Starred review from March 27, 2023
A bet thrusts a lonely spinster into society in this enchanting Victorian London–set mash-up of Pygmalion and “Cinderella” from bestseller Guhrke (the Guilty series). Max Shaw, Duke of Westbourne, drunkenly bets his friends that he can transform “plain, unremarkable” bookstore owner Evie Harlow into a much sought-after beauty. When Evie learns of this wager she is of course appalled—but then a burst boiler displaces her from her home. Not wanting to stay with her condescending cousin, Evie agrees to let Max make her over, a deal that comes with a room at the Savoy hotel, a new wardrobe, and an introduction into society. As Evie worries she’ll embarrass them both, Max grows increasingly intrigued. He likes Evie’s straightforwardness and sees the beauty beneath her matronly hairstyles and adorable overbite. Evie, meanwhile, is taken by Max’s thoughtfulness and flustered by his interest. Evie is opposed to marrying a peer and Max has been burned by a failed marriage, so he plans a slow courtship. When scandal breaks, however, their fragile budding relationship may be doomed. Guhrke makes the pair’s romance utterly believable and easy to root for. Packed with chemistry and fun, this is a fairy tale treat. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marshal Lyon Literary.
April 1, 2023
Guhrke (Not So Innocent) has written another stunning romance. Evie Harlow has no desire to try to join high society and enjoys running her small bookshop, even though times have been and continue to be quite difficult. When Max Shaw, the Duke of Westbourne, has to work with Evie on an event, he ends up offering to transform Evie into the season's belle of the ball so that he can win a friendly wager. Aghast at his offer, Evie declines until she experiences a bookshop catastrophe that forces her to change her decision. Quickly adapting to a different world from her own, Evie blossoms in her new surroundings, with Max's help. Sparks begin fly between the two as Max starts to realize that Evie was possibly exemplary all along, but he'll have to convince her that this is a life she would want to live. VERDICT The story contains a great mix of wit and attraction as opposites clash and romance blooms. Recommended for readers who like historical romance, independent women, high-society romance, and transformation stories.--Bridgette Whitt
Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
May 1, 2023
A bookstore owner is swept into a new life by a duke. Evie Harlow doesn't have much, but she does still have her late father's bookshop, after years of hard work to pay off his debts, and her dreams of romance with a childhood friend. Those dreams take a different turn when Maximillian Shaw, Duke of Westbourne, pops into her store on an errand for his cousin, with whom Evie helps plan elaborate dinner parties at the Savoy Hotel. That night, at the Savoy's famous American Bar, when he hears some young fops disparaging her, he's rather surprised and tells them she has "the potential to be an incomparable beauty," then backs that assertion up with a drunken wager that he can introduce her to society and transform her into the belle of an upcoming ball. It isn't until the next day, explaining his offer to Evie, that he realizes it might not sound quite as complimentary to her as he thought. But Evie, after a bookshop emergency, agrees it would be nice to have a short vacation staying in the Savoy, being taken to the opera, and given a whole new wardrobe. As her transformation begins, dance lessons and other circumstances bring her and Max closer, but early experiences with high society made her wary of it, and Max has his own reasons for keeping her at arm's length. As the ball draws closer, though, they may not be able to resist at least one night together. Evie and Max develop a charming chemistry that starts slow and then ticks all the historical romance boxes without feeling clich�d. Guhrke's slightly spicy new series, set against the Victorian backdrop of the opulent Savoy Hotel, is full of rich detail and side stories that will thrill historical romance lovers. Enjoy it with the newfangled drink that got the duke soused enough to bet on Evie: "something...called a 'Manhattan.' " A promising start to a cheery new Victorian romance series.
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Starred review from May 15, 2023
When Max Shaw, the duke of Westbourne, breezes into Evie Harlow's London bookshop and tries to convince her to let him give her a dazzling makeover as part of a wager he made, Evie politely shows him the door. But then the store's boiler decides to go on the fritz, and Evie has no choice but to close up shop while it is repaired. Now taking advantage of Max's offer to put her up at the Savoy as part of his Cinderella deal makes good sense, given Evie's dearth of temporary housing options. However, after six weeks living in Max's world and undergoing his promised makeover, will Evie be able to return to the quiet life of a bookseller? It has been a while since Guhrke's last superbly written historical romance, but her latest artfully constructed literary confection is well worth the wait. George Bernard Shaw himself would appreciate Guhrke's clever riff on his classic, Pygmalion, not to mention her sprightly prose and sparkling, champagne-fizzy wit.
COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.