This is a historical romance set in the Regency era. This is the story of Charlotte Browne, a young woman with a troubled past, who meets Rafe Dorchester, the Duke of Rockford. It all begins when Charlotte tells Rafe she is a lady. This lie sets off a chain of events, leading to Charlotte and Rafe's relationship developing unexpectedly. Rafe is searching for a bride and has strict criteria for his future wife, but Charlotte's charm and wit capture his attention. The plot has enough twists and turns that kept me invested in the story. The audiobook was narrated by Sasha Higgins and I enjoyed hearing her and the way she portrayed the characters, I would recommend getting it as well.

I would like to say that this was the first audiobook that I listened too that I hadn't read the book first with. The story was amazing and the characters were very easy to fall in love with! Charlotte was brave, bold, witty, and caring. And Rafe is not your typical Duke of the Relm who believes his power and money are everything.
This story was beautifully read and the narrator keeps you listening for more! 5 Stars 🌟

This is a cute version of Cinderella which reminded me a lot of the plot for the movie Ever After, one of my all time favorite movies, so I loved this!

This story did have one good stepsister, an evil stepbrother, and a morally bankrupt stepfather. As in Ever After, Charlotte encounters Rafe while attempting to free a beloved servant from debtors prison, where he landed due to nefarious stepfather's actions.

Sasha HIggins is a consistently fantastic narrator.

I am always hesitant about a Cinderella retelling as it has been done so many times, but this one managed to surprise me from the jump! I fell in love with Charlotte and Rafe the moment they were introduced and their pairing was absolute perfection. The lies are never something I look forward to in a book, but this one they actually made sense. Also, the background characters were marvelously well rounded and fun. Francesca especially was a joy and I'm glad she got her own love in the story. This is not a by-the-book Cinderella retelling and I hope you pick it up to enjoy!

This was a cute story. It did drag a little bit for me in the middle, but not enough to stop listening. This book was well written, and I liked both Charlotte and Rafe. Their journey together was fun and pretty interesting. I enjoyed the narration. I really liked they twist on the Cinderella story. The ending was a bit different and a little bit surprising. This was my first book but this author. I can't wait to go back and read the other books in this series. Big thanks to Netgalley and the audiobook publisher for allowing me to listen and review this story.

I love retellings and thought this was a great way to put a fresh and spicy twist on this beloved classic. It kind of gave me Ever After vibes, and it was a light read that I was able to finish in a day. A must-read for lovers of rags-to-riches, historical fiction, HEAs, and fairytale retellings!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🌶🌶

Thank you to @turnthepagetours and @entangledpublishing for sending me a copy and for teaming up with me!

Don't get me wrong, I love audio books and different genres - romance, crime and suspense and historical novels. But - it's all about the narrators voice and I couldn't stand it. The first five minutes already gave me goosebumps. Next to this point the storyline is much too predictable for me to really enjoy it. Sadly sad, I gave up after 3h of listening to it.

I found myself smiling frequently while listening to this. The personalities were cute and the couple had a lot of spark. Unfortunately, miscommunication was the center of the plot, even for a Cinderella story. There were also many opportunities for satisfying relationship development that got suddenly interrupted. While I enjoyed the listen, and would recommend it to avid fans of Cinderella retellings, it won't make the top of my list due to my dislike of the miscommunication trope (when used a the sole prop for the plot).

Thank you Eva Devon, NetGalley, and Dreamscape Media for my audio advanced review copy. My opinions are my own.

Nerd Crush is out on February 7th, 2023.

Plot - 3
Writing and Editing - 3
Character Development - 3
Narration - 4
Personal Bias - 3
Final Score - 3.2

This was a historical romance following charlotte (aka Cinderella) and our duke, Raif. Charlotte is living with her stepfather, stepsisters and their servants. Charlotte has been kept away from society her whole life and connects more with the servants than anyone else. She sees injustices that go on within society, and longs to correct them. She's not a "lady" in society but she has a heart of gold. Raif is also an unlikely duke, in that, he also aims to correct some injustices and wrongdoings, rather than just sit in peace in his title.

This is their love story (a Cinderella reimagining). It was just such an absolute joy to listen to. I loved their connection and the depth of character for both of them. The story was well paced and the epilogue was beautiful. I'd highly recommend!

Thank you #netgalley for providing me with an arc of #TheDukesSecretCinderella

Definitely one of my favorite Cinderella retellings. It was entertaining as the author made a few adjustments to the fairytale retelling. In this story, there was a wicked stepfather as opposed to stepmother. Regardless of the variations, this story was such a delightful audiobook. The narrator, Sasha Higgins, absolutely captured the vibe of the story. She’s a new to me narrator but she did an awesome job bringing the characters to life.

The protagonist, Charlotte Browne, was living as a servant to her stepsister (and best friend) Francesca but she wasn’t bitter. She was kind, thoughtful and resourceful. On her crusade to save a servant in their household, she meets Rafe Dorchester, Duke of Rockford who believes he has meet an intriguing prospect. The Duke is being harassed by his mother to marry and went as far as making a list of ladies whom she believed to be suitable to the role of duchess. When Charlotte met Rafe, she didn’t bat her eyelashes and swoon, she spoke to him frankly and plainly making him feel like he could have an equal partner. However, Charlotte didn’t give him her true identity and that led them on a path that made Rafe’s attempt at courtship very twisty.
Eva Devon is an author that I haven’t read before, but I really enjoyed her storytelling. It was fast paced, intriguing and heartwarming. The characters made you root for them, or at least understand what their underlying motives were. The chemistry and intensity between Charlotte and Rafe was palpable. I felt so much angst that I could not stop reading. I loved the energy and confidence that Rafe brought to things that he did. Charlotte had such a resilient spirit that I wanted her to finally have love and family. Rafe’s mother and grandmother were a surprise as I didn’t expect to like them. Most of the characters wanted just a bit more than the ton would allow, so I am glad they were able to work it out and keep their respectability.

I enjoyed this story so much that I plan to read the reminder of the series as soon as possible. It may have been my first book by Eva Devon, but it will not be my last.

**Special thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for this audiobook that I received for free in exchange for an honest review.

I desperately wanted to love this. The cover is gorgeous, and I was in such a mood for historical romance. This started off absolutely delightful, but my enjoyment began to slowly plummet the longer Charlotte lied and deceived Rafe. One of my least favorite things is deception without good reason in my romances, and this has that for the majority of the book. But my dislike of what was happening really culminated with the first sex scene. It felt cruel how she slept with Rafe while letting him think they would be getting married, all the while knowing that she wasn't planning to. Rafe was such a sweet, adoring hero and it made the deceit all the more appalling to me. All this to say, regardless of her reasons for lying, the deception went on for far too long. But the deception goes on for much too long. Once these two fall in love, shouldn't Charlotte be able to trust in his good nature to at least hear her out before they break up?

The ending was satisfying, and I loved how the book wrapped up, even if Rafe was a little too easily won back. And the audio narration was great!

Overall, this is a well written historical romance that just wasn't for me. I will, however, be picking up this author's other works.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the audio-arc of this book!

When Charlotte hits an approaching man with the brick in her purse, she couldn’t have guessed that he was a Duke - nor that he would become completely enamoured with her bold disposition and willingness to speak her mind. But when she ends up in a web of lies that hides her lack of title, her stepfather holds the power to rid her life of joy entirely.

This was a fun, fast listen. I’m a big fan of the women in this story - they all have a bit of bite to them that keeps them from falling flat. High society can be dreadfully boring, so Rafe’s grandmother reading scandalous novels to get her rocks off, and Charlotte’s unwillingness to stand down make for a much more enjoyable story.

The step-father and step-brother were truly awful(which was the point), though this Cinderella was blessed with a kinder stepsister!

This was a perfect read to enjoy while crafting, and makes me want to listen to more historical fiction!

I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did. Eva Devon did a great job at hitting all of the key points expected in a Cinderella retelling while still remaining a unique story. The chemistry between the main characters was palpable, and I ended up loving the side characters almost as much as I loved the main characters. I'm hoping we'll get another book to see what happens to Matt, he was one of my favorite characters!

What?? I loved this one! I’m a huge fan of Drew Barrymore‘s Ever After, and so I thoroughly enjoyed this Cinderella retelling. Extremely likable characters (and a mediocre villain - I think I would have preferred a female version) , a good amount of angst, and an outstanding narrator - her character voices were top notch! The conflict was a bit forced and the resolution a little too incredible, but I’m not nitpicky when it comes to my light historical romances. The miscommunication trope bugs me a bit.. and yet .. it was to be expected. Thanks again, NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for the audiobook ARC! It was a pleasure listening to The Duke’s Secret Cinderella!

3.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for an advance copy in exchange for a review!

This book was enjoyable. It was a regency romance retelling of Cinderella. The retelling was so subtle, I wish it had been a bit more obvious.

Charlotte and Rafe were insta love. But Charlotte’s step father had other plans. Charlotte has a step father instead of a step mother and one step sister instead of two. Her step sister is her friend too, not an evil step sister.

She lies to Rafe that she is a lady and it unravels before her as Rafe wants to marry her and she must try to sway his fancies to her step sister per her step father’s wishes.

This has one of the most basic first chapter in historical romance. The main characters are so one-dimensional and without personality that the only thing that made me finish the audiobook is the narrator's enthusiasm and skills. I personally didn't feel invested in the actual story itself.

A melodramatic retelling of the Cinderella story. This time there is an evil Stepfather, awful stepbrother, and nice stepsister. Charlotte has worked as a maid in her family home as long as she can remember. Her mother died when she was young, her father when she was an infant. One day she goes to debtors prison with a few coins to buy a fellow servant's way out. Rafe comes across her as she's being robbed. Rafe's mother has told him he needs to marry immediately or his foundling hospital will be taken from him. (He has an orphanage full of happy, laughing children.) She wants him to marry the stepsister. Got that? When he goes to their home to meet his prospective bride, Charlotte answers the door. When he recognizes her, she introduces herself as Lady Charlotte, a cousin of the family instead of a stepsister. I'm still not sure why this was necessary. Flowery bad dialogue is spoken in a babyish voice by the narrator. The women in the story all have high-pitched girly voices I found annoying. After one graphic sex scene at about 95%, there is a fairy tale ending.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

After a chance meeting with the Duke of Rockford, Charlotte Browne is shocked to find he is seeking her out, and wants to spend more time with her. Living as a servant in her stepfather's home, she is not the right type of person for a duke, unlike her stepsister Francesca. Even so, Rafe wants to know more about Charlotte, though he thinks she is Francesca's cousin, and a Lady in her own right too. Charlotte's stepfather will do whatever it takes to keep the pair apart, but Rafe is determined that he loves Charlotte, and will fight for her, no matter what.

I obviously knew this would be a Cinderella retelling, but I wasn't expecting it to be so engrossing. Charlotte's stepfather has treated her as little more than a slave since she was young and her mother died. She is Francesca's ladies maid, as well as a general servant, and he has ruined her family home. While trying to free her fellow servant and father figure from prison - in which her stepfather had placed him - Charlotte finds Rafe, and the pair connect over their mutual search for good. Rafe is shocked to find Charlotte in the home of the one lady his mother thinks he should marry, but it's perfect. I did think that some of the twists and turns were a little too outlandish, but the romance was great, and I loved the ending. Another great addition to the Never a Wallflower series!

This was a great riff on the Cinderella story. I loved our heroine and hero, and really disliked the villain. It also has some great supporting characters that I just adored. This is a sweet and sexy tale that is all around adorable and enjoyable.

As for the audio narrator, I thought she did a good job...for the most part. I wanted the hero's voice to be deeper or more serious. This may just be a me thing and preference on my part.

Sent by his mother, Rafe approaches a potential bride only to fall for her half-sister Charlotte. Little does he know that Charlotte is treated as little more than a servant in her own home by her greedy, conniving stepfather. What happens when the truth comes to light?

This is an emotional fairytale retelling with well-drawn characters and lots of twists. I enjoyed the audiobook narration as well.

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