This is one of those historical romances to get to when you are in the mood for a low angst, easy read. The Duke’s Secret Cinderella is described as “Cinderella meets Ever After” and that is exactly what the story delivers on! Such a fun story that had me smiling and giggling the whole time.

This story follows Rafe who is in need of a wife. His mother has many suggestions for the qualities of this new wife he must get. Rafe decides to take that list of qualifications and find his own bride, not one his mother has picked out. One of my favorite parts of this was that Charlotte and her step-sisters got along. I thought that was a great change from the Cinderella story.

I’ve read a few Eva Devon books before and this will not be my last. I just love how effortless it is to read and enjoy one of her books. A lot of angst, but such an enjoyable read.

I really liked Charlotte and Rafe when they're together. They do have some delicious banter and it was amusing to see how delighted he was when she stood up to him. Their interest was organic and I appreciated that it wasn't a total insta-love situation.

Plot wise, it was okay. I wasn't a fan of all of the lying, especially when Rafe has already proven that he was a good and caring person. The last few chapters were the best and I really liked the epilogue, even if I would have liked just a bit more.

Overall, this was a quick read and I know I'll keep reading Eva's books.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

Eva Devon's latest historical romance The Duke's Secret Cinderella, is an enchanting read that puts a fresh spin on the classic Cinderella story. Set in 1820s England, the book follows Charlotte, a young woman forced into servitude by her cruel stepfather after the death of her beloved mother. Isabella's only joy comes from caring for her servants and her step-sister. This story loosely follows the Drew Barrymore movie Ever After.

Dressed as a noblewoman, on her way to rescue a servant from prison, Charlotte meets Rafe, Duke of Rockford. Given an ultimate to marry as quickly as possible by his mother or lose the orphanage he so dearly loves to visit, Rafe instantly attracts Charlotte and thinks she could be the one. A sweet romance builds between the handsome duke and the feisty, idealistic Charlotte, but their blossoming romance faces obstacles from all sides. Her stepfather pressures Charlotte to recommend her sister to the duke, or else he will get rid of all of her beloved staff. Rafe is confused by Charlotte's hot and cold attitude. And Charlotte's stepsister tries to pair Charlotte and Rafe together.

Devon excels at creating a swoon-worthy slow-burn love story. The mutual attraction between Charlotte and Rafe simmers from their very first meeting. Their witty banter and steamy stolen moments will delight readers. Beneath the tantalizing romance is a thoughtful exploration of class differences and societal expectations. It was also only a matter of time before someone novelized Ever After, and Eva Devon did a great job!

I think the story was pretty bland to me. I couldn't get pass ch 2 honestly. The writing probably wasn't my taste that made it even more unbearable for me.

I so desperately wanted to love this book. Anything historical fiction with a romance between a Duke and a Cinderella-esque character has me instantly intrigued so I decided to read it however whilst the first 1/3 of the book I found great I found the last 2/3 rather disappointing. The adventures of Charlotte and Rafe were so intriguing and whimsical at the beginning and I was sucked into this retelling of Cinderella with the main character Charlotte having a cruel step-family she is fearful of but then after it’s this onslaught of info dumping. It was still a fun read don’t get me wrong I just felt it could’ve been so much better in the end if there was more of the Cinderella adventure.

Will I reread in the future? Probably only the first third portion as it was really good.

Will I read anything else by the author? I feel like I might.

Thank you Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A decent read! I enjoyed the romance between the main characters and thought the book was well-written.

Cinderella retelling? Yes.

Charlotte feels she has no "significance" and lies to Rafe about her standing, setting off an awesome chase. As is standard with historicals, we have a mother who insists her Dukely son marries as soon as humanly possible. Rafe's motivations were great. I felt for Charlotte and why she felt she needed to lie. i think their chemistry carried the book.

And can we talk about the cover??? Amazing. Gorgeous.

Another hit from Eva Devon! A nearly perfect retelling of Cinderella, it's a wonderful mix of romance, drama and angst.

After Charlotte's mother died, her stepfather decided to keep Charlotte on as a servant in her own house. She loves her stepsister and the other servants, but is constantly abused by her stepfather. On her way to rescue another servant from a debtor's prison, she literally runs into a Duke. Their meeting sparks a mutual interest, but then the Duke shows up at Charlotte's house, hoping to court her stepsister. And so the love story of Charlotte and Rafe begins.

There were a few moments where the story did start to drag a little, but it recovered quickly enough that it never felt like a chore to keep reading. Charlotte does engage in a fair bit of (justifiable) lying, mostly to Rafe, so if that's a problem for anyone, it's best to move on to other books.

A great escape read. Steamy, and on the lighter side.
Many thanks to Entangled Publishing and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a great take on the Cinderella fairytale, that I enjoyed reading! Overall, I would recommend it!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Rafe Andrew William Henley Dorchester, Duke of Rockford, own mother decides that it is high time Rafe was immediately married. Luckily, Rafe’s mother has found the perfect girl for him. While plain regular Charlotte Browne stood in front of a mirror in a dress that didn’t fit. Charlotte must save a servant that she cares about from Marshalsea. Charlotte must convince the knight to release him and carries not only provisions but finally enough money to do so. As Rafe is walking notices a woman fighting for a thug to release her purse. Rafe decides to step into assist. Charlotte is indebted to Rafe, thinking that she will never see him again. Rafe goes to Charlotte’s house to meet his supposed betrothed, her sister. What is Charlotte to do but pretend to be a lady. The longer Charlotte pretends though her feelings for Rafe are not fantasy but real. What Rafe doesn’t know is that Charlotte isn’t a lady but a servant.
What a deliciously wonderful historical romantic Cinderella fairy tale! Sure, the tale is a bit uniquely different with an evil stepfather and an equally horrid stepbrother, yet the story is still there. The characters whether they be major, or minor are perfectly written and fantastically alluring! The book moves at a good pace with enough plot twists with some secrets to keep you interested and flipping pages that it never drags either. Yes, there are some triggers violence and lies that are mentioned that might other some readers though the most prominent would be the abuse of family members it still is a good story that is well worth the read! Charlotte the resilient charismatic beautiful heroine tells it like it is except when it comes to lying. In fact, this is the one that does get pretty annoying, the fact that she lies so much. She had many times to come clean but waited until was almost too late. Rafe was just fabulous! That he makes the perfect fodder for a remarkable book boyfriend even though he forsakes Charlotte, but it is totally forgivable especially since Charlotte doesn’t tell the truth. I can’t wait to read more of Ms. Eva Devon stories and hope that Francesca and George get their story told too! While I wait, I just will reread it again!

This is a great historical romance! I love Charlotte’s personality and determination. If you love historical romance novels with a strong female lead, check this one out!

I voluntarily received an eARC of "The Dukes Secret Cinderella" by Eva Devon via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.5/5 Stars

I wanted to like this more but I don't think Cinderella retellings are my thing.

Charlotte and Rafe are both too perfect despite the lying trope. And it takes most of the book for the lies to be revealed and then it feels like a sprint to the end where there is a sudden twist that was definitely expected.

This is definitely not a bad book... I just found it kind of slow and a bit boring. I found the true star of book is the hero and heroines family as they do a lot of the orchestrating and moving forward of plot points.

Eva Devon has done it again - blending both historical romance and classic retellings seamlessly. If you are a fan of the movie 'Ever After', you will devour this book in one sitting the same way I did.

Our heroine Charlotte is the epitome of a Cinderella character. She is kind and good hearted, even through the trials her stepfather forces upon her. Rafe is kind and dashing, with a strong and lovable grandmother to tie the story together.

While retellings of Cinderella may be easy to find, a good one that keeps you thinking about it long after you've turned the last page is not. I would recommend this book to readers of all kinds, especially if you are beginning your foray into historical romance.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for the advanced review copy.

This is the third installment of the Never a Wallflower series. A unique spin on Cinderella, Charlotte is treated as a servant by her evil stepfather in her mother's house. When she has a chance encounter with Rafe, the Duke of Rockford, sparks fly between the two of them and she lets him believe she is a true lady. Rafe's mother has been after him to find a duchess and has even put together a list of potential brides. One meeting with Charlotte and that list goes out the window and Rafe wants to make Charlotte his duchess. But Charlotte has spun so many lies, will Rafe accept her true self?
This was a very entertaining and enjoyable twist on a classic fairytale with wonderful characters (except for the stepfather) and I enjoyed the witty banter between the two. A delightful addition to the series!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Super cute story! Couldn’t help but be swept away in their story! Getting to know the characters pushed me to keep reading. Look forward to future stories

DNF at 25% - no rating

What a shame this isn't working for me.

I really like Rafe, the Duke of Rockford whose first question to fallen books is whether the spines have been broken 🥺 He cares about every person, no matter their status. He's an empowerer of women, and appreciates a strong independent woman - even though he can't stop himself from trying to protect her. He works hard at trying to make the publics life better. He's an MMC I love to love.

However much I like him, though, I don't feel captivated by the book at all. I struggled from the first chapter, because the writing didn't pull me in immediately. My struggles briefly let up when Charlotte and Rafe first met to then come crashing back down again. I liked how brazen Charlotte was being with Rafe in their first meeting, and how he was letting her and countering in good nature. That scene even had me grin and hope that the book would capture my attention after all. However, both of them going "I am forever thankful" "no I am in your debt" "no I am" like schoolchildren deciding who's the best at being in debt to the other had me rolling my eyes so hard it fully put me off.

There's something about their chemistry that isn't working for me. I'm not getting any romantic vibes, although they do seem to match in some aspects, including the 'little things' like Rafe wished for (which makes me happy for him). Their connection is also immediately magnified (or forced?) by the author, and it felt like there was a bit too much attention on it at times. I think it would've worked better as a simple fascination that would've grown, instead of putting a magnifying glass on it from the beginning.

Also, I don't understand why Charlotte had to lie about her connection to Francesca. It seems like most of her lies are gratuitous.

There was potential but unfortunately it didn't work for me. I DNF'ed because I didn't feel compelled to keep reading.

*ARC provided by Entangled through Netgalley (thank you!), all thoughts and opinions are my own*

I love Cinderella stories, and this was so good. I adored everything about it. The choice to have a wicked stepfather instead of a stepmother was a great addition.The close relationship between the stepsisters was wonderful.
Rafe and Charlotte were so sweet together right from their very memorable first meeting.
I have really enjoyed this series, and Eva Devon is definitely becoming a new favorite.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I am a huge fan of the genera but damn this book could not be a saved.
Sorry but a dnf. And a hard one at that.

The third book in the Never a Wallflower series. Charlotte Browne and Rafe Dorchester, Duke of Rockford's story is a fun Cinderella retelling. The story is well written with a very good storyline that held my interest until the end. I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.