Overall a solid friends to lovers historical romance inspired by Cinderella and My Fair Lady/Pygmalion! I really enjoyed Max and Evie’s sweet slowburn relationship there was the right amount of angst thrown in.

**thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review**

Laura Lee Guhrke gives us an unusual romance between a young lady bookshop owner and a high society duke in 1896 London. There are menaces from their families and associates that neither anticipated. Frothy romance with unusual setting. Enjoy Bookshop Cinderella.

Anything with a Cinderella vibe, sign me up. Add in some She's All That vibes and the fact that Laura Lee Guhrke also happens to be one of my favorite historical authors - Bookshop Cinderella had the makings of a perfect historical romance read for me! Evie was relatable - she was reluctant to leave her comfort zone and reluctant to participate in a bet wagered about her.  
 
Max, on the other hand was a breath of fresh air - he didn't try to decieve Evie into the wager. He was up front and provided her the tools with which to win - and improve her station in life (outside of her comfort zone). Together, they were a historical power duo - their banter was witty, the chemistry was great, and they packed the perfect amount of swoon!  
 
I also loved the con man / smarmy childhood friend subplot - it added a layer of chaos and intrigue that I really, really enjoyed. Overall, if you're looking for a really good historical romance to kick off fall with - pick this up!

Laura Lee Guhrke has been one of my favourite historical authors for a while now and I am so glad she has new books coming out. I love this story and the characters and I look forward to reading more from her!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

I love a good romp through a historical romance, and I was especially excited since our FMC is a bookshop owner. Basically unheard of through her times! While I enjoyed the idea behind the bet and the similarities to certain 90's romcom movies, I couldn't quite feel the chemistry and classic YEARNING between the two mains. Dukie doesn't feel like enough of a character to hold the title of MMC, if that makes sense. I didn't quite blame her for running away so much. All-in-all, it was good but I don't think I'd reread.

I got a ARC for my honors opinion so here it is.

I’m not one to read too much of historical romance but this book was so wonderful to read. The beginning did had a bit of a rocky start but it ended up being a wonderful book. I do wish we got a bit more for the ending. But overall it was a wonderful book.

I absolutely love that Laura Lee Guhrke did the wager trope without making it the catalyst for the third act breakup. The transparency and teaming up of the MCs to win the bet was a great way to bring them closer together without her being under false pretenses.

I thought that both of their backstories were believable and interesting, and I loved the side characters. The plot held my attention and I binge read this book!

The romance was so sweet and I appreciate that it was a bit slow burn and didn't take over the plot. I thought it was really well balanced between the character development and their obvious attraction for each other. This was a total win for me.

This book was ok. I liked the characters It’s a cute historical but not something I would buy and read again

I know some people would love this but personally I found it was just ok .

The cinderella name in the title is not entirely accurate. this book is more of pygmalion retelling than any other storyline. I was very relieved that Evie was aware of the bet she was involved in so that was never turned into a betrayal. The beginning of the book took quite a bit to get going but once the storyline was established the book moved well. I really liked both Evie and Maximillian.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was great from the very beginning.

I received a free copy of Bookshop Cinderella from Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) in exchange for an honest review.

Full of forbidden moments and flashed calves, Bookshop Cinderella is a steamy opposites-attract romance that will have you itching to read faster. On a bet from his friends, Max Shawe, Duke of Westbourne, tells Evie Harlow that he will turn her into the diamond of the season and find a husband. Though reluctant, disaster strikes, and Evie finds herself having no choice but to accept the Duke’s help.

Max’s unwavering confidence in Evie was to-die-for hot. He knew that she would succeed in drawing in the gazes of the other men and supported her from the first moment they met. I loved watching them fall for each other and unknowingly steer others away. It’s a great beach read because of the lack of heavy topics and the short length.

Cute story, more pygmalion than Cinderella, with characters that are nice but completely forgettable. A ton of telling instead of showing, exhaustive time spent in the characters' heads and a villain who is more a caricature. Ok, but nothing to write home about.

Starting a book blurb with a comparison to Lisa Kleypas and Julia Quinn is a bold move; in this case, it doesn't live up to the hype.

"Bookshop Cinderella" doesn't feel historical - very little sense of place or time, and the characters' actions feel quite contemporary. There is little chemistry between Evie & Max, and the whole plot drags. I would not read another title by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

A 5 Kisses Read, and a superb start for a series! Bookshop Cinderella is a book that uses the fairy godmother part of Cinderella in a new light. I am a lover of retellings, and this story brings an interesting take, intelligence, and brightness to the classic fairytale set in Regency England. Another cute part is that Evie is called "Bookshop Cinderella" by some of the characters that bring Max into the bet. The chemistry between Evie and Max might not have been "instant" like some novels, but thier love grew, because to they were able to see each other as equals. Also, they could go farther than attraction and into the lasting love. I couldn't stand the neighbor, how he used her, and after he thought she was valuable, wanted to marry her. He's a scammer and will not try to find real love, but a meal ticket.

This was such a fun and charming read! Despite being historical, the vibes read She's All That and even a little Pretty Woman, and of course, it helps that Evie's a bookstore owner with excellent research skills. Max, the duke, and Evie get along so easily, and while their different life experiences and stations make figuring out their path forward complicated, their genuine and sweet affection is really enjoyable. I really enjoyed reading as Evie got to experience some of the finer things she'd been on the periphery of her whole life, and I can't wait to read more in this series.

Drunken convoluted reasoning leads to Max making a bet that he can change plain, middle class, Evie into a star of the ton. If she dances every dance at a ball in a few weeks he wins. They don't especially even like each other but Evie eventually agrees to be moved to the luxury hotel Savoy at Max's expense (he's a Duke), given a new wardrobe, box seats at the opera etc. After a bad first marriage, having married beneath his own class, Max is determined to marry a woman bred to handle being a duchess. Definitely not a woman who owns a bookshop. Evie suffers from low self esteem having been bullied at school and a wallflower. I enjoyed her transformation as she gained confidence in herself and her abilities but there wasn't much of a spark between the two for the longest time making for a slow first half of the book.

I loved this twist on the Cinderella trope,although it felt more like My Fair Lady to me. So much so that I couldn't help picturing Audrey Hepburn as Evie.

Evie is the spinster bookshop owner, and Max is a Duke hoping to find his perfect Duchess this season.

They meet while Max is at her bookshop doing a favor for his cousin. He brings along some young friends that he's keeping an eye on, and they are rude and disrespectful towards Evie.
After the altercation, Max bets them that he can turn Evie into a beauty and a success at his ball coming up later in the season. Evie ends up agreeing to the plan, and she gets the makeover of a lifetime.

I loved that Evie was a strong, smart, and bookish heroine and that Max didn't need the makeover to see her true worth.

This was my first book by this author, and I'm looking forward to reading more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first of a new series, Scandal at the Savoy, and also my first experience reading something by this author, but it won't be my last. I love reading historical romances, especially ones in the Regency era, so I'm always looking for new authors to follow, and I am definitely adding this one to my list. The story flowed nicely and was well-written, with an engaging storyline that kept me turning the pages. Evie runs a small bookshop which specializes in rare first editions. She has no prospects and is settling in to her life as a spinster. That is until a drunken Max, Duke of Westbourne, wanders into her shop and brings her an unlikely proposition. He has made a bet with his friends that he can turn her boring and monotonous life around and make her the belle of the ball. He offers her a room at the Savoy Hotel and a wardrobe for the season, fully paid for. She has no intention of accepting his offer until a minor disaster in her bookshop forces her to find other lodging. Without a place to stay and her livelihood jeopardized, she reluctantly accepts Max's offer.
The story was entertaining and enjoyable and I became invested in Evie and Max's story. Evie was struggling with a mundane existence, not expecting much out of life and then Max came and changed everything for her. The chemistry between them was undeniable and I enjoyed the witty exchanges between them. They both come from different worlds, and they both have past experiences clouding their expectations, causing them to have reservations about their relationship. But their feelings for each other were strong and it was great to see two people from different social classes have such an intense connection. This was a great start to the series and I'm looking forward to continuing it.
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Set at the turn of the 20th century/end of the Victorian era, Bookshop Cinderella is a wonderful play on the My Fair Lady/Cinderella/Pretty Woman trope that I love. Max is so kind towards Evie and absolutely swoon worthy. Evie is a great MFC, but stuck in her circumstances, and Delia is just a 10/10 side character and friend to both main characters.

The way to improve this book - less maudlin Max comparing Evie to his dead wife who was completely wrong for him.

What a fun book!
I loved the play on the classic Cinderella story we all know, but done in a unique way that has the main female character, Evie, as a strong, independent woman, albeit one a bit set in her ways. The book could also be viewed as a Victorian-set take on the movie "She's All That", except the 'she' in this case is in on the scheme.

The chemistry between Evie and the MMC, Max, the Duke of Westbourne was great, especially when further highlighted by the delightful banter between them. I liked how it started off not quite as enemies - more like, 'annoyances' and then a slow-burn to love, with a solid friendship also being built between them.

The villain of the story, Evie's childhood friend, was easy to dislike with very few redeemable qualities, only making me cheer on Evie and Max even more, such that once we got to the grand gesture, it was just perfection as it required both of them, but especially Evie, to accept her insecurities and still make the decision that she did.

I will happily read more books by Guhrke.