The Bookshop Cinderella was a delightful and sweet romance! My first book from Laura Lee Gukrke was a treat. A Regency twist on the She’s All That bet brings a Duke and a working girl together and sparks fly. From learning how to dance to experiencing new foods Max and Evie get to know each other with the main objective to win the bet but of course fall for each other. Max unfortunately knows this is doomed based off his tragic first marriage but their connection can’t be denied. An easy read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing an eARC of this title for review. All opinions are my own and are honestly given.

In Bookshop Cinderella, shy, bookish Evie and suave, confident Max— Duke of Westbourne— pair up to turn Evie into a diamond of the first water and win a bet, never expecting that their bet will be complicated by real feelings.

Bookshop Cinderella is a light and frothy historical She’s All That, with a touch of Joanna Shupe. I never felt like I 100% connected with these characters, and I wouldn’t say this is my personal favorite that I’ve read by Guhrke, but I would definitely recommend it to interested patrons and still think it will make a good fit for our collection. 3.4 stars

I loved this unconventional story about the romance between a jaded, widowed duke and a spirited bookstore owner.

Things I loved the most:
1. He actually tells her about the bet that is the reason for his attention and the impetus behind the makeover. I loved that she was a willing participant and fully on board.
2. The dancing lessons! His patience and encouragement were so wonderful.
3. He appreciates her intellect and defends it. He makes it clear he would never stand in the way of her pursuit of anything- whether society deems it ladylike or not.

This is the first book Laura Lee Guhrke has released in over 4 years. I was so looking forward to it. Hen I started reading it and thought ,this is a take off on Eliza Doolittle or She's all That, I was a little disappointed.
But the story was just different enough and the characters so likeable that I really enjoyed reading it.
Evie was just a hard working girl who was just trying to make it on her own. She had enough schooling and polish that she could talk to aristocrats and fit in to some sort extent.
Max was a spoiled arrogant Duke who thought he knew better. He was able to learn a few things from Evie
The story was good. It flowed easily. The characters were very likeable ( I hope Delia gets her own story).
4⭐⭐⭐⭐
I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Some of my favorite books were written by this author. This is not one of them. Others have compared this to She's All That. Except the FMC knows about the bet from the get go aaaaaand there goes all the tension. Basically this is a really long conversation between two people who are exceedingly polite and well, boring AF. The hero, can't even remember his name he was so unremarkable, is nice and polite and has the personality of a wood plank. That being said this is very well written and the setting Edwardian times (I think) was unique and well researched and this would be a great read for anyone who loves a low angst, low conflict read. But I like my heroes with an edge and my romance with a big helping of sexual and romantic tension. I didn't get any of that here.

Firstly, I’m delighted to see a new series by Laura Lee Guhrke! Secondly, I adored this Cinderella retelling in late Victorian settings featuring a fairy duke daddy, who spoils you, champions you, and waltzes away your worries.

I adored Evangeline. Here is a relatable heroine in her late 20s. Evie defies societal dictates and runs her own bookshop. She has no illusions about her plain features or her unremarkable personality. Nevertheless, this hard-working, good-hearted spinster gets the ultimate makeover, a dream holiday, and a chance at happily ever after. Evie is the shining star of the story. I enjoyed seeing the opulence of the Savoy through Evie’s eyes. It was gratifying to watch her blossom into a strong and confident person.

On the other hand, it took me a while to like Max. His backstory didn’t paint him in the best light. I’m also not comfortable with plots involving a wager. But to my relief, Max was honest with Evie about the wager. It took a little time, but he did overcome his insecurities. I loved that he saw Evie as an incomparable beauty from the beginning. He also helped Evie realize that she was sabotaging her own happiness.

Furthermore, I really liked Max’s cousin, Delia. Although I was hoping for a cute platonic friendship between Evie and Rory. That storyline took a U-turn, sadly. I wasn’t especially keen on hearing Rory’s POV either. But these are just minor pet peeves. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.

High on sparkling banter and low on angst, Bookshop Cinderella is a splendidly romantic read with a very important message: never sell yourself short.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'll be honest - unlike most folks, I actually do love the "I lied and made about about you but oops I'm super in love with you" trope, so when Max told Evie the truth straight away, I was sort of disappointed. I LIVE for the angst! But - the writing of this one was so charming and the romance so sweeping that I immediately forgot my disappointment and enjoyed it immensely!

In my opinion the first half of the book was a bit slow. It took me a little while to get into but once I got past that it was a pretty enjoyable read. I liked the friendship between Evie and Max. I do wish we got more of Evie's perspective regarding their romance. I felt like we got a lot more of Max's perspective. Overall this was a good book.

Book Releases June 20, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the E-ARC

All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

Evie, a plain poor spinster, runs her own bookshop. When Max comes in he is drawn into wagering that he can turn Evie into the talk of the ton. Both of them never thought they could enjoy themselves so much. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Forever for my honest review.

This was a nice take on a Cinderella story. Evie, the fmc, runs a bookshop that takes up all her time and resources. She is known as a wallflower to people and also thinks that of herself. She meets duke max(m) who has made a bet to transform Evie from a wallflower to the talk of the ton. At first, Evie refuses, but when she has to close down her bookshop for some time agrees to partner with Max.

First of all, the heroine was so relatable in what she was going through. I liked both characters a lot, their banter and how opposite they were really did it for me. I loved that the duke didn't hide the bet but actually communicated with Evie, so they were both able to benefit from it. The plot was really cute, it did give Cinderella ish vibes. The romance is a slow burn, there is tension and chemistry between the main characters. This has low spice, there were two open-door scenes and some slow parts in the romance. Overall this was a good and interesting book. I really liked the plot, characters, and romance.

Read if you like:
- Opposites attract
- Class difference
- Cinderella retelling

Thank you, Forever Publishing, for this arc for an honest review.

Bookshop Cinderella was a happy marriage of the Bridgerton and A League of Extraordinary Women series. Evie, the stubborn, hard-working bookshop owner, was very likable from the beginning. I enjoyed the descriptions of her shop, her armchair travels, and the respect she merited from even the 'elite' of London society. Max, the Duke with a complicated marital past, is a bit predictable but overall I appreciated how he wanted to prove his arrogant acquaintances wrong about Evie.

The ending felt somewhat rushed to me as there wasn't really enough time between the big drama and happily ever after for me. I think expanding upon Rory's part in everything could have added more depth to the ending.

Overall, I highly recommend this read to anyone who loves a Cinderella romance with a little spice and everything nice!

This was fine - I did like the friendship between Evie and Max, but it felt a little underdeveloped in some areas. I also felt like we got a lot more of Max's perspective regarding their romance, but not as much from Evie.

I would recommend this as a good starter historical romance for someone wanting to dip their toe into the genre.

Thank you NetGalley & Laura Lee Gurke for letting me read this book prior to its June release!

It was a pretty enjoyable read, I love the chemistry & “She’s all that” vibes that are throughout the book. I love that Evie is an accomplished, intelligent women & that the Duke is so kind to her and doesn’t belittle her intelligence.

I will say the first half of the book was pretty slow for me & a bit difficult to get into.

Overall, a good book and an enjoyable read!

I enjoyed the story except for being a little confused on what time period it was set in. There should be a date on first page to start the book off otherwise I enjoyed.

This review is totally my own. Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this ARC.

Sweet, uncomplicated romance between a handsome duke and a bookshop owner. Sparks fly from the moment Max, Duke of Westbourne, and Evie Harlow meet in her shabby bookshop--although not sparks of romance, at first. She judges him to be a feckless aristocrat, and he thinks she's a diamond in the rough with a bit of an attitude. He makes an ill-advised, slightly drunken wager with a few acquaintances that he can turn Evie, whom they've judged to be a prim stick-in-the-mud, into the belle of the ball within six week. (If you are getting She's All That vibes, you aren't wrong.)

Thankfully, Max immediately confesses his wager to Evie and frames her proposed metamorphosis as an opportunity to take some much needed R&R from her daily work. Evie agrees, and as they begin to work together to make her more society-ready, they begin to generate the good kind of sparks. Of course, there are obstacles to their inevitable happily-ever-after: Max has some hang-ups, Evie is stubborn, and an unnecessary villain complicates their romantic trajectory.

Max and Evie are lovely, both as individuals and as a couple. They definitely have chemistry on the page, although sometimes it was more combustible than hot romantic chemistry. I got the lust between them, but the love felt a bit rushed. Still, it was a nice little romp with a much-welcome late Victorian setting (what a difference a few decades makes in freshening up historical romance plots!) and two charismatic leads. Definitely a book to pick up if you want a brisk romance with a good dose of humor and charm.

This book had its ups and downs for me. There were parts that were compelling and tension-filled, but also parts that were slow and without finesse. Overall, it was a cute read with a great premise, but I was ultimately not wowed by it.

This book has a She's All That/My Fair Lady set-up. It was fun to read a book with this premise set in this time period! Evie is a bookshop owner who is a little plain and definitely overworked. When Max, a duke, enters her store with some of his friends a bet is concocted to see if Max can make her over to be the belle of the ball. Of course, when Max and Evie get to know each other, feelings develop, but can they exist in each other's worlds?

Again, this premise is really cute. I appreciated how up front Max was about it the entire time. Thank goodness for no hurt feelings/big blowup about the bet! I also really liked Evie and her no-nonsense attitude. She was confident and capable. Max ran a bit hot and cold for me. I thought she and Max had great chemistry when the author was building the tension between them. Unfortunately there were also long periods of time when they weren't together and it made the book drag for me. I felt like I was constantly on a roller coaster where the book was either totally engaging or boring me.

This was a cute read. I wasn't blown away, but I was sufficiently entertained, and I would give the series another shot.

Thank you to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed reading this one. I have a soft spot for a heroine who happens to be a fellow booklover. The aspect of marrying outside of the social class was refreshing. Overall, I liked the writing style and the pacing. I did find certain parts to be a little lackluster, but for the most part, the story was spot on.

ARC provided by Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via NetGalley, and I have given my honest and voluntary review.

Evie Harlow runs a quaint bookshop in 1890s London, until Maximillian Shaw, Duke of Westbourne offers to save her from disaster: to win a bet with his friends, he’ll turn her into the diamond of the season. Max thinks he’ll find Evie a husband and save her from her dull spinster’s life while he pursues the darling of the season.

More My Fair Lady than Cinderella, this story has a duke whose unsuitable first marriage failed and a heroine who is settling for the hand she was dealt. Each has negative thoughts about marrying outside of their own class.

Good pacing and good character arcs. A few random POV changes to Evie’s conniving former flame took me out of the story. I often struggle with how condescending makeover stories can be, but this one handled it well. It was less about needing a physical transformation but rather needing an opportunity and not being afraid to take it.

I love an independent woman who knows her own mind and Evie is one of these women. She’s a business owner as well which is unique in these regency romances and a nice change. Her relationship with Max is delightful and they have great banter and chemistry. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.

I first saw Bookshop Cinderella when Tessa Dare recommended it on her Twitter. When I later found it available on NetGalley, I snapped it up. I am glad I did.

Bookshop Cinderella is a sweet and sexy historical romance about Evie, a single woman who inherited a rare book bookshop from her deceased father, and Max, a duke who has a plan to marry a compatible member of the aristocracy to perform the duties of duchess, including producing heirs. He has eschewed marrying for love due to his first marriage, which was a love match, disintegrating. His wife passed away after she left him.

Due to a drunken bet made with three obnoxious young lords, Max approaches Evie and offers her a holiday at The Savoy while helping her to transform into a “diamond”. What follows is Evie learning about how to value one’s self and Max learning that to cut off the possibility of love leads to a grey-tinged life.

There is a good amount of sexual tension and pining with this couple, and it is a lot of fun. There was more telling than showing than I like. Delia, Max’s cousin and a late participant in Edie’s transformation, is a great character. I hope we see her in as a main character in a future book.

Thank you to Laura Lee Guhrke, Forever and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.