Cinderella and the Duke by Lydia Drake

Cinderella and the Duke by Lydia Drake
Rating: ✩✩✩✩✩

This is a standard genre read with healthy dose of tropes and a self-referential theme of the Cinderella story. Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite tropes, and this was a solid example of the premise. The Cinderella retelling was especially fun since the characters themselves knew they were faking the story (until they weren't), and I really enjoyed the soft fourth-wall breaking. Otherwise the plot and characters were fine, though unremarkable. Horrid parents, flouncing Dukes that need therapy, a string of obnoxious ex-lovers and women who don't actually grow but instead just get enough money to be protected are in the classic cast. What makes the book is that the spice, though delayed is grade A. Drake has a real talent for a dirty turn of phrase and that makes the whole book enjoyable. I have the two additional books in the series marked to be read as soon as they come out and look forward to seeing more from Lydia Drake.

Published on 27 December 2022 by Entangled: Amara

Book #82  of 2023