This book was not what I expected. I thought that it was going to be more fairytale, and it was hard for me to get into it from the beginning. To me it seemed that the author was saying the same thing in different ways. I didn’t really like the writing style, or the characters.

I hate to say it but I found this book to be...boring. The plot was to long. The romance and chemistry was non existent. There were historical inaccuracies that were hard to overcome such as a Duke marrying a maid/governess.

y'all.........

I don't think that I've ever read a book with such a boring, weak and whiny heroine. The book on its own was fine, but there was too much buildup for a 2 chapter resolution which is usually fine but having to read through the heroine unable to look people in the eyes and somehow having a man like that?? Can't suspend my disbelief.

When happening upon a young lady in the middle of the night with a feverish child Lord Markham could not have known that she would be linked to the man who was involved in the murder of his young wards parents. With the help of his friend and crown investigator Lord Ashurst Markham pursues justice against those involved in the murder. Throw in avretelling of the Cinderella story with Emma glass that strange young mother as Cinderella and Lord Ashurst as Prince Charming and you have a fairytale cimbined with a mystery. There is even a ball and a lost slipper! I enjoyed this tale on the whole but did find it overly long and drawn out at times and for a large part of the book I was frustrated by the character of Emma. For someone who having been a maid who fled and supported an illegitimate child of a peer in this setting to be so weak frightened andnmeek forvthe majority of the time seemed implausible and frankly annoying p. The Emma in the last quarter of the book was far more likeable and true to what you would expect.

In this Cinderella-ish retelling, our heroine Emma is governess to Lord Markham. A position which allows her to fade into the background while also being able to keep her own daughter close. She has secrets and fears everything. It is at Lord Markham's that she meets our hero Ash, a friend of her employer and also a nobleman. Ash is a kind, gentle man and is immediately smitten with Emma though much keeps them apart. Not least of all Emma's ties to Ash's murder investigation. All-in-all a good book.
Thank you Bree Wolf, Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

This was a soft and gentle love story, with a slight mystery element, that I found charming and comforting. Bree Wolf's writing is engaging and well paced. With short quick chapters this novel reads very easily and swiftly, which is definitely to its advantage. The writing style and story remind me of novels written in the 1800s and Georgette Heyer's historical romances.

The heroine-Emma is a single mother who has been acting as a governess for the past handful of years. Her mysterious past has lead her to be very cautions with who she gives her trust. It was rewarding to watch Emma grow from someone who seemed so quiet and timid into a brave young woman who would do anything to protect her daughter and the people she loves.

The hero-Ash is an absolute delight. He is so soft and gentle with Emma and her daughter. He was smart and had a nice quiet strength to him. It was enjoyable to watch his attraction and love slowly grow from a distance. It was sweet to watch how Ash wanted to protect Emma, but he never overstepped his or her boundaries. Ash never makes Emma feel like she can not do something, he is very encouraging to her and he ultimately shows her that she is very brave and worthy of everything.

With this novel being a slow style of romance, there is little to no steam-which is alright because I don't think that would have fit well within this storytelling style. I do however wish we had a bit more scenes with Emma and Ash together. I don't feel like their love story is entirely lacking but this story is really the beginnings and foundation of what their relationship will probably become. This reality and situation of their romance is what feels very reminiscent to me of a Jane Austen style of novel.

Some other delightful moments in this novel, for me, was the found family Emma realizes that she has to surround and support her. I was charmed by the relationship the women had, there was not animosity between them, just pure friendship. I love the slight nod to the Cinderella fairytale without hitting it over our heads or making this a pure Cinderella retelling. I was also delighted that there was no third act misunderstanding between Emma and Ash, they both inherently trusted each other, which is what helped them to realize their true feelings.

I would highly recommend this novel if you enjoy a sweet romance that is very light on the steam, if you love older style romance novel along the lines of Austen and Heyer, and you are just looking for a soft warm hug of a book.

An intriguing regency twist on Cinderella. I enjoyed this quick read in an afternoon and was lost in a world of spies, investigations and secret glances. Emma and Ash create a palpable romance and I enjoyed their chemistry. The character development was well done while the story seemed to drag at points. I would still recommend it to others and look forward to more books by Bree Wolf. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own, freely given.

I couldn't wait for Ash and Emma's story and Bree Wolf did not disappoint. Lord Markham had taken in Emma and made her his daughters governess. It has been clear in all of the books that Emma was fearful, but only Ash could coax her into feeling easy around him. This story is one of someone being deeply emotionally abused and how Ash was able to help Emma overcome it. Readers will not be disappointed.

This is the first book in this series I have read. I think it works as a stand alone. I saw it as a classic historical romance that had a mystery that needed to be solved. I do not think these need to have major twist and turns and am totally fine with guessing the mystery. I will say there are two in this book and one I figured out pretty quickly the other I was surprised I did not guess it which made for a fun reveal. I liked the Hero and Heroine, though I felt their romance was stilted a bit. This is a clean romance so that could be it for me. I Loved that the hero had silver hair. Our Heroine seemed to be scared for too long. I think the story flowed alright but it was a bit slow at times. Overall, it was a good historical romance. Not my personal favorite but I would look into the other books in the series for a light fun read that enjoy the clean but intriguing historical romance.

The Governess and the Spy

Emma has a secret, and it just might be deadly. When Ash sets out to investigate murder, he has no idea that he would fall in love, and that the woman he was falling for might be connected to the murder. What is the truth? Could a woman who was once a maid have a chance with a duke? Emma wants nothing to do with noblemen, but her heart had other plans. This is a wonderful tale. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to those who like Regency romance with intrigue, mystery, and perilous secrets.

Emma Glass lives in insecurities and fear. Afraid she and her daughter will lose their one security, the home of Lord Markham, the man who saved them. Her deepest fear, is discovery by the peer who seduced her. Ashhaven is looking for the murderers of a doctor and his wife several years ago. Their daughter was rescued by Lord Markham and is his ward. Ashhaven knows Lord Amherst and his friends are involved in the murders, but he doesn't know why. As he finds more clues, he discovers a piece of the puzzle he did not expect. When Emma's life is endangered, Ashhaven admits he loves Emma. Will she be strong enough to let go of her insecurities for love?
A sweet romance with an interesting who done it. Connecting characters in the previous books appear in this one.
4 1/2*STARS
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

As someone who had never read Bree Wolf's fairy tale series until now, I found this book very charming! I loved the way Ms. Wolf adapted Cinderella while also incorporating a murder mystery. Lord Ashaven was refreshing to read because he wasn't a rake or a terrible person in general; he was kindhearted from the start and loved Emma for who she was.

Unfortunately, the mention of Emma brings up one of the biggest flaws of the book: the female lead herself. While I'm sure it was the point of Emma's character to be constantly scared, it got rather tiresome. Instead of her taking action, Emma is usually described as being pale and wide-eyed. It was very hard to cheer for Emma because it was just hard to like her in general.

Also, if you haven't read any of Ms. W0lf's other fairy tales (likeme), you might be overwhelmed by the ensemble of supporting characters. These characters (such as Nathaniel, Lord Markham) are the protagonists in other novels. And while I didn't feel out of the loop, I imagine there might be some readers who question the backstory of some of the characters.

So. This book intrigued me with the premise being Cinderella-esqe.

When the book started there was snow and darkness kind of like Beauty & The Beast.

All in all I enjoyed myself

Good Cinderella story with a nice mix of romance and mystery. The story opens as Emma, a former maid, trudges through the snow looking for help for her sick daughter, Susan. Her past has made her fearful of men in general and the aristocracy in particular, so she is hesitant when Lord Markham offers his assistance. But she is desperate and accepts his help, and eventually his offer of employment as governess to his adopted daughter.

Jumping ahead three years, Emma has made a place for herself in the Markham household. Her daughter is safe and happy, and Emma is content. Lord Markham asks his friend, Lord Ashhaven, to investigate his daughter's parents' deaths. Ash, who has been working for the Crown for a long time, jumps right into the puzzling crime. Spending time with Markham also brings Ash into contact with Emma, who intrigues him to the point of distracting him from his mission.

I liked Ash. He is intelligent, determined, and honorable. I liked his dedication to solving the murders and that he didn't settle for the most obvious solution. He has a reputation for being cool and focused, having learned over many years to keep his emotions under control. Locking away those emotions enables him to survive the memories of some of the things he has seen. I had a more challenging time with Emma. I liked her devotion to her daughter, Susan, and her charge, Daphne. She clearly loves them both. Unfortunately, her constant state of fear irritated me after a while. She'd been a valued member of Markham's household for three years and is regarded as a friend by all of them, so I couldn't understand her fear of being dismissed for any little problem.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Ash and Emma. Her jumpiness around him drew his attention first, his innate protectiveness kicking in. I liked his sensitivity around her as he showed her she was safe with him. The more time he spent around her, the more she stirred up his long-buried emotions and dreams. I especially enjoyed how his friends could see his growing feelings for her while Ash tried to convince himself it was just friendship. Emma was equally drawn to him and surprised that he didn't stir her fears. His actions slowly worked their way into her heart, but she saw no future for them. After all, a governess and a duke are not a suitable match. The emotions between them intensify as Emma becomes involved in Ash's investigation. It takes nearly losing each other for Ash to admit his feelings and Emma to trust in him.

The mystery part of the book was excellent. I could feel Ash's frustration over his inability to get the entire truth about the murders. He has one person in custody but suspects that someone else pulled the strings. He has his suspicions about Lord Amhurst, but the man is publicly spotless. I liked seeing how he and his partner went about digging beneath the surface. Discovering that there was a link between Emma and Amhurst raised Ash's suspicions, even after Emma offered to help. The intensity ramped up the longer Emma had to make nice with Amhurst, and I could feel her fear each time. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as Emma faced her worst fear. The culmination had me on the edge of my seat until it was all over.

I liked the use of earlier books' couples in this one. Though I haven't read the others in the series, there was enough information given to understand their places. The epilogue showed where they stand at present. The bits of each one's story whet my appetite to read the other books in the series.

How to Return a Lady's Slipper by Bree Wolf

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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Story Notes

Bree Wolf brings readers another in her Happily Ever After series that will remind you of Cinderella but instead of retiring damsel, you will find a quietly fierce young mother determined to keep her daughter safe.

We all enjoy fairy tales and retellings are always a favorite for me. I really liked that this story added elements of a fairy tale without making it a simple retelling. Rather, it had it's own plot and it was wonderfully done. Emma Glass is the governess for Lord Markham and is blessed to also be able to care for her daughter at the same time. Her daughter, Susan, is best friends with Emma's charge, Daphne, and the two girls are quite a pair. But there are those who would not hesitate to hurt these sweet girls if they knew who they were. The peace of Emma's life is broken with the appearance of Hugh Laurence, Duke Ashhaven (Ash), who is determined to take down a powerful fellow duke who has used his position to prey on innocents. It appears that Lord Amhurst has secrets in his past he would not care for the world to know but no one besides him seems to know what they are. Ash has promised his friends that he will find the evidence necessary but that might require more than he has ever given before. He will need the help of many, including Emma, if she will give him a chance. He finds himself drawn to her as he has never been drawn to a woman before but she has past hurts and experiences that have made her fear all men with a title. Can he break down her barriers and prove that all men don't use their power and status for evil? Emma will be the one to decide and he will have to work doubly hard to get her to choose him. The story was very intriguing and engaging with it's well developed plot and characters. You could feel the tension that was present at all times in the story and understand Emma's great fears. She had good reasons for her fears but learned that she is stronger than she knew. Her characters journey was wonderful to read. And Ash was the best hero with his patient persistence to teach her that she can trust people who earn it. Their love story was beautiful and I was so glad to see how everything turned out. The references to earlier books and characters was a nice touch to connect the previous stories. It made me want to go back and reread the others immediately. I will certainly be recommending this story to others as a delightful read and further recommend the series as one not to miss.

I received this temporary complimentary E-book from DragonBlade Publishing via NetGalley in order to provide a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

The cover of this book is beautiful, and the story line is great. This is a captivating historical romance, murder mystery that will keep you from putting the book down. Miss Emma Glass is walking in a snowstorm, carrying her sick little girl, when a lone man comes out the darkness, to offer her help. Afraid of men she does not know if she should take his offer. But the offer of a doctor for her child, she cannot refuse. The morning light finds her hired as the governess for Lord Markham’s young daughter. She finds she enjoys this role, as the two young girls grow up together and life becomes peaceful. That soon changes, as the Duke of Ashhaven, Hugh Lawrence, returns from service to the crown, as a favor to Lord Markham. I enjoyed the characters, the plot and found the tale interesting.

If you have time to spare and looking to get lost in a story, this is a pretty good book to do that with. Emma, a woman who is fearful of most things (and rightly so) is rescued by Pierce and hired on as governess for his daughter. Ash comes to help with a murder and begins to suspect Emma is linked, but his heart doesn't want to believe it. It's a good story, a bit wordy and long, but still worth a read.

A controlled investigator, a scared single mom, a makeshift family, and a mystery. This book follows the story of an investigator trying to solve a murder, and what he discovers along the way. Emma has been traumatized and feels she can no longer trust anyone, much less anyone with a title, so why should she believe anyone around her.

The characters were well written, with fears, hopes. and real emotions. I understand a lot of the other characters have their own stories, and from what is revealed in this book I cannot wait to read the rest of the series and learn more. The murder Ash investigates is part of a larger picture, that I did not see coming at all. This book has the perfect match of mystery and romance. I read it all in one sitting because I could not wait to see what happened next, both in the investigation and between Ash and Emma.

Overall, a great book with great characters that I wholeheartedly recommend you read. Though I recommend you read them in order to truly get to know the other characters, I feel I missed out on them since I only read the final book in the series.

Thank you for the opportunity to review!

Review Will be Posted Tomorrow March 10th:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/26213123-brittany-e

Miss Emma Glass has been living as a governess for his Lord Markham’s young ward Daphne, protecting her daughter Susan while trying to overcome a tragic past. Crown agent, Hugh Lawrence, Duke of Ashhaven has been asked to investigate a gruesome murder. A captivating story as Ash’s investigation leads him to believe Emma is somehow connected to the murderer, woman he’s beginning to fall in love with a secret past. Will her secret destroy them and tear them apart as this mystery romance unfolds what will Ash trust his heart or his mind? I have voluntarily read and reviewed the excellent book.

Miss Emma Glass finds herself struggling as a single mother with a sick baby . She is trudging through the snow, not knowing what to do. Her personal history makes her frightened of men, in particular Lords who take whatever and whoever they want.

Hugh Lawrence, Duke of Ashhaven is investigating a murder that was committed by a Peer. Although they know what happened that night, proving why is going to be the key for the true guilty party to be held to account.

Our heroine will grow from a terrified mouse to a fierce mama bear. Our hero has buried his emotions for years because of his work, but this woman. will change everything.

A fascinating historical romance/ murder / mystery with great characters. Even if you have not read the previous story you will still enjoy this one. I must admit though it would be better to understand the original consequences of the murder.