina thought she'd do but the promise of wealth & prestige made it hard for Edwina to say no. Rafe pushes Edwina to her limits since the day she arrives at his village, not realizing that they both have more in common than he realizes.

This was my first Christi Caldwell book and it did not disappoint. I did have trouble getting into the story, but overall, it was an enjoyable historical romance. Fans of Bridgerton will definitely love this story!

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Available now!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
Steam: 🌶/5 (a little bit of steam, some description in scenes)

No spoiler review 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

This is the first book in the All The Duke’s Sins series!

I really enjoyed this historical romance book!

Edwina is an etiquette instructor hired by a Duke to bring his 31 year old illegitimate son, back to London to enter society beside him.

Rafe (his oldest son) is a coal miner and wants nothing to do with the Duke. Edwina travels to the country to help convince him to come back to London with her.

This book was hilarious. Both these characters are stubborn and assertive, lots of arguments and tension filled conversations. This is for sure an awesome grump and sunshine read, with enemies to lovers elements. (Some of my favourite things in a romance).

I loved Edwinas character, she’s self made, assertive and does everything with a smile. She was such a fun character to read. Her and Rafe had so much good chemistry.
The dialogue was some of the best part of this romance!

I also loved Rafes sister Cailin. She was hilarious and I would love to read more of her!

There were a few minimal steamy scenes in this book. More on the lighter side of descriptions.

I gave this book 4 stars as some parts in the middle were a little slow.

That being said, overall it was a fun historical romance read with excellent tension and banter! I recommend this one and will pick up books from this author in the future.

Working class Rafe Audley was absolutely perfect in Along Came a Lady, Christi Caldwell’s reverse Pygmalion tale!

Miss Edwina Dalrymple strolls into Rafe’s coal mining operation all sunshine and brightness looking for the man she’s going to transform and bring home to his father in London… her lightness creates the ultimate contrast to Rafe’s dark and brooding personality.

These two are so similar in many ways, but butt heads the whole time as they war over Edwina’s mission to get him to London. As they battle and then work together, they come around to see that there is so much more to the other than meets the eye!

This romance had everything I expect from a Christi Caldwell book- dark heroes, working class characters, gritty/ realistic historical settings and hot and passionate romance!

Sometimes a Pygmalion story can run flat for me- I’m not a fan of makeovers changing peoples’ lives- but this role reversal and the unravelling of truths that were always there was done so well. I absolutely loved how Rafe and Edwina come to see, accept and appreciate all of the facets of their own lives and of each others.

Along Came a Lady by Christi Caldwell was released August 24th, 2021.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Berkley Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#AlongCameALady #ChristiCaldwell #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads