the two leads are great and the stories built out around them and the cast of characters were good. I wouldn't mind seeing some of the other characters in future books

Laura Lee Guhrke has three books in my keeper stash (Breathless, Conor's Way and To Dream Again). She's reliable with the angst and does a great job writing adversarial, bantering romantic couples. It's been a dog's age since she's had a new book out, so I was super pumped to score an ARC of Bookshop Cinderella.

Evie Harlow runs a small London bookshop specializing in rare books, with a small loyal clientele. She's got limited prospects, but has set her cap on a childhood friend who is (of course) an idiot who doesn't deserve her devotion and (of course) takes advantage of her at every turn. But Evie hadn't clued into that yet when I decided to give up on this story.

Anyway, through a series of circumstances, she meets Maximillian Shaw, Duke of Westbourne. Blah, blah, blah, stuff happens, and he convinces Evie to help him with a wager. He's going to turn her into the diamond of the Season and help her find a husband. She turns down his offer flat, until (of course) disaster strikes her bookshop and she has no choice in the matter.

Max had previously married for love, to a commoner who was crushed under the boot of the ton - ergo Max has vowed his next marriage will be purely transactional with a woman "of his class." Evie is most definitely a commoner, vulnerable and lacking in self-confidence thanks to her experiences at finishing school and a cousin who won't let her forget them.

This is the kind of story I normally could go for. Upright heroine with vulnerable core, hero who gets blindsided despite his best attentions, and a Pygmalion theme to boot! Unfortunately it all reads so horribly flat and dull. There's no life in this story, in these characters. It feels very much paint-by-numbers, like the author was simply going through the motions. What we have here is a failure to launch. I'd read a few chapters, put my Kindle down, and it would stay down for days - then days turned into weeks. Once I hit 40% I realized two things: 1) I didn't care one jot about any of it and 2) this book was likely going to end up being the very definition of a C / Meh It's OK, I Guess? read - if it was lucky. I took that as a sign it was time for me to move on and try to get my reading mojo back with something else in my ginormous TBR pile.

Final Grade = DNF

Bookshop Cinderella was a book hard for me to rate. Mostly because for me the first half of this was hard for me to get into and I was a little bored with it. But the second half of the book I love. Mostly because I the romance aspect picked up and I felt Evie and Max’s chemistry and finally clicked with their characters. I think it also helped the characters close to them were brought in during that part and I got to know them better. Loved and related to Evie so much. Her being bookish, putting herself down and not seeing she can do so much things where the things I related to the most. While I like Max most of the book, the second half I understood him. The romance (especially the second half of the book) I thought was so cute. I swear I squealed some parts like the dance teaching. Overall the romance of this won me over after a slow start. Would love to continue with this series. Giving this 3.75 stars (giving it 4 stars on this grid).

Thank you Netgalley and Forever publishing for this arc.

I absolutely loved this book. It was an excellent refreshing read to read about Evie who had no desire to enter the ton's season or become the year's diamond. I felt for her throughout the novel, her trials of trying to fit into a world that was not hers. I really enjoyed Max the Duke and how he is her champion when she needs it. I would recommend this book to any historical romance reader and especially those who enjoy Julia Quinn or Lisa Kleypas stories as this had the same wit to the characters. I appreciated reading the ARC for free for my honest review.

I loved this book. It reminded me of the movies She's All That and Can't Buy Me Love. It was wonderful from beginning to end. I look forward to reading more from this world in the future.

It has been a while since I last read a historical romance, and Bookshop Cinderella was the perfect reminder of while I love the genre. I have always been a fan of Laura Lee Guhrke's romance novels, and this one did not disappoint. It was a delightful romance with the perfect amount of spice and scandal. Evie Harlow, the sweet heroine, is intelligent, well-read, owns a bookstore, and is content to make her way as the proverbial spinster. Rather than succumbing to societal pressure to enter a loveless marriage, she defies convention and patiently awaits her true love. I loved Max and Evie's story! Their conversations were so witty and fun, and I could not help but root for them. I especially liked how Max encouraged Evie to be more adventurous and try new things. The scandal surrounding their tumultuous relationship was expertly written and enjoyable to read. To sum it up, I really enjoyed reading the book! It was a delightful and effortless read that reminded me of the classic rags-to-riches story. If you're into historical romance, I suggest you give it a shot. Trust me. It's worth it!

Laura Lee Guhrke brings us a charming and new romance after a little bit of a hiatus. Bookshop Cinderella is the start of a new series-Scandal at the Savoy, and it does not disappoint. Guhrke's writing shine through with a subtle tone, paced to perfection, and embodied with a delicious and delightful hero and heroine. Bookshop Cinderella takes place in the late Victorian era, giving it some technilogical freedoms that are fun to see, and if you love a historical romances along the lines of Joanna Shupe, I think this novel is sure to interest you!

This novel has the inspiration of a fish out of water story, She's All That, Pygmalion, My Fair Lady feel to it, which give the story a reliability and familiar taste that swiftly draw the reader in. This novel is also a true delight when it comes to our prim and proper bookshop owner and our intelligent lord. I love that Guhrke makes any miscommunication around them separate from the driving plot of the bet, which Max keeps Evie abreast of from the beginning. I love that circumstances force Evie's hand into working with Max. And I was just truly delighted to watch these two work together, fall in love, and learn how to challenge what they know and believe about the world and society.

This novel is sweetly sensual, delightfully funny, and an overall charming romance. If you are a fan of Laura Lee Guhrke's work this will definitely be a joy to add to your collection, and if you have never read her before this is a wonderful place to start.

Thank you so much to the publisher for a copy of this book.

She's All That/ My Fair Lady + Victorian England = such a fun and cute story!

Evie Harlow runs a bookshop in London and loves her independence. When she meets Max they strike up a friendship based on the fact that neither is attracted to the other. He bets his friends that he can turn Evie into the belle of the season, which Evie accepts when her shop floods and she must find a new home. She is transformed into a beauty and Max starts to fall for her and has to convince her that a life with him wouldn't be so bad.

Read if you love:
-Historical Fiction
-Opposites attract
-Bookish settings/characters
-He falls first trope

While this book wasn't super memorable, I liked the author's writing style and I'll read the next in the series.
3.5 stars rounded up
Spice: a couple easily skippable scenes

Bookshop Cinderella by Laura Lee Guhrke is a fun, sweet, amusing, and romantic read reminiscent of the movie She's All That. The premise is an opposites attract romance where as they get to know each other they start to see each other beyond their place in society and their preconceived assumptions of each other.
Evie Harlow is an unmarried London bookshop owner who happily lives her life selling and reading books when Duke Maximilian Shaw enters her life with a proposition that she eventually cannot refuse. The Duke, on a dare of sorts agrees to make Evie the diamond of the season and help her find a husband. Only he is the one to fall for her.
Read this beautiful, fun, romantic novel to find out all of the adventures that Evie and Maximilian go on to find out the he is in love with Evie. Does Evie reciprocate and what happens to her beloved bookstore if they do fall in love? We all know a married duchess doesn't work at a bookstore.

This seems more of a happily-ever-after Pygmalion than Cinderella to me. Evie is a bookshop owner- amazing in 1896! A bunch of disgusting entitled aristocrats come into her shop and insult her looks. Max, the Duke (what else, I say?) thinks otherwise and tries to defend her. To show them what’s what he makes the miscreants a bet that he can easily turn her into a diamond of the first water. And Evie takes him up on it after her bookshop is flooded. After all, she’ll have to wait weeks to get the shop back in order, might as well get a makeover during that.

I like Laura Lee Guhrke’s books and this one did not disappoint. Both MCs are appealing, and especially the Duke, charming. Mr. Ritz of hotel fame makes a cameo as does famous chef Escoffier and that is fun. At the end there’s a luscious sexy bit to top things off. This is billed as the first in a new series so it should be fun anticipating number 2 next summer. I always like having something to look forward to.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Looking for a new twist on a classic fairy tale of Cinderella this is what you have been missing. Evie Harlow runs her own little bookshop in London. Its her pride & joy. When her precious shop is met with
disaster when it suddenly becomes flooded she is at a loss. The Duke Maximillion Shaw has been to see her already with a preposterous proposition to help him win a bet. He bet his friends that he could turn her into the prize of the season and now she has no choice but accept his offer to save her bookshop. Max plans to help Evie find
a husband but that all changes quickly when he realizes how really amazing she is. Laura Lee Guhrke was a new to me author & I'M so happy to have discovered her. what a wonderful mix of romance, humor & adventure. I love her detailed writing and her wonderful story telling. You will love this fun adventure and all its twists and turns. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really adore this author so I was really excited to have been given the chance to read her new romance early! I really adored this book! The characters were so fun! This book really gave the She’s All That vibes but historical! Evie & Max are so sweet together. Evie owns a bookshop. She’s not a lady but working class. She works hard and doesn’t think she will find love. Max, a Duke, was married once before. He’s wanting to do it right this time around, someone who can be his duchess. Max makes a bet that has to do with Evie, who will need a make over! Evie isn’t sure at first but finally agrees! These two have quite the slow burn to their HEA as both have things to overcome! This book was so sweet with low steam! I highly recommend this one!

I did not start out liking this one. I adored Evie but could not stand Max, he was a pretentious ass, however, he grew on me. I did struggle a bit with him not realizing the impact this entire bet would have on Evie, especially falling for and marrying somone below his station. To be honest there were way more dislikeable characters in this than likeable but overall I enjoyed the story. Evie deserved her HEA and Max needed a woman like her to keep him grounded! Looking forward to more Savoy Scandals!

Bookshop Cinderella is a sweet romantic story and the first in the Scandal at the Savoy series. The best way to describe it is a cross between the movies She’s All That and My Fair Lady and the fairy tale Cinderella. Evie Harlow is an independent businesswoman who owns a bookshop somehow becomes the means for a bet between 4 gentleman. When Max Shaw comes into her shop looking for information to help out his cousin, he’s accompanied by a trio of chaps who disparage her and her shop. Max, in her defense, ends up making a bet with these gentleman that he can make her into a lady and dance every dance at his charity ball in 6 weeks. Max asks Evie to take part in this scheme and hopefully it would be a win-win for both of them. He wins the bet and she gets a holiday from her shop and her current situation. After giving it some thought, especially when the bookshop needs major repairs, she takes him up on his offer. She realizes this opportunity may never come her way again and she should allow herself some fun for a change.

This was my first time reading a book from this author and I enjoyed her writing style and her character development. Evie was a smart, independent and no one’s fool which made her a fun character. Max took me awhile to like being a bit gruff in the beginning but his demeanor softened and his character became charming. Things changed when she transformed herself with new clothes and became very desirable in his eyes. It was a matter of time before Max couldn’t keep denying his feelings for Evie and his change of heart was quite apparent during The Ball. The ending may have been predictable but nonetheless it was a wonderful ending. My one takeaway was that there wasn’t an epilogue! I am one of those fans that love a glimpse into the happy couple’s future and we didn’t get a chance to see it. Overall, it was a delightful, light read and something for historical fans to enjoy.

London, 1896: Evie Harlow runs a bookshop on her own. She’s content with her quiet life, until Maximillian Shaw, Duke of Westbourne, walks into her shop with a proposition. He’s made a bet with his friends to turn Evie into the diamond of the season who can fill her dance card at a ball. Evie thinks that idea is ridiculous, but when a disaster hits her shop, she decides to take him up on his offer to have a little vacation. Max thinks he is rescuing Evie from her quiet spinster lifestyle, but as she turns into the diamond he predicted, he realizes she could be the one for him. When scandal threatens to pull them apart, Evie has to figure out if she wants to stay at her bookshop or become a Duchess.

This was such a cute story. When Max told Evie about the bet he had made, he said he wanted to turn her into a Cinderella. I loved that they acknowledged that it would be a Cinderella-type story right away. It was fun to see Evie get the life she deserved!

Bookshop Cinderella is a fun Victorian romance!

Thank you Forever for providing a copy of this book!

This book was a true delight to read!

It's very low angst and very high in swoony moments.

I really enjoyed the plot and felt it was fresh and exciting. It made me want to have a Cinderella moment of my own.

If you love bookshop settings, strong female characters and steamy scenes, this is the book for you!

A historical romance set in a bookstore, yes, please! Laura Lee Gurhrke always delivers a smart and sexy romance and this was no different. Loved it!

3.5 stars. This was a solid historical romance that mostly delivered based on strong characters. I liked the heroine, Evie, who is sassy and scrappy and basically has already pulled herself up by her bootstraps. I loved that she didn't need anyone to survive and made her own way as an orphan and bookshop owner. I loved that despite that, she was a believer in true love.

And I really liked Max, the cool, smart Duke who doesn't want to want love. I loved that he was a widower, a person who had previously believed in love, and followed his heart to ruin. His closed off-ness and unwillingness to risk it all made total sense - and yet, his charm was really evident. The two of them together were an interesting mix that really brought out the banter.

A lot of this book was really about believing yourself worthy of good things, and both characters had major issues on that. That part was believable. The part that was less so was the Cinderella aspect and Evie's acceptance into society so easily. I also found a lot of Rory's actions kind of cartoonish. And in general, I felt that the writing was a bit flat and didn't quite sing as much as it needed to in intense moments.

Bookshop Cinderella is one of those books where the concept was better than the execution. I think the characters were really strong, but the romance felt a bit hampered by the prose,. And yet, I still found it very compelling, and still wanted to cheer on the characters, even though the middle of the book slowed significantly for me. A good read and I will be looking again at this author's books in the future.

After a slow start, this book ended up be far cuter than I expected. When a Duke finds what others claim is a "plain" bookshop owner Evie Harlow, he sees her for anything bet. One questionable bet and some amount of convincing later the Duke sponser Evie for a season and a break from the hard work of running her bookshop. After a few dancing lessons it becomes clear they have chemistry with each other even if they continue to deny it... This was a sweet and quick read that took elements from a classic Cinderella stories and gave me She's All That vibes!

I cannot stress enough how much I was obsessed with reading this story. I could not put down my copy at all, because I was so invested in what happened to Evie and Max. The premise of how they end up meeting was cute and I thought the excuse of the bet implausible but fun for romance purposes. I also really appreciated the fact that Evie was in on the bet, because I dislike any stories that involve bets, but the other party doesn't know about it.

I was at first surprised by the duplicitousness of Rory, but I thought that he did give Evie's story some flavor except that he felt a bit underutilized and I forgot about him until he'd pop up again in the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to read another one from Guhrke. Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the copy.