Whether or not you like this book will largely turn on how much you loved Grease. I have to admit, there were moments where I absolutely loved the way that Bell translated Grease into the historical romance of the regency era… and then there were also moments where she totally lost me. I’ve heard great things about Lenora Bell but this book didn’t do it for me personally. It also could very well do with the fact that I started reading it right after having a book hangover from another incredible series so it might just not have been the palette cleanser I personally needed. That being said, if you loved the movie/show Grease and you want more set in a different era, you’d probably love this book. It centers around the heroine Sandrine and her hero Lord Dane (whom she calls Danny) as they navigate the quaint village of Squalton and the ever complicated ton… Sandrine is inducted into the regency era pink ladies while Lord Dane grapples with his emotions of a complicated family dynamic with the comedic intermissions of his gentleman club friends… All in all I will give this book a 3/5 mostly because I think that she did an excellent job of sticking to the Grease story while bringing in interesting side stories but it wasn’t what I was personally looking for at the time. Thank you for NetGalley for the ARC!

This book is a super fun Grease-retelling, with Sandrine being the sheltered young miss who meets Lord Dane (pretending to be a mere Danny) at the seaside. Lord Dane is typically a scoundrel and a rake, but is kind and sweet and enjoys the simple things when he’s with Sandrine. He leaves the seaside town unexpectedly when his brother is gravely injured and is concerned that he’s the heir to the dukedom. Sandrine ends up traveling to London to petition a certain duke to restore an old manor house, and is pretty angry to find that Dane has both lied to her and related to the duke that owns the manor. With a new set of lady friends, Sandrine gets to experience more of London adventures away from her overly strict mother while also continuing to run into Dane. There’s lots of interesting plot going on in this book, with Dane dealing with a blackmailer and Sandrine breaking free from her mother’s constraints. This book was a very enjoyable read.

Classic historical romance. I loved the growth of the main characters as they came together. A fun read.

Nothing exciting ever happens in Sandrine Oliver's sleepy seaside town...until the day Lord Dane Walker comes to town, pretending to be a commoner. Sandrine is charmed, but then Dane disappears without a word. During a trip to London, Sandrine is astonished to learn that the man she met at the beach is actually a disreputable rake! She's out to teach him a lesson for bruising her heart, as he tries desperately to hold her at arm's length and not reveal how much she's gotten under his skin.

This is the first in a new series called the Thunderbolts Club, about a group of friends who love to race curricles and enjoy a wild lifestyle. The story is a retelling of the movie-musical Grease, and fans will definitely see plenty of tie-ins.

I really liked the beginning when Dane arrives in Sandrine's small town and quickly realizes that his older brother, the Duke of Rydell, is hated in the town. So, Dane introduces himself as ordinary Danny Smith. Sandrine is a good girl who has been raised by an extremely overprotective mother, but she's sure there's more to life than the bubble wrap existence her mother has kept her in. Dane and Sandrine have a fun meet-cute where she is rule-breaking - exploring the sea for the first time - and he mistakes her for a drowning victim.

This book falls into the 3.5 star category for me...better than just three stars, but not quite there for four. My favorite parts of this story were actually the areas where it differentiated from the Grease tie-ins. I thought the story was best when the couple was the focus. There were spots where I thought some story threads were going to play a bigger role and maybe it didn't come together as tightly as I would have liked because there were too many other things going on. Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys come campy fun in their HR.

Tropes: Class Difference, Mistaken Identity, Opposites Attract (Good Girl/Bad Boy), Reform a Rake

Steam: 4

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

I've read Lenora Bell in the past and really enjoyed some of her books, but this one just wasn't for me. Maybe it's because I've never been a huge fan of Grease and this is a lot like the musical except as a historical romance.

This one just didn't do it for me, and I'm usually a hugeb Bell fan.

Embarassingly, I did not realize this was a Grease retelling until about halfway through. In my defence, I've never seen it. I feel like if it were going to work, it would need to be less on the face of it, but it's so campy and intentionally so. I couldn't really enjoy it, because I was just constantly anxious for Sandrine. I liked Sandrine, and she felt like a very round character, but Dane fell very flat for me, and I wasn't rooting for him. I think if the Grease stuff was toned down, I really could have enjoyed the story, but it kept distracting me. Probably just not the book for me.

This was bananas. In the best, most Leonora Bell way. I cackled a the not-so-subtle Grease references and thoroughly enjoyed seeing how Bell turned a cheesy movie musical into a fun regency romp. Maybe not the best/my favorite of Bell's work, but a lot of campy fun.

✨I’m hopelessly devoted to you…✨

Super campy and fun. Boy, do I love Grease. I was absolutely giggling when we got the “drowning” scene!! Obviously, I kept hearing Summer Nights while reading the first few chapters. Sandrine even mention being Hopelessly Devoted to Dane, which was a nice touch. I think if you’re a Grease fan, you’ll have a LOT of fun with this one. All it needed was group choreography.

I did desperately need Dane to call her Sandy in a moment of passion, since we did get her calling him Danny a bit (which I LOVED)! I also wanted a little more depth from her friendship with the Pink Ladies, as I think the girl gang part of the plot could’ve gone a bit harder. It was fun seeing them for sure, but they could’ve had more backstory or spent more time with Sandrine.

**SPOILERS** I’m wondering if Rosalyn will get a book or if this kind of wrapped her story line up…personally I would love to see a marriage in crisis book PLEASE. Rizzo was definitely the most interesting Pink Lady so I’m hoping we get her book. If not, I am happy she ended up with Kenwick. But again, I NEED to see her investigating his endowment lol.

Dane was a BIT dramatic with his whole “I’m a bad boy” mentality, but it did give the book an over-the-top campy vibe which was unique and I didn’t mind it. As far as tragic backstories go, I thought his was compelling and a good amount of angsty. Same thing with her controlling mother and the vicar—like it could’ve been really rough, but I’m so happy with how it played out.

On the other hand, I wanted the “Bad Sandy” bit at the end to be even more dramatic. He got on his knees FAST but I wanted it more drawn out. She also kept saying he needed to grovel but I think rather than grovel she meant that he needed to declare his love most ardently in front of their friends. Which, awesome I fully support, but it didn’t really feel like groveling.

How do I convince Lenora to write her take on Grease 2??? Because I need me a historical cool rider. Like give me a nerdy barrister named Michael who has a full leather jumpsuit and a dream. It practically writes itself with the opposites attract, he falls first, oh no is he DEAD, and while not in the movie I’m assuming the book would be class difference. Maybe it could even take place in New York and he’d obviously be British. Just putting it out there…

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️*/5

*While Dane was a self-proclaimed “bad boy,” he definitely lived up to the title in the bedroom. He absolutely wanted to choke her out and it was hooot. Of her more recent titles, this book is one of the hotter ones!


Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.

Lenora Bell can do no wrong in my eyes, and You're The Duke That I Want is another Bell prize of a story. Sandrine and Dane meet in simple circumstances, until Dane inherits a dukedom and disappears to London. When Sandrine finds out that the man she met is both a rake and a duke, she sets out to both teach him a lesson and to capture his heart. Filled with the classic Bell humor, wit and romance, this is one you won't want to miss.

Historical romance meets Grease the musical. No, but really. Meet the Duke of Rydell (high)! Complete with Pink Ladies and song lyrics hidden in the dialog.

I liked it! It was fun to see all the little nods to Grease but in the end, the characters felt flat to me. Would recommend if you're looking for a retelling that isn't Beauty and the Beast.

I requested the ARC of this book because I just had to see how Lenora Bell could pull it off. She has basically taken the movie “Grease” and dropped it into the early 1800’s. After finishing the book, I was very conflicted on how to rate it. But then I realized that the rating depended on one question, “did you like the movie?” If “Grease” is your favorite movie of all time; you’re probably looking at a 5-star book. If you mildly enjoyed the movie, it would be a 3-star read. And if the movie wasn’t really to your tastes; this might not be your cup of tea.

Usually, when I consider reading a retelling story; I’m looking for some uniqueness. This really doesn’t have that. Much of the book felt to me as if I was reading the movie script. There is a B plot to the story; a bit of a mystery. But that felt like it was tacked on and didn’t blend well with the main story. I just couldn’t connect with the characters.

I was casually interested in the movie. I even watched it a couple of times. And then I promptly forgot it. I get the same feeling here, although I won’t reread it. So based on “MY” love of the movie, I give it 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was definitely one of Lenora Bell's weaker ones and I struggled to get through it.

The characterization was downright boring and I struggled to get through the book before getting to the sex scenes. The plot just seemed really low-stakes and I didn't care much about it and had to slog through to get to the end.

I like Lenora Bell generally but this was definitely an unfortunate entry in her catalogue and I hope her next work. is better.

This is such a fun and romantic start to The Thunderbolt Club series. With major vibes from the film Grease, which I’ve seen a zillion times, I guess you could say this historical romance and I go together like ramma-lamma-lamma-ka-dingity-da-dinga-dong.

If you like the movie Grease, you will totally enjoy this story. It’s very much the musical put into a historical setting. Characters, plot elements, and even some dialogue are pulled right from the film, and I found myself comparing it to the movie throughout my read. There are times when the Grease vibes are a bit overboard, but overall they were a fun and cheeky addition to the story. Though, I have to say, if the couple jumped in their curricle at the end and lifted off into the sky while happily waving to their friends, I would have thrown the book. Luckily, that didn’t happen!

The romance between Dane and Sandrine has so much chemistry and emotion. Sandrine is an innocent, proper, and sheltered woman from a small seaside village, and Dane is a scandalous rake. They have a comical meet-cute, which leads to a swoon-worthy budding romance. I thought they made a great pair. They bring out the best in each other, and you can almost see them come alive when they’re together. And some of Dane’s declarations are positively swoon-tastic!

I also enjoyed the found family vibes with the men of The Thunderbolts and the women of the Pink Ladies, and there’s an underlying mystery that adds a sense of danger and suspense to the story. It’s a fun read and worked as a good palate cleanser for me after a pretty heavy read.

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Started out having high hopes for this regency romcom inspired by the movie Grease. However, after Sandrine gets to London, the whole thing gets super draggy. Blackmail, intrigue, and such is not a part of Grease. Just didn’t work for me. DNF at 53%.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon for the ARC.

I've come to realize Lenora Bell just isn't for me. I'm not a fan of her witting style and her story, for me, always lack depth. I struggled to move from one page to another.

Thank you #NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A historical romance inspired by Grease?? I wasn't sure how it would work but I really enjoyed it, and I laughed out loud a few times at the very obvious references to the musical (the phrase "hopelessly devoted" was mentioned several times, and the rakish men of the Thunderbolts club have a racing curricle named lightning streak, just to name a few). Sandrine is a sheltered young woman, watched constantly by a controlling mother in the small village of Squalton. She spends her limited free time advocating for the preservation of the local ducal estate, but hearing nothing from the Duke of Rydell. That same Duke, Dane, happens to be visiting the village when he sees what he thinks is a young woman drowning in the sea. It's really Sandrine sneaking a few moments of freedom, and the two spark an immediate attraction. Dane lies about his identity while in Squalton, as he realizes that the villagers resent him. When he's called away for a family emergency and can't say goodbye to Sandrine, he assumes it's for the best since she'll be angry when she finds out his true identity. A heartbroken Sandrine jumps at the very unusual chance to go to London, chaperoned by two older women from Squalton, using the excuse that she wants to petition the Duke of Rydell in person. When she arrives, the innocent Sandrine is taken in by Francesca, Rosalyn, and Marta, who call themselves the Pink Ladies, and who quickly figure out that Sandrine's Mr. Smith is actually Dane, the very Duke she seeks to petition. I was pretty amazed at how faithful an adaptation of Grease this was for a novel set in Regency England, and I thought the gimmick was fun throughout the book. You don't need to know Grease well to enjoy this, as it stands on its own, but reading it with that knowledge feels like being in on an inside joke.

You're the Duke That I Want is Lenora Bell's first book in the new Thunderbolt Club series. This reads as a love letter to Grease. The plot, names, and even some of the dialogue is included. If you are not a fan of the movie, this book is not going to be for you. Grease was a staple movie at practically every sleepover from 4th through 8th grade so I didn't mind how Bell retrofitted the plotline into a historical. It was a fun romp that doesn't take itself too seriously. The ending did have me eyerolling but I clearly wasn't looking at this one for historical accuracy.

Sandrine is a sheltered woman who never breaks her mother's never-ending list of rules. She knows her mother is planning her marriage to the local vicar and decides to flout the rules by floating in the sea. Lord Dane Walker is going through the seaside town and thinks he sees a woman drowning. He helps her and learns that the entire town hates his Dukedom so he gives a fake name; Danny. The two become close over the course of a few days but he unexpectedly has to rush back to London. When Sandrine comes to London to petition the Duke of Rydell to save the local crumbling estate she discovers the Duke is none other than Danny Smith.

Tropes included: Grease retelling, rake-ish hero, sheltered heroine, spare becomes heir, family secrets, complicated family dynamics, curricle races, secret identity, seaside setting, innocent heroine, mystery side plot

Thank you to Avon Harper Voyager, NetGalley, and Lenora Bell for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own. #netgalley #avonharpervoyager #LenoraBell #YoureTheDukeThatIWant #TheThunderboltClub

3.5 Stars! This was a cute book starting out a new series, ‘The Thunderbolt Club’, and it can be read as a standalone. The main characters were Lord Dane/Danny Smith and Miss.Sandrine Oliver. I rather liked both of them and I’m glad Sandrine learned to have a backbone & standup for herself. A few surprising events happen in this, a few twists and turns you don’t see coming. As a ‘Grease’ fan, I approve of the Pink Ladies, the makeover and the numerous other similarities with ‘Grease’, though there are plenty of other details in this book, not relating to ‘Grease’. I really enjoyed this and can’t wait to read more from this series.
*I received this book at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*

I am SO happy to say that I absolutely adored this book & I'm so ready to dive into the depths of the historical romance genre again, especially with the colder months coming up. This book is coming out on December 26th, and you all need to pre-order it if you like light-hearted historical romances with headstrong and kind heroines & charming, flirty rake heroes.

You're The Duke That I Want by Lenora Bell is an adult historical romance that's inspired by Grease. It follows Sandrine, an innocent and proper young lady from a small town, and Dane, the brother of a duke, who has a scandalous reputation and is charming and flirtatious. The two of them meet at the beach when Sandrine decides she wants to swim in the sea despite her mother forbidding her from doing anything improper. Dane isn't supposed to stay in town but he is stuck there for a day, and he doesn't want to leave for a while... for obvious reasons. Before anything else can happen, Dane is called away because his brother is dying and he has to leave before saying goodbye to Sandrine, and he decides it's best to keep her away from him because he is in danger because of his brother's actions.

This was such a fun, light-hearted, and fast-paced read, and I loved every second. I fell in love with the romance from the first moment they met, and couldn't get enough of them together. I love the "good girl/bad boy" trope when it's done well, and it was amazing in here. Sandrine learns so much about herself and finds her freedom, and Dane grows a lot too. While he does a few shitty things, he is very respectful and kind, and I love both of them SO MUCH. If you absolutely hate the trope, then you probably shouldn't read this, but if you like it, you need to read it.

The story is filled with adventure, passion, love, care, excitement, and humor too. Besides the wonderful romance, there are some amazing friendships and family dynamics, and it all works so well together. This is definitely one of my favorite historical romances I've read recently, and I cannot wait for everyone to read it when it comes out. I highly recommend this to all historical romance fans who love heroes who would do anything for their heroine, and heroines who go after what they want.

You're the Duke That I Want is a captivating novel that effortlessly weaves together witty and insightful dialogue with expertly developed characters. Each chapter is filled with gripping and emotionally charged moments, making it impossible to put the book down. This enchanting romance not only delivers on its promises but also leaves readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in the series.