Book Review: Cinderella and the Duke

I don't know about anyone else but this was a long ass week. I'm glad we have a long weekend with the kids being home on Monday for the holiday, because I really just need an extra day. My brain was just...overwhelmed with doctor stuff and this week is going to end on a doozy of an appointment and I feel like I need to gear up for it. I'm waiting for a referral to call me, I need to get more labs done, I'm just kind of over it all, you know? 

Sigh. 

In the meantime, let us talk about books because why not. 

Cinderella and the Duke

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 have already decided that I am reading more historical romance in 2023 and I'm off to a great start. If you love the traditional Disney romances of your childhood, it is definitely time for you to have the grown up version, except... different. And for being a historical romance it's almost scandalous on its own with Julia being the one to do the proposing and taking her future into her own damn hands already. On that alone, Julia is my girl. I also really liked Gregory despite him being just a man whore, if we're being honest, because it was almost humorous with all of this women fawning themselves over him and he's over here, definitely sick of the attention. The commonality between them of each having something in their history that makes them feel unworthy of true love is relatable but also helps them be more likeable. 

I have some high spots and low spots in this one for me. I loved the humor throughout, it really helped it not ended up stuffy and pretentious, something that can easily happen in historical books, especially romances. I loved the characters and I liked the creative take on a classic fairytale. The only real low spot I had was pacing. It felt like it wasn't an even reading pace, and we'd hit some boring spots, then a bunch of faster/exciting things and then slump again. I never wanted to DNF it, I just wish it was a little more even throughout. I think this is Lydia Drake's debut novel and when I keep that in mind, this is a great debut, and a promising peek into more to come. I definitely can't wait. 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Entangled Publishing for having me on this tour and sending me a copy for review. 

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