Thanks to Netgalley and Entangled for the advanced copy of this book.

For a debut novel, I found it very promising! The characters kept my interest and both parts of the couple were actual fleshed-out characters for the most part, which I appreciated. It was a little too much Cinderella for me, and I struggled early on with wanting to keep reading. Once the writing got into the main part of the novel, I was much more attentive. The plot was pretty standard - many of these novels are unrealistic to varying extents, and I personally don't have much of an issue with how that was portrayed here. Ultimately, I would have liked to have a more unique plot or distinctive twist on Cinderella to make it stand out among the other historical romance novels I read.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book a lot.
Julia has one chance to find someone to take her from her evil stepmother who wants her to spend her life serving has nursemaid and servant.
Gregory is a legendary rake, sleeping with the married women of the ton and dueling their irate husbands. Gregory has no intention of marrying and doesn't see himself as worth of love after the way his parents treated him.
I liked Julia and Gregory's relationship and growth through the book. Although there were times I wanted Gregory to grow a little faster and for both to be more open and honest in their communication.
4 stars.

It's a well-paced historical romance with two of the most interesting main characters I have come across in fiction. Their sense of humor made it all the more interesting. I found it hard to put down once I started reading and it had me laughing many times. The story is perfect and there is enough drama to keep readers entertained.
Julia is a spinster who doesn't want to stay one. She wants a life away from her stepmother even if it means she must marry someone she doesn't like. Love doesn't even enter the equation. So, when by a lucky chance she is allowed to attend a ball to chaperone her step-sister, she knows this must be it. She might never get another chance at finding herself a husband. Unfortunately, things rarely go as planned.
Gregory never wants to marry. In fact, he hates the very idea and knows that no woman can be happy with him. Never has in his entire life been tempted to consider matrimony until he meets Julia. There is something about her that makes it difficult to get her out of his head. Hounded by the husbands of women who can't seem to leave him alone, marriage might give him a much-needed reprieve from early morning duels.
What seems like a perfect idea, a marriage of convenience, might soon turn into a battle of wills and a fight against temptation. Neither Julia nor Gregory is ready to back down from this race against fate.
The story has all the ingredients of a great romance and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. So glad I picked it up.

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc of this book.

This is a cute, regency-era retelling of Cinderella. For a debut novel, I felt that it was quite good. I will read from this author again and felt like she was setting up for a second book with the possibility of the stepsister getting a her own happily ever after. Where this falls a little flat is with the conflict and lack of communication; but as an avid historical romance reader that is nothing new. I enjoyed the banter between our two main characters, Julia & Gregory and found their romance believable by the end of the book.

Julia has one chance. A fortuitously timed cold means that she will be tasked with chaperoning her much lovelier, younger, and richer stepsister at a ball. She has no fanciful notions, of course, but does hope to find a tolerably agreeable widower to offer her an escape from spinsterhood and life as her awful stepmother's handmaiden. As it happens, her kindness and quick wit throw her in the path of the Duke of Ashworth, They quickly realize they can be of use to each other, but finding out what else they could be to each other takes time...and bravery.

This is great fun and a standout in the genre due to its humor, emotional depth, and quality of writing. It was easy to connect with both Julia and Gregory and cheer for their happiness. The spicy bits are very enjoyable and there is just the right amount of angst--enough to tell a satisfying story without dragging it down. I would highly recommend picking this up for an intelligent and funny historical romance with real heart!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Did I request this book because the protagonists’ names are the same as mine and my husband’s? Why yes, yes I did. And I’m glad I did! It’s an engaging historical romance with some fun Cinderella vibes.

Julia Beaumont needs a husband before she’s trapped as her demanding stepmother’s companion forever. When her stepmother falls ill and cannot attend a ball, Julia sees her chance and offers to chaperone her younger step-sister. Intent on finding her future husband before the night ends, Julia thinks the night is unsuccessful until she meets Gregory, a handsome and notorious rake known for his scandalous affairs.

Gregory Carter, the Duke of Ashworth, is sick of being chased by the women of the ton, and when one of these women tries to entrap him, Julia comes to his rescue. Gregory is immediately taken with Julia and is enchanted by her intellect and strong opinions. Though Julia flees the ball, leaving behind only her slipper, she sees Gregory again the next day and proposes to him. They can help each other with this marriage of convenience, and it seems like the perfect solution to both of their problems. However, neither intended for their feelings to get in the way.

This is a great debut novel by Lydia Drake. The characters are interesting and well-developed, and their romance includes a couple of my favorite tropes. It’s a marriage of convenience, and the MMC falls first. Gregory and Julia have chemistry from the moment they meet. She is a spinster, and he is a rake. They don’t seem like they would have much in common, but Gregory falls hard and fast for the intelligent and outspoken Julia. They have a lively, banter-filled romance with tons of chemistry flying between them, and the way he talks about her intellect is super swoon-worthy.

The side characters are interesting too, and I really liked the relationship between Julia and her step-sister. Unlike the fairy tale, this step-sister is nice, and she and Julia have a great sisterly bond. And as much as I loved her and some of the other secondary characters, Julia’s stepmother is as wicked as Cinderella’s. I could totally understand why Julia was so desperate to get away from her.

There are many little references to Cinderella throughout the story. Julia (Cinderella) meets Gregory (Prince Charming) at a ball. Julia loses her slipper as she flees the ball. There’s even a wicked stepmother trying to foil Julia’s plans. They are all fun reminders of the fairy tale but with a unique Regency twist, making it feel fresh and new.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Entangled: Amara for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Wallflower who thinks she won’t find love but wants to get away from her stepmother? Check.
Man who thinks love is a myth and won’t ever marry? Check.
I’m obsessed with this book and with Julia and Gregory’s love story. It was just so lovely and fun to read. Did I laugh? Yes and did I cry? Also yes. Those are signs of a wonderful story to me.

A wicked stepmother, a damaged Duke, a Cinderella with attitude and wit - I loved it.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Julia wants to go to a ball. Julia’s stepmother is feeling sick, and she can not accompany Susannah (Julia’s stepsister) to the ball. Therefore it is Julia’s lucky day and she will go with Susannah instead. Julia’s goal is to catch a husband and to leave this dreadful life behind her. She is done being her stepmother’s maid and refuses to become a spinster.

When Julia arrives at the ball, she keeps her eye on the price. Although many men find her attractive, they are not interested because of her “older” age. But then this handsome man arrives at the ball, The Duke of Ashworth, Gregory. He is a rake who is famous for debauching wives. When he arrives, the alarm goes off in every man’s head. But Gregory is done with being a rake. When one of these silly wives wants to trick him, Julia is there to rescue him from another fiasco.

Gregory is immediately captivated by her. She is beautiful, headstrong and knows how to get back at him. She is a challenge, and he likes her for it. But Julia has no interest in him because of his reputation so when she runs away from him, she loses her shoe.

Gregory finds Julia the next day and Julia makes a proposal. She wants to marry him to escape her stepmother. And he would marry her so he can finally be taken serious by society. But there is one rule: not falling in love. Well, this will be interesting. What do you think will happen?

I was very sceptical at first. But after the first three chapters, I was hooked! Gregory and Julia are a match! I really enjoyed their scenes where they would constantly tease each other or really bicker. He loves it when she doesn’t back down and tells him what is what. I live for these scenes! I loved how the author slowly changed Gregory in the story. He is clearly a man who has been rejected many times in life. At the beginning, Gregory has no interest in a relationship with anyone but when he meets Julia, he slowly opens up to her. Julia realizes this man is not cold, but generous, sweet and caring. I admit that Gregory is a potential book husband for me. Massive kudos to the author.

ARC copy provided by NetGalley though all thoughts are my own.

Julia needs a husband (any man with a pulse will do) to save herself from a life as her step mothers ladies companion. Gregory is a rake who needs a wife to stop all the married ladies of the ton from chasing him as they keep resulting in Duels. After Julia rescues Gregory from yet another potential Duel, he calls on her the next day to return her broken shoe and she proposes a marriage of convenience to him.

This was so cute! I absolutely loved it. It's a very self-aware Cinderella retelling and Noth characters have quick with and love to share barbs with each other. They are two very guarded people unraveling the layers and fears of their past. This was such a fun book and I can't wait for the next one!

well what can i say but everyone deserves a happy ending despite all the odds and barriers that might be in the way .I loved this book honestly am all in for the romance and damn the duke though...
much appreciation to the author and Netgalley

A wonderful take on the Cinderella fairy tale. I adored both Julia and Gregory and they were perfect for each other. Only problem I had with the book was that it ended. I could have followed this couple for years!

This book was just fine for me. I don't have anything either particularly positive or negative to say about it. I didn't mind the characters, but I just didn't connect with the plot at all.

Miss Julia Beaumont has one chance to get out from under the thumb of her controlling stepmother, and any potential husband will do. She does not expect it to be Gregory Carter, Duke of Ashworth, the biggest rake of all. But Gregory is sick of being chased by every bored wife of the ton and a marriage of convenience to the intriguing Julia suddenly becomes a society sensation.

This is the debut novel for author Lydia Drake, featuring a Cinderella retelling. I had mixed feelings as the beginning felt a bit forced, but I thought the book hit its stride in the middle. I didn't really connect to either character, and I needed more "show" than "tell" with their chemistry. There were a handful of intimate scenes, but they were all pretty short and underdeveloped. I did, however, like the author's writing style. It was a quick, easy read and I would give her books another chance in the future.

Tropes: Spinster, Cinderella, Reform-a-Rake, Marriage of Convenience

Steam: 2-ish

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #CinderellaAndTheDuke #NetGalley

A love story with just the right amount of steam. Gregory and Julia lead each other on a merry chase and have a great time doing so. There's a little excitement added in for good measure.

This is a delightful retelling of Cinderella and her Prince Charming. Julia has a horrible stepmother that has just “abused” her position in Julia’s life. Constance, her stepmother is the absolute worse caregiver to the stepdaughter and is constantly putting Julia down. So when given the opportunity to attend a ball as the chaperone to her younger stepsister, Julia jumps at the chance. As Constance is home sick, Julia is on the hunt to change her situation in life. That’s when she comes in contact with our Duke, Gregory. Gregory has a very interesting background filled with lovers and duels. Women, especially married ones are constantly throwing themselves at him. Now he just wants to live a life free of drama and Julia is only willing to assist him in this.

This Cinderella retelling is a must on your TBR. I loved every moment with Julia and Gregory as they discovered themselves and their love for each other.

I received this book from Netgalley and this is my honest experience and review of this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Cinderella and the Duke was a very sweet Cinderella inspired story. Very loosely based on the fairytale (there’s an evil stepmother, but a nicer stepsister). Julia was a very fun main character, she was witty,sarcastic, adventurous and seized opportunities when presented to her. Her and Gregory’s romance was very sweet, and you definitely wanted them to figure things out.Gregory was supposed to be a bit of a rake, but with a heart of gold. I just didn’t fully buy his personality as a rake and scoundrel. Both Julia and Gregory both have sad childhoods and desperately want to be loved, and have both found that in each other.

I thought the story lacked a bit of angst or drama that would really tug at your heartstrings. So this ended up being a good rather than outstanding read. I’d recommend this if you’re looking for a cozy romantic story that won’t take you on a huge emotional rollercoaster.

Read and reviewed this Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley.

Cinderella and the Duke was a very sweet and cozy Cinderella retelling. However for me there wasn't something that stood out throughout the book. I did enjoy both the hero and heroine but couldn't feel as much chemistry as I usually prefer in my historical romance couples. This was my first book by the author but I will probably still look to her other books in the future.

Cinderella and the Duke by Lydia Drake
This is a wonderful Cinderella story - Gregory Carter, Duke of Ashworth (confirmed bachelor) and Julia Beaumont (on the shelf - do to her evil stepmother) they meet a ball and after a stolen kiss she flees leaving a shoe behind. This story has it all angst, self doubt, strong attraction, some great sub characters and some not so great, lots of laughs and some tears, and plenty of steam to get to a very HEA.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Easy-to-read Page-turner Romantic Action-packed Tear-jerker Wonderful characters Steamy Informative Entertaining Great world building Happily Ever After Funny. I really enjoyed reading and reviewing this book.

Cinderella and the Duke follows Julia Beaumont, who feels the Weatherford Ball is her last chance to escape her awful stepmother and find a husband. What she finds is the Duke of Ashworth, who isn't interest in marriage. They decide to go into a marriage of convenience early in the book and the rest of the book follows their path to an HEA.

I loved this book. It is well written and I adored Gregory and Julia. They were both wonderful people and made for an exceptional book couple. Strong 5 stars!!