It is a historical romance novel that combines intrigue, and passion. The story follows Lily, a dressmaker who is in debt to a ruthless moneylender, and James, an American ship captain who inherits the title of Duke of Ashbridge. James offers to help Lily by becoming the legal guardian of her sister, who is in danger of being taken away by the moneylender. However, this means that Lily and James have to live together on his estate. As they spend more time together, they discover a mutual attraction that defies the rules of society and their own expectations.

The novel is well-written and engaging, with witty dialogue and vivid descriptions. The characters are likable and realistic, with flaws and strengths that make them relatable. Lily is a strong and independent heroine who is determined to protect her sister and herself. James is a charming and honorable hero who is torn between his duty and his desire. The chemistry between them is sizzling and sweet, with plenty of steamy scenes and tender moments. The plot is fast-paced and exciting. The novel also explores some themes such as family, loyalty, identity, and social class.

Overall, it’s a delightful historical romance that will appeal to fans of the genre who enjoy a blend of humor and romance. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story with captivating characters and a happy ending.

A great second installment in the Once Upon a Wallflower series, THE DUKE AND THE DRESSMAKER is the story of Lily, the aspiring dressmaker, and James, the American who inherited an English dukedom. We briefly met Lily in book one of this series, as she was besties with Elizabeth, and it was so lovely getting to know more about her and her sister, Violet. ⁣
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Lily finds herself in quite the predicament. She owes money to a powerful woman in the city’s crime circuit, and inability to pay means said woman will make Lily repay her debt by working in the skin trade. Things get even more complicated when James, thinking a woman is in danger, oversteps a boundary and beats up the man escorting Lily home. A man who happens to be in the employ of the lady moneylender. Things are looking even worse when Lily gets kicked out of her flat, taking nothing except her sister, and the two are now homeless, penniless, with no one to turn to. Except, as it turns out, James happens to be new the guardian of Violet, and he just happens to have a big old manor with plenty of space for two additional people. ⁣
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I absolutely loved James and Lily together. They had incredible chemistry, and that was evident from their very first encounter. Their banter was fun, I loved how unconventional they both were. Lily is a very independent woman, James has a protective streak when it comes to her, and they butt heads on several occasions because of that. Despite their instant attraction, their relationship is a slow burner, as each of them have pasts that refuse to let go. I loved watching their relationship develop and it was so lovely once they got moved past their hesitation to be together. All told, a delightful and fun second installment. 4 stars.

In book 2 of the Once Upon a Wallflower series, an America sea captain, who has recently inherited a dukedom, finds his match in a young dressmaker. At their initial meeting, he thinks he is coming to her aid, and she just wants him to leave her alone. As it turns out, though, she’s the person he has been trying to find—or her sister is rather. Along with the dukedom, James Blakefield has inherited a ward.

The two are brought together by circumstance. He wants to get Lily and her sister settled and safe before he journeys back to America. Lily wants to do the right thing for both her sister and James.

Both are afraid of opening themselves up to the vulnerability that comes with being in love, but can they avoid falling for each other while living under the same roof?

These are both strong characters that are used to relying on and taking care of themselves. I enjoyed watching them grow together and learn to depend on and support one another.

I enjoyed the historical details that felt different from many other romances that I’ve read set in this time period. Lily and her sister were raised in France, so details from the French Revolution and the following years are interwoven into the book. James is from America, so we hear a bit about America’s relationships with both Britain and France. Plus, as a shipping magnate, James wants to go up against the East India Company.

I also liked the supporting friends in the story—Derby, Garrett, and Elizabeth. Garrett and Elizabeth are the main characters from The Beast and the Bookseller, and while The Duke and the Dressmaker can be read as a standalone, I do recommend reading book 1 first.

I received an advance copy from Entangled Publishing and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this historical romance that had me hooked from start to finish. The story follows Miss Lily Martin, a talented dressmaker, and James Blakefield, an American sea captain turned Duke. When James steps in to help Lily out of a financial mess, their connection is undeniable, leading to a marriage of convenience that turns into something deeper. What I adored most were the unique and unconventional characters. Lily's determination and James's outsider perspective on English society added so much depth to the story. The themes of hope, dreams, and overcoming adversity resonated with me. If you're into a historical romance with relatable characters and a heartfelt storyline, don't miss this one it's a must-read!

I enjoyed James and Lily's romance. I liked the storyline a lot. It captured and held my interest well. There is a very obvious attraction and connection between the main characters which made them easy to root for. I also really liked that they each had some emotional baggage. Overall, a very good book and a solid entry for this entertaining series.

Compelling, historical romance between wounded people putting on a brave face
If you like romance set in the nobility of historical England, you will want to read this delicious story. James Blakefield is the new Duke of Ashbridge and American! Turns out he is the closest living male heir to the abysmal former Ashbridge. Now James needs to find his missing ward, the former Duke’s grandchild. It appears that the former abysmal Duke lived up to his reputation by turning away his own grandchildren, Lily Martin and Violet, being the 10yo ward for whom James is looking. Lily and James find each other quite by accident and they set things in motion that cannot be stopped or undone.
The cover is a perfect depiction of Lily. This story will pull at your heart strings while making you angry within a few pages and in a few more thrilled. James and Lily together make a formidable couple to the ton who are curious, but hesitant in their acceptance. Great plot, well-written and so enjoyable, I could not put it down once I started reading. This book will haunt me for a while. So good! I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through Entangled and NetGalley.

The plot is totally implausible, but if you can suspend disbelief, this is an enjoyable story about two unlikely protagonists. Somehow, the duke is now an American sea captain, who has been searching for the former duke’s granddaughter as he is her guardian. By great coincidence, he finds the older granddaughter who is a dressmaker trying to support herself and her younger sister. Apparently, she survived the Terror and escaped to England and is now living on the brink of catastrophic poverty.

One thing that bothered me was the sense of history that was missing in the book. The younger daughter had to be born some time during or before the Terror because their parents were killed in the terror. So now it’s 10 or 11 years later and Napoleon is on the throne in France. Already, by this time, there were tensions between England and the United States over shipping rights. There seems to be no mention of this when an American shows up in England and then spends his time lobbying against the British East India Company. That’s fine, but wouldn’t he have also been lobbying to stop impressing American sailors and to protect American sailing rights? It bothered me that the author just elided over basic facts of American history that she could have gotten from Wikipedia.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review

This is the second book in the Once Upon a Wallflower series. I had no idea and had not read the first book, but I did enjoy this one!
Even though I did enjoy this book and finished it quickly, I was annoyed with Lily. She was just so stubborn and no matter how many times her feelings were justified, I still found myself disliking her.
I loved James and how he felt about the girls in his life.
I did not like the pacing in this book. It takes place over a short period of time and I just did not feel attached to the relationship and how it developed. This book definitely could have been longer.
I’ll have to go back and read the first book now!

I always have a good time reading Eva Devon, and this short romance from her was no exception. Lily has had a bit of a rougher life after her parents were executed in France and her grandfather refused to recognize her or her younger sister, Violet. However, their luck takes a turn when James, funky fresh new Duke of Ashbridge, an American sailor with only the vaguest link to the dukedom. He has been assigned as the new ward to Violet, who is not of age, and takes this assignment very seriously. Lily has been supporting her and her sister working in a dressmaker's shop and designing dresses for the wealthy. Now that James is the guardian of Violet, Lily and her sister go to live in his house and a very sweet romance develops bewteeen James and Lily. They seem to be a very good fit for each other and James treats Violet like his own little sister. I really enjoyed watching the romance between Lily and James grow throughout this story and I loved the way this story wrapped up.
This is a standalone sequel to The Beast and the Bookseller, but we do get a cameo from Elizabeth and Garrett, which I really liked. I love getting a fun little update.

Rich in historical detail, this book really has some depth to it and left me thinking about societal issues in Regency England. James and Lily were born and raised in wildly different countries and cultures, yet both had difficult childhoods. What starts as a marriage of convenience soon blossoms into true affection as these two characters learn to trust each other and reach for their dreams. There is gentle humour and a cast of likeable characters in this endearing, clean romance.

This is such a heartwarming story, James and Lily are such broken people, both having lost their parents in awful tragedies, that they are both afraid to love and be loved. James is an American that has inherited a Dukedom, and has the power and money to turn Lily’s, a poor seamstress, life around . He wants to make her dreams come true, and all he wants is her love. Lily wants only to depend on herself, and is afraid to love. She nearly pushes James away and costs them their future HEA.

American shipping magnate and ship’s captain James Blakefield is the new Duke of Ashbridge. He means to spend only a few weeks in London to secure his estate and find and settle his ward. With that accomplished, he intends to return to Boston. Lily Martin and her sister Violet, who is James’s ward, have lived in poverty for a decade after escaping the Terror in France and facing rejection by their grandfather. James comes to the aid of a feisty young woman, only to learn that she is sister to his ward. He brings both to his home. Violet is safe and happy, Lily takes on the duties of housekeeper, and the three of them enjoy doing things together. For a number of different reasons, James and Lily agree to a mutually beneficial marriage of convenience. It turns out to be quite inconvenient when their feelings get in the way. Lily is crushed when she learns that James plans to return to America, without her and Violet. James is crushed when it doesn’t seem Lily cares if he leaves. Fortunately, friends step in with advice. Will James and Lily find a way out of the mess they’ve made? This is a fast-paced enjoyable story with an interesting combination of characters. I loved the practicality of James and Lily. These are strong characters who have experienced rejection and pain, and survived with determination. The other characters are likable and entertaining. Garret and Elizabeth, and Derby befriend and advise James and Lily. Violet is a delight. She has James wrapped around her little finger as soon as they meet. There is a bit of suspense and danger, and a couple of unsavory characters, but James takes care of it. A good story with a wonderful epilogue where the happy family just sort of sails into their happily ever after.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Wonderful Cinderella-esque romance!

James is a very reluctant duke who is willing to leave his Boston roots to claim the title only to the extent that it can put him in a position to make changes that will benefit his shipping company. As a very distant relative, he has no history with the previous duke's granddaughters, who were disowned when their mother married a man her father couldn't accept. However, since one of those daughters is still underage, James is obligated to find her in order to fulfill his duties as her guardian.

Lily, the eldest of the two sisters, has fiercely protected her younger sister for years, and has done everything she could to keep herself and her sister safe and fed. She has absolutely no interest in anything the new duke could offer them, figuring that the new duke wouldn't be any different than the last one and therefore can't be trusted.

I loved the way the author showed us both in his words and his actions that James is an entirely different kind of duke. His fresh ideas may not be accepted by his aristocratic peers, but he DGAF. His feelings for Lily were born of respect for all she's accomplished, despite the obstacles, and he slowly wins her over to trusting him.

This would be a solid 5 star read for me if it weren't for more than a few too many plot inconsistencies. Trying to keep track of just how many years from point A to point B, or how something that would be nearly impossible to do in less than 24 hours with today's technology was somehow still accomplished literally overnight in the late 1700s/early 1800s. Ignoring those issues, however, I really enjoyed the story and felt all the feelings with Lily and James. There was one particularly triumphant scene that nearly made me stand up and cheer.

Their HEA was beautifully done, a mix of both her dreams and his. I love this author's writing style and look forward to reading more in this delightful series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

This one is not for me. The way he refers to all women as mamas makes me cringe. I can’t get past chapter one.

I'm not sure the last time I read a historical romance and this was an enjoyable one to remind me of the genre.

While the plot was very predictable, it was also very polished and moved quickly. Everything had its place and its moment and things went along without anything really wild happening. This was about as much of a comfort read for a historical romance as you could get. I liked Lily and the Duke of Ashbridge and thought they complimented well. She's a daughter of the disgraced daughter of the former Duke of Ashbridge and raised in France and he is an American (an American!). I liked how they were both working individuals and wanted their own things outside of the "ton." Definitely a more "progressive" historical romance in that regard, but also very relatable. Having not read the first book in the series, I had no problems following along in this and the first book couple makes an appearance. I didn't feel left out in their story having read this one. I am interested in reading their story, but had no problems understanding their connection.

Overall, this is a perfect historical romance if you want to read something easy and feels like a comfort read despite reading it for the first time.

I enjoyed this book. I think everyone loves a rags to riches story. Not gonna lie, I did have to Google a few words because I didn't know what they were. Lily is strong and independent. Not necessarily a damsel in distress but her circumstances have led her to become very resourceful in achieving her dreams. James is a strong, loner with so much to offer anyone willing to give him a chance. As a Captain he's used to being the one in charge and takes orders from no one. They are very similar which leads to some confusion between the pair. This story has character growth, steamy moments, and a little bit of a history lesson. Would read more from this author.

London dressmaker Lily faces ruin when her employer throws her out. Reluctantly, she accepts help from her sister's guardian, American ship captain James, a newly titled duke. Attraction ignites between them, but a secret could imperil their plans.

I loved Lily and James, and the chemistry between them. They're well matched.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Dressmaker Miss Lily Martin knows too well the sordid dealings of London’s corrupt underbelly. She should have known borrowing from one of the city’s most reviled moneylenders was risky. Horribly so. Now the loan has come due—and there’s nothing standing between Miss Lily and her darling sister’s ruin. Ship captain James Blakefield may be the new Duke of Ashbridge, but he’s only in London for six weeks to secure his estate before returning to America, and far from the watchful eye of the ton. But when he discovers Miss Lily’s desperate predicament, James realizes he might have the perfect arrangement. By assuming the legal guardianship of Lily’s sister, he can keep them both safe and ensure someone cares for the estate.
The second book in the series & it’s easily read on its own. A well written, interesting & enjoyable romance. The characters have depth & the pace is good. I really liked both James & Lily & Thoroughly enjoyed their journey to a HEA. I also liked the humour in the book & James' blundering had me chuckling. It was also great to catch up with Garrett & Elizabeth from the previous book
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

It was great to read the 2nd book in the Once Upon a Wallflower series! Poor Lily had been through such difficult life experiences, I was glad to read about her HEA. She had ups and downs throughout the story but she remained strong and was a great heroine! I loved James and his interactions with some of the other characters in the story were so entertaining. They are a great entertaining couple and I hope to see them as secondary characters in the rest of the series. I am looking forward to reading the new books in the series as they are released!

Lily Martin is working as a seamstress, designing and stitching dresses for the ton. She is trying to take care of her younger sister, but in dire straits because the Duke of Ashbridge, their grandfather, refused to take them in. James Blakefield, the new Duke of Ashbridge, a sea captain, is only planning to be in England long enough to set someone in charge of the ducal estates. A chance meeting with Lily fires his interest and he takes guardianship of her young sister. Scandal threatens and James and Lily enter in to a marriage as a business arrangement. Can their hearts be touched? And if so, will they reveal their deepening feelings to each other before it’s too late? Second in a series, but works fine as a standalone. Well developed characters and the plot made sense in the historical period. Enjoyable read! I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley, and this is my honest and voluntary review.