This was a fun, light read. Though I felt the build up sort of fell after they were together. I enjoyed it, the characters were likable,

I did not expect to fall in love with this book, the book was fighting an uphill battle with the cover looking like a romance nivel that you'd expect Fabio to be on the cover of. But I was pleasantly surprised, the author has a delightful narrative and voice, really makes the character of Julia a pleasure, when she could have easily come off as a jaded prude.

I honestly would love a sequel book like "Aurora Daydreaming" following Susanah and Duke Huntington.

Definitely an easy going read, perfect for an airplane trip or nice day read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is definitely one of the better ones of the Cinderella re-tellings that littered the market. I believe this is Ms Drake's debut novel, and she clearly has the talent. This book doesn't feel like a debut novel. It is well-written and engaging. I loved the witty banters between our main protagonists, Julia and Gregory. The book also has more than a few funny moments. The writing reminds me of Tessa Dare's so, this book is excellent for those who enjoyed Ms Dare's books (not another reference to Bridgerton, please! That series isn't the only series in the land of historical romance. I appreciate that it pushes the historical romance genre into prominence but still...).

Julia wants to escape her selfish stepmother's clutches from being her drudge for the rest of her life. A lucky meeting with Price Charming aka Gregory Carter, The Duke of Ashworth, at a ball in which they share a kiss tilts her fate in a different direction. A slipper was left behind, prompting Gregory to call on Julia to return it. And a marriage bargain was sealed as each has something to gain. Can the marriage of convenience turn into a marriage of love?

3% in, and I was absolutely in love with Julia. She is my kind of heroine. She took charge of her fate. She didn't wait around for things to happen to her. She made things happen. Gregory is an out-and-out rake. The husbands around town kept accusing him of having an affair with their wives, resulting in lots of duels (in some cases, it's not true). It was the wives who kept throwing themselves at him. He was deathly tired of it all. So, when Julia proposed, he decided to accept it to keep the wives in the ton from him.

Both of them grappled with self-esteem issues. An event that happened ten years ago made Julia question her self-worth. Gregory felt unlovable due to his upbringing. I appreciate the fact that Ms Drake didn't make him melancholy. A duke with ennui is one too many in the land of historical romance.

The premise isn't exactly original or groundbreaking with it being a fairy tale retelling. The humour makes it stand out, though. My only complaint is that the story somewhat fizzles in the middle. However, this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book.

A worthy debut from Ms Drake, and I'm looking forward to her next book!

His rakish reputation precedes the Duke of Ashworth, Gregory Carter. Now Gregory is being chased by married women and challenged for duels by men who mistakenly believe that he has slept with their wives. Only because her stepmother is sick, spinster Julia Beaumont is escorting her sweet stepsister to a ball. For the last ten years, Julia has been waiting on her stepmother rather than attending society events. This ball is Julia's only chance to find a husband. A marriage of convenience might benefit both of them. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. The sparks are flying between Gregory and Julia as soon as they meet. I love the scintillating repartee between them as they duel with words. There is plenty of sizzling and steamy scenes between them, but they are not gratuitous. The characters and the story kept me riveted. Since the story is so well written, I was surprised to discover that this is a debut novel. I look forward to the next one in this series.

The title easily gives the Cinderella inspiration away and you can find the general idea of the Cinderella story in this book. What I very much enjoyed were the little hints and jokes referencing the original fairytale but also how the author changed it to write her own unique story here. One of these changes was that our protagonist Julia has a loving and supportive relationship with her stepsister Susannah. That relationship was one of the highlight of this book.

What dragged down the rating a little were some of the decisions Julia and her love interest Gregory made throughout the middle of the book. Without spoilers, let’s say they felt more of a way to ensure the story would go on and less like genuine choices.

Besides that I had a great time with this book and enjoyed it’s brand of humor and writing stye a lot.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

For Julia Beaumont, she only has tonight to save her future. Her stepmother has no intention of ever letting her leave, and it's only a common cold which has allowed her the freedom to step into a ballroom. Acting as a chaperone to her sister, she hopes she will be able to find someone to marry her. It's a long shot, but Julia has nothing to lose - she needs a miracle. However, Gregory Carter, Duke of Ashworth, has other plans for Julia. When he sees the beautiful young lady trying to court the attention of known bores, he wants to save her, and he can't resist a kiss. Gregory then can't believe when she runs away - from a duke - without another look. He needs to find her, and when he does, he's in for the shock of his life.

Wow, this book was a roller coaster! I expected it to be a fun regency read, but as soon as I started it, I was drawn in, and could not put it down until it was finished. We start off seeing Julia be put upon by her stepmother, and wishing she could escape. She had one chance to find freedom, and as soon as she met Gregory, the tension and chemistry was palpable. They brought out the best and worst parts of each other, but the strength in their relationship, and the depth of their feelings meant that they were perfect for each other. Initially their marriage was one of convenience, especially considering that Gregory was sick of women literally throwing themselves at him, and he wanted to throw off his reputation as a rake. However, they soon feel real love for each other, and the fact that Gregory fell first was great. A debut, but one that read as from a seasoned author! I'll be on the lookout for Lydia's future books.

I enjoyed the batter between the duke and his 'Cinderella' but I found the story line a bit dull. It was a quick read for a rainy afternoon. I enjoyed the sister relationship the most and I wish there was more scenes with the Duke and his Cinderella that were shown about what they did to like each other besides a few paragraphs, but I would pick up a sequel just to see what happens to her sister.

Julia Beaumont needs a husband before she gets stuck working as her awful, domineering stepmother’s companion for the rest of her life. Her stepmother becomes sick and unable attend a ball, so Julia offers to chaperone her younger step-sister with a goal of landing a husband before the night ends, Julia doesn't think anything will result in her efforts until she meets the Duke of Ashworth, a handsome rake who is notorious for his scandalous affairs.

Gregory Carter, the Duke of Ashworth, is sick of being chased by women of the ton. One of them tries to trap him into marriage at the ball and Julia rescues him from the situation. He is immediately enchanted by her strong views and intellect. Julia flees the ball to return home in time, leaving behind only her slipper. When, she sees Gregory the next day, she suggests a marriage of convenience to help them both out. It seems like the best solution to both their dilemmas, but what happens when their hearts get in the way of their intentions?

Cinderella and the Duke was a charming romantic tale!
I really loved how the Cinderella fairytale was done here. It was clever and different but also had the important story beats from the Cinderella tale. I mean glass shoes are vital and I loved that they were included here. I don't think I've seen that included in a historical retelling before.
The romance was a whirlwind romance. I really enjoyed it and found it entertaining and romantic.
I am surprised this is a debut novel. It was really well written and delightful. I am definitely going to be keeping my eye out for Drake's next novel.

DNFing at 25%

I didn't hate it, there were some really great parts, Julia and Gregory were very cute together and some of the parts had me squealing

But it's also failing to hold my interest and Julia's "not like other girls" just makes me very meh. Don't get me wrong, I love Julia, but I'm not sure why we need to pit her against all the other girls. It feels very much like Gregory likes her because she's ✨special✨ unlike all the other girls he's ever met who are apparently plain and boring. He could just like her and appreciate her—and even appreciate the way she's under by others—without all the "not like other girls" nonsense

I didn't hate what I read and I might revisit it in the future. But for now, it feels more like an obligation than anything else to read it, so I'm freeing myself of that

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advance ebook copy. No review was required and all thoughts are my own

Historical romance, Regency-ish era England. Julia is the Cinderella in the story, escorting her younger stepsister to a ball while her stepmother is ill. This is Julia’s one chance to find a husband, since her stepmother refuses to let Julia go to any balls. While protecting a rake from being compromised by a lady and called out in a duel by her husband, she kisses him and then runs away, thinking that she’s ruined. When the rake, our duke Gregory, comes to call the next day with her lost slipper, she proposes a marriage of convenience to him: He helps her get out from under her stepmother’s control and she helps him avoid the lecherous women of the ton. Both of these people are deeply insecure and play an emotionally detached role to protect themselves from being hurt. However, they have great chemistry together and enjoy each other’s company. I really enjoyed this debut novel from this author and am looking forward to reading more.

Miss Julia Beaumont lives with her horrid stepmother and her loving stepsister, Susannah. Julia is busy making adjustments to her ballgown for the Weatherford’s ball. Unfortunately, Julia must go with slippers that has one loose heel, but at least her gown will be lovely. Gregory Carter, Duke of Ashworth, decides also to attend the Weatherford’s ball too. As Julia scoffs at the elderly men who have never seen a lady older than twenty-five, Julia spies Gregory. Julia notices how handsome Gregory is. Julia decides to save him from yet another duel by saying that Lady Weatherford is looking for him. Gregory is entranced with Julia and won’t let her go back to the ball. As Julia attempts to go her heel breaks off her shoe and Gregory catches and kisses her. Julia proposes that they enter a marriage of convenience with no feelings attached even though she in truth has fallen for him. Gregory also has feelings for Julia but must never show it because he is rake and has plans that don’t include a wife.
What a wonderful retelling of a fairy tale told Regency style! This might be Ms. Lydia Drake’s first story it is pretty fantastic. No, it isn’t complicated, yet is memorable. Luckily, the book veers a bit away from the traditional story, but the same themes are still evident and noticeable in this tale. Anyone that loves Cinderella will love this take though. The book moves quickly and doesn’t drag with error-free writing which is a good thing. The cynical sarcastic older heroine, Julia is just a terrific heroine! She even saves Gregory when she doesn’t even know him or agrees with his way of life. She at times acts a little modern manages to be captivating anyhow. Gregory, the rakish hero at first does not win any points, he does grow on you. He is a pretty decent book boyfriend too! I do look forward to another story maybe about Susannah and hopefully another fairy story!

As the title says this book offers a sort of Cinderella retelling. I was disappointed that it doesn’t resemble the story much. Julia and Gregory do meet at a ball, share a kiss and she somehow loses a slipper behind.

Their first kiss is really sweet and tender with a promise for more but after Julia and Gregory became engaged and married the spiciness disappears. I felt like the remaining of the book focuses more on other stuff such as a Carter Club which I didn’t find appealing at all. It includes women who shared a bed with Gregory one time in the past and then liked his prowess so much they started a club because apparently he is quite a skillful lover and that night helped the women with their own personal life.

It felt weird for them starting a club and show up in mourning clothes the morning after Julia’s wedding. She thought it was weird but engaged them nonetheless. Later I think she even joined their club!

I didn’t understand Julia and her stepmother’s relationship. It felt like they both don’t like each other and yet, if I remember correctly, the stepmother is still a welcome part of Julia’s new family at the end of the book.

I do love her stepsister though.

To sum up: the first part with the kiss and a ball, basically the only scene that resembles Cinderella, was alright but then the rest of the book the pacing didn’t flow and I didn’t feel much chemistry. The whole Carter Club was disturbing really.

3.5 stars.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
ARC was provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cinderella and the Duke is a fast-paced and witty retelling of Cinderella, whose characters make it stand out from the pack. There isn’t too much new here, but it’s charmingly told, and Drake’s voice is entertaining.

Julia Beaumont has one more chance to land a husband before the season ends and she’s forced to spend yet another winter with her horrifying stepmother in impoverished servitude (her late father did not provide her with much of an income). The Weatherford Ball allows all sorts of folks to mix, and Julia believes she’ll find a decent (or at least tolerable) man there. Enter the most infuriating man she’s ever met.

Gregory Carter, Duke of Ashworth is a brawling, beery, duel-indulging bachelor with no intent of settling down, but Julia is gorgeous, and there’s no harm in flirting, now is there? After she saves him from yet another horny married woman, they share a passionate kiss, but she flees from him and probable scandal at midnight, leaving him alone with her slipper.

In the aftermath, Gregory comes to Julia’s house to return the slipper. She makes a daring proposal to him: they will fake a courtship and engagement to save one another from having to deal with bored married women eager to be tumbled whose husbands feel the need to cover for their honor (him) and the horrors of a bone-dry Season and her stepmother’s wickedness (her). But as the season progresses, rogue and hoyden soon find themselves falling in love with one another.

This one is just a romp that lives upon its wits, and sometimes that’s good enough. I liked Julia’s relationship with her stepsister, Susannah, and I enjoyed the fact that she’s no doormat. Gregory is roguish but no evil swain – in fact, sex with him has both educated his married lovers and given them hope for the future with their husbands (?!?). The romance suffers from the typical lust-but-also-self-hatred!push-pull that haunts many a historical romance. A lot of the conflict, though, feels light as air. It's one of those situations where everyone can and should do better, but the book itself does a good job of making what there is, work. Cinderella and the Duke will please those who just want something light and frothy.

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3.75 STARS

When I started reading this I could not put it down I loved the back and forth between Gregory and Julia.

Julia is a spinster by the ton's standards, she's forced into that by her stepmother Constance. Her stepmother has kept her away from society because she is treated by her. Her stepmother wants her daughter Susannah to be the most popular to get a match at her debut. Julia's stepmother wants her to be a spinster to take care of her.

Constance was absolutely nasty to Julia, I couldn’t stand her. What I really enjoyed was that Julia's stepsister Susannah had a really good relationship with Julia. Which is a twist from the regular Cinderella story. So Julia is desperate to get married and get out of the situation that she is in. She has an opportunity to go to a ball and find a husband, where she meets Gregory the duke of Ashworth.

Gregory the duke of Ashworth is a rake by all of the ton in England. He is known for sleeping with married women or and woman really. He has a bad past with his parents and this determines his self worth. He has wealthy, a title and everything a man can want. He has no intention of getting married ever. But he was also tired of getting hit on by married women.

So when Julia proposes marriage he sees the benefits for himself. And he thinks that this must be helpful to him.

There is a lot going on with both of these characters internally and not wanting to share with each other.

So I really enjoyed reading this and I was so curious to see where it goes, which made me want to keep reading. But then I started to get annoyed with the yes, no consummate scenes. Like the first one was ok but after the second one I was annoyed, like is it going to happen or not. That was a major part of the frustration for me.

I enjoyed Julia and Gregory and I loved the banter between these two. It was very witty and sarcastic and I am always here for the sarcasm.

They were so good together and really enjoyed each others company. And they also helped each other be better. They were so good for each other and I really liked the relationship and how they realized that maybe they wanted more sans on again off again consummation scenes.

I would have loved to see more on both of the characters outside of them being together, like what else did they do and accomplish. This story was fully based on both of the characters and their relationship. Which wasn’t bad at all I guess I just wanted a little more.

This book was good overall, I guess I was looking for more but it kept me engaged and I could not put it down.

This book was AMAZING. I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The beginning of the story took a little bit for me to get into but once I was hooked...I literally could not put it down and ended up reading most of the book in one sitting. I would definitely read more books by this author and cannot wait to see the rest of her stories.

Gregory and Julia did not have the easiest time getting to happily ever after but their journey was enjoyable - especially thinking about all of the twists and turns as they each surprised each other.

I really enjoyed this fresh take on the Cinderella fairy tale. Julia is a great "Cinderella" looking for a way out of having to deal with her step-mother for the rest of her life. Her way out is to try to get married even though she hasn't been able to attend anything in London since she came of age. Her step-sister, Susannah, , who isn't evil & actually very sweet, is of age to have her debut. Julia plans to take advantage of this & chaperones Susannah to a ball. At this ball, Julia runs into Gregory, Duke of Ashworth, & well known rake that gets with married women & has been known to fight a duel or two. Sparks fly, she loses a shoe, he finds it & decides to return it. The adventure from there is well worth the read! Highly recommend this book!!

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

This is a gorgeous story. Julia is a spinster living with her stepmother. She is desperate to get away from her but doesn’t let it dim her light. Gregory Carter is the Duke of Ashworth. He hides his light from everyone in the ton and pretends to be an irascible reprobate. There is sparkling delight as they spar with each other. It is filled with wit and charming fun as the reader gets to know these two characters between the pages. All is not as it seems and the story comes to a wonderful and happy conclusion.

Gregory Carter, Duke of Ashworth, has slept his way through most of the married ladies of the ton. He's a rake first class, and he likes it that way, although he doesn't enjoy being called out in a duel by unhappy husbands all the time. It has happened too many times, and he's grown weary of the whole charade. By chance, he meets spinster Julia Beaumont at a ball, and he's smitten with the outspoken young woman. Julia is looking for a husband to get away from her stepmother, who treats her as little more than a servant. A happenstance meeting with the ton's most notorious rake sets Julia on a collision course between what she wants and what she can achieve. In her boldest action yet, she does the proposing, but will the duke rise to the challenge?

I've always enjoyed a good fairytale retelling, and this Cinderella tale had a nice spin. I especially enjoyed the banter between Gregory and Julia as they negotiated the terms of their marriage. The plot moved along at a good pace, with a few twists and turns along the way. I loved that Julia got a chance to tell her stepmother exactly what she thought of her. I thought the weakest part of the story, though, was about Julia's first love, or so she thought. It seemed a little far-fetched that the scoundrel would have waited 10 years to reappear in Julia's life, especially since everything we know about him was that he needed money. What had he been surviving on in the intervening years? It looks like the next book could be about Julia's stepsister and Gregory's friend, and I look forward to reading that one.

Cinderella and the Duke

I really wanted to like this book as I love a Cinderella retelling or any rags to riches tale however, it was just not what I thought it was going to be. The first third was promising. I quite enjoyed reading it and the way it was written, it flowed nicely and the characters were very entertaining and I wanted to learn more about them. Then came the last two thirds which was a mixture of it being too fast paced whilst also being really slow at the same time. I’d like to add as well that the inspiration of Cinderella takes place within the beginning portion of the book so that may be why I didn’t enjoy the rest of the book as it was really plot heavy in the beginning and after that it just went downhill as there wasn’t really a flow and things happened out of the blue that were unexpected and made it a and I really struggled to finish it. There were also parts that I were really confused by and the Cinderella and the Duke

I really wanted to like this book however, it was just not what I thought it was going to be. The first third was promising. I quite enjoyed reading it and the way it was written, it flowed nicely and the characters were very entertaining and I wanted to learn more about them. Then came the last two thirds which was a mixture of it being too fast paced whilst also being really slow at the same time.Also I’d like to add that the inspiration of Cinderella takes place within the beginning portion of the book so that may be why I didn’t enjoy the rest of the book as it was really plot heavy in the beginning and after that it just went downhill as there wasn’t really a flow and things happened out of the blue which made it hard to continue and quite a struggle to finish. There were also parts that I were really confused by and the romance was the only good point but that’s when it was present as it was either then arguing or ignoring each other in the last two thirds of the book.

Will I reread in the future? Probably only the first third portion as it was really good.

Will I read anything else by the author? I feel like I might.

Thank you Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.