A Duchess by Midnight
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4.4 • 14 Ratings
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
"Charis Michaels will make you believe in fairy tales."— #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn
USA Today bestselling author Charis Michaels concludes her Awakened by a Kiss series with another enchanting romance, this time telling the real story of Cinderella’s stepsister and the man who can’t help falling in love with her.
A Former Ugly Duckling...
Miss Drewsmina “Drew” Trelayne is a former awkward child and one-time wicked stepsister. Raised by a bitter, overbearing mother, Drew is all grown up and has made peace with her orange hair and bean-pole height. Her transformation has inspired her dream of opening a finishing school that emphasizes inner beauty, capability, and confidence. But launching a school costs money so Drew must begin with private clients who pay well and don’t ask many questions.
A Reclusive Duke...
Ian Clayblack, the Duke of Lachlan, lives alone on his Dorset estate, forced by scandal into a smuggler’s life. When his estranged sister arrives with her two daughters, he feels obligated to give the girls a proper Season. Venturing back to society could clear his name and provide his vagabond nieces with a better life. Who better to help than the striking Miss Trelayne?
A Midnight Kiss...
Affording Drew’s services isn’t a problem for Lachlan, but his growing desire for her is. As his nieces warm to her gentle charm, he is overwhelmed by her unique beauty and open manner. When they’re caught in a scandalous embrace, nothing short of marriage will save all of them from further scandal.
Can a marriage made in haste be love’s saving grace?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
An aspiring finishing school instructor must practice what she preaches in Michaels's appealing third Awakened by a Kiss Regency romance (after When You Wish upon a Duke). Enterprising Drewsmina "Drew" Trelayne sets out to make a living "coaching young debutantes through their coming-out Season," hoping one day to start her own finishing school, and, more importantly, move out of her sister's home. Despite Drew's awkward first meeting with the Duke of Lachlan—during which she inadvertently insults him—Drew is eager to take on his twin nieces as her first clients. But when timid Ivy and the wild child Imogene catch Drew in a compromising position with their uncle, Drew's own rules about being discovered alone with a man—which she has drilled into her charges' heads—mean that she and the duke must marry. While Lachlan is secretly pleased about his duchess-to-be, he's preoccupied with clandestine business dealings, and Drew tries to protect her own heart by not allowing herself to get too invested. Michaels's female characters are delightfully complex, and the strange behavior of Ivy, Imogene, and their mother adds intrigue as Michaels slowly peals back their traumatic history. This delivers all the elements Regency fans long for.
Customer Reviews
Extremely Entertaining
Everyone deserves a happily ever after… even the former bad girl Drewsmina Trelayne and His Grace, the disgraced Duke of Lachlan from “A Duchess by Midnight” by Charis Michaels!
Drewsmina is summoned to the palace by her stepsister. The duke, Ian Clayback, is summoned to the palace by his friend, a prince. Drew seeks a paying customer for her business venture to coach young debutantes. Ian gets a vital meeting with the Prince Regent if he enlists Drew’s service. Drew gets double the trouble with a side of weird when Ian agrees to the unsolicited opportunity.
I love this book from the very beginning! Drew’s rule begins each chapter which creates anticipation. Drew and Ian’s meet-cute is unforgettable. We get birds, chaos, insults, laughter, sarcasm, team work, and touching before they find out each other’s name!
I love that Michaels kept Drew’s past as the terrible stepsister portraying anyone and at anytime we can transform.
I love the characters in this book, even the villain who is so good at being awful! The debutantes have completely different personalities, but you feel the love. The mother, the duke’s sister, is a free spirit but does give sage advice at key times.
I love that Michaels got me laughing even during a serious situation. You got to read the book to know what T.O.E. means, but I love the cleverness of the acronym. Every time toe or T.O.E. is mentioned, I imagine the cartoon version of the retelling and the big toe that needed to fit into the glass slipper.
I recommend reading this book! This book is entertaining, hilarious, and sweet. Oh, then there are the declarations at the end, so good!!
Thank you to Net Galley, Avon, and Harper Voyager US for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.