Cinderella and the Duke, by Lydia Drake. Alright you Romance reader you. I think that you should give this book a try. I am so in love with Gregory’s character. I mean, how can a man move through a book with so much sexual confidence in himself?!
I loved how his character was zeroed in on how he longed just for one touch from his wife. The idea of having the married couple go through all the issues that first time couples encounter in the beginning was good. I will say that the book was a little long. I believe that some scenes should have been glossed over. The constant will she or won’t she give her husband what he only wants is for pleasure, was one to many.
I did love the humor in the book. Julia was a Golden Girls Dorthy S. Her tongue could slap her stepmother in the face every time. Gregory wasn’t bad himself. He was able to match Witt’s with his wife though. I also say this to the author.
Reciting Shakespeare while in the throes of kinky… nice touch. Until next time my fellow readers… read on!

Cinderella and the Duke isn't exactly a retelling. I would call it loosely associated. It is about a marriage of convenience between Julia, a spinster, and Gregory, a duke. I thought this was a really sweet romance. The couple got married for their own questionable reasons, but there was major chemistry. It was a lot of fun watching these two fall for each other. They were well matched if a bit stubborn. I loved the slow build up to the eventual consummation. The tension was off the charts! I highly recommend this one. I would also love to know if Susannah will get a story.

I liked this book (3 stars is a liked in my book) Cute read with a strong heroine! I got a little frustrated sometimes with the male lead, but overall I think the miscommunication was kept to a minimum. In fact, I appreciated that she would always press the issue to make him talk about what was bothering him.

Fun elements of the Cinderella story make this book a cute read and a great way to spend time.

This was a bit too fast paced for my liking. It was not my cup of tea and did not finish early on. One star rating for loss of interest.

I really enjoyed this author's version on the traditional Cinderella story. This review may contain some spoilers.
The heroine is 27 years old. We learn this in the first few pages of the book and I like an author who has an older heroine and is not ashamed of it. Just come on out with the description of the characters. She lives in London with her step mother and step sister, which is similar to Cinderella, but not quite. The heroine dearly loves her little step sisiter and that love is returned. The step mother is a cynical woman, who had married twice in her life. She was born into the tradesman class and now has a title. The step mother is ill and the heroine is her step sister's chaperone. They go to a ball where the heroine meets the hero as he is being tricked into a duel. The hero is a rake who has many duels because he has women throwing themselves at him. He is known for his skill in lovemaking and he takes pride in pleasuring his partner. But he had a horrible set of parents and is traumatized. He thinks he is unlovable. After saving the hero from a woman who is trying to make her husband jealous, the heroine breaks her shoe as she tries to run from him. He is at their house the next day for the heroine, to the shock of her step mother. The heroine suggests marriage so she can escape the step mother and she will provide a shield against the women trying to get the hero into bed.
On a side note, the hero has groupies. So interesting.
The hero agrees to the marriage. At this point the story keeps on its 'almost traditional, but not quite' path to the end. I was surprised at times and this is encouraging. I have been reading romance since 1978 and feel that I can predict the ending, but I am so happy when I don't. This book, I was not able to predict. It was an immersive tale that the reader can get lost in. I really felt a connection to the characters and the story caused me to feel many emotions. This is worth more than 5 stars. It is ready for my keeper shelf. I recommend reading and enjoying this story..

This was a Cinderella-inspired historical romance, minus Prince Charming. Oof, just saying that out loud was painful! I wanted to swoon but it was impossible with a 30-something MMC who acted like a horny spoiled teen. UGH! He reminded me of when SMG in Simply Irresistible said “they think about it 238 times a day and when they do they adjust their belts”. His thoughts were probably supposed to be hot but they came across as obsessive and ick.

I cannot believe he had a literal club of women who met regularly to reminisce about their sexploits with him?! Excuse me what?? His characterization was just messy. He thrived on his rakeness for years, went off to the continent (for charitable work no one knew about), then returned and had the audacity to be put out that the ton’s perception of him failed to change without any effort on his part.

Backing up though, the beginning was cute. Unfortunately, it was the only thing reminiscent of Cinderella. Fortunately, the stepsister and Julia were friends which was super refreshing to see! The remaining plot was an annoying push and pull of consummating their marriage of convenience or calling it a day. Oh wait, there was also a ridiculous flash from Julia’s past who made little sense to bring back. But I guess the MCs already mastered the delicate art of miscommunication so why not add another tier to that cake!

I was not cheering for this match at all. What was with the infantilizing of the FMC? One minute she’s a spinster, the next she’s regarded as a silly girl by the MMC? Julia managed to get my nerves too: digging through private personal items?! Wow. Last but certainly not least, she forgave his arse without an iota of a grovel from him?? Please have some self respect.

Thank you Entangled Publishing for the advance reader copy via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

Out of the Cinderella stories I have read recently this one the characters have the sweetest chemistry and I wish the author had explored it more through the pages, don’t get me wrong she does and it’s cute however I think that a couple of scenes gone differently it would’ve served better making the story richer on details.

4 Stars
We all have read fairy tales, the stories of true love told to us as children. Even Disney has done them. Lydia Drake has taken the story of Cinderella and turned it on its heel, by having the Woman make the move and it works on all of the necessary levels.

I can always be charmed into reading a fairy tale retelling romance, and what a perfect way to make your writing debut! Lydia Drake as beautifully inserted herself as a must watch and read author with her debut novel Cinderella and the Duke. Drake tone and writing style easily fits in with other top authors of the genre while being unique to herself. This novel had a beautiful ease to in that made the writing accessible and fun, the pacing is very well done and the romance is sweetly and beautiful crafted. I truly applaud Drake's work and I am so excited to watch her writing grow throughout her career! What a wonderful addition to the historical romance community!

Lydia Drake has beautifully used the bones of the Cinderella fairy tale and made her own unique distinctions to weave together Julia and Gregory's love story. Julia as a heroine is smart and strong, I love that she is not some meek heroine, but rather she is growing into herself and learning to become more bold. Gregory as a hero has some past tragedies that have shaped him and make him close off his heart for protection. But these two are willing to take a chance on the other and enter into a marriage of convenience. It was so charming to watch these two people, who are extremely attracted to the other, dance around each other and their wants for their relationship. I love that they both are a bit cautious and protective of themselves but as they slowly get to learn more about the other they grow more open and aware. This novel is really the exploration of two strangers who enter into a relationship based on attraction and then grow to love, respect and trust the other. Their road is not always easy, they both jump to conclusions quickly, they both don't always ask for what they want or need, but watching their journey of trust and understanding is really gratifying and shows how these two are building a solid foundation for them to build a deeper marriage together instead of their initial plan to live separate lives. Drake does a lovely job building up the tension and sensuality between these two and I like that they both want a physical relationship but that they take a little time to fully dive into it, I also love that we see that their physical trust and attraction in the other opens them up to being bolder in their asks of the other.

Cinderella and the Duke is a wonderful debut and definitely worth the read! I can not wait to see what else Lydia Drake gifts us with, I am looking forward to witnessing her growth as an author.

I had so much fun with this one! It’s a spin on the Cinderella fairy tale, obviously, but it’s only light touches and the main story stands on its own nicely without the references. Both Julia and Gregory are very likeable, entertaining characters and their reluctant chemistry and the way their humour clicks are both very realistic. But what I liked most about this was how well they communicated – there’s a couple of plot moments that would absolutely have been dragged out for maximum drama in other books, but these two are just like ‘oh, yeah, here’s what’s up with that’ pretty much immediately. It made their conflicts so much deeper and more interesting when they were based on genuine clashes of personality and lifestyle rather than Big Secrets TM. Really great fun, and I’ll be looking out for more by the author!

“He was 80 percent crafty ideas, 15 percent smug virility, and 5 percent effortless smolder”

What a fun book! I was able to read an advance copy of Cinderella & the Duke via NetGalley, & really enjoyed this spin on the classic tale.
Julia Beaumont is a clever lady that needs a husband for very practical reasons, & her search time is short. She’s realistically decided she’ll settle for any man she can stand, if he’ll save her from a lifetime of servitude to her ridiculously unlikable stepmother. Julia ends up in the crosshairs of the infamous Gregory Carter, Duke of Ashworth, after she rescues him from a sticky situation. Their chemistry is sizzling from the start, & the normally marriage-adverse libertine suddenly finds himself thinking maybe it’s not such a bad idea to take on a wife.
This book is full of humor & witty banter between the characters, & I like that there’s a loving relationship between the step-sisters. In this Cinderella story it’s only the stepmother that’s positively terrible. As Julia & Gregory get to know one another better, there are plenty of hurdles on the path to their HEA. In fact, a few times I really wanted to shake some sense into Gregory. That’s all part of the fun! Don’t hesitate to grab this entertaining, well-written story. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for books Lydia Drake writes in the future.

Enjoyed this book!!! It is well written with characters that draw you in. There is family drama, steamy romance with drama thrown in. If you enjoy regency romance, you will enjoy this book. Thank you NetGalley for providing me a ARC.

What is your first read of the New Year?

My first read was Cinderella and the Duke by Lydia Drake. I read this delightful book in a day. This story has everything I love in a romance; witty and sexy main characters, a marriage of convenience that develops into true love, and hints of a fairy tale romance.

Julia Beaumont has one ball to try to find a husband. Her evil stepmother has not allowed her to attend balls during the season for ten years. She is firmly on the shelf now, but her sick stepmother has allowed her to chaperone her young stepsister to the Weatherford Ball. While at the ball, she meets the notorious rake, Gregory Carter, the Duke of Ashworth. She helps him out of a tricky situation, but they have one stolen kiss. Julia leave her slipper behind at the ball. Gregory returns the slipper the next day and before they know it, they have decided on a marriage of convenience. Julia will not have to spend her life as a nursemaid to her stepmother and Gregory will no longer have bored married ladies chasing after him. Will this marriage of convenience turn to true love?

I would highly recommend this book to fans of the Bridgerton series. I would say this book is medium to high level of steam. I loved the chemistry between Julia and Gregory and how it was a slow build to their romance. I also enjoyed that they both had an inner depth and past hurts that the other had to discover to learn more about their character. There was also a lot of humor in this book that had me laughing out loud. This was a very fast light read and an enjoyable story.

Favorite Quote:
“But Gregory had other craftier ideas. He was 80 percent crafty ideas, 15 percent smug virality, and 5 percent effortless smoulder.”

Review Copy from Entangled Publishing. Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of the TLC Book Tour. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I admire Julia’s gumption – when a chance encounter with one of Society’s most sought after rakes means that she’s lost out on her chance to make a match for herself, she does what any self-respecting spinster with a brain and a lot of courage would do. She proposes to the man.

Gregory is not in the market for a wife. Ever. But faced with a business proposition from one of the first ladies to catch his attention in quite a long time, he’s not going to let a good thing go.

Which leads to a lot of fun for readers – these two are delightful together, with more than enough wit and sass, plus a good deal of humor and sizzle. Their interactions are both entertaining and at times frustrating as they let their insecurities and assumptions lead them away from what they truly want out of their relationship. Forever.

Drake’s newest reminds me once again how much I love historical romances. It includes a rake to reform, a marriage of convenience, and an attraction that they just can’t ignore, all wrapped up in a enjoyable (and winding) trek to a HEA. I’m definitely looking forward to what comes next from this author.

This book is a fun & witty read with a slight nod to Cinderella. But it was much more than that, Yes, Julia wants to escape her stepmother's clutches & meets her Price Charming aka Gregory Carter, the Duke of Ashworth, at a ball. But what makes this such a good read is the depth of the characters, they're funny, sensitive and overall nice people in a society where nice is not required.

Julia is not willing to wait around once she's allowed to attend a ball after years in the country & while Gregory is a rake, there is definitely more than meets the eye. They both have self-esteem issues, that lead to misunderstands and distrust (as you would expect), but are eventually overcome. I loved the banner between Julia & Gregory, it made for an entertaining read. I would definitely read more by this author.

I received this advance review copy from from NetGalley & the publisher for my honest review.

This is the author's debut novel and I'm ready to read the next one. Meeting at a ball in the library, Julia saves the Duke of Ashworth from the challenge of another duel. Drawn to Julia, Gregory steals a kiss and he's hooked. The slipper left by the lady is his excuse to call on her the next day. What he didn't expect was the lady's proposal. A desperate spinster and a Duke who needs a shield, make a bargain for a marriage of convenience.
A connection built with passion, wit and honesty will do more to make this a real marriage. Heat level 3+
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Adorable romance perfect for a rainy weekend, as that is exactly how I ended up inhaling this book. The characters are lovely, the dialogue is great, it gave me all the feels and had fun spicy scenes. Good fun!

Fairy tale retellings are a staple of historical romance. In Cinderella and the Duke, we get a story with obvious parallels to Cinderella (duh): Julia has been forced to spend the past ten years since her father's death as what amounts to an unpaid servant to her stepmother. She finally gets one chance to attend a ball, chaperoning her (non-wicked, non-ugly) stepsister for one night only. There, she meets Gregory (who does NOT go by Ash, regardless of his title as Duke of Ashworth). They share a searing kiss and then she flees, leaving behind only a shoe.

But then, in a little twist, the pair decide to embrace their fairy tale meet-cute by mutually deciding to enter into a marriage of convenience. They'll use the storybook overtones to convince everyone that they're madly in love, which will help keep Gregory's admirers off his back (that's why he's marrying).

The move from friendly acquaintances to friends-with-benefits-who-happen-to-be-married takes a little bit of time, but Lydia Drake pulls it off without a misstep. They're so good at communicating, in fact, that the reader starts to wonder where the conflict comes in. Don't worry: the final act - from married FWB to madly-in-love couple - doesn't detract too much from the compatibility from the first part of the book. This is an enjoyable romance, and we especially recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good Cinderella story.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Julia is a spinster under her step mother's thumb. Gregory is a rake and is perfectly happy in his bachelor state. One kiss at a ball, a lost slipper and a proposal for marriage in name only happens. Their passion is fiery but to give in would ruin their mutual understanding. If they give in one night might not be enough. But is Julia enough for Gregory to give up his ways?

What a cute, fun, feel good romance! Lots of witty banter and swoon romance! This was my first by this author and I cant wait to read more!