Cinderella and the Duke is a fantastic, well-written, entertaining regency-style book with great dialogue and witty banter. This is a different retelling of Cinderella, but similar in some ways. Beautifully written and sharply entertaining. I highly recommend this book and its author.

Thank You, NetGalley, for the Arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was a lovely first time read for me by this author and I enjoyed the writing very much. It's a clever and entertaining retelling of Cinderella. Julia is tired of being under the control of her horrible stepmother and she has only one chance of escape at the Weathorford Ball. She is desperate to find a husband, and any potential suitor will do, really, she can't afford to be picky. A chance meeting with Gregory Carter, The Duke of Ashworth, does just the trick when they share a stolen kiss and then she flees leaving only a slipper behind. When Gregory calls on Julia to return the slipper, Julia proposes marriage to him, ensuring him that they both have something to gain from this union. What starts out as a marriage of convenience turns into something so much more.
The story was well-written and entertaining and I found this to be a charming story filled with intrigue and drama and wonderfully delightful characters. It captured my attention right from the start. The characters were nicely developed and there was no question as to how strong their chemistry was. I enjoyed the build-up of the romance between Julia and Gregory and also really enjoyed their banter. A very enjoyable and captivating story!

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

This debut novel by Lydia Drake is well-written and entertaining with great dialogue and witty banter. The story is a great re-telling of the original Cinderella story with a horrible stepmother, a ball and a slipper left behind. After a kiss between Julia and Gregory, The Duke of Ashworth, a marriage was agreed upon. I thought this part was especially hilarious as Julia needs a husband and any potential one would do – ‘rich, poor even a reasonably well-groomed walrus’!

I enjoyed that Julia didn’t wait around for things to happen as most would have in that time period. These historical romances almost always have a ‘rake’ and the gathering of his previous woman to talk about his skills and sharing with Julia was unusual and a bit cringy.

To see both Julia and Gregory afraid to hope for love was poignant along with their relationship ups and down but I’m always happy to see the Happily Ever After

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this new work and look forward to more books by Ms. Drake.

I loved this one from the word GO!
You know how when you're reading, you come across passages that you just found so moving, funny, or notable, that you simply MUST share it with the person closest to you? Yeah, this one was that times ten because I could've literally sat there and shared passage after passage. The characters are TOO FUNNY, TOO WITTY, TOO...EVERYTHING to let a moment go by without noting it!

I loved Julia as soon as we met, and the twist on the Cinderella story we know and love was to die for! Gone was the unintentional doormat of a girl we felt for, and in her place was a snarky force to be reckoned with, though still respectful to her elders...mostly. *giggle* I loved the relationship she had with her stepsister, so refreshing for a change, and the way she handled her own historical version of Lady Tremaine was EXCEPTIONAL! I was rooting for her at the ball, and when things turned...interesting...I was rooting for her all the more! The duke, on the other hand, was a force of another kind, but as much as his roguish ways precede him, he still has a warm heart underneath the suave veneer. I adored the verbal sparring between these two because it made their potential THAT must more anticipated! I mean that kiss! Those stolen moments! The returned shoe, minus a heel, lacking a particular offer that the classic story demands, and yet still getting what we hoped for! *sigh*

There were too many moments worth mentioning to narrow it down it simply one, so I'll just say this...if you're a fan of the genre, if you like characters you won't forget, if you like fairy tale redo's that make it work SO WELL, this story is the perfect "mate" for you!

This book is such an incredible retelling of "Cinderella"! Whenever I picked up "Cinderella and the Duke", I was whisked back in time, and went on such an emotional journey with this story.

Lydia Drake's storytelling jumps right off of the page. I was instantly brought into the world of her story, and I truly was hooked from the first page to the last. While true to the fairytale in many ways, Ms. Drake also changes elements from that as well.

(Possible Spoilers!)
Julia and Gregory truly bring out the best in each other, and understand each other in many ways. However, their relationship is not always easy, but, they are both learning about themselves, as well as each other. Both, understandably, are hesitant to trust due to things that they have experienced in their past. However, as they begin to open their hearts to one another, their marriage-of-convenince deepens into something much more.

If you enjoy Historical Romance, I highly recommend this book! I look forward to reading what Lydia Drake writes next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Entangled: Amara for the ARC of this book! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A great retelling of one of the most well-known fairytales. Prince Charming was actually a rake in this story (Gregory) with Julia portraying Cinderella. There was also a bona fide stepmother (Constance, the bane of Julia's existence and will cut her down every chance she gets) and stepsister (this one was nice instead of evil). Starting with a marriage of convenience, recognizing the childhood trauma they both brought into the relationship, and then finding their own HEA (through the mess of misunderstandings and personal avoidance issues), this story was so engrossing in the best way possible. I look forward to reading more of this time period as well as from this author.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Such a fan of Drakes writing style. It was very easy to read and felt almost playful. Cinderella retellings have been done time and time again. However, Drake did a really good job at creating differences in the story line that made this Cinderella story her own. The chemistry between Ashworth and Julia was *chefs kiss**. Their story reads like an enemy to lovers trope but feels every bit of instalove.

I enjoyed reading Cinderella and the Duke by Lydia Drake. The characters in this story will warm your heart. Happy Reading!
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

3.5 Stars rounded up. This was a great retelling of the classic Cinderella and I loved that it was a marriage of convenience trope and dual POV. While the romance itself was a bit of a slow burn I liked that Julia wanted to want for certain things until she was ready. I liked how strong Julia was and her relationship with her stepsister. It focused a lot of time on the couple and their scheme which I enjoyed. It definitely didn’t feel like a debut novel.

Thank you @entangled_publishing @tlcbooktours and @the_lydia_drake for the gifted copy.

Cinderella and the Duke is author Lydia Drake's debut novel and she has almost hit it out of the park. She has created a Cinderella kind of story around two misunderstood and hurt people who think of themselves of undeserving of love. At one end is Julia Beaumont, whose father passed away when she was just 6 years old, leaving her in the care of a stepmother, who in classic Cinderella style does everything she can to hinder Julia's chances of matrimony. At the other end is Gregory Carter, a libertine and rake of the first category - or so he shows himself as to the society.

While Julia wants to catch the eye of any decent man and get married to him to get out of the clutches of her stepmother, Gregory wants to avoid matrimony at all costs. Each has their own reason to avoid falling in love. And a chance encounter between the both sparks the idea of a convenient marriage which the both of them embrace for their own personal reasons. Will these deeply hurt people get over their fear of rejection and meet the other one half-way enabling them to embark on a journey of mutual love?

Lydia Drake has woven a story which grips the reader's attention with its crisp narration; but what sustain our attention are her incredibly defined and clear characters. Her main characters all have distinctive personalities and great clarity. Not only Julia and Gregory, but even the people around them are given enough detailing that I really wanted to read their stories as well. In fact, I would love it if this book is continued as a series with these other characters as main protagonists.

There are many tastefully written intimate scenes in the story which might be loved by readers of romance. Overall, I had a great time reading this book and congratulate Drake on a job well-done on her first effort.

This was so close to being a good book. I was literally thinking “this is amazing, I love how consent forward this book is” about ten minutes before The Scene.

I don’t care that they were fighting. He shouldn’t have said the thing.

In fact this book has a lot of He Should Not Have Said The Thing. I would say all of their conflict is his fault, which is exhausting for me and probably also Julia!

Lydia Drake
Cinderella and the Duke
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🔥🔥🔥
Tropes: Spinster, Rake, Marriage of Convenience

Lydia Drake ... my dear dear Lydia... what a fun book you've created with your debut novel. Your first time out the gate is a winner. Cinderella and the Duke is positively enchanting. The main characters are wonderful together. A perfect pairing, both a force to be reckoned with. Their banter back and forth...energetic, sarcastic, and at times hilarious. Yes...there's steam...but it's the tepid.

Gregory Carter, Duke of Ashworth is a rake. From tip to stern. Partaking in his pleasure steering clear of wistful debutantes and match-making mommas...for marriage is not for him. Not now..not ever...that is until he meets a blonde-haired goddess who not only intrigues him...she makes him laugh. She's clever and unpredictable and something of a novelty? I mean what woman depends her own honor by asking thr scoundrel to marry her.

Julia Beaumont is a spinster. Firmly on the shelf. When the opportunity to attend a ball prsents itself, Julia decides this is her one and only chance to secure a match. A match she badly needs to escape her horrible stepmother and a life of servitude. But when a kiss from the wicked and deliciously handsome Duke of Ashworth threatens her plans, she does the only thunk she can think of to save her future...she asks HIM to marry her!

With Cinderella and the Duke, Lydia Drake creates a world filled with wonderful characters, laughter and love. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what she has up next.

Cinderella and the Duke is a sassy, sexy, delightful standalone Historical Romance that just happens to be Ms. Drake’s debut novel – something I would not have suspected just by reading Julia’s and Gregory’s romance.

Julia is very much living a Cinderella life as the unappreciated, overworked, and mostly ignored stepdaughter since her father’s death. Yet she has one chance to take control of her life on her own terms when she gets to attend one ball – and encounters one handsome rake of a Duke who will change everything.

Gregory has no intention to tie himself to one female, he’s enjoying his bachelor ways far too much for that to happen – yet, one woman has him enchanted and the hunt is on for one elusive female who will make him an offer that he’d be a fool to turn down. While he’s not wanting to fall in love and be tied down, he is tired of the constant attention from several wives in the ton who definitely would do anything for his attention – and the reputation, as well as the fights with husbands of those wives, is becoming quite old and annoying. Yet the marriage of convenience that Julia offers could change both of their lives… as long as hearts don’t get involved as well.

Cinderella and the Duke was such fun. It’s sexy, and emotional, and drew me into this couple’s world quite easily. While neither is perfect, they are eventually quite perfect for each other. I enjoyed their banter and their sass – and who doesn’t love a hot sexual encounter (or several) between a couple obviously fighting their emotions for each other? There are villains to loathe, love to be discovered, and a far different future in store for Julia and Gregory than they’d ever imagined. I look forward to this author’s next title.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

He was 80 percent crafty ideas, 15 percent smug virility, and 5 percent effortless smolder.
--The Duke of Ashworth, as seen through the eyes of his future duchess. (She missed the 50 percent deluded idjit in him, but to be fair she didn't know about that part yet...)

Cinderella and the Duke is a fun and sexy fairy-tale inspired historical romance. I enjoyed the ways the author both mirrored and poked gentle fun at the classic story its modeled after, but I liked even more the ways she deviated from the source material--Julia's relationship with her not-at-all-evil stepsister is one of the best parts of the book. Even her evil stepmother is softened here, and I couldn't be happier.

Julia and Gregory have wonderful chemistry together, and I especially enjoyed their early banter--some of which inspired the quote up above. Beneath their quick wit, however, lurk more issues than Us Weekly. Gregory's nightmare parents messed with his head more than should be allowed by law, and Julia's one and only previous experience with affairs of the heart has left her scarred for life. Will these two ever be able to overcome their fears and let each other in?

Of course they will--eventually. It *is* a romance novel, after all. But OMG it was really hard to be patient with their inability to communicate for a good chunk of the book...

Fortunately, they get their act together eventually and give us a very sweet HEA. Now, if Ms Drake would like to give Susannah, Hunt, and Percy some HEAs too, she won't hear me complaining...

(But if Gregory's fan club comes up ever again, she might. That group was not OK. Not. At. All. [full body cringe])

Rating: 4 stars / B+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing LLC and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read an early copy of this historical romance novel, CINDERELLA AND THE DUKE by Lydia Drake.

The title is interesting because as I read the novel, Miss Julia Beaumont is the RESCUER when Gregory is facing a quarrelsome couple. The husband is about to challenge Gregory to a duel when Miss Beaumont comes to Gregory's rescue.

The scene between the quarrelsome couple and Gregory is so comical as if I was watching a silent movie skit. Very dramatic and I was laughing at the ridiculousness of the wife pretending that Gregory was pursuing her.

This novel looks at the structure of the society rules about how people behave, especially among the aristocracy.

Highly recommended for fans of Regency romances.

I liked this book a lot! The main characters were interesting and well developed. They both had significant character growth but in ways that were believable and felt fully fleshed out. The story started out as a love of convenience, but had a lot of other things going on in the plot with each of the character's families etc. I would read this book again. A really fun read.

Cinderella and the Duke was a cute Regency romance and fairytale retelling but I feel slightly mislead. I signed up for the book tour after reading a description that said, "The clock strikes midnight with Lydia Drake's sparkling new Regency series that blends Pride and Prejudice and Cinderella in one romantic romp." So, as I am reading through the book, I can't figure out how this story has Pride and Prejudice in its blend components and I go back to Amazon, and there is NOTHING there that mentions P&P. I start thinking maybe I was crazy (always a possibility) and then I finally find the blurb on the book description on Litsy. Anyway, I might not have signed up if I had known it was only a Cinderella-ish story (there's an evil stepmother and a left-behind shoe), but the book was engaging enough and the heroine charming enough that I enjoyed it. It's a debut for author Lydia Drake and I liked the humor, especially the wit and banter back and forth between Julia and Gregory. As often in romance and historical romance, there are misunderstandings that could have easily been cleared up with some communication and a few plot points that seemed a bit forced but overall, if you like Regency romances with a fair amount of spice and fairy tale vibes, you should enjoy it.

A delightful Regency romp between Julia, the "spinster" and Gregory, the Duke who's a well known bachelor rake. The sparkling repartee. the glimpses into their backgrounds, the marriage of convenience and Julia's awakening sensuality all make for a good read.

Thank you @entangled_publishing @tlcbooktours, @netgalley and @the_lydia_drake for my free book. My thoughts are my own.

Imagine yourself as a 27-year-old spinster in Regency England! You have one night to find a husband so you will be rescued from a life of isolation and service to your wicked stepmother!

That is the predicament Julia finds herself in as a she chaperones her stepsister to a ball. Soon Julia meets a handsome and charming duke, who has vowed never to marry!

I loved the witty banter and blatant snobbery that is almost always present in a Regency romance! However, this story has even more, as both main characters have backstories that give real substance to the storyline.

As the title implies, this one is a loose retelling of Cinderella, with a few twists: the Duke as fairy godmother, and a beautiful and kind stepsister. Of course there is a ball, a lost slipper, and a proposal!

If you love the marriage of convenience/immediate chemistry troupe, you will enjoy this story that also has the proper amount of, well…impropriety!

Cinderella and the Duke is Lydia Drake’s debut novel and it’s a delightful story. Loosely based on the Cinderella story, this book is entertainment from start to finish. It is overly dramatic at times and I thought the gorgeous Duke of Ashworth swore a bit more than was necessary but the plot flows effortlessly. The dialogue sparkles and the banter between Julia and Gregory is beautifully written. I got the impression that this is book one in a two book series and I hope that’s the case because I’d definitely like to see more from this author.