This was a cute historical romance that included a mix of the Cinderella trope as well as a touch of She’s All That.

Evie is an orphan bookshop keeper and Max is a duke in search of a wife. After meeting Evie, Max enters a bet with some friends about whether or not Evie is attractive. Enter She’s All That themes except Max tells her about the bet and presents it as a chance for her to have some fun on his dime.

Overall this book was enjoyable, but I had a few issues with it. The beginning includes a LOT of telling. As in a side character literally explaining Evie’s entire life history to Max before he meets her. This also means the beginning was very detail heavy with details that are repeated when the characters personally encounter them. The ending sadly felt rushed. There were large gaps of time that were skipped over which felt very odd especially after the slow time progression in the beginning. I would have preferred to have more time with Evie and Max towards the end once they were falling for each other.

Maximillian "Max" Shaw, Duke of Westbourne, also, Marquess of Denby, Earl of Rievaulx , and Viscount Marbury. Kind, tall, knight in shining armor attitude, helpful to family when he can.

Cousin Delia Lady Stratham, as a hobby she works for the Savoy owner César Ritz, with duties that involved parties, shopping, and the exercise of considerable charm.

Evangeline “Evie" Harlow, owner of “Harlow’s Bookshop" which she inherited after her father died.

Rory Callahan, childhood friend, his father and Evie's hoped the two would marry.

Lady Helen Maybridge, brother Freddie Maybridge along with his friends Thomas Banforth and his brother Timothy Banforth are down from Oxford for causing trouble.


Max is asked by his cousin Delia to do a favor, which he agrees to do. Lady Helen also asks a favor of him, however, he agrees hoping it will further his cause. Delia's favor gets him to meet Evie.

Evie has spent eight years making the bookshop profitable. She loves it but when Rory returns he has her thinking maybe there is more for her. While chatting with Rory, Max arrives to start fulfilling Delia's favor and somewhat insults both Evie and Rory. When Freddie and his friend arrive to get Max, they cause a bit of ruckus.

Later the three challenge Max to a bet about Evie. Max accepts knowing he can show the three mischievous young men what it means to be a gentleman. He explains all thus to Evie who is tempted and insulted at the same time.

So our stage is set, our cast is ready, and our setting is vast, opulent, and varied. so come play in your imagination as Laura gives a retelling of a classic as only she can in this humorous, witty, enthralling, and wonderfully written story. The surprises she gives will have you enjoying yourself and unable to put this book down.


What are the favors Max does and how he does them will put a smile on you and have you laughing. Evie with her sarcastic whit and charm will bowl you over. Delia with her devil may care attitude will have you rooting for Evie in a heartbeat. Poor Max will not realize until it is too late what he really wants and needs. Evie is a stronger more delightful version of Cinderella. Rory gets what he deserves in a very good way!

Join that fun and you will be so happy and thrilled when you finish!

Genre: historical romance
London, 1896

Evie Harlow has worked herself to the bone to pay off her father’s debts and to start earning money from the small bookshop she inherited at his death. In addition, she takes on side jobs, such as research and consulting for elaborate Epicurean Club dinners at the Savoy for her friend Delia. When Delia’s cousin Max, also Maximillian Shaw, Duke of Westbourne, agrees to help with the next dinner and meets Evie, he sees beyond the tired woman in desperate need of a vacation. Thanks to a few drinks and jibing from some “friends,” Max places a hundred pound bet: in six weeks he can turn Evie into a woman coveted by society. He’ll put her up at the Savoy and Delia will sponsor her entry into Society.

Bookshop Cinderella is brilliant in its subtlety. The writing is elegant and the character development shows off Guhrke’s strong sense of writing craft. The central plot is more Pygmalian than Cinderella, despite its title, and even the glow-up subtle. Max never tries to change Evie, because he already believes she’s beautiful, just tired and overworked. He wants to provide the opportunity for her to shine, and he’s annoyed that the young men he’s charged with keeping an eye on can’t see Evie’s worth.

For all he’s a thirty-two year-old duke elegantly shouldering the expectations of his class, Max is soft and sweet, and more likely than not to put his foot in his mouth. He’s determined not to repeat his past - he married his first wife for love, but she was an American who ultimately eschewed the British aristocracy and wasn’t ever cut out to be a duchess. Her death haunts Max years later, and he can’t help but compare Evie to her, as a woman from a different class to whom he is completely drawn.

Evie must also navigate complicated waters: a businesswoman who has worked tirelessly, now that her debts are paid she feels adrift. This feeling aligns with the return of a dear childhood friend, who her father had hoped she might marry, but who doesn’t see her for what she’s worth. She only agrees to Max’s offer when her bookshop’s boiler bursts and she has nowhere to stay while the damage is repaired. But she also agrees because her contrary nature means she loves proving people wrong. She wants a little adventure, and she’s not a little unswayed by the fine dresses from Max.

Class difference romances don’t always work, but Guhrke builds a case over the course of the novel as to why this one would: Max has already experienced a failed marriage with a class difference. Older and wiser, he thinks first to avoid the debacle, but starts to reconsider not only as he’s falling in love with Evie, but when she continues to amaze him with her ability to learn new things and her competence and business sense. Both characters profess their concerns again and again that it couldn’t work, all while Guhrke shifts the story in their favor, and making it clear that this isn’t just a happily for now.

The beauty in Guhrke’s writing is in the fact that she never over explains or tries to force her characters into a trope or theme. It’s gentle and subtle, and the sort of novel an avid historical romance reader will adore and appreciate.

I mostly enjoyed this one, but for some reason it had a hard time keeping my interest. I enjoyed Evie and Max, but for me there was just something missing. It may have been Max’s bet and how he spares no expense to win it. Their relationship/consummation was definitely a slow burn, but I’m usually here for one. I enjoyed Evie’s transformation and how she could see herself as others did. I will still check out the rest of the series when it’s released.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4

He has a dukedom, she has a bookshop...

Ir feels like its been more than a minute since I last read one of Laura Lee Guhke's books. I liked that it was set in the 1890's, an oft overlooked time period. Max is a duke, doing his cousin Delia a favor. Max's first marriage ended in a soap-opera like fashion of passion and horrible endings, because he married in haste, not someone of his class, and based soley on passion. Will history repeat itself? He's determined not to let that happen and has the perfect bride already picked out from the ton.

Evie Harlow is a hardworking bookshop owner who does favors for Delia. That's the favor Delia needed from Max. She's smitten with the return of her buddy Rory and is riddle with insecurities (ironically, so is Max, in his own way, afraid of making the same mistakes).

I enjoyed Bookshop Cinderella and can recommend it, though, I have to say, Max really made Evie work to be his duchess, like, it was really uncool, the hoops he made her jump through publicly, without having to do the same, publicly, which is what he really needed to do for her reputation. He made her do all the work in public, then did his bit in private. Uncool.
4.5

(4.5 rounded up to a 5)

Bookshop Cinderella by Laura Lee Guhrke is a late-Victorian opposites-attract historical romance and the first book in the Scandal at the Savoy series.

Evie owns and runs a bookshop in London that specializes in rare tomes. Max, a Duke, enters a wager about turning Evie into the diamond of the season. He brings her in on the bet, and offers her two months of vacation from the safety and comfort of her shop. Then disaster strikes her shop and she could do with a bit of a break from her usual reality.

I really enjoyed this book. It's kind of like She's All That but Evie knows about the bet pretty early. Evie is a very strong feminist and isn't afraid to speak her mind. I really loved her, and saw a lot of myself in her. I'm always here for a bookish heroine!

This book has a bit of steam but it's not extensive. Their chemistry is off the charts, though! The banter between Evie and Max is pretty great.

The end felt a bit abrupt to me and I would have loved to see an epilogue. Thankfully, this is the first book in the series and hopefully we'll get to see more of them further into the series!

This was my first read by the author, but I enjoyed it so much I'm absolutely going to check out her back catalogue too, which is pretty extensive. The publisher's blurb notes that this is good for fans of Julia Quinn, and I agree with that wholeheartedly.

Tropes in this book include: opposites attract, wager, multi-POV, rags-to-riches, he falls first, bookish heroine

CW: bullying, brief mention of possible su*cide (happens prior to book)

Bookshop Cinderella by Laura Lee Guhrke is the first in a new series, Scandal at the Savoy.

I was pleasantly surprised by the book, and honestly, I think it's more of a mix of Cinderella and My Fair Lady, except she already owns her own shop. I love that Evie had her insecurities yet is willing to be brave when given the choice. She's led a sheltered life, but after years of trying to scrape by, she's wondering what more life could hold. Yes, she's booksmart but still refreshingly naive. Her ability to laugh at herself makes her real. Then you have Max, The Duke of Westbourne, he's lived a life of privilege with his past weighing heavily with his need for an heir. When he meets Evie, he's trying to do a favor that turns into so much more. Taking her out of her surroundings means Max has to address that's he's inexplicably drawn to her and fight it or potentially relive his mistakes. Yet, could a wiser and older pair truly turn the ton of their ears and through caution to the wind by making a love match?

***ARC Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley***

3.5 Stars

I love a good historical romance that not only tells a story but also uses the setting as part of the story. There's so much to be added by really using the setting and making it a part of the story, as the constraints of society, what is proper and what is and isn't done can factor in and add a layer to the story.

Evie and Max are one of the couples that work so well in historical romance, he is a Duke and she runs a bookshop, so not someone accustomed to being part of society as she is in trade. I liked the way they worked it out to have them together and around one another.

There was an additional character that I thought wasn't totally necessary to bring in to the story, but he was only slightly distracting and only pulled me from the story slightly.

This book is definitely an offshoot of the Pygmalion story, but it works and even though it's a bit predicable, it never felt like it was dragging or boring due to having a pretty good idea the arc of the story.

I enjoyed and recommend this title.

Bookshop Cinderella by Laura Lee Guhrke
Historical romance.
Evie Harlow runs a small bookstore that specializes in rare first editions. After a bit of a drunken night, Max Shaw, the Duke of Westbourne comes into the bookstore with a proposition for Evie. He’s bet that she will be the belle of the ball at a particular party and that her dance card will be full. Evie has no intention of accepting his offer of staying at the Savoy Hotel for the season, fully paid wardrobe and every entertainment she would like to attend. Until her boiler erupts in the apartment above the bookshop and floods the building and she has no choice but to evacuate to the Savoy and play the part of socialite for the season.

The repartee between Evie and Max is clever and often amusing. When the dancing lessons prove too much for him, poor innocent Evie is thrown into a world of longing she has heretofore missed.
Heretofore: a word used often in historical romances and legal briefs. I’m not even sure I used it correctly, but it amuses me to include it in my review.
I found her stubbornness and intelligence appealing. And who doesn’t love a Duke that will spend lavishly on a woman, keep her safe and ultimately wants her happiness?

“Sometimes, he thought in exasperation as he started down the street, Evie really was the most unaccountable girl.”

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and the publisher.

3.7 Stars
One Liner: Entertaining

Maximillian Shaw, Duke of Westbourne, agrees to help his cousin Lady Delia as she rushes to Rome. This takes him to a quaint little bookshop run by Evie Harlow. However, his first visit leads to a second as the Duke wagers with his friends and needs Evie’s support to win the bet. He will turn her into a belle of the season and help her find a match. With her beauty, how hard could it be?
Evie has since long given up her dreams to keep the bookshop running. She is infuriated by the Duke’s offer but soon ends up accepting it when a disaster strikes. It’s not easy being among the ton, but Evie enjoys it.
However, as our lead pair start to fall for each other, they may have to make a lot of decisions and overcome a few scandals to get what they want. Can they do it, though?
The story comes in the limited third-person POV of Max, Evie, and Rory.

My Thoughts:
I love that beautiful cover! The gown in purple is so gorgeous. The premise is just as fun, and my hopes were quite high.
While the Duke’s chapter starts well, Evie puts her in a not-so-appealing position. For a heroine who’s supposed to be strong, capable, and independent, her opening scene is the weakest. Thankfully, it gets better.
The writing is easy to read. The story flows well, despite the regular shifts in POVs. Since all of them are in the third person, there’s no confusion anywhere.
The plot is quite straightforward, with a bit of everything to add to the drama. That keeps the story moving ahead, and the pacing is more than decent. Though most of it is predictable, and we know who the villain is, the story is still enjoyable, with traces of humor.
Other reviewers compared the book to She’s All That movie. Since I haven’t watched it, I could read this without any comparison or prior assumptions and enjoy it for what it is.
There isn’t much angst, intense drama, or excessive miscommunication. This is quite a relief, as I’m bored of these tropes anyway. The banter between the characters is fun to read. They do have some chemistry, which makes things better.
Of course, a few doubts remain, and some suspension of belief is necessary towards the end, but this is the first book in the series. So even if the next ones have other main characters, Evie and Max are likely to play minor roles and fill the gaps. Still, I wish there was an epilogue.

To summarize, Bookshop Cinderella is a lighthearted entertainer and a great pick between heavy reads. The lovely gowns and food are a bonus. The book has 2.5ish steam (one scene).
I’ll be sure to pick book two in the series when it’s available.
Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing/Forever, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Bookshop Cinderella is a dishy read. Max, the handsome love hardened duke plays fairy godmother to bookshop owner Evie.
The pages of their story curl up as the intensity builds between the two.
I so wanted Max to deal effectively with the rotten sod Rory.
Nothing ends at midnight but can Evie and Max combine their worlds?
Say bibbety bobbety boo as you read.

The story has it cute charm about it, but it’s the plot that’s not connecting. The story moves has a steady line. I was looking for the highs and lows of a intriguing story. The characters seems to mature and in depth for the plot. Perhaps if there was mystery or a spy plot that the two have found themselves involved in would bring excitement to the story. The entertainment part of the book was when the two main characters shared dialogues together. I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley for this novel.
I absolutely loved this novel and flew through it. I wish I didn’t have to wait a year for the next novel in the series. Evie is our main character and is a bookseller. Max is the duke and Dalia’s brother. Dalia employs Evie to help with research for her job at the hotel she works for. Evie and Max hit it off in a big way. Max goes to Evie’s bookstore to get the information she has for his sister who is traveling for a month. Max makes a wager against Freddie Helen’s brother who he wishes to marry and make his duchess. Max bets her can make Evie the bell of his ball in 2 months and will write a letter of recommendation to reinstate Freddie and his friends to Eden if he loses. Max talks to Evie and agrees to prove the boys wrong. The more time they spend together the more they start to fall in love. Evie has a childhood friend named Rory who she has a crush on but he doesn’t return her affections until he believes she has come into money after learning she is staying at a hotel and has new clothes. He decides to try and get her to marry him to get some money and decides to follow her and Max. Rory leaks the story and gets Evie’s new maid to help him get a letter Max wrote to Evie and proposes to Evie after she leaves the hotel and Max. Max ends up losing the bet after dancing with Evie and declaring his feelings for her. They have sex and she leaves that night not knowing that people think she is his mistress. Max goes to see her and proposes she says no but five days later she goes to the hotel to see him to accept after learning what Rory did and finally learning he was a snake. This book is definitely one of my new favorites of 2023. A definite most read of fans of Bridgerton.

It’s been a while since I read a LLG book, so I was very happy to pick up Bookshop Cinderella. Contrary to the title, this book is more of a Pygmalion/My Fair Lady retelling. Evie runs her late father’s bookshop and creates versatile cultural menus on the side for the Savoy Hotel. When Evie becomes the subject of a wager, Max, the Duke of Westbourne, approaches her with a proposition to win the bet: he will launch her into society as the diamond of the season.

We’ve all read some variation of this story before, but Bookshop Cinderella actually managed to surprise me. For once, we have an affable and easygoing Duke. I think this is the first time I’ve come across a Duke who’s not starchy, cold, or grumpy?? LOL. I honestly love how chill Max was, especially in contrast to the heroine who is stressed out and needs a vacation. I’m a sucker for a supportive hero who helps the heroine destress and forget about her troubles.

The main thing that I love about this book is the build up of friendship and attraction. It takes Max and Evie some time to realize that they are attracted to each other. The romance kicks off with savage banter first and foremost. Evie may not have had the best impression of Max at first, but she eventually becomes friends with him when they work together to win the bet. Max’s handsomeness doesn’t have an effect on Evie until after she gets to know him. It’s the same thing with Max, although the attraction on his side happens first. All of this contributed to a solid foundation for the relationship development. It made the chemistry and the tension between Max and Evie that much more potent. It was honestly such a breath of fresh air from all the insta-love/insta-lust romance books.

In retrospect, I shouldn’t have been surprised because LLG usually writes her stories this way. I think it’s just been so long since I’ve read one of her books, and I really need to catch up on her newer releases. I did notice that her writing style is a bit different here. For instance, there are lots of run-on sentences, which are not my favourite. Surprisingly, this did not bug me because the sentences were still somehow clear and her story-telling is as immersive as I remember it being. It could be that she has a new editor now that she has moved to a different publishing house.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I liked both of the characters, the romance, and the story overall. And I am looking forward to whatever else LLG has in store for this series!

This was such a fun historical romance. It's a bit of a modern take on She's All That, but make it historical and improve the characters.

Evie Harlow runs her family bookshop. She has managed to bring it out of debt and proven an amazingly good bookseller. But despite loose family ties to the nobility, she knows she has no prospects for marriage. When a Duke and his compatriots visit her shop, she chides them to treat the books respectfully.

When the others speak poorly of her, Max, the Duke of Westbourne bets he can turn Evie into the belle of the ball who will dance every dance at his ball in six weeks.

I loved the Savoy hotel, the dancing, the characters, and the plot. Max has such a fascinating and deep backstory that added so much, and Evie was so relatable. There's also just a touch of mystery and the perfect amount of conflict.

This was such a great book, and I was especially pleased to buddy read it with friends. I hope more folks will start reading and enjoying historical romances like this. If you have been flirting with the idea of reading more historicals, this is a great one to start with. It's the first of a new series, Scandal at the Savoy.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

No one does class difference, women who work HR then Laura Lee Guhrke. Her Girl Bachelor Series is what got me hooked on her books and is still one of my favorites. Bookshop Cinderella follows that same formula with a nod to the film “She’s All That”.
This is a somewhat lighthearted romp set in 1896 so Evie our heroine owning and running a bookshop that she inherited (and saved from bankruptcy/foreclosure) from her father is not considered scandalous. She also does party planning research for Delia, who is the cousin of our hero Max, Duke of Westbourne. Before I go on I just want to say that I loved the character of Delia and really hope that Ms Guhrke is planning a book for her. Delia is effervescent in her seemingly zest for life. She’s about 30-31 and has already had (and I assume buried) 3 husbands and “works” for Cesar Ritz (of Ritz-Carlton) and the famous chef Escoffer. It just feels like there’s a very rich story in her background.
Anyway, back to our MMCs Max is a sweetheart although he had a heartbreak 10 years ago that has scared him a bit and Evie is at 28 is feeling a bit stuck in her life now that financially she is doing okay. She’s the niece of a Baron and has a bit of finishing school polish but has a somewhat unfavorable view of the aristocracy. Max meets Evie doing a favor for Delia and the plot begins with a bet a la “She’s All That” except Evie knows about it. Anyway I will let you read the synopsis to get the basic plot. I did enjoy this book very much, I like the premise, plot and the relationship between the 2 main characters. I like that it had a bit of angst but did go overboard with it. I would say that it’s only flaw is I could have used more interactions with both Max and Evie. The story takes place over 6-8 weeks but I feel that they really don’t spend that much time together. In the book it seems like they go a week or 2 without seeing each other. Which just seems strange in a romance. And although there is a few kissing scenes and a bit of petting, the one and only full sex scene doesn’t happen until late in the book. I do want to highlight that Ms Guhrke’s description of Evie’s very first kiss:
“The moment Max touched her lips with his, she felt a pleasure so exhilarating, so dizzying, it was as if she were soaring high in the sky like a bird in flight. Her heart lifted, her blood sang through her veins, and when she closed her eyes, any conscious thought went spinning into oblivion.”
made me long for the days of my youth and the excitement of the first kiss with someone new. I also like that she didn’t make Max a rake. He truly is trying to control his attraction toward Evie as he doesn’t want to repeat the actions that brought heartbreak in his youth.
All and all I enjoyed this book very much and if your a Guhrke fan you will too.
I was kindly given an ARC of this book from NetGalley for my honest and unbiased review

We've been waiting for a new Laura Lee Guhrke for a while, and Bookshop Cinderella does not disappoint! We just really love the combo of LLG’s understated writing and late-Victorian/early-Edwardian settings. Give us telephones, typewriters, hotels, suffragists, broadening social mores, and professional women PLUS all the HR goodness of dukes who need heirs, the ton, the Season, etc.!

So this is your basic My Fair Lady plot: Max makes a bet with some feckless younger gentlemen (he makes it very clear that they are not his friends!) that he can turn Evie, prim and proper bookshop proprietor, into a social success. What did we particularly love about this makeover wager? First of all, Max only makes the bet because he's a little older and a little wiser than his companions, and he knows a beautiful woman when he sees one. He also just can't keep his mouth shut when they start ridiculing her. Second of all, Max never considers trying to trick Evie into going along with his plans. He tells her not only about the wager, but about all of the background and conversations. Finally, we thought it was great that Evie wasn't 100% convinced by Max's argument - but when her bookshop has to close for renovations due to a minor disaster, she doesn't have anything better to do, anyway.

The book is well-paced and moves briskly. Every time the relationship conflict verged into romance miscommunication LLG pulled it right back out - you get just the perfect amount! Also, the grand gesture was so much fun! It was the cherry on top of on an already-perfect book.

We are so looking forward to this series, which seems like it will share the same setting: the Savoy Hotel. (We might have to look into plane tickets to London just to have a drink at the American Bar in the Savoy...)

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

Okay, this is a new title from Laura Lee Guhrke! I’m a big fan of her Guilty Pleasures series and was really looking forward to read this ARC 😆 The book premise is about a wager. The bet is to see if the FMC who is a commoner and a bluestocking (more of a bookshop nerd) can be the belle of the ball. It’s also set in Edwardian era, so it’s also something different vs. your typical Regency/Victorian romance.

Evie is portrayed to be a self-sufficient bluestocking and have endured bullying in her past. However, the impression I have on her is not as substantive as the the way the story illustrates her. I felt she just adapts too well. There was not much hardship during her transformation (normally you’d expect some struggles). Therefore, you can’t really sympathize with her. Max is, well, too nice 😂 There wasn’t any significant fault on him - very trusting on Evie from the get go. The downside is that there’s not much growth in his character.

I found the book to be a bit slow to start. The early banter was mostly flat and didn’t get really good until the 40-50% mark. After this point, it gets better. However, soon Max distances himself from Evie because of the typical reason (doesn’t want to fall deeper). At this point I just wished that they had more interactions as the chemistry just started to get better ☹

However, I do enjoy how there’s really no miscommunication trope between the couple. Max came clean about the wager right from the start, so there’s no conflict like Evie feeling deceived because she was entered into wager without knowing until the end 🙂 Overall, this book is quite a light & enjoyable book.

Bookshop Cinderella is a delightful fairy tale that is packed with chemistry and fun. This enchanting story is sure to captivate with its charming characters and whimsical plot. Guhrke's writing is engaging, making this book a must-read for anyone who loves a good romance novel. So why not treat yourself to a magical journey through the pages of Bookshop Cinderella? You won't be disappointed!

The first few chapters were a bit rough for me personally but once they started interacting I really enjoyed this. I liked that he told her from the beginning that he had a bet about her and that she was in on it. It let them have pretty open and honest communication.

I received an arc through netgalley.