This was a sweet and spicy romance with a Pretty Woman vibe (without the sex work) I love that Evie was a really feminist hero and that she did what was right for her, not the men around her. Very much looking forward to more in this series.

Bookshop Cinderalla, a historical romance by prolific writer Laura Lee Guhrke is exactly as advertised: a light story between a stressed bookshop owner and a duke who decides to teach some young men he's been tasked with monitoring a lesson. The lesson? That Evie, who has given up on any dreams, is more than she seems, and he will remake her, ala all good makeover stories. At first resistant, Evie succumbs to Max. This is a servicable romance--it has a VERY slow beginning and it took awhile for me to become engaged as it starts with Max talking to his counsin and then Max talking to a bunch of young men, Evie daydreaming etc etc. I was not engaged, and honestly would not have kept going except for the review in mind! As another reviewer mentioned, the ending was a little cringeworthy for me (why did the heroine have to humiliate herself?) but overall I'm sure this will satisfy many a romance reader. Just maybe not a jaded crusty long-time reader like me, lol.

For a more memorable Guhrke novel, my favorite is She's No Princess.

NetGalley provided a free ARC in exchanged for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

This was an enjoyable Cinderella/My Fair Lady retelling.

I love a bookish heroine so I connected with Evie right away. I appreciated how realistic she was about herself and her circumstances. It make her seem more like a real person, especially for the time period.
I thought Max was sweet and charming, despite having made a bet with his friends to "she's all that" Evie.
I would have liked for Evie and Max to spend more time together. I think the romance just needed to be developed a bit more for me to really fall in love with their relationship.

The historical research was certainly done by the author. I could tell by her attention to detail and the dialogue. I found this interesting and easier to escape into another time.

Overall, an enjoyable tale of two opposites finding love.

This was such a fun twist on the Cinderella trope! Cinderella meets She’s All That. I loved that Evie didn’t dream of marrying the prince and while she wasn’t super happy with her life she was realistic about her limits as a woman of her class. Max was so sweet and such a good and loving hero. I love that he didn’t have a ton of mangst from his dead wife, but just some hard lessons he had to learn about rushing into infatuation. I’m so happy I got to read this book thank you to the publisher for making it available

I enjoyed this a lot. Laura always provides a good romance with great characters and good writing. I loved the premise of this HR, but I wish our hero & heroine had spent more time together. I felt like I’m the two months that this story was going on we didn’t get enough interactions between the two. Plus, so much that our heroine was doing was told to us rather than actually seeing her in certain situations. Loved Max & his cousin, Delia the most.

This was a quick, cute read. I enjoy a bookish heroine. It was a bit more Pygmalion than Cinderella, but still the normal/common girl, rich/famous guy trope that I adore.

2 small quibbles on this one. First, the ending was a bit heavy on the embarrassing scene by the heroine trope, luckily none of the other characters made a big deal of it, but I had to pause for a minute because the second hand embarrassment hit me hard.

And second, while I appreciate research and attention to detail, the author went a bit overboard with the period appropriate dialogue. It came off feeling a bit forced in some places.

Overall a fun, Valentine's read.
Recommended.

LLG is an automatic buy author for me and this did not disappoint. A Cinderella storyline with a twist, I throughly enjoined this book. Evie is an FMC you can root and Max, a Duke to fall for. I cannot wait for more of this series.

A dashing duke, a shy bookshop ownder and a bet to change their lives. The duke of Westbourne has a bet with his friends that he'll turn shy Evie into the diamond of the season. But when she actually has everyone's attention, he starts falling for her.

Max and Evie are terrific together. Love opposite-attract romance. Max is wonderfully charming and Evie and is quietly competent. Love their chemistry together.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

This was a fast and fun read with no real surprises. This is a Pygmalion inspired story. Evie Harlow owns a bookstore. She's firmly middle class but has gone to finishing school and isn't completely ignorant of the upper class ways. Max, Duke of Westbourne is defending her to his friends and ends up making a bet that he can turn her in to a star of the season. He comes to her shop to ask her if she'd be his project. After some convincing she agrees. So begins their beautiful relationship and journey to their happy ever after.

This was well written and both the hero and heroine were likable people.

Fans of Lisa Kleypas and Julia Quinn will adore this opposites-attract romance featuring a dashing duke, a shy bookshop owner, and a wager that will change their lives forever.

Evie Harlow runs a quaint little bookshop in London, which is the biggest adventure an unmarried woman with no prospects could hope for. Until Maximillian Shaw, Duke of Westbourne, saunters into her shop with a proposition: to win a bet with his friends, he’ll turn her into the diamond of the season. The duke might be devilishly attractive, but Evie has no intention of accepting his ludicrous offer. When disaster strikes her shop, however, she’s left with little choice but to let herself be whisked into his high-society world.

Always happy to help a lady in distress, Max thinks he’s saving Evie from her dull spinster’s life. He’ll help her find a husband and congratulate himself on a job well done. But as shy Evie becomes the shining star he always knew she could be, she somehow steals his heart. And when her reputation is threatened, can Max convince her to choose a glittering, aristocratic life with him over the cozy comfort of her bookshop?

Fun, Quick and easy read! loved it! Thank you netgalley!

Have always enjoyed lauras books theyre always so whimsical and romantic and swoony. Cannot wait to purchase this in paperback