#Review: CINDERELLA AND THE DUKE by Lydia Drake

 

4 of 5 stars

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.

I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own.