A Duchess by Midnight
Book 3 in the Awakened by a Kiss Series
Rating: 3 stars
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

Duchess by Midnight was an okay story about a Cinderella retelling with a twist. The FL happened to be the wicked stepsister that has now repented and changed her ways for the better.
I actually liked this new take on the classic story, but I felt that the romance between Drew and Ian felt somewhat forced. The scene when he is confronted about having to marry her because they were caught in a compromising situation was not the best handled by him. His comments towards this marriage made me feel bad for Drew, especially because he said them to his sister while Drew is standing next to him. Poor Drew, she was good enough to make out with, but not to meet his qualifications for duchess. As the story progressed I admit that I never warmed up to Ian. Drew deserved someone better.
Drew is first introduced to serve as a society stylist to Ian's nieces. I liked how she was very honest with them and said nothing they did to her would prevent her from making them into two presentable society ladies. I loved when she told them that she had done worse things! LOL

I think this might be the last in the Awakened by a Kiss series and that makes me sad because I would read any fairytale retelling that Charis Michaels writes. Who am I kidding, I would read any book she writes because she is fabulous and her books bring me so much joy.
A Duchess By Midnight was so good! I was so confident that it would be amazing that I had my mom pre-order a signed copy for me for my birthday back in February! Now I can’t wait for my physical copy to come in.
Anyway, this “Cinderella retelling” focused on a reformed evil step-sister. The story follows Drewsmina Trelayne as she attempts to become a “stylist” for young debutants as they prepare for their first season in London. Her step-sister Cynde is now a princess and helps her acquire her first clients. These young ladies and their mother have been through a lot in the last few years but they are now being cared for by their uncle the Duke of Lachlan.
Drew helps not only the girls find their way into society but she catches the eye of the Duke. Drew is so sweet and charming and without meaning to she is able to heal old wounds and reunite a family.
This was so cute and fun with a few splashes of spice that will live rent free in my brain for some time.

Favorite quotes:

“Love is having someone at your side when you are taken by surprise.” - Lady Tribble

“There you are. I’ve been searching for you my whole life, and now you’ve finally come. Thank God.” Lord Tribble
“It was the most gratifying thing, to be seen and to be wanted.” - Lady Tribble

Plot: If you mention fairytales, I am immediately interested. If you mention Cinderella, I am even more interested. And then you say told from the "evil" stepsisters POV? Of course I'm going to read it! I love how Charis Michaels took the tale of Cinderella, and gave it a new historical romance twist, with what happened after the happily ever after.

Characters: Drew was an absolutely wonderful main character, and I loved her relationship with Lachlan. The supporting characters were all great, from his family, to her sister, "Cinderella".

The Cover: It's really pretty, I love her dress!

Overall: This was an absolutely fantastic romance, that I would definitely recommend!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

In the beginning I was not certain I was going to enjoy this read, the dialogue rubbed me the wrong way and certain scenarios were too quirky for me to enjoy. In the back of my mind I remembered how wonderful the synopsis sounded do I continued and am glad I did.

I enjoyed the forced proximity, Drew's love for birds and insects, the spice and location. I think someone new to romance would benefit from the descriptions regarding seasons., the Ton, proper etiquette for debutantes and what "coming out in society' is.

This can be read as a stand alone, however, a character from the second book in the series 'When You Wish Upon a Duke' does make an appearance.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for the digital arc.

One of my favorite things about Charis Michaels's books is how exceptionally low stakes they are. Her books are intentionally written to be fun and frothy and easy on our heart. She manages to do this while creating a love story that we want to read and be a part of. This series of fairy tale side characters is just so wonderful.

I loved the family. Ivy and Imogene were such a good way to add depth to both Drew and the story. I loved their mom and how they all came together to learn to love who they are as people. Watching Drew share her own story and walk the family through the steps to accepting themselves was so rewarding.

I liked the Cinderella storyline so much. Charis does such a good job of making the story her own, but also holding true to the bones of the fairy tale we love. I love that this is kind of a next chapter for all of the characters.

This is not your traditional historical romance. The angst is low. The stakes are low. The fun is high and the read is easy and light. I listened to the first half and read the second half with my eyes and I think it was just the right path for me.

I have really loved all the books in Chairs Michaels fairy tell retellings and this one is no different. Drew is a wicked stepsister who wants to open a finishing school for girls. Ian is our hero, who just happens to have some nieces who need a bit of polish. This was romantic and sweet. Really enjoyed their romance and its always fun to see a wicked duke reform!

A Duchess by Midnight is the third novel in Charis Michaels Awakened by a Kiss series. I haven't read any of the previous books in the series and found it worked well as a stand alone book. This was also my first time reading a novel by Michaels despite having her on my TBR list forever. I really loved her writing and can't wait to go back and read the rest of the series.

Drewsmina is a former "wicked stepsister" to Princess Cynde. She has worked hard over the years to turn her life around and be a good example for other upcoming debutantes with the ultimate goal of starting her own finishing school. Princess Cynde has the ultimate task for her; to help, Ian, the Duke of Lachlan's two nieces be reintroduced into society after a mysterious hiatus. After seeing how much work the teens require, Ian, invites Drew to move in with him and act like a round the clock advisor.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel! I could see why some reviewers felt like the romance took a backseat to the other events going on; cults, lacemaking rebellions, comportment lessons etc. It was a lot. I could have completely done without the whole tenant rebellion and their still would have been a lot going on. The romance moments really shined. I really like how casual and unstarched Ian was around Drew even before they were an item. Who knew birdwatching and palace storage rooms could be so interesting? It was driving me batty by the end that they didn't call each other by their first names. I know it was on purpose but I still didn't like it.

Thank you to Charis Michaels, NetGalley, and Avon Harper Voyager for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own. #netgalley #aduchessbymidnight #charismichaels #avonharpervoyager

After years of being the “evil stepsister”, Drewsmina Trelayne has turned over a new leaf and has even begun to tutor young ladies who are getting ready to debut. At 28, she believes that love is not in the cards for her and she hopes to turn this into a business and finally move out of her sister’s house. Thanks to her stepsister Princess Cynde, she might actually have a paying client. She is to meet with Cynde and her husband at the palace to be introduced to the duke, who is a bit notorious and apparently has twins that will require her services. She reports to the palace and is in the anteroom with the other people hoping to meet with the Prince and Princess when all hell breaks loose and a gift of birds for the Princess are accidentally released in the room! She tries to calm the crowd and find a way to capture the birds, when a man she noticed earlier in the corner, tries opening the door to release them, she stops him, explaining the birds would die in the palace, so he breaks a window and the birds fly out. She thanks him and starts chatting, nervous about her meeting she shares more than she should, telling the man of the duke and his twins, only to find out that he is in fact the duke!

Ian Clayback, the Duke of Lachlan is notorious, his name is linked with the Luddite riot and it is said that he conspired with his tenants and then turned on them by alerting the military of their intent to riot. And for the most part, this is true, but his intentions have been misinterpreted and the damage is done, his tenants don’t trust him and his peers think he is trouble. He has worked hard to rebuild the trust and has come to London to try and gather support to get rid of the levies on small craftsmen's products as they are not able to compete with the mills. He has also decided to launch his twin nieces into society but admits they might need some help, even still, he is not thrilled when the Prince blackmails him into hiring Drew.

Drew meets the twins, Imogene and Ivy, and their mother Lady Tribble, and is shocked to learn that have had no preparation for a season at all, and then she learns that they have been with their mother in a cult/commune for the last five years – something that even Ian didn’t know. Impressed that the girls have opened up to Drew, he begs her to stay. Things are going well and the more Ian sees Drew, the more he likes her and is attracted to her, but his nieces need her and he has to concentrate on helping his tenants, so he will resist her! Until after dinner one night when he meets with her to talk about his niece Imogene and one thing leads to another and they are caught in a passionate embrace and are forced to marry! Can this forced marriage become a love match?

I really enjoyed this story, it was well written and paced nicely, and had a lightness that made it entertaining and very easy to read. Drew and Ian share an almost instant chemistry, but that doesn’t mean they fall in love instantly, the romance develops at a slower pace, making it much more believable. This book has secrets, cults, familiar faces from previous books, including a very odd merchant, great secondary characters, steamyish love scenes, laugh-out-loud moments, and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue. This is the third book in the series, but the books are very loosely connected and can easily be read as standalone titles. I highly recommend this title, I think it might be my favorite in the series and a book I would happily read again.

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

Drewsmina "Drew" Trelayne is a woman looking for her own path. A once wicked step-sister has taken the time and put in the work to follow a new path and become a new person. She wants to open a school to help women become the best versions of themselves despite their upbringing. Her step-sister, Princess Cynde, is determined to help by setting her up as an advisor for the Duke of Lachlan's wayward nieces to prepare for their debut season. Ian Clayblack, the Duke of Lachlan, has issues of his own with his land back in Dorset but is determined to help his nieces however he can.
But when he discovers his desire for Drew and everything that comes with it, he's at a loss.

This is a fun and bright Cinderella retelling with a twist. It focuses on the trials of the youngest step-sister and how her upbringing as forced her into self-reliance. She has made all this progress is understanding herself and as such as a deep compassion for Ivy and Imogene (Lachlan's nieces) because of their eccentricities.
The relationship between Lachlan and Drew is interesting. He grew up with very little demonstrated love from his parents and questions his own ability to recognize those feelings within himself but it's clear to the reader through his devotion to his sister and his nieces is a clear demonstration of the love he feels for them.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ian, Duke of Lachlan, hires spinster Drew to help his nieces prepare for their come-out. The girls recently left a sequestered life and have no idea how to behave in society. Unfortunately, the attraction between Ian and Drew is strong, and they set a poor example for their young charges. Forced to marry, can they find love together?

I adore this series and love this book! The hero and heroine both made mistakes in the past and are struggling to find their place in the world. The attraction between them isn't just physical—they sense kindred spirits in one another. I love how determined they are, and how overcoming the damage from the past makes them stronger.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love a unique turn on a fairy tale romance and A Duchess By Midnight grabbed my attention on page one. Based loosely on the world of Cinderella, Drew is a reformed evil stepsister of the now princess Cynde. Drew yearns to be able to guide debutantes so that they make the right decisions. Ian Clayback, Duke of Lachlan’s reputation is in tatters, and he has been saddled with his eccentric sister and wild twin nieces. Ian and Drew are thrown together by princess Cynde to help solve their problems.

Drew’s story of redemption is beautifully told. I love how this terrible young lady turned her life around with the help of the person who was most wronged. Ian was a terrific character. Ian hates surprises and has to think things through, and the situation he finds himself in is anything but structured and calm. As strangers, there is an undeniable spark between Ian and Drew that grows more passionate as the couple spends more time together. Ian and Drew’s love story is sensual and endearing.

The basis of the plot was perfection. I loved Drew’s perspective. Her personality shone off the page. Ian was a flustered, lovable character. The side story of Ian’s enigmatic, distracted sister and her twin daughters of terror added depth to the story. The girl’s background slowly reveals how harrowing their lives had become and their resilience. The plot worked flawlessly. This is an easy-to-read, entertaining, light romance that captured my heart. A Duchess By Midnight is the third book in the Awakened By A Kiss series. Charis Michaels has placed herself on my instant read list with this adorable, captivating, sensual romance. This isn’t just a fairytale; it is an innovative, savvy, unusual journey of characters I have known since childhood turned upside down. I was pleased to see Drew get her happily ever after; her story of self-discovery brought an angle to Cinderella that I loved. This is a mesmerizing story that captured my heart.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Miss Drewsmina Trelayne is a once wicked stepsister who has transformed herself and dreams of opening a finishing school. Drew is determined to prove herself by shepherding the nieces of Ian Clayblack, Duke of Lachlan. Marred by scandal, the return of his estranged sister and nieces force Ian to return to society. But Ian's and Drew's attraction takes a compromising turn.

This is the third book in the Awakened by a Kiss series, which offer up creative fairytale reimaginings. This book stands alone, although the hero from book two makes an appearance.

This was a solid story, but I was expecting an automatic five stars and - for me - it wasn't as strong as books one and two. The plot involving Ian's backstory and his nieces were in the foreground and I felt like the romance took a backseat for a large portion of the book. There was some classic Charis Michaels fun, though, and I was happy to see a little more heat.

Tropes: Fairytale Reimagining, Working Heroine, Class Difference, Forced Proximity, Compromised

Steam: 3

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #ADuchessbyMidnight #NetGalley

A Duchess by Midnight has so many laugh out loud moments joined by the very serious personal makeover of a former mean girl. Drew realized ‘before this book began’ that she was not a nice person; coming from a truly mean mother, it was no wonder. The best part is that she realized it and made serious work of being a better person. And, her former self helps her win over Lachlan’s twin nieces. All of this makes this love story more than just a romance; it is about finding family and forgiveness.

I loved this book, Drew and Lachlan both worked at being who they were meant to be; Imogene, Ivy and Timothea had trauma and tragedy to overcome. Although outward beauty and inner beauty are a part of this tale, I appreciated the character growth more than ‘beauty.’ Seeing each of these characters grow into a loving, caring family was a delight.

I enjoyed the idea of the premise of turning the traditional expectation of a female protagonist into a former mean-girl, antagonist trying to be better. However, the characters seemed to miss the mark, and we kind of miss the growth or transformation of Drew. Drew and the Duke have good chemistry and there is definitely romance and tension. However, I can't help but wish other characters had been developed more or at least their role in the story. I wish I could say I loved every page of the book but I can say that it is worth a read.

Thank you to Charis Michaels, Avon and Harper Voyage and NetGalley for the ARC.

The premise of this is so much better than the actual execution. As others have said, Imogene is the best thing about it and I’d love to read her story one day. Drew should’ve been a lot more interesting as a former bad girl but she’s just so bland now, as is the Duke. While this hasn’t been my favorite series, I still enjoy Charis Michaels’ writing and will continue to read her titles.

When I read the blurb for this book, I thought it had so much potential. Who doesn't love a mean girl turned good? Unfortunately, the book opens with Miss Drewsmina “Drew” Trelayne already the "good" girl. She's a spinster who now tries to help other "ugly duckling" type of girls be prepared for a Season in London. We only hear about all her "bad" behavior through lessons she teaches the duke's nieces. I wasn't all that enamored with Drew especially in the very first scene with Ian Clayblack, the Duke of Lachlan, when she gossips about him, not knowing who she was talking to. Ian was gruff and disagreeable through much of the book and he has a host of his own issues to work through. Previous trouble with his tenants turned into the worst possible situation and he's been isolating himself at his ducal estate for the past 3 years. The chemistry between Drew and Ian is almost non-existent, but the sex scenes were well done. I did love the "bird watching" scene.

The only redeeming character in the story was Imogene. Now, that was a mean girl! She does some pretty nasty things to Drew and Ian including orchestrating the discovery of them in a passionate embrace. I would have liked her to apologize for some of her antics, but she doesn't seem to have any regrets. The whole storyline of T.O.E. could have been expanded more so we could understand the true depth of the girl's ill-treatment. The mother was a piece of work and I didn't like her very much. There was also a creepy store owner at the end of the story that made no sense and added nothing to the story so I don't know why that scene was included.

If Ms. Michaels decides to give Imogene her own story, that is one I'd like to read. Otherwise, I doubt I read any more by this author.

This was so good!!!! I only want MORE because I love them all so much and this was already a 400 page book! It turned the Cinderella trope on its head and it was so wonderful. I laughed, I swooned, I took notes.

I love a redeemed villain character and Drew absolutely did not disappoint. This felt like a classic, nutty, HOT Eloisa James romance! It was nuanced and so full of charm. Ian was delicious like my god that birdwatching scene! I was watching something but it wasn’t a bird.

I loved Drew’s relationship with Ivy, Imogene, and Timothea. Each character was interesting in their own regard. Their cultish background was intriguing and kept me reading outside of the main romance! I love the prickly character type that is Imogene and was Drew. It’s was lovely to see Imogene come into herself and play matchmaker. I totally want books for both Ivy and Imogene.

Drew and Ian’s relationship was just so fun. In my opinion, it was pretty low angst, while still being unique and energetic. It was also HOT. The first kiss? Hot. The wedding night? HOT. The birdwatching? HOT. The palace? HOT. Education. Praise. Pampering. Outdoors. Against walls. The need to be quiet. Most every scene was feverish and electric and it felt like I was reading at 2.0x speed. Did I already reread the bird watching scene after already rereading immediately after I read it? Obviously.

I really appreciated the scope of the events within the story. There’s a moment towards the end that I knew was coming, but had been on the back burner. Honestly, I was not looking forward to having to get through that scene to get to the ending. However! It was pretty much just summed up and topped with a bow and I was like !!!! (Spoiler: It’s the end riot scene with his tenants and him trying to tamp it down.)

Overall, this is my favorite of the series by far and so far! Drew and Ian were both wonderful characters together and apart. Like I said, I’d you’re a fan of Eloisa James and her Fairytale series, I definitely think this will be up your alley. This is definitely the hottest of the series but also the most emotionally invested I’ve been. I can’t wait to see what fairytale Charis spins next!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶🌶🌶.25*/5

*The three scenes were all lovely and definitely hot but the language wasn’t explicit at all (“cock” wasn’t even mentioned 🥲) and he didn’t go down or really even get handsy. So I’m rather confused as to why the book IS that hot because it really was! I think it was Ian and that beautiful, creative mouth of his. Also every scene felt charged and the anticipation was through the roof so I was absolutely riveted. My kingdom for a bonus bathtub scene. Oh and we got a few good girls. Praise and pampering were big here.

Not a bad book at all, but wasn't my taste of historical romance. I like more pinning and romance, this felt a little more formal to me. It also felt too redundant.

This was quite a story. When I read the first few pages, I was not impressed.
Spoiler alert.
The story opens when the heroine is waiting to visit her step-sister, who is a princess since she married a prince. When your sister is a princess, you just can't walk into the castle, yelling out, "Yoo-hoo!". You have to wait in an ante chamber with others who seek to visit her and wait your turn. The heroine is there because she is about to get a job. She had been helping other families of the ton by "styling" their daughters to be ready for the Season and not taking any pay for it. But if she is hired today, she will actually get a pay check and be independent and be able to move out from her other sister's home and open a school for girls who need "styling". Similar to a finishing school, but teaching the girls to be confident about themselves. She is to help a duke who had a negative reputation in regards to his work with lace making mills. The duke has twin nieces that need assistance in being ready to be presented. As she waits to see her sister, she sees an older couple who have a cage of birds. She is concerned because they are wild birds who are very agitated. There is also a group of little boy orphans who are starting to get bored. Can no-one see where this is going? She begins to speak to a man standing in the shadows because she wants to alert him to an potential disaster, but the boys are intrigued with the birds. By this time, the birds are all over the place and panicking. She asks the man for help because if the birds escape into the palace, they will die of starvation. So the man breaks a window and the birds escape unscathed. They have a conversation and she is explaining exactly why she is there, to help a duke bring his twins into the Season and why it is challenging. She tells this man that the duke she is going to help has problems. When she is called into the room to see the princess, the man is standing there and she is appalled to realize that she has shared gossip about someone with the actual person the gossip is about. So,she has to explain that she was nervous and therefore gossiped about him.
At this point I felt that this was the usual, heroine has to redeem herself to arrogant aristocrat who has a change if mind in the end. So i put the book down, waiting to finish it.
After a few days, I come back to the story and continue reading.
The hero is reluctant for her assistance because his nieces have been confined to a cult with their mother, who was devastated when her husband died and was tricked into the cult. No-one knows this yet, but the girls are unresponsive to normal overtures and lack proper conversation and other manners. The mother is in a world of her own and the heroine has a task at hand. Nevermind that she was attracted to the hero from the beginning. And nevermind that the hero was attracted to the heroine from the beginning.  There are many other challenges and as I read the book, it was hard to out down, it encompassed me and I became immersed in the story.
This story is great! I really enjoyed it, I liked how the story flowed and it was a comfortable read. I can honestly say I have not read a book with this story line and challenges. I believe this is the beginning of a series, because at the end, the shy twins explains about their escape from the cult. The older twin and mother hate to talk about it and refuse to discuss what happens. But it puts a whole new spin to this story. This book was so good. I would love to give it more than 5 stars, but 5 is the limit. I am moving it to my keeper shelf and anxiously waiting to see if there is a sequel or other stories related to this one. I highly recommend reading this entertaining romance story

I honestly felt this book was written just for me. I absolutely adored it. Sexy birdwatching, wonderful steamy content, and tales of healing and family unity. I am a Charis Michaels fan for life now!