ABOUT THE BOOK

Charlotte Browne could just kick herself. What on earth possessed her to tell the Duke of Rockford that she is a lady? But something about the duke’s handsomeness and kind intelligence makes Charlotte blurt out the teeniest, tiniest falsehood. Now it’s too late to admit she’s just plain Charlotte of no particular importance—with cinder-stained hands, a wretched stepfather, and no prospects for marriage….

Rafe Dorchester, Duke of Rockford, has done what every self-respecting duke must do—avoid marriage at all costs. But the only thing stronger than the duke is his mother., When she lays down the highest ultimatum, he’ll need to find a duchess. Immediately. Only, when he calls on a potential bride, he instead finds the pert, fresh-faced Lady Charlotte. Rafe was warned to never mix the business of marriage with pleasure, but when it comes to Lady Chearlotte…oh, business would be a splendid pleasure.

One passionate, illicit kiss sends Charlotte fleeing, leaving only a delicate blue ribbon behind. For Rafe can never discover her secret, or it will ruin her beloved sister’s chance at marriage. But the duke knows that when you’ve found the one person that ignites you, body and soul, nothing can keep you away.

MY REVIEW

Book 3 of the Never a Wallflower series is inspired by Cinderella though there is an evil stepfather, an evil stepbrother, and a stepsister who is her best friend.

Charlotte’s horrible stepfather has kept her as a servant since her mother passed away. While Charlotte is on her way to bail out a kind elderly servant who was placed in debtor’s prison by her stepfather she is attacked by a robber. And who comes to her rescue but the handsome and eligible Rafe Andrew William Henley Dorchester, Duke of Rockford. His kindness is unexpected from a Duke and she is charmed, but she must not reveal who she is. Her stepfather would be angry and threaten to hurt the people she loves once again and he may be even worse than debtor’s prison. And so her ruse begins.

Rafe rescues an odd, outspoken, and intriguing young woman and assists her in freeing her friend from prison. Before Rafe knows who the woman is she is gone and he feels blindsided. The next day Rafe is on his mother’s mission to obtain a wife and secure his heir to the Dukedom when he is greeted by none other than the woman he saved. It appears she is the relative of the woman he is calling upon, but his unsuspecting heart has already chosen his future bride…he just needs to convince her of that.

As observant and understanding as Rafe is, it bothered me that he couldn’t figure out Charlotte’s predicament sooner.  It was also annoying that Francesca, Charlotte’s stepsister, couldn’t have asked for help before everything got so desperate. But then you wouldn’t have a heroic rescue and an amazing discovery in Charlotte’s life.

The story has several supporting characters who helped move the tale along. Charlotte has a lot of support from Francesca who is in a precarious situation as well. After all her nasty father is wanting to marry her off to the highest bidder. I loved the fact that Rafe is surrounded by so many strong and formidable women who have his best interests at heart. His friends are delightful as well and I want a story on my favorite character, Lord Matthew Darrow. He’s the bad-boy twin with the droll and scandalous sense of humor. 

If you love a good Cinderella story with engaging characters and a few surprises along the way, give this book a try. You can never lose with an Eva Devon book.

Thank you to Ms. Devon for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

Never a Wallflower Series:

1. The Spinster and The Rake (2021)
2. Much Ado About Dukes (2022)
3. The Duke’s Secret Cinderella (2023)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

USA Today bestselling author, Eva Devon, was raised on literary fiction, but quite accidentally and thankfully, she was introduced to romance one Christmas by Johanna Lindsey’s Mallory Novella, The Present. A romance addict was born. She devoured every single Lindsey novel within a few months and moved on to contemporary and paranormal with gusto. Now, she loves to write her own roguish dukes, alpha males and the heroines who tame them. She loves to hear from her readers.

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