In this book Charlotte is caught off guard and tells the MMC that she is a lady. He falls for her and it causes a bunch of problems. This is a spin on Cinderella.. It has a tiny bit of spice. I enjoyed this read. It had some unique and unexpected parts. I do recommend.

It's been a long time since I have read a book of this nature. While most of them make for a reasonably good read, it's a little too far from reality for me.

The Duke's Secret Cinderella, however, is another matter. While it holds to the bones of the genre and the story of Cinderella, it is deeper than most adaptations. The lead female character, Charlotte, is independent, smart, driven, and far from passive. She is also slightly jaded (which makes sense, given what she has experienced.)

The prince, Rafe, is a Duke and one of the sought-after bachelors in the country. Unlike others in social strata, he is aware of the privilege that his title and status provide. He is also not interested in marrying just anyone for the sake of producing an heir. Rafe wants to marry for love.

Their meet-cute sets up the rest of the story. Rafe believes that Charlotte is a member of the nobility. She is unable to tell him that she is in fact, a servant in her stepfather's house. When they meet again a week later, the ruse deepens. So does their attraction. Charlotte knows that the truth will come out eventually, but at what cost?

I loved this book. From the time I hit play, I could not stop listening. Rafe and Charlotte's chemistry is electric from the word go. I loved that she is not just accepting her lot and letting her stepfather walk all over her. I also appreciated Rafe is not the boilerplate romantic hero. He is flesh and blood and thoroughly human.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Fairly typical and what one expects with the name Cinderella in the title with a few different twists. Charlotte is servant of all traits, her stepsister lady’s maid, helps with household chores even though the house was her deceased mother’s. She was orphan at five and sent down to live with the servants. Too young to understand and then grateful to be not send to an orphanage. Now a grown woman she has accepted her fate, Her stepfather is in complete control and is a bully who punishes one for any reason he sees fit, even his own children. With the help of her stepsister she is risking severe punishment if caught, but has to rescue a fellow servant who has been like a father to her from prison. On the way she is accosted by a thief trying to steal her means of helping her friend get out of jail.
The Duke of Rockford, Rafe is wandering where a Duke has no business being, but when he sees a Lady being attacked he races to help her. But the lady has beaten the man and when he sees Rafe he makes his escape, unknowingly Charlotte thinking she is being attacked again, hits the Duke with the same brick hidden in her reticule. Realizing her mistake and then noticing her coins is missing, she breaks down. Only Rafe decides to be a knight in shining armor and talks Charlotte into letting him help her.
Of course their paths will cross again and since the Duke saw her dressed as a Lady the first they crossed paths, she begins her deception starting with calling herself Lady Charlotte and lying about her past. Mostly due to fear but also she likes the man and wants to see him again. Rafe is thrilled to accidentally run into the beauty who didn’t treat him like he is on a pedestal.
I listened to the audiobook and the narration was excellent. The story is fairly fast paced, but predictable. High steamy level, one can fast forward if not what you are into. I give it 3.5 stars, entertaining but one knows where the story is going. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #TheDukesSecretCinderella

4.5
This was a delightful read with charming characters and interesting plot that kept my interest throughout.

I loved the hero Rafe, his desire to do good and find love in small moments was so sweet. I really felt for Charlotte and how afraid she was in wanting to protect her loved ones from her evil stepfather, I wanted to hug and protect her.

I liked the take on Cinderella trope, the plot was a bit convoluted and all the lying sometimes felt a bit much but given Charlotte's background, it was understandable. Usually lying bothers me in romances but it felt earned here and the book overall had a lighter tone and the earnestly sweet characters made up for it.

I also enjoyed the side characters especially Charlotte's relationship with her sister and Rafe's mother and grandmother. There were plenty of funny scenes that genuinely made me chuckle.

All in all it was a charming delightful read and had a romcom feel to it despite some angst and darker character backstory . I am interested in checking out other books by this author.

I received an audio review copy from Netgalley and all opinions are my own.

I have to admit, while I'm generally a fan of fairy tale re-tellings, but this one didn't do it for me.

The story
Here we have Charlotte, and she is something of a Cinderella. Her mom died and everything went to her stepfather. She is now the maid. One day she goes to the rescue of a friend and meets the duke and it's love at first side. For Rafe, anyway. Rafe is the duke, of course. But he is a different kind of duke. He has good friends, he is not a rake, and he wants to do good for poor people. He believes Charlotte is the one for him.

If you like insta love, cinderella retellings, a resilient heroine and a hero who is a softie with some sexy scenes, you might like this one.

The premise was so good, just not for me. That is what this book taught me, Eva Devon is not for me. I just don't connect with her writing

The audio
The narrator didn't do it for me. Her narration reminded me of a child reading, a child's voice and it kept me out of the story the entire time. Otherwise, the pace and the interpretations were good, I could keep up easily. I like to listen in 2x ou more and, in this case, the NetGalley app failed a little bit because the options were 2x or 2.5x, one too slow and one too fast.

Once I started the audiobook I couldn’t stop. I love a good tragic backstory and someone helping them become stronger from it. We have a duke who is supposed to seek out a woman but find himself falling for the step sister who he thinks is a maid who actually has her own secret identity. This feels like a classic historical romance story. We have a meet cute, good steam, and swoon romance between the hero and heroine. There was a great balance of romance, family, and our heroine holding her ground. I loved it and really enjoy Devon romances.

This author's books are hit or miss for me. This one's a miss. Just boring. A Cinderella re-telling with nothing inventive. The heroine lies for much of the story, and while her initial motivation is understandable, she continues to lie through much of the story, which was just off-putting. The narrator was new to me. While I didn't love her voice, her performance had inflection, which was nice. I'd definitely give the narrator another try in the future.

Book 3 in the Never a Wallflower series. Complete stand alone- prior characters do not even appear

Charlotte is a maid in her mother's former home. Both of her parents have died and she lives with her stepfather and his children. He inherited Charlotte's mother's wealth and has been "kind" to Charlotte by allowing her to live in the home as a maid, as opposed to sending her to an orphanage. (Her father died when she was an infant and her mother when she was five.) Rafe, Duke of Rockford, comes to visit Charlotte's stepsister as a potential match. Then he sees Charlotte- someone he had just met on the street. He quickly determines it is Charlotte he wants, not her sister. But he doesn't know she is a mere maid.

The title pretty much gives this away as a Cinderella retelling. While Regency Romance is not a category I devour, I have read plenty. And there are some historical inaccuracies in this one (dance cards, or the lack of them, for one. Rafe calling on a girl he's never met, much less been introduced to. And so on.) Between the inaccuracies, some repetitiveness and a few instances where the plot seemed a bit ridiculous, this was alright. Not amazing, not terrible.

Sasha Higgins narrates the audiobook. I never can figure out if I like her narrations or not. There is a lot of inflection in her voice, so that is good.

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun and interesting twist on the Cinderella fairy tale. I loved the twists and turns this story took. Charlotte is such a strong, smart characters. This is a story where the hero falls hard and fast and fights to get the woman he loves – which was so much fun to read and see what Rafe did to get to his end. Both characters captured my attention from the start and held it to the very end. I wish though that certain situations had been expanded upon or used differently, but overall, I truly enjoyed this story and the romance. It’s an enjoyable ride from beginning to end.

I listened to this book on audio and enjoyed it. The narrator did a good job and was easily understood regardless of the speed at which I listened.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Charlotte is an orphaned woman living in London under the thumb of her horrible stepfather. When her stepfather leaves one of her beloved servants in a debtors prison she decides to wear one of her step sisters gown and get him out. On her way to help the servant she crosses paths with Rafe, Duke of rockford. Rafe who is progressive and under orders from his mother to meet and find a bride finds himself immediately drawn to Charlotte and decides to help her. When he later goes to meet the one woman on his mothers suitable brides list he finds himself running into charlotte, who out of fear pretends to be a lady and her step-sisters cousin.

This was a really sweet romance. Charlotte is show to be very kind and considerate and clearly loves the people in her life dearly. I loved the fact that in this retelling of Cinderella the step-sister isn’t mean or ugly but is another sweet young woman who is in a truly awful situation. I like Rafe, he is very dedicated to his values and his family which I find very endearing. I loved Rafe’s mother and grandmother, both women were fun, especially his mother with her one name long list of acceptable ladies. This was a fairly light and breezy read if nothing particular new of special.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Duke's secret Cinderella is Cinderella telling which ofcourse is made clear by the title.
It is however not an evil stepmother but an evil stepfather and instead of evil stepsisters she has a wonderful stepsister.

When she is on her way to get a servant of her stepfather out of prison she literally bumps into our Duke and things quickly go different then planned.

This is the third book in the Never a Wall flower series but can also be read as a stand alone. The plot is a familiar one but there are enough changes to keep it an interesting read.

The narrator fit the story very well and did a great job an bringing the characters to live.

Thanks to Netgalley for this advanced reader copy audio version of The Duke's secret Cinderella by Eva Devon.

Nice twist on another Cinderella story! This regency romance has all the things you expect from a historical novel, dancing, Vauxhall, tea, Dukes, the serving class and breaking propriety in the best ways!

Pleased with the story and the adventure to be had in England with Rafe and Charlotte.

While I adored Devon's storytelling in The Duke's Secret Cinderella, Sasha Higgins' narration was deplorable. She gives big Justine Eyre vibes on this performance, so if you like JE, you won't mind the way SH makes every woman sound like a little girl, and every man sound like a stuffed-shirt fuddy-duddy. Her timbre was reedy and at times tremulous, and the breathy quality to her delivery slowed her pace even at a 1.5x listening speed. She also has a tendency to modulate the ends of phrases in a rapid up-down tone that's hard to describe but is incredibly annoying.

My review for the eBook version of the title:

The Duke's Secret Cinderella is a refreshing retelling of the classic Cinderella tale, in which Charlotte Browne--a maid in her step-father's home--is mistaken for a lady by a dashing duke. She maintains the ruse because she simply can't resist Rafe Dorchester, Duke of Rockford, despite the fact he's meant to be courting her "cousin" (who is in fact her not-at-all-ugly stepsister). Shenanigans, stolen kisses, naked outdoor recreation, and some lovely twists ensue -- all leading to a satisfying conclusion.

While there's no shortage of fairytale retellings in historical romance, Devon isn't afraid to deviate from expected tropes in order to bolster a truly original story. While I felt the deception of Charlotte's identity went on just a smidge too long, the revelation of her true parentage was worth the wait.

While I gave the eBook 4 stars, I can't possibly give the audiobook more than 2.5, rounded up to 3 just because Devon doesn't deserve a tanked rating because of her narrator's bad decisions.

I really enjoyed this audio book. I wish the voices had been both male and female for the dual pov, and the voice actress was a little robotic. But the narration was clear and entertaining. The book was very cute, I loved the play on a Cinderella retelling. It was written in a way that was not super predictable. I loved the slow burn as well. Solid historical romance!

This retelling of Cinderella was ok. I would have liked more connection between the characters. I felt they had chemistry but it was weighed down with all of the lies through out the story. By the end I couldn't see how they could ever work out as a couple.

Charlotte Brown has made mistake after mistake in a short period of time. She’s told the Duke of Rockford that she’s a titled lady and now finds herself backed into a corner of her own making. The duke’s handsome mien and genuine kindness caused Charlotte to completely use her head for a second and now she’s in too deep to admit that she’s a nobody living on the charity of her horrible stepfather.

Rafe Dorchester, the Duke of Rockford, has avoided marriage for long enough and now intends to abide by his mother’s latest ultimatum and find a wife. But when he goes to call on the lady his mother believes will make a good wife for him, Rafe is instead attracted to her cousin, Lady Charlotte and can’t help but direct his attentions her way in the hopes of finding a great love like the one his parents and grandparents shared.

I tend to be a sucker for a good Cinderella story, and I quite enjoyed this one. In fact, this is probably my favorite of this author’s works that I’ve read thus far. There were definitely still issues with the heroine for me as some of her actions just didn’t make much sense and virtually all of her problems would’ve been solved quite quickly had she but confided in the duke, but that would’ve made for quite the curtailed story. If you can buy into the whimsy of this book and suspend a bit of that disbelief, it becomes a fun and fast-paced romp. There’s a villain who is easy to root against and a hero one can’t help but fall for, or at least I couldn’t, given his sincerity and genuine desire to find a lasting love like the one his parents had shared. All in all, though Charlotte could be a bit silly, her and Rafe’s story was quite entertaining and I even enjoyed the narration, despite the fact that this is typically not my favorite narrator. If you’re looking for a quick read that manages to be light-hearted while also providing a truly evil villain, look no further than this story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and its audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was so good! I loved every second of it. If you have ever seen Ever After, I felt this was more of a retelling of that movie but with an amazing twist at the end.
Rafe’s mother is forcing him to marry but he really wants to fall in love which isn’t common among the Ton especially not for a Duke.
When Rafe runs into Charlotte who is pretending to be a lady in order to save a servant he falls head over heels for her. And unfortunately for Charlotte her web of lies starts to get sticky.
This was so fun and exciting, I couldn’t put it down!
The narrator was wonderful!

There is no denying that the story of Cinderella has been passed down through generations, and for good reason. The story is timeless, and it tells the classic tale of a girl who has to work hard for what she dreams of and of overcoming obstacles to achieve her goals.

This Cinderella retelling about is about Charlotte Browne, who is a maid in her deceased mother's house. Who meets the Duke of Rockford. It pretty much follows the usual cinderella tale however there is quite a large plot twist which is a very exciting turn of events and I wasn't expecting it at all. I was caught off caught and it spiked my attention.

The story is very instant-love and reminds me a lot of the typical weekend readable romance novels by Mill and boons I think anyone after a fairly quick day or two stories that's very cutesy and romantic love will adore this book. In this version of the classic story, the author does a fantastic job of keeping to the original plot while adding new elements that make the story fresh and interesting. Such as the other romance in the story of the step-sister, Francesca's romance. The author, Ava Devon, uses themes of coming of age, the cruelty of fate, the importance of family and friendship, and the importance of being true to yourself throughout the story.

Parts of the story had me genuinely laughing, such as when Charlotte meets the duke for the first time. I won't spoil it but it's QUITE the encounter and I laughed about how unexpected it was.

Even though this is a very instant-love romance story, the characters are rather one-dimensional. The good people are good, the bad people are bad, and they seem to lack any depth beyond that. However, I found that the minor characters in the story were quite humorous and entertaining, especially Francesca. It has to be said that she is probably my favourite character in the story because I enjoyed the way she developed throughout the story.

This book reads very fast pasted, I had the audiobook and listen at 2x speed and had it done in an afternoon. I think anyone who likes a fast romance novel with a bit of twist will enjoy it and could comfortably listen to this in a few afternoons, even at standard 1x speed the audiobook is just under 8 and a half hours. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves quick-light romances.

4/5 Stars from me.

***A big thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape media for my advanced audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.***

Fairy tale retellings are always a tricky trope for me to read, but I loved Eva Devon's twist on this well known story. The elements that she chose to reinvent resonated with me. I loved Charlotte's determination to protect those she cared about even if it meant losing a love that she had longed for since the death of her parents.

I loved the dowager duchess and her role in spear heading her son into marriage with a 'list' that only had one name, to supporting him when the woman he chose was not the one on her list. It was refreshing to have the FMC be the reluctant one in the relationship (for her own reasons - although she cared for him deeply) and to have the MMC and his family be the characters that were trying to bring about the match. I also loved Rafe's grandmother's character, and how she plays a major role in a revelation near the end of the novel. The characters in The Duke's Secret Cinderella had me championing them as I read/listened to the audiobook. Particularly I loved the dichotomy of how Charlotte and Francesca where able to be versions of their true selves when not under the thumb of their stepfather/father. They were characters I would love to befriend in real life.

I found myself more drawn into the narration of The Duke's Secret Cinderalla, after having heard Sasha Higgins narration of a previous audiobook that I had found I did not connect very well with, I was pleased to have enjoyed her narration more in this novel. I did still find her narration of the male POV to take me slightly out of the story, but not so much as to make me wish to no longer listen to the audiobook. There were also a few times where I felt her narration provided a slight over the top aspect to the novel which added what felt like slightly unnecessary drama.

All-in-all I truly enjoyed The Duke's Secret Cinderella. Eva Devon's writing has a way of drawing me in and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

Eva Devon is a new favorite author of mine when it comes to historical romance.

The Duke's Secret Cinderella, despite its somewhat clunky title, was a really fun regency read. Perfect for fans of Ever After, this Cinderella retelling hits all the right notes. Sometimes retellings come off as tired and lacking creativity, but Devon gives the fairy tale new life with our outspoken and feisty Cinderella....err, Charlotte. When Charlotte first meets the duke, she ends up hitting him with a brick. She assumes they'll never meet again after their one random encounter, but when he shows up on her doorstep later that afternoon to call on her step-sister she panics and introduces herself as a lady, when she's been little better than a servant in her own home for most of her life. Her step=father, a controlling and dangerous man, uses threats and violence to keep her under his thumb. But by pretending to be Lady Charlotte, Charlotte finds her voice and the confidence to break free from her guardian.

Of course there is the drama that comes when it's revealed how thoroughly she's lied to the duke, but ultimately love prevails, and she and her duke live happily ever after.

The narrator, Sasha Higgins, delivered a great performance, and it was an enjoyable book to listen to as she brought both Charlotte and Rafe (the duke) to life.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my ALC in exchange for my honest review.