Going into the New year with a goal to find as many new to me authors as I can. I'm so excited that I started with this new to me author, Lydia Drake, and her book Cinderella and the Duke.
This book grabbed me from the very beginning. This was a fast paced story I did not want to put down. Lydia Drake has an amazing way with words and descriptions that make you feel like part of the story. The story is filled with great wit and banter between the characters. There is a perfect amount of humor that makes Cinderella and the Duke playful and fun.

This is a perfect Cinderella story. Gregory was not quite the gentleman he was supposed to be and jealous husbands were catching up.  Julia has a strained relationship with her step-mom who treated her terrible. The only way she can escape this awful life is to marry. To help each other out they choose to marry each other. Now deals were made when they both thought they knew what they wanted. They wanted their own personal freedoms with no chance of being tied down. Gregory could still be a rake and avoid jealous husbands and Julia would have have money and freedom, especially from  her terrible s step-mom.

That all quickly changed the more they were together. Everything changes when your heart gets involved.

You will love this story as much as I did. I can't wait to read more by Lydia Drake.

My thanks to NetGalley and Entangled for an Advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This novel follows Julia, a plucky orphan with a wicked stepmother and a loving stepsister as she tries to avoid her future as the companion to her wicked stepmother and secure herself a husband. She meets Gregory, a duke. He has his own troubles -- he is doggedly pursued by married women for his sexual prowess, and their husbands for dueling following the liaisons with the wives. The solution to both problems, obviously, is for them to marry and so they do.

I found the premise a little hard to swallow, but it was, at times, funny and light-hearted. This is not an historical that clings too closely to accuracy having modern speech patterns and ideas. I didn't mind this since this is where a lot of the humor and banter between the two MCs lay.

The conflicts keeping the two MCs from sharing their feelings abound... Like as soon as one hurdle is cleared there are 3 more. Then a ghost of MC past shows up and we're back at the misunderstanding and "I don't deserve love" separation again. For me it was too much, but maybe others would enjoy.

#NetGalley #CinderellaandtheDuke

A Cinderella retelling always has me saying yes! This one was so wonderful! It had all the banter, tension, steam, and all the feels! Julia is a spinster. She’s witty, strong, kind, and has a big heart! She lives with her step mother and step sister. Julia is ready for an out, so when she’s given the chance to chaperone her step sister to a ball, she knows this is the only chance she has for a possible husband! Gregory, Duke of Ashworth, is a rogue but really he has a big heart that he won’t allow anyone to see! He’s tired of the ladies fawning over him and the husbands demanding duels, so it’s time for the possibility of a wife. But not love of course. So at the ball, Julia sees a lady on pursuit of Ashworth, knowing he doesn’t want it as the husband follows looking angry. Julia saves Gregory from another duel claiming she was looking for him! This really was a fun meet-cute! These two share a steamy kiss, so of course Julia leaves the ball and a slipper behind! Gregory brings the slipper back the next day but not a proposal, Julia does that! I loved how these two messed together and that Gregory was afraid to be attracted to a lady who spoke her mind! They had amazing chemistry and all the steamy times! I absolutely loved this one! I can’t wait for the next one!!

An astounding debut novel for a very talented author! The book is so funny that I laughed out loud a few times while reading (but there’s also a touch of angst that makes it even more intriguing), the plot is simple, but well written (a marriage of convenience, my favorite ever!) and the characters are so alive that come out of the page! I loved Julia very much, because she’s strong and determined, she knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to fight for it, but I loved Gregory even more so, because under the façade of the rake he was a broken man that NEEDED love. I want to use a quote to make you understand his childhood. Speaking of his parents, he remembers, “His parents had exchanged perhaps fifty words in all twenty years of their marriage. When their boat sank off the coast of Ireland, they must have been relieved. Drowning meant they wouldn’t have to struggle for conversation over dinner. Gregory was their son through and through. Nothing in him was either worth loving or capable of love”. If this quotation intrigues you, I recommend to grab the book, because it’s really, really worth reading!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Julia has had enough of her life, toiling away for her stepmother who is never happy with anything. When she gets the opportunity to escort her step-sister to a ball she knows this is her one and only chance to find anyone suitable for a husband. She didn't ever think she would have a run-in with a duke, who gave her a toe-curling kiss...
And Gregory the Duke of Ashworth didn't count on being completely consumed with the encounter with Julia, and when she boldly proposes a marriage of convenience he's in. She would get away from Constance the stepmother, and Gregory would get a buffer between him and the other woman of the ton who keeps throwing themselves at him resulting in a lot of duels between Gregory and the angry spouses. A win-win

This was a great Cinderella retelling, we get the horrible stepmother, but a lovely step-sister who Julia is incredibly close to, I loved their first meeting where Julia saves Gregory from someone else's wife. It was fun, steamy, and funny, I loved the way Gregory and Julia interacted with each other. There was a bit of conflict towards the end where we get some conflict due to past childhood trauma, but it doesn't last long, and we get our perfect happily ever after! This hit the perfect spot and left me with all the heartwarming feelings.. I will definitely be reading whatever else Lydia Drake comes out with!

A life as her stepmother's maid is not this young lady's plan
The Weatherford Ball is where she'll seek a suitable man.
But she never expected to meet a notorious rake
Or to discover that stolen kisses he'd take!

Two stubborn folks find each other attractive and so,
Decide to make a deal, a marriage for show!
But attraction, the past, and thoughts of others, too
Make this marriage of convenience something special and new.

Will Cinderella win the Duke's heart
Or will they wed and then forever live apart?
Can they overcome the fears from their past
To make something new that really will last?

What a lovely historical romance to escape into
With plenty of drama to entertain you.
A story of families, the ton and romance,
That I highly recommend you give more than a chance!

For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
It's a brill historical romance and this is my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Cinderella And The Duke is the debut novel by Lydia Drake. Julia has one chance to catch a husband, any husband, at her one ball to escape a life with her horrid stepmother. Gregory Carter, the Duke of Ashworth, rogue extraordinaire, is tired of duels and escaping bored society wives. Gregory and Julia collide at the ball, and there is an instant attraction. Julia must convince Gregory that he has much to gain and little to lose by marrying. Gregory and Julia have shut off their hearts and must learn to trust, or this marriage could go horribly wrong.

Both Gregory and Julia were lovable, remarkable characters. I loved the attraction and banter between the couple. I enjoyed the writing style and the book's exciting and intriguing premise. It was a unique twist on Cinderella. There were times in the relationship when the couple circled the main issues of their relationship too much. The hot and cold emotions whipped back and forth too much at times.

The plot could have run smoother; some stops and starts were abrupt in the spaces between essential scenes. However, I enjoyed the writing, and the parts I critiqued can easily be remedied as the series matures and continues. I felt the storyline was solid, and I enjoyed Gregory and Julia’s journey. The couple’s sensual connection was evident. I felt there could have been more passionate scenes. Lydia Drake has created a solid foundation for a debut novel and a new series. I enjoyed the secondary characters, and I hope to see their stories also told. I will be reading more about this author. This new author caught my attention, I can’t wait to see where she goes from here!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book had most of the elements I like:
Marriage of convenience ✅
Older (if you call 28 old) Bookish Spinster ✅
Hero who had a shitty childhood and doesn’t feel he deserves love✅
The Cinderella elements are there but the author does manage to shake them up a bit
Julia is the older stepsister to the much younger Suzannah but she loves her stepsister and wants to make sure her first season is perfect. Julia had one season 10 years ago that ended in a failed elopement that left her heartbroken bitter about love. But she realizes that if she doesn’t make the most of the one night she gets to go to a ball as chaperone to her stepsister she may end up being at the beck and call of her stepmother for the rest of her life.
Gregory is a rake through and through and with married women who don’t seem to hide their affairs very well (or Gregory’s prowess in the bedroom) which means Gregory is forever fighting duels. (Of course he’s never had to actually kill the poor duped husband) But the author makes this very unattractive trait into a plus (as you will read later in the book). I like Gregory, but I’m not convinced of this trait being a plus for his character and I find his arrogance a bit grating. But to his plus side he does find Julia’s intelligence attractive and a huge turn on.
But “poor” Gregory is oh so tired of these married women always hunting him down and Julia doesn’t want to be a drudge to her stepmother so they decide to marry (after Julia’s proposal to him).
After that there’s a lot of back and forth and then a decision to just have a wedding night and then go their separate ways, then they end up not having a wedding night and go to his country estate blah, blah blah.
Basically we are hit with a lot of basic HR roadblocks before we get to a HEA
Which is not necessary a bad thing, but it got a bit tedious and I started to just say to myself “Get on with it already “. There’s one really good sex scene when they finally consummate the marriage at the e-books 60% mark and then a few other foreplay scenes but for the most part the rest are off page references.
So I find myself in a quandary over if I liked this book or not. I like so many elements of it and I did (sort of) like the characters and I think the author achieved a different take on the Cinderella elements. But I found myself easily distracted while reading it so the story wasn’t holding me as much a I really wanted it to. This was my first book by Lydia Drake and although I only give this book 3⭐️s I would try another book of hers and perhaps the next book in this series if there is one

Cinderella and the Duke by Lydia Drake is the story I didn't know I needed. It is a historical romance with hints of the classic Cinderella throughout. However, the lead woman, Julia, has more control and a voice which the Duke of Ashworth, Gregory, actually enjoys. He is known to be a "rake" or in today's terms a playboy in London. He never wanted to marry or have kids due to his upbringing. But a chance meeting with Julia has him thinking differently. Julia, just wants a better life then to be a maid to her step mother. I absolutely loved this story and can't wait to read more from this author!

I love fairytales and historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. Combined with a wonderful cover and a debut author to try: what a wonderful combination! And indeed, this story is just that!

Lydia does an outstanding job in creating a hilarious, cozy and witty story with an original twist into the Cinderella story. The evil stepmother is still there and Cinderella definitely loses a slipper at the ball, but the rest of the story is certainly different. Yulia is a badass girl, who, unlike Cinderella will not wait for the prince to choose her: she proposes marriage to him.

From the first pages, you just can’t help, but admire Julia for taking fate into her own hands. And gregory is certainly no prince charming. Or maybe a little too charming, since he gets invited to duels quite often. In all, a very funny and cute story. I’ll be looking out for more stories from Lydia. Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

The Weatherford Ball is the last chance Julia Beaumont has to escape the clutches of her horrid stepmother. Julia does not care who it is, yet when she meets Gregory Carter, the Duke of Ashworth, she soon changes her mind. Whilst Gregory would never risk his cherished bachelorhood by flirting with marriage-starved debutantes, he finds himself drawn to Julia. However, she soon runs off, leaving only her slipper.
Julia is an amazing female character, who was easy to love. Gregory is misjudged by society, but it is only in meeting Julia, that his qualities become apparent. Yet Gregory has such low self-value that it was wonderful to see him feel loved and of little worth. This book has it all, with a great romance, witty dialogue and a horrible stepmother. All the makings of a Cinderella-type romance.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Amazing. What a nice and well written book, I can't believe this is the first historical romance book she has written
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First of all the characters were very good, easy to read and hook the reader into their predicaments. I am in awe of Julia and Gregory, especially Julia. I underlined a large part of her phrases, there are few heroines with such strength and will in the genre and it left me wanting to read more about the other characters
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Julia as Cinderella has a wicked stepmother but a sweet stepsister that she adores. Despite the fact that her life was more pampered, Julia only has sweet words for her stepsister and when she finds herself in the position of being her chaperone in one of the Ball of the season, Julia sees it as an opportunity, her last chance to find a way of liberation so as not to end up being her stepmother's lady-in-waiting
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But her plans are thwarted when she becomes entangled with the duke with the worst reputation in society.
When he shows up at her house the next day she offers him a deal hard to refuse and a duel of two minds and strong wills agree to marry
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Honestly, this exchange is the one I enjoyed the most, each dialogue between the two protagonists was exquisite. Both characters had me on the verge in the last chapters
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I really enjoyed reading this story and I will be looking forward to read more books by Lydia Drake
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Thanks to Lydia Drake and Entangled Publishing LLC for give me a copy of this beautiful book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion

Julia and Gregory is a Cinderella Historical Retelling story, quite entertaining. I loved the way they banter and their chemistry. The steam was good, the secondary characters were quite interesting as well. Overall I really loved this story, I am a cinderella retelling addict, and this one I do recommend reading. Great way to start for this new author Lydia Drake.

Miss Julia Beaumont has exactly one night to find herself a husband…
__
I always love the late in life spinster finding love stories. You know at the old age of 27/28.
Julia saved the Duke from a possible duel and he was hooked! I loved that he was attracted to her brain and her smarts. I mean he thought she was gorgeous but all of those former things were strikes against her. He was a rake with a devoted club of past admirers and didn't think he was good enough to be a husband or father due to his parents neglect. She negotiated a arranged marriage to help them both out.
She also had a horrid step mother but a lovely step sister.
I really enjoyed this story and Gregory the Duke and Julia had some miscommunication and separations that caused their final revealing of their feeling to be so sweet. It's in dual POV so you know everything about how they both feel which is my fav.


Thank you entangledpub and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

I thought this book was amazing. The entertaining and enjoyable story is part romance and part twist on the old fairy tale. I thought it was clever and fun. Loved the chemistry between the characters and the characters themselves as well. Julia and Gregory generated an abundance of sparks, and they shared plenty of sharp, witty banter that I found cute and simply irresistible.

For the last ten years, Julia Beaumont has lived quietly in the country, at the beck and call of her stepmother and she has come to believe that her dreams of love and marriage were nothing more than fairy tales, but when her stepmother is ill and cannot attend a ball with her much younger step-sister, Susannah, Julia jumps at the chance to chaperon her, knowing this may be her last chance to attend a ball and find a husband. But instead of a husband, she finds a potential scandal and if that wasn’t bad enough, she also loses a shoe when she makes her escape!

Gregory Carter, the Duke of Ashworth, is bored and tired – being England’s most sought-after rake is exhausting, but he is sick of women trying to slip into his bed and their husbands trying to kill him. So he is both surprised and intrigued when he is rescued from yet another bored wife bent on seduction and her husband bent on shooting Gregory in yet another duel, by a gorgeous woman who is completely unknown to him. His surprise is increased when he learns she is unwed and when she slips away leaving him with nothing but her name and her shoe!

Gregory tracks her down the next day to return her shoe, sure that she won’t be as intriguing in the light of day. But to his delight, she is not only as lovely as he remembered but witty and smart too and when she proposes they marry to save her reputation and to save him from the bored wives looking to join the “Carter Club”, he surprises both of them by agreeing! But Gregory believes that no woman could ever love him and has no desire to fall for Julia and be rejected, so he is firm that this will not be a real marriage and that he will be leaving for Spain within days of the wedding, Julia agrees as there is no way she will let herself feel anything for him when she knows he is a rake and could never love her. But as they say, the best-laid plans…

I loved this book, it was well-written, nicely paced and so much fun to read. Gregory and Julia are wonderful characters, easy to like and delightful to read, they both have experiences in their pasts that have shaped them and led them to believe they are unlovable, they also have a strong sense of self-perseveration and a healthy helping of pride, therefore will never let themselves fall in love thus opening themselves up to rejection – so their road to HEA is definitely not a smooth ride! This book has wonderful characters, witty banter, engaging dialogue, great secondary characters, steamyish love scenes, the “Carter Club”, a dash of heartache and a sweet ending, and a charming epilogue. I highly recommend this story – I am leary of “fairytale” retellings, but this one is outstanding, it is also one of the best debuts I have ever read and I can’t wait to read the next book this author writes!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

This is a rewrite of Cinderella.
Miss Julia Beaumont has exactly one night to find herself a husband…
The Weatherford Ball is the last chance Julia Beaumont has to escape the clutches of her horrid stepmother. Any potential husband will do—rich, poor, even a reasonably well-groomed walrus. But all of Julia’s matrimonial chances are completely obliterated…thanks to the actions of an infuriating and utterly rakish duke.
Gregory Carter, Duke of Ashworth, would never risk his cherished bachelorhood by flirting with marriage-starved debutantes. But one look at the luscious and refreshingly clever Julia, and he simply can’t resist a stolen kiss—scandal be damned. Then just as things start getting deliciously interesting, the lady flees…leaving only a slipper behind.
And it must have been one dandy of a kiss. Because now Julia has proposed to him. After all, the lady needs a husband, and this roguish duke will certainly do. It’s simply a matter of making him the perfect scandalous offer…
I don't remember reading a book by Lydia Drake before.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Julia is classified as a spinster. As she was never given the chance to come to London as her wicked stepmother wouldn’t do anything for her and always put her down and made her be her unpaid maid. As her stepsister is now of age, they are to attend the Weatherford Ball but since the stepmother is sick, Julia is to be chaperone. She also realizes this is her last chance to escape from the horrible future she is currently facing. Gregory Carter, Duke of Ashworth, is known as a rake and has so many duels with husbands. The wives chase after him and try to compromise him and the husband calls for a duel. It turns out that Julia saves him from one such duel. Because of that, they end up getting married and then plan on going their separate ways. As they spend more time together, they learn more about their past and why they have their insecurities as well as you aren’t always like your parents and are worthy of love. A good story.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a complimentary copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this feisty retelling of Cinderella in this debut from Lydia Drake. The banter between Julia and Gregory was brilliant, and their chemistry leapt off the pages. If you like fairy tale retellings, this is a must read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cinderella and the Duke by Lydia Drake is a wonderful take off on the story of Cinderella with wonderful regency twists and turns. It is hard to believe that there is a way to make another story of Cinderella - but there is! Enter ​​Gregory Carter, Duke of Ashworth and Julia Beaumont.

The story has all the right elements: A wicked stepmother who takes her meanness out on her step daughter, a ball with a lost slipper, and a search for truth and finding true love. Then add the regency flair with the Ton and all their gossip, a nobility that is not really noble and a queen needing entertainment. Gregory was determined to marry if only to keep all the women who chased him off his back. Julia knows she has one and only one chance to “catch a husband” before her wicked stepmother interferes and prevents Julia from finding her future.

The novel has all the elements including the clueless duke who thinks he is saving himself - when in reality - he too is clueless. Cinderella and the Duke by Lydia Drake is a fun read.