When Lady Isabelle finds herself stranded at a posting house while traveling to Cressmouth for the holiday season. And they only stopped because her companion was I'll with the flu. Now snowed in and alone what's a lady to do? She finds the only chair available at supper is with a nice but shy gentleman Mr. Calvin MCCallaster. These two are unique and delightful in their awkward situation. This series is The 12 Dukes of Christmas and I have to admire this authors sense of humor. Wait till you meet this "Duke". A witty and fun story web by a wonderful creative author.

Actual Rating 3.5 stars
All the books in the 12 dukes series can be read as standalone and in no particular order. I like this series as it is heartwarming, with unique characters in a fairytale setting.

What I loved about this was our hero was not of the upper classes. The son of a seamstress he has developed a ready to wear wardrobe for everyman. He is humble, shy and endearing.

I wasn't too fond of Isabella. she comes across as immature and impulsive, but I loved how accepting and encouraging she was of Calvin's plans. I loved how she wanted to be more than her family expected. an artist in her own right.

The ending happened too quickly, in my opinion, and everything was wrapped so neatly. I felt like there should have been more. The romance was so sweet I thought it deserved more and for that, I rated it lower than I would have if the ending was better.

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

So the historian in me wants to nitpick that Hallmarkian Christmas villages weren't really a thing in Regency England, but with all historical romances, the authors take some liberties, right?

The meet-cute premise was more original with this one--the heroine's maid gets sick, and they are snowed in at an inn, where she is alone to try to bathe, dress, and do her hair for the first time. Without a chaperone, she lies to protect her (and her family's) reputation, but she hasn't planned to meet a tailor-turned-future-fashion-mogul...

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.

Excellent romantic story of a young lady coming into her own. After years of oppression to live up to her family name, reputation was everything. Her mother convinced her love was not for her but her duty was to marry well and make political connections. With her maid ill and stuck at an inn Belle met Calvin. He was a talented tailor. He could design everything from a woman's wardrobe to a man's three-piece suit with all the trimmings. Currently his eyes were on the common man’s market. Those who wanted to look like a duke but could not afford to. He would make it possible. During the last fortnight both of them were stuck at the inn due to a snow storm. The most important thing was that Belle was with someone who appreciated her for herself. Calvin and Belle worked together as he designed the clothes and she painted the sketches. A perfect pair. But when the snow cleared reality burst their bubble. Calvin wanted forever but Belle still felt stuck with her mother's voice in her ear telling her to be a dutiful daughter and biddable. Little did they know that was not the last time they would meet. What happens when her brother the Duke finds out about them? He is the investor Calvin and his partner Jonathan wanted to impress. Calvin was afraid things would go down the drain if the Duke knew about, he and his sister. An excellent romance. The characters were different from each other and realistic. I loved the buildup of their romance from strangers to friendship to more. This is a wonderful read and I do recommend it.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I love Erica Ridley! This book started off a little slowly for me, but it picked up around the 20% mark. I enjoyed the premise of a duke's daughter snowbound at an inn without the services of her lady's maid, unable to do the simplest things like dress or style her hair on her own. And pairing her up with a tradesman trying to start a ready-to-wear men's clothing business was genius. Ridley is brilliant at using details to bring the story to life. A light, fun read that I'm happy to recommend.

I usually read five books a week, mostly historical romance, so there isn't much that could surprise me. This book did. Is amazing, so sweet and romantic. I couldn't put it down. The heroine is the sister of a Duke raised to be a lady 24/7. The hero is creating a line of already made men clothes for selling to people that are not from the ton but they need to dress as if they were, but cheaper. They find themselves trapped in an inn and everything is possible.
For all the romantic souls out there. Don't miss this one.
I received an ARC of this book and all the opinions are my own.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review! What a fun book this was! Loved the story between Belle and Calvin. It was fun to read about all the fashion, especially from a mans perspective. The characters were well written, and just pulled you in where you couldn’t help but root for them. The setting was fabulous, and definitely original. I don’t think I’ve read a story about the main characters being snowed in at an inn. The ending was a bit too rushed for me though. I didn’t find it very believable the Duke would so easily give his blessing to the marriage. Still an enjoyable read!

A superbly written story. Belle and Calvin are two easy to like characters. Calvin is an "ordinary" man who is a genius with material and wants to dress the common class in affordable fashion. Belle is the daughter of a Duke who wants nothing more but to become her own person. When they become trapped in a snowstorm together, love blossoms between them. When Bell's charade comes to light, Calvin sees all chance of his future dashed. Can Belle repair the damage? Can Calvin have both Belle and his future? A sizzling romance with a touch of deception. Highly recommended.

Dawn with a Duke by Erica Ridley is book 9 of the 12 Dukes of Christmas Series. A regency romance set at Christmastime is always a fun read. A man and woman meet at an inn during a blizzard and their interaction is filled with warmth and charm. The characters are relatable and well developed. The storyline is engaging.
This the second book I have read in this series, I will read the others, but they can be read as standalone novels. You will want to read them all if the first two are any indication of how sweet this series is.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

Loved reading the fabulous and fantastic ninth book in the 12 Duke of Christmas series. While posing as a widow, and Belle's maid falling ill, Belle gets the help of a handsome man, Calvin, to help her with her button at the back of her dress, and she helps him with his watercolors. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written with captivating characters, and a must read love story of a tradesman and a lady of the ton.
I reviewed a copy of the book from NetGalley.

Another hit by Erica Ridley! I love this whole series, but this book was stellar. I am a sucker for fabrics and sewing and historic clothing, and Ms. Ridley indulged that passion of mine with a handsome tailor with a passion of his own. Belle is dedicated to her watercolors too, so there is that aspect for readers who like to think about light and color. I loved the idea of creating a series of paintings showing the tailor at work... That would make a perfect connection with catalog readers. The steamy scenes were well built up to and felt natural. The premise of the book, how Belle got into her situation, was cute and believable without going overboard. I highly recommend this book for an enjoyable, diverting read. I can't wait to read the next one!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Erica Ridley never disappoints and this book is no exception.
Lots of romance with a little bit of erotica.

Such a delightful book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading the story of Belle and Calvin and their path to HEA. It had the "forced proximity" trope (one I love), but more than that the author was able to skillfully bring these two characters to life so sweetly despite this being a shorter book. I truly rooted for them every step of the way. \\
P.S. How refreshing not to have the male lead be a Lord!

*Thanks NetGalley for the ARC*

Finally, after over 6 months we have a new Duke in town of the 12 Dukes of Christmas. We are up to number nine now. After the Le Duc family (book 6/7/8) we are now back to the sister of the Duke of Nottingvale, Lady Isabelle. Belle gets stuck in an inn on her way to Cressmouth, when her chaperonne falls ill. In order to keep up her reputation, she should stay in her room. But when she gets stuck in her dress, she has no option than to ask her grumpy neighbor in the inn, Calvin McAlistair for help. Calvin doesn't have time to help damsels in distress. He has his work to finish, before he can show his designed clothing to his potential investor.
Since Belle introduced herself under a false name and under the pretense of being widowed, she and Calvin are able to spend some time together. Belle is fascinated by the grumpy man who can design wonderful and affordable clothing for the regular man. She wants to help him finish his designs, while waiting for her chaperonne to recover. And since nobody will know, what harm can there be in sharing the room with Calvin? Or some kisses? Or something more...?
Belle and Calvin grow on you. You sigh and swoon and can't wait for a happy ending. But can there be a happy ending for the Lady and the tailor? Five out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc. Only three more Dukes to go...

Dawn with a Duke is romantic, sweet, and filled with humor. I love Ridley's historical romances, partly because the heroines are deliciously anachronistic!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.
This author was new to me and so no way to compare with other books in this series. This short regency romance was pleasant with a wintry atmosphere and a relationship developing between two creative but awkward characters who do not feel awkward together.
The ending was a bit abrupt and unrealistic with all potential problems resolved too fast and too easily. Otherwise enjoyable. That is, except for the town being called Houville. I could not stop myself from thinking of “all the Whos down in Whoville.” Apologies from me to Dr. Seuss.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley, opinions are my own. I had never read anything by Erica Ridley before but I have seen her on social media and she seemed quite delightful so I decided to give it a go. This is a rather short novel, bordering on novella and it's quite different from most historical romances but I liked it a lot. There was no great villain in sight or some complicated events (there was, however, hidden identity on her part) just two people gently falling for each other while confined together in a snow storm. I adored the gentleness, the sweetness and the refreshing lack of insta-lust. It actually makes sense when they get to kiss and even when more intimate occurrences happen (which is only once in this book - sigh) it's rather natural. Beware of the title which is slightly deceiving <spoiler>.the only Duke there is a reckoning with is Belle's brother who, in my opinion, gets around much to quickly to giving his blessing to the odd couple - she is a lady and he is a tailor, not exactly to the likings of the ton</spoiler> For what it set out to be - a light, fluffy, feel-good winter story it hit the mark so it's 5 stars from me.

This was sweet, but kinda slow and not incredibly engaging. I can’t say there was any thing specifically wrong, just was simple and didn’t hold my attention well.

Overall: 4.8/5
This is my first Erica Ridley book and I look forward to reading more of her work. I went into this one without reading the previous eight books in the series, and I didn't feel like I needed to. We'll see.

Cover: 4/5
Gotta love a cover that just is related to the story that follows it. There was room for more detail (a tray with a tea cup, or a mannequin, for example) but it's gorgeous nonetheless and a job well done.

Writing/Delivery: 10/10
This was a nicely paced book for events that take place over the course of two weeks, around our two snowed-in protagonists. Not a lot of world description was needed here, as most of the action happens in one room. The main characters got almost a 100% of "airtime" and they were very well developed, in my humble opinion. At the beginning, they both seemed like odd birds to me, but the way they were brought together by... destiny, if you will, instantly sparked my curiosity. Then, as the author wove in their back story, they became easier to understand and more interesting.

Editorial: 10/10
Perfect. And this was just the ARC. Nuff said.

Quotes:
"The appearance of wealth held almost as much power."

"He's as uncommon as a shooting star among glow-worms. I'll never find someone else that shines as bright."

"Don't wait for a hero... be one."

"How can you know you've caused irreparable harm if you haven't tried to make any repairs?"

I received an ARC of this love story from Netgalley.

Calvin McAlistair and Lady Isabelle Borland, are stuck in a pre Christmas storm at a little inn. Calvin is in the process of putting together a new business, and Belle is on her way to her brother's big Christmas party.

My favorite moment was at the beginning when they sat together in the crowded inn for dinner. They both suddenly felt so very comfortable together. These two discovered that together they were better. This is such a lovely romance, not surprising though, since the incredible Erica Ridley wrote it for us.