This is an interesting story. James Blakefield is an American who inherits a Dukedom. Lily is a dressmaker who is barely surviving. Their paths cross in a tavern and they become forever linked. Lily is fiery and determined to be independent. The conversations between the two are witty and entertaining. The characters are wonderful and make turning the pages a joy.

(3.5 Stars) Miss Lily Martin has been working as a dressmaker for ten years since escaping from France after the death of her parents. Her mother was the daughter of a Duke and committed the sin of eloping with an artist. Lily was refused by her grandfather when she came to England with her younger sister Violet. American ship captain James Blakefield is the new Duke of Ashbridge. He was a distant relation of the previous Duke. He has come to organize the affairs of the Dukedom and run it much like he does his shipping business. He doesn’t see the need for the rules of the ton other than to make contacts that will be good for business. He also learns that he has a ward Violet.

I wont spoil the meeting of the Lily and James but he has them move into his house under his protection. After seeing how well Lily manages the house he goes a step further and suggests a more permanent arrangement giving her a title and part of the inheritance that should have been hers. In return she is helping him navigate in society.

I enjoyed this quick moving story. It is the second in the Once Upon a Wallflower series but the books are written as stand alone novels. Garrett and Elizabeth, the Duke and Duchuss of Montrose, from The Beast and The Bookseller (June 2023) make appearances. I was happy to catch up with them having read their story and like the friendship between Elizabeth and Lilly. I like in this book James is sometimes blundering. His intentions are always good but he doesn’t always consider the consequences of his actions. Lily has locked her heart because she felt her mother chose love over her children and that is a big obstacle. I liked the time I spent meeting these characters.

Thank yo to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing LLC for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

This is the second book in the series and can be read as a standalone, however the characters from the first book do appear in this one.
Lily Martin has been taking care of her little sister Violet since her parents passed away, while she works as a seamstress in a dress shop. Her dream is to own her own shop and she is a wonderful designer. She borrowed money from a money lender who now wants it paid back. James Blakefield, an American who just happens to be the new Duke of Ashbridge is looking for Violet since she is named his ward. When he happens upon Lily in a tavern, he follows her home to make sure that she is safe. He takes her in to help school Violet and to not separate them. Not knowing all the Ton's rules, there is of course a scandal.
This is a wonderful story of two people that were hurt by parental love and vow to never fall in love.
Lily just wanted to own her own dress shop and James wanted to get back to his shipping business in America. The chemistry between James and Lily is fantastic.
This is a wonderfully entertaining read.

The heroine has been through a lot and is a survivor and protector of her little sister. The one thing that I couldn’t get a handle on was how old she was and how old her sister was. At one point it was mentioned that her sister was five when they were in France and that they had been a decade in London. That would make her sister around 15, which definitely was an age at which she should have been working. But then it said she was skipping along the river sailing a paper boat which is more like a child of 8. The hero was a very caring man, but not used to using his words. I thought their friends were very helpful characters. There is some steamy scenes but only after they were married. I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

James a newly minted Duke, and Lily granddaughter to the old duke meet in a tavern, unaware that James has been looking for Lily's little sister Violet.

This is a slow-burn romance with a side of marriage of convenience and it hit me in all the right spots. James wants to take care of both Lily and Violet and give them whatever they could want or need. As James and Lily grow closer, the chemistry between them grows along with it, and it was very satisfying when they both finally realized their feelings for each other. There are a couple of obstacles in their way, one of which is themselves, but it all gets resolved pretty quickly. I loved getting to see the couple from the first book, and I really enjoyed the way it ended. I can't wait to see what Eva Devon is going to write next.

🩶💜The Duke and the Dressmaker ARC Review 💜🩶

Thank you so much to Eva Devon and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

The Duke and the Dressmaker is a standalone historical romance and book two in the Once Upon a Wallflower series. James is a successful businessman who has traveled the world. He’s determined to be more successful than East India trading and has the plans to get there. When he surprisingly inherits the title of the Duke of Ashbridge, he finally discovers a new adversary….the ward of his estranged very distant relative and Lily, her fiery older sister

This was such a fun read!! I loved Lily and her spicy personality. She was a wonderful strong character and a great compliment to the strong independence of James. They are are wonderful couple together and I really enjoyed watching them evolve from strangers to friends to lovers

Overall this was a solid 4 star read for me! I enjoyed the story and romance between Lily and James! This book was a little bit of a slow burn but it paid off later in the book - so two flames for spice

If you’re a fan of historical romances with friends to lovers vibes, marriage of convenience, strong women and handsome Dukes, then absolutely pick this one up! While this can absolutely be read as a standalone, you’ll catch little Easter eggs if you read book one first!

Please note: review will be posted on Amazon upon publication