What do you think?
Rate this book
A Cinderella Governess for the Duke: A Historical Regency Romance Novel
Amelia Montrose has spent her life in the shadows, raised by a strict woman who refused to reveal the truth of her origins. When her adoptive mother dies, Amelia is cast out and takes a position as governess at Ashford Hall. There, she finds herself drawn to the enigmatic Duke of Belvoir, whose family’s hidden secrets may be intertwined with her own.
Captain Julian Ashford, the Duke of Belvoir, never expected his inheritance would bring so much emotional turmoil. Haunted by his father’s cryptic deathbed confession and forced into a courtship he does not desire, Julian is torn between duty and the undeniable, unsettling attraction he feels toward Amelia, the estate’s spirited and enigmatic new governess.
When Amelia is accused of theft and her fraudulent references are exposed, she is dismissed from Ashford Hall, leaving her future uncertain. As she works to clear her name, Julian must decide if he can stand by her or if his family’s expectations will force him to choose duty over love. Can their bond survive the storm, or will the secrets prove too great a barrier for them?
Cinderella with a Twist, Forbidden Love, Fated Lovers, Slow Burn
"A Cinderella Governess for the Duke" is a historical romance novel of approximately 60,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
Captain Julian Ashford, the Duke of Belvoir, never expected his inheritance would bring so much emotional turmoil. Haunted by his father’s cryptic deathbed confession and forced into a courtship he does not desire, Julian is torn between duty and the undeniable, unsettling attraction he feels toward Amelia, the estate’s spirited and enigmatic new governess.
When Amelia is accused of theft and her fraudulent references are exposed, she is dismissed from Ashford Hall, leaving her future uncertain. As she works to clear her name, Julian must decide if he can stand by her or if his family’s expectations will force him to choose duty over love. Can their bond survive the storm, or will the secrets prove too great a barrier for them?
Cinderella with a Twist, Forbidden Love, Fated Lovers, Slow Burn
"A Cinderella Governess for the Duke" is a historical romance novel of approximately 60,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
- GenresRomance
341 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 31, 2025
36 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 10, 2026
I'm not clear on why it took so long to out the villain....
Uncle Reginald was an arse, and it made no sense that he was so established in his nephew's--the DUKE'S--home. As well, his nagging about forcing an alliance by marriage to a woman his nephew didn't care for was obnoxious, and Julian was too dense to question why.
My biggest problem, though, was that the editor seemed to take a powder halfway through, and weird errors accumulated quickly.
Lastly, that was the most painfully protracted wedding I've ever suffered through. Having abandoned my own catholic family, even I've never witnessed such a boring wedding--and I'm almost surprised we weren't subjected to a full mass on top of it. The entire congregation standing to give the bride away was complete salvation, though. 💖
Uncle Reginald was an arse, and it made no sense that he was so established in his nephew's--the DUKE'S--home. As well, his nagging about forcing an alliance by marriage to a woman his nephew didn't care for was obnoxious, and Julian was too dense to question why.
My biggest problem, though, was that the editor seemed to take a powder halfway through, and weird errors accumulated quickly.
Lastly, that was the most painfully protracted wedding I've ever suffered through. Having abandoned my own catholic family, even I've never witnessed such a boring wedding--and I'm almost surprised we weren't subjected to a full mass on top of it. The entire congregation standing to give the bride away was complete salvation, though. 💖
February 17, 2026
Mostly a good story, but...
Honestly, I was drawn into the story, and I was able to read it rather quickly, despite the typos. But, it could have been so much more engaging had it not been for the typos, lack of important historical information, and lack of adherence to how people would have acted in the regency era; proper etiquette and speech for the aristocrats.
Things that I liked about this book:
+ The storyline.
+ The pacing was good.
+ The unique way in which each character speaks was wonderful. For example, the housekeeper; it was engaging how the author incorporated the speech patterns of the Scottish housekeeper. She is from Berwickshire, in the south east of Scotland. So the author has us read as though we are hearing her accent. That was a welcome but slow process. I actually learned something new. Here is an example: "“Aye,” Mrs. Byers nodded. “I remember when the young duke was born. He was a wee braw bairn, red and screaming.”".
+ I like how the author incorporated some actual historical information into this book via Captain Nelson, in the famous Battle of Trafalgar off the coast of Spain, which took place between 1793-1805, but she fails to actually include those dates in this book. The war ties the newly appointed Lord Ashford to this battle as he tells his testimony to Amelia of what happened from his perspective. But, since there are no dates anywhere in the book it just doesn't feel as historical as it could. What year is it during the book? Maybe it's early Regency? What year exactly is he flashing back to? It could be the end of the battle? It's very frustrating.
What I didn't like about the book:
+ This book was ahistorical; it lacks historical context in the form of dates. The book feels vague and not grounded in history despite the addition of the reference to the Trafalgar war, since it lacks a clear time frame in the form of exact dates.
+ There are no dates anywhere in the book. The only way that I knew that the author meant for this to be in the Recency Era, is because it says so in the title. Adding dates would draw the reader further into the time period.
+ It would have been helpful to have dates and places at the top of a new chapter where needed. For example: Chapter 1
The Hasting's Residence, 18-whatever, Whatever town they lived in (we don't know because the author doesn't mention it)
Then, in Chapter 2
Ashford Hall, 18-whatever, Whatever town they lived in (we don't know because the author doesn't mention it)
Chapter 12
Ashford Hall, 18-whatever, early morning
And then, when he awakes from his night mare and goes to the kitchen and tells Amelia, who also has had a tough time sleeping, about his nightmare. This would be a good opportunity to flash back to the battle.
So, maybe it could be something such as:
The Battle of Trafalgar, Near the end, 1805, off the southwest coast of Spain, between Cadiz and the Strait of Gibraltar
And then continue with the nightmare.
+ Only the children's ages are revealed. Why? I want to know more about each character. The most I learned is that Reginald is 5 minutes younger than his brother, the late duke, who's name wasn't even mentioned. Why do we know what Julian's mother's name is, but not his father's name? Not adding these details make the book seem rushed or like the author is being lazy.
+ Some of the situations were rather unhistorical. For example, in Chapter 7: There is a scenario that is inconsistent with historical 1800s London.
"Once Charlotte had recovered fully from her illness, the duke invited the children to an outing in the local village. Excited to be out of the house, the children immediately agreed and asked if their governess could come with them. The duke had agreed, and Amelia found herself in a carriage with Charlotte and Emma on either side of her, while Thomas sat across from them beside the duke."
While a governess's job often involved taking the children into town, the duke would not have accompanied her, nor would he have invited her to go with him, as this would imply an affair happening between the duke and the governess. This would have caused a major scandal. Why would he do this? It makes no sense for him to jeopardize his dukedom, especially for someone he doesn't fully trust. Since this is a historical romance, then they should be acting in a historically appropriate way, even if it is fiction. This is not fantasy after all.
Chapter 12:
+ The duke has a nightmare and he decides to go for a walk with his pup. They end up in the kitchen together. I can understand them going for a walk to clear his mind of the night mare, but for him to go to the kitchen would have been highly unlikely, as this would have been considered the servant's domain. A duke would typically ring for a servant. Entering the kitchen would have been seen as a breech of social decorum. At least he didn't pour his own tea.
The Extended Epilogue was charming. There were no typos, no inconsistencies, and it wrapped up the story.
Honestly, I was drawn into the story, and I was able to read it rather quickly, despite the typos. But, it could have been so much more engaging had it not been for the typos, lack of important historical information, and lack of adherence to how people would have acted in the regency era; proper etiquette and speech for the aristocrats.
Things that I liked about this book:
+ The storyline.
+ The pacing was good.
+ The unique way in which each character speaks was wonderful. For example, the housekeeper; it was engaging how the author incorporated the speech patterns of the Scottish housekeeper. She is from Berwickshire, in the south east of Scotland. So the author has us read as though we are hearing her accent. That was a welcome but slow process. I actually learned something new. Here is an example: "“Aye,” Mrs. Byers nodded. “I remember when the young duke was born. He was a wee braw bairn, red and screaming.”".
+ I like how the author incorporated some actual historical information into this book via Captain Nelson, in the famous Battle of Trafalgar off the coast of Spain, which took place between 1793-1805, but she fails to actually include those dates in this book. The war ties the newly appointed Lord Ashford to this battle as he tells his testimony to Amelia of what happened from his perspective. But, since there are no dates anywhere in the book it just doesn't feel as historical as it could. What year is it during the book? Maybe it's early Regency? What year exactly is he flashing back to? It could be the end of the battle? It's very frustrating.
What I didn't like about the book:
+ This book was ahistorical; it lacks historical context in the form of dates. The book feels vague and not grounded in history despite the addition of the reference to the Trafalgar war, since it lacks a clear time frame in the form of exact dates.
+ There are no dates anywhere in the book. The only way that I knew that the author meant for this to be in the Recency Era, is because it says so in the title. Adding dates would draw the reader further into the time period.
+ It would have been helpful to have dates and places at the top of a new chapter where needed. For example: Chapter 1
The Hasting's Residence, 18-whatever, Whatever town they lived in (we don't know because the author doesn't mention it)
Then, in Chapter 2
Ashford Hall, 18-whatever, Whatever town they lived in (we don't know because the author doesn't mention it)
Chapter 12
Ashford Hall, 18-whatever, early morning
And then, when he awakes from his night mare and goes to the kitchen and tells Amelia, who also has had a tough time sleeping, about his nightmare. This would be a good opportunity to flash back to the battle.
So, maybe it could be something such as:
The Battle of Trafalgar, Near the end, 1805, off the southwest coast of Spain, between Cadiz and the Strait of Gibraltar
And then continue with the nightmare.
+ Only the children's ages are revealed. Why? I want to know more about each character. The most I learned is that Reginald is 5 minutes younger than his brother, the late duke, who's name wasn't even mentioned. Why do we know what Julian's mother's name is, but not his father's name? Not adding these details make the book seem rushed or like the author is being lazy.
+ Some of the situations were rather unhistorical. For example, in Chapter 7: There is a scenario that is inconsistent with historical 1800s London.
"Once Charlotte had recovered fully from her illness, the duke invited the children to an outing in the local village. Excited to be out of the house, the children immediately agreed and asked if their governess could come with them. The duke had agreed, and Amelia found herself in a carriage with Charlotte and Emma on either side of her, while Thomas sat across from them beside the duke."
While a governess's job often involved taking the children into town, the duke would not have accompanied her, nor would he have invited her to go with him, as this would imply an affair happening between the duke and the governess. This would have caused a major scandal. Why would he do this? It makes no sense for him to jeopardize his dukedom, especially for someone he doesn't fully trust. Since this is a historical romance, then they should be acting in a historically appropriate way, even if it is fiction. This is not fantasy after all.
Chapter 12:
+ The duke has a nightmare and he decides to go for a walk with his pup. They end up in the kitchen together. I can understand them going for a walk to clear his mind of the night mare, but for him to go to the kitchen would have been highly unlikely, as this would have been considered the servant's domain. A duke would typically ring for a servant. Entering the kitchen would have been seen as a breech of social decorum. At least he didn't pour his own tea.
The Extended Epilogue was charming. There were no typos, no inconsistencies, and it wrapped up the story.
February 12, 2026
A Cinderella Governess
An enjoyable mystery.
The MFC was raised from infancy by Martha Hastings along with Martha’s daughter’s. Martha gave Amelia her last name but “never” revealed who her real parents were. Upon Martha’s death the daughter evicted Amelia from the house.
Accepting a job as a Governess using forged education documents, This is the moment that the true mystery begins.
An enjoyable mystery.
The MFC was raised from infancy by Martha Hastings along with Martha’s daughter’s. Martha gave Amelia her last name but “never” revealed who her real parents were. Upon Martha’s death the daughter evicted Amelia from the house.
Accepting a job as a Governess using forged education documents, This is the moment that the true mystery begins.
February 23, 2026
An easy-to-read mystery that had a forbidden romance within the story. I did enjoy the story and while I figured out pieces of the mystery is stayed a mystery for me until the revealing in the last two chapters. I will say that was the very longest wedding I've EVER read about in a book!!
January 3, 2026
the Truth
Ah, the. Wicked uncle gets his due in the end. It is an interesting story about true love sets them free from the past.
Ah, the. Wicked uncle gets his due in the end. It is an interesting story about true love sets them free from the past.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews